MEDDLING RELATIVES
This advice, given with every kindness, did not tend to lessen Perrine's
anxiety. She was dreading Madame Bretoneux's visit on the morrow.
Her governess had not exaggerated the situation. The two mothers were
struggling and scheming in every possible way, each to have her son
alone inherit one day or another the great works of Maraucourt and the
fortune which it was rumored would be more than a hundred million
francs.
The one, Mme. Stanislaus Paindavoine, was the wife of M. Vulfran's
eldest brother, a big linen merchant. Her husband had not been able to
give her the position in society which she believed to be hers, and now
she hoped that, through her son inheriting his uncle's great fortune,
she would at last be able to take the place in the Parisian world which
she knew she could grace.
The other, Madame Bretoneux was M. Vulfran's married sister who had
married a Boulogne merchant, who in turn had been a cement and coal
merchant, insurance agent and maritime agent, but with all his trades
had never acquired riches. She wanted her brother's wealth as much for
love of the money as to get it away from her sister-in-law, whom she
hated.
While their brother and his only son had lived on good terms, they had
had to content themselves with borrowing all they could from him in
loans which they never intended to pay back; but the day when Edmond had
been packed off to India, ostensibly to buy jute but in reality as a
punishment for being too extravagant and getting into debt, the two
women had schemed to take advantage of the situation. On each side they
had made every preparation so that each could have her son alone, at any
moment, take the place of the exile.
In spite of all their endeavors the uncle had never consented to let the
boys live with him at the chateau. There was room enough for them all
and he was sad and lonely, but he had made a firm stand against having
them with him in his home.
"I don't want any quarrels or jealousy around me," he had always replied
to the suggestions made.
He had then given Theodore the house he had lived in before he built the
chateau and another to Casimir that had belonged to the late head of the
counting house whom Mombleux had replaced.
So their surprise and indignation had been intense when a stranger, a
poor girl, almost a child, had been installed in the chateau where they
themselves had only been admitted as guests.
What did it mean?
Who was this little girl?
What had they to fear from her?
Madame Bretoneux had put these questions to her son but his replies had
not satisfied her. She decided to find out for herself, hence her visit.
Very uneasy when she arrived, it was not long before she felt quite at
ease again so well did Perrine play the part that mademoiselle had
advised her.
Although M. Vulfran had no wish to have his nephews living with him he
was very hospitable and cordial to their parents when they came to visit
him. On these occasions the beautiful mansion put on its most festive
appearance; fires were lighted everywhere; the servants put on their
best liveries; the best carriages and horses were brought from the
stables, and in the evening the villagers could see the great chateau
lighted up from ground floor to roof.
The victoria, with the coachman and footman, had met Mme. Bretoneux at
the railway station. Upon her getting out of the carriage Bastien had
been on hand to show her to the apartment which was also reserved for
her on the first floor.
M. Vulfran never made any change in his habits when his relations came
to Maraucourt. He saw them at meal times, spent the evenings with them,
but no more of his time did he give them. With him business came before
everything; his nephew, the son of whichever one happened to be visiting
there, came to luncheon and dinner and remained the evening as late as
he wished, but that was all.
M. Vulfran spent his hours at the office just the same and Perrine was
always with him, so Madame Bretoneux was not able to follow up her
investigations on the "little tramp" as she had wished.
She had questioned Bastien and the maids; she had made a call on Mother
Francoise and had questioned her carefully, also Aunt Zenobie and
Rosalie, and she had obtained all the information that they could give
her; that is, all they knew from the moment of her arrival in the
village until she went to live in the great house as a companion to the
millionaire. All this, it seemed, was due exclusively to her knowledge
of English.
She found it a difficult matter, however, to talk to Perrine alone, who
never left M. Vulfran's side unless it was to go to her own room. Madame
Bretoneux was in a fever of anxiety to see what was in the girl and
discover some reason for her sudden success.
At table Perrine said absolutely nothing. In the morning she went off
with M. Vulfran; after she had finished luncheon she went at once to her
own room. When they returned from the tour of the factories she went at
once to her lessons with her governess; in the evening, upon leaving the
table, she went up again to her own room. Madame Bretoneux could not get
the girl alone to talk with her. Finally, on the eve of her departure,
she decided to go to Perrine's own room. Perrine, who thought that she
had got rid of her, was sleeping peacefully.
A few knocks on the door awoke her. She sat up in bed and listened.
Another knock.
She got up and went to the door.
"Who is there?" she asked, without opening it.
"Open the door, it is I ... Madame Bretoneux," said a voice.
Perrine turned the lock. Madame Bretoneux slipped into the room while
Perrine turned on the light.
"Get into bed again," said Madame Bretoneux, "we can talk just as well."
