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Your lace-mender is too good for you, but not good enough for me; neither physically nor morally does she come up to my ideal of a woman. Your Mdlle. Henri is in person "chetive", in mind "sans caractere", compared with the queen of my visions.
No fire was there, however, and no fuel laid ready to light; the lace-mender was unable to allow herself that indulgence, especially now when, deprived by death of her sole relative, she had only her own unaided exertions to rely on.
Goujet developed a very deep affection for Gervaise in this atmosphere of unselfish devotion. One day he said to the invalid, "Well, old man, now you're patched up again! I wasn't worried about you. Your wife works miracles." Goujet was supposed to be getting married. His mother had found a suitable girl, a lace-mender like herself, whom she was urging him to marry.
But just at the time that Fausta ought to have been apprenticed, the silk-trade, which, as I said before, had been going down for several years, failed altogether, and Fausta had to sell her loom for what it would bring. Then she thought that she would like to learn lace-mending: so the contessa got her a lace-cushion, and apprenticed her to a lace-mender for four years.
And Gervaise accepted. Goujet had told his mother. They crossed the landing, and went to see her at once. The lace-mender was very grave, and looked rather sad as she bent her face over her tambour-frame. She would not thwart her son, but she no longer approved Gervaise's project; and she plainly told her why. Coupeau was going to the bad; Coupeau would swallow up her shop.
She was no longer punctual, never came at the time arranged, and would keep her customers waiting for days on end. Little by little she was giving way to a system of thorough disorder. "For a week past I've been expecting you," continued the lace-mender.
I earned money a little, and this money I grave for lessons in the studies I have mentioned; some of it I spent in buying books, English books especially; soon I shall try to find a place of governess, or school-teacher, when I can write and speak English well; but it will be difficult, because those who know I have been a lace-mender will despise me, as the pupils here despise me.
Hunsden would as little have thought of taking a wife from a caste inferior to his own, as a Stanley would think of mating with a Cobden. I enjoyed the surprise I should give; I enjoyed the triumph of my practice over his theory; and leaning over the table, and uttering the words slowly but with repressed glee, I said concisely "She is a lace-mender." Hunsden examined me.
A lace-mender may make a good wife as well as a lady; but of course you have taken care to ascertain thoroughly that since she has not education, fortune or station, she is well furnished with such natural qualities as you think most likely to conduce to your happiness. Has she many relations?" "None in Brussels." "That is better. Relations are often the real evil in such cases.
"I'm afraid," he murmured, humbly "I'm afraid I don't know how to express myself, but what I want to say is that she is not what the world would call a lady, just a simple lace-mender, real 'ladies' would not ask her to their houses, or make a friend of her, perhaps "
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