Volume II Part 33 (2/2)
As quick as she could go, she ran to the place designated; a hundred tione on; and yet it struck like a clap of thunder when she found it was really so What now? Caillette asked froone in a different direction; and so the poor child wandered onward, right and left, forward and backward, always hoping to discover them Finally, after she had been thirty-six hours on the way, she found thenear the threshold, and smiled when she saw Caillette
”God be praised! I have found you,” cried the young girl, sobbing; and when the hostess, who had been standing in the background, heard these words, she joyfully said:
”I ao; she spoke so funny, I thought at once that she had run away from her family”
”What did she say?” asked Caillette, while the ”Burned Wo to her
”Oh, she asked for bread, and then inquired the way to the Vosges”
”Yes, to the Vosges,” said the maniac, hastily
”But, es?” asked Caillette, in surprise
”To Leigoutte--Leigoutte,” repeated the outte--that is Fanfaro's hoirl, hastily
”Not Fanfaro--Jacques,” corrected the old wooutte, mother?”
”The box--Jacques--Talizac--the papers,” the woman replied
And so we find Caillette and her patient, after weary wanderings, in Leigoutte The young girl had sold, on the way, a gold cross, the only jewel she possessed, to pay the expenses of the journey Charitable peasants had given the women short rides at times; kind-hearted farmers'
wives had offered the Yet Caillette thanked God when she arrived at Leigoutte What would happen now, she did not know Nothing could induce the ht it best not to oppose her wish Little by little, she began to suspect herself that the journey hts were agitating the mad woman's brain; and, perhaps, the unexpected recovery of her son ht have awakened recollections of the past
”I must speak to old Laison,” said the ”Burned Woman,” suddenly; ”he must help me”
She arose, shoved Caillette and Pierre aside, and hobbled toward the back door Opening it, she reached the open field, and without looking around, she walked on and on Pierre and Caillette followed her unnoticed She had now reached the spot on which the old far tiht
Suddenly she uttered a loud screaht to her, they found the ainst a hollow tree, while her crippled fingers held a box, which she had apparently dug out of the earth; for close to the hollow tree was a deep hole, and the box was covered with dirt and earth
”There it is!” she cried to Pierre, and from the eyes in which madness had shone before, reason now sparkled ”Jacques is not my son, but Vicoereuse--here are the proofs”
She clutched a number of papers from the box and held theht, and, exhausted by the great excitement, she sank senseless into Caillette's arer was resting in the beautiful boudoir of the young countess, Irene de Salves The poor child lay under lace covers, and Irene's tenderness and attachment had banished her ereuse ht Louison to a carriage, and, to Madairl her own rooh, and the young countessgirl had rested a few hours, she feltthe recollection of what she had gone through returned, and in a tre voice she asked Irene:
”Who saved”It was Fanfaro”
”Fanfaro? Who is that?”