A Daughter of the Union by Lucy Foster Madison
CHAPTER XXV
MADAME AGAIN
"You dear child," cried Madame embracing Jeanne rapturously. "You cannotimagine how desolate I have been at losing you. I was frantic when Ilearned you were left behind. We went back for you, but you had gone. Mafoi! You should have waited for our return."
"Your story being so amiably verified," said the provost beaming upon thegirl, "I am happy to say there is no reason why you should not return toyour relatives. I am charmed to have assisted in reuniting you to yourhonored family."
"We will never forget it," said the lady sweetly. "If we are ever sofortunate as to have the opportunity to repay the obligation, rest assuredthat we will gladly use it. My sweet child, is this your brother? TheOrderly spoke of him as we came down."
"Yes," said Jeanne hesitatingly. She was not at all pleased at the turnaffairs had taken, and did not relish the idea of being once more in thehands of Madame. "Yes, this is Dick, Uncle Ben. You know that he bearsyour name also: Richard Benjamin Vance."
She drew near Dick as she spoke, standing between Madame and her brother,and addressing herself to her uncle only.
"Richard, I am glad to see you," said Mr. Vance, seizing the boy's handand speaking so heartily that Dick was bewildered. "A prisoner, they tellme. Come! this won't do. We must have you with us for Clarisse to takecare of. She is a fine nurse!"
"I do not want to go," said Dick weakly. The long wait was beginning totell upon him. "After the way that my sister has been treated I preferto trust to the mercy of my enemies than to receive any benefits from you."
"My dear boy, has the little one been speaking of our differences? Therewere some, I believe. She is headstrong and self-willed, but what wouldyou? I desire to admonish her for disobedience as a mother might, andshe grieves me by thinking that I do not love her, but I adore her! Youshall both come to us, and you shall see for yourself."
"Yes," said Mr. Vance after a low conversation with the provost. "I havearranged with the officer here that you shall come with us to be takencare of. When you are well, then you must return to him. Orderly, can youget some one to assist me in lifting my nephew to the carriage?"
So in spite of themselves the brother and sister were placed in chargeof their uncle and his wife. The carriage bowled rapidly over the roughstreets and at last stopped before a large residence on the summit of oneof the hills.
The building was long and low roofed, built after the Southern fashionwith wide halls and broad galleries running the entire length of thehouse. It looked very inviting even to Jeanne who hovered protectinglyover her brother.
"She shan't misuse Dick," she declared, over and over again. "She shan'tharm him."
Dick was carried carefully into a large room and placed in a clean whitebed. A bright fire blazed upon the hearth and its heat was very welcomeafter the ride in the chill November air.
The boy, exhausted from his suffering and weak from loss of blood,fainted as they placed him on the couch and Mr. Vance hurriedly summoned aphysician. Jeanne found herself pushed to one side while Mr. and MadameVance worked over the unconscious lad, but when she saw that theirministrations were for his benefit she was content that it should be so.
The most unremitting attention and constant care were what the boyrequired declared the physician when he had made an examination. Thelong ride in the rough car and exposure to chill, rendered the best ofnursing imperative.
"If he does not have it he will die," he said. "Or if his wound breaksout afresh it will be fatal."
"He shall not die," cried Madame, with an adorable air of concern. "I willcare for him myself, doctor. He shall have the best of care."
"I do not doubt it, Madame, with you for his attendant," said thephysician, gallantly. "I leave him in good hands."
Jeanne saw with gratitude that Madame Vance did really give the best ofcare to her brother, and she gladly forgave the treatment to which she hadbeen subjected. Occasionally she even forgot her intention of calling heraunt "Aunt Clarisse," and the old "Cherie," came to her lips.
"Ole missus done got huh claws on yer ergain," Snowball said to Jeanneone morning. The negro girl had been enthusiastic in her greetings. "Iwuz moughty sorry ter see yer kum back ter huh ergain."
"I could not help it, Snowball. I know that she does not like me anybetter than she used to, but she is certainly kind to Dick and he needsthat now. Even mother could not nurse him more tenderly."
"She done got sum crotchet in huh haid," grumbled Snowball. "Done yer betuk in, lill' missy. She up ter sumthing."
The girl's words filled Jeanne with alarm. She had sometimes had the samethought, but when she saw Madame's devotion to her brother, she dismissedthe idea from her mind.
