Little Peter: A Christmas Morality for Children of any Age

by Lucas Malet

  CHAPTER IV.

  WHICH LEAVES SOME AT HOME AND TAKES SOME TO CHURCH.

  Little Peter woke up very early on Sunday morning, feeling excited andglad. He sat up on end in bed, but he had to rub his eyes very hard andget the sleep out of them before he could remember exactly what therewas to be so very glad about. When he did remember, he was so muchdelighted that he was compelled to express his feelings in some ratherviolent manner. He went on all fours and burrowed very quick, like arabbit, head first, down under the clothes to the bottom of the bed,and then rushed up again, with very red cheeks, puffing, and pushinghis curly hair out of his eyes. But it really was not light yet--onlythe rushlight his mother burnt at night glimmered feebly in the corner.Peter could hear Master Lepage snoring peacefully in his bed on theother side of the wooden partition which divided the big room into twounequal halves--the small half for little Peter and his little bed, andthe large half for his father and mother and their large bed. It wouldbe a long while yet before his mother got up and called him to her tohelp dress and wash him, for Gustavus, the cowherd, had only just gonedownstairs from his attic, clumpety-clump with his big, heavy bootsover the stairs, and he always got up long before anybody else.

  Peter wondered what he could do to amuse himself till it was time todress. And then it struck him as just possible that when Gustavus wentdown into the kitchen he might have left the door open, and that inthat case Cincinnatus, the cat, might have stepped upstairs and bewaiting outside on the landing--it had happened so once before on avery delightful and never to be forgotten occasion. Peter waited amoment and held his breath listening, for it seemed to him extremelyadventurous to be on the move so very early in the morning. He was notquite sure whether the little, hairy house-bogies and hobgoblins whoundoubtedly, so Eliza said at least, wander about the empty rooms andchase each other up and down the silent passages and stairways everynight, with impish frolic and laughter, when we are all safe in bed,might not still be holding their revels; and he knew, at least Elizasaid so, that it was extremely unlucky for any person to see them, forthey don't like to be looked at by mortal eyes, and will come and siton your pillow, and tickle your nose with a feather out of the bedding,and squat on your chest, till you feel as though you lay under theweight of a mountain, and treat you in a number of other odious anddisturbing ways. It made the cold shivers run down Peter's back as hesat up there, in his little, white night-shirt, even to think of comingface to face with the hairy goblins and bogies.

  But then, on the other hand, the society of Cincinnatus would be sovery delightful. Peter slipped one sturdy, bare leg down over theside of the bed. Ah! how cold the smooth boards of the floor felt!However, the other leg very soon followed. Then he crept across theroom very quietly, avoiding the oak chest, and the chairs, and thecorner of the high cupboard, with his mother's initials and the dateof her wedding-day carved on the doors of it; and, when he reached thedoor, paused, listening at the keyhole. Oh, dear me, there really wassomething outside on the landing moving about stealthily on small, softfeet. Little Peter's heart stood still. Was it dear, old Cincinnatus,or a dreadful, roundabout, hairy hobgoblin?

  At last he plucked up courage to put his lips close to the keyhole, andwhisper in a rather trembling voice:--

  'Pussy, puss, Cincinnatus, oh, please, is that you?'

  'Miau,' answered Cincinnatus, quite composedly and comfortably.

  In a great hurry little Peter opened a crack of the door.

  'Oh! come in quick, please, Cincinnatus,' he said.

  "Oh! come in quick, please, Cincinnatus."]

  But cats of quality never permit themselves to be hurried. Cincinnatuscame just half-way through the door, then he stopped and rubbedhimself--very tall--up against the side-post and purred; and then,stretching out his fore legs as far as ever he could, sharpened hisclaws, crick, crack, crick, crack, on the boards of the bedroomflooring.

  'Oh! do be quick, Cincinnatus,' said the little boy under his breathagain; and to hasten matters, he gave the cat a poke in the ribs withhis cold bare toes.

  'Miau,' cried Cincinnatus quite sharply, jumping on one side, forhe was taken rather by surprise. Subsequently he added in the catlanguage:--'Manners, my good child, manners! Let us before all thingscultivate a polite address and a calm, unagitated exterior.'

  Meanwhile Peter had succeeded in shutting the door quietly, and that,to his great relief, without catching a single glimpse of one of theblobbety-bodied, spindle-legged house-bogies. He pattered across theroom as fast as ever he could, and jumped into his warm bed again.

  'He is young and inexperienced,' murmured Cincinnatus reflectively. 'Iam magnanimous. I scorn to bear malice.'

  And he, too, jumped into the warm bed.

  Now, this was really charming. Little Peter pushed up the bedclothesin front, making them into a snug, little, dark cavern, inside whichthere was just room enough for himself and Cincinnatus.

  'See,' he said, 'we will play at robbers. I will be the captain and youshall be my first lieutenant.'

