Part 8 (1/2)
Jeanne gave a regretful smile. But then he would come. Oh, how proud he looked on his handsome horse! She felt as if something had gone out of the day, but the sun was s.h.i.+ning.
At the corner of old St. Louis street they paused. Here was M. De Ber's warehouse,--the close, unfragrant smell of left-over furs mingling with other smells and scenting the summer air. There was almost everything in it, for it had great depth though not a very wide frontage: hardware of many kinds, firearms, rough clothing such as the boatmen and laborers wore, blankets, moccasins, and bunches of feathers, that were once in great demand by the Indians and were still called upon for dances, though they were hardly war dances now, only held in commemoration.
Pierre threw down the bundle he was s.h.i.+fting to the back of the place.
”Have you seen Marie this morning, Jeanne?”
There was a slow, indifferent shake of the head. The child's thoughts were elsewhere.
”Then you do not know?” The words came quick and tumbled out of his throat, as it were. He was so glad to tell Jeanne his bit of news first, just as he had been glad to find the first flowers of spring for her, to bring her the first fruits of the orchard and the first ripe grapes. How many times he had scoured the woods for them!
”What has happened?” The boy's eyes were s.h.i.+ning and his face red to its utmost capacity, and Jeanne knew it was no harm.
”Madame Ganeau came to tea last night. Delisse is to be married next month. They are to get the house ready for her to go into. It is just out of St. Anne's street, not far from the Recollet house. It will be Delisse's birthday. And Marie is to be one of the maids.”
”Oh, that will be fine,” cried Jeanne eagerly. ”I hope I can go.”
”Of course you will. I'll be sure of that,” with an a.s.sumption of mannishness. ”And a great boat load of finery comes in to Dupree's from Quebec. M. Ganeau has ordered many things. Oh, I wish I was old enough to be some one's lover!”
”I must go and see Marie. And oh, Pierre, I have seen the great general who fought the Indians and the British so bravely.”
Pierre nodded. It made little difference to the lad who fought and who won so that they were kept safe inside of the stockade, and business was good, for then his father was better natured. On bad days Pierre often had a liberal dose of strap.
”Come, Pani, let us go to Madame De Ber's.”
Marie was out on the doorstep tending the baby, who was teething and fretful. Madame was cooking some jam of sour plums and maple sugar that was a good appetizer in the winter. There was always a baby at the De Bers'.
”And Delisse is to be married! Pierre told me.”
”Yes; I wanted to run up this morning, but Aurel has been so cross. And I am to be one of the maids. At first mother said that I had no frock, but Madame Ganeau said get her a new one and it will do for next summer.
I have outgrown most of my clothes, so they will have to go to Rose. All the maids are to have pink sashes and shoulder knots and streamers. It will take a sight of ribbon. But it will be something for my courting time, and the May dance and Pentecost. O dear, if I had a lover!”
”Thou foolish child!” declared her mother. ”Girls are never satisfied to be girls. And the houseful of children that come afterward!”
Marie thought of all the children she had nursed, not her own. Yet she kissed little Aurel with a fond heart.
”And Delisse--” suggested Jeanne.
”Oh, Delisse is to wear the wedding gown her sisters had. It is long and has a beautiful train, some soft, s.h.i.+ny stuff over white silk, and lace that was on her _grand'mere's_ gown in France, and satin slippers. They are a little tight, Delisse declares, and she will not dance in them, but they have beautiful buckles and great high heels. I should be afraid of tipping over. And then the housekeeping. All the maids go to drink tea the first Sunday, and turn their cups to see who gets the next lover.”
Jeanne gave a shrug of disdain.
Marie bent over and whispered that she was sorry Louis Marsac had gone.
He was so nice and amusing.
”Is he going to wait for you, Jeanne? You know you can marry whom you like, you have no father. And Louis will be rich.”
”He will wait a long while then and tire of it. I do not like him any more.” Her lips felt hot suddenly.
”Marie, do not talk such nonsense to Jeanne. She is only a child like Rose, here. You girls get crack-brained about lovers.”