Between Whiles

d's secret, w

at man

turn the

a r

efore, no g

the

e bitter nor

th wind

turn the

a r

day the g

ing

tireless bees still buzzed thick among its boughs,--when Jeanne, standing in the doorway at sunset, saw two riders approaching the inn. At her first glan

r, an old man, with him. Thou must tend the bar; for hand so much as a

or. He's to get no lodging under this roof, he nor his,--I pr

his hand. I think it is safer to speak him fair. He hath the devil's own temper if he be opposed in the smallest thing. It has cost him sore enough, I'll be bound, to find himself here at sundown, and beholden to thee for shelter; it is none of

rsisted Victor. Bu

r stair, from which she was vanishing into her chamber. "I will send Victorine to wait at

tor Dubois's father in Normandy, had come with his young master to America, and was nominally his servant still. But if things had gone by their right names at the Golden Pear, old Benoit would not have been called servant for many a year back. Not a secret in that household which Benoit had not shared; not a plot he had not helped on. At Jeanne's marriage he was the only witness exce

ther ever was," he had said to her

"She is not handsome now, though she is newly wed; when she came to see me

ctorine and answered: "It was but once that I had sight of her, when Master Jean brought her

oly truth, whatever the rest may be," though

of an imbecile," said Victor,

ly. "I had like to have bitten it off befor

ily. She hath learned too well the ways of convents. I trust her not wholly, Benoit. Keep thy eyes open, Benoit. We'll not have her

g Willan Blaycke, but he k

lodged here? I doubt." And Benoit looked about for Victor, who was nowhere

to it they are well rubbed down before they have aught to eat or drink. We have ri

tone. It was, as Jeanne had said, a sore thing to Willan Blay

ds! It is a whimsey, a weakness of y

e should receive a second order from the master of the inn as to the strangers' horses, exchanged a quick glance with Victor, wh

have been hard ridden, poor beasts!" While Victor was speaking these words his eyes

for your supper?" he continued. "We have some young pigeons, if your worships would l

et your cook lard them well with fat bacon; there is no bird so fat but a larding doth help it for my eating," said the

ne sitting in the bar, as she had threatened. The ground was showered thick with the soft white petals of the blossoms, which were now past their prime. Willan picked up a handful of them and tossed them idly in the air. As he did so, a sh

ck for

ers are

the bees

flowers, they

is fair as

k for t

ney in

when they a

ear-tree above Willan's head, and another

h, "what witchcraft is going on here? what girl'

away; the singer was

e for t

wers ar

is fair as

honey is thic

time now s

e for

oney i

er than

he voice, grown faint now, repeated this refrain o

he watered her plants on the roof of the outside stairway. She did not see Willan lying on the ground underneath, and she did not think that Willan might be h

a shame I could in no wise bear to stand and serve him at supper. Wilt thou not do it in my stead? there are but the two." And the wily Jeanne pretended to be greatly distressed, as she sank into a chair and went on: "In truth, I do not believe I c

wn, Aunt Jeanne! I did greatly desire to see his face, to see what manner of man he could be that would turn his father's widow out o

ne into her counsels, and confiding to her the motive she had for wishing her to be seen by Willan Blaycke. But she dreaded lest this might defeat her object by making the girl self-conscious. Jeanne was pe

go down and serve the supper, if thou takest it so to hea

lay thyself out to see that all is at its best, both in the bedrooms and for the supper. I would have Willan Blaycke perceive that one may live as well outside of his house as in it. And, Victorine," she added, with a

her sleeves completed the toilet. It was ravishing; and nobody knew it better than Mademoiselle Victorine herself, who had toiled many an hour in the convent making the crimson lace for the precise purpose of trimming a black apron with it, if ever she escaped from the convent, and who had chosen out of fifty rose-bushes at the last Par

k half as well in it as

s, half singing, half chanting, her little

d in attire that becomes her, they can look at thee, my Victorine

ce glowing with pleasure. "I can never thank thee enoug

rness. "I shall presently take to the wearing of black; it better s

in does not think thee an old woman; neither Pierre Gaspard from the mill. I hear the men when they

aycke for all that of any man hereabouts which can be offered to me. Thou art the one t

handsome magpie, the reader of books." And with a mocking laugh Victorine bounded down the staircase and went into the kitchen. Her grandfather was running about there in great confusion,

he cried; "this is no place

per for the strangers," replied Victor

y it," shouted Victor; and Victorine, terrified, fled

wit's end now. "Why s

was in one of his great rages, and I do think t

t in sight of the highway? Run, Victorine! Look over and see if the strangers be in sight. I must go down to the ki

one in sight," she cried. "Thou canst come down. A man is as

ty little black slippers with their crimson bows impatiently on the floor. Jeanne drew her father to one side, and whispered in his ear. He retorted angrily, in a louder tone. Not a look

laycke well disposed to us. He might withhold from me all my money if he so chose; and he is rich, and we are but poor people. We could not find any redress. So do thou take care and treat him as if thou hadst never heard aught against him from me. It wil

to serve the supper. The window of this storeroom was wide open. The shutter had fallen off the hinges several days before, and Benoit had forgotten to put it up. Victorine seated herself on a cider cask close to the

ck for

ers are

the bees

flowers, they

is fair as

k for t

ney in

when they a

ng off she began singing a wil

d sprin

come

ves lie

brooks r

p, drip

e sad sp

rs fall

sad spr

overs'

raves la

pear-tree. His head was only a few feet from the storeroom window. The sound of Victorine's singing reached his ears, but did not at first waken him, only blended confusedly with hi

ip, dri

e sad sp

rs fall

sad spr

overs'

raves la

stumbled against the wall of the house, and put his hand on the win

The noise echoed through the inn, and waked Willan's friend, who was also taking a nap in one of the old leather-cushi

