2014년 11월 30일 일요일

Moral Tales 5

Moral Tales 5


Under all this care, the health of Marianne improved daily, but
Ernestine looked with anxiety to the moment when her patient would
again have to provide for herself and daughter, more especially as
during her illness she had been obliged to neglect her little garden,
which supplied her with vegetables. One day Ernestine saw Genevieve,
the daughter of Jacques, the gardener, returning from catechism,
crying. She was to make her first communion this year, and went to
catechism to be instructed; but as she had no mother, and as her
father had not time to hear her repeat her lesson, Genevieve, who was
naturally indolent, always learned it badly, and was reprimanded.
Ernestine, who was much more advanced, although younger than
Genevieve, offered to go over her lessons with her, and by dint of
pains at last succeeded in fixing them in her mind. Her only object,
at first, had been to be useful to Genevieve, but the same day, the
gardener having asked her how Marianne was getting on, she replied,
"Pretty well, but I am afraid her garden is doing very badly, for no
one takes care of it."

"We must see to that," said Jacques, and Ernestine smiled graciously
as he went away. The next day, while in the garden hearing Genevieve
her lesson, she saw Jacques returning from Marianne's, in whose
garden he had been planting a few cabbages. He ordered Genevieve to
go in the afternoon, and pull up the weeds, and promised Ernestine,
who thanked him warmly, to take care of it as long as it might be
necessary. She put Genevieve in a condition to receive her first
communion, and when on leaving the church, Genevieve came to thank
her, Ernestine experienced great delight, and a very pardonable
pride, in seeing herself already useful to several people.

She was rewarded for her benevolence to Marianne in more ways than
one; for as she had often favours to ask for, she became obliging to
every one, and displayed a degree of attention and kindness which she
had never previously manifested, so that every one became eager to
gratify her. Her nurse, especially, had never before been so pleased
with her, and hardly knew how to express her satisfaction. She took
her to Marianne as often as she wished, and offered to teach Suzette
to work; they also taught her to take care of her mother, as soon as
she became convalescent, in order that her neighbours might return to
their own affairs. They showed her, besides, how to weed and water
the garden. Ernestine made her do this under her own superintendence,
while one of the servants of the chateau, whom she politely begged to
assist them, drew the buckets of water from the well. Ernestine often
watered it herself; it was her chief recreation, for she no longer
took pleasure in childish sports.

The serious and useful occupations in which she was engaged, inspired
her with rational tastes, and she could no longer amuse herself with
childish frivolities. At the same time, she had never felt so happy
or less disposed to _ennui_; for when she had nothing else to do, she
would take her knitting, and make a petticoat for Marianne, or she
would arrange an old dress for Suzette, or work for herself; for her
mother had promised her that the money she saved by making her own
dresses, should be spent in wine for Marianne.

At length the time arrived when Marianne was allowed to get up. "I
cannot yet walk," said she to Ernestine, "but I am able to work.
If I had some hemp, I could spin." Ernestine bought her some, and
Marianne, who was very industrious, and terribly wearied from having
so long remained idle, spun from morning till night. She sent the
thread to a weaver, who, in exchange, gave her a certain quantity of
coarse linen cloth, which Madame de Cideville purchased of her for
the use of the kitchen. She procured some fresh hemp, and began to
spin again. A short time after Marianne's accident, Ernestine had
bought for her a little pig, which she had obtained very cheap. A
sty had been made for it in the yard of the chateau, out of some old
planks, and it was fed from the refuse of the kitchen. Ernestine had
taught Suzette to collect for it everything that could serve as food,
and as it was now grown large, she gave it to Marianne. The garden
had afforded a good crop of potatoes, and Ernestine was able to
return to Paris, at the beginning of the winter, without any anxiety
about the subsistence of her protegee, whose health was now quite
re-established.

"Well, are you satisfied with the use you have made of your louis?"
said M. de Cideville, when they were in the carriage. Ernestine threw
her arms round her father's neck. This louis had made her so happy!
It is true she had spent something additional, and had besides been
well assisted.

"You have laid us under contribution for Marianne," said M. de
Cideville, smiling. "When you are older, you will know that we ought
not to concentrate the whole of our benevolence on a single object,
but endeavour to make all the unfortunate who are within our reach,
partakers of our bounty."

"But, papa, I was only able to take care of Marianne."

