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Updated: May 19, 2025
He squeezed his body into the least possible space, and watched the farmer with anxious eyes. Mr. Rougeant passed by without noticing him. Frank heard him shut the door, bolt it, and oh, misery turn a key in a latch. Mr. Rougeant again directed his steps towards him. When he came near to him, Frank was dreadfully alarmed to see the farmer looking straight in his direction.
"Ah, but dear me," she exclaimed as she caught sight of the pair, "what has Mr. Rougeant been doing now?" "I fell in the quarry," said the farmer gruffly, "go and prepare some dry clothing, be quick, make haste." Jeanne immediately did as she was bid. She did not leave the room, however, without casting an inquisitive glance at Frank. "Adèle," shouted Mr.
On her devolved the duties of hostess, which she endeavoured to discharge conscientiously. She led her guest into the parlour where Mr. Rougeant was seated before a fire in an easy-chair. Frank shook hands with him and inquired how he felt. "Not too bad, thank you," he replied, and beckoning Frank to a chair close to him, he began to converse about his farm.
Rougeant went on: "Farmers' sons do not want to work now. Every one rails at manual labour. If this state of things goes on, the island will soon be a mass of ruined and dissipated human beings. The honourable people who have a pedigree they can boast of, are mixing with foreigners, whom no one knows whence they have sprung from.
He saw this, so did his wife, but neither seemed to care much; they were buoyed up by a false hope, always waiting for something unexpected to turn up, which would rescue them from this abyss. Mrs. Soher was Mr. Rougeant's sister. They were the only children of the late Charles Rougeant, of "Les Marches."
Six out of the twelve months' truce had now elapsed. Tom's visits at Les Marches were few and far between. Adèle had chanced to overhear a part of the conversation which took place between her father and cousin, after she had asked the former for a year's peaceful solitude. Quoth Mr. Rougeant: "You will have to wait another year." "Indeed!" said his nephew.
Rougeant was rich; judging from his demeanour he had probably already chosen his daughter a husband would that she were poor. He looked to see what redeeming feature he could find on his side. None. He had never felt so little as he now did. When Adèle came back from shutting the door after Frank, her father looked at her with a hard, scrutinizing gaze, but did not say a word.
He noticed that the room was very plainly furnished. His eyes alighted on a painting which represented a cow standing near a cattle-shed. "What a shocking display of art," he said to himself. "Infringement of the rules of perspective, shocking chiaroscuro, bad composition...." Mr. Rougeant casually noticed him.
They both drank out of the same coarse vessel, and Tom, who was warming up, continued: "I have strange presentiments, uncle; when I went to school, I remember having read in an English book about, 'Coming events casting their shadows before. Now, just as I met Miss Rougeant this evening, I saw a cat cross the road. Now, you know as well as I do, that it means discord betwixt her and me."
On the opposite side, was a deal dresser on which were ranged saucers and plates, while cups and mugs were hung upon nails driven into the edge of the shelves; He was in the midst of his examination when someone entered the house by a back door. "Is it the girl of whom Mr. Rougeant spoke?" he wondered.
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