The Flower of the Chapdelaines

by George Washington Cable

  "Is that Melanie, whom you all mention so often but whom I've never seen?"

  "Yes. Reason you don't see her---- But I'll tell you that. Mr.Chezter, that would make a beautyful story to go with those other' inthat book of Mlle. Aline--but of co'se by changing those name', and bypreten'ing that happen' at Hong Kong, or Chicago, or Bogota. Presently'tis too short, but you can easy mazk and coztume that in a splendidrhetorique till it's plenty long enough."

  "H'mm!" said Chester, wondering at the artisan's artlessness off hisbeaten track. "Go on."

  "Well, she's not beautyful, Melanie; same time she's not bad-looking andshe's kindess of the kind, and whoever she love'--her mother, forexample--and Mlle. Aline--tha'z pretty touching, to see with what aninten-_city_ she love'.

  "Now, what I tell you, tha'z a very sicret bitwin you and me. Biccauseeven those Dubroca', _pere_ and _mere_, and those De l'Isle', _pere_ and_mere_, they do' know _all_ that; and me I know that only from Castanado,who know' it only from his wife; biccause she, she know' it only fromMlle. Aline, and none of them know that I know egcep' those Castanado'.

  "Well! sinze chilehood those three--Melanie, De l'Isle, Dubroca,--theyare playmate' together, and Dubroca he's always call' Melanie hisswit-heart. But De l'Isle, no. Always biffo', those De l'Isle they areof the, eh, the _beau monde_ and though li'l' by li'l' losing theirfortune, keeping their frien', some of them rich, yet still ad the sametime nize people. And that young De l'Isle he's a good-looking,well-behave', ambitiouz, and got--what you call--dash!

  "That was the condition when they are all graduate' from school and goeach into his o'cupation, or hers, up to the eyebrow'. Melanie and Mlle.Aline they work' with Mme. Alexandre, though not precizely together,biccause Melanie she show' only an ability to keep those account' and toassist keeping shop, whiles Mlle. Aline she rimain' always up-stair'employing that great talent tha'z too valu'ble to be interrupt'."

  "Doesn't she keep the books now?"

  "Yes, but tha'z only to assist Melanie whiles Melanie she's, eh, away.Dubroca he go' into businezz with his father, likewise Castanado with hisfather, but De l'Isle he's made a secretary in City-hall. So he have mo'time than those other' and he go' oft-en into society, and he get thosemanner' and cuztom' of society. And then that young Dubroca biggen veryplain to pay his intention' to Melanie, and we are all pretty glad tonotiz that, biccause whiles he don't got that dash of De l'Isle, he'smodess, yet still brave to a perfegtion; and he's square and got plentysense, and he's steady and he's kind. Every way they are suit' to eachother and we think--if that poor old rue Royale _con_-tinue to run down,that will even be good to join those two businezz' together. Andbisside', sinze a li'l' shaver Dubroca he ain't never love nobody else,only Melanie.

  "But also De l'Isle, like Dubroca, he was always pretty glad of everyegscuse to drop in there at Mme. Alexandre and pass word with Melanie.'Twas easy to see 'tis to Mlle. Aline he's in love and he come talk toMelanie biccause tha'z the nearess he can reach to Mlle. Aline egcep'juz' saying good-day whiles passing on street or at church door. Oh, hebehave the perfec' gen'leman, and still tha'z one reason she get thatli'l' 'Ector. Yes, we all see that, only Melanie she don't. So Mlle.Aline she ezcape' him all she could, but, with that dash he's got, hepersevere' to hang on. And tha'z the miztake they both did, him andMelanie, in doing that American way, keeping that to themselve' insteadof--French way--telling their parent'.

  "Then another thing tranzpire'. My son and that son of Castanado bigin,both--but that come' mo' later. Any'ow one day Melanie she bring Mlle.Aline a note from De l'Isle sol-iciting if she and Melanie will go atmatinee with him and Dubroca. And when mademoiselle bigin to makeegscuse' Melanie implore' her to go, biccause Mme. Alexandre say noCreole girl cann' go juz' with one man, or even with two. 'And mammashe's right,' Melanie say--with tear',--'even in that Am'erican way theygot a limit, and same time I'm perishing to go!'

  "And when mademoiselle hear' what that play is ab-out she consent' at thelazt to go. Biccause tha'z ab-out a girl what billieve' a man's in loveto her, biccause he pay her those li'l' galanterie of high life--li'l'pol-ite figtion'--what every man---unless he's marrie'--egspect to pay toevery girl, to make thing' pleasant, you know?

