The Rose of Old St. Louis Page 11

  CHAPTER X

  LA GUIGNOLEE

  "By sports like these are all their cares beguiled."

  I woke the next morning with a feeling of elation that for a moment Idid not understand; then I recognized that it was a feeling thatmademoiselle and I would never again be on any but the friendliest ofterms. No more fear of merry scoffing or haughty disdain! I had aright to look now for only kindness and friendliness.

  But I did not know mademoiselle. The morning was bleak; a fine drizzleof rain, freezing as it fell, was hanging jeweled pendants from everytwig and branch. I went down-stairs, to find that morning coffee wasbeing served in the living-room, on a small table drawn up before ablazing fire of logs. Mademoiselle, who did not often come to earlycoffee, was serving it, in a warm-looking gown of some wool stuff,deep red in color, and I thought it suited well her dark beauty andthe bleak morning. I stopped at the threshold to make my low bow, andthen went forward, expecting a less formal greeting. But she onlylooked up from the silver urn, whence she was drawing a cup of coffeefor the captain, long enough to say, "Good morning, monsieur," in hericiest tones, and then went on talking gaily to the captain of theball the night before. I did not understand at all, but I thought itquite possible I had imagined her coldness; and so, without seeming topush myself unduly, I sought to join in the conversation whenopportunity offered. I think the captain seconded my efforts out ofthe courtesy natural to him; but mademoiselle made it so plain thatshe desired to ignore me that I soon took my cup and withdrew to acorner of the fireplace. I hope I did not do anything so boyish as tosulk there, but of that I am not sure.

  When the good doctor came bustling in from his laboratory a fewminutes later, half frozen, but burning with enthusiasm over someexperiments he was making with quicksilver, he brought his coffee tomy warm corner, and I at once simulated the deepest interest in hisaccount of his morning's work--though I confess I have never taken anygreat interest in science, and from what he seemed to expect thequicksilver to do I did not feel altogether sure that he was not, intruth, dabbling in black art.

  There was a long mirror at the other end of the room--one that MadameSaugrain had brought from France, and the pride of her heart. As wetalked I could glance in it and see mademoiselle perfectly withoutseeming to look at her. I observed that she grew more and moredistrait, only half listening to the captain, and very evidentlytrying to overhear our conversation. I had not known that mademoisellewas so interested in science, and I began to make deep and learnedspeeches (or, at least, I hoped they sounded so) on quicksilver and onevery subject allied to it. I did not hesitate to make some remarkablestatements, for whose truth I modestly said I could not vouch. Thedoctor was too courteous to show the surprise I think he must havefelt at some of them, but if I had not been so interested in myinvestigations in the mirror (which, I am sure, is closely allied toquicksilver) I would have noticed without doubt that knowing twinkleof the eye that I had seen at least twice before. My glances in themirror, however, showed me that my learned speeches had produced theirintended effect on mademoiselle, at least, and once more I caught thatwondering glance fixed upon me.

  I did not see mademoiselle again until the evening supper-hour. Afterbreakfast Dr. Saugrain invited the captain and me to ride with him upto Pierre Chouteau's, and on the ride he told us that mademoiselle hadcome to him that morning in the laboratory and had told him all aboutthe chevalier. I was much touched that she had acted upon my advice sopromptly, and half forgave her for her treatment of me at coffee,though I understood it the less. The doctor did not say so directly,but I judged from one or two little remarks that he and Pelagie hadhad a thorough clearing up of all their misunderstandings and wereonce more on the old confidential terms. He spoke especially of her"sweetness," and said his advice had been, like mine, to write thechevalier at once a firm refusal. But the good doctor was greatlytroubled.

  "I shall never feel quite secure again," he said, "till I have Pelagiesafe with her friends in France; so I shall seek the first opportunityof sending her there. 'Tis for that I am going to consult PierreChouteau, and I thought you might have some suggestion, one or both ofyou, as to how to find an escort for her."

  I was so eager with my plan that had flashed on me the night beforethat I could not wait to show the proper courtesy to my captain. Hecertainly had a right to speak first, but I broke forth, "I have aplan, sir--" and then was abashed and stopped short.

  The doctor understood, and nodded to me.

  "Yes; let the captain speak first, and then we will hear your plan."

  "Nay," said the captain, with his friendliest smile; "let the ladspeak. He has a plan that seems to me not wholly unpracticable and mayprove the very thing."

  Thus encouraged, I rushed ahead:

  "I have been talking to Captain Clarke about it, sir, and he thinks itcan be done. My last letter from home said that Colonel Livingston wasabout to join his father in Paris. My family know Colonel Livingstonwell, and a letter from my father would insure the protection of bothColonel and Mrs. Livingston for mademoiselle on the voyage."

  But the good doctor shook his head.

  "I could never get Pelagie to New York, I fear; to both MadameSaugrain and myself, such a journey seems an almost impossibleundertaking."

