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Updated: June 1, 2025
Genestas was accustomed to painful scenes, yet he could not help shuddering as he saw a dozen men and women standing weeping outside the door of the great hall. "The master is dead!" they wailed; the unison of voices gave appalling effect to the words which they repeated twice during the time required to cross the space between the gateway and the farmhouse door.
When they had come a few paces from the deserted village, whose last inhabitant had just died, the doctor spoke to Genestas. "You would not believe, sir, what real solace is contained for me in what those peasants have just said. Ten years ago I was very nearly stoned to death in this village. It is empty to-day, but thirty families lived in it then."
He was seated in one of the light open cars with four wheels, drawn by one horse, that are in use everywhere on the roads in these hilly districts. Genestas' companion was a thin, delicate-looking lad, apparently about twelve years of age, though in reality he was in his sixteenth year.
With no little astonishment, Benassis beheld Genestas pacing to and fro in the salon, like a bumble-bee in quest of an exit from the room which he has incautiously entered. "Then who are you, sir?" inquired Benassis. "Ah! there now!" the officer answered, as he turned and took his stand before the doctor, though he lacked courage to look at his friend.
Yet, for all that, any one who believed that Genestas was perfect would be strangely deceiving himself. The major was suspicious, given to violent outbursts of anger, and apt to be tiresome in argument; he was full of national prejudices, and above all things, would insist that he was in the right, when he was, as a matter of fact, in the wrong.
A table, with four spindle legs, stood in the room; the doctor drew it up to the bed, found a tumbler and a phial on the mantel-shelf, and composed a draught, by carefully measuring a few drops of brown liquid from the phial into some water, Genestas holding the light the while. "Your mother is very late." "She is coming, sir," said the child; "I can hear her footsteps on the path."
Benassis' reiterated assurances that the lad would soon be restored to health had taken a weight off his mind. Eight months later, in the earliest days of the following December, Genestas was appointed to be lieutenant-colonel of a regiment stationed at Poitiers. He was just thinking of writing to Benassis to tell him of the journey he was about to take, when a letter came from the doctor.
"Payment for what?" inquired the doctor. "For my board. You cannot keep me and my horse as well, without " "If you are wealthy, you will repay me amply," Benassis replied; "and if you are not, I will take nothing whatever." "Nothing whatever seems to me to be too dear," said Genestas.
Perhaps in time she may grow accustomed to work with her needle, but, whatever happens, I have secured her future." "She is quite alone up there!" said Genestas. "No. One of my herdswomen sleeps in the house," the doctor answered. "You did not see my farm buildings which lie behind the house. They are hidden by the pine-trees. Oh! she is quite safe.
The smuggler raised his head and looked at Genestas by way of acknowledging the compliment. "Butifer," continued Benassis, "if your conscience does not reproach you, it ought to do so.
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