"Undoubtedly, and I am not blaming you; but as you will hereafter
have greater means, you will, I hope, know how to combine your
resources in such a manner that many may be benefited by them.
Meanwhile, you have made so good a use of your louis, that I promise
to give you one every three months, to be disposed of in a similar
manner."

Ernestine clapped her hands with an exclamation of surprise and joy,
and again threw herself into her father's arms.

"But remember," he said, "that this sum ought to form the smallest
portion of the means you employ in doing good, and that you ought
only to have recourse to it when you cannot manage otherwise."

Ernestine assured him that this was her intention, and that she would
be very careful to spare her money.

"We ought to spare expense," replied her father, "whenever we can
supply its place by care, industry, and order. The true use of money
is to give us those things which we could not otherwise obtain; for
instance, we cannot make our own shoes or clothes; therefore, we pay
for having them made; and according to the usages of society, we
cannot enjoy a certain position, and still wait upon ourselves; we
therefore pay, in order to have servants. But a lady who, instead of
taking care of her own household, and superintending her servants,
pays another to do it in her place, makes but a bad use of her money;
for it is absurd to employ it in purchasing from others what we can
do ourselves. The same may be said of those who, instead of employing
their activity and care in doing good, only make use of their money.
They spend a great deal, and accomplish very little; for he who does
everything with money, has never sufficient."

"It seems to me," said Ernestine, "that we also lose the pleasure
of doing good; for if I had had ten louis to give to Marianne, they
would not have afforded me so much happiness as the care which you
have allowed me to take of her all the summer."

M. de Cideville informed his daughter, that there were many persons
who believed they could render themselves happy by getting rid of
everything which occasioned them the slightest trouble, but who, on
the contrary, gave themselves up to the most frightful _ennui_. He
told her that this happened to all those who shrank from struggling
with the first difficulties and annoyances of a project: and, in
fact, Ernestine remembered that, at the first moment, she would
gladly have transferred to her parents, had she dared to do so, the
care of providing for Marianne's wants, and thus have lost all the
happiness she had since enjoyed.

Ernestine has grown up. It is usually on her father's estate that she
employs, every year, the four louis, and especially the astonishing
talent she has acquired of doing a great deal of good with very
little money. She is adored by every one in the village, and as she
has rendered services to many among them, she readily obtains from
them assistance for those who stand in need of it. Thus her resources
multiply. She has sown, in a corner of her father's park, those
medicinal plants which are most generally required, and has also
learned to dry them. She hopes that Suzette, who is becoming a pretty
good workwoman, will soon, under her direction, be able to instruct
the other girls of the village. She and her nurse have also taught
her to read. As for herself, she endeavours to learn everything which
can aid her in doing good, without spending too much money, and she
laughs very heartily when she calls to mind the regret she once felt
at not being able to spend a louis on a moving picture.




FRANCOU.


As Madame d'Inville was one day walking along the Boulevard,
accompanied by her grandson Eugene, and her granddaughter Melanie,
they saw a concourse of people collected, in the form of a circle,
around one of those men who perform difficult and perilous feats. He
had with him a little girl, dressed partly as a boy and partly as a
girl. Her hair was arranged in female fashion, as was the upper part
of her dress, but the lower part terminated in trousers. This little
girl was walking upon her hands, with her head downwards, and her
feet in the air, and performing a variety of tricks, which amused
the children very much, so that Madame d'Inville was kind enough to
stop and look at them for some time. At length, after giving them
some money, she went away. It was not that Madame d'Inville felt much
pleasure in giving to persons who follow useless occupations; but as
her grandchildren had been much amused, she thought it but right to
pay for the pleasure they had received.

As they were walking along, Melanie expressed her admiration of the
dress of the little girl, all covered with spangles and chains of
different colours. Eugene remarked that it was all dirty and torn,
and that most of the things she saw glittering were nothing more than
strips of gilt paper. Nevertheless, Melanie appeared to be so dazzled
with this costume, that her grandmamma jestingly proposed that she
should go and take the little girl's place. Melanie exclaimed against
this, and Eugene said, "Probably Melanie would not mind being beaten,
as perhaps that poor little thing is every morning, before putting on
her beautiful dress."

"And why beaten?" asked Melanie.

"To make her work. You saw the other day that man who was making the
dogs dance, and you remember how sorry you were when he beat one of
them, because he would not make a bow in the minuet. Well, it must be
pretty nearly the same thing in the present case."

"It is quite bad enough to beat a dog," said Melanie. "I hope people
don't beat their children in the same way."