  "But Captain Clarke has that all arranged," I cried.

  The doctor looked at the captain, who answered, smiling:

  "It is my good Achates who has arranged it, but I heartily approve ofhis plans. It is time we were getting back to Kentucky, and heproposes that we take mademoiselle with us to my sister, Mrs.O'Fallon. There she can stay until we can find a suitable escort upthe Ohio to Port Duquesne, and across the mountains to New York. Thereare boats going up the river every week, and always some one goingback to the old home to whom we could intrust mademoiselle. I think ita good and feasible plan."

  But we had quite reached Pierre Chouteau's before we had persuaded thedoctor that our plan was at all a practical one. Not, as he assuredus, that he could not trust mademoiselle with us, but thedifficulties, dangers, and inconveniences of such a trip, for a youngmaiden with no woman in the party but her colored maid, seemed to himalmost insurmountable. However, he was so nearly convinced by myeloquence and the captain's logic that just as we were turning in atMr. Chouteau's he said:

  "Well, well, my dear friends, it may be possible. We will see! I musttake time to consult Madame Saugrain, and, until then, not a word tomademoiselle, I beg of you both."

  We both readily promised, though I was so elated at what I consideredthe already assured success of my plan that I might have found itdifficult not to speak to mademoiselle about it if she had not beenin the same icy mood to me at supper (though sweet and most charmingto the captain and her guardian) as she had been at breakfast.

  The next day Dr. Saugrain told us that he and his wife had talked farinto the night about Pelagie, and they had come to the conclusion thatour plan was the best solution of the difficulties. He said madame hadwept much at the thought of parting with Pelagie, and of all thedifficulties and dangers she must encounter, before she could becomereconciled to the thought of it; but now she was quite resigned, andhad already begun to plan what clothes and other conveniences it wouldbe necessary for Pelagie to take with her, and how they could best begot ready.

  "And, after the manner of women," the doctor said, "from the momentshe began to think about clothes, she began to grow cheerful. And shehas such confidence in Clotilde, who will go with her, and who has hadentire charge of her since her babyhood, that she thinks she will beas well taken care of as if she were with her herself. But we boththink," he added, "that it will be wiser to say nothing to Pelagieabout it until it is almost time to make the start. If, for anyreason, our plan should fail, her mind will not be unsettled by it,and she will be no worse off than if we had not thought of it.Moreover, the fewer we take into our confidence the better, for I amassured the chevalier has spies and secret emissaries that we do notsuspect. We will give him no chance to thwart
our plans!"

  The good doctor spoke the last words so grimly that it was easy tounderstand in what esteem he held the villain, and both the captainand I heartily approved his precaution.

  There followed busy days for me. The captain, who was much engaged insettling up the business for his brother which had brought him to St.Louis, had little time for aught else, though Governor Delassus, theChouteaus, and Mr. Gratiot made many demands upon him for counsel andfor social festivities, in which last I was courteously included. Whenthese fell upon the evening I was very ready to join in them, but mydays were more than full. All the arrangements for mademoiselle'scomfort on the boat my captain had intrusted to me, and I wasdetermined that nothing should be left undone to make her voyage onthe Great River as comfortable as possible. The cabin, a rough affairat its best, was partitioned into two, and the larger one made asclean as six blacks scrubbing hard on hands and knees could make it.Then I got from Pierre Chouteau a small stove such as he often used onhis boat in winter trips up the Missouri, and set it up in the cabin,cutting a hole in the roof to give egress to the stovepipe. FromMadame Saugrain I got some strips of warm, bright carpet and someclean warm bedding, and I set Yorke to work, under my carefulsupervision, to make the two beds for mademoiselle and her maid, totack down the strips of carpet, to put up some white ruffled curtains(also Madame Saugrain's gift) at the square bit of window, and topolish up the brass handles of the portable locker that was to holdmademoiselle's wardrobe. I thought, when all was done,--the smalltable covered with a white cloth, and two shining candlesticks on it,and the three comfortable chairs arranged about it,--I thought it cozyand complete enough for a trip to France; and my heart beat high whenI thought of the tete-a-tetes with mademoiselle that must almostnecessarily fall to my lot on a voyage of at least a week. But, in themeantime, I was seeing very little of her, between being busy all dayand often invited out in the evening--and not getting muchsatisfaction when I did; for either she was incased in her icyhauteur, or, if she chanced to be kind, I was so brimming over with mysecret, so afraid I should let it slip, I was unnaturally constrainedwith her.

  Before I knew it the Jour de l'An was upon us, and the doctor and thecaptain had both agreed it would be wise to set out on the day beforethe Jour des Rois. On no account would it do to risk remaining overthe Jour des Rois, lest the chevalier should accomplish his purpose inspite of mademoiselle's letter of refusal.

  Now, as its name signifies, the Jour de l'An is the greatest of alldays to these St. Louis Frenchmen. Preparations had been making for itall the week. The governor himself was to give a grand ball atGovernment House, and I had heard mademoiselle telling Captain Clarke,as we sat at supper on New Year's eve, how that would be only thebeginning of a round of festivities, and that Marguerite Papin,Pelagie Chouteau, and she had been making the bean-cake thatafternoon.

  "And what is the bean-cake, pray, Mademoiselle?" I inquired,determined to take matters into my own hands and be no longer shut outfrom conversation as if I were infected.

  Mademoiselle looked up in surprise at my audacity, and for a momentwas of half a mind not to reply to me; but she thought better of it,and answered coolly and formally:

  "'Tis a cake, Monsieur, with four beans baked in it. It will be cutto-morrow night at the governor's ball, and the four maidens whoreceive the slices with the beans will be the queens of the ball. Theywill choose four kings, who will then be obliged to get up the ballfor the Jour des Rois, and at that these four kings will choose fourqueens, who will choose four other kings, who must give the next ball.'Tis an endless chain of balls till Shrove Tuesday arrives, to finishit all up with one grand carnival ball; and so you see, sir, if youstay in St. Louis I can promise you a merry winter."

  I almost laughed as I thought how little she dreamed that she wouldnot be here herself. Yet the prospect sounded alluring, and I couldhave been well pleased to spend the winter in the gay little village,if the fates had ordained. I answered her to that effect, and then Iadded:

  "If you could but give me any hope that I should be chosen a king, Imight take fate into my own hands and stay anyway."

  "There is much ground for hope, sir," she answered demurely, "sinceboth Pelagie Chouteau and Marguerite Papin are almost certain to bequeens."

  Then, with a quick beat of the heart, I thought perhaps she had notliked it that they had been friendly and I had been polite. If hermanner to me could be so accounted for I was well content, for atleast it did not argue indifference.

  But before I could reply there was a great noise, outside on thegallery, of shuffling feet and smothered whispers, and mademoiselleclapped her hands and cried:

  "La Guignolee!" And at the same moment there arose, to the quaintestair, a chorus of men's voices:

  "Bon soir, le maitre et la maitresse, Et tout le monde du logis! Pour le premier jour de l'annee La Guignolee vous nous devez. Si vous n'avez rien a nous donner, Dites-nous le; Nous vous demandons pas grande chose, une echinee-- Une echinee n'est pas bien longue De quatre-vingt-dix pieds de longue. Encore nous demandons pas de grande chose, La fille ainee de la maison. Nous lui ferons faire bonne chere-- Nous lui ferons chauffer les pieds."

  Horrified at these last words of the song, I scarcely dared glance atmademoiselle; but when I did dare, to my amazement, she was smilinggood-humoredly, and I saw the words meant nothing to her. But thechorus was interrupted at that moment by a single voice which Irecognized at once as Josef Papin's, singing a ditty about doves andcuckoos and nightingales, and winding up by declaring that he wasdying for the soft eyes of his mistress. I saw that mademoisellerecognized the voice, too, and I was vexed to see the bright color anddowncast eyes that betokened she understood these words perfectly.

  But the chorus began again immediately:

  "Nous saluons la compagnie Et la prions nous excuser. Si l'on a fait quelque folie."

  (I thought this apology most becoming.)

  "C'etait pour vous desennuyer; Une autre fois nous prendrons garde Quand sera temps d'y revenir. Dansons la guenille, Dansons la guenille, Dansons la guenille!"

  And then the doors were flung open, and there burst in upon us amotley crew of grotesque and hideous masks, each one bearing a basketor bucket or sack, and all singing and shouting in every key and in notime:

  "Bon soir, le maitre et la maitresse, Et tout le monde du logis!"

  Madame Saugrain and mademoiselle sprang up from the table and ran tothe kitchen, returning with both hands full, and followed by aprocession of servants bringing eggs and sugar and butter and flourand poultry and wine--a goodly donation indeed for the Jour des Roisball, and for which the maskers showed their thanks by dancing _laguenille_, a truly Saturnalian performance, somewhat shocking to myEastern notions of propriety. But evidently neither the doctor nor hiswife nor mademoiselle saw any harm in it, for they applauded itgreatly, after the French fashion, by clapping of hands and crying"Encore!"

  Yorke had come in with the other servants from the kitchen, and it wasa sight to see his great eyes rolling in ecstasy and his white teethdisplayed from ear to ear as he watched the mummers, and I was notsurprised to see him follow them like one bewitched as they went uptoward the Rue des Granges to Paschal Cerre's house, singing:

  "Bon soir, le maitre et la maitresse, Et tout le monde du logis!"

  "You will be having Yorke dancing la guenille," I said to the captain,"when he gets back to Kentucky."

  "An he does," answered the captain, with a grim smile, "I willbastinado him." For I think the captain did not like some of thefigures of la guenille any better than did I.