Strange True Stories of Louisiana
Page 8
IV.
ALIX CARPENTIER.
Towards noon we saw Celeste come on deck with her second son, bothcarrying baskets full of plates, dishes, covers, and a tablecloth. Youremember I have often told you of an awning stretched at the stern of theflatboat? We found that in fine weather our dining-room was to be underthis. There was no table; the cloth was simply spread on the deck, andthose who ate had to sit _a la Turque_ or take their plates on theirknees. The Irish family ate in their room. Just as we were drawing aroundour repast Madame Carpentier, on her husband's arm, came up on deck.
Dear little Alix! I see you yet as I saw you then. And here, twenty-sevenyears after our parting, I have before me the medallion you gave me, andlook tenderly on your dear features, my friend!
She had not changed her dress; only she had replaced her camail with ascarf of blue silk about her neck and shoulders and had removed her glovesand _capuche_. Her rich chestnut hair, unpowdered, was combed back _a laChinoise_, and the long locks that descended upon her shoulders were tiedby a broad blue ribbon forming a rosette on the forepart of her head. Shewore no jewelry except a pearl at each ear and her wedding ring. Suzanne,who always saw everything, remarked afterward that Madame Carpentier woretwo.
"As for her earrings," she added, "they are nothing great. Marianne hassome as fine, that cost, I think, ten dollars."
Poor Suzanne, a judge of jewelry! Madame Carpentier's earrings were twogreat pearls, worth at least two hundred dollars. Never have I met anotherso charming, so lovely, as Alix Carpentier. Her every movement was grace.She moved, spoke, smiled, and in all things acted differently from all thewomen I had ever met until then. She made one think she had lived in aworld all unlike ours; and withal she was simple, sweet, good, and to loveher seemed the most natural thing on earth. There was nothingextraordinary in her beauty; the charm was in her intelligence and hergoodness.
Maggie, the Irishwoman, was very taciturn. She never mingled with us, norspoke to any one except Suzanne, and to her in monosyllables only whenaddressed. You would see her sometimes sitting alone at the bow of theboat, sewing, knitting, or saying her beads. During this last occupationher eyes never quitted Alix. One would say it was to her she addressed herprayers; and one day, when she saw my regard fixed upon Alix, she said tome:
"It does me good to look at her; she must look like the Virgin Mary."
Her little form, so graceful and delicate, had, however, one slightdefect; but this was hidden under the folds of her robe or of the scarfthat she knew how to arrange with such grace. One shoulder was a triflehigher than the other.
After having greeted my father, whom she already knew, she turned to us,hesitated a moment, and then, her two little hands extended, and with amost charming smile, she advanced, first to me and then to Suzanne, andembraced us both as if we had been old acquaintances. And from that momentwe were good friends.
It had been decided that the boat should not travel by night,notwithstanding the assurance of Carlo, who had a map of Attakapas. But inthe Mississippi there was no danger; and as papa was pressed to reach ourplantation, we traveled all that first night.
The next day Alix--she required us to call her by that name--invited us tovisit her in her room. Suzanne and I could not withhold a cry of surpriseas we entered the little chamber. (Remember one thing: papa took nothingfrom home, not knowing even by what means we should return; but theCarpentiers were going for good and taking everything.) Joseph had had therough walls whitewashed. A cheap carpet--but high-priced in thosetimes--of bright colors covered the floor; a very low French bed occupiedone corner, and from a sort of dais escaped the folds of an embroideredbobbinet mosquito-bar. It was the first mosquito-bar of that kind we hadever seen. Alix explained that she had made it from the curtains of thesame bed, and that both bed and curtains she had brought with her fromEngland. New mystery!
Beside the bed a walnut dressing-table and mirror, opposite to it awashstand, at the bed's foot a _priedieu_, a center-table, threechairs--these were all the furniture; but [an enumeration follows of allmanner of pretty feminine belongings, in crystal, silver, gold, with apicture of the crucifixion and another of the Virgin]. On the shelves werea rich box of colors, several books, and some portfolios of music. From asmall peg hung a guitar.
But Suzanne was not satisfied. Her gaze never left an object of unknownform enveloped in green serge. Alix noticed, laughed, rose, and, liftingthe covering, said:
"This is my harp, Suzanne; later I will play it for you."
The second evening and those that followed, papa, despite Carlo'srepresentation and the magnificent moonlight, opposed the continuation ofthe journey by night; and it was not until the morning of the fifth daythat we reached St. James.
You can fancy the joy with which we were received at the plantation. Wehad but begun our voyage, and already my mother and sisters ran to us withextended arms as though they had not seen us for years. Needless to say,they were charmed with Alix; and when after dinner we had to say a lastadieu to the loved ones left behind, we boarded the flatboat and left theplantation amid huzzas,[11] waving handkerchiefs, and kisses thrown fromfinger-tips. No one wept, but in saying good-bye to my father, my motherasked:
"Pierre, how are you going to return?"
"Dear wife, by the mercy of God all things are possible to the man withhis pocket full of money."
During the few days that we passed on the Mississippi each day was likethe one before. We sat on the deck and watched the slow swinging of thelong sweeps, or read, or embroidered, or in the chamber of Alix listenedto her harp or guitar; and at the end of another week, we arrived atPlaquemine.
FOOTNOTES:[11] According to a common habit of the Southern slaves.--TRANSLATOR.