ToMybestComradeMyHusbandCONTENTS
THEGOODNESSOFSAINTROCQUE
TONY’SWIFE
THEFISHERMANOFPASSCHRISTIAN
M’SIEUFORTIER’SVIOLIN
BYTHEBAYOUST。JOHN
WHENTHEBAYOUOVERFLOWS
MR。BAPTISTE
ACARNIVALJANGLE
LITTLEMISSSOPHIE
SISTERJOSEPHA
THEPRALINEWOMAN
ODALIE
LAJUANITA
TITEE
THEGOODNESSOFSAINTROCQUE
Manuelawastallandslenderandgraceful,andonceyouknewherthelitheformcouldneverbemistaken。Shewalkedwiththeeasyspringthatcomesfromaperfectlyarchedfoot。To—dayshesweptswiftlydownMaraisStreet,castingaquickglancehereandtherefromunderherheavyveilasifshefearedshewasbeingfollowed。Ifyouhadpeeredundertheveil,youwouldhaveseenthatManuela’sdarkeyeswereswollenanddiscolouredaboutthelids,asthoughtheyhadknownasleepless,tearfulnight。
Therehadbeenapicnicthedaybefore,andasmerryacrowdofgiddy,chatteringCreolegirlsandboysaseveryoucouldseeboardedtheramshackledummy—trainthatpuffeditswaywheezilyoutwideElysianFieldsStreet,aroundthelily—coveredbayous,toMilneburg—on—the—Lake。Now,apicnicatMilneburgisathingtoberememberedforever。Onechartersarickety—looking,weather—beatendancing—pavilion,builtoverthewater,andafterstoringthechildren——foryourtrueCreoleneverleavesthesmallfolksathome——andthebasketsandmothersdownstairs,theyoungfolksgoup—stairsanddancetothetuneofthebestbandyoueverheard。Forwhatcanequalthemusicofaviolin,aguitar,acornet,andabassvioltotripthequadrilletoatapicnic?
Thenonecanfishinthelakeandgobathingundertheprimbath—houses,soseverelyseparatedsexually,andgorowingonthelakeinatrimboat,followedbytheshrillwarningsofanxiousmamans。Andintheeveningonecomeshome,hatcrownedwithcoolgraySpanishmoss,handsburdenedwithfantasticlatanierbasketswovenbythebrownbayouboys,handinhandwithyourdearestone,tiredbuthappy。
Atthisparticularpicnic,however,therehadbeenbitternessofspirit。TheophilewasManuela’sownespecialproperty,andTheophilehadprovenfalse。HehadnotdancedasinglewaltzorquadrillewithManuela,buthaddesertedherforClaralie,blondeandpetite。ItwasClaraliewhomTheophilehadrowedoutonthelake;itwasClaraliewhomTheophilehadgallantlyledtodinner;
itwasClaralie’shatthathewreathedwithSpanishmoss,andClaraliewhomheescortedhomeafterthejollysingingrideintownonthelittledummy—train。
NotthatManuelalackedpartnersoradmirers。Dearno!shewastoogracefulandbeautifulforthat。Therehadbeenmorethanenoughforher。ButManuelalovedTheophile,yousee,andnoonecouldtakehisplace。Still,shehadtossedherheadandlethersilverylaughterringoutinthedance,asthoughshewerethehappiestofmortals,andhadtrippedhomewithHenri,leaningonhisarm,andlookingupintohiseyesasthoughsheadoredhim。
ThismorningsheshowedthetracesofasleeplessnightandanachingheartasshewalkeddownMaraisStreet。AcrosswideSt。
RocqueAvenueshehastened。\"Twoblockstotheriverandonebelow——\"sherepeatedtoherselfbreathlessly。Thenshestoodonthecornergazingabouther,untilwithafinalsummoningofadesperatecourageshedivedthroughasmallwicketgateintoagardenofweed—chokedflowers。
Therewasahoarse,rustylittlebellonthegatethatgavequeruloustongueasshepusheditopen。Thehousethatsatbackintheyardwaslittleandoldandweather—beaten。Itsone—storyframehadoncebeenpainted,butthatwasamemoryremoteandtraditional。Astragglingmorning—glorystrovetoconcealitstime—ravagedface。Thelittlewalkofbrokenbitsofbrickwasreddenedcarefully,andtheonelittlestepwasscrupulouslyyellow—washed,whichdenotedthattheoccupantswerecleanlyaswellasreligious。
Manuela’stimidknockwasansweredbyaharsh\"Entrez。\"
Itwasasmallsombreroomwithin,withabareyellow—washedfloorandraggedcurtainsatthelittlewindow。Inacornerwasadiminutivealtardrapedwiththreadbarelace。TheredglowofthetaperlightedacheapprintofSt。Josephandabrazencrucifix。Thehumanelementintheroomwasfurnishedbyalittle,wizenedyellowwoman,who,black—robed,turbaned,andstern,satbeforeanuncertaintablewhereonweregreasycards。
Manuelapaused,hereyesblinkingatthesemi—obscuritywithin。
TheWizenedOnecalledincroakingtones:
\"An’fo’w’yyoucomehere?Assiez—la,ma’amzelle。\"
TimidlyManuelasatatthetablefacingtheownerofthevoice。
\"Iwant,\"shebeganfaintly;buttheMistressoftheCardsunderstood:shehadhadmuchexperience。ThecardswereshuffledinherlonggrimytalonsandstackedbeforeManuela。
\"Nowyoucutdemint’reepart,so——un,deux,trois,bien!Youmek’you’weeshwidallyou’heart,bien!Yaas,Isee,Isee!\"
BreathlesslydidManuelalearnthatherloverwastrue,but\"datlightgal,yaas,shemek’nouvenainSt。Rocquefo’heeslove。\"
\"Igiveyouonelil’charm,yaas,\"saidtheWizenedOnewhentheseancewasover,andManuela,allwhiteandnervous,leanedbackinthericketychair。\"Igiveyouonelil’charmfo’toweenhimback,yaas。Youwearh’it’roun’you’wais’,an’hecomeback。
DenyoumekprayeratSt。Rocquean’burncan’le。Denyoucomebackan’tellme,yaas。Cinquantesous,ma’amzelle。Merci。
Goodluckgowidyou。\"
Readjustingherveil,Manuelapassedoutthelittlewicketgate,treadingonair。Againthesunshone,andthebreathoftheswampscameashealthfulsea—breezeuntohernostrils。ShefairlyflewinthedirectionofSt。Rocque。
Therewerequiteanumberofpersonsenteringthewhitegatesofthecemetery,forthiswasFriday,whenallthosewhowishgoodluckpraytothesaint,andwashtheirstepspromptlyattwelveo’clockwithawondrousmixturetoguardthehouse。Manuelaboughtacandlefromthekeeperofthelittlelodgeattheentrance,andpausingoneinstantbythegreatsun—dialtoseeiftheheavensandthehourwerepropitious,glidedintothetinychapel,dimandstiflingwithheavyairfrommyriadwish—candlesblazingonthewidetablebeforethealtar—rail。Shesaidherprayerandlightinghercandleplaceditwiththeothers。
