by Hector Malot
CHAPTER X
THE HUT ON THE ISLAND
When she awoke a pale streak of light fell across the window, but it wasso feeble that it did not lighten the room. Outside the cocks werecrowing. Day was breaking.
A chill, damp air was penetrating through the opening she had made inthe window, but in spite of that the bad odor in the room stillremained. It was dreadful!
Yet all the girls slept a deep slumber, only broken now and again with astifled moan.
Very quietly she got up and dressed. Then taking her shoes in her handsshe crept down the stairs to the door. She put on her shoes and wentout.
Oh! the fresh, delicious air! Never had she taken a breath with suchthankfulness. She went through the little yard with her mouth wide open,her nostrils quivering, her head thrown back. The sound of her footstepsawoke a dog, which commenced to bark; then several other dogs joined in.
But what did that matter? She was no longer a little tramp at whom dogswere at liberty to bark. If she wished to leave her bed she had aperfect right to do so; she had paid out money for it.
The yard was too small for her present mood; she felt she must moveabout. She went out onto the road and walked straight ahead withoutknowing where.
The shades of night still filled the roads, but above her head she sawthe dawn already whitening the tops of the trees and the roofs of thehouses. In a few minutes it would be day. At this moment the clang of abell broke the deep silence. It was the factory clock striking three.She still had three more hours before going to work.
How should she pass the time? She could not keep walking until six, shewould be too tired; so she would find a place where she could sit downand wait.
The sky was gradually getting brighter, and round about her variousforms were taking a concrete shape.
At the end of a glade she could see a small hut made of branches andtwigs which was used by the game keepers during the winter. She thoughtthat if she could get to the hut she would be hidden there and no onewould see her and inquire what she was doing out in the fields at thatearly hour.
She found a small trail, barely traced, which seemed to lead to the hut.She took it, and although it led her straight in the direction of thelittle cabin, she had not reached it when the path ended, for it wasbuilt upon a small island upon which grew three weeping willows. Aroundit was a ditch full of water. Fortunately, the trunk of a tree had beenthrown across the ditch. Although it was not very straight, and was wetwith the morning dew, which made it very slippery, Perrine was notdeterred from crossing.
She managed to get across, and soon found herself before the door of thelittle hut, which she only had to push to open.
Oh, what a pretty nest! The hut was square, and from roof to floor waslined inside with ferns. There was a little opening on each of the foursides, which from without was invisible, but from within one could gaina good view of the surrounding country. On the ground was a thick bed offerns, and in one of the corners a bench made from the trunk of a tree.
How delightful! And how little it resembled the room she had just left!How much better it would be for her if she could sleep here in the freshair, sleeping in peace amongst the ferns, with no other noise but therustling of the leaves and the ripple of the water.
How much better to be here than lying between Mother Francoise's hardsheets, listening to the complaints of La Noyelle and her friends inthat dreadful atmosphere which even now seemed to assail her nostrils.
She laid down on the ferns, curled up in a corner against the soft wallscovered with reeds, then closed her eyes. Before long she felt a softnumbness creeping over her. She jumped to her feet, fearing that shemight drop off to sleep and not awake before it was time for her to goto the factory.
The sun had now risen, and through the aperture facing east a streak ofgold entered the hut. Outside the birds were singing, and all over thetiny island, on the pond, on the branches of the weeping willows, washeard a confusion of sounds, twittering and little shrill cries whichannounced an awakening to life. Looking out of the window, she could seethe birds picking at the humid earth with their beaks, snapping at theworms. Over the pond floated a light mist. A wild duck, far prettierthan the tame ducks, was swimming on the water, surrounded with heryoung. She tried to keep them beside her with continual little quacks,but she found it impossible to do so. The ducklings escaped from themother duck, scurrying off amongst the reeds to search for the insectswhich came within their reach.
Suddenly a quick blue streak, like lightning, flashed before Perrine'seyes. It was not until it had disappeared that she realized that it wasa kingfisher which had just crossed the pond. For a long time, standingquite still for fear a movement might betray her presence and cause thebirds to fly away, she stood at the opening looking out at them. Howpretty it all was in the morning light, gay, alive, amusing, somethingnew to look upon.
Now and again she saw dark shadows pass capriciously over the pond. Theshadows grew larger without apparent cause, covering the pond. She couldnot understand this, for the sun, which had risen above the horizon, wasshining in the sky without a cloud. How did these shadows come?
She went to the door and saw a thick black smoke coming from the factorychimneys.
Work would commence very soon; it was time to leave the hut. As she wasabout to go she picked up a newspaper from the seat that she had notnoticed before in the dim light. The newspaper was dated February 2.Then this thought came to her: This newspaper was on the only spot inthe place where one could sit down, and the date of it was severalmonths previous, so then this proved that the hut had been abandoned andno one had passed through the door since last February.
