Strange True Stories of Louisiana
Page 14
X.
ALIX PUTS AWAY THE PAST.
For two weeks more our boat continued its slow and silent voyage among thebayous. We saw signs of civilization, but they were still far apart. Thesesigns alarmed Mario. He had already chosen his place of abode and spoke ofit with his usual enthusiasm; a prairie where he had camped for two weekswith his young hunters five years before.
"A principality--that is what I count on establishing there," he cried,pushing his hand through his hair. "And think!--if, maybe, some one hasoccupied it! Oh, the thief! the robber! Let him not fall into my hands!I'll strangle--I'll kill him!"
My father, to console him, would say that it would be easy to find othertracts just as fine.
"Never!" replied he, rolling his eyes and brandishing his arms; and hisfury would grow until Maggie cried:
"He is Satan himself! He's the devil!"
One evening the flatboat stopped a few miles only from where is now thevillage of Pattersonville. The weather was magnificent, and while papa,Gordon, and Mario went hunting, Joseph, Alix, and we two walked on thebank. Little by little we wandered, and, burying ourselves in theinterior, we found ourselves all at once confronting a little cottageembowered in a grove of oranges. Alix uttered a cry of admiration andwent towards the house. We saw that it was uninhabited and must have beenlong abandoned. The little kitchen, the poultry-house, the dovecote, werein ruins. But the surroundings were admirable: in the rear a large courtwas entirely shaded with live-oaks; in front was the green belt of orangetrees; farther away Bayou Teche, like a blue ribbon, marked a naturalboundary, and at the bottom of the picture the great trees of the forestlifted their green-brown tops.
"Oh!" cried Alix, "if I could stay here I should be happy."
"Who knows?" replied Joseph. "The owner has left the house; he may bedead. Who knows but I may take this place?"
"Oh! I pray you, Joseph, try. Try!" At that moment my father and Marioappeared, looking for us, and Alix cried:
"Welcome, gentlemen, to my domain."
Joseph told of his wife's wish and his hope.... "In any case," said Mario,"count on us. If you decide to settle here we will stay two weeks--amonth, if need be--to help you establish yourself."
As soon as we had breakfasted my father and Joseph set out for aplantation which they saw in the distance. They found it a rich estate.The large, well-built house was surrounded by outbuildings, stables,granaries, and gardens; fields of cane and corn extended to the limit ofview. The owner, M. Gerbeau, was a young Frenchman. He led them into thehouse, presented them to his wife, and offered them refreshments.
[M. Gerbeau tells the travelers how he had come from the MississippiRiver parish of St. Bernard to this place with all his effects in aschooner--doubtless via the mouth of the river and the bay of Atchafalaya;while Joseph is all impatience to hear of the little deserted homeconcerning which he has inquired. But finally he explains that its owner,a lone Swede, had died of sunstroke two years before, and M. Gerbeau'sbest efforts to find, through the Swedish consul at New Orleans orotherwise, a successor to the little estate had been unavailing. Josephcould take the place if he would. He ended by generously forcing upon thefather of Francoise and Suzanne the free use of his traveling-carriage and"two horses, as gentle as lambs and as swift as deer," with which to maketheir journey up the Teche to St. Martinville,[15] the gay, not to saygiddy, little capital of the royalist _emigres_.]
My father wished to know what means of transport he could secure, on hisreturn to this point, to take us home.
"Don't let that trouble you; I will arrange that. I already have aplan--you shall see."
The same day the work began on the Carpentier's home. The three immigrantsand 'Tino fell bravely to work, and M. Gerbeau brought his carpenter and acart-load of lumber. Two new rooms were added. The kitchen was repaired,then the stable, the dovecote, the poultry-house; the garden fences wererestored; also those of the field. My father gave Joseph one of his cows;the other was promised to Carlo. Mme. Gerbeau was with us much, helpingAlix, as were we. We often dined with her. One Sunday M. Gerbeau came forus very early and insisted that Mario and Gordon should join us. Maggie,with her usual phlegm, had declined.
At dinner our host turned the conversation upon St. Martinville, namingagain all the barons, counts, and marquises of whom he had spoken to myfather, and descanting especially on the grandeur of the balls and partieshe had there attended.
"And we have only our camayeu skirts!" cried Suzanne.
"Daughter," observed papa, "be content with what you have. You are neithera duchess nor a countess, and besides you are traveling."
"And," said M. Gerbeau, "the stores there are full of knickknacks thatwould capture the desires of a queen."
On returning to our flatboat Alix came into my room, where I was alone,and laying her head on my shoulder:
"Francoise," she said, "I have heard mentioned today the dearest friend Iever had. That Countess de la Houssaye of whom M. Gerbeau spoke isMadelaine de Livilier, my companion in convent, almost my sister. We weremarried nearly at the same time; we were presented at court the same day;and now here we are, both, in Louisiana!"
"O Alix!" I cried, "I shall see her. Papa has a letter to her husband; Ishall tell her; she will come to see you; and--"
"No, no! You must not speak of me, Francoise. She knew and loved theCountess Alix de Morainville. I know her; she would repel with scorn thewife of the gardener. I am happy in my obscurity. Let nothing remind me ofother days."
Seeing that Alix said nothing of all this to Suzanne, I imitated herexample. With all her goodness, Suzanne was so thoughtless and talkative!
FOOTNOTES:[15] Now generally miscalled St. Martinsville.--TRANSLATOR.