Jacques rose at dawn, shook off the dry grasses that stuck to his
hair, and went over to his mother. Her eyes were half closed, her
lips very white, and there were warm red spots on her cheeks. When
she saw the boy, she made a faint movement with her head.
"Did you sleep, mother? Do you feel well?"
"Yes; but I am very cold. Make a little fire, will you?"
Jacques searched every corner of the hut, looked in the old cupboard,
went through the cellar which had formerly contained their supplies,
and said,--
"There is no wood left; and there are no roots either."
"Never mind, then. It is not so very cold, after all."
Jacques picked up a stone, hammered at the nail that secured the
strap of his wooden shoe, slipped his foot into it, pulled his cap
down over his ears, and said resolutely,--
"I am going out to the mountain to get some dead wood."
"Why, you forget that to-day is Christmas, my child!"
"I know; but Monsieur le Curé will forgive me."
"No, no, you must not go; it has been prohibited."
"I will see that the rural guard does not catch me. Please let me go;
I will be back soon."
"Well, go, then."
Jacques put his pruning-knife in his pocket, threw a rope over his
shoulder, and opened the door. A gust of wind thick with snow dashed
him back and whirled through the room.
"What a storm!"
"Holy angels!" cried Marguerite; "it is the white deluge! Listen,
little one: you are not warm enough. Open the old chest where your
father's things are, and get his cloak,--the cloak he had on when
they brought him home. Wrap it around you, and see that you do not
take cold. One sick person in the house is enough."
Jacques took the cloak, upon which a twig of blessed box had been
laid. It was one of those great black and white cloaks of thick wool
and goat-hair, with a small velvet collar and brass clasps. There
was a gaping black rent in it, and here and there an ugly dark spot.
It was very long for Jacques, so Marguerite pinned the edges up under
the collar. When he was halfway out of the door she called out to
him,--
"Jacques, if you pass the Trèves do not forget to say a prayer."