"Perhaps the little girl," continued Madame d'Inville, "does not
belong to this mountebank. Sometimes poor people, not being able to
maintain their children, confide them to the first person who will
take charge of them, and who hopes to gain something by making them
work. These poor children, removed from their parents, learn nothing
good, and are often unhappy. I knew one...."

"You knew one, dear grandmamma!" cried both the children at once.

"It was a little girl," said Madame d'Inville, "who was taken away
from her native province by a fortune-teller; she was in danger of
perishing of hunger, and of being crippled, and what is much worse,
she ran the risk of becoming a thief."

"Oh! dear! how much I should like to know her history!" said Melanie.
As they had reached the Champs-Elysees, Madame d'Inville sat down,
the two children seated themselves on the stool which she put under
her feet, and, holding each other round the neck, to avoid falling,
they listened to the history of Francou.

Francou, whose real name was Francoise, had lost her parents before
she was five years old. They were so poor, that they had left nothing
whatever for the maintenance of their child, and Francoise was placed
with her uncle, her father's brother, who being himself very poor and
having lost his wife, found it quite difficult enough to provide for
the two little boys which she had left him, without the additional
charge of a little girl. While he was grieving over this matter,
there came into the village in which he lived a man named Jacques,
whom he knew from having worked with him at the harvest, during the
previous year.

Jacques was a native of _Auvergne_, and a long way from his own
province, for what was formerly called Auvergne, is, as you remember,
Eugene, that part of the country where the departments of the
Puy-de-Dome, du Cantal, &c., are now situated, and he was then in
Maine, which is at present the department of the Sarthe. The natives
of Auvergne are much in the habit of travelling beyond the limits of
their own province. They leave it, while very young, to make what
they call their _Tour of France_. As long as they are little, they
sweep chimneys, like the Savoyards, and more than half of those
children we meet with in the streets and call Savoyards, are really
natives of Auvergne: they also go of errands in the town, and work
in the country when they can get any to do. Many are travelling
blacksmiths, and you may often meet them, carrying on their shoulders
old shovels, old tongs, or old pots, which they buy, mend, and sell
again. When they have gained a little money, they return to their own
country, and marry. They are generally very honest and industrious
people, but Jacques did not resemble them.

He thought himself possessed of more wit than others, because,
instead of working, he invented a thousand deceptions to get a
living. Sometimes he told fortunes, that is to say, he foretold what
would happen to people, on the next day, or the following days, as if
he really knew, and he found many foolish enough to believe him and
to pay for his predictions. At other times, he would make up little
bundles of herbs, which he gathered in the fields, and sell them to
the country people, as certain remedies for the tooth-ache, or the
bite of a mad dog. He would then go and spend in drink, the money
obtained by this knavery. At other times, he would beg; but he never
worked, while it was possible for him to do anything else.

The uncle of Francoise told him of his embarrassments. Francoise
was very pretty, and very quick and intelligent for her age. "Give
her to me," said Jacques, "I will teach her to tell fortunes." The
truth was, that at that time Jacques was forced to beg, as he had
squandered all his money, and he thought also that it would be much
more interesting to have with him a little girl whom he could pass
off as his daughter, and to whom more would be given than to him. It
was not, in truth, very convenient for a man without money, and who
was constantly wandering from place to place, to burden himself with
a little girl only five years old; but persons like Jacques never
think of the future; and besides, if ever she happened to stand in
the way of his interests, he was not one who would feel much scruple
in leaving her on the first road he came to, whenever it happened to
suit his convenience.

Her uncle made no inquiries about all this; he was so rejoiced to get
rid of Francoise that he did not even trouble himself to consider
that fortune-telling is a very disreputable trade, since it is a
system of deceptions. However, as he was rather ashamed of thus
abandoning his brother's child, he told in the village that Jacques
was going to take her to her mother's native place, which was a long
way off, and leave her with a relation who would take care of her; so
that no one thought any more of Francoise, and she remained entirely
in the power of Jacques, who could do what he pleased with her.

The first few days, she found it pleasant enough to run about the
country. Jacques did not travel very rapidly, for as soon as he
obtained any money, on account of the pretty face of Francoise, he
stopped at a public-house, in order to spend it in drink. Francoise
liked this well enough, for on these occasions she always got
something to eat; nevertheless, if Jacques remained too long, she
become weary, cried, and ended by falling asleep.

