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As they receded, the man in grey, before the Pieter de Hooghe, looked up, smiled, dropped his eyeglass, and resumed his place beside Madame Cervin. She made a gesture of introduction, and he bowed across her to the young stranger. For the first time Elise perceived him. A look of annoyance and disgust crossed her face. 'Do you see, she said, turning to Lenain; 'there is that animal, Montjoie?
'Monsieur David, warn your sister that that man with the Cervins this morning the man in grey, the sculptor, M. Montjoie is a disreputable scoundrel that no decent woman should know. David was taken aback. 'And Madame Cervin Elise raised her shoulders. 'I don't offer a solution, she said; 'but I have warned you. 'Monsieur Cervin has a somewhat strange appearance, said David, hesitating.
Louie pushed past her, flew downstairs, and rang the Cervins' bell violently. Madame Cervin herself opened the door, and the girl threw herself upon her, dragged her into the salon, and then said with the look and tone of a fury: 'Read that! She held out the crumbled letter. Madame Cervin adjusted her spectacles with shaking hands. 'But it is in English! she cried in despair.
'I asked you to take care of my sister, and I find her like this, before a crowd of men neither she nor I have ever seen before! Madame Cervin swept her hand grandiloquently round. 'Monsieur has his remedy! Let him take his sister. He stood silent in a helpless and obvious perplexity. What, saddle himself afresh after these intoxicating hours of liberty and happiness?
So that when the artist's wife undertook the charge of the good-looking English girl she had done it honestly, up to her lights, and she had fulfilled it honestly. She had in fact hardly let Louie Grieve out of her sight since her boarder was handed over to her. These facts, however, represent only one side of the situation. Madame Cervin was now respectable.
Since David's adoration for the girl artist in No. 27 had become more or less public property, Madame Cervin, who had seen from the beginning that Louie was a burden on her brother, had decidedly the best of the situation. 'Has she lent Montjoie money? Elise meditated. The little bourgeoise had a curious weakness for posing as the patron of the various artists in the house.
As to Madame Cervin, she was a little fool, and her meanness in money matters was disgraceful; but she, Louie, could put up with her. One of these meetings took place on the day of his letters to the bank and to John. Louie asked him abruptly when he thought of returning. He flushed deeply, stammered, said he was inclined to stay longer, but of course she could be sent home.
To hear a man speak of Croz as a friend sounded almost unbelievable, though a moment's thought told her that Whymper, who led the attack on the hitherto impregnable Cervin on that July day in 1865, was still living, a keen Alpinist. She could not refrain from asking Stampa one question, though she imagined that he was now in a hurry to take the damaged carriage back to St. Moritz.
In the distance there was a group of white, unequal, flat, or pointed mountain summits, which glistened in the sun; the Mischabel with its two peaks, the huge group of the Weisshorn, the heavy Brunegghorn, the lofty and formidable pyramid of Mount Cervin, that slayer of men, and the Dent-Blanche, that monstrous coquette.
'There is a priest at that church with the steps, you know, near that cemetery place on the hill, who is very much interested in me indeed. He speaks English. I used to go to confession. Madame Cervin told me all about it, and how to do it; I did it exact! Oh, if I am to be married, that will make it plain sailing enough. It was awkward while
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