A Woodland Queen ('Reine des Bois') - Volume 3

the sharp, sleety April showers, as well as the sudden windstorms due to the malign influence of the ice-gods, arrest vegetation, and only a few of the more hardy plan

r times one wanders in almost complete darkness under the thick interlacing boughs of the ashtrees, through which occasional gleams of light fall on the dark soil or on the spreading ferns. Now the wanderer emerges upon an open space so full of sunshine that the strawberries are already ripening; near them are stacked the tender young trees, ready for spacing, and the billets of wood piled up and half covered with thistle and burdock leaves; and a little far

d he felt so completely under the seductive influence of the goddess Maia than at this season when the abundant sap exudes in a white foam from the trunk of the willow; when between the plant world and ourselves a magnetic current seems to exist, which seeks to wed their fraternizing emanations with our own personality. He was oppressed by the vividness of the verdure, intoxicated with the odor of vegetation, agitated by the confused music of the birds, and in this May fever of excitement, his thoughts wandered with secret delight to Reine Vincart, to this queen of the woods, who was the personification of all the witchery of the forest. Since their January promenade in the glades of Charbo

ight be said to live alone at La Thuiliere, for her father could hardly be regarded seriously as a protector. Julien's visits might have compromised her, and the young man's severe principles of rectitude forbade him to cause scandal which he could not repair. He was not thinking of marriage, and even had his thoughts

earing her white hood and her skirt bordered with ivy. Since the spring had returned, she had become associated in his mind with all the magical effects of nature's renewal. He discovered the liquid light of her dark eyes in the rippling darkness of the streams; the lilie

ation in a city school. She both felt and expressed herself differently from ordinary country girls, although retaining the frankness and untutored charm of rustic natures. She exercised an uneasy fascination over Julien, and at times he returned to the superstitious impression made

eil of virginal purity with which his admiration had first invested her. Who could assure him, after all, that this girl, with her independent ways, living alone at her farm, running through the woods at all hours, was as irreproachable as he had imagined? In the village, certainly, she was respected by all; but people were very tolerant-very easy, in fact-on the question of morals in this d

rrogating Claudet concerning the character of this mysterious queen of the woods. Like all novices in love-affairs Julien dreaded that his feelings should

not clear-sighted enough to discern the causes, but he could observe the effects. It provoked him to find that all his efforts to enliven his cousin had proved futile. He had cudgelled his bra

y side, in the avenues of the park, which resounded with the song of the nightingale

so, Claudet?" demanded

and proposed that I should live here with you, I accepted without any ceremony. I hoped that in giving me a place at your fire and you

mistaken. If I had any serious trouble on

it in your mien, and shall I tell you the reason? It is that you are too sedate

coloring, "do you wish to

a woman-some gay young person who would rouse you up and make you have a good time. The

or deepened, and he

," exclaimed he, after awhile;

xieres! There would be no one hurt. The girls

h it, Claudet; I do not enj

n the way. They would not be insurmountable, I can assure you; those matters go smoothly enough here. You slip your

ed Julien, harshly, "we nev

fied at the ill-success of his overtures. "Now! I have it. Will you come with me to-morrow, to the Ronces woods? The charcoal-dealers who are constructing their furnaces for the sale, will complete their dwellings this evening and expect to celebrate in the morning. They call it watering the bouquet, and it is the occasion of a little festival, to which we, as well at t

hat perhaps Claudet had thrown out her name as a bait and an argument in favor of his theories on the facility of love-affairs in the country. However that might be, the allusio

upied the ground lately prepared. One of them, ready for use, was covered with the black earth called 'frazil', which is extracted from the site of old charcoal works; the other, in course of construction, showed the successive layers of logs ranged in circles inside, ready for the fire. The workmen moved around, going and coming; first, the head-man or patron, a man of middle age, of hairy chest, embrowned visage, and small beady ey

be furnished mainly by the guests, the contribution of the charcoal-men being limited to a hu

miling, under the greenish shadow cast by the ashtrees, Reine appeared to Julien even more seductive than among the frosty surroundings of the previous occasion. Her simple and rustic spring costume was marvellously becoming: a short blue-and-yellow striped skirt, a tight jacket of light-colored material, fitted closely to the waist, a flat linen collar tied with a narrow blue ribbon, and a bouquet of woodruff at her bosom. She wore stout leather boots, and a large straw hat, which she threw carelessly down on entering the hut. Among so many faces of a different type, all somewhat disfigured by hardships of exposure, this lovely face with its olive complexion, lustrous black eyes,

ion over to the master charcoal-dealer, "I gathered

; gave him her hand in comrad

y glad to see you here. Was it Claudet who br

h interest the placing of the bouquet on the summit of the hut. One of the men brought a ladder and fastened the flowers to a spike. When

ad been appeased, the tongues began to be loosened: jokes and anecdotes, seasoned with loud bursts of laughter, were bandied to and fro under the spreading branches, and presently the wine lent its aid to raise the spirits of the company to an exuberant pitch. But there was a certain degree of restraint observed by these country folk. Was it owing to Reine's presence? Julien noticed that the remarks o