At last the fatigue of this sort of life made her ill. Then Jacques
taught her to remain on his back with her arms round his neck, and
seated in a kind of sack, the strings of which he held in front of
him. Thus equipped, he begged for his sick child, and by this means
obtained much more than before.

One evening when he was intoxicated, he lost his hold of the sack,
and poor Francoise fell down, hurt her head very much, and almost
dislocated her arm. As she screamed a good deal, Jacques was annoyed,
and threatened to throw her into a ditch. She was dreadfully afraid
of him, for he had already beaten her several times, especially when
he was intoxicated; she therefore ceased, and after having wept in
silence for a long time, she fell asleep by his side in a ditch where
he passed the night.

The following day she was in a violent state of fever. It is
difficult to say what Jacques would have done with her, had not a
carrier, who fortunately happened to be passing by, given him for
charity, a place in his cart, for himself and his _sick child_, and
in this manner they arrived at Cavignat, which was Jacques's native
village. Poor little Francoise was almost dying. She was stretched on
the straw of the cart, her head leaning down, and her little face,
all pale, and bruised from the fall, was covered with tears, which
flowed abundantly from her closed eyes.

The vehicle was quickly surrounded by the women of the village,
who questioned one another as to who this child could be, for they
had always understood that Jacques was unmarried, and they were
therefore greatly astonished at seeing a little girl with him.

Whilst he was fabricating a story on this subject, Madame Pallois,
the Cure's sister, happened to pass. She was a very virtuous and
benevolent woman, and although not affluent, did a great deal of
good in the village, where she visited and took care of the poor,
worked for them, and frequently even served them for a doctor. She
saw immediately that Francoise especially required food and rest. She
had her carried at once into Jacques's house, as she believed her to
be his daughter. She herself brought her some soup and a little wine,
as well as some sheets to sleep in: she examined and dressed her
arm, which was very much swollen, and desired that great care should
be taken of her; and as Madame Pallois was highly respected in the
village, her orders were always obeyed.

Jacques's house was inhabited by his mother. This house, which was
nothing more than a poor hut, half-destroyed, was her only property,
for her son had compelled her to sell some small patches of land
which she possessed, in order to give him the price of them. He now
came back to see whether there was anything else he could take from
her; but she could not give him anything more, unless she consented
to sell her house and sleep in the street, and this she refused to
do. Then this detestable son became angry, he abused her, and even
appeared on the point of beating her, so much so that the inhabitants
of the village, filled with indignation at his conduct, forced him
to leave it, threatening if he again entered it during his mother's
lifetime, to denounce him to the authorities of the place. Francoise
was not sufficiently restored to be able to accompany him, but this
did not disturb him, as his head was now filled with other projects.
He therefore left her, and she, on her part, was perfectly satisfied
never to see him again.

She remained with his mother, who was called in the village old
_Catichou_, which in the _patois_ of Limousin, and of a part of
Auvergne, is equivalent to _Catherine_, just as _Francoise_ was
called _Francou_. She soon recovered, and old Catichou, who believed
her to be her grandchild, was very fond of her. Catichou was, on the
whole, a tolerably good sort of woman, though she had so worthless
a son, whom she had brought up very badly, not having very correct
principles herself. Madame Pallois also was kind to Francou, and
always gave her something when she went to see her, such as fruit,
nuts, a little bacon, butter, or cheese. Francou, who was generous
always gave at least half of everything to Catichou, to whom she
was much attached, especially when she compared her with Jacques.
Catichou was fond of good living, and at the same time very poor; on
these occasions, therefore, she received Francou with such kindness,
that the child was so delighted at being able to carry her something,
that she went every day to seek for food in the village, where she
was considered very pretty, and much liked. If nothing was given to
her, she asked for anything that took her fancy; and it sometimes
happened that when not observed, she took without asking whatever
came within her reach, scarcely knowing that she did wrong; and
when she brought home a few carrots or eggs that she had found the
means of secreting, or some hemp or beans which she had taken from
the fields, or from the places where they had been laid to dry, old
Catichou troubled herself but little how they were obtained, quite
satisfied with profiting by them. Madame Pallois, indeed, endeavoured
to instil correct principles into the mind of Francou, and often
exhorted her to conduct herself properly; but as she was not aware
of her propensity to theft, she had not thought of alluding to that
subject.

