Volume I Part 71 (1/2)
”'”I see that this child will be in good hands with you, and I place him in your care. How much do you want a month?”
”'I made bold to ask for thirty francs; I didn't expect to get it, but the lady agreed right off; she took a purse from under a cus.h.i.+on and took out a hundred and fifty francs in gold, and gave it to me.
”'”Here,” she says, ”here's five months in advance, and a supply of clothes which you are to take away with the child and the cradle. You will go back at once; the cab that brought you here is waiting below, and will take you to the stage office. I want you to leave Paris at once, because the air is bad here, and my child's health will suffer if he's kept here any longer.”
”'I asked nothing better than to go right home, so I says:
”'”Yes, madame, I'll take the child and go; but first tell me the little one's name.”
”'”Emile.”
”'”And madame's name?--for I must know that, so that I can let her know how her son gets along.”
”'The lady frowned, then replied:
”'”I am the Baronne de Mortagne. Here is my address on this paper; take it.”
”'I took the paper and put it away carefully in my pocket; then I says:
”'”Now, if madame la baronne wants to write down my address, I'll give it to her.”
”'The lady took a little book from a table--there was white paper and a pencil in it--and wrote down my name and address in full: Jacqueline Treillard, wife of Pierre Treillard, day laborer, Morfontaine. Then they gave me a good gla.s.s of wine and a cake, and when I had eaten, the person who had brought me there took the bundle of clothes and says:
”'”Now take the cradle with the child in it, and let's be off; I'll go to the stage office with you.”
”'Before I took the child away, I lifted him in my arms and offered him to his mother, because I supposed she'd want to kiss him, and that she'd cry when it came to parting with him; but the beautiful lady didn't seem to feel it much; she just barely put her lips to the child's forehead, then handed him right back to me, saying:
”'”Take him away, and above all things don't amuse yourself by bringing him to Paris to show him to me; I don't like to have children carried round the country. I shall come to see you when I am able; here's twenty francs more for your journey.”
”'”Faith!” thinks I to myself, ”if this lady isn't very fond of children, I can't deny that she's mighty generous.”
”'I got into the cab again with the lady who carried the bundle; we got safely to the stage office; I engaged a seat for four o'clock; and my companion was kind enough to keep me company; she didn't leave me till she saw me on board the stage that took me back to Morfontaine.
”'Well, when I got home, you can imagine my man Pierre's surprise to see me back so soon. When he learned what had happened, he was as pleased as I was. Bless me! a hundred and fifty francs in advance, and twenty francs for the journey that cost just seven francs ten sous! That was a windfall! I looked at the address they'd given me; but as I don't know how to read very well, I couldn't make it out, it was written so small.
Pierre could read even less than I could; so I showed it to the schoolmaster. It said:
”'”Madame la Baronne de Mortagne, at her hotel, Rue de Grenelle, Faubourg Saint-Germain.”
”'”The deuce!” I says to myself; ”it seems that I've been in Faubourg Saint-Germain!”
”'Well, there was the child in our family, and he grew like a mushroom.
Two months pa.s.sed by, and I didn't hear anything from his mother.
”'”She doesn't have time to come,” I says to myself; ”I must let her know how her boy's coming on.”
”'I had monsieur the schoolmaster write a letter, and I put it in the post, but I didn't get a word in reply. My man and I agreed that the lady knew her child was well, and that was enough for her; apparently she didn't have time to come to see him.