The Invasion of France in 1814 by Erckmann-Chatrian

  CHAPTER XVII

  ROUND THE FESTIVE BOARD

  At the end of the dark alley was the yard of the farm, into which onedescended by five or six well-worn steps. On the left were the granaryand the wine-press; to the right the stables and pigeon-cot, the gablesof which stood out black on the dark cloudy sky; and in front of thedoor was the laundry.

  No sound from the outside reached the yard. After so many tumultuousscenes, Hullin was impressed by the deep silence. He looked up at thepiles of straw hanging from the beams of the granary roof, the ploughsand carts in the shadows of the outhouses, and an inexpressible feelingof calm and repose came over him. A cock was roosting quietly amongthe hens on the wall. A big cat, darting quickly by, disappearedthrough a hole into the cellar. Hullin thought himself in a dream.

  After a few moments spent in silent contemplation, he walked slowlytoward the laundry, the three windows of which shone brightly in thedarkness: for the farm-kitchen not being large enough for preparingfood for three or four hundred men, it was now being used for thepurposes of cooking.

  Master Jean-Claude heard Louise's clear voice giving orders in aresolute tone, which astonished him.

  "Now, Katel, quick! supper-time is near. Our people must be hungry.Since six in the morning they have taken nothing, and have beenfighting all the time. They must not be kept waiting. Come, bestiryourself, Lessele; bring the salt and pepper!"

  Jean-Claude's heart leaped within him at the sound of this voice. Hecould not help gazing for a minute through the window before entering.

  The kitchen was large, with low whitewashed ceiling. A beechwood firecrackled on the hearth, its red flames encircling the sides of animmense kettle. The charming figure of Louise, wearing her shortpetticoat so as to move unimpeded, a bright color in her face, theshort red body of her dress leaving uncovered her round shoulders andwhite neck, stood out clearly in the foreground. She was in all thebustle of the occasion, coming and going, tasting the soup and sauceswith a knowing air, and approving and criticising everything.

  "A little more salt! Lessele, have you almost done plucking that greatlean cock? At this rate we shall never have finished!"

  It was delightful to see her thus busily commanding. It brought tearsinto Hullin's eyes.

  The two daughters of the anabaptist--one tall, thin, and pale, with herlarge flat feet encased in round shoes, her red hair fastened up in alittle black cap, her blue stuff dress falling in folds to her heels;the other fat, slowly lifting up one foot after the other, and waddlingalong like a duck--forming a striking contrast to Louise.

  The stout Katel went panting about without saying a word, while Lesseleperformed everything in her sleepy methodical way.

  The worthy anabaptist himself, seated at the end of the room, with hislegs crossed on a wooden chair, his cotton cap on his head, and hishands in his blouse pockets, looked on with a wondering air, addressingto them sententious exhortations from time to time: "Lessele, Katel! beobedient, my children. Let this be for your instruction. You have notyet seen the world. You must be quicker and sharper."

  "Yes, yes, you must bestir yourselves," added Louise. "Gracious! whatshould become of us if we stood thinking months and weeks beforeputting a little onion into a sauce! Lessele, you are the tallest,unhook me that parcel of onions from the ceiling."

  The girl obeyed.

  Hullin had never felt prouder in his life.

  "How she makes them move about!" thought he. "Ah! ha! ha! she is likea little hussar. I never should have believed it."

  After having watched them for five minutes, he went into the room.

  "Well done, my children!"

  Louise was holding a soup-ladle at the time. She let it fall, andthrew herself into his arms, crying: "Papa Jean-Claude, is it you? youare not wounded? Nothing is the matter with you?"

  At the sound of this voice, Hullin turned pale, and could make noreply. After a long silence, pressing her to his heart, he said: "No,Louise, I am quite well; I am very happy."

  "Sit down, Jean-Claude," said the anabaptist, seeing him trembling withemotion; "here, take my chair."

  Hullin sat down, and Louise, with her arms on his shoulder, began tocry.

  "What is the matter, my child?" said the worthy man, kissing her."Come, calm thyself. Only a few seconds ago thou wert so courageous."

  "Oh, yes, but I was only acting; I was very much afraid. I thought,'Why does he not come?'"

  She threw her arms round his neck. Then a strange idea came into herhead. She took him by the hand, crying: "Papa Jean-Claude, let usdance, let us dance!"

  And they made three or four turns. Hullin could not help laughing, andturning toward the grave anabaptist, said: "We are rather mad, Pelsly;do not let that astonish you."

  "No, Master Hullin, it is quite natural. King David himself dancedbefore the ark after his great victory over the Philistines."

  Jean-Claude, astonished to find that he was like King David, made noreply.

  "And thou, Louise," he continued, stopping, "thou wert not afraidduring this last battle?"

  "Oh, at first, with all the noise and the roaring of the cannons; butafterward I only thought of you and of Mamma Lefevre."

  Master Jean-Claude grew silent again.

  "I knew," thought he, "that she was a brave girl. She has everythingin her favor."

  Louise taking him by the hand, then led him to a regiment of pansaround the fire, and showed him with delight her kitchen.

  "Here is the beef and roast mutton, here is General Jean-Claude'ssupper, and here is the soup for our wounded. Haven't we been busy!Lessele and Katel would tell you so. And here is our bread," said she,pointing to a long row of loaves arranged on the table. "Mamma Lefevreand I mixed up the flour."

  Hullin looked on astonished.

  "But that is not all," said she; "come over here."

  She took off the lid of a saucepan, and the kitchen was immediatelyfilled with a savory odor which would have rejoiced the heart of agourmand.

  Jean-Claude was deeply touched by all these proofs of attention to thewants of his men.

  Just then Mother Lefevre came in.

  "Well," said she, "prepare the table; everybody is waiting over there.Come, Katel, go and lay the cloth."

  The girl went running out to do so.

  They all crossed the dark yard and made their way toward the largeroom. Doctor Lorquin, Dubois, Marc Dives, Materne, and his two boys,all very hungry, were awaiting the soup impatiently.

  "How about our wounded, doctor?" said Hullin, on entering.

  "They have all been attended to, Master Jean-Claude. You have given usplenty of work to do; but the weather is favorable; there is nothing tofear from putrid fevers; things wear a pleasant aspect."

  Katel, Lessele, and Louise soon came in bearing an immense tureen ofsmoking soup and two sirloins of roast beef, which they deposited onthe table. They all sat down without ceremony--old Materne to theright of Jean-Claude, Catherine Lefevre to the left; and from that timethe clatter of spoons and forks and the gurgling of the bottles tookthe place of conversation till half-past eight in the evening. Theglow which might be seen from the outside upon the windows, proved thatthe volunteers were doing justice to Louise's cookery, whichcontributed greatly to the enjoyment of her guests.

  At nine o'clock Marc Dives was on his way to Falkenstein with theprisoners. At ten everybody was asleep at the farm, on the plateau,and around the watchfires. The silence was only broken by the passingof the patrols and the challenge of the sentinels.

  Thus terminated, this great day, after the mountaineers had proved thatthey had not degenerated from their ancestors.

  Other events, not less important, were soon to succeed those which hadalready taken place: for in this world, when one obstacle issurmounted, others present themselves. Human life resembles a restlesssea: one wave follows another from the old world to the new, andnothing arrests its ever-lasting movement.