Old Catichou died, and Jacques returned to the village, to the great
annoyance of every one, for he was a worthless fellow. Madame Pallois
especially was grieved to think that he would set a bad example to
Francou, and teach her many evil habits; but there was no means of
preventing him from coming to his own house, or from having with him
one who was believed to be his daughter, for he had forbidden her to
say he was not her father, as he did not wish it to be known that
he had been into Maine, where he had been guilty of many fraudulent
practices, which he feared might be discovered. Francou said nothing
about the matter at first, or if she did, what she said had not been
understood, as she could not speak the _patois_ of the country, and
after a time she ceased to think of it. She cried very much when
Catichou died; but she was indifferent about seeing Jacques again,
for she no longer felt afraid of him. Three years had passed since
his departure, and she had forgotten his ill treatment. She was now
eight years of age, clever, active, and determined: she was, besides,
kind-hearted in the highest degree, always ready to oblige, going
of errands for one, and assisting another in driving his donkey, or
weeding his garden. In fine, every one loved her, and, indeed she
would have well merited this love, had it not been for that one bad
propensity, of which all were as yet ignorant.

Perhaps she might have overcome this fault, for loving Jacques much
less than Catichou, she had no wish to carry anything to him, and she
never thought of stealing for herself. Besides, she saw little of
him, for he had connected himself with a band of smugglers--people
who fraudulently import merchandise without paying the duty. He
frequently passed whole days and nights away from home; and had it
not been for the inhabitants of the village, Francou would often have
run the risk of perishing of hunger.

One day when she complained of his not giving her anything to eat, he
told her, in a brutal tone, that he had nothing to give her, and that
she must go and earn her living by asking for alms on the high road,
where just then many persons were expected to pass on their way to a
neighbouring fair. Francou at first refused; Jacques told her that he
would beat her, and not allow her to enter the house, if she did not
bring something back with her in the evening. She went, therefore.

The first person who passed by, refused to give her anything; the
second called her a lazy thing, and a little boy made game of her.
Francou had often heard it said that she was pretty, and such
compliments had rendered her proud, neither was she accustomed to
insults; she therefore returned home, her heart burning with shame,
and her eyes filled with tears, and declared that she would never
beg again. Jacques beat her, and the following day led her by force
upon the high road; but the moment he was out of sight she went away.
In the evening, he asked her how much she had received.

"Nothing," she replied, "I did not remain upon the road." He beat her
again: she began to scream, and in the midst of her tears protested
a thousand times, that no one should force her to be called a little
lazy thing. Jacques turned her out of the house, and she passed the
whole night out of doors. In the morning he found her half-dead with
cold: "Do you mean to go upon the road to-day?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, "but it will be to go away altogether."

In a transport of fury Jacques raised his hand.

"I am going," she said, running away.

"I will lock you up," exclaimed Jacques.

"So much the better; then I shall not have to go upon the road."

Jacques saw plainly that he should gain nothing by these proceedings;
besides, he had business to attend to; his comrades were waiting for
him at the public-house.

Francou, seeing him take his bag, as he was accustomed to do when
he went on long excursions, concluded that he would not return that
evening, and felt somewhat more tranquil. That day, and the following
one, she lived on the food given her by the good people of the
village, who heaped maledictions upon Jacques for having thus left
her to die of hunger: but, on the evening of the second day, she saw
him returning in the distance, and was greatly frightened, for she
remembered the terrible beating she had received on the night before
the last.

It was then too late for her to go away, and besides she had not
the courage to do so; neither could she apply to Madame Pallois, as
that lady had accompanied her brother to a neighbouring village.
At length she thought of the plan which had so often procured her
a good reception from Catichou. She entered the kitchen of Madame
Pallois, saw there a fowl which had just been killed for the next
day's dinner, and took it away unperceived. The servant, who returned
a short time after, thought that the cat must have stolen it. Francou
made her escape trembling; besides she felt grieved to take anything
from Madame Pallois, who was so good to her, and whom she had always
heard called throughout the whole of the village the mother of
the poor. But children always imagine that those who are a little
better off than themselves, cannot want for anything, and she did
not think she was doing her much harm; besides, she was so terribly
afraid of being beaten. As it happened, she was not beaten on this
occasion; on the contrary, Jacques received her tolerably well, and
Francou perceiving that this was the means of securing her peace,
became confirmed in this shocking habit. But as it was not so easy
to satisfy Jacques as Catichou, she began to take things of more
importance.

At length suspicions were excited in the village, although Francou
was not exactly accused as yet; but she would soon have been
discovered, expelled with Jacques, and thus ruined for life, had it
not been for an occurrence which took place at this time.

