The Little Old Portrait Read online

`Can it be--yes, I think it must be--Nanette?'

  "`Yes, indeed,' said the young woman, holding out her hand with a smile.`I am not surely so changed as you, Monsieur Pierre. Had I seen youanywhere else I would not have known you, so tall as you have grown.And you, Monsieur and Madame, of course you are not changed at all; youdo not look a day older.'

  "`Life passes quietly here, my good Nanette,' said the forester. `We donot wear ourselves out with wishing to be everything that we are not, assome do.'

  "`Ah no--you are wise,' said the girl. `And I--I cannot tell you howhappy I am to be at home again. Even,' she added with a slight blush,`even if I were not going to be married'--for it was to fulfil anengagement made before she had gone to Paris that Nanette hadreturned--`it is so good to feel safe in one's own country.'

  "`Safe,' repeated Madame Germain; `but surely you were not _afraid_ inParis?'

  "`I don't know,' said Nanette evasively, and yet with a half glanceround as if she feared her words might be overheard; `I don't likeParis. It is not a place for good, simple people. All these newideas!--ah, don't let us talk of all that. I have so much to tell youof our dear ladies; Paris or no Paris, it has been a terrible grief tome to leave them,' and her pretty bright eyes filled with tears.

  "`We were just talking of them when you came up,' said Madame Germain,`and wondering when we should see you. Sit down, my child; in oursurprise at seeing you we are forgetting politeness, and you must betired with your long journey.'

  "`When did you arrive?'

  "`Only last night,' said Nanette. `But I am not tired now. Yesterdaywas very pleasant; father drove the light cart over to Machard to meetme. The two days before in the diligence--ah, that was tiring. Mygreat-uncle Ludovic came the first day's journey with me, by my lady'swish; you see what care she takes of me--of every one about her.'

  "`As ever--our dear lady!' said Madame Germain.

  "`Ah, if there were more like her!' said Nanette. `Things and feelingswould not be what they are coming to, if there had been more like her.The Marquise now--for all she looks so tiny and delicate--ah! she has ahard and cruel heart--or no heart at all. She is a fit wife for herhusband. And how they are hated! Worse than ever, I believe.'

  "`By those about them in Paris, do you mean?' said the father Germain.`At Sarinet he is now almost a stranger. All these years, I think, hehas never been back again.'

  "`And do you not know why?' said Nanette. `'Tis said he dare not--andyet at worst he is a _brave_ man. Perhaps after all he has someconscience left, and shrinks from seeing the utter wretchedness he hascaused. We passed through many villages on our way, but in none did Isee more hideous misery than at Sarinet. My lord is always short ofmoney now--he spends so much in every way--and they do say that he andthe Marquise too lose great sums at play. And when the money runs dryit is always the same thing. "Get it out of those lazy hounds of mineat Sarinet," writes my lord to his bailiff, and then the screw is put onagain, ever tighter and tighter. Ah, it is horrible!' and Nanetteshuddered.

  "Germain looked up at her in surprise. She had changed. It was notlike the simple, light-hearted girl of three years ago to speak soforcibly, or to feel things so deeply.

  "`How have you heard so much, my girl?' he said.

  "`In Paris one learns much,' said Nanette. `Much ill I might havelearnt had my lady not taken care of me almost as if I had been her ownsister. But the servants all talk, and chatter, and complain, andthreaten--and my lady, she too told me a great deal. She has almost noone to talk to there--no one who sees things as she does. And she toldme to tell you--her good friends she always calls you--all I could. Shewants you to understand how she is placed. There is nothing she longsfor so much as to return to Valmont, and from month to month she ishoping to see her way to doing so. But the Marquis opposes it, and youknow he is Mademoiselle's guardian by law, and my lady does not like toanger him; his temper, too, grows worse and worse, though he is gentlerto her than to any one else. But you can fancy it is not a home such asour dear ladies can be happy in. And at times I can see that theCountess is really afraid. There is talk of dark and wild things.There have been meetings of the people where dreadful threats have beenuttered against the king and queen, the clergy and the nobles--againstevery one in high position, and sometimes the police and the soldierseven, could scarce disperse them. Many think the people once rousedwill not be quieted again. And of all the great rich nobles who haveoppressed the poor and made themselves hated, none, or few at least, aremore hated than the Marquis.'

