The White House Part 65

"What has she got there?" said Eudoxie; "I believe it is a foot-warmer!

Do you take us for old dowagers, my girl, that you bring us that goodwife's piece of furniture?"

"Oh! it ain't that, madame," replied Jeannette, with a reverence; "but you see that, as my duty--as I have to warm----"

Monsieur Ferulus, who was beside Jeannette, pulled her skirt and pinched her, to make her keep quiet. Luckily Cornelie interrupted her, saying:

"Well, it is all right! Go before us.--Uncle Mignon, have the boxes been carried up?"

"They have," replied Mignon, showing his enormous teeth, "and I have put the pins in the pin-cus.h.i.+on."

The ladies withdrew to their apartments. Monsieur le marquis, who had already expectorated in every corner of the salon, went to inspect his apartment, and Uncle Mignon, who was instructed to attend to all details, went to see if the chariot had been placed in the carriage house and the horse fed.

"How much activity and animation the presence of ladies gives to a house instantly!" said Robineau. "The arrival of the La Pincerie family is going to brighten up this abode tremendously, messieurs. Ah! by the way, monsieur le marquis is very fond of whist; he wants to play every evening; who will play with him?"

"Not I," said Edouard, "for I don't know the game."

"I know it; but as it bores me, I shall not play!" said Alfred.

"I, monseigneur, flatter myself that I play it correctly," said Ferulus.

"Very good, Monsieur Ferulus; you, Uncle Mignon and I, if necessary, although I don't know it very well; no matter, someone will advise me; besides, Mademoiselle Cornelie told me that she was very particular that I should play whist with her father. What a pity that we haven't so much as a harpsichord here! My fiancee plays the harpsichord, and her sister sings like Orpheus. And there is not the slightest instrument here to accompany the singers!"

"You might send for Monsieur Cheval with his drum."

"None of your poor jokes, Alfred."

"Monseigneur, I play the fife rather well," said Ferulus, "and if it would give pleasure to the ladies----"

"We will see, I will suggest it. But they don't return! Is dinner ready?"

"All ready, monseigneur; my only fear is that it will get cold."

"Oh! you don't understand, my dear fellow," said Alfred; "I'll wager that the ladies won't come down for another hour. You don't know what it means to make two toilets, especially when they have but one lady's maid! But here is the uncle; I have not as yet heard him say anything except: 'Yes, nieces.'--I am curious to find out whether he knows any other sentence."

The uncle, after he had seen his brother's n.o.ble steed attack his grain, joined the company. He entered the room bowing, smiling and hopping; then he looked from one to another without saying a word. But Alfred went to him and said:

"They say that monsieur le marquis is very fond of hunting; you like it too, no doubt, monsieur?"

"Yes, oh, yes! I go hunting," replied Mignon, scratching his nose.

"Are you a good shot?"

"Shot! No! oh, no! I never shoot."

"What on earth do you go hunting for, then?"

"Why, I carry the ladies' umbrellas."

"What! Do the ladies hunt, too?"

"Oh, yes! Cornelie often brings down hares."

"And her sister?"

"Eudoxie doesn't shoot, but she follows the hunt; the movement of the horse is very good for her nerves.--Ah! I beg pardon, I think my nieces called me; I may have forgotten a box!"

Mignon hurried from the salon, and Robineau said to his friends:

"You will agree, messieurs, that it would be difficult to find an uncle more attentive! In fact, Cornelie tells me to take him for a model."

"Never fear, Robineau; I a.s.sure you that they will train you as well as they have him."

After a long hour, during which Monsieur Ferulus did nothing but go from the dining-room to the kitchen, the ladies appeared at last, escorted by Mignon, and followed by the marquis. There was nothing extraordinary in the costumes of the two sisters. Edouard was surprised that they had been able to spend so long a time in making so little change in their dress; but Eudoxie began by saying:

"Don't look at us, messieurs, we must be perfectly horrid, shocking!

That stupid girl has no idea about dressing the hair, and then we feared keeping you waiting. We hurried and have sacrificed all coquetry!"

"In heaven's name, how long does their toilet last when they take time about it?" whispered Alfred; while Ferulus exclaimed:

"It seems to me that I see Venus and Psyche!"

They took their places at the table; this time Alfred was beside Eudoxie. But Edouard was in no wise jealous; he was beside the haughty Cornelie, who deigned sometimes to smile amiably upon him.

"My chateau is not yet what it will be before long," said Robineau, gazing fondly at his future bride; "but I shall try to make your stay here agreeable; my friends will second me with all their power. Thanks to your presence, mesdames, I fancy that we shall see them here more frequently; for, heaven is my witness, that since we arrived, they have been here very little; early in the morning they leave the house, and do not return until dinner time."

"Are you gentlemen fond of riding?" said Eudoxie.

"The exercise is very healthful," said the marquis; "it's a pity that one wears out one's boots and small-clothes. I have been trying for a long time to find something economical to replace them."

"To replace small-clothes, monsieur le marquis?"

"No, only the boots. I believe that I have discovered the ancient foot-gear of the Phoceans; it would be very becoming to those men who have well-shaped legs!"

"It is not simply for the pleasure of riding that these gentlemen scour the country every morning," said Robineau with a mischievous air.

"Do they hunt?" said the marquis.

"No--no--that is to say, they do hunt if you call it so, but it is a sort of game which--which----"

"Pray explain yourself, monsieur!" said Cornelie; "we do not understand you."

"It seems to me, Monsieur de la Roche-Noire," said Edouard, "that these ladies are hardly likely to care about knowing where we go."

"Ha! ha! Look, mesdames, the poet is blus.h.i.+ng already!" replied Robineau, laughing; "it is well that you should know that we have a sorceress in the neighborhood."

"A sorceress," exclaimed Eudoxie in dismay, while Mignon ceased to play with his fork for a moment and looked at Robineau.

"A sorceress," said Cornelie, with a scornful air; "bah! I don't believe in sorceresses myself!"