  But unfortunately, Cincinnatus did not seem to care very much aboutthat particular game. He had arrived at an age and temper of mind atwhich material comfort is far more valuable than pleasures derivedfrom a lively exercise of the imagination. Perhaps you do not quiteunderstand what that means? Well, so much the better. For my part, Ihope you never may understand it. There are a number of things in thisworld that it is very much the best to be ignorant about if you canpossibly manage it. Cincinnatus, anyway, understood it well enough, sohe tucked his fore legs under his chest, until nothing was visible ofthem but just the furry elbows, and laid his tail neatly along his softside, and settled himself down on the warm sheet, with his eyes morethan half shut, purring all the while as loud as if he had got a smallsteam-engine inside him.

  'That's not the way to play at robbers,' said little Peter.

  But Cincinnatus only purred a trifle louder. It was rather provoking.Still, Peter was too glad of the cat's comfortable company, and was,moreover, really too sweet-tempered a boy to get cross and angry. Sohe just lay down on his stomach, resting his chin in one hand, whilewith the other he gently rubbed Cincinnatus about the ears; and amusedhimself by thinking of the nice, new clothes that lay folded up onthe chair at the bottom of his bed, and of the representation of thestable, and the manger in which the Infant Saviour was cradled, that hehoped to see in the great church in the town, before the day was done.And meanwhile, the pale dawn broadened over the dark stretches of thegreat pine forest, and the cows lowed as Gustavus drove them out topasture, and Eliza bustled down stairs to begin dusting and sweeping,and making ready the savoury Sunday breakfast.

  And at last his mother, with her sweet, pale face, got up and washedand dressed him, listening as tenderly, as only mothers know how, tohis happy, prattle, and his simple morning prayer.

  'Ask the dear Lord to send a special blessing to us all to-day,' shesaid.

  'May I ask Him to send a blessing to my friend John Paqualin, too?'asked Peter. 'He told me yesterday he should never have anybody to lovehim, and that it saved him a great deal of trouble. But he doesn't lookas if it made him happy, does he, mother?'

  'Alas, no, poor soul,' said Susan Lepage. 'Yes, pray for him, also,little one, pray that the long disgrace and lonely sorrow of his lifehere may be counted unto him for righteousness hereafter, and I willsay Amen.'

  It must have been quite half-past eight o'clock before they were allready to start for Nullepart. Eliza was going too, you see, and she wasfuriously busy up to the very last moment. Consequently she was ratherlate, and rushed out of the house after the rest of the party, pinningher blue shawl, and giving sundry pats to the crown of her stiff,white, muslin cap, to make sure it sat quite straight over her plaitsof hair behind.

  'Eh, but you are smart, Eliza,' said Gustavus, opening his eyes verywide, as he rested the two pails of water he was carrying on the groundfor a moment, and rubbed his elbows, which ached a little with theweight.

  '_Imbecile!_
do not detain me!' cried Eliza, haughtily--though, intruth, she was prodigiously gratified by the cowherd's observation.'Don't you see how breathless and flurried I am with all the work?Bless me, where's my prayer-book? Oh! thank you, yes, Gustavus, tied upin my pocket-handkerchief. Of course--I knew where it was--at least,I should have found out for myself directly. Good-bye, Gustavus, takecare of yourself; and remember the evening's milk is to be set on theleft-hand shelf, two from the bottom.'

  Eliza pursed up her mouth and nodded, as she walked away with a veryimpressive swinging of petticoats.

  'Poor young man, his head is completely turned,' she said to herself.'But then, what wonder? My appearance in my _fete_ day clothes hasalways been a subject of remark and respectful admiration!'

  'Farewell, my wife; enjoy to the full the emotions called forth by thepious exhibition you are about to witness. They are becoming to yoursex. Boys, take good care of your mother; and conduct yourselves in allthings as worthy sons of our glorious Republic.'

  Master Lepage raised his soft felt hat from his head, as he spoke, withan elegant flourish; but whether in compliment to his wife or in honourof the democratic form of government, I really cannot say.

  At that moment the charcoal-burner came hurriedly from the narrowforest path, that led from his hut, on to the open space outside thefarmhouse. Madelon, the sow, ran beside him, shaking her lean sidesas she ran, and grunting now and then, apparently with pleasure atbeing taken out walking. Sometimes she bundled up against her master'slong, thin legs, nearly knocking him over; sometimes she stopped andforced her ugly snout into a tuft of grass or weeds by the wayside. Thecharcoal-burner's red hair streamed out behind him as he came rapidlyalong; his strange eyes were dull and vacant as those of a sleep-walker.

  'I have a message,' he cried hoarsely--'a message to you from thebeasts, and the birds, from the pine-trees, and the storm-clouds andthe voices. All night long they have told it me, over and over again.'

  Paqualin, a wild, ragged, unkempt figure, came up close to MasterLepage, who stood there erect and superior as a general officer onparade, surrounded with his family and servants--Gustavus had left hispails of water and joined the little company--in their Sunday best, andall animated with pleasant expectation of a holiday, in which amusementpromised to be agreeably mingled with spiritual edification.

  'Well, well, out with it quickly then, my good fellow, this wonderfulmessage of yours,' Lepage said, in a bantering, patronising tone. 'Yousee my wife and my sons here are just ready to start on a long walk. Icannot have them delayed.'

