United States or Lithuania ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
After the death of her mother, some whispers of hidden treasures known only to herself, a rumor which she had cunningly set afloat, excited the cupidity of Louis Dodier, a simple habitan of St. Valier, and drew him into a marriage with her. It was a barren union. No child followed, with God's grace in its little hands, to create a mother's feelings and soften the callous heart of La Corriveau.
Valier by water, and return with La Corriveau by land. Do you understand? Bring her in to-night, and not before midnight. I will leave the door ajar for you to enter without noise; you will show her at once to my apartment, Fanchon! Be wary, and do not delay, and say not a word to mortal!" "I will not, my Lady.
"I think she does, my Lady, you cannot live in a chimney with another without both getting black alike, and Mere Malheur is a black witch as sure as my aunt is a white one," was Fanchon's reply. "What said your aunt on leaving?" asked her mistress. "I did not see her leave, my Lady; I only learned from Ambroise Gariepy that she had crossed the river this morning to return to St. Valier."
Valier; going to see her, eh?" asked the other boatman, with a slight display of curiosity. "Yes, I am going to visit my aunt Dodier; why should I not? She has crocks of gold buried in the house, I can tell you that, Pierre Ceinture!" "Going to get some from La Corriveau, eh? crocks of gold, eh?" said Paul La Crosse. "La Corriveau has medicines, too! get some, eh?" asked Pierre Ceinture.
Fanchon Dodier, in obedience to the order of her mistress, started early in the day to bear the message entrusted to her for La Corriveau. She did not cross the river and take the king's highway, the rough though well-travelled road on the south shore which led to St. Valier.
La Corriveau was vain of her feet, which would have made her fortune, as she thought with bitterness, anywhere but in St. Valier. She sat musing in her chair, not noticing the presence of her niece, who stood for a moment looking and hesitating before accosting her. Her countenance bore, when she was alone, an expression of malignity which made Fanchon shudder.
I will have you burnt for a witch, and your ashes strewn all over St. Valier!" La Corriveau spat contemptuously upon the floor at the holy name. "You are a fool, Angelique des Meloises, to speak thus to me! Do you know who and what I am? You are a poor butterfly to flutter your gay wings against La Corriveau; but still I like your spirit! women like you are rare.
Ha, ha! who would have thought that! and yet I remember she made a soft fool of me for a minute in the wood of St. Valier!" La Corriveau spoke in a hard tone, as if in reproving Mere Malheur she was also reproving herself. "She is unlike any other woman I ever saw," replied the crone, ashamed of her unwonted sympathy. "The devil is clean out of her as he is out of a church."
When did you see Dame Dodier?" asked she, really anxious to learn what had become of La Corriveau. "She returned home this morning, my Lady! I had not seen her for days before, but supposed she had already gone back to St. Valier, but Aunt Dodier is a strange woman, and tells no one her business."
She is married to my uncle Louis Dodier, but is a lady, by right of her mother, who came from France, and was once familiar with all the great dames of the Court. It was a great secret why her mother left France and came to St. Valier; but I never knew what it was.
Word Of The Day