in Reine's ear, "and I never hav

e young girl, gayly, "perhaps now

empty bottles, Pere Theotime took a bottle of s

l drink to Monsieur de Buxieres, who has brought us his

, and the toasts we

rk will be done. You can perceive from here our first furnace, all decorated and ready to be set alight. But, in order that good luck shall attend us, you you

me, Monsieur de Buxieres, you must s

side of the furnace. Meanwhile, Pere Theotime was bringing an earthen vase full of burning embers. Rein

into the opening in the middle of the furnace. Soon there was a crackling inside, followed by a dull rumbling; the chips and rubbish collected at the bo

ot it!" exclaim

air as with the two or three glasses of white wine they had drunk. L

ng us a song!" cri

ther solicitation, intoned, in her clear and sympathe

ther

ll my

market

orrow,

h, can

s value

broide

on my

ndred

s value

u sell y

sell yo

broide

on my

art, M

never

promi

wn true

broide

on my

me he

d and t

e he

ver c

broider

he ros

us voice of Reine, and could not take his eyes off the singer. When she had ended her song, Reine turned in another direction; but the dancers had go

the

he fairy

ng, he

olled t

se who a

ried o

, y

hooting perpendicularly down, made the shade desirable. Reine proposed to her companion to enter the hut and rest, while waiting for the return of the dancers. Julien accepted readily; but not without being surprised that the young girl should be the first to suggest a tete-a-tete in the obscurity of a remote hut. Although more than ever fascinated by the unusual beauty of Mademoiselle Vincart, he was astonished, and occasionally shocked, by the audacity and openness of her action toward him. Once more the spirit of doubt took possession of him, and he questioned whether this freedom of manners was to be attributed to innocence

Monsieur de Buxieres; do you r

a long time since I have had so pleasant a da

people, the spring sunshine, and the pure air of t

on on me. But, just now, when you were singing over there, I felt gladdened and inspired; I felt the beauty of the woods, I sympathized with these good people, and these grand tre

d, sickly youth, whose every movement was paralyzed by timidity, and whose words froze on his tongue; his slender frame had become supple, his blue eyes enlarged and illuminated; his delicate features expressed ref

working miracles, I know none

oodruff from her corsage, and handed them ov

ee how sweet they smell! And the

t to his lips, and was inhali

ts of either cold or heat as if by enchantment; they also infuse it into white wine, an

steadily fixed on Mademoiselle Vincart, and continued to inhale

lowers," he implored

gayly; "keep them, if it

urmured, hiding t

and a sudden flush overspread her cheeks. She almost repented having given him the flow

Thousands of similar flowers grow in the fore

membered the advice of Claudet concerning the method of conducting love-affairs smoothly with certain women of the country. Whether she was a coquette or not, Reine had bewitched him. The charm had worked more powerfully still since he had been alone with her in this obscure hut, where the cooing of the wild pigeons faintly reached their ears, and the penetrating odors of the forest pervaded their nostrils. Julien's gaze rested lovingly on Reine's wavy locks, falling heavily over her neck, on her half-covered eyes with their lum

in a husky voice, "will you also, in sign of friend

y lost control of himself, and slipping the arm which remained free around Reine's waist, he drew h

cious clasp, threw him violently backward, and with one bound reached the door of the hut. She

nearer, I will cal

ready sobered, cowed, and repentant, he had retr

to be adopting the ways of your deceased cousin! I give you notice that they will not succeed with me!" And, a

ght of her tears; "I have behaved like a miserable sinner and

young girl, in a suffocated voice; "I was wrong to allow you a

Suddenly, in the stillness around, rose the voices of the

d a

heart

se who a

ried,

, y

Decidedly, he did not understand women, since he could not even tell a virtuous girl from a frivolous coquette! Why had he not been able to see that the good-natured, simple familiarity of Reine Vincart had nothing in common with the enticing allurements of those who, to use Claudet's words, had "thrown their caps over the wall." How was it that he had not read, in those eyes, pure as the fountain's source, the candor and uprightness of a maiden heart which had nothing to conceal. This cruel evidence of his inability to con

coal-men were attending to their furnace work, he made up his mind to come out. But, as he did not wish to meet any one, instead of crossing through the cutting

y relations between them must cease. She certainly would maintain a severe attitude toward the person who had so grossly insulted her, but would she be altogether pitiless in her anger? All through his dismal feelings of self-reproach, a faint hope of reconciliation kept him from utter despair. As he reviewed the details of the shameful occurrence, he remembered that the expression of her countenance had been one more of sorrow than

is melancholy reflections, when he

d the resonance of the voices, so that the words themselves were not audible, but the intonation of the alternate speakers, and their confidential and friendly gestures, evinced a very animated, if not tender, exchange of sentiments. At times the conversation was enlivened by Claudet's bursts of laughter, or an amicable gesture from Reine. At one moment, Julien saw the young girl lay her hand familiarly on the shoulder of the 'grand chssserot', and immediately a pang of intense jealousy sho

ose they kept to each other in that lonely path! With what animation they conversed! with what abandon she allowed h

tage existing between Claudet and the deceased Claude de Buxieres; how she had by her conversation ra

oughout the part of a dupe. I do not blame him. He was in love, and allowed himself to be persuaded. But she! whom I thought so open, so true, so loyal! Ah! she is no better than others of her class, a

lowly and reluctantly, Julien descended the slope leading t