"Renée," said M. Mauperin, on entering his daughter's room the following
day, "there is some one downstairs who wants to see you."
"Some one?" And she looked searchingly at her father. "I know, it's
Denoisel. Did you write to him?"
"Not at all. You did not ask to see him, so that I did not know whether
it would give you any pleasure. Do you mind?"
"Mother, give me my little red shawl--there, in the drawer," she said,
without answering her father. "I mustn't frighten him, you know. Now
then, bring him here quickly," she added, as soon as her shawl was tied
at the neck like a scarf.
Denoisel came into the room, which was impregnated with that odour
peculiar to the young when they are ill, and which reminds one of a
faded bouquet and of dying flowers.
"It's very nice of you to have come," said Renée. "Look, I've put this
shawl on for your benefit; you used to like me in it."
Denoisel stooped down, took her hands in his and kissed them.
"It's Denoisel," said M. Mauperin to his wife, who was seated at the
other end of the room.
Mme. Mauperin did not appear to have heard. A minute later she got up,
came across to Denoisel, kissed him in a lifeless sort of way, and then
went back to the dark corner where she had been sitting.
"Well, how do you think I look? I haven't changed much, have I?" And
then without giving him time to answer, she went on: "I have a dreadful
father who will keep saying I don't look well, and who is most
obstinate. It's no good telling him I am better; he will have it that I
am not. When I am quite well again, you'll see--he'll insist on fancying
that I am still an invalid."
Denoisel was looking at her wasted arm, just above the wrist.
"Oh, I'm a little thinner," said Renée, quickly buttoning her sleeve,
"but that's nothing; I shall soon pick up again. Do you remember our
good story about that, papa? It made us laugh so. It was at a farmer's
house at Têtevuide's--that dinner, you remember, don't you? Only imagine
it, Denoisel, the good fellow had been keeping some shrimps for us for
two years. Just as we were sitting down to table, papa said, 'Oh, but
where's your daughter, Têtevuide? She must dine with us. Isn't she
here?' 'Oh, yes, sir.' 'Well, fetch her in, then, or I shall not touch
the soup.' Thereupon the father went into the next room, and we heard
talking and crying going on for the next quarter of an hour. He came
back alone, finally. 'She will not come in,' he said, 'she says she's
too thin.' But, papa," Renée went on, suddenly changing the subject,
"for the last two days mamma has never been out of this room. Now that I
have a new nurse, suppose you take her out for a stroll?"
* * * * *
"Ah, Renée dear," said Denoisel, when they were alone, "you don't know
how glad I am to see you like this--to find you so gay and cheerful.
That's a good sign, you know; you'll soon be better, I assure you. And
with that good father of yours, and your poor mother, and your stupid
old Denoisel to look after you--for I'm going to take up my abode here,
for a time, with your permission."
"You, too, my dear boy? Now do just look at me!"
And she held out her two hands for him to help her to turn over, so that
she could face him and have the daylight full on her.
"Can you see me now?"
The smile had left her eyes and her lips, and all animation had suddenly
dropped from her face like a mask.
"Ah, yes," she said, lowering her voice, "it's all over, and I haven't
long to live now. Oh, I wish I could die to-morrow. I can't go on, you
know, doing as I am doing. I can't go on any longer cheering them all
up. I have no strength left. I've come to the end of it, and I want to
finish now. He doesn't see me as I am, does he? I can't kill him
beforehand, you know. When he sees me laugh, why it doesn't matter about
the doctors having given me up--he forgets that--he doesn't see
anything, and he doesn't remember anything--so, you see, I am obliged to
go on laughing. Ah, for people who can just pass away as they would like
to--finish peacefully, die calmly, in a quiet place, with their face to
the wall--why, that must be so easy. It's nothing to pass away like
that. Well, anyhow, the worst part is over. And now you are here; and
you'll help me to be brave. If I were to give way, you would be there to
second me. And when--when I go, I count on you--you'll stay with him the
first few months. Ah, don't cry," she said; "you'll make me cry, too."
There was a moment's silence.
"Six months already since Henri's funeral," she began again. "We've only
seen each other once since that day. What a fearful turn I had, do you
remember?"
"Yes, indeed I do remember," said Denoisel. "I've gone through it all
again, often enough. I can see you now, my poor child, enduring the
most horrible suffering, and your lips moving as though you wanted to
cry out, to say something, and you could not utter a single word."
"I could not utter a single word," said Renée, repeating Denoisel's last
words.
She closed her eyes, and her lips moved for a second as though they were
murmuring a prayer. Then, with such an expression of happiness that
Denoisel was surprised, she said:
"Ah, I am so glad to see you! Both of us together--you'll see how brave
we shall be. And we'll take them all in finely--poor things!"