She took a chair and sat at the foot of the bed so that she was full
face with Perrine.
"I want to talk with you about my brother," she began. "You have taken
William's place and I want to tell you a few things that you should do;
for William, in spite of his faults, was very careful of his master's
health. You seem a nice little girl and very willing, and I am sure if
you wish you could do as much as William. I assure you that we shall
appreciate it."
At the first words Perrine was reassured; if it was only of M. Vulfran's
health that she wanted to speak she had nothing to fear.
"I think you are a very intelligent girl," said Mme. Bretoneux with a
flattering, ingratiating smile.
At these words and the look which accompanied them Perrine's suspicions
were aroused at once.
"Thank you," she said, exaggerating her simple child-like smile, "all I
ask is to give as good service as William."
"Ah, I was sure we could count on you," said Mme. Bretoneux.
"You have only to say what you wish, Madame," said little Perrine,
looking up at the intruder with her big innocent eyes.
"First of all you must be very attentive about his health; you must
watch him carefully and see that he does not take cold. A cold might be
fateful; he would have pulmonary congestion and that would aggravate his
bronchitis. Do you know if they could cure him of his bronchial trouble
they could operate upon him and give him back his sight? Think what
happiness that would be for all of us."
"I also would be happy," replied Perrine.
"Those words prove that you are grateful for what he has done for you,
but, then, you are not of the family."
Perrine assumed her most innocent air.
"Yes, but that does not prevent me from being attached to M. Vulfran,"
she said, "believe me, I am."
"Of course," answered Mme. Bretoneux, "and you can prove your devotion
by giving him the care which I am telling you to give him. My brother
must not only be protected from catching cold, but he must be guarded
against sudden emotions which might, in his state of health, kill him.
He is trying to find our dear Edmond, his only son. He is making
inquiries in India...."
She paused, but Perrine made no reply.
"I am told," she went on, "that my brother gets you to translate the
letters and cables that he receives from India. Well, it is most
important that if there be bad news that my son should be informed
first. Then he will send me a telegram, and as it is not far from here
to Boulogne I will come at once to comfort my poor brother. The sympathy
of a sister is deeper than that of a sister-in-law, you understand."
"Certainly, Madame, I understand; at least I think so," said Perrine.
"Then we can count on you?"
Perrine hesitated for a moment, but as she was forced to give a reply
she said:
"I shall do all that I can for M. Vulfran."
"Yes, and what you do for him will be for us," continued Mme. Bretoneux,
"the same as what you do for us will be for him. And I am going to show
you that I am not ungrateful. What would you say if I gave you a very
nice dress?"
Perrine did not want to say anything, but as she had to make some reply
to the question she put it into a smile.
"A very beautiful dress to wear in the evening," said Mme. Bretoneux.
"But I am in mourning," answered Perrine.
"But being in black does not prevent you from wearing a lovely dress.
You are not dressed well enough to dine at my brother's table. You are
very badly dressed--dressed up like a clever little dog."
Perrine replied that she knew she was not well dressed but she was
somewhat humiliated to be compared with a clever little dog, and the
way the comparison was made was an evident intention to lower her.
"I took what I could find at Mme. Lachaise's shop," she said in
self-defense.
"It was all right for Mme. Lachaise to dress you when you were a little
factory girl, but now, that it pleases my brother to have you sit at the
table with him, we do not wish to blush for you. You must not mind us
making fun of you, but you have no idea how you amused us in that
dreadful waist you have been wearing...."
Mme. Bretoneux smiled as though she could still see Perrine in the
hideous waist.
"But there," she said brightly, "all that can be remedied; you are a
beautiful girl, there is no denying that, and I shall see that you have
a dinner dress to set off your beauty and a smart little tailored
costume to wear in the carriage, and when you see yourself in it you
will remember who gave it you. I expect your underwear is no better than
your waist. Let me see it...."
Thereupon, with an air of authority, she opened first one drawer, then
another, then shut them again disdainfully with a shrug of her
shoulders.
"I thought so," she said, "it is dreadful; not good enough for you."
Perrine felt suffocated; she could not speak.
"It's lucky," continued Mme. Bretoneux, "that I came here, for I intend
to look after you."
Perrine wanted to refuse everything and tell this woman that she did
not wish her to take care of her, but remembered the part she had to
play. After all, Mme. Bretoneux's intentions were most generous; it was
her words, her manner, that seemed so hard.
"I'll tell my brother," she continued, "that he must order from a
dressmaker at Amiens, whose address I will give him, the dinner dress
and the tailor suit which is absolutely necessary, and in addition some
good underwear. In fact, a whole outfit. Trust in me and you shall have
some pretty things, and I hope that they'll remind you of me all the
time. Now don't forget what I have told you."