Eve de la Tour d'Adam [pp. 366-379]

Eve de La Tour-d'Adam.
with you, I return joyously to
my room, my heart full of noble
thoughts. Often you have recounted
to us some incidents of your life, and
I am proud of being your child; I
wish for power to imitate your generous example; finally, I find an inexpressible charm in your recollections
and in your narratives. If you have
spoken to me of my father and
my mother, whom I have never
known, I am still happy; my melancholy is sweet; I represent to myself
as my guardian angels those whom
your words make me love more every
day."
The Marquis de La Tour-d'Adam
felt himself touched; the young girl's
governess had seated herself. Eve
added in a less firm tone:
"On the contrary, when I return
from a ball, I feel an indefinable sentiment of void and weariness; I do not
know what it is that I want, I am sad,
discontented with myself."
"Childishness!" interrupted the old
gentleman. "Off with us! A little
thoughtlessness and folly, I insist
upon it! One is discontented with
oneself only when one has failed in
some duty; you are good, submissive,
pious, charitable."
Eve blushed slightly, and while
her grandfather was continuing his
eulogy she prepared him a cup of tea,
drew the stool near, arranged the
cushion on which he rested his head,
then, going to the piano, she played
an old battle air of which he was
very fond.
Meanwhile the marquis addressed
the governess.
"Mv cousin," he said (Madame du
Castellet was a distant relative of the
Tour-d'Adams), "combat these tendencies, I implore you; pleasures and
distractions, they are the remedy! I do
not understand why this ball should
sadden our darling Eve, why meeting
her friends and her partners should
make her melancholy. Eve does not
know how to be untruthful, she hides
nothing from us; but she is ignorant
herself' why she suffers. Discover
this secret, I implore you, that she
may be happy."
"Eve's happiness is my only desire," replied the governess. "You
know that I love her as my own
daughter. I never contradict her;
indeed, she never desires anything
that is not praiseworthy. She plans
to do good with an admirable perseverance and delicacy."
The old marquis at this moment
recognized the martial air which Eve
was playing for him; he was deeply
affected
"She forgets nothing," he murmured.
Then noticing the flowers the young
girl wore:
"Always jasmine," he said to the
governess.
"She forgets nothing," said Madame
du Castellet, in her turn.
"It is then impossible to overcome
the pride of those unfortunate Mirefonts?" replied the marquis.
"My nephew, Gaston, cannot get
anything accepted," responded the
governess; "but we will save them in
spite of themselves."
"Heaven preserve me," said the
marquis immediately, "from blaming
their susceptibility; unfortunately, the
secret means which Eve has so long
employed scarcely suffice; it is necessary to do more."
"Gaston will aid us, I imagine," replied the governess in a low voice;
"but hush! my pupil will not pardon
me if I betray her secrets."
Eve returned from the piano; the
marquis and the governess exchanged
a glance of prudent intelligence.
"Off with us, young lady, to the
ball, to the ball, the carriage is waiting!' said the old gentleman gaily,
kissing the young girl's forehead.
Madame du Castellet dragged off
Eve; the marquis, left alone, thought
tenderly of his dear grandchild, the
bouquet of jasmine, the unfortunate
Mirefont family, of all that Eve had
said or done with her habitual grace,
while the military march she had
played still resounded in his heart.
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