  "`And our dear Countess is his sister!' exclaimed Madame Germain, overwhose cheerful face had crept a cloud of foreboding.

  "`I wonder you could bear to leave them,' said Pierre, almostindignantly; but Nanette did not resent his tone. She turned to him,her eyes full of tears.

  "`I did my utmost to stay,' she replied, `but my lady would not hear ofit. Albert had waited so long, she said; it was not right to put himoff still, though for my part I could have found it in my heart to puthim off altogether. I saw that the idea worried her. Then, too, Ithink she was glad for me to come home to talk to you--to explain thingsa little. She dare not write very much--letters are never very safe.And she is so lonely--in the midst of all that racket--she andMademoiselle Edmee.'

  "`Have they no friends they care for?' asked Pierre.

  "`Few--very few. And already of those some have left the country. Yes,indeed,' said Nanette, `it is not yet much known, but several of thewiser and far-seeing among the nobility have gone to Switzerland--someto Holland, and to England, on pretence of travelling, but it is knownthey do not intend to return till they see how things turn out.'

  "`It seems almost cowardly,' said Pierre.

  "`Yes,' said Nanette, `so my lady said. But I do not know that it isso. What can the few do in such a state of things? And they have theirchildren to think of.'

  "`It is true. But _our_ lady need not go so far. In no foreign countrycould she be so safe as here in her own Valmont.'

  "`It seems so at present,' said the girl with a sigh. `But all the talkI have heard frightens and confuses me. Once the fire is lighted, whocan say? Still I wish with all my heart, and so does my old uncleLudovic, that the ladies were here, and not in Paris. And you may besure the Countess will seize the first chance of returning. I was totell you this--and to say that she will count on you, father Germain,and on Pierre, to help them if occasion arises.'

  "`She will not be disappointed,' said Germain, and Pierre eagerly agreedwith him.

  "`But all the same,' continued his father, `I confess I do not see thegreat difficulty about their getting away; the Marquis would never_force_ his sister to stay?'

  "`No,' said Nanette, `but there _are_ difficulties. I think my lord haspower over Mademoiselle Edmee's money, and if the Countess broke offwith him she might not know what he did with it. It is something likethat, but my lady never fully explained to me. I only hope--' But thenNanette hesitated.

  "`What, my girl?' said Madame Germain.

  "`Perhaps it is wrong of me to think so, but I have sometimes wonderedif my dear little lady's money is safe. The Marquis is always short ofmoney now, and for my part I think some of these fine gentlemen havestrange notions of honesty.'

  "`Not among themselves,' said Germain. `They may rob the poor, but theywould think it dishonour to rob each other. However, I can understandhow you mean, Nanette,' and he too gave a deep sigh. Ruin to theiryoung mistress would not be prosperity for Valmont.

  "`And who is taking your place now, my good Nanette,' asked motherGermain. `Is that girl whom Edmee disliked so--that Victorine, stillwith the Marquise?'

  "`Yes,' said Nanette. `I cannot bear her. She is clever and cunning,and no one can please the Marquise as she does. She flatters her ladyto her face, but behind her back she speaks worse than any of theservants. She is as false as she can be, and would be the first to turnon her masters--she wanted to attend to Mademoiselle when she heard Iwas leaving, but our
ladies do not like her. They live so simply--nevergoing to parties or anything of that kind, for which indeed,Mademoiselle is too young, and my lady too sad she says--that they needbut little attendance. And there is a poor girl there--a Sarinet girl--whom my ladies have taken a fancy to. Marguerite Ribou is her name.She is a pretty, gentle girl, about my own age. I taught her what Icould; perhaps with such kind mistresses she may get on,' said Nanette,with a slightly patronising tone.

  "`A Sarinet girl! I wonder to hear they have any one from Sarinet inthe household,' said mother Germain.

  "`This girl is an orphan. Her only brother died some years