Madame Pallois, wishing to keep her as much as possible out of
Jacques's company, made her come to her to learn to read; and
Francou, delighted at the prospect of knowing something of which
others were ignorant, felt very grateful: therefore it rarely
happened that she took anything from Madame Pallois. Besides, she
was very fond of Babet, the servant, who told her that she had been
scolded for having let the cat eat the fowl; so that she would have
been sorry to have got her again into disgrace.

One day, when she was nine years old, she entered the house without
being observed. It was not her intention to steal in, but still
she had not been seen. In this manner she went as far as Madame
Pallois's room. No one was there. She saw half a crown lying on the
mantelpiece; she looked at it: Jacques on the previous evening had
brought home a shilling, which had dropped from the pocket of a
person who was walking before him, and he had greatly exulted in his
good fortune. The present coin was much larger than the one Jacques
had picked up. How pleased he would be to have it! As he no longer
beat her, she began to like him rather more than formerly.

She no longer thought either of Babet or of Madame Pallois, but
solely of the pleasure which Jacques would feel. She turned the piece
over and over: she blushed: she had never as yet taken money, and
she thought that it was much worse to take it than anything else.
Besides, the evening before, she had seen a woman led to prison for
having committed a theft, and her dreadfully dejected appearance had
very much excited her compassion. She thought of the circumstance at
this moment, and was on the point of replacing the money; but while
still holding it, she fancied she heard a noise, and grasping it
tightly in her hand, she ran out. No sooner was she outside, than,
regretting more than ever what she had done, she was on the point
of returning to try to replace the money on the mantelpiece without
being seen; but at this moment she beheld Madame Pallois enter the
house, and she hid herself, in great trepidation. There was no longer
any chance of replacing it.

When Madame Pallois had disappeared, Francou came out of her
hiding-place, and walked slowly away. She no longer thought of giving
the money to Jacques, her only concern was to find the means of
returning to the house when Madame Pallois was out, and replacing
the money unperceived. While still retaining it tightly in her hand,
she met Jacques, who gave her a faggot to carry home. In taking
hold of it she dropped the money; Jacques picked it up. "Ah! ah!"
said he, "where did you get this?" and without waiting for a reply
he carried it off. Francou did not dare to run after him, she did
not dare to cry out, for she would be asked how the money came into
her possession. She only sat down on her faggot and wept bitterly.
At that moment she would have given the world not to have committed
so disgraceful an action. Just then the Cure passed by; she quickly
wiped away her tears, and without perceiving that she had been crying
he told her to go and fetch his cane, which he had left at home.

The idea of seeing Madame Pallois, whom she knew to be at the time
in the house, made her tremble from head to foot. Nevertheless,
she must obey, for the Cure was waiting. At first she walked very
slowly; he called to her to make more haste: she took her resolution
and rushed into the house. There she found Madame Pallois greatly
excited, and the servant in tears. "You may say what you please,
Babet," said Madame Pallois, in a tone of severity, "you are the only
person who can have entered this room during my absence, and I am
quite certain that this half-crown was on the mantelpiece when I went
out."

The servant again protested her innocence. "Be silent," continued
Madame Pallois; "for some time past I have perceived several things
missing; I give you till to-morrow to leave the house; but until then
I shall so carefully watch your proceedings, that you need not hope
to profit by the time you still remain."

The unfortunate girl sobbed violently; and struck her head with both
her hands. Francou wept also, but she had not the courage to declare
what she had done. At length she threw herself on her knees, and
entreated pardon for Babet. Madame Pallois herself, softened by the
despair of the poor girl, turned towards her.

"Babet," she said, in an agitated voice, "perhaps want has led you to
commit this crime; if so, I will forgive you, provided you confess
all."

Babet again loudly protested her innocence.

"Leave the house," said her mistress angrily. Babet fell on her knees
in the middle of the room. "See, Francou," continued Madame Pallois,
"to what a condition crime reduces us." Francou hid her face in her
apron; she was on the point of avowing her fault; but she looked at
Madame Pallois, and her tongue seemed frozen in her mouth.

"See what mischief you have done," continued Madame Pallois,
addressing Babet with an air of deep concern, while her eyes filled
with tears. "This was the last half-crown which I had at my disposal
at the present moment, and I had promised it to poor Bernard, in
order that he might call a doctor to his dying wife."