One day she sat by Dick's bedside alone. Madame had lain down for a littlerest, although the boy was not yet out of danger.
"Jeanne," said the weak voice of her brother presently.
"Yes, Dick," and the girl hastened to his side. "What is it?"
"I wonder and wonder," said the boy, in a far away voice, "why you told mewhat you did about Cherie. She is so good, so kind. The sweetest womanthat I ever knew besides my mother! Why, why did you tell me such awfulthings of her, Jeanne? They are not true."
Jeanne was aghast at the question. She stood, unable to answer, fearingto excite him by telling the truth and yet unwilling for him to be underthe impression that her story was false.
"Tell me," said Dick, weakly. "Why did you do it? I think of it always.It was not like you, Jeanne."
"Don't ask me, Dick," pleaded Jeanne, falling on her knees beside him."Wait until you are well and then we can talk it over."
"You dally," cried Dick, his eyes bright with fever. "I see how it is!You fibbed to me, Jeanne. I know you did."
"No, Dick, I did not," cried Jeanne, heartbroken at the thought that Dickcould believe such a thing of her. "Listen, and I will tell you all aboutit. Snowball can tell you too, if you do not believe me. But you will bequiet, Dick, won't you? You will be very, very quiet."
"You are not taking a very good way to get your brother well," exclaimedMadame, entering abruptly. "I will have to forbid you the room if youexcite him like this. Can't you let your tales of me wait until he isstrong enough to bear them?"
"Are they true?" asked Dick, looking up at her with eager eyes. "They arenot, are they?"
"Yes," cried Jeanne, indignantly. "They are true, Dick! As true as I live!Why should I tell you a falsehood?"
"Are they?" and Dick's eyes lingered on his aunt's questioningly.
"Dear boy," said Madame, caressing him, "believe what the little one tellsyou. Is she not your sister? Poor Cherie would rather die than to sayaught against her. Think what you like."
"I knew it," and Dick breathed a sigh of relief. "I knew that you couldnot be so wicked and cruel."
"Dick, Dick," cried his sister passionately. "You must believe me. It istrue. All that I tell you and more. Oh, Dick, turn away from that wickedwoman! Don't let her touch you! I will take care of you."
"I will leave you, Dick, my soldier boy," said the lady holding him closeto her. "Your sister can take care of you, as she says. There! I will go."
"No; I want you, Cherie," and the boy held her as tightly as his poor weakhands would allow. "I don't want Jeanne, I want you." Exhausted by theexcitement he sank back unconscious on his pillow.
Madame's eyes flashed triumphantly at the girl.
"Go," she said in her honey sweet accents which to the sensitive ear ofthe girl were full of bitterness. "Go, and let me repair the mischief youhave done. Blame yourself if this proves too much for him. His death willbe upon your shoulders."
With white face Jeanne crept from the room, and lay without the door whileher aunt summoned aid. After a time the lady joined her.
"Unhappy girl," she said, "you have almost killed your brother. It is dueto my skill alone that he lives. I forbid you to enter his room againuntil he is beyond danger. If you try to see him I cannot answer for theconsequences. Or perh
"Aunt Clarisse," answered Jeanne, every word of the woman going to herheart like the stab of a knife, "save him, and I will ask nothing more. Hemay love you best----" her voice faltered. "Only save him."
"I am going to," said Madame with emphasis. "Do you want to know why,my dear? Because I took a fancy to Monsieur Dick when you used to talkso about him. I adore a soldier! Had you been a boy I might have lovedyou. When the Orderly told us that you were here with your brother Icame down because I wanted to see him for myself. I saw him, petite.He is the picture of what my own boy would have been had he lived. Iwould not have come on your account, you little mudsill! You might havebeen sent to Libby prison for all I cared, but I wanted Dick. I want himfor myself. He cares for me now. By the time he is well he will adore me.Nay; he will be so fond of me that he will give up father, mother and eventhat beloved Union of which you prate so much because I wish it. Youshall see!"
"You will do this? Aunt Clarisse, you cannot. Dick believes in you now,but he will never love you better than he does mother. And he never will,no matter how much he likes you, give up his country."
"We shall see," and the lady laughed unpleasantly. "You would have saidyesterday that he loved you better, wouldn't you? Yet see! to-day heprefers me. He shall yet wear the gray of my own South."
Shaking her finger at the girl with pretended playfulness she reenteredDick's room leaving Jeanne full of misery.