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I told him that I was offering it as a token of affection to my foster mother. "Her name?" he demanded. "Madame Barberin of Chavanon," I replied. "The wife of a mason who met with a serious accident in Paris a few years ago. I know her. That also will be verified." "Oh!..." I became very confused.
His part was great, for I am sure that without him, Capi and I could not have collected anything like the sum of one hundred and twenty-eight francs! From Varses to Chavanon we could easily gain the twenty-two francs that we were short.
She looked very fine; she walked along slowly, swaying a little, holding herself like an animal that is aware of her value. I did not want to tire her out, so I decided not to get to Chavanon that evening late; better, I thought, get there early in the morning.
"It's till death doth us part now, Mattia," I said. "I knew that long ago," he replied, smiling at me with his great, dark eyes. We heard that there was going to be an important cattle fair at Ussel, so we decided to go there and buy the cow. It was on our way to Chavanon.
A very rich family it is, that you've got, my boy, my young gentleman." "And where do they live and what is their name?" "Barberin wouldn't tell us anything. He was that mysterious. He wanted to get all the reward for himself." "Didn't he leave any papers?" "No, nothing except one that said he came from Chavanon. If we hadn't found that, we couldn't have let his wife know he's dead."
Leading our cow by the rope and walking with heads held high, we glanced over our shoulders at the villagers, who were standing on their doorsteps staring at us. I did not want to tire our cow, but I was in a hurry to get to Chavanon that same day, so we set out briskly. By evening we had almost reached my old home.
The jonquils were opening their golden petals; the birds were singing in the trees and on the hedges. Yes, and Mother Barberin was hanging out the clothes that she had just washed in the brook, which rippled over the pebbles. Then I left Chavanon, and joined Arthur and Mrs. Milligan on the Swan. Then my eyes closed again, my heart seemed to grow heavy, and I remembered no more.
How happy she would be if I gave her a cow, and how proud I should be. Before arriving at Chavanon I would buy a cow and Mattia would lead it by a rope, right into Mother Barberin's yard. Mattia would say to her: "Here is a cow I've brought you." "A cow!" she would say; "you've made a mistake, my boy," and she would sigh.
So now I ought not to harbor any bitterness against him. I soon reached the Hotel du Cantal which was only a hotel in name, being nothing better than a miserable lodging house. "I want to see a man named Barberin; he comes from Chavanon," I said to a dirty old woman who sat at a desk. She was very deaf and asked me to repeat what I had said. "Do you know a man named Barberin?" I shouted.
We searched everywhere for you but we did not go so far as Paris. We thought that you were dead until three months ago when this woman was dying she confessed the truth. I went over to France at once and the police in that locality where you had been left, told me that you had been adopted by a mason named Barberin who lived at Chavanon.
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