MonDieu!howbrightlythesunseemedtoshinenow,shethought,pausingatthedooronherwayout。Hersmallfinger—tips,stillbedewedwithholywater,restedcaressinglyonagamin’shead。
Theivywhichenfoldsthequaintchapelneverseemedsogreen;
theshrineswhichserveastheWayoftheCrossneverseemedsoartistic;thebabygraves,even,seemedcheerful。
TheophilecalledSunday。Manuela’sheartleaped。HehadbeenspendinghisSundayswithClaralie。Hisstaywasshortandhewasplainlybored。ButManuelaknelttothankthegoodSt。
Rocquethatnight,andfondledthecharmaboutherslimwaist。
Therecameaboxofbonbonsduringtheweek,withadecorativecardallrosesandfringe,fromTheophile;butbeingaCreole,andthereforesuperstitiouslycareful,andhavingbeenrearedbyawiseandexperiencedmamantomistrustthegiftsofarecreantlover,Manuelaquietlythrustbonbons,box,andcardintothekitchenfire,andtheFridayfollowingplacedthesecondcandleofhernouvenainSt。Rocque。
ThoseofManuela’sfriendswhohadwatchedwithindignationTheophilegallantlyleadingClaraliehomefromHighMassonSundays,gaspedwithastonishmentwhenthenextSunday,withhisusualbow,theyoungmanofferedManuelahisarmastheworshippersfiledoutinsteptotheorgan’smarch。Claralietossedherheadasshecrossedherselfwithholywater,andthepinkinhercheekswasbrighterthanusual。
Manuelasmiledabrightgood—morningwhenshemetClaralieinSt。
RocquethenextFriday。Thelittleblondeblushedfuriously,andManuelarushedpost—hastetotheWizenedOnetoconferuponthisnewissue。
\"H’iteesgood,\"saidthedame,shakingherturbanedhead。\"Sheees’fraid,shewillwork,maisyou’charm,h’itweelbeather。\"
AndManueladepartedwithradianteyes。
TheophilewasnotatMassSundaymorning,andmurderousglancesflashedfromClaralietoManuelabeforethetinklingoftheHost—Bell。NordidTheophilecallateitherhouse。Twoheartsbeatfuriouslyatthesoundofeverypassingfootstep,andtwomindswonderediftheotherwereenjoyingthebelovedone’ssmiles。Twopairofeyes,however,blueandblack,smiledonothers,andtheirownerslaughedandseemednonethelesshappy。
ForyourCreolegirlsareproud,andwoulddieratherthanlettheworldseetheirsorrows。
MondayeveningTheophile,themissing,showedhisrathersheepishcountenanceinManuela’sparlour,andexplainedthathe,withsomechosenspirits,hadgoneforatrip——\"overtheLake。\"
\"Ididnotaskyouwhereyouwereyesterday,\"repliedthegirl,saucily。
Theophileshruggedhisshouldersandchangedtheconversation。
ThenextweektherewasabirthdayfeteinhonourofLouise,Theophile’syoungsister。Everyonewasbidden,andnoonethoughtofrefusing,forLouisewasyoung,andthiswouldbeherfirstparty。So,thoughthenightwashot,thedancingwentonasmerrilyaslightyoungfeetcouldmakeitgo。Claraliefluffedherdaintywhiteskirts,andcastmischievoussparklesinthedirectionofTheophile,whowiththemamanandLouisewasbravelytryingnottolookself—conscious。Manuela,tallandcalmandproud—looking,inacool,paleyellowgownwasapparentlyenjoyingherselfwithoutpayingtheslightestattentiontoheryounghost。
\"HaveIthepleasureofthisdance?\"heaskedherfinally,inalullofthemusic。
Shebowedassent,andasifmovedbyacommonimpulsetheystrolledoutofthedancing—roomintothecool,quaintgarden,wherejessaminesgaveoutanoverpoweringperfume,andacagedmocking—birdcomplainedmelodiouslytothefullmooninthesky。
Itmusthavebeenanengrossingtete—a—tete,forthecalltosupperhadsoundedtwicebeforetheyheardandhurriedintothehouse。ThemarchhadformedwithLouiseradiantlyleadingonthearmofpapa。ClaralietrippedbywithLeon。Ofcourse,nothingremainedforTheophileandManuelatodobuttobringuptherear,forwhichtheyreceivedmuchgood—naturedchaffing。
Butwhenthepartyreachedthedining—room,Theophileproudlyledhispartnertotheheadofthetable,attherighthandofmaman,andsmiledbenignlyaboutatthedelightedassemblage。Nowyouknow,whenaCreoleyoungmanplacesagirlathismother’srighthandathisowntable,thereisbutoneconclusiontobededucedtherefrom。
IfyouhadaskedManuela,aftertheweddingwasover,howithappened,shewouldhavesaidnothing,butlookedwise。
IfyouhadaskedClaralie,shewouldhavelaughedandsaidshealwayspreferredLeon。
IfyouhadaskedTheophile,hewouldhavewonderedthatyouthoughthehadevermeantmorethantoteaseManuela。
IfyouhadaskedtheWizenedOne,shewouldhaveofferedyouacharm。
ButSt。Rocqueknows,forheisagoodsaint,andifyoubelieveinhimandaretrueandgood,andmakeyournouvenaswithacleanheart,hewillgrantyourwish。
TONY’SWIFE
\"Gimmefi’centswortho’candy,please。\"ItwasthelittleJewgirlwhospoke,andTony’swiferousedherselffromherknittingtoriseandcountoutthemulti—huedcandywhichshouldgoinexchangeforthedingynickelgraspedinwarm,dampfingers。
Threelongsticks,carefullywrappedincrispestbrownpaper,andahalfdozenormoreofpinkcandyfishforlagniappe,andthelittleJewgirlspedawayinblissfulcontentment。Tony’swiferesumedherknittingwithastifledsighuntilthenextcustomershouldcome。
Alowgrowlcausedhertolookupapprehensively。Tonyhimselfstoodbeetle—browedandhugeinthesmalldoorway。
\"Getupfromthere,\"hemuttered,\"andopentwodozenoystersrightaway;theEliotswant’em。\"HisEnglishwasunaccented。
ItwaslongsincehehadseenItaly。
Shemovedmeeklybehindthecounter,andbeganworkonthethickshells。Tonystretchedhislongneckupthestreet。
\"Mr。Tony,mamawantssomecharcoal。\"Theverysmallvoiceathisfeetmusthavepleasedhim,forhisblackbrowsrelaxedintoasmile,andhepokedthelittleone’schinwithahard,dirtyfinger,asheemptiedtheridiculouslysmallbucketofcharcoalintothechild’sbucket,andgaveabananaforlagniappe。
Thecracklingofshellswentonbehind,andastifledsobaroseasabitofsharpedgecutintothethin,wornfingersthatclaspedtheknife。
\"Hurryupthere,willyou?\"growledtheblackbrows;\"theEliotsaresendingfortheoysters。\"