een all this time? I have slept

hing. "I too have slept; but a woman with a voice like the voi

young men," he said, "are wont to hav

near me I heard the panting breath with which she

in the doorway with a clean white apron on, and no trace, in his smiling and

produced a deep impression on Victor's mind. He was now as eager as

Most savory did they smell, and Willan B

ome of thy famous pear cider

r has gone to draw it; sh

neck. Both the jug and the tankards had come over from Normandy years ago. Victorine raised her eyes, and looking first at Willan, then at his friend, went immediately to the older man

s tankard tossed it off at a draught. "Tastes like it, too, by Jove!" he said. "O

en to praise this poor drink of mine, which would be but scorned there. There is not a warm enough sunshine to ripen our pears here to their best,

were riveted on Victorine, who stood behind the old man's chair, her soft black eyes glancing quietly from one thing to another on the table to see if all were right. Willan's gaze di

done to your liking,

ed his fork, then has

nd mischievous. No man could make it out; no man might see it twice alike in the space of an hour. No more was the girl herself twice alike in an hour, or a day, for that matter. She was far more like some frolicsome creature of the woods than like a mortal woman. The quality of wildness which Willan had felt in her voice was in her nature. Neither her grandfather nor her mother had in the least comprehended her during the few months she had lived with them. A certain gentleness of nature, which was far more physical than mental, far more an idle nonchalance than recognition of relations to others, had blinded them to her real capriciousness and selfishness. They rarely interfered with her, or observed her with any discrimination. Their love was content with her surface of good humor, gayety, and beauty; she was an ever-present delight and pride to them both, and that she might only partially reciprocate

again, or grandfather; but what of that? I'd play my cards better than Aunt Jeanne did, I know that much. Let me once get to be m

nd. It was a doubly good stroke on the part of the wily Victorine to take her place behind the elder man's chair. It looked like a proper and modest preference on her part for age; and it kept her out of the old man's sight, and in the

was necessary, that he might have the pleasure of saying to Jeanne: "It works! it works! He doth gaze the eyes out

n of snaring him; it was with much ado I got her to conse

she said this. "Thou hast n

l; if the girl herself had it in

sions. When he went next to the kitchen he clapped Jeanne on the shoulder, and said with a laugh: "'Tis a wise mother knows her own chil

tell thee the girl's heart is full of anger against Willan Blaycke. She is but doing my bi

ne. The man is that far pleased already that he shifteth as if the very ch

forth beneath it, where he had lain sleeping before supper. He looked toward the window from whence he had heard the singing voice. "It must have been she," he said. "How shall I bring it to pass to see her again? for that I will and must." He went to the window and looked in.

me again ther

ack, and bounding to the window

jug, she came close to the window and said respec

s of Victorine Dubois replied: "Marry, girl, thou hast already fetched me to suc

ully: "I did not think that thou hadst the face of one who would

tree before supper, and heard such singing! I had thought it a bird over my head except that the song

e. "It is only last Easter that my grandfather fetched m

said Willan, slowly

e that was thy father's wife, who

dea one moment before of saying any such thing; but a sudden emotion of res

ay the woman has set the girl here for nothing else than to try to play on

ou knowest," he added in a gentler tone, seeing Victorine's great black eyes swimming in sudde

reat thee well. She doth never speak an ill word of thee, sir, never! Do not thou charge my hasty words to her." And Victorine leaned out of

a deep-seated pride, had stood him in stead of firmly rooted principles of virtue, and had carried him safe through all the temptations of his unprotected and lonely youth. He had the air and bearing, and ha

I bear no ill will to thine aunt, and never did; and if I had, thou wouldst

ys of this place; and I fear so much the men who are often here. When thou didst speak at first I did think thou wert like them; but now I perceive that thou art quite different. Thou seemes

er Clarice tell thee of men? I thought

nd it was because there were none left so noble and so good as he, she said, that she had taken the veil and would die in the convent. She did talk to

o devise a method of flattering Willan Blaycke. It is strange how like inspiration are the impulses of artful women at times. It

he was an innocent, guileless girl; that she had been seized with a sudden and reverential admiration for him; that she had no greate

--who would have bitten her tongue out rather than have broken in on thi

t; I will be there in one second," she cried aloud, and ran hastily down the storeroom. At the door she stopped, hesitated, turned back, and go

child. Willan Blaycke did not quite know what he was doing. He reached his hand across the window-sill to

inimitably done. "The next time, if I know thee bett

Jeanne, angrily. "The suppe

. "Talking with the son of thy husband," she sa

, secretly well pleased. "But where didst thou fa

, artlessly, "as I was resting me at the window of th

?" asked Jeanne. "He is

the voice of a wild bird. And there be birds and birds again, I was minded to tell h

at he is not. Leaves h

ell me, but I heard the elder man say to Benoi

n the morning," said Jeanne.

ed Victorine,

er aunt's attention. "And why?" she sai

as as well, she thought, that there should be an und

to-night." And Victorine gave a little mocking nod with her head, turned towards

. She did not kno

ter a grape for me than two figs for thee. Dost know the old prove

wildly," said Jeanne; "I k

evening, in the solitude of her own room, one thing was clear to her, and that was that it would probably be safe to trust Ma

of voices and the horses' feet in the courtyard below; then throwing open her casement she leaned out and began to water her flowers on the stairway roof. At the first sound Willan Blaycke looked up and saw her. It was as pretty a picture as a man need wish to see, and Willan gazed his fill at it. The window was so high up in the air that the girl might well be supposed not to see anything which

n of another man's estimate of her, that when old Benoit, hearing the singing, looked up and saw her watering her flowers at this unexampled hour, he said under his breath, "Diable!" and