  "And that play turn out a so egcellent that many people, paying admissionad the door, find they got to pay ag-ain, secon' time, ad their seat, intear' that they weep; and that make it not so hard for Melanie, who weepab-out ten price'. Negs day, Sunday, avter church and dinner, she comeyonder ad the home of mademoiselle, you know, Bourbon Street, and sitwith her in the gol'fish bower of that li'l' garden behine. And she'svery much bow' down. And she h-ask mademoiselle if she ain't notiz sinzlong time how De l'Isle is paying intention to her, Melanie. Butmademoiselle di'n' have to be embarrazz' what to answer, biccause Melanieshe's so rattle' she don't wait to hear. And Melanie she say tha'z onecause that she was wanting De l'Isle to see that play; biccause sinzlately she's notiz he's make himseff very complimentary also tomademoiselle, and she, Melanie, she want' him to notiz how that way he'sin danger to make mizunderstanding and diztress to himseff and--allconcern'.

  "And she prod-uce' a piece paper _fill_' with memorandum' of compliment'he's say to her one time and other, what she's wrote down whiles frezhspoken and what she billieve' are proof that he's in love to her andinten' to make his proposition so soon he's got good sign' he'll beaccept'. 'But I ain't never give' him sign,' she say, 'biccause a girlshe cann' never be too careful. And so I think I'm bound to show that toyou, biccause I muz'n' be careful only for myseff, and if he's say suchthing' likewise to you, then tha'z to be false to both of us together.But, I think,' she say, 'M. De l'Isle he coul'n' never do that!'"

  "How did she say all that, angrily or meekly?"

  "Oh! meek and weeping till mademoiselle she's compel' to weep likewise.And ad the end she's compel' to tell Melanie yes, De l'Isle he's pay herthose same kind of sentimental plaisanteries; rosebud' to pin on theheart _outside_, a few minute', till the negs cavalier. Castanado, shesay, Beloiseau, they do the same--even more. 'Ah!' Melanie say, 'butonly to you! and only biccause to say any mo' they are yet af-raid!Mademoiselle, those both, they are both in love to you!'

  "And when Melanie say that, Mlle. Aline take the both hand' of Melanie inher both han' and ask her if she ain't herseff put them both, Castanado,Beloiseau, up to that--to fall in love to her. And pretty soon Melanieshe's compel' to confezz that, not with word', but juz' with thefore-head on the knee of mademoiselle and crying like babie. And she sayshe's sin'. And yet same time while she h-ask' mademoiselle to pray thegood God and the mother of God to forgive that sin, she h-ask her to prayalso that they'll make De l'Isle to love her.

  "Biccause, she say, 'tis those unfortunate rosebud' of sentimentalplaisanterie he give her what firz' make her to love him. Andmademoiselle she ag-ree' to that if Melanie she'll tell that whole storyalso to her mother; biccause mademoiselle she see what a hole that putthem both in, her and Melanie, when she, mademoiselle, is bound to knowhe's paying, De l'Isle, all his real intention' to herseff. And Melanieshe's in agonie and say no-no-no! but if mademoiselle will tell it, yes!And by reason that she's kep' that from her mother sinze the firz', shesay tell not Mme. Alexandre but Mme. Castanado, even when mademoisellesay if Mme. Castanado then also monsieur; biccause madame she'llcertainly make that condition, and biccause monsieur he can assist her tocommenze that whole businezz over, French way. And same time Melanie shetake very li'l' stock in that French way, by reason that, avter all,those De l'Isle, though their money's gone, are still pretty high-life.

  "And tha'z how it come that those Castanado' have to tell me. Biccausemadame she cann' skip ar-ound pretty light, you know, and biccause theythink my, eh--pull--with those De l'Isle' is the moze of anybody, andbiccause I require to know how they are sure 'tis uzeless any mo' for_my_ son, or _their_ son, than for the son of De l'Isle, to sed the hearton Mlle. Aline. Also tha'z to egsplain me why Mlle. Aline say if allthose intention' to her don't finizh r
ighd there, she got to stop comingad Mme. Alexandre. And of co'se! You see that, I su'pose?"

  "And where was young Dubroca in all this?"