Shedeftlystrainedandcountedthem,and,afterwipingherfingers,resumedherseat,andtookuptheendlesscrochetwork,withherusualstifledsigh。
TonyandhiswifehadalwaysbeeninthissamelittlequeeroldshoponPrytaniaStreet,atleasttothememoryoftheoldestinhabitantintheneighbourhood。Whenorhowtheycame,orhowtheystayed,nooneknew;itwasenoughthattheywerethere,likeasortofancestralfixturetothestreet。Theneighbourhoodwasfineenoughtolookdownuponthesetwotumble—downshopsatthecorner,keptbyTonyandMrs。Murphy,thegrocer。Itwasasemi—fashionablelocality,farup—town,awayfromtheold—timeFrenchquarter。Itwasthesortofneighbourhoodwheremillionaireslivebeforetheirfortunesaremadeandfashionable,high—pricedprivateschoolsflourish,wherethesmallcottagesareoccupiedbyaspiringschool—teachersandchoir—singers。Suchwasthislocality,andyoumustadmitthatitwasindeedacondescensiontotolerateTonyandMrs。Murphy。
Hewasagreat,black—bearded,hoarse—voiced,six—footspecimenofItalianhumanity,wholookedinhislittleshopandontheprosaicpavementofPrytaniaStreetsomewhatasHerculesmightseeminamoderndrawing—room。Youinstinctivelythoughtofwildmountain—passes,andthegleamingdirksofbanditcontadiniinlookingathim。Whathislastnamewas,nooneknew。SomeonehadmaintainedoncethathehadbeenchristenedAntonioMalatesta,butthatwasunauthentic,andaslittletobebelievedasthatotherwildtheorythathernamewasMary。
Shewasmeek,pale,little,ugly,andGerman。Altogetherpartofhisarmsandlegswouldhaveverydecentlymadeanotherlargerthanshe。Herhairwaspaleanddrawninsleek,thintightnessawayfromapinched,pitifulface,whosedullcoldeyeshurtyou,becauseyouknewtheyweretryingtomirrorsorrow,andcouldnotbecauseoftheirexpressionlessquality。Nomatterwhattheweatherorwhatherothertoilet,shealwaysworeathinlittleshawlofdingybrick—dusthueabouthershoulders。Nomatterwhattheoccasionorwhattheday,shealwayscarriedherknittingwithher,andseldomceasedtheincessanttwist,twistoftheshiningsteelamongthewhitecottonmeshes。Shemightputdowntheneedlesandlaceintothespool—boxlongenoughtoopenoysters,orwrapupfruitandcandy,orcountoutwoodandcoalintoinfinitesimalportions,ordoherhousework;buttheknittingwassnatchedwithavidityatthefirstsparemoment,andtheworn,white,blue—markedfingers,halfenclosedinkid—glovestallsforprotection,wouldwritheandtwistinandoutagain。
LittlegirlsjustlearningtocrochetborrowedtheirpatternsfromTony’swife,anditwasconsideredquiteamarkofadvancementtohaveherinspectabitoflacedonebyeager,chubbyfingers。Theladiesinlargerhouses,whosehusbandswouldbemillionairessomeday,boughtherlace,andgaveittotheirservantsforChristmaspresents。
AsforTony,whenshewasslowinopeninghisoystersorincookinghisredbeansandspaghetti,heroaredather,andprefixedpicturesqueadjectivestoherlace,whichmadeherhideitunderherapronwithafearsomelookinherdulleyes。
Hehatedherinalusty,roaringfashion,asahealthybeefyboyhatesasickcatandtormentsittomadness。Whenshedispleasedhim,hebeather,andknockedherfrailformonthefloor。Thechildrencouldtellwhenthishadhappened。Hereyeswouldbered,andtherewouldbebluemarksonherfaceandneck。\"PoorMrs。Tony,\"theywouldsay,andnestleclosetoher。Tonydidnotroaratherforpettingthem,perhaps,becausetheyspentmoneyonthemulti—huedcandyinglassjarsontheshelves。
Hermotherappeareduponthesceneonce,andstayedashorttime;
butTonygotdrunkonedayandbeatherbecausesheatetoomuch,andshedisappearedsoonafter。Whenceshecameandwhereshedeparted,noonecouldtell,notevenMrs。Murphy,thePaulinePryandGazetteoftheblock。
Tonyhadgout,andsufferedformanydaysinroaringhelplessness,thewhilehisfoot,boundandswathedinmanyfoldsofredflannel,layonthechairbeforehim。Inproportionashisgoutincreasedandhebawledfrompurephysicaldiscomfort,shebecamelight—hearted,andmovedabouttheshopwithreal,briskcheeriness。Hecouldnothitherthenwithoutsuchpainthatafteroneortwotrialshegaveupindisgust。
Sothedullyearshadpassed,andlifehadgoneonprettymuchthesameforTonyandtheGermanwifeandtheshop。ThechildrencameonSundayeveningstobuythestickcandy,andonweek—daysforcoalandwood。Theservantscametobuyoystersforthelargerhouses,andtogossipoverthecounterabouttheiremployers。Thelittledrywomanknitted,andthebigmanmovedlazilyinandoutinhisredflannelshirt,exchangedpoliticswiththetailornextdoorthroughthewindow,orloungedintoMrs。Murphy’sbaranddrankfiercely。Someofthechildrengrewupandmovedaway,andotherlittlegirlscametobuycandyandeatpinklagniappefishes,andtheshopstillthrived。
OnedayTonywasill,morethanthemummiedfootofgout,orthewheezeofasthma;hemustkeephisbedandsendforthedoctor。
Sheclutchedhisarmwhenhecame,andpulledhimintothetinyroom。
\"Isit——isitanythingmuch,doctor?\"shegasped。
AEsculapiusshookhisheadaswiselyastheoccasionwouldpermit。Shefollowedhimoutoftheroomintotheshop。
\"Doyou——willhegetwell,doctor?\"
AEsculapiusbuttoneduphisfrockcoat,smoothedhisshininghat,clearedhisthroat,thenrepliedoracularly,\"Madam,heiscompletelyburnedoutinside。Emptyasashell,madam,emptyasashell。Hecannotlive,forhehasnothingtoliveon。\"
Asthecobblestonesrattledunderthedoctor’sequipagerollingleisurelyupPrytaniaStreet,Tony’swifesatinherchairandlaughed,——laughedwithaheartyjoyousnessthatliftedthefilmfromthedulleyesanddisclosedasparklebeneath。
Thedreardayswentby,andTonylaylikeaveritableSamsonshornofhisstrength,forhisvoicewassunkentoahoarse,sibilantwhisper,andhisblackeyesgazedfiercelyfromtheshockofhairandbeardaboutawhiteface。Lifewentonprettymuchasbeforeintheshop;thechildrenpausedtoaskhowMr。
