Taking the Bastile (8 page)

‘And with whom?’

‘With me,’ Pltou’s heart sank within him, without his being able to ascertain a reason for it.

‘Then,’ said he, ‘it is in order to dance with him that you wish to dress yourself so finely.’

‘To dance with him with others with everybody.’

‘Excepting with me.’

‘And why not with you?’

‘Because I do not know how to dance.’

You will learn.’

‘Ah ! if you would but teach me : you, Mademoiselle Catherine. I should learn much better than by seeing Monsieur de Charny, I can assure you.’

‘We shall see. In the meantime, it is nine o’clock, and we must go to bed. Good-night, Pitou.’

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‘Good-night, Mademoiselle Catherine.’

There was something both agreeable and disagreeable in which Mademoiselle Catherine had said to Pitou. The agreeable was, that ha had been promoted from the rank of a cow-keeper and shepherd to that of book-keeper. The disagreeable was, that he did not know how to dance, and that M. de Charny did know. Pitou was dreaming all night that he saw M. de Charny dancing, and that he danced very badly. The next day Pitou entered upon his new office, under the direction of Catherine. Then one thing struck him, and it was that, under some masters, study is altogether delightful. In the space of about two hours ho completely understood the duties he had to perform.

The good man Billot returned home at nine o’clock. He had gone out before Pitou was up. Every morning the farmer rose at three o’clock, to see to the sending out ol his horses and his wagoners. Then he went over his fields unti] nine o’clock, to see that every one was at his post, and that all his labourers were doing their duty. At nine o’clock he returned to the house to breakfast, and went out again at ten. On o’clock was the dinner-hour; and the afternoon was, like the morning, spent in looking after the workmen. Thus the affairs of worthy Billot were prospering marvellously. As he had said, he possessed sixty acres in the sunshine, and a thousand louis in the shade; and it was even probable that, had the calculation been correctly made, some few acres of land, and some few hundred louis more would have been found than the worthy farmer had himself admitted.

At breakfast. Billot informed Pitou that the first reading of Dr Gilbert’s new book was to take place in the barn, two days after, at ten in the morning. Pitou then timidly observed that tan o’clock was the hour for attending mass. But the farmer said that ha had specially selected that hour to try his workmen. We hava already said that Father Billot was a philosopher. He detested the priests, whom he considered as the apostles of tyranny; and finding an opportunity for raising an altar against an altar, he eagerly took advantage of it. Madame Billot and Catherine ventured to offer some observations; but the farmer replied that the women might, if they choose, go to mass, seeing that religion had been made expressly tor women; but, a* to the men, they should attend the

53 TAKING THE BASTILLE

reading of the doctor’s work, or they should leave his service.

Billot, the philosopher, was very despotic in his own house. Catherine alone bad the privilege of raising her voice against his decrees. But if these decrees were so tenaciously determined upon that be knitted his brows when replying to her, Catherine became as silent as the rest. Catherine, however, thought of taking advantage of the circumstance to benefil Pitou. On rising from table, she observed to her father that, m order to read all the magnificent phrases he would have to read on the Sunday morning, Pitou was but miserably clad; that he was about to play tho part ol a master, since he was to instruct others; and that tlie muster ought not to be placed in a position to blush in the presence of his disciples. BUlot authorised lu’s daughter to make an arrangement with M. Dulauroy, the tailor at Villers-Cottei ftts, for a new suit of clothes for Pitou. Catherine was right; for new garments were not merely a matter of taste with regard to Pitou. The clothes he wore were the same which Dr Gilbert had, five years before, ordered for him.

Pitou had never paid any attention to his toilet. A lookinf-glass was an unknown piece of furniture in the abode of Mademoiselle Angelique; but from the moment that Mademoiselle Catherine had spoken to him of accompanying her to the ball; from the moment the elegant cavalier, M. de Chamy’s name had been mentioned; smco the conversation about caps, on which the young girl calculated to increase her attractions, Pitou had looked at himseli in a mirroi; and, being rendered melancholy by the very dilapidated condition of his garments, had asked himself in what way he also could make any addition to his natural advantages. Unfortunately, Pitou was not able to find any solution to this Question. The dilapida-tion of his clothes was positive. Now, in order to have new -lothes made, it was necessary to have ready cash; and during the whole course of his existence Pitou had never possessed a single penny.

