The White House Part 29

"These are the arguments of ignorance," said Edouard; "the simplest things become supernatural in the eyes of these honest folk! They do not care to seek causes, they refer everything to the first idea that strikes them; and behold a girl, who is perhaps a pretty, gentle creature, becomes an object of terror to these mountaineers, because she lives quietly in a place which they imagine to be inhabited by the devil! But these peasants never leave their hovels, so they are excusable! Think how many people there are in our large cities in whom education has not destroyed superst.i.tion!"

"I say, Edouard, you, who have all the sentiments of a paladin of old,--fidelity excepted,--ought to do as they do in the _Chateau du Diable_, an old play that was formerly acted in the Cite--visit this haunted mansion and deliver young Isaure, who may be a princess in disguise, from the spell which keeps her with her cows and goats! For my own part, I propose to see the girl to-morrow; I wish with all my heart that she might prove to be a witch; for, having never seen one, I should be enchanted to know how they are made. You will go with us to see the White House, won't you, Robineau?"

"Oh! messieurs, it's to be hoped that I shall be in my chateau to-morrow; then you can wander where you choose, but the deuce take me if I go with you! I shall remember too long our journey through the mountains!"

The young men laughed at their companion's ill humor. But the evening meal was at an end and the Auvergnats were already thinking of going to rest.

"Messieurs," said Claude, "I wish I had beds to offer you, but we sleep on plain straw, and that's all we've got to give you, with some sheepskins I keep for the winter."

"We shall be very comfortable," said Alfred; "besides, a night is soon pa.s.sed."

"If you have no bed," said Robineau, with a grimace, "at least give me the sheepskins; they'll be softer than your straw!"

"Yes, monsieur; I'll go fix 'em for you."

They made a bed with the sheepskins in one corner of the hovel; but Alfred and Edouard preferred to lie on the straw, whereon they stretched themselves, laughing good-humoredly; while the three young Auvergnats did the same near by. The old man followed the example of his grandchildren and lay down beside his he-goat. Claude and his wife retired to the other compartment of the hovel, to which a rough sort of curtain served as a door. But, before joining his wife, Claude blew out the lamp, and only an occasional fitful gleam from the fire lighted the interior.

"Why do you put out the light?" cried Robineau.

"Oh! because it wouldn't be safe to keep it lighted all night, monsieur.

If the house should catch fire, we should all be baked like coals."

With that, he threw water on the remains of the fire, to extinguish it completely.

"How amusing this is!" said Robineau; "to go to bed without a light--I, who always have my night light in Paris!--By the way, mountaineer, are you sure you locked the door of your cottage?"

The shepherd made no reply; he had gone to join his wife, by whom he lay down, and ere long their prolonged snoring, reinforced by that of the old man and the three boys, announced that the whole family was enjoying sound sleep.

"How pleasant!" muttered Robineau, throwing himself testily on his sheepskins; "the idea of sleeping in the midst of an uproar like this!

It seems to me as if I were at a funeral, with six ba.s.s horns tooting in my ears!--I say, my friends, can you sleep?"

Alfred and Edouard in reply made a pretence of snoring with the rest.

"They're asleep! they're very lucky!--But that peasant didn't answer my question about the door; I'll just go and make sure that we're safe."

Robineau rose, felt his way to the door, found the latch, raised it, opened the door, and discovered to his horror that it could be opened as easily from the outside.

"How imprudent these peasants are!" he cried; "a door that can be opened from outside! We're about as safe as we should be on the high road! I say! Monsieur Claude! boys! Hallo! old grandpa! why don't you answer?"

Robineau's outcries and the uproar he made roused the old man.

"What's the matter with you, monsieur?" he said.

"The matter with me! Why, I think it's an outrage that there isn't so much as a bolt on your door! The first thief that pa.s.ses can come in and murder us."

"Oh! monsieur, there ain't no thieves in this part of the country!

Besides, we ain't got anything to steal!"

"You haven't! that's just it! There's selfishness for you! They think only of themselves.--But, old peasant, I shouldn't be pleased if they stole no more than my hat.--I say, old man----"

The old man had fallen asleep again, and Alfred said to Robineau:

"For heaven's sake, let these good people sleep in peace! Are you going to make this noise much longer?"

"Ah! so you're not asleep either?"

"Parbleu! with such a row as you are making!"

"But there's no sense in lying in bed at the mercy of every pa.s.ser-by!"

"Do you suppose anyone is pa.s.sing at this hour?"

"n.o.body knows.--However, I'll put the table in front of the door; that will offer some little resistance."

"Why don't you put yourself there?"

"Oh, of course! to act as _chevaux de frise_ for you! G.o.d! what a pleasant night I am going to have! I trust that I can find the table."