Tonywas,andevenhushedthejinglesontheirbellhoopsastheypassedthedoor。Red—headedJimmie,Mrs。Murphy’snephew,didthehardjobs,suchassplittingwoodandliftingcoalfromthebin;andintheintervalsbetweentendingthefallengiantandwaitingonthecustomers,Tony’swifesatinheraccustomedchair,knittingfiercely,withaninscrutablesmileaboutherpurplecompressedmouth。
ThenJohncame,introducinghimself,serpent—wise,intotheEdenofherbosom。
JohnwasTony’sbrother,hugeandblufftoo,butfairandblond,withthebeautyofNorthernItaly。WiththesamelackofracepridewhichTonyhaddisplayedinselectinghisGermanspouse,JohnhadtakenuntohimselfBetty,adaughterofErin,aggressive,powerful,andcross—eyed。Heturnedupnow,havingheardofthisillness,andassumedanairofremarkableauthorityatonce。
Ahuntedlookstoleintothedulleyes,andafterJohnhaddepartedwithblusteringdirectionsastoTony’swelfare,shecrepttohisbedsidetimidly。
\"Tony,\"shesaid,——\"Tony,youareverysick。\"
Aninarticulategrowlwastheonlyresponse。
\"Tony,yououghttoseethepriest;youmustn’tgoanylongerwithouttakingthesacrament。\"
Thegrowldeepenedintowords。
\"Don’twantanypriest;you’realwaysaftersomesnivellingoldwoman’sfuss。YouandMrs。Murphygoonwithyourchurch;itwon’tmakeYOUanybetter。\"
Sheshiveredunderthispartingshot,andcreptbackintotheshop。Stillthepriestcamenextday。
Shefollowedhimintothebedsideandknelttimidly。
\"Tony,\"shewhispered,\"here’sFatherLeblanc。\"
Tonywastoolanguidtocurseoutloud;heonlyexpressedhishateinatossoftheblackbeardandshaggymane。
\"Tony,\"shesaidnervously,\"won’tyoudoitnow?Itwon’ttakelong,anditwillbebetterforyouwhenyougo——Oh,Tony,don’t——don’tlaugh。Please,Tony,here’sthepriest。\"
ButtheTitanroaredaloud:\"No;getout。ThinkI’ma—goingtogiveyouachancetograbmymoneynow?Letmedieandgotohellinpeace。\"
FatherLeblanckneltmeeklyandprayed,andthewoman’sweakpleadingscontinued,——
\"Tony,I’vebeentrueandgoodandfaithfultoyou。Don’tdieandleavemenobetterthanbefore。Tony,Idowanttobeagoodwomanonce,areal—for—truemarriedwoman。Tony,here’sthepriest;sayyes。\"Andshewrungherringlesshands。
\"Youwantmymoney,\"saidTony,slowly,\"andyousha’n’thaveit,notacent;Johnshallhaveit。\"
FatherLeblancshrankawaylikeafadingspectre。Hecamenextdayandnextday,onlytoseere—enactedthesamepiteousscene,——thewomanpleadingtobemadeawifeeredeathhushedTony’sblasphemies,themanchucklinginpain—rackedgleeattheprospectofherbereavedmisery。NotalltheprayersofFatherLeblancnorthewailingsofMrs。Murphycouldalterthedeterminationofthewillbeneaththeshockofhair;hegloatedinhisphysicalweaknessatthetenaciousgrasponhismentality。
\"Tony,\"shewailedonthelastday,hervoicerisingtoashriekinitseagerness,\"tellthemI’myourwife;it’llbethesame。
Onlysayit,Tony,beforeyoudie!\"
Heraisedhishead,andturnedstiffeyesandgibberingmouthonher;then,withonechillfingerpointingatJohn,fellbackdullyandheavily。
TheyburiedhimwithmanyhonoursbytheSocietyofItalia’sSons。Johntookpossessionoftheshopwhentheyreturnedhome,andfoundthemoneyhiddeninthechimneycorner。
AsforTony’swife,sinceshewasnothiswifeafterall,theysentherforthintheworldpenniless,herwornfingersclutchingherbundleofclothesinnervousagitation,asthoughtheyregrettedthetimelostfromknitting。
THEFISHERMANOFPASSCHRISTIAN
TheswiftbreezesonthebeachatPassChristianmeetandconflictasthougheachstroveforthemasteryoftheair。Theland—breezeblowsdownthroughthepines,resinous,fragrant,cold,bringingbreath—likememoriesofdim,darkwoodsshadedbymyriadpine—needles。ThebreezefromtheGulfiswarmandsoftandlanguorous,blowingupfromthesouthwithitssuggestionoftropicalwarmthandpassion。Itisstrongandmasterful,andtossedAnnette’shairandwhippedherskirtsaboutherinbolddisregardfortheproprieties。
ArminarmwithPhilip,shewasstrollingslowlydownthegreatpierwhichextendsfromtheMexicanGulfHotelintothewatersoftheSound。Therewasnomoonto—night,buttheskyglitteredandscintillatedwithmyriadstars,brighterthanyoucaneverseefartherNorth,andthegreatwavesthattheGulfbreezetossedupinrestlessprofusiongleamedwiththewhitefireofphosphorescentflame。Thewetsandsonthebeachglowedwhitefire;thepostsofthepierwherethewaveshadleaptandleftalaughingkiss,thesidesofthelittleboatsandfish—carstuggingattheirropes,alikeshowedwhiteandflaming,asthoughtheseaandallittouchedwereafire。
AnnetteandPhilippausedmidwaythepiertowatchtwofishermencastingtheirnets。Withheadsbaredtothebreeze,theystoodinclearsilhouetteagainstthewhitebackgroundofsea。
\"Seehowheuseshisteeth,\"almostwhisperedAnnette。
Drawinghimselfuptohisfullheight,withoneendofthehugeseinebetweenhisteeth,andthecordinhislefthand,thetallerfishermanofthetwopausedahalfinstant,hisrightarmextended,graspingthefoldsofthenet。Therewasaswishingrushthroughtheair,anditsettledwithasortofsobasitcutthewatersandstruckamillionsparklesoffirefromthewaves。
Then,withbacksbendingunderthestrain,thetwomenswungonthecord,drawinginthenet,ladenwithglitteringrestlessfish,whichwereunceremoniouslydumpedontheboardstobeputintothefish—carawaitingthem。
Philiplaughinglypickedupasoft,gleamingjelly—fish,andthreatenedtoputitonAnnette’sneck。Shescreamed,ran,slippedonthewetboards,andinanotherinstantwouldhavefallenoverintothewaterbelow。Thetallfishermancaughtherinhisarmsandsetheronherfeet。
\"Mademoisellemustbeverycareful,\"hesaidinthesoftestandmostcorrectFrench。\"Thetideisinandthewaterveryrough。
Itwouldbeverydifficulttoswimoutthereto—night。\"
Annettemurmuredconfusedthanks,whichweresupplementedbyPhilip’sheartytones。Shewassilentuntiltheyreachedthepavilionattheendofthepier。Thesemi—darknesswasunrelievedbylanternorlight。Thestrongwindwaftedthestrainsfromacoupleofmandolins,aguitar,andatenorvoicestationedinonecornertosundryengrossedcouplesinsundryothercorners。Philipfoundanuntenantednookandtheyensconcedthemselvestherein。
