QUEEN HORTENSE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1740, 3 May 1913, Page 10

QUEEN HORTENSE.

(By Guy dp Maupassant.)

Sho was known as Queen Hortense to tho people of Argeiiteuil. No ouo knew why. Perhaps it was bccauto sho spoko in the peremptory tones of a drill-ser-geant; perhaps because in appearance sho was an aggressive, hard-featured, dictatorial woman; perhaps becauso sho ruled a veritablo kingdom of domestic pets, dogs, cats, anil poultry, parrots ami ci-.miries, and all such animals as are dear to an old maid's heart. However, sho lavished no ,foolish fondness on her puts, uo endearing names, 110 loving kisses, such as 0110 sometimes sees ti woman jiress to tho velvet coat of a purring pussy. Kather sho rule! her pets with a rod of iron; sho was, indeed, their sovereign lord and master. When any of them met with an accidental death or died of old ago sho would replace them at once without a tear' or a sigh of regret, and would bury tho departed pet in one of her flower-buds. She would dig ,tho gravo herself, and heap tho earth above it with a contemptuous thrust of her foot.

i'or thirty years she had occupied tho same, tiny house, with its narrow strip of garden strctching to tho street in front. During that space of time sho had never onco altortd her. habits or mode, of,life. Tho only chango observable was in tho matter of hpr maids, who, oiio add; all, she ruthlessly discharged when they had attained their twenty-first year. Sho would spend whole days doing a man's work, either at gardening, carpentering, sawing, or chopping wood. She would over plaster her somewhat dilapidated dwelling when it got out of repait. Sho possessed a few acquaintances in Aigenteuil, civil service ulerks' wives, mostly, whose Husbands used to go up to Paris every day. Occasionally sho was invited out to their parties, but invariably fell asleep at tlieso functions, and hail to be forcibly awakened when it was tiwo to'gu home. Sho would never consent to an escort, for she feared nothing in this'world.

She was a typical old maid, in fact, with her abrupt manner and ugly, grating voice. Her very soul seemed withered. ■ Curt and decisive in speech, she never showed hesitation or indifference, listlessness or fatigue. Sho had never been .heard to complain or rail against the decrees of fate, and often declared in tho most fatalistic manner that each one of us fills his own particular place in the world. She never went inside a church, and had 110 love for the priesthood. In fact, sho scarcely believed in th^'existence of a God,, and religious objects were her pet abhorrence. Sho never appeared to have any especial fondness for children, either.

. Sh's had two sisterrs, who came to see her twico a year, Mme. Cimme and Mine. Colombel. • The former was married to a, teacher: of botany; tho latter to a man of small,. independent means. The Cimmos had 110 children; the Colombels had three, Henry, Pauline, