"Shall I see my kind friend soon?"

Denise often determined to be sensible, to drive her insane pa.s.sion from her heart, and to think no more of Auguste. Then she would go out to seek distraction in the fields; but, whether by chance or from preference, she always found herself on the narrow path in the wood, where she fell from her donkey.

XXVI

THE RETURN

One lovely spring evening Denise sat under the shrubbery in the garden, reading, while Coco played in front of the cottage, beside the old peasant woman, who had fallen asleep on a bench.

Happening to look out on the road, Coco saw a man standing there, apparently gazing at the house, and so engrossed by his thoughts that he did not notice the child playing near by.

The man was not dressed like a peasant; a gray woolen jacket, trousers with gaiters, and a bundle slung over his shoulder, seemed to indicate a traveller. He wore a shabby round cap, and in his hand he carried a stick which he evidently needed to lean upon; for his face was pale and worn, and his long beard and the expression of his eyes denoted poverty and suffering.

Coco stole toward him, staring at the stranger with childish curiosity and was surprised to see tears falling from his eyes as he gazed at the cottage.

The child had learned from Denise to be compa.s.sionate to the sufferings of the unfortunate. He stood in front of the stranger and said in an artless and kindly tone:

"Are you unhappy, monsieur? If you'd like to rest in our house, come in and we'll give you some supper."

The child's voice startled the stranger, he started in surprise and scrutinized Coco closely; then he took his hand and squeezed it tenderly, saying in a voice choked by emotion:

"What! is it you, my friend?"

The boy, surprised to be addressed in that way, answered with a smile:

"Do you know me, monsieur?"

The wayfarer sighed, and replied after a moment:

"Yes, I saw you once, long ago, here, on this spot; but at that time, instead of this pretty cottage, there was only an old ruined hovel here!

What a transformation has taken place!"

"Oh! it was my good friend who gave me the money for all this; for that's my house, monsieur, that is; but when he comes back, I'll thank him ever so much!"

The stranger pressed the child's hand again, as he continued:

"Won't you come in? Come, I'll tell Denise that you're going to have supper with us."

"Denise! what, is Denise here?" exclaimed the stranger, detaining the child.

"Yes, monsieur, we've lived together ever since her dear aunt died."

"And is Denise married?"

"No, monsieur.--Well, are you coming?"

After a moment's hesitation, the stranger decided to follow the child, who took his hand and led him into the house.

"Denise! Denise!" cried Coco, "here's some company! here's a gentleman, who's hungry!--You are hungry, ain't you?--Denise, come, I say!"

But Denise was at the end of the garden and did not hear the child's voice; so he ran to the thicket of shrubbery to fetch her, and the stranger slowly followed him.

"Dear Denise," said Coco, "I just saw a man on the road who looked very unhappy, and I asked him to come into the house; we'll give him some supper, won't we?"

"Yes, my dear."

"I did well to bring him in, for he looks as if he was poor; and yet he didn't beg."

"Yes, you did well; let's go to him."

"Look, he has followed me--there he is."

The stranger had stopped at a little distance and was looking at Denise; the last rays of daylight rested on his face, and the girl examined him with interest as she walked toward him. But she had not taken four steps when she gave a little cry and ran, flew toward the stranger.

"Auguste!--Monsieur--is it you?"

That was all she could say; and Auguste, for he it was, received her in his arms.

"Denise! dear Denise!" said Auguste, pressing to his heart the girl whom surprise and joy had almost deprived of consciousness.

At last she recovered the power of speech.

"Coco, it is your kind friend," she cried, "your benefactor has come back! Come and kiss him."

The child stared at Auguste in open-mouthed amazement; he had difficulty in reconciling himself to the idea that that shabbily dressed man with the long beard was his benefactor; but if his eyes did not recognize his kind friend, his heart was not silent: something drew him to the stranger, so that he ran joyfully to Auguste and kissed him, and the latter abandoned himself for some moments to the pleasure of holding the child and the girl in his arms.

"So you knew me, did you, Denise?" he said at last.

"Oh! always! I shall always recognize you! Even if your face were not the same, my heart would tell me that it was you."

"Dear Denise!"

"Well, I didn't know you, my kind friend," said Coco, "because you've got a beard; and then, you were crying."

"Alas! you did not expect to see me in this pitiable costume, did you?"

"Oh! we expected you, dressed no matter how! In our eyes, aren't you always well dressed? But when I see you like this, I fear that you have been unfortunate; and that is what grieves me."

"Yes, Denise, yes, I have been unfortunate, but I have earned it! It's my own folly that has reduced me to this condition! But as I still have your friendship and this little fellow's, I feel that I have not lost all."

"Oh! monsieur, is it possible that you could doubt our hearts?"

"What would you have? misfortune often makes men unjust. I was wrong, I see. I will tell you everything that has happened to me, Denise; I will tell you frankly what I have done; you are the last one from whom I would conceal my shortcomings, for I am sure beforehand that you will forgive me."

"Oh! I am so glad to see you again, monsieur! But come in and sit down in the house, and rest; you must want something to eat and drink."