A Woodland Queen ('Reine des Bois') - Volume 3

ieres-ensconced in his unpretentious apartment in the Rue Stanislaus, Nancy, still pondered over the astonishing news contained in the Auberive notary's f

course had long been broken off between the two families, M. de Buxieres the elder had mentioned the subject only in relation to barely possible hopes which had very little chance of being

eres had made a will in favor of some one more within his own circle. The second missive from Arbillot the notary, announcing that the deceased had died intestate, and requ

y-seven years old, was housed like a supernumerary in a small furnished room on the second floor above the ground. At this time his physique was that of a young man of medium height, slight, pale, and nervous, sensitive in disposition, reserved and introspecti

so to speak, any associations of the land in which he was born, or the hearth on which he was raised. Chance had located his birth in a small town among the Pyrenees, and when he was two years old he had been transplanted to one of the industrial cities of Artois. At the end of two years more came another removal to one of the midland towns, and thus his tender childhood had been buffeted about, from east to west, from north to south, taking root nowhere. All he could remember of these early years was an unpleasant impression of hasty packing and removal, of long journeys by diligence, and of uncomfortable resettling. His mother had died just as he was entering upon his eighth year; his father, absorbed in official work, and not caring to leave the child to the management of servants, had placed him at that early age in a college directed by priests. Julien thus passed his second term of childhood, and his boyhood was spent behind these st

hed separation from profane things; the attractions of a meditative and pious life, and mistrust of the world and its perilous pleasures, harmonized with the shy and melancholy timidity of his nature.

ies, having no connection in his mind with any joyous recollection, left him cold and unmoved; he even professed an almost hostile indi

ditations in the house of prayer. The only emotion he ever betrayed was caused by the

e ladies played show pieces at the piano, and where they spoke a language he did not understand. He was quite aware of his worldly inaptitude, and that he was considered awkward, dull, and ill-tempered, and the knowledge of this fact paralyzed and frightened him still more. He could not disguise his feeling of ennui sufficiently to prevent the provincial circles from being greatly offended; they declared unanimously that young de Buxieres was a bear, and decided to leave him alone. The death of his father, which happened just as the youth was beginning his official car

is serious, cloister-like life, that the news fell of the death of Claud

account given by the notary, Claude de Buxieres's fortune might be valued at two hundred thousand francs, in furniture and other movables, without reckoning the chateau and the adjacent woods. This was a much larger sum than had ever been dreamed of by Julien de Buxieres, whose belongings did not amount in all to three thousand francs. He made up his mind, therefore, that, as soon as he was installed at Vivey, he would change his leave of absence to an unlimited furlough of freedom. He contemplated with serene satisfaction

e the journey until the following morning, on account of the dangerous state of the crossroads, where vehicles might stick fast in the mire if they ventured there after nightfall. Julien vainly endeavored to effect an arrangement with hi

n; "I know the roads, and will guarante

r the plain above Langres, in a shaky old cabriolet, the muddy hood of which bobbed o

ns, and considered how he should arrange his life in this, to him, unknown country, which would probably be his own for some time to come. Nevertheless, when, at the end of the level plain, the road turned off into the wooded region, the unusual aspect of the forest aroused his curiosity. The tufted woods and lofty trees, in endless succession under the fading light, impressed him by their profound solitude and their religious silence. His loneliness was in sympathy with the forest, which seemed contemporary with t

the guide, who was smoking at

ar from V

ould be there in one short hour. Unfortunately, on turning by the Allofroy farm, we shall have to leave the highr

ou were well acquai

re of nothing. They change every year, and each new superintendent cuts a way out

e been to Vi

the chateau. Ah! Monsieur, what a beautiful country it is for hunting; you

opportunity of meeting Mon

re than once-ah! he is a j

ted Julien, gravel

man! What we must all come to. Careful, now!" added he, pulling in

d, which flapped noisily against the leathern hood. After fifteen minutes' riding, the paths opened upon a pasture, dotted here and there with juniper bushes, and thence divided

; suddenly, the wheels became embedded up to the hub in thick, sticky mire, and the horse refused to move. The driver jumped to the ground, swearing furiously; then he call

the wheel, Monsieur, you have no more strength than a chicken, and, besides, you don'

ewhat mortified at the inefficiency of his assi

minutes, a voice hailed back. A woodcutter, from one of the neigh

de, "we are stuck fast in

alked round the vehic

g out of it, seeing as how there's not light to go by. You had better unharn

the driver; "there isn't even a house nea

orrow morning they will help you to get your carriage out of the mud. Unharness, comrade; I will

carriage as a beacon, and followed slowly the line of pasture-land, under the woodchopper's guidance. At the end of

besides, the barking of the dogs will guide you.

The conductor went along with his lantern; young de Buxieres followed him with eyes downcast. Thus they contin

nately the dogs are not yet let loose, or

eep. On the right, standing alone, outlined against the sky, was the main building of the ancient forge, now used for granaries and stables; inside, the frantic barking of the watch-dogs mingled with the bleating of the frightene

arply to the newcomers, who were adva

t, and asked whether they would house him at the farm until th

ize the two strangers; doubtless their appearance and air of r

ess here, but come in, all the same-Mamselle Reine c

e servant brought them into a large, square hall, in which a lamp, covered with a shade, gave a

, "it will not be long, and you must excuse me-I must

oom served as both kitchen and dining-room. On the right of the flaring chimney, one of the cast-iron arrangements called a cooking-stove was gently humming; the saucepans, resting on the bars, exhaled various appetizing odors. In the centre, the lon

d varied colors, and not far from the chimney, which was ornamented with a crucifix of yellow copper, was a set of shelves, attached to the wall, containing three rows of books, in gray linen binding.

