What will I not do for her? I love my mother."Muttering thus wildly she made for the pond in the Pleasaunce.She had no sooner turned the angle of the chateau than she started back with a convulsive cry, and her momentary feebleness left her directly; she crouched against the wall and griped the ancient corner-stone with her tender hand till it powdered, and she spied with dilating eye into the Pleasaunce, Rose and Jacintha panting behind her.Two men stood with their backs turned to her looking at the oak-tree; one an officer in full uniform, the other the human snake Perrin.Though the soldier's back was turned, his off-handed, peremptory manner told her he was inspecting the place as its master.
"The baroness! the baroness!" cried Jacintha, with horror.They looked round, and the baroness was at their very backs.
"What is it?" cried she, gayly.
"Nothing, mamma."
"Let me see this nothing."
They glanced at one another, and, idle as the attempt was, the habit of sparing her prevailed, and they flung themselves between her and the blow.
"Josephine is not well," said Rose."She wants to go in." Both girls faced the baroness.
"Jacintha," said the baroness, "fetch Dr.Aubertin.There, I have sent her away.So now tell me, why do you drive me back so?
Something has happened," and she looked keenly from one to the other.
"O mamma! do not go that way: there are strangers in the Pleasaunce.""Let me see.So there are.Call Jacintha back that I may order these people out of my premises." Josephine implored her to be calm.
"Be calm when impertinent intruders come into my garden?""Mother, they are not intruders."
"What do you mean?"
"They have a right to be in our Pleasaunce.They have bought the chateau.""It is impossible.HE was to buy it for us--there is some mistake--what man would kill a poor old woman like me? I will speak to this gentleman: he wears a sword.Soldiers do not trample on women.Ah!
that man."
The notary, attracted by her voice, was coming towards her, a paper in his hand.
Raynal coolly inspected the tree, and tapped it with his scabbard, and left Perrin to do the dirty work.The notary took off his hat, and, with a malignant affectation of respect, presented the baroness with a paper.
The poor old thing took it with a courtesy, the effect of habit, and read it to her daughters as well as her emotion permitted, and the language, which was as new to her as the dialect of Cat Island to Columbus.
"Jean Raynal, domiciled by right, and lodging in fact at the Chateau of Beaurepaire, acting by the pursuit and diligence of Master Perrin, notary; I, Guillaume Le Gras, bailiff, give notice to Josephine Aglae St.Croix de Beaurepaire, commonly called the Baroness de Beaurepaire, having no known place of abode"--"Oh!"
"but lodging wrongfully at the said Chateau of Beaurepaire, that she is warned to decamp within twenty-four hours"--"To decamp!"
"failing which that she will be thereto enforced in the manner for that case made and provided with the aid of all the officers and agents of the public force.""Ah! no, messieurs, pray do not use force.I am frightened enough already.I did not know I was doing anything wrong.I have been here thirty years.But, since Beaurepaire is sold, I comprehend perfectly that I must go.It is just.As you say, I am not in my own house.I will go, gentlemen, I will go.Whither shall I go, my children? The house where you were born to me is ours no longer.
Excuse me, gentlemen--this is nothing to you.Ah! sir, you have revenged yourself on two weak women--may Heaven forgive you!"The notary turned on his heel.The poor baroness, all whose pride the iron law, with its iron gripe, had crushed into dismay and terror, appealed to him."O sir! send me from the house, but not from the soil where my Henri is laid! is there not in all this domain a corner where she who was its mistress may lie down and die?
Where is the NEW BARON, that I may ask this favor of him on my knees?"She turned towards Raynal and seemed to be going towards him with outstretched arms.But Rose checked her with fervor."Mamma! do not lower yourself.Ask nothing of these wretches.Let us lose all, but not forget ourselves."The baroness had not her daughter's spirit.Her very person tottered under this blow.Josephine supported her, and the next moment Aubertin came out and hastened to her side.Her head fell back; what little strength she had failed her; she was half lifted, half led, into the house.
Commandant Raynal was amazed at all this, and asked what the deuce was the matter.
"Oh!" said the notary, "we are used to these little scenes in our business.""But I am not," replied the soldier."You never told me there was to be all this fuss."He then dismissed his friend rather abruptly and strode up and down the Pleasaunce.He twisted his mustaches, muttered, and "pested,"and was ill at ease.Accustomed to march gayly into a town, and see the regiment, that was there before, marching gayly out, or vice versa, and to strike tents twice a quarter at least, he was little prepared for such a scene as this.True, he did not hear all the baroness's words, but more than one tone of sharp distress reached him where he stood, and the action of the whole scene was so expressive, there was little need of words.He saw the notice given; the dismay it caused, and the old lady turn imploringly towards him with a speaking gesture, and above all he saw her carried away, half fainting, her hands clasped, her reverend face pale.He was not a man of quick sensibilities.He did not thoroughly take the scene in at first: it grew upon him afterwards.
"Confound it," thought he, "I am the proprietor.They all say so.