  'They must not go, or you must go with them,' cried thecharcoal-burner. He stretched out his hands like a man in the darkgroping for something he cannot find. 'My head is troubled,' he wenton. 'I cannot tell you plainly; but I have an aching in all my boneswhich foretells misfortune. And I say, they must not go.'

  'Pooh,' said Lepage. 'Your head is troubled, just so. But whenpeople's heads are troubled they had best keep at home and not troubletheir neighbours into the bargain with all their crazy fancies.Calm yourself, Paqualin. And as for you,' added Lepage, noddingencouragingly to his wife and the boys, 'forward, march. Do not letthis untoward little incident affect the pleasures of the day.'

  But Susan Lepage looked kindly and compassionately at thecharcoal-burner, and then turning to her husband, said:--

  'Have a moment's patience with him, _mon ami_; let us at least hearwhat he has to say.'

  'Yes, give me time,' cried Paqualin imploringly. 'There are so many ofyou staring at me--Ah! I begin to remember. You must go with them ifthey go, for the snow is coming, Master Lepage. The storm hung out itsstreaming, white flag in the north-east yesterday, and the wild ducksflew south; there were signs in the earth and in the heavens, and in myears the sound of many voices. Do not let your wife and children go.The snow will be here before evening, and the way will be difficult tofind, and the house door will stand open long into the night before thefeet of those you love cross the threshold.'

  The charcoal-burner spoke as though he was so certain of the truth ofthat which he said, and his voice sounded so sad, that poor littlePeter felt quite dismayed. Even Eliza had no opprobrious observationto make, and as for Gustavus, he stood with his big mouth wide open,staring as if he saw a ghost.

  Master Lepage, however, remained quite unmoved; and his composure wasvery reassuring.

  'Well, well, my good fellow,' he said, 'I for one need no furtherproof that your head is very much troubled, so much so indeed thatif I had my way you should find a lodging for a time in the _MaisonDieu_ at Nullepart--an excellent institution, which is calculated tocure troubled heads, or at all events to restrain the possessors ofthem from being inconvenient to other people. But the worst of itis,' Lepage added, rather angrily, 'that this superstitious nonsenseis infectious. You, for instance, my wife, begin to look quitedisconcerted.'

  Lepage folded his arms, and nodded his head argumentatively, quite asthough he had been addressing an audience in the wine shop.

  'Now I put it to you,' he said, 'the day is mild and even sunshiny atpresent. And which, pray, is likely to be the best weather prophet?I, Francis Louis Lepage, householder, citizen, veteran, and I may addphilosophic-politician and student of ancient history, or that poorhalf-wit--unsound, as anyone can see, both in mind and body?'

  'Of course the grasshopper's afraid of the snow,' chimed in Antony,switching at Madelon, the sow, with the little stick he held in hishand. 'It puts his fiddle out of tune.'

  Then Antony laughed rather loud, as people do sometimes when they havemade a joke they are not sure is a very good one.

  'For shame, Antony,' said his mother quickly. And John Paqualin turnedon the lad, his eyes glowing like live coals.

  'Ah! it is noble and generous in a handsome fellow like you to taunt meand scoff at me! Heaven pay you back in your own coin.'

  Eliza gave a scream, and seized Gustavus by the arm as though sherequired protection from some most fearful danger.

  'For the love of the saints, ma'am, let us go on, and get out ofthe way of this wild animal,' she said, in a very loud whisper. 'Helooks wicked enough to commit a crime. Keep off, Gustavus! What areyou thinking about, catching hold like that of a respectable, young,servant woman?'

  'Why it was you who caught hold of me, Eliza,' answered the cowherdmildly.

  Paqualin, meanwhile, looked round the little group with a sort ofdespair in his poor ugly face.

  'It is all useless,' he said; 'you will not listen to or believe me. Ionly get jeered at. You all despise me.'

  'YOU ALL DESPISE ME.' _Page 66._]

  He turned away with a bitter cry, and shambled off into the forest.

  'Good-bye, dear John Paqualin, good-bye.--No, I won't hush, Eliza.I love him, he is a very kind friend to me.--Good-bye, dear JohnPaqualin,' little Peter called after him.

  He felt very very sorry for the poor charcoal-burner.

  'Whoof,' went Madelon, the sow, making a run at Cincinnatus--who satwashing his face on the clean flags just outside the door of thefarm-house--and taking him so by surprise that he leapt up, with aprodigious tail, on to the window ledge, without even waiting toscratch. Then she cantered off, grunting and shaking her great bristly,floppety ears, after her master.

  'Next time I see the charcoal-burner, it will undoubtedly be my duty tospit at him,' said Cincinnatus to himself in the cat-language. 'Afterthat which has just occurred, I feel it is quite unnecessary to take anysecond opinion upon the subject.'

  'Forward, march,' cried Master Lepage gaily. 'Enjoy yourselves. Let nothought of that unfortunate being's prognostications disturb you. Theday will be charming.'

  And so, after all, they started for Nullepart.