Pitou was, therefore, most agreeably surprised when, on the Sunday morning, at eight o’clock, and at the moment he was racking his brains for some means of embellishing his person, M. Dulauroy entered his room and placed upon a chair a coat and breeches of sky-blue

PASTORAL SCENES 53

cloth, and a large white waistcoat with red stripes. At the same instant a sempstress came hi, and laid upon another chair, opposite to the above-mentioned one, a new shirt and a cravat. If the shirt fitted well, she had orders to complete the half-dozen. It was a moment teeming with surprise. Behind the sempstress appeared the hat-maker. He had brought with him a small cocked hat, of the very latest fashion and of most elegant shape, and which had been fabricated by M. Cornu, the first hat-maker in Villers-Cotterets. A shoemaker had also been ordered to bring shoes for Pitou; and he had with him a pair with handsome silver buckles made expressly for him. Pitou could not recover his amazement; he could not in any way comprehend that all these riches were for him. Tears of gratitude gushed from his eyelids, and he could only murmur out these words : ‘ Oh 1 Mademoiselle Catherine I Mademoiselle Catherine 1 never will I forget what you have done for me.’

Everything fitted remarkably well, and as if Pitou had been actuaQy measured for them, with the sole exception of the shoes, which were too small by half. M. Lauderau, the shoemaker, had taken measure by his son’s foot, who was four years Pitou’s senior. This superiority over young Lauderau gave a momentary feeling of pride to our hero; but this feeling of pride was soon checked by the reflection that he would either be obliged to go to the dance in his old shoes, or in no shoes at all, which vould not be in accordance with the remainder of his costume. But this uneasiness was not of long duration. A pair of shoes which had been sent home at the same time to Fanner Billot fitted him exactly. While Pitou was busied in arraying himself in these sumptuous habiliments, the hairdresser came in and arranged his hair. And now, there is one thing we must acknowledge and that is, that when Piton, thus combed and frizzled, dressed in his sky-blue coat and breeches, with his rose-striped waistcoat and his frilled shirt, with his tail and his dog’s ear curls, looked at himself in the glass, he found great difficulty in recognising himself, and twisted himself about to see whether Adonis in person had not redescended on the earth. He was alone; he smiled graciously at himself; and with head erect, his thumbs thrust into his waistcoat pockets, he said, raising himsel? upon his toes : ‘We shall see this Monsieur de Charny !’

54 TAKING THE BASTILLE

The first step which Pitou made on entering the farm-kitchen was a perfect triumph.

‘Oh 1 mamma, only see cried Catherine, ‘how well Pitou looks now.’

‘The fact is, that one would hardly know him again,’ replied Madame Billot.

Unfortunately, after the first general survey which had so much struck the young girl, she entered into a more minute examination of the details, and Pitou was less good looking in the detailed than in the general view.

‘Oh I how singular I ‘ cried Catherine; ‘what great hands you have.’

‘Yes, 1 said Pitou, ‘I have famous hands, have I not?’

‘And what thick knees I’

That is a proof that I shall grow taller.’

‘Why, it appears to me that you are tall enough already, Monsieur Pitou,’ observed Catherine.

‘That does not matter, I shall grow taller still,’ said Pitou. ‘I am only seventeen and a half years old.’

‘And no calves !’

‘Ah 1 yes, that is true-none at all; but they will grow soon.’

‘That is to be hoped,’ said Catherine, ‘but no matter, you are very well as you are.’

Pitou made a bow.

‘Oh I oh !’ exclaimed Billot, coming in at that moment, and also struck with Pitou’s appearance. ‘How fine you are, my lad. How I wish your aunt Angelique could see you now. I wonder what she would say?’

‘ She would not sajy a word ; she would be in a perfect fury.’

‘But, father,’ said Catherine, with a certain degree of uneasiness, ‘would sh* not have the right to take him back again?’

‘Why, she turned him out of doors.’

‘And, besides which,’ said Pitou, ‘the five years have gone by.’

‘What five years?’ inquired Catherine.

The five years for which Doctor Gilbert left a thousand livres.’

‘He had then left a thousand livres with your aunt?’

‘Yes, yea, yea : to get me into a good apprenticeship.’

