Part 12 (2/2)
”At the Schlucht. You cannot imagine the emotion it made me feel. It was a shock--like a revelation. You do not seem to understand me.”
She answered in an indifferent manner:
”Yes; I am delighted that you were pleased. It ought to be a very fine excursion at this time of the year. The first spring flowers, are there not? And the breeze in the woods? Ah, my dear boy, there is so much convention in all that!”
Jean did not go on. She it was who continued, and in a confidential voice, which she modulated, and made marvellously musical:
”Here we've had grand visits--oh, visits which nearly cost a scene.
Imagine, two German officers came last Wednesday in a motor car to the lodge, and asked permission to see the saw-mills. Happily they were in mufti. The Alsheim people only saw two gentlemen like any others. Very fas.h.i.+onable; an old one--a commandant, and a young one with a grand air, and accustomed to society. If you had seen him bow to papa! I was in the park. They bowed to me too, and visited the whole of the works, personally conducted by our father. While this was going on that idiot Victor informed grandfather, who showed he was annoyed when we came in. I ought to have run away, it appears.
As the gentlemen did not enter the house--'my house,' as grandfather says--his irritation did not last long. However, there was a sequel----”
Lucienne laughed a little stifled laugh.
”My dear, Madame Bastian did not approve of me.”
”You were then present during their visit to the works, when these gentlemen----”
”Yes.”
”All the time?”
”My father kept me. In any case, I do not see how that should affect the Mayor's wife. But I had such a cold bow from her, my dear, last Sunday at the church door. Do you care about the Bastians' bows?”
”Yes; in the same way that I care for the greetings of all good people.”
”Good people--yes; but they do not know what life is! To be blamed by them is just the same to me as if I were to be blamed by an Egyptian mummy come to life for the purpose. I should answer: 'You do not understand anything about it; go and wrap yourself up again.'
Is it not strange that you do not think as I do--you, my brother?”
Jean stroked the hand which was raised in front of him to make a screen.
”Even mummies can judge of certain things of our time, my darling--the things which are of all times.”
”Oh! how serious you are. Come now, where was I wrong? Was it in going for a walk? In not looking away? In answering a greeting? In obeying my father, who told me to come and stay?”
”No; a.s.suredly not!”
”What harm have I done?”
”None. I have danced with many German girls. You can acknowledge an officer's greeting.”
”Then I did right?”
”As a fact, yes. But there are so many sorrows around us--real sorrows, and so n.o.ble. You must remember that they all come to life again at a word, or a gesture.”
”I shall never consider that. Since what I do is not wrong, no one shall ever stop me. Do you hear?”
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