  "Ah, another migsture! He was nowhere. Any'ow, tha'z how he feel; andthose other three boy' they di'n' feel otherwise. You see? We coul'n'egsplain them anything--ab-out Mlle. Aline,--all we can say: 'Roadclose'--stim-roller.' So ad the end Dubroca he have, slimly, theadvantage; for him, to Melanie, the road any 'ow seem' open; yet in vain.So there, all at same time, in that li'l' gang, rue Royale, was fiveheart' blidding for love, and nine other' blidding for those five and forMlle. Aline.

  "Well, of co'se--you see?--nobody cann' stand that! Firzt to find hisway out of that is Melanie. Melanie's confessor he think tha'z a sin tokeep any longer those fact' from her mother, and she confezz them to Mme.Alexandre, and ad the end she say: 'Mamma, in our li'l' coterie I cann'look anybody in the face any mo', and I'm going to biccome train' nurse.Tha'z not running away, yet same time tha'z not every evening to begetting me singe' in the same candle.'

  "Then, almoze while she saying that, that son of De l'Isle he say to myson--who he's fon' of like a brother, and my son of him likewise, thoughthe one is a so dashing and the other a so quiet--''Oiseau,' hesay,--biccause tha'z the nickname of my son,--'papa and me we visit' theFrench consul to-day and arrange' a li'l' affair.'

  "And when he want' to tell some mo' my son he stop' him: 'Enough! Idiv-ine that. Why you di'n' take me al-ong? You'll arrange to go atthat France, of my _grand'mere_, and that Alsace, of her mother, to befighting _aviateur_, and leave '_Oiseau_ behine? Ah, you cann' do that!'And when that young Dubroca and Castanado get the win' of them, the allfour, all of same sweet maladie, they go together; two to be juz'_poilu_', two, _aviateur_'. That old remedie, you know; if they can'tlove--they'll fight! They are yonder, still al-ive, laz' account."

  Mainly to himself Chester said, "And I am here, my land still at peace,last account."

  "And also you, you've h-ask' mademoiselle, I think," said the ironworker,"and alas, she's say aggain, no, eh?"

  The reply was a gaze and a nod.

  "Well, Mr. Chezter, I'm sorrie! Her reason--you can't tell. 'Tis maybejuz' biccause those hero' are yonder. 'Tis maybe only that those twoaunt' are here. Maybe 'tis biccause both, maybe neither. You can'ttell. Maybe you h-ask too soon. Ad the present she know' you only sinzea few week'. She don't know none of yo' hiztorie, neither yo'familie--egcep' that h-angel of the Lord. Yo' char-_acter_, she may likethat very well yet same time she know' how easy that is for women to makemiztake' about. Maybe y'ought to 'ave ask' M'sieu' Thorndyke-Smith towrite at yo' home-town and get you recommen'. Even a cook he's got to'ave that--or a publisher, eh?"

  "I've got that--within reach; my law firm has it. But, pshaw! _I_think, Beloiseau, while all your maybe's may be right the thing thatexplains mademoiselle's whole situation is that she's never seen a manworthy to touch a hem of her robe; and the only argument a lover can layat her feet is that she never will."

  "And you'll lay that, negs time?"

  "Not till that manuscript business is settled, don't you see? Come, youmust go to bed."

  XLIII

  Shrimps, rice, and watered wine for a sunset dinner. At its end thethree Chapdelaines, each with her small cup of black coffee, left thetable and its remnants to the other two members of the household, andpassed out as usual to the bower benches and the goldfish pool.

  Humming-birds were there, drinking frenziedly from honeysuckle cups tothe health of all things beautiful and ecstatic. Mlle. Yvonne stood ata bench's end to watch one of them dart from bloom to bloom. "Ah,Corinne," she sighed, "if we could all be juz' humming-bird'!"

  "_Cherie_," cried her sister, "you are spilling yo' coffee!"

  Whether for the coffee, for the fact that we can't all behumming-birds, or for some thought not yet spoken, Mlle. Corinne's eyeswere all but spilling their tears. As the trio sat down. Aline saidin gentlest accusation to the younger aunt:

  "You are trembling. Why is that?"

  The younger sister looked appealingly to the elder. "_Chere_," Mlle.Corinne said to the girl, "we are anxiouz to confezz you something. Wewoul'n' never be anxiouz to confezz that, only we're af-raid alreadyyou've foun' us out!"

  "Yes. I came this evening by Ovide's shop to return a book----"

  "An' he tell you he's meet us----?"

  "On the steps of the _archeveche_."

  "Ah, _cherie_," Yvonne tearfully broke in, "can you ever pardon that tous?"