‘ ‘ ‘

thinks that I hear something of the same kind related of him every day. Therefore for him’ he added, stretching

PASTORAL SCENES 53

out his hands with a gesture of admiration, ‘will I be devoted in life and death.’

‘He wished that I should learn some trade,’ said Pitou.

‘And he was right. And this is the way in which good intentions are thwarted. A man leaves a thousand livres that a child may be taught a trade, and instead of having him taught a trade, he is placed under the tuition of a bigoted priest 1 And how much did she pay to your Abbe Fortier?’

‘She never paid him anything.’

‘What? Did she pocket the two hundred livrea a year, which that good Monsieur Gilbert paid 1’

‘Probably.’

‘Listen to me, for I have a bit of advice to give you, Pitou; whenever your bigoted old aunt shall walk off, take care to examine minutely every cupboard, every mattress, every pickle-jar ‘

‘And for what?’ asked Pitou.

‘Because, do you see, you will find some bidden treasure, some good old louis, in some old stocking-foot. Why ! it must undoubtedly be so, for she could never have found a purse large enough to contain all her savings.’

‘Do you think so?’

‘Most assuredly. But we will speak of this at a more proper time and place. To-day we must take a little walk. Have you Doctor Gilbert’s book?’

‘I have it here, in my pocket.’

‘Father said Catherine, ‘have you well reflected upon this?’

“There is no need for reflection replied the farmer, when one is about to do a good tiling, my child. The doctor told me to have the book read, and to propagate the principles which it contains; the book shall therefore be read, and the principles shall be propagated.’

‘And,’ said Catherine timidly, ‘may my mother and I, then, go to attend mass?’

Go to mass, my child; go with your mother replied Billot. ‘You are women; we, who are men, have other things to think of. Come. Pitou, we must be off, for we are waited for.’

Pitou bowed majestically to Madame Billot and Mademoiselle Catherine; then with head erect he followed the worthy farmer, proud of having been thus, for the first time, called a man.

56 TAKING THE BASTILLE

THERE was a numerous assemblage in the barn. Billot, as we have said, was much respected by his labourers, inasmuch as though he scolded them unscrupulously, he fed and paid them well. Consequently, every one of them had hastened eagerly to accept his invitation. Moreover, at this period the people had been seized with that extraordinary fever which pervades nations when nations are about to set themselves to work to produce some great change. Strange, new words, which until then had scarcely ever been uttered, issued from mouths which had never before pronounced them. They were the words Liberty, Independence, Emancipation. It was in the west that had first shone forth this light, which was destined to illuminate until it seared. It was in America that arose this sun, which, in accomplishing its course, was to make France one vast and burning mass, by the light of which the affrighted nations were to read the word Republic traced in vivid characters of blood. But notwithstanding this, meetings in which political affairs were discussed were less frequent than might have been imagined. Men, who had sprung up, no one knew from where, had traversed towns and country villages, strewing in their road words in praise of liberty. The government, blinded heretofore, began at length to open its eyes. Those who were at the head of the immense machine, denominated the public chariot, felt that some of its wheels were paralysed, without being able to comprehend whence the obstacle proceeded.

Twenty or twenty-five husbandmen, all in the employment of Billot, had assembled in the barn. Billot entered it, followed by Pitou. All heads were instantly uncovered, and they waved their hats to welcome their master. It was plainly visible that all these men were ready to meet death, should he but give the signal. The farmer explained to the country people that the pamphlet which Pitou was about to reaa to them was the work of Doctor Gilbert. The doctor was well known throughout the whole district, in which he was the proprietor of several farms, the one rented by Billot being the most considerable. A cask

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had been prepared for the reader. Pitou ascended this extempore form, and at once began.

It is to be remarked that people of the lower class-, and I might almost venture to say, men in general, listen with most attention to that which they understand the least. It was evident that the general sense of the pamphlet escaped the perceptions of the most enlightened among this rustic auditory, and even of Billot himself. But in the midst of that obscure phraseology from time to time flashed, like lightnings in a dark sky charged with electricity, the luminous words of Independence, Liberty, Equality. Nothing more was necessary; shouts of applause burst forth; cries of ‘Long live Doctor Gilbert 1’ resounded on every side. Not more than one-third of the pamphlet had been read; it was decided that the remainder should be delivered on the two following Sundays. The auditors were therefore invited for the next Sunday, and every one of them promised to attend.