Robineau felt his way about the room, and, having found the table, placed it against the door; then, feeling a little more at ease in his mind, he threw himself on his sheepskins again, and exclaimed with a long-drawn sigh:

"Was it worth while to buy a chateau, to be rich, to inherit Uncle Gratien's fortune, in order to lie on sheepskins like an Indian? I shall be able to say that I have known the vicissitudes of fortune.--It is stifling in this d.a.m.ned hovel. Not even a pillow or a bolster to put one's head on! G.o.d! how I will make up for this to-morrow at La Roche-Noire! I will lie in cotton!--I shall never be able to sleep in this bed; it smells horribly of game.--I say, Alfred! Alfred! are you comfortable on your straw?"

"My dear Robineau," replied Alfred with a yawn, "it's the novelty of the position that makes its charm; it seems so amusing to me to lie on straw!--Only it's a pity not to have a little Auvergnate--because--oh----"

"Because what?" said Robineau.--"Well! he's asleep.--I say, Monsieur Edouard, are you asleep, too?--It seems that the poet sleeps; I will try to follow his example. If only I could dream of my poor chateau, at which I have so much difficulty in arriving!--G.o.d grant that that witch may not come here to-night and cast a spell on us! With their White House--they'll give me bad dreams!"

However, fatigue triumphed over fear, and Robineau fell into a deep sleep, like his companions.

The new landed proprietor had a most delectable dream: he was at his chateau at last; he was called monseigneur, and was being feted and congratulated, when he was suddenly and painfully awakened by a heavy weight resting on his chest.

"Who's that?" he cried, trying to escape from the burden that weighed upon him. But there was no reply, and he felt an additional weight on his shoulder. A cold perspiration stood out on his forehead; he no longer had the strength to cry out, but said in a faltering, trembling voice:

"Who--who is it? In heaven's name--what do you--want of me?"

There was no reply; the weight did not move but continued to rest on the traveller's chest and shoulder. Several minutes pa.s.sed thus. Robineau no longer had the strength to cry out, but waited until he should be at liberty to move, praying fervently meanwhile. But, after some time, surprised to find that the intruder did not stir, he softly raised his head to try to free himself, and his face came in contact with a long beard which seemed to cover almost the whole of his bedfellow's face.

Robineau uttered a loud shriek, thinking that he had the devil upon him, and in his terror threw himself to one side; whereupon he found that he was clear of the object that had held him down, and he sprang to his feet and ran to the middle of the room. But he fancied that he heard footsteps and he was convinced that the devil was pursuing him. In his terror, he ran about at random, came in contact with the curtain that separated the two parts of the room, caught his feet in the straw, fell headlong into it and lay there all huddled up, praying to heaven to protect him.

Meanwhile, tranquillity was reestablished; Robineau concluded that the devil had lost trace of him and had gone to torment one of his companions; so, after remaining a quarter of an hour under the straw, where he was nearly stifled, he turned over to try to get a little air.

When he turned, Robineau's face found itself once more in contact with something, which, however, did not resemble a beard, for it was large and fat and smooth, soft to the touch, and endowed with a pleasant warmth. Robineau drew back his head and put out his hand to ascertain whether his suspicions were well-founded; but at the same instant the person to whom that plump object belonged turned over, and stretching out an arm and a leg, enlaced Robineau, who was thus caught anew and dared not stir.

This time Robineau was less alarmed than before, for he realized whom he had to do with; he had no doubt that it was Madame Claude who was lying upon him, and he preferred to feel the weight of Madame Claude rather than of the devil. However, he reflected that, if he remained there, the shepherd would find him there, and that he might not be gratified to see him lying under his wife. On the other hand he feared that, if he went away, he would fall once more into the clutches of the long-bearded creature who had waked him; and the fear of the devil was stronger than the fear of the shepherd. So he decided to retain his position until daybreak, when demons cease to be dangerous.

It was decidedly difficult to remain quiet in such a posture. Robineau instinctively remembered that the Auvergnate was still very comely, albeit a little dark; but all women are fair at night, when we choose to consider them so, and Robineau, still instinctively, put out his arms and let his hands run over everything that they came in contact with, until his fear gradually vanished, and his ideas became much less black.

By dint of toying with the Auvergnate, Robineau finally woke her; she supposed that it was her husband who was dallying with her, and like a woman who knew what that meant, she gave him a hearty kiss. Robineau submitted to the caress; he rather liked it; moreover, he did not choose to undeceive the Auvergnate, and to avoid that, it was necessary for him to play the part of the husband. He had been doing so for several minutes, when the same object which had driven him from his bed, came gambolling over the straw and jumped upon the couple who were not asleep. Again Robineau felt the long beard, and he cried out, thinking that the devil meant to punish him for his incontinence. Claude's wife cried out in her turn; she discovered, rather tardily it is true, that it was not her husband whom she was kissing. The shepherd woke and cried out to ascertain what the matter was with his wife.

This uproar awoke the other inmates of the hovel. Alfred and Edouard rose to find out what was happening; the old man managed to find a little fire and lighted the lamp. The three boys alone continued to snore.