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Updated: May 25, 2025
"All right, Sir," said Jacques, and he left the room muttering: "He's growing from bad to worse; he is a stingy old niggard." What was Tom Soher doing all this time? He was drinking. He had never loved Adèle Rougeant, and when he saw that there was not much chance of winning her, he took to drink. In reality, he preferred his bottle to his cousin.
Her aunt noticed this, and after a most scornful remark about Mrs. B.'s character, she said to her niece: "Don't you think so?" Although considerably annoyed, Adèle had not so far made any remark, but she was now directly appealed to. She spoke: "I do not know," she said. She noticed the two women smiling and exchanging glances. Said Mrs. Soher sarcastically: "I thought you knew Mrs.
Soher, who sat near, did not join in the conversation. He professed to be a very religious man, but he rarely occupied himself about his household duties. His wife was just saying: "When one thinks that if that little brat of a girl had not been born, we should inherit all my brother's property," when the man rose from his chair.
When he entered the house, he was astonished to see his father sitting near the fire. "Well," said Mr. Soher, "what does this mean?" "I've just been out a little," said Tom. "I hope you will not repeat this, my son," said the father.
Perhaps it was not quite correct, but there was a great deal of truth in it. Tom Soher was not to die this time. The crisis passed. He rallied almost as rapidly as he had lost strength. Mr. Rougeant visited him daily. His daughter listened to the news of Tom's recovery, with attention. The farmer was pleased. "She takes more interest in him than she cares to show;" he said to himself.
Afterwards, they often met. One day, Tom Soher, who was now completely cured, came face to face with his cousin Adèle, who was accompanied by Frank. He stopped short, looked hard at his cousin, then resumed his walk. When Tom was a little way off, Frank said to Adèle: "What a queer fellow, one would think he was insane." "He is a cousin of mine," she said.
Her father was there, evidently expecting Tom, for he received him with a warmth which he had not shown for a long time. She left them to themselves and was proceeding towards her parterre when her father called out to her. "What! are you going, Adèle, when Mr. Soher is here; come and keep us company." The girl retraced her steps. What could her father mean?
She was a terrible witch; alas, the chairs; and all the cups and saucers, bowls and plates on the dresser danced when they carried her body out of the house." Adèle laughed. Tommy looked at her. "Oh, it's true," he said, "you can laugh if you like ain't it grand'ma?" Mrs. Soher went on: "When we cleaned out the house, we found one of those awful books.
He soliloquized: "It is always the same old story; a greedy, avaricious, grasping father, sacrificing his daughter's happiness for the sake of his pride. But it must not be. I can and will save her from such a terrible fate." He was full of indignant wrath against her father. "To think that she shudders at the thought of it," he muttered. Meanwhile, Tom Soher was pondering heavily.
It won't be a young girl who is not yet out of her teens who is going to teach me how to live." The daughter scornfully remarked: "She has been to a boarding-school, you know." At which the two women laughed and Mr. Soher smiled, while Tom, profiting by the general interest displayed in the conversation, slipped out of the room and slouched to the nearest public-house.
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