登陆注册
26503500000123

第123章 ``CHERCHEZ LA FEMME''(3)

``To be sure,'' said he.``Au revoir, Monsieur.Au revoir, Mademoiselle.Plus tard, Mademoiselle; nous danserons plus tard.''

``What devil inhabits you?'' I said, when I had got him started on the way to Madame Chouteau's.

``Your own, at present, Davy,'' he answered, laying a hand on my shoulder, ``else I should be on the way to the pon' with Lenoir.But the ball is to come,'' and he executed several steps in anticipation.``Davy, I am sorry for you.''

``Why?'' I demanded, though feeling a little self-commiseration also.

``You will never know how to enjoy yourself,'' said he, with conviction.

Madame Chouteau lived in a stone house, wide and low, surrounded by trees and gardens.It was a pretty tribute of respect her children and grandchildren paid her that day, in accordance with the old French usage of honoring the parent.I should like to linger on the scene, and tell how Nick made them all laugh over the story of Suzanne Lenoir and the yellow birds, and how the children pressed around him and made him imitate all the denizens of wood and field, amid deafening shrieks of delight.

``You have probably delayed Gaspard's wooing another year, Mr.Temple.Suzanne is a sad coquette,'' said Colonel Auguste Chouteau, laughing, as we set out for the ball.

The sun was hanging low over the western hills as we approached the barracks, and out of the open windows came the merry, mad sounds of violin, guitar, and flageolet, the tinkle of a ******** now and then, the shouts of laughter, the shuffle of many feet over the puncheons.

Within the door, smiling and benignant, unmindful of the stifling atmosphere, sat the black-robed village priest talking volubly to an elderly man in a scarlet cap, and several stout ladies ranged along the wall: beyond them, on a platform, Zeron, the baker, fiddled as though his life depended on it, the perspiration dripping from his brow, frowning, gesticulating at them with the flageolet and the ********.And in a dim, noisy, heated whirl the whole village went round and round and round under the low ceiling in the valse, young and old, rich and poor, high and low, the sound of their laughter and the scraping of their feet cut now and again by an agonized squeak from Zeron's fiddle.From time to time a staggering, panting couple would fling themselves out, help themselves liberally to pink sirop from the bowl on the side table, and then fling themselves in once more, until Zeron stopped from sheer exhaustion, to tune up for a pas de deux.

Across the room, by the sirop bowl, a pair of red ribbons flaunted, a pair of eyes sent a swift challenge, Zeron and his assistants struck up again, and there in a corner was Nick Temple, with characteristic effrontery attempting a pas de deux with Suzanne.Though Nick was ignorant, he was not ungraceful, and the village laughed and admired.

And when Zeron drifted back into a valse he seized Suzanne's plump figure in his arms and bore her, unresisting, like a prize among the dancers, avoiding alike the fat and unwieldy, the clumsy and the spiteful.For a while the tune held its mad pace, and ended with a shriek and a snap on a high note, for Zeron had broken a string.Amid a burst of laughter from the far end of the room I saw Nick stop before an open window in which a prying Indian was framed, swing Suzanne at arm's length, and bow abruptly at the brave with a grunt that startled him into life.

``Va-t'en, mechant!'' shrieked Suzanne, excitedly.

Poor Gaspard! Poor Hippolyte! They would gain Suzanne for a dance only to have her snatched away at the next by the slim and reckless young gentleman in the gray court clothes.Little Nick cared that the affair soon became the amusement of the company.From time to time, as he glided past with Suzanne on his shoulder, he nodded gayly to Colonel Chouteau or made a long face at me, and to save our souls we could not help laughing.

``The girl has met her match, for she has played shuttle-cock with all the hearts in the village,'' said Monsieur Chouteau.``But perhaps it is just as well that Mr.Temple is leaving to-night.I have signed a bon, Mr.Ritchie, by which you can obtain money at New Orleans.And do not forget to present our letter to Monsieur de Saint Gre.

He has a daughter, by the way, who will be more of a match for your friend's fascinations than Suzanne.''

The evening faded into twilight, with no signs of weariness from the dancers.And presently there stood beside us Jean Baptiste Lenoir, the Colonel's miller.

``B'soir, Monsieur le Colonel,'' he said, touching his skull-cap, ``the water is very low.You fren','' he added, turning to me, ``he stay long time in St.Louis?''

``He is going away to-night,--in an hour or so,'' Ianswered, with thanksgiving in my heart.