\"Doyouknowthere’ssomethingmysteriousaboutthatfisherman?\"
saidAnnette,duringalullinthewind。
\"Becausehedidnotletyougoover?\"inquiredPhilip。
\"No;hespokecorrectly,andwiththeaccentthatgoesonlywithanexcellenteducation。\"
Philipshruggedhisshoulders。\"That’snothingremarkable。IfyoustayaboutPassChristianforanylengthoftime,you’llfindmorethingsthanperfectFrenchandcourtlygraceamongfishermentosurpriseyou。TheseareawonderfulpeoplewholiveacrosstheLake。\"
Annettewaslollinginthehammockunderthebigcatalpa—treesomedayslater,whenthegateopened,andNatalie’sbigsun—bonnetappeared。Natalieherselfwasdiscoveredblushinginitsdaintydepths。ShewasonlyalittleCreoleseasidegirl,youmustknow,andveryshyofthecitydemoiselles。Natalie’spatoiswasquiteasdifferentfromAnnette’sFrenchasitwasfromthepostmaster’sEnglish。
\"MeesAnnette,\"shebegan,peony—huedalloveratherownboldness,\"wewillhaveonelil’hay—ridethisnight,andafish—fryattheend。Willyoucome?\"
Annettesprangtoherfeetindelight。\"WillIcome?Certainly。
Howdelightful!Youaresogoodtoaskme。Whatshall——whattime——\"ButNatalie’spinkbonnethadfledprecipitatelydowntheshadedwalk。AnnettelaughedjoyouslyasPhiliploungeddownthegallery。
\"Ifrightenedthechildaway,\"shetoldhim。
You’veneverbeenforahay—rideandfish—fryontheshoresoftheMississippiSound,haveyou?WhenthesummerboardersandtheNorthernvisitorsundertaketogiveone,itisacomparativelystaidaffair,wheredueregardishadforone’swearingapparel,andwherethereareservantstodothehardestwork。Thenitisn’tenjoyableatall。Butwhenthenatives,theboysandgirlswholivethere,makeuptheirmindstohavefun,youmaydependuponitsbeingjustthebestkind。
Thistimethereweretwentyboysandgirls,amammaorso,severalpapas,andagrizzledfishermantorestraintheardoroftheamateurs。Thecartwasvastandsolid,andtwocomfortable,sleepy—lookingmulesconstitutedthedrawingpower。Therewerealsotinhorns,someguitars,anaccordion,andaquartetofmuchpraisedvoices。Thehayinthebottomofthewagonwasfreelymixedwithpineneedles,whoseprickinessthroughyourhosewasamplycompensatedforbyitsdeliciousfragrance。
AfteratriumphantlynoisypassagedownthebeachonecomestothestretchofheavysandthatliesbetweenPassChristianproperandHenderson’sPoint。Thisisahardpullforthemules,andthemoreambitiousridersgetoutandwalk。Then,afterafinalstrainthroughtheshiftingsands,bravo!theshellroadisreached,andonegoescheeringthroughthepine—treestoHenderson’sPoint。
IfeveryougotoPassChristian,youmusthaveafish—fryatHenderson’sPoint。Itisthepine—thicketed,white—beachedpeninsulajuttingoutfromtheland,withonesidecaressedbythewatersoftheSoundandtheotherpurredoverbythebluewavesoftheBayofSt。Louis。Hereisthebeginningofthegreatthree—miletrestlebridgetothetownofBaySt。Louis,andto—nightfromthebeachcouldbeseenthelightsofthevillasglitteringacrosstheBaylikemyriadsofunsleepingeyes。
Hereuponafirmstretchofwhitesandcampedthemerry—makers。
Soonagreatfireofdriftwoodandpineconestosseditsflamesdefiantlyataradiantmooninthesky,andthefisherswerecastingtheirnetsinthesea。Themoredaringofthegirlswadedbare—leggedinthewater,holdingpine—torches,spearingfloundersandpeeringforsoft—shellcrabs。
Annettehadwanderedfartherintheshallowwaterthantherest。
Suddenlyshestumbledagainstastone,thetorchdroppedandsplutteredatherfeet。Withalittlehelplesscryshelookedatthestretchofunfamiliarbeachandwatertofindherselfallalone。
\"Pardonme,mademoiselle,\"saidavoiceatherelbow;\"youareindistress?\"
Itwasherfisherman,andwithascarceconscioussighofrelief,Annetteputherhandintotheoutstretchedoneatherside。
\"Iwaslookingforsoftshells,\"sheexplained,\"andlostthecrowd,andnowmytorchisout。\"
\"Whereisthecrowd?\"Therewassomeamusementinthetone,andAnnetteglancedupquickly,preparedtobethoroughlyindignantatthisfishermanwhodaredmakefunather;buttherewassuchakindlylookabouthismouththatshewasreassuredandsaidmeekly,——
\"AtHenderson’sPoint。\"
\"Youhavewanderedahalf—mileaway,\"hemused,\"andhavenothingtoshowforyourpainsbutverywetskirts。Ifmademoisellewillpermitme,Iwilltakehertoherfriends,butallowmetosuggestthatmademoisellewillleavethewaterandwalkonthesands。\"
\"ButIambarefoot,\"wailedAnnette,\"andIamafraidofthefiddlers。\"
Fiddlercrabs,youknow,aren’tpleasantthingstobedanglingaroundone’sbarefeet,andtheyaremorenumerousthansandfleasdownatHenderson’sPoint。
\"True,\"assentedthefisherman;\"thenweshallhavetowadeback。\"
ThefishingwasoverwhentheyroundedthepointandcameinsightofthecheerybonfirewithitsRembrandt—likegroup,andtheairwassavourywiththesmelloffryingfishandcrabs。Thefishermanwasnottobetemptedbyappealstostay,butsmilinglydisappeareddownthesands,theredglareofhistorchmakingaglowingtrackinthewater。
\"Ah,MeesAnnette,\"whisperedNatalie,betweenmouthfulsofarichcroaker,\"youhavefoundabeauinthewater。\"
\"AndthefishermanofthePass,too,\"laughedhercousinIda。
Annettetossedherhead,forPhiliphadgrowledaudibly。
\"Doyouknow,Philip,\"criedAnnetteafewdaysafter,rudelyshakinghimfromhissiestaonthegallery,——\"doyouknowthatI
havefoundmyfisherman’shut?\"
\"Hum,\"wastheonlyresponse。
\"Yes,andit’sthequaintest,mostdelightfulspotimaginable。
Philip,docomewithmeandseeit。\"
\"Hum。\"
\"Oh,Philip,youaresolazy;docomewithme。\"
\"Yes,but,mydearAnnette,\"protestedPhilip,\"thisisawarmday,andIamtired。\"
