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Above the Gerards, in one of the mansards upon the sixth floor, lived a printer named Combarieu, with his wife or mistress the concierge did not know which, nor did it matter much. The woman had just deserted him, leaving a child of eight years.
As a reward for passing his examinations in law, Madame Roger took her son with her on a trip to Italy, and they had just left France together. As to the poor Gerards, just one month after M. Violette's death, the old engraver died suddenly, of apoplexy, at his work; and on that day there were not fifty francs in the house.
Not only Louise, the eldest of the Gerards a large girl now, having been to her first communion, dressing her hair in bands, and wearing white waists not only Louise, who had become a good musician, had made the piano submit to long tortures, but her sister Maria, and Amedee also, already played the 'Bouquet de Bal' or 'Papa, les p'tits bateaux'. Rosine, too, in her character of street urchin, knew all the popular songs, and spent entire hours in picking out the airs with one finger upon the old instrument.
Was not Maurice a good-hearted young man and well brought up? Had he not seen him conduct himself with tact and reserve before Colonel Lantz's daughters? Some days later Maurice reminded him of the promised visit to the Gerards, and Amedee presented him to his old friends.
In the evening he went to the Gerards, and they seated themselves around the lamp which stood on the dining-room table, the father reading his journal, the women sewing. He chatted with Maria, who answered him the greater part of the time without raising her eyes, because she suspected, the coquette! that he admired her beautiful, drooping lids.
He spent some time with the poets, forcing himself to be more gracious and friendly than ever, and left them persuaded the unsuspecting child! that he had disarmed them by his modesty; and very impatient to share his joy with his friends, the Gerards, he quickly walked the length of Montmartre and reached them just at their dinner hour.
"I've heard so pleasantly of you from Gerald Erroll," he said, "and of course our people have always been on cordial terms. Neither Mrs. Fane nor I was fortunate enough to meet you last Tuesday at the Gerards such a crush, you know. Are you not joining us, Captain Selwyn?" as the servant appeared to take orders.
This is a real man's-size tribulation, so of course I run to you. Simon Legree is at his tricks again." "Legree!" The girl nodded her blond head vigorously. "Yes! He's stolen Mrs. St. Claire's slaves, and she and Little Eva are out in the cold." "What the deuce are you talking about?" "Gordon, of course, and the two Gerards, Natalie and Gloria 'Town Hall, To-night. Come one, Come all!" "Oh!"
At least, honest-hearted fellow that he was, he avowed his humble origin without shame, boasted of his humble friends the Gerards, praised Louise's goodness, and spoke enthusiastically of little Maria, who was just sixteen and so pretty. "You will take me to see them some time, will you not?" said Maurice, who listened to his friend with his natural good grace.
At the Gerards, where they carried him and the kind neighbor dressed him, they told him that his mother had gone for a long time, a very long time; that he must love his papa very much and think only of him; and other things that he could not understand and dared not ask the meaning of, but which filled him with consternation. It was strange!
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