Pierre and Jean | Page 9

"the widow." The word, harmless in itself, irritated Jean merely
by the tone given to it, which to him seemed spiteful and offensive.
The three men spoke not another word till they reached the threshold of
their own house. It was a narrow one, consisting of a ground-floor and
two floors above, in the Rue Belle-Normande. The maid, Josephine, a
girl of nineteen, a rustic servant-of-all-work at low wages, gifted to
excess with the startled animal expression of a peasant, opened the door,
went up stairs at her master's heels to the drawing-room, which was on
the first floor, and then said:
"A gentleman called--three times."
Old Roland, who never spoke to her without shouting and swearing,
cried out:
"Who do you say called, in the devil's name?"
She never winced at her master's roaring voice, and replied:
"A gentleman from the lawyer's."
"What lawyer?"
"Why, M'sieu 'Canu--who else?"

"And what did this gentleman say?"
"That M'sieu 'Canu will call in himself in the course of the evening."
Maitre Lecanu was M. Roland's lawyer, and in a way his friend,
managing his business for him. For him to send word that he would call
in the evening, something urgent and important must be in the wind;
and the four Rolands looked at each other, disturbed by the
announcement as folks of small fortune are wont to be at any
intervention of a lawyer, with its suggestions of contracts, inheritance,
lawsuits--all sorts of desirable or formidable contingencies. The father,
after a few moments of silence, muttered:
"What on earth can it mean?"
Mme. Rosemilly began to laugh.
"Why, a legacy, of course. I am sure of it. I bring good luck."
But they did not expect the death of any one who might leave them
anything.
Mme. Roland, who had a good memory for relationships, began to
think over all their connections on her husband's side and on her own,
to trace up pedigrees and the ramifications of cousin-ship.
Before even taking off her bonnet she said:
"I say, father" (she called her husband "father" at home, and sometimes
"Monsieur Roland" before strangers), "tell me, do you remember who it
was that Joseph Lebru married for the second time?"
"Yes--a little girl named Dumenil, a stationer's daughter."
"Had they any children?"
"I should think so! four or five at least."
"Not from that quarter, then."

She was quite eager already in her search; she caught at the hope of
some added ease dropping from the sky. But Pierre, who was very fond
of his mother, who knew her to be somewhat visionary and feared she
might be disappointed, a little grieved, a little saddened if the news
were bad instead of good, checked her:
"Do not get excited, mother; there is no rich American uncle. For my
part, I should sooner fancy that it is about a marriage for Jean."
Every one was surprised at the suggestion, and Jean was a little ruffled
by his brother's having spoken of it before Mme. Rosemilly.
"And why for me rather than for you? The hypothesis is very disputable.
You are the elder; you, therefore, would be the first to be thought of.
Besides, I do not wish to marry."
Pierre smiled sneeringly:
"Are you in love, then?"
And the other, much put out, retorted: "Is it necessary that a man
should be in love because he does not care to marry yet?"
"Ah, there you are! That 'yet' sets it right; you are waiting."
"Granted that I am waiting, if you will have it so."
But old Roland, who had been listening and cogitating, suddenly hit
upon the most probable solution.
"Bless me! what fools we are to be racking our brains. Maitre Lecanu is
our very good friend; he knows that Pierre is looking out for a medical
partnership and Jean for a lawyer's office, and he has found something
to suit one of you."
This was so obvious and likely that every one accepted it.
"Dinner is ready," said the maid. And they all hurried off to their rooms
to wash their hands before sitting down to table.

Ten minutes later they were at dinner in the little dining-room on the
ground-floor.
At first they were silent; but presently Roland began again in
amazement at this lawyer's visit.
"For after all, why did he not write? Why should he have sent his clerk
three times? Why is he coming himself?"
Pierre thought it quite natural.
"An immediate decision is required, no doubt; and perhaps there are
certain confidential conditions which it does not do to put into writing."
Still, they were all puzzled, and all four a little annoyed at having
invited a stranger, who would be in the way of their discussing and
deciding on what should be done.
They had just gone