  Aline smiled: "Oh, yes; in the course of time, I suppose. That was notlike a drinking-saloon."

  "Ah-h! not in the leas'! We di'n' touch there a drop--nobodie di'n'offer us!"

  The niece addressed the other aunt: "Go on. Tell me why you werethere."

  "Aline, we'll confess us! We wend there biccause--we are orphan'! Ofco'se, we know that biffo', sinze long time, many, many year'; but onlysinze a few day'----"

  "Joy-ride day," Aline put in, a bit tensely.

  "Ah, no! _Cherie_, you muz' not supose----"

  "Never mind; 'last few days'--go on."

  "Well, sinze those laz' few day' we bigin to feel like we juz' got totake step' ab-oud that!"

  "So you took those steps of the _archeveche_."

  "_Chere_, we'll tell you! Yvonne and me, avter all those many 'appyyear' with you, we think we want--ah, _cherie_, you'll pardon that?--wewant ad the laz' to live independent! So we go ad the archbishop. Andhe say, 'How _I'm_ going to make you that? You think to be independentby biccoming Sizter' of Charitie--of Mercy--of St. Joseph?'

  "'Ah, no,' we say, 'we have not the geniuz to be those; not even to beLi'l'-Sizter'-of-the-Poor. All we want--and we coul'n' make ourselv'the courage to ask you that, only we've save' you so large egspensesnot asking you that already sinze twenty-thirty year' aggo--we want youto put us in orphan asylum.' We was af-raid at firz' he's goin' to bemad; but he smile very kine and say: 'Yes, yes; you want, like the goodLord say, to biccome like li'l' children, eh?'

  "'Ah, yes!' we tell him, 'tha'z what we be glad to do. They gotnothing in the worl' we can do, Yvonne and me, so easy like that! Andsame time we be no egspense, like those li'l' _orpheline_'; we can washdish', make bed', men' apron'; and in that way we be independent!'Well, he scratch his head; yet same time he smile', while he say, 'Go,li'l' children, to yo' home. I'll see if Mere Veronique can figs that,and if yes, I'll san' for you.' And, _cherie_, juz' the way he saidthat, we are _sure_ he's goin' to san'."

  With her tears running freely Aline softly laughed. She rose, took ahand of each aunt, laid the two together, bent low, and kissed them,saying: "He will not, for he shall not. Nothing shall ever part us butheaven."

  XLIV

  One evening M. Castanado sat reading to his wife from a fresh number ofthe weekly _Courier des Etats-Unis_.

  It was not long after the incident last mentioned. Chester had becomeaccustomed to his new lift in fortune, but as yet no further word as tothe manuscript had reached him; he had only just written a secondletter of inquiry after it. Also that summons to the two aunts, fromthe archbishop, of which the pair were so sure, was still unheard; noneed had arisen for Aline to take any counter-step. We _could_ namethe exact date, for it was the day of the week on which the _Courier_always came, and the week was the last in which a Canal Streetmovie-show beautifully presented the matchless Bernhardt as a widowedshopkeeper--like Mme. Alexandre, but with a son, not daughter, in love.

  The door-bell rang. Castanado went down to the street. There, lettingin a visitor, he spoke with such animation that madame, listening fromher special seat, guessed, and before the two were half up-stairs knew,who it was. It was Melanie Alexandre.

  No one answered her mother's bell, she said, kissing madamelingeringly, twice on the forehead and once on either vast cheek. Shewas short and square, with such serene kindness of face and voice as tobe the last you would ever pick out to fall into a mistake of passion,however exalted. Of course, that seren
ity may have come since themistake. Both Castanados seemed to take note of it as if it had comesince, and she to be willing they should note it.

  "No," they said, "Mme. Alexandre had gone with Dubroca and his wife tothat movie of Sarah."

  "And also with M. Beloiseau?" asked Melanie, with a lurking smile, asshe sat down so fondly close to madame as to leave both her small handsin one of her friend's.

  "Ah, now," madame exclaimed, "there is nothing in that! You ought tobe rijoice' if there was."

  The new look warmed in Melanie's eyes. "I'll be very glad if that timeever comes," she said.

  "Then you billieve in the second love?"

  "Ah, in a case like that! Indeed, yes. In their first love they bothwere happy; the second would be in praise of the first."

  "And to separate them there is only the street," Castanado suggested,"and Royal Street, street of their birth and chilehood, and so narrow,it have the effect to join, not separate. But!"--he made a warymotion--"kip quite, eize they will not go into the net, those oldbird', hah!"