The Little Old Portrait Read online

suffering insome way.

  "`I don't like winter now,' she said one day, when, with Pierre on oneside and his mother on the other, she was on her way to a poor family alittle out of the village. `I used to think it was so pretty to see thesnow and to slide on the ice. Put I don't like it now. It made dearpapa ill, and the poor people are so cold, and I think they're so muchhappier in summer.'

  "`Yes,' said Madame Germain. `Hunger is bad to bear, but I fear cold isstill worse. It has been a sad winter,' and the kind woman sighed.

  "`And if sad here in Valmont, what must it have been in other places?'said Pierre, his thoughts returning to what he had seen at Sarinet.

  "`At those places where the lords are not kind to the poor people, doyou mean?' said Edmee, eagerly. The subject always seemed to have afascination for her, though her parents, and the Germains too, had takencare to tell her nothing to distress her sensitive feelings.

  "`Yes, of course that makes it worse,' said Madame Germain.

  "`Is my uncle Sarinet kind to his poor people?' asked Edmee, in a lowvoice, though there was no one to overhear her.

  "`Why do you ask that, my child?' said Madame Germain. `No one has everspoken against the Marquis to you?'

  "`N-no,' said Edmee, `but he has not a kind face, mamma Germain. Hesmiles at me, but still it is not a real smile. And before Victorinewent away--oh, I am so glad she has gone to be my aunt's maid instead oflittle mamma's!--before she went away she said she was glad she wasgoing where there would be no nonsense of spoiling the common peoplelike here. At Sarinet they are well punished, she said, if they arenaughty. How do they punish them, mamma Germain?'

  "`My little girl must not trouble herself about these things,' saidPierre's mother. `It is sometimes right to punish those who are reallynaughty.'

  "`Yes,' said Edmee. `But the poor people who are so often cold andhungry--ah, I could not make them more unhappy!'

  "`Bless her kind heart!' murmured Madame Germain, and many a dweller inValmont-les-Roses echoed the words.

  "Some weeks passed--as if to make up for the severity of the winter, thespring came early that year, and with unusual softness and balminess.The Count was able to sit out on the terrace in the finest part of theday, enjoying the sweet air after his long confinement to the house, andthough he knew in his heart that the improvement was but for a time, hehad not the courage to say so to his poor wife. And so some amount ofhopefulness seemed to have returned.

  "One day, when Edmee was coming back from a visit to the village,escorted by Pierre, she was met at the gates of the chateau by one ofthe servants, who told her that the Count and Countess wished her to goat once to the terrace.

  "`My lord the Marquis has arrived unexpectedly,' added the man.

  "Edmee shrank back.

  "`Pierrot,' she said, in the half-babyish way she still sometimes spoke,`Edmee doesn't want to see him.'

  "`But Edmee must,' said the boy smiling.

  "`Pierrot must come too, then,' said the little girl coaxingly; and so,a good deal against his will, for he had an instinctive dislike to thelord of Sarinet, the boy was obliged to go with her. And, out of a sortof mischief, the child clung tightly to him, even when they came withinsight of the group on the terrace, though when he saw that there werestrangers there, Pierre would gladly have drawn back.

  "A tall, distinguished-looking man, with clear cut features and piercingdark eyes, was sitting beside the Countess. He rose as he heard herexclamation, `At last comes Edmee!' and calling to him a boy aboutPierre's age, but much smaller and thinner, came forward as if to meether. But catching sight of her companion he hesitated: a frown crossedhis face, and turning to his sister--for he was the Marquis de Sarinet--he said coldly:

  "`Whom have we here, Louise? It is time it seems to me, that Edmee hadsome one to play with if you are so at a loss for comrades for her.'

  "The Countess's face flushed. But she knew her brother's character, andknew that there was no use in noticing such speeches. She held out herhand to Edmee, who ran forward to her, and then smiling kindly toPierre, who stood, cap in hand, waiting respectfully--

  "`This is Pierre Germain,' she said, `the son of our much-trustedforester. His mother, you may remember, saved our Edmee's life by herdevotion to her when she was such a delicate baby. Pierre oftenaccompanies Edmee in her walks. I am never the least uneasy when I knowhe is there--he is so careful of her.'

  "`Ah, indeed!' said the Marquis indifferently, as if the matter hadalready ceased to occupy his thoughts; he knew his sister too, and knewthat, gentle as she was, she would not yield to any prejudices when shefelt she was in the light. `Here, Edmond, you must make friends withyour cousin, and be her little cavalier.'

  "Edmond did not stir; he stood beside his father with a vacantexpression, as if he hardly heard his words. The Countess stooped andwhispered something to Edmee; the little girl, though with much lessthan her usual bright readiness, came forward, and trying to get hold ofthe boy's hands, said gently--

  "`Good day, my cousin. Welcome to Valmont.'

  "Curiosity got the better of Edmond's surliness. He looked at Edmeewith a mixture of expressions on his face--admiration, suspicion, and asI said, a strong spice of curiosity.

  "`Good day, Mademoiselle,' he said.

  "`But you must not say "Mademoiselle" to your little cousin,' said theCountess, half laughing. She was sorry for the boy, and wished to bekind to him; but she had a strong feeling that Edmee would not approveof him as a playfellow. He was pale and thin, and looked extremelydelicate, and his face, though the features were small and pretty ifclosely examined, was not attractive. Its expression was peevish anddiscontented, and there was a want of the bright, open frankness oneloves to see in a child. `Would you not like to go with Edmee to seesome of her treasures?' she went on encouragingly. `She has two petrabbits and several birds to begin with.'

  "`Would you also like to see my picture?' said Edmee, for since thepicture had been framed and hung up in her mother's room, she thought itthe most wonderful thing in the house.

  "`I don't care for rabbits, and I don't care for birds,' replied Edmond.`I don't mind looking at the picture. You may show it me if youchose.'

  "Edmee had kept hold of his hand, and now drew him away.

  "`Come, then,' she said: `we shall look first at the picture, and thenwe shall go out in the garden, and Pierre will tell us stories, if youdon't care to play with the rabbits. Pierre tells such pretty stories.'

  "She was, to tell the truth, so exceedingly anxious to get away from theMarquis, that she was not easily discouraged by Edmond's ungraciousness.Besides, had not dear little mother whispered to her to be `kind to thepoor boy?'

  "Edmond, who was on the point of allowing her to lead him away, drewback again.

  "`Who is Pierre?' he said. `Is it that boy? I don't want to play with_him_.'

  "Edmee's patience seemed about to give way. She looked at her motherappealingly. The Countess took Edmond's other hand.

  "`Come with me,' she said decidedly. `It is right I should show youEdmond's picture, as it is in my room. And then we shall see what wecan find for you to play at. Come, Pierre, my boy.'

  "Edmond could no longer resist; the Marquis, affecting to pay noattention to what was passing, had sat down by the Count, and went ontalking to him. Pierre followed the lady and the children into thehouse.

  "The first pleasant look that had been in Edmond's face came over it atthe sight of the picture. He actually smiled.

  "`It is like her,' he said. `I wish it was mine.'

  "`It was Pierrot made me sit still,' said Edmee; `he told me stories allthe time. He knows such pretty stories.'

  "Edmond glanced at Pierre with some approach to amiability for the firsttime. At that moment, through the open window, the Countess heard herhusband's voice calling her. She turned quickly away.

  "`I must go,' she said. `Edmee, take care of your cousin, and try toamuse him. Pierre will, I know, help you.'

 
; "The children made their way down into the garden. Then, after all,Edmond condescended to look at the rabbits, and to give his opinion ofthings in general. It was less pretty, he said, here at Valmont than athis own home of Sarinet, where the flower garden was very magnificent,laid out and managed by foreign gardeners--`not by these stupid louts ofours,' he added, contemptuously.

  "Pierre's face flushed, but he said nothing. He felt on his honourbound to resent nothing the querulous little lord of Sarinet might sayor do, for had not his dear lady trusted him--him, Pierre Germain--tohelp Edmee to amuse the guest. But Edmee