Still,hiscuriositybeingaroused,hewentgrumbling。Itwasnotaverylongdrive,backfromthebeachacrosstherailroadandthroughthepineforesttothebankofadark,slow—flowingbayou。Thefisherman’shutwassmall,two—roomed,whitewashed,pine—boarded,withthetraditionalmudchimneyactingasasortofsupporttooneofitsunevensides。Withinwasaweirdassortmentofcuriosfromeveryuncivilizedpartoftheglobe。
Alsoweretherefishing—tackleandgunsinrecklessprofusion。
Thefisherman,inthekitchenofthemud—chimney,wassardonicallywagingwarwithabasketoflittlebayoucrabs。
\"Entrez,mademoiselleetmonsieur,\"hesaidpleasantly,grabbingaviciouscrabbyitsflippers,andsmilingatitswildattemptstobite。\"YouseeIambusy,butmakeyourselfathome。\"
\"Well,howonearth——\"beganPhilip。
\"Sh——sh——\"whisperedAnnette。\"Iwasdrivingoutinthewoodsthismorning,andstumbledonthehut。Heaskedmein,butIcamerightoverafteryou。\"
Thefisherman,havingsucceededingettingthelastcrabinthekettleofboilingwater,cameforwardsmilingandbegantoexplainthecurios。
\"ThenyouhavenotalwayslivedatPassChristian,\"saidPhilip。
\"Maisnon,monsieur,Iamspendingasummerhere。\"
\"Andhespendshiswinters,doubtless,sellingfishintheFrenchmarket,\"spitefullysoliloquisedPhilip。
ThefishermanwaslookingunutterablethingsintoAnnette’seyes,and,itseemedtoPhilip,takinganunconscionablylongtimeexplainingtheuseofanEastIndianstiletto。
\"Oh,wouldn’titbedelightful!\"camefromAnnetteatlast。
\"What?\"askedPhilip。
\"Why,MonsieurLeContesayshe’lltakesixofusoutinhiscatboattomorrowforafishing—tripontheGulf。\"
\"Hum,\"drily。
\"AndI’llgetNatalieandhercousins。\"
\"Yes,\"stillmoredrily。
Annettechatteredon,entirelyobliviousofthestrainednessofthemen’sadieux,andstillchatteredastheydrovethroughthepines。
\"Ididnotknowthatyouweregoingtotakefishermenandmarchandsintothebosomofyoursocialsetwhenyoucamehere,\"
growledPhilip,atlast。
\"But,CousinPhil,can’tyouseeheisagentleman?Thefactthathemakesnoexcusesorprotestationsisaproof。\"
\"Youareafool,\"wasthepoliteresponse。
Still,atsixo’clocknextmorning,therewasalittlecrowdofsevenuponthepier,laughingandchattingatthelittle\"Virginie\"dippingherbowsinthewaterandflappinghersailsinthebriskwind。Natalie’spinkbonnetblushedintheearlysunshine,andNatalie’smamma,comelyandportly,didchaperonageduty。ItwasnotlongbeforethesailsgaveswellintothebreezeandthelittleboatscurriedtotheSound。Pastthelighthouseonitsgawkyironstalls,sheflew,andnowroundedthewhitesandsofCatIsland。
\"Bravo,theGulf!\"sangavoiceonthelookout。Thelittleboatdipped,haltedaninstant,thenrushedfastintotheblueGulfwaters。
\"Wewillanchorhere,\"saidthehost,\"haveluncheon,andfish。\"
PhilipcouldnotexactlyunderstandwhythefishermanshouldsitsoclosetoAnnetteandwhispersomuchintoherears。Hechafedatheractingthepartofhostess,andwaspossessedofamurderousdesiretothrowthepinksun—bonnetanditsownerintothesea,whenNataliewhisperedaudiblytooneofhercousinsthat\"MeesAnnetteactnicewit’herlovare。\"
Thesunwasbankingupflamingpillarsofroseandgoldinthewestwhenthelittle\"Virginie\"roundedCatIslandonherwayhome,andthequickSoutherntwilightwasfastdyingintodarknesswhenshewastieduptothepierandthemerry—makerssprangoffwithbasketsoffish。Annettehaddistinguishedherselfbycatchingonesmallshark,andhadimmediatelyceasedtofishanddevotedherattentiontoherfishermanandhisline。
Philiphadangledfiercely,landingtrout,croakers,sheepshead,snappersinbewilderingluck。Hehadbrokeneachhopelesscaptive’snecksavagely,asthoughtheywerepersonalenemies。
Hedidnotlookhappyastheylanded,thoughpaeansofpraisewerebeingsunginhishonour。
Asthedayspassedon,\"thefishermanofthePass\"begantodanceattendanceonAnnette。Whathadseemedajokebecameserious。
AuntNina,urgedbyPhilip,remonstrated,andeventhemammaofthepinksunbonnetbegantolookgrave。Itwasallverywellforacitydemoiselletotalkwithafishermanandacceptfavoursathishands,providedthatthecitydemoiselleunderstoodthatavastandbridgelessgulfstretchedbetweenherandthefisherman。
Butwhenthedemoiselleforgotthegulfandthefishermanrefusedtorecogniseit,why,itwastimetotakemattersinhand。
ToallofAuntNina’sremonstrances,Philip’sgrowlings,andtheavertedglancesofhercompanions,Annettewasdeaf。\"Youarenarrow—minded,\"shesaidlaughingly。\"IaminterestedinMonsieurLeContesimplyasastudy。Heisentertaining;hetalkswellofhistravels,andasforrefusingtorecognisethedifferencebetweenus,why,heneverdreamedofsuchathing。\"
SuddenlyaperemptorysummonshomefromAnnette’sfatherputanendtothefearsofPhilip。Annettepouted,butpapamustbeobeyed。SheblamedPhilipandAuntNinafortellingtales,butAuntNinawasuncommunicative,andPhiliptooobviouslycheerfultoderivemuchsatisfactionfrom。
Thatnightshewalkedwiththefishermanhandinhandonthesands。Thewindfromthepinesborethescarcelyrecognisable,subtlefreshnessofearlyautumn,andthewatershadahintofdyingsummerintheirsobonthebeach。
\"Youwillremember,\"saidthefisherman,\"thatIhavetoldyounothingaboutmyself。\"
\"Yes,\"murmuredAnnette。
\"Andyouwillkeepyourpromisestome?\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Letmehearyourepeatthemagain。\"
\"IpromiseyouthatIwillnotforgetyou。IpromiseyouthatI
willneverspeakofyoutoanyoneuntilIseeyouagain。I
promisethatIwillthenclaspyourhandwhereveryoumaybe。\"
\"Andmademoisellewillnotbediscouraged,butwillcontinueherstudies?\"
\"Yes。\"
Itwasallveryromantic,bythewavesoftheSound,underaharvestmoon,thatseemedallsympathyforthesetwo,despitethefactthatitwasprobablylookingdownuponhundredsofotherequallyromanticcouples。Annettewenttobedwithglowingcheeks,andaheartwhosepulsationswouldhavecausedaphysiciantoprescribeunlimiteddigitalis。
