Volume Ii Part 20 (2/2)
But these ebullitions of spite found no echo. Even Doctor Antoine exclaimed:
”I don't know whether the gentleman from the Tower intended to produce an effect, but I regard as very n.o.ble what he has just done; it reconciles me to him and his dog.”
To add to Madame Droguet's ill humor, her husband persisted in holding the big bellows under her nose, saying:
”No wind! I a.s.sure you, _bobonne_, that it doesn't blow, it won't work at all.”
”Hold your tongue, Droguet!” she replied; ”I will find a way to make it work, I tell you.”
The sale came to an end with the purchase of the house for two thousand francs. The auctioneer soon had the account made up; Monsieur Jarnouillard being paid and the legal costs deducted, he called Guillot, to whom he handed one thousand and fifteen francs, the residue.
The farmer exclaimed aloud in his amazement:
”What! that gentleman lets me keep my house and gives me all this money too! Oh! this is too much! I don't deserve all this!”
”Yes, for you have four children to bring up, and you took your niece into your family too,” said Paul. ”I know whom I am helping, you see.
Now you can afford to take a few moments' rest, and spare yourself the time to caress your children.”
Honorine meanwhile had told Poucette that her aunt could replace in the house all the things that she had bought with the purpose of giving them back to her.
But the peasant, who deemed herself rich now, ran after Madame Dalmont and said:
”You too are very kind to us, madame, but now we're not poor any more, thanks to the kindness of the gentleman from the Tower, so please let us pay back what you gave for all those things.”
”No, indeed,” said Honorine, ”I too wish to have some share in your happiness; and if I had not the power to do as much as monsieur, surely you know that I had the inclination.”
Paul was within a few yards of Honorine, and the peasants speedily informed him what that lady had done for them at the sale. Thereupon he turned and bowed very low to her, saying:
”I am fortunate, madame, to have been able to imitate you in something!”
”You have done much more than I, monsieur,” Honorine replied, lowering her eyes.
”The merit of a good deed, madame, consists not in its money value, but in the way of doing it.”
And, after gazing earnestly for several seconds at the young woman, Paul bowed again to her and Agathe, and walked away, calling his dog, who was loath to leave Agathe and the farmer's family, whom he seemed to look upon as old acquaintances.
Then Honorine took her friend's arm, saying to her in a voice trembling with emotion:
”Let us return home; I am well satisfied with my day's work!”
”And I trust that you will not think ill of Monsieur Paul any more now?”
”Hus.h.!.+ what are you talking about?”
”For my part, I am awfully sorry that Monsieur Edmond did not see all that took place here; I am sure that he would have been pleased with the happiness of that poor family. But we will tell him all about it.”
Madame Droguet also left the spot with her party.
<script>