Part 10 (2/2)

”This is from the mother of the little girl who was brought here a year ago; she requests you to continue to take care of her child.”

Nicole had questioned the man, had asked him for the name and address of the lady who sent him; but the messenger had replied that he did not know, that she had come to his stand in Paris and had given him the errand to do, paying him in advance, after making sure that he had a badge.

Nicole had not been able to learn anything more, and since then she had received neither money nor information. But Louise was so attractive that the idea of sending her away had not once occurred to her. Besides, Cherubin was devoted to her, the little girl was a new bond which kept him in his nurse's family; and when by chance Jacquinot made any reflection upon the child whom they were bringing up for nothing, his wife would reply:

”Hold your tongue, you drunkard; it isn't any of your business; if the girl's mother doesn't come to see her, it must be because she is dead, or else because she is a bad mother; if she is dead, then I must take her place with the child; if she is a bad mother, Louise would be unhappy with her, and I prefer to keep her with me.”

While Cherubin grew up beside his little friend, Jasmin continued to govern the Marquis de Grandvilain's household; he was careful in his expenditure; the servants were not permitted to indulge in any excesses, and he himself got tipsy only once a week, which was very modest in one who had the keys to the cellar. But Jasmin thought constantly of his young master; he went to see him often, and sometimes pa.s.sed whole days at Gagny; and he always asked Cherubin if he wished to go back to Paris with him, to his own house. The little fellow always refused, and Jasmin always returned to Paris alone, consoling himself with the thought that the young marquis was in excellent health, and that that was the main point.

When Jasmin went to the notary to ask for money, which he never did without presenting an exact statement of what he had to pay out, the notary, after praising the faithful valet for the honesty and economy with which he regulated the household expenditure, never failed to ask him:

”And our young marquis, how does he come on?”

”He is in superb health,” Jasmin would reply.

”He ought to be a big fellow now, he is nearly eleven years old.”

”He has a very pretty figure and a charming face; he will be a little jewel, whom all the women will dote on, I am sure, as they doted on his late father; but I presume that they won't be the same women.”

”That is all very well; but how is he getting on with his studies; have you placed the little marquis at a good inst.i.tution?”

”Excellent, monsieur; oh, yes! he is in a very good house indeed; he eats as much as he wants.”

”I have no doubt that he is well fed, but that is not enough; at his age, what he wants above all is food for the mind. Does he give satisfaction?”

”They are enchanted with him; they would like never to part with him, he is so attractive.”

”Has he had any prizes?”

”Prizes! he has whatever he wants; he has only to ask, they refuse him nothing.”

”You don't understand me; has he obtained any prizes for his work, I mean; is he strong in Latin, Greek, and history?”

Jasmin was slightly embarra.s.sed by those questions; he coughed, and faltered a few words which could not be understood. But the notary, who attributed his embarra.s.sment to other causes, continued:

”I am talking about things you don't understand, eh, my old Jasmin?

Latin and Greek and such matters are not within your scope. However, when I have a few moments to myself, I will come to you, and you must take me to see your young marquis.”

Jasmin went away, muttering:

”The deuce! the deuce! if he goes to see my little Cherubin some day, he won't be very well content with his studies; but it isn't my fault if monsieur le marquis refuses to leave his nurse. That notary keeps talking to me about food for the mind; it seems to me that when a child eats four meals a day with a good appet.i.te, his mind ought not to be any more hungry than his stomach, unless it doesn't want to be fed.”

One day, however, after a visit to the notary, when he had again urged the old valet to commend the young marquis to his teachers, Jasmin started at once for Gagny, saying to himself on the way:

”I am an old brute! I leave my master's son in ignorance; for after all, I know how to read myself, and I believe that Cherubin doesn't even know that. Certainly this state of things can't be allowed to go on. Later, people will say: 'Jasmin took no care of the child who was placed in his charge. Jasmin is unworthy of the late marquis's confidence.'--I don't propose that people shall say that of me. I am sixty years old now, but that's no reason for being an idiot. I propose to show my strength of character.”

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