ItwasstillhotinNewOrleanswhenshereturnedhome,anditseemedhardtogoimmediatelytowork。Butifoneisgoingtobeanopera—singersomedayandcapturetheworldwithone’svoice,thereisnothingtodobuttostudy,study,sing,practise,eventhoughone’sthroatbeparched,one’sheadagreatache,andone’sheartanestofdiscouragementandsadnessatwhatseemstheuselessnessofitall。Annettehadnowanewincentivetowork;thefishermanhadoncepraisedhervoicewhenshehummedabarcaroleonthesands,andhehadinsistedthattherewaspowerinitsrichnotes。Thoughthefishermanhadshowednocausewhyheshouldbeacceptedasamusicalcritic,Annettehadsomehowrespectedhisjudgmentandbeenaccordinglyelated。
Itwasthenightoftheopeningoftheopera。Therewastheusualcrush,theglitterandconfusingradianceofthebrilliantaudience。Annette,withpapa,AuntNina,andPhilip,waslatereachingherbox。Thecurtainwasup,and\"LaJuive\"waspouringforthdefianceatherangrypersecutors。Annettelistenedbreathlessly。Infancy,shetoowasringinghervoiceouttoanapplaudinghouse。Herheadunconsciouslybeattimetothemusic,andonehandhalfheldhercloakfromherbareshoulders。
ThenEleazarappeared,andthehouseroseattheendofhissong。
Encoresitgave,andbravosandcheers。Hebowedcalmly,swepthiseyesoverthetiersuntiltheyfoundAnnette,wheretheyrestedinahalf—smileofrecognition。
\"Philip,\"gaspedAnnette,nervouslyraisingherglasses,\"myfisherman!\"
\"Yes,anopera—singerisbetterthanamarchand,\"drawledPhilip。
Thecurtainfellonthefirstact。Thehousewaswonbythenewtenor;itcalledandrecalledhimbeforethecurtain。Clearlyhehadsunghiswayintotheheartsofhisaudienceatonce。
\"Papa,AuntNina,\"saidAnnette,\"youmustcomebehindthesceneswithme。Iwantyoutomeethim。Heisdelightful。Youmustcome。\"
Philipwasbendingostentatiouslyoverthegirlinthenextbox。
PapaandAuntNinaconsentedtobedraggedbehindthescenes。
Annettewaswellknown,for,inhopesofsomedaybeinganoccupantofoneofthedressing—rooms,shehadmadefriendswitheveryoneconnectedwiththeopera。
Eleazarreceivedthem,stillwearinghisbrowngarbandpatriarchalbeard。
\"Howyoudeceivedme!\"shelaughed,whenthegreetingsandintroductionswereover。
\"IcametoAmericaearly,\"hesmiledbackather,\"andthoughtI’dtryalittleincognitoatthePass。Iwasnotwell,yousee。
Ithasbeenofgreatbenefittome。\"
\"Ikeptmypromise,\"shesaidinalowertone。
\"Thankyou;thatalsohashelpedme。\"
Annette’steacherbegantonoteawonderfulimprovementinhispupil’svoice。Neverdidagirlstudysohardorpractisesofaithfully。Itwastrulywonderful。NowandthenAnnettewouldsaytopapaasiftoreassureherself,——
\"AndwhenMonsieurCherbartsaysIamreadytogotoParis,Imaygo,papa?\"
Andpapawouldsaya\"Certainly\"thatwouldsendherbacktothepianowithrenewedardour。
AsforMonsieurLeConte,hewastheidolofNewOrleans。Seldomhadtherebeenatenorwhohadsunghimselfsocompletelyintotheveryheartsofapopulace。Whenhewasbilled,theoperadisplayed\"StandingRoom\"signs,nomatterwhattheotherattractionsinthecitymightbe。SometimesMonsieurLeContedelightedsmallaudiencesinAnnette’sparlour,whenthehostesswasinaperfectflutterofhappiness。Notoften,youknow,fortheleadingtenorwasingreatdemandatthehomesofsocietyqueens。
\"Doyouknow,\"saidAnnette,petulantly,oneevening,\"IwishfortheolddaysatPassChristian。\"
\"SodoI,\"heansweredtenderly;\"willyourepeatthemwithmenextsummer?\"
\"IfIonlycould!\"shegasped。
Stillshemighthavebeenhappy,haditnotbeenforMadameDubeau,——MadameDubeau,theflute—voicedleadingsoprano,whoworethesingledaintycurlonherforehead,andthrilledheraudiencesoftentimesmorecompletelythanthefisherman。MadameDubeauwasLaJuivetohisEleazar,LeonoretohisManfred,ElsatohisLohengrin,AidatohisRhadames,MargueritetohisFaust;
inbrief,MadameDubeauwashisopposite。ShecaressedhimasMignon,pleadedwithhimasMichaela,diedforhimin\"LesHuguenots,\"brokeherheartforloveofhimin\"LaFavorite。\"
Howcouldhehelpbutloveher,Annetteaskedherself,howcouldhe?MadameDubeauwasbeautifulandgiftedandcharming。
Onceshewhisperedherfearstohimwhentherewasthemeagrestbitofanopportunity。Helaughed。\"Youdon’tunderstand,littleone,\"hesaidtenderly;\"therelationsofprofessionalpeopletoeachotherarepeculiar。AfteryougotoParis,youwillknow。\"
Still,NewOrleanshadbuiltupitsromance,andgossipedaccordingly。
\"Haveyouheardthenews?\"whisperedLolatoAnnette,leaningfromherboxattheoperaonenight。Thecurtainhadjustgoneupon\"Herodias,\"andforsomereasonorother,theaudienceapplaudedwithmorewarmththanusual。Therewasanoticeablenumberofgood—humoured,benignantsmilesonthefacesoftheapplauders。
\"No,\"answeredAnnette,breathlessly,——\"no,indeed,Lola;IamgoingtoParisnextweek。IamsodelightedIcan’tstoptothink。\"
\"Yes,thatisexcellent,\"saidLola,\"butallNewOrleansissmilingattheromance。MonsieurLeConteandMadameDubeauwerequietlymarriedlastnight,butitleakedoutthisafternoon。
Seealltheapplauseshe’sreceiving!\"
Annetteleanedbackinherchair,verywhiteandstill。Herboxwasemptyafterthefirstact,andaquietlittletiredvoicethatwasalmosttoofainttobeheardinthecarriageonthewayhome,said——
\"Papa,Idon’tthinkIcaretogotoParis,afterall。\"
M’SIEUFORTIER’SVIOLIN
Slowly,onebyone,thelightsintheFrenchOperagoout,untilthereisbutasingleglimmerofpaleyellowflickeringinthegreatdarkspace,afewmomentsagoalla—glitterwithjewelsandtheradianceofwomanhoodanda—clashwithmusic。Darknessnow,andsilence,andagreathauntedhushoverall,saveforthedistantcheeryvoiceofastagehandhummingabaroftheopera。
Theglimmerofgasmakesahaloaboutthebowedwhiteheadofalittleoldmanputtinghisviolincarefullyawayinitscasewithaged,trembling,nervousfingers。OldM’sieuFortierwasthelastoneouteverynight。
Outsidetheairwasmurky,foggy。Gasandelectricitywerebutfaintsplotchesoflightonthethickcurtainoffogandmist。
