“Why, my good Monsieur Gilbert,” rejoined the old devotee, “there is a merciful God in heaven, and from heaven does he not feed all his creatures?”
“That is true,” replied Gilbert; “but although he gives food to the ravens, he does not put out orphans as apprentices. Now, this is what must be done for Ange Pitou, and this, with your small means, would doubtless cost you too much.”
“But yet, if you were to give that sum, good Doctor.”
“What sum?”
“The sum of which you spoke, the sum which is there in your pocket,” added the devotee, stretching her crooked finger toward the doctor’s coat.
“I will assuredly give it, dear Mademoiselle Angélique,” said the doctor; “but I forewarn you it will be on one condition.”
“And what is that?”
“That the boy shall have a profession.”
“He shall have one, and that I promise you on the faith of Angélique Pitou, most worthy Doctor,” cried the devotee, her eyes riveted on the pocket which was swaying to and fro.
“You promise it?”
“I promise you it shall be so.”
“Seriously, is it not?”
“On the truth of the living God, my dear Monsieur Gilbert, I swear to do it.”
And Mademoiselle Angélique horizontally extended her emaciated hand.
“Well, then, be it so,” said the doctor, drawing from his pocket a well-rounded bag; “I am ready to give the money, as you see. On your side, are you ready to make yourself responsible to me for the child?”
“Upon the true cross, Monsieur Gilbert.”
“Do not let us swear so much, dear Mademoiselle, but let us sign a little more.”
“I will sign, Monsieur Gilbert, I will sign.”
“Before a notary?”
“Before a notary.”
“Well, then, let us go at once to Papa Niguet.”
Papa Niguet, to whom, thanks to his long acquaintance with him, the doctor applied this friendly title, was, as those know who are familiar with our work entitled “Joseph Balsamo,” the notary of greatest reputation in the town.
Mademoiselle Angélique, of whom Master Niguet was also the notary, had no objection to offer to the choice made by the doctor. She followed him therefore to the notary’s office. There the scrivener registered the promise made by Mademoiselle Rose Angélique Pitou, to take charge of and to place in the exercise of an honorable profession Louis Ange Pitou, her nephew, and so doing should annually receive the sum of two hundred livres. The contract was made for five years. The doctor deposited eight hundred livres in the hands of the notary; the other two hundred were to be paid to Mademoiselle Angélique in advance.
The following day the doctor left Villers-Cotterêts after having settled some accounts with one of his farmers, with regard to whom we shall speak hereafter; and Mademoiselle Pitou, pouncing like a vulture upon the aforesaid two hundred livres payable in advance, deposited eight golden louis in the cushion of her arm-chair.
As to the eight livres which remained, they waited, in a small delf saucer which had, during the last thirty or forty years, been the receptacle of clouds of coins of every description, until the harvest of the following two or three Sunday had made up the sum of twenty-four livres, on attaining which, as we have already stated, the abovenamed sum underwent the golden metamorphosis, and passed from the saucer into the arm-chair.
Chapter III
Ange Pitou at his Aunt’s
WE have observed the very slight degree of inclination which Ange Pitou felt towards a long-continued sojourn with his Aunt Angélique; the poor child, endowed with instinct equal to, and perhaps superior to, that of the animals against whom he continually made war, had divined at once, we will not say all the disappointments—we have seen that he did not for a single moment delude himself upon the subject—but all the vexations, tribulations, and annoyances to which he would be exposed.
In the first place—but we must admit that this was by no means the reason which most influenced Pitou to dislike his aunt—Doctor Gilbert having left VillersCotterêts, there never was a word said about placing the child as an apprentice. The good notary had indeed given her a hint or two with regard to her formal obligation; but Mademoiselle Angélique had replied that her nephew was very young, and above all, that his health was too delicate to be subjected to labor which would probably be beyond his strength. The notary, on hearing this observation, had in good faith admired the kindness of heart of Mademoiselle Pitou, and had deferred taking any steps as to the apprenticeship until the following year. There was no time lost, the child being then only in his twelfth year.