Chapter 11 Eleven camping
Now I'm out of luck!We must be bewitched, said Germain, stamping his foot, and we must not get out of here until broad daylight.There must be ghosts in this place.
Come, come, don't be mad, said Mary, we must make up our minds.Make a bigger fire, and the baby is wrapped up like this, nothing will happen, and we won't die if we spend the night in the open air.Where did you hide your saddle, Germain?Inside the holly, the daredevil!Time to get it out!
Take the baby, hold him, and let me pull his bed out of the brambles; I don't want you to poke your hands.
Alright, the bed is here, and it's not like I've been stabbed a few times with my hands.said the brave girl.
She arranged for little Pierre to sleep again, and this time he slept so soundly that he was completely unaware of this new journey.Germain put a lot of wood on the fire.Lighted up the woods all around; but little Mary couldn't hold on any longer, and though she didn't complain at all, she couldn't keep her footing.Her face was pale, and her teeth chattered with cold and weakness.Germain held her in his arms to keep her warm; anxiety, pity, sympathy, irresistible tenderness, occupied his mind and calmed his senses.His tongue miraculously loosened and all shyness disappeared.
Mary, he said to her, I like you, and I feel very unfortunate that I cannot please you.If you are willing to accept me as your husband, then no advice from my father-in-law, relatives, neighbors, or others will stop me from dedicating myself to you.I know that you will make my children happy, that you will teach them to remember their mother, and I am content with a clear conscience.I have always been fond of you, and now I feel so much in love with you that if you asked me to do your bidding all my life, I could swear to you at once to do so.Please see how much I love you and try to forget my age.Think of it this way: It's a mistake to think that a thirty-year-old man is old.Besides, I'm only twenty-eight years old!A young girl is afraid of being gossiped about marrying a man ten or twelve years older than herself, because it is not the local custom; but I have heard that it is not taken seriously elsewhere; on the contrary, One would rather give a young girl a support, and marry her to a man of good sense and indomitable courage, than a young man who would go astray, and who would be thought a good man, would turn out to be a villain.Besides, years do not necessarily make a person old, it depends on a person's energy and health.A man is old before he is twenty-five if he is exhausted by overwork and poverty, or by debauchery.And I don't agree that you didn't hear me, Mary.
No, Germain, I listened very carefully, answered little Marie, but I was thinking of what my mother had always said to me: a woman of sixty, if her husband is seventy or seventy-five, It would be pitiful not to be able to work to support her.He became a waste, and at her age, she also began to need care and rest very much, but she had to take care of him.If this continues, they will end up destitute.
Parents are right in saying this, I admit, Marie, said Germain, but in short, they are sacrificing the best years of youth in order to foresee the end of old age, when a person is of no use anymore, how? It doesn't matter anymore.As for me, I am not in danger of starving to death in old age.Right now I'm able to save some money because I'm living with my in-laws, doing more and spending less.Besides, I shall love you very much, and you see, it will keep me from growing old.I've heard people say that a person who lives happily can take care of himself, and I think I'm younger than Bastian when it comes to loving you; because he doesn't love you, he is too stupid and childish to understand how beautiful you are , how kind, born to be sought, come, Mary, don't hate me, I am not a hateful person: I made my Catherine happy, she said before God before she died, I have always been Satisfied her, she bade me marry another.It seemed her elf had spoken to her sleeping child tonight.Didn't you hear what he said just now?His eyes were looking at something in the sky we couldn't see, and his little mouth was trembling!What he saw was his mother, and you can believe it, it was she who made him say that he wanted you in her place.
Germain, Marie replied with astonishment and thoughtfulness, that you spoke frankly and sincerely.I'm sure I can't be wrong to love you, if it doesn't annoy your parents-in-law: but why would you want me to?My heart does not speak for you.I like you very much, and though your age does not make you ugly, it frightens me.I think you are always something to me, like an uncle or a godfather; Might laugh at me, as stupid as it is to bother, but I'm sure I'll be ashamed and a little sad on my wedding day.
That's a child's reason; you talk like a child, Mary!
Yes, I'm a child, she said, and that's why I'm afraid of men who are too sensible.You see very clearly that I am too young for you, for you have reproached me for speaking irrationally, and at my age it is impossible to have more reason.
well!My God, what a pity that I am so clumsy and incapable of expressing what is in my heart!Marie, exclaimed Germain, you don't like me, that's the truth; you think me too simple, too clumsy.If you liked me a little, you wouldn't see my faults so clearly.You don't like me, that's all!
It's not my fault, she replied, feeling a little offended that he doesn't call you any more, hearing you tell me that, I'm trying to do my best, but the more I try to do it, the less it fits in my head : We are going to be husband and wife.
Germain said nothing.His head was in his hands, and little Mary wondered whether he was weeping, angry, or asleep.Seeing him so gloomy, unable to figure out what was going on in his mind, she felt a little uneasy; but she dared not say anything more to him, she was so amazed at what had just happened, she didn't want to go back to sleep, and waited impatiently. At daybreak, while constantly looking after the fire and the child, Germain seemed to be unable to think of the child anymore.Yet Germain did not sleep at all; he did not brood over his fate, nor conceived bold plans, seductive plans.He felt uncomfortable, and there were troubles as high as mountains on his heart.He really wanted to die.Everything seemed to be against him, and if he could weep, he would weep well.But in the midst of his distress, he was also a little annoyed with himself, which he suppressed, unable and unwilling to speak out.
At daybreak, when the noise in the field revealed the message to Germain, he put his hands down from his face, stood up, saw that little Marie was not asleep, but he did not know what to say to her to show his concern.Completely discouraged, he hid the saddle again among the briers, and with the sack slung over his shoulder, he led his son by the hand.
Mary, he said, now let's get to our destination as quickly as possible.Would you like me to take you to Olmo?
Let's get out of the woods together, she replied, and we'll go our separate ways when we know our way.
Germain made no answer.He was annoyed that the girl did not ask him to take him to Olmo, and he did not realize that his tone of voice was bound to provoke refusal.
When they had gone two hundred paces, they met a woodcutter, who led them on the right road, and told them that, across the pasture, one would go straight ahead, the other to the left, and they would reach their respective destinations; The two places were so close together that the house of Furche could be clearly seen from the Olmo farm and vice versa.
They thanked the woodcutter and went on, but the woodcutter stopped them again and asked if they had lost a horse.He said to them:
I found a beautiful little green horse in the yard, maybe the wolf drove it here to find a place to hide.Some of my dogs barked all night, and at dawn I saw this horse under my carport, where it is now.Let's go and see, and if you recognize it, take it away.
Germain first described the characteristics of the little green horse, and he was convinced that it was it, so he went back to look for the saddle.Little Marie proposed to him to take his child to Olmo, and to take it away after he had been to Furche.
We spent the night and he was a little dirty, she said, I washed his clothes and his pretty little face and combed his hair and when he was nice and tidy you could introduce him to your new family.
Who told you I was going to Fourche?Germain replied angrily, maybe I won't go!
No, Germain, you must go, you must go.said the girl.
You are anxious to marry me to another woman, so you can rest assured that I will not trouble you?
Come on, Germain, stop thinking like that: this idea came to you last night, and your mind has been disturbed a little by this unfortunate encounter.And now you must come to your senses; I promise you to forget what you have said to me, and never tell it to anyone else.
cough!If you want, just say it.I don't like to deny my words.I'm telling you from the bottom of my heart, and I never blush before anyone.
Yes, but your woman won't like you if she knows that you've been thinking about another woman when you arrive at her house.So watch what you say now; don't stare at me like that in front of people.Think of Papa Morris, he believed you would obey him.He'll be rude to me if I make you go against his will.Farewell, Germain; I will take little Pierre away so that you must go to Fourche.Here's a pledge I'm keeping for you.
Would you like to go with her?The farmer told his son that he had seen the boy take little Mary's hand and was determined to follow her.
Yes, father, replied the child, who heard and understood in his own way what was said without hesitation to his face, I will go with my sweet Mary: come to me when you are married Yes; but I want Mary to be my little mother.
You see, he wants you to be his mother!Germain said to the girl, Listen, little Pierre, I would love to have her be your mother and stay with you all the time; but she doesn't want to.She rejected me, you find a way to get her to agree to you.
Don't worry, Papa, I'll make her promise: little Mary will do what I want.
The child and the girl left, and Germain was left alone, more melancholy and more distraught than before.