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Updated: June 26, 2025
My new family consisted of the father, whose name was Pierre Acquin, two boys, Alexix and Benjamin, and two girls, Etiennette, the elder, and Lise, the youngest of the family. Lise was dumb. She was not born dumb, but just before her fourth birthday, through an illness, she had lost the power of speech.
This affliction, fortunately, had not impaired her intelligence; quite the contrary, her intelligence was developed to an extraordinary degree. She seemed to understand everything. And her sweet, pretty ways made her adored by the family. Since the mother had died, Etiennette had been mother to the family.
Then he kissed Etiennette, Alexix and Benny and gave Lise into her sister's care. I stood a little apart, but he came to me and kissed me affectionately, just like the others, and then they took him away. We all stood in the middle of the kitchen crying; not one of us had a word to say. Aunt Catherine arrived an hour later. We were still crying bitterly.
One by one our guests arrive and Lise and I stand in the hall to welcome them. There is Mr. Acquin, Aunt Catherine and Etiennette, and a bronze young man who has just returned from a botanical expedition and is now the famous botanist Benjamin Acquin. Then comes a young man and an old man. This journey is doubly interesting to them for when they leave us they are going to Wales to visit the mines.
They had to start at eight o'clock, and Aunt Catherine had ordered a cab to take them, first of all to the prison to say good-by to their father, and then each, with their baggage, to the different depots where they had to take their trains. At seven o'clock Etiennette, in her turn, took me in the garden. "I want to give you a little keepsake, Remi," she said.
"My children, my poor little ones!" he cried, when we all were there. He took Lise in his arms and began to sob. He said nothing more. What could he have said? It was a terrible catastrophe, but the consequences were still more terrible. I soon learned this from Etiennette. Ten years ago their father had bought the garden and had built the house himself.
"Listen," I said; "even if your aunts and uncles don't want me, I can see that you consider me one of the family." "Yes, yes," they all cried. Lise, who could not speak, just squeezed my hand and looked up at me with her big, beautiful eyes. "Well, I'm a brother, and I'll prove it," I said stoutly. "There's a job with Pernuit; shall I go over and speak to him to-morrow?" asked Etiennette.
It would be terrible for us if the wind broke ours. "I'll hurry ahead with Benny and Alexix," the father said. "Remi can come on with Etiennette and Lise." They rushed off. Etiennette and I followed more slowly with Lise. No one laughed now. The sky grew darker. The storm was coming quickly.
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