Aroundtheoperawasamightybustleofcarriagesanddriversandfootmen,withacargainingheadwayinthestreetnowandthen,ahowlingofnamesandnumbers,thelaughterandsmalltalkofcloakedsocietysteppingslowlytoitscarriages,andthemorebourgeoisievocalisationofthefootpassengerswhostreamedalongandhummedlittlebitsofmusic。Thefog’sdensenesswasconfusing,too,andatonemomentitseemedthatthelittlenarrowstreetwouldbecomeinextricablychokedandremainsountilsomemightyenginewouldblowthecrowdintoatoms。Ithadbeenacrowdednight。FromaroundToulouseStreet,whereledtheentrancetothetroisiemes,fromthegrandstairway,fromtheentrancetothequatriemes,thehumanstreampouredintothestreet,nearlyallwithasongontheirlips。
M’sieuFortierstoodatthecorner,blinkingatthebeautifulladiesintheircarriages。Heexchangedaheartysalutationwiththesaloon—keeperatthecorner,then,tenderlycarryinghisviolincase,hetrudgeddownBourbonStreet,alittleold,bent,witheredfigure,withshouldersshruggeduptokeepwarm,asthoughthefadedbrownovercoatwerenotthickenough。
DownonBayouRoad,notsofarfromClaiborneStreet,wasahouse,littleandoldandqueer,butquitelargeenoughtoholdM’sieuFortier,awrinkleddame,andawhitecat。Hewashomebutlittle,foronnearlyeverydaytherewererehearsals;thenonTuesday,Thursday,andSaturdaynights,andtwiceSundaystherewereperformances,soMa’amJeanneandthewhitecatkepthousealmostalwaysalone。Then,whenM’sieuFortierwasathome,why,itwaspractice,practicealltheday,andsmoke,snore,sleepatnight。Altogetheritwasnotveryexhilarating。
M’sieuFortierhadplayedfirstviolinintheorchestraeversince——well,noonerememberedhisnotplayingthere。Sometimestherewouldcomebreaksintheseasons,andforayearthegreatbuildingwouldbedarkandsilent。ThenM’sieuFortierwoulddojobsofplayinghereandthere,onenightforthisball,anothernightforthatsoireedansante,andintheday,workathistrade,——thatofacigar—maker。Butnowforsevenyearstherehadbeennobreakintheseason,andthelittleoldviolinistwashappy。Thereisnothingsweeterthanaregularjobandgoodmusictoplay,musicintowhichonecanputsomesoul,someexpression,andwhichonemuststudytounderstand。Dancemusic,ofthefrivolous,frothykinddeemedessentialtosoirees,istrivial,easy,uninteresting。
SoM’sieuFortier,Ma’amJeanne,andthewhitecatlivedapeaceful,uneventfulexistenceoutonBayouRoad。WhentheoperaseasonwasoverinFebruary,M’sieuwentbacktocigar—making,andthewhitecatpurrednonethelesscontentedly。
Ithadbeenabenefitto—nightfortheleadingtenor,andhehadchosen\"RolandaRonceveaux,\"afavouritethisseason,forhisfarewell。And,monDieu,musedthelittleM’sieu,buthowhisvoicehadrungoutbell—like,piercingabovethechorusofthefirstact!Encoreafterencorewasgiven,andthebravosofthetroisiemeswereenoughtostirthemostsluggishofpulses。
\"SuperbesPyreneesQuidressezdansleciel,VoscimescouronneesD’unhivereternelle,PournouslivrerpassageOuvrezvoslargesflancs,Faitesfairel’orage,Voici,venirlesFrancs!\"
M’sieuquickenedhispacedownBourbonStreetashesangthechorustohimselfinathinoldvoice,andthen,beforehecouldseeinthethickfog,hehadrunintotwoyoungmen。
\"I——I——begyourpardon,——messieurs,\"hestammered。
\"Mostcertainly,\"wasthecarelessresponse;thenthespeaker,takingasecondglanceattheobjectoftherencontre,criedjoyfully:
\"Oh,M’sieuFortier,isityou?Why,youaresohappy,singingyourlovesonnettoyourlady’seyebrow,thatyoudidn’tseeathingbutthemoon,didyou?Andwhoisthefaironewhoshouldclogyoursensesso?\"
Therewasadeprecatingshrugfromthelittleman。
\"Mafoi,butmonsieurmustknowfo’sho’,datIamtoooldforlovesongs!\"
\"IknownothingsavethatIwantthatviolinofyours。Whenisittobemine,M’sieuFortier?\"
\"Nevare,nevare!\"exclaimedM’sieu,grippingonastightlytothecaseasifhefeareditmightbewrenchedfromhim。\"Mealovere,andtosellmonviolon!Ah,sover’foolish!\"
\"Martel,\"saidthefirstspeakertohiscompanionastheymovedonuptown,\"IwishyouknewthatlittleFrenchman。He’sauniquespecimen。HehasthemostexquisiteviolinI’veseeninyears;beautifulandmellowasagenuineCremona,andhecanmakethemusicleap,sing,laugh,sob,skip,wail,anythingyoulikefromunderhisbowwhenhewishes。It’ssomethingwonderful。Wearegoodfriends。PickedhimupinmyFrench—townrambles。I’vebeentryingtobuythatinstrumentsince——\"
\"Tothrowitasideaweeklater?\"lazilyinquiredMartel。\"Youareliketherestofthesenineteenth—centuryvandals,youcanseenothingpicturesquethatyoudonotwishtodefaceforasouvenir;youcannotevenletsimplehappinessalone,butmustneedsdestroyitinavainattempttomakeityourownorparadeitasanadvertisement。\"
AsforM’sieuFortier,hewentrightonwithhissongandturnedintoBayouRoad,hisshouldersstillshruggedhighasthoughhewerecold,andintothequaintlittlehouse,whereMa’amJeanneandthewhitecat,whoalwayswaitedupforhimatnights,werebothnoddingoverthefire。
Itwasnotlongafterthisthattheoperaclosed,andM’sieuwentbacktohisoldout—of—seasonjob。Butsomehowhedidnotdoaswellthisspringandsummerasalways。Thereisacertainamountofcunningandfinesserequiredtorollacigarjustso,thatM’sieuseemedtobelosing,whetherfromageordeteriorationitwashardtotell。Nevertheless,therewasjustabouthalfasmuchmoneycominginasformerly,andthequaintlittlepuckerbetweenM’sieu’seyebrowswhichservedforafrowncameoftenerandstayedlongerthaneverbefore。
\"Minesse,\"hesaidonedaytothewhitecat,——hetoldallhistroublestoher;itwasofnousetotalktoMa’amJeanne,shewastoodeaftounderstand,——\"Minesse,wearegettin’po’。You’
peregith’old,an’heeshan’sdeygonomo’rapidement,an’derebenomo’soireesdeseday。Minesse,eeflasaisondon’hurryup,weshalleatver’lil’meat。\"
AndMinessecurledhertailandpurred。