"It is not I," cried Babet once more; but Madame Pallois would not
listen to her. Babet wrung her hands, and Francou rushed out of
the house in search of Jacques. He was not at home; she ran to the
tavern, and reached it half-suffocated with grief and the rapidity of
her course.

"Oh," cried she, clasping her hands, "give me back the half-crown
that you took away from me!" Jacques, already intoxicated, got up in
a fury, and gave her a kick that threw her on the ground.

"Give it me back! give it me back!" she exclaimed, with outstretched
arms, and without rising from the ground.

Jacques was again on the point of striking her, but she was taken
away from him, put out of the house, and the door closed against
her. She threw herself on her knees before the door, and entreated
them to open it: but no one attended to her. At last, she sat down
on a bench to wait until Jacques came out; but her eyes were heavy
with weeping, and she fell asleep. Hearing no one in the tavern, she
returned home. Jacques had come back, but he was plunged into the
heavy sleep of intoxication, and it was impossible to rouse him.
Francou then went to the Cure's house; everything was quiet there.
"Oh," she said, "perhaps they have pardoned Babet." She returned, lay
down on her bed, and passed the night in alternate hopes and fears.
The day dawned, and Jacques awoke. Francou again asked for the money,
sometimes angrily, sometimes in tones of supplication.

"The money!" said Jacques, with a stupified look, for he was not yet
sober; "Ah!" he continued with an oath, "it is all gone: not a sous
left!"

Francou arose; she had formed a project during the night. She
gathered together the few rags which still remained to her from
what old Catichou had left, made a bundle of them, and taking also
a little silver cross given to her by Madame Pallois, she bent her
steps towards the Cure's house. Babet was in the yard leaning against
the wall; she approached her. "Babet," said she, "has Madame Pallois
forgiven you?"

"No," replied Babet gloomily.

"Well," continued Francou timidly, at the same time offering her
bundle, and taking from her neck the little silver cross; "give her
these, perhaps they will be worth as much."

"Oh! they are not worth half as much," said Babet sighing; "and
besides, what good would it do me? My character is lost, and Bernard
will think that I have caused the death of his wife."

Francou sat down in dismay.

"Go and see Madame Pallois," said Babet: "go," she continued
impatiently, as if eager to get rid of her, and as the child arose to
depart she added with much emotion--

"Good bye, Francou, will you kiss me?"

Francou seemed afraid to approach.

"Oh!" said Babet sorrowfully, "I see that you too will not kiss me."
She turned her head and wept, for she believed that Francou also
took her for a thief, and did not wish to kiss her.

"Oh! yes, yes," said Francou, as she threw herself into Babet's arms,
who embraced her tenderly, and then said in a stifled voice:

"Go, Francou, go to Madame Pallois, she is waiting for you."

Francou walked slowly away, uncertain what to do. On reaching the
door of Madame Pallois's room, her courage failed her, and instead
of entering she ran out towards the yard. There she beheld Babet
standing on the brink of the well, looking down as if intending
to throw herself into it. She rushed forward, uttering a piercing
shriek; Babet turned her head, and Francou had just time to seize
hold of her.

"Oh! it is I!" she cried, falling on her knees and holding Babet by
the skirts with all her strength. While Babet tried to disengage
herself, Madame Pallois came up.

"Oh!" exclaimed Francou, sinking on the ground, "don't let her throw
herself into the well! It was I took the money."

Babet and Madame Pallois stood motionless with astonishment. Francou
still continued prostrate on the ground, sobbing violently. Babet
raised her up, though she herself could scarcely stand.

Madame Pallois made her sit down; then, turning to Francou, "Are you
quite sure that what you say is true, Francou?" she asked, somewhat
sternly.

"Ask my father," said Francou, hiding her face against the wall.

"And what have you done with it?"

"My father took it from me," she replied, sobbing. "I begged him to
give it back to me, but he has spent it. I brought all this to give
you instead, but Babet says it is worth nothing." At these words her
sobs were redoubled.

"Babet," continued Madame Pallois, turning towards the poor girl,
who, unable to support her joy, was leaning against the wall,
breathing with difficulty: "can you forgive me, for accusing you of
so disgraceful an act? Will you permit me to kiss you?"

Babet seized the hand of her mistress, then ran to Francou, who had
again fallen on the ground, and presented her to Madame Pallois,
begging her to forgive her.

"No! no!" exclaimed Francoise; "poor Bernard!"

"Francou," said Madame Pallois, "I am going to Bernard's cottage. You
must come with me."

"Oh! no, no," cried Francou, "I would rather die first."

"I insist upon it, Francou; come, dry your eyes, and follow me."

Francou dared not resist. Madame Pallois took her by the hand, and
was compelled to support her at every instant. At last they arrived.
Bernard came to the door.

"Madame," said he in a tone of the deepest affliction, "you must
permit me to fetch the doctor in the course of the morning; my wife
is in despair, and thinks that he alone can save her."

"Let us go in," said Madame Pallois. At this moment she dropped the
hand of Francou, who immediately made her escape, and ran off with
all her might. By the time she reached the gate of the village, her
mind was made up. The physician's house was situated only a short
distance from Cavignat. Francou knew it; she ran there as fast as her
strength would permit, and soon reached it.

"Oh," she cried to the physician, sobbing, "come and relieve poor
Bernard's wife; Madame Pallois had only one half-crown to pay for
your visit, and I took it. If you do not come, she will die. Do,
pray, come;" she continued, clasping her hands, and dragging him by
his dressing-gown. Greatly astonished, and affected by the condition
in which he saw her, the physician interrogated her, and she related
what had occurred, with every sign of the deepest despair. He
consoled her, and promised to go and see the wife of poor Bernard
without making any charge for his visit. Transported with joy,
Francou wanted him to set off in his dressing-gown and nightcap,
but he represented to her that he should be able to go much quicker
in his gig, and that he could dress himself while the horse was
harnessed. He had great difficulty in making her listen to reason,
but at last the horse was put to, and the gig drove off.

They arrived, and entered the house. Francou kept behind the
physician, not daring to come forward, and as the attention of every
one was fixed on the patient, who was in a state of great suffering,
Francou remained for a time unnoticed. When the invalid was a little
more tranquil, and the physician had given his advice, Madame Pallois
asked him how it happened that he had arrived so quickly, and why
Bernard had not returned with him.

"I have not seen Bernard," said the doctor. "I was called by this
little angel," he added, turning to Francou, on whom Madame Pallois
had just cast a stern look. He then related what had taken place.
Madame Pallois reflected for a moment; then, calling Francou,
"Promise me," she said, "that this shall be the last time, and I will
forgive you." Francou promised, and she kept her word. Besides, she
was no longer subjected to the same temptations. The knaveries of
Jacques were discovered, and he was obliged to fly from the village
for fear of being arrested as a smuggler. It was also ascertained
that Francou was not his daughter; he had said so while intoxicated,
and Francou, on being questioned, confirmed the statement.

The physician asked to take her into his service, to milk the cow
and attend to the fowls. As he was a very excellent and strictly
honest man, and treated her well, she had nothing but good examples
before her. His wife instructed her in her religious duties, and she
regularly attended the catechism of M. le Cure, at Cavignat, and when
she had reflected more on what she had done, she could not look Babet
in the face without blushing; especially as Babet had told her that
she had bitterly repented of her wish to throw herself into the well,
which was a thing so strictly forbidden, and for which M. le Cure had
great difficulty in giving her absolution.

"Poor Babet!" said Melanie, with a heavy sigh, for she had scarcely
breathed during the termination of the story.

"Poor Francou!" said Eugene, "she would certainly have died of grief
if Babet had thrown herself into the well."

"My children," said Madame d'Inville, "thank God for having given you
good parents, and remember, Melanie, when they take so much pains to
give you good habits, how unreasonable it is not to pay attention to
them, or to say when you are told to do anything, '_I don't want to
do this_,' or '_I won't do that_.'"

At this moment, Melanie saw a poor man passing with a little girl.
"Oh! dear grandmamma," said she, "that is just like the story of
Jacques. I am sure that little girl is not his daughter."

"And why not, my child?"

"Oh! see, he has such a bad look."

"Because you fancy so, because he is in rags, and appears to be ill.
Look at me, Melanie; just imagine, if I were covered with rags, and
had been laid up with fever for a week, do you think I should look
very well?"

"Oh! dear grandmamma!"

"He is old; I too am old; and whereas I take my granddaughter out to
walk for her pleasure, he, on the contrary, takes his out to beg for
her bread."

"Do you think so, grandmamma?"

"It is at least possible, my dear; and as we know nothing to the
contrary, we have no right to regard as dishonest a man who may be
quite the reverse, and who has so much need of our good opinion."

Melanie carried to the poor man a sou which Madame d'Inville had
given her, and, touched by her grandmamma's words, she added another from her own store.

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