``I am sorry,'' said Monsieur Lenoir, politely, but his looks belied his words.``He is ver' fond Suzanne.Peut etre he marry her, but I think not.I come away from France to escape the fine gentlemen; long time ago they want to run off with my wife.She was like Suzanne.''

``How long ago did you come from France, Monsieur?''

I asked, to get away from an uncomfortable subject.

``It is twenty years,'' said he, dreamily, in French.``Iwas born in the Quartier Saint Jean, on the harbor of the city of Marseilles near Notre Dame de la Nativite.'' And he told of a tall, uneven house of four stories, with a high pitched roof, and a little barred door and window at the bottom giving out upon the rough cobbles.He spoke of the smell of the sea, of the rollicking sailors who surged through the narrow street to embark on his Majesty's men-of-war, and of the King's white soldiers in ranks of four going to foreign lands.And how he had become a farmer, the tenant of a country family.Excitement grew on him, and he mopped his brow with his blue rumal handkerchief.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 腹黑小皇后

    腹黑小皇后

    有一种腹黑,叫一心二用。有一种天才,叫惊才绝艳。有一种好运,叫风头无二。还有一种倒霉,叫:天妒英才。某娘娘笑眯眯,托腮望:阿喂,你们妄议本宫的是非,不怕掉脑袋、诛九族吗?
  • 当极品遇到奇葩

    当极品遇到奇葩

    巧合?阴谋?这电视偶像剧里才有的狗血剧情,竟在她身上一幕幕上演了!一个曾有轻微抑郁症的人,竟天降幸运!可许欢儿她似乎并不快乐?她是极品?那奇葩又在哪?她的命运,又有谁会知晓……本文纯属作者满足自己欲望,如有雷同纯属意外!本文作者是一学生党,所以更新会很慢、很慢,敬请谅解。本文是作者处女座,语言羞涩,敬请谅解。作者分不清『的得地』,敬请谅解。
  • 七缪

    七缪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 天亮散文

    天亮散文

    本书收录了《娘,过年好》、《芹業与小公鸡》、《母亲的石榴花》等散文作品。
  • 宁古塔地方乡土志

    宁古塔地方乡土志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 重生万岁

    重生万岁

    重生前,他是平庸的商人。媳妇儿跟别人翘腿,中了500万大奖还遭人暗害。重生后,他是经历了血与火考验的铮铮铁汉,是华丽灯光下的商业巨星。是堂堂人大代表。是灯红酒绿下,无数少女少妇梦中的英雄。家徒四壁,母亲下岗,蜗居在简陋的棚户区,重获新生的他靠着前世的记忆和执着用自己的一腔热血,在这璀璨的星空下,建立了一座属于他自己的丰碑!
  • 三公主之浪漫复仇

    三公主之浪漫复仇

    三个本该辛福的女孩,遭到变故,十年后,又以一个新的身份回来复仇,在复仇的道路上她们遇到爱情,又经过重重考验,终于过上辛福的生活
  • 蛮妻迷人,BOSS恋恋不忘

    蛮妻迷人,BOSS恋恋不忘

    她是小迷糊,表白弄错对象,错惹了高冷男神,却因此得到了他的宠爱。她爱他,他宠她,为了保护她,不得不忍痛把她推开,她痛,他更痛。登堂入室的小三,一而再再而三的挑衅她,她忍,他故意冷落她,对她视而不见,她也忍,但当她面对他拥着小三在自己面前现场直播激情真人秀,并向她扔去一份离婚协议书时,她忍不了了。
  • 背弃少妇成功记

    背弃少妇成功记

    一个对爱对家庭充满憧憬的女人,尝试了男人的背弃。她的世界失去了色彩,可坚毅的性格使她找到了目标,通过自己的努力成就一个商业帝国,男人只是她的群下臣,商业巨头也得看她脸色行事。拥有她的男人,虽然放弃了巨大的森林,却得到了全世界。
  • 傲战九重天

    傲战九重天

    傲战,一个青龙神族的龙血传承,踏上了武修之途,从此一路平步青云,扶摇直上。且看一个拥有神族血脉的少年如何踏上弱肉强食,逐鹿争雄的世界里一路崛起,纵横众国战场,大杀四方武神,傲战九重天!老子要傲战这个武道世界,藐视我者,管他是天王老子,一律不留余地,让他付出双倍的代价-----《傲战法则》