Part 29 (2/2)
”Go,” she said to me, ”fly, and don't fear for me. It's a surprise I have rather wished for. He began to get tired of me, and this encounter is quite efficacious to reanimate his desires and season his love. Go and leave the alone. The first moment will be hard, for he is of a very violent disposition. He'll strike me, but after, t shall be still dearer to him. Farewell!”
”Alas!” I exclaimed, ”did you take me then, Jahel, for Nothing but to sharpen the desires of my rival?”
”I wonder that you also want to quarrel with me. Go, I say!”
”What! leave you like this?”
”It's necessary. Farewell! He must not meet you here, I want to make him jealous, but in a delicate manner. I Farewell! Farewell.”
I had hardly gone a few steps between the labyrinth of tombstones when M. d'Anquetil, having come forward to enable him to recognise his mistress, began to shout and to curse loud enough to awaken the village dead. I was anxious to tear Jahel away from his rage; I thought he would kill her. I glided between the tombstones to her a.s.sistance. But after a few minutes, observing them very closely, I saw M. d'Anquetil pulling her out of the cemetery and leading her towards Gaulard's inn with a remainder of fury she was easily capable of calming, alone and without help.
I returned to my room after they had entered theirs I could not sleep the whole of the night, and looking out at daybreak, through an opening in the window curtains I saw them crossing the courtyard apparently the best of friends.
Jahel's departure augmented my sorrow. I stretched myself full length on my stomach on the floor of my room, and with my face in my hands cried until the evening.
CHAPTER XXIV
I am pardoned and return to Paris--Again at the _Queen Pedauque_--I go as a.s.sistant to M. Blaizot--Burning of the Castle of Sablons--Death of Mosaide and of M. d'Asterac.
From now onwards my life loses the interest which events had lent it, and my destiny, having again become in conformity with my character, offers nothing but ordinary occurrences. If I should prolong my memoirs my narrative would very soon become tiresome. I'll bring it to a close with but few words. The Vicar of Vallars gave me a letter of introduction to a wine merchant at Macon, with whom I was employed for a couple of months, after which my father wrote to me that he had arranged my affair and that I was free to return to Paris.
I took coach immediately and travelled with some recruits. My heart beat violently when I again saw the Rue Saint Jacques, the clock of Saint Benoit le Betourne, the signboard of the _Three Virgins_ and the _Saint Catherine_ of M. Blaizot.
My mother cried when she saw me; I also cried, and we embraced and cried together again.
My father came in haste from the _Little Bacchus_ and said with a moving dignity:
”Jacquot, my son, I cannot and will not deny that I Was very angry when I saw the constables enter the _Queen Pedauque_ in search of you, or, in default of you, arresting me. They would not listen to any sort of remonstrance, alleging that I could easily explain myself after being taken to jail. They looked for you on a complaint of M. de la Gueritude.
I conceived a most horrible idea of your disorders. But having been informed by letter that it was a question only of some peccadillo I had no other thought but to see you again. Many a time I consulted the landlord of the _Little Bacchus_ on the means to hush up your affair. He always replied: 'Master Leonard, go to the judge with a big bag full of crown pieces and he will give you back your lad as white as snow.' But crown pieces are scarce with us, and there is neither hen nor goose nor duck who lays golden eggs in my house. At present I hardly get sufficient by my poultry to pay the expenses of the roasting. By good luck, your saintly and worthy mother had the good idea of going to the mother of M. d'Anquetil whom we knew to be busy in favour of her son, who was sought after at the same time as you were, and for the identical affair. I am quite aware, my Jacquot, that you played the man about town in company with a n.o.bleman, and my head is too well placed not to feel the honour which it reflects on our whole family. Mother dressed as if she intended to go to ma.s.s; and Madame d'Anquetil received her with kindness. Thy mother, Jacquot, is a holy woman, but she has not the best of society manners, and at first she talked without aim or reason. She said: 'Madame, at our age, besides G.o.d Almighty nothing remains to us but our children.' That was not the right thing to say to that great lady who still has her gallants.”
”Hold your tongue, Leonard,” exclaimed my mother. ”The behaviour of Madame d'Anquetil is unknown to you, and it appears that I spoke to her in the right way, because she said to me: 'Don't be troubled, Madame Menetrier; I will employ my influence in favour of your son; be sure of my zeal.' And you know, Leonard, that we received before the expiration of two months the a.s.surance that our Jacquot could return unmolested to Paris.”
We supped with a good appet.i.te. My father asked me if was my intention to re-enter the service of M. d'Asterac. I replied that after the lamented death of my kind master I did not wish to encounter that cruel Mosaide in the house of a n.o.bleman who paid his servants with fine speeches and nothing else. My father very kindly invited me to turn the spit as in former days.
”Latterly, Jacquot,” he said, ”I gave the place to Friar Ange, but he did not do as well as Miraut or yourself. Don't you want to take your old place at the corner of the fireside?”
My mother, plain and simple as she was, did not want common-sense and said:
”M. Blaizot, the bookseller of the _Image of Saint Catherine_, is in want of an a.s.sistant. This employment, Jacquot, ought to suit you like a glove. Thy dispositions are sweet, thy manners are good, and that's what's wanted to sell Bibles.”
I went at once to M. Blaizot, who took me into his service.
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