yellow maize, and chaplets of golden pippins tied with straw, all harmonizing in t

ips, "and the smell which comes from that oven mak

, which seemed to come from behind the copper bas

is that?" exclaimed

ing of wings, a light hop, and a black-and-white object flitted by

driver, laughing, "

r voice, a human voice this time, childish and wavering, p

d Julien, "some

the portion of the room left in shadow. Suddenly

easy-chair, which was covered with pillows and almost hidden under various woolen draperies. He was dressed in a long coat of coarse, pale-blue cloth. He was bareheaded, and his long,

t having disturbed you. Your servant forgot to inform us of your prese

ming to understand; he kept repeating, i

ne! Rei

other interrogatively, and began to feel very uncomfortable. The magpie, perched upon

ueen of t

et uneasy!" said a clear,

ed as specimens of all the wild fruit-trees of the forest: the brown beam-berries, the laburnums, and wild cherry, with their red, transparent fruit, the bluish mulberry, the orange-clustered mountain-ash. Al

the sound of Reine's voice. As soon as she percei

e? Don't you see that y

, and got confused in trying to relate the incide

Well, your carriage will be attended to! Go and sit down

unfastened her shawl, and then knelt down in front of the sick man, after kissing him tenderly on the forehead. From the corner where Julien

leep in peace. I thought of you on the way, and I have brought you a fine bouquet of wild fruits. We shall enjoy looking them over tomorrow, by daylight. Now, this is the time that you

ith delicate care she made him swallow the soup by spoonfuls. Julien, notwithstanding the feeling of ill-humor caused by the untoward happenings of the evening, could not help admiring the alm

nd to my father first. If I understood

, I had hoped to s

siness connected with the chateau. Is not the h

r," replied Ju

, she checked herself, colored in her turn, and finally gave a rapid glance at her interlocutor. She never should have imag

ceremonious, but my first thought was for my father. He is a great invalid, as you may ha

caused all this disturbance. But I do not intend to trouble you any longer. If you will kindly furnish us

ll not allow you to leave us in that manner. Besides, you would probably fin

rs had returned with her milk-pail; behind her, the other farm-h

at the table. The horse belonging to these

in the stable," repl

Now, Monsieur de Buxieres, will you proceed to table-and your coachman also? Upon my word, I do not know whether our supper will be to your liking. I can only o

his theories pictured a woman, and more especially a young girl, as a submissive, modest, shadowy creature, with downcast look, only raising her eyes to consult her husband or her mother as to what is allowable and what is forbidden. Now, Reine did not fulfil any of the requirements of this ideal. She seemed to be hardly twenty-two years old, and she acted with the initiative genius, the frankness and the decision of a man, retaining all the while the tenderness and easy grace of a woman. Although it was evident that she was accustom

him. She made a mental comparison of him with Claudet, the bold huntsman, alert, resolute, full of dash and spirit, and a feeling of charitable compassion arose in her heart at the thought of the reception which the Sejournant family would give to this new master, so timid and so little

de Buxieres!" said she, noticing th

nd besides, I never take wine by itself-I should

nd passed him t

al spirits, for in these mountains they like good dinners, and have

I do not know how

ot your intention

ry, I intend to inhabit the chateau,

rink nor hunt, and you intend to live in our wood

panions; besides, solitude nev

shook her hea

e continued, "if you do

f chance are re

e of advice: don't speak in these neighborhoods of your dislike of hunting, cards, or go

er guests-then the supper went on silently. As soon as they had swallowed their last mouthful, the menserv

Buxieres. Guitiote will conduct you to your room. For you, driver, I have had a bed made in a

ic sufferer, who, as she approached, manifested

of moon gliding among the flitting clouds. The young man went at once to his bed; but notwithstanding the fatigues of the day, sleep did not come to him. Through the partition he could hear the clear, sonorous voice of Reine singing her father to sleep with one of the popular ballads of the country, and while turning and twist

e the first thing he saw was the cabriolet, which had been brought in the early morning and which one of the farm-boys was in the act of sousing with water in the hope of freeing the hood and wheels from the thick mud which covered them. When he entered the diningroom, brightened by the rosy rays of

usehold matters. My father is still in bed, and I am taking advantage of the fact to arrange his little corner. The doctor said he must no

h streamed through the window, and shielded by the screens, one on each side. She noticed that Julien wa

ing still all day in his chair, so I lined the screens with these pictures in order that he might have something to amuse him. He is as pleased as a child with the bright colors, and I expl

last long enough to reach the end." Doubtless she had the same fear, for her dark

pping around its mistress, like a familiar spirit; it even had the audaci

ueen of t

e woods?"' asked

d here give me, because I am so fond of the trees. I spend all the tim

call me by that name; she remember

iving in this

was born here,

e not always

n. I received there the education of a young lady, though there is not much to show for it

suffer from so

of living, in the chateau at Vivey. But," she added, going toward the fire, "I think they are harnessing the horse, and you must be hungry. Your dri

o milk and toasted bread. He drank rapidly the contents of the cup, nibbled at a slice

omen for me to meet with such cordiality on my arrival in an unknown part of the country. May I ask you one more question?" he co

will not be able to speak to the people in their language, and they will not understand yours-you will be, in their eyes, 'the city Monsieur,' whom they will mistrust and will try to c

ess, and they were only waiting for M. de Buxieres. Julien rose, and after awkwardly placing a piece

e," murmured he, "and au revoir

rdiality. Julien got into the cabriolet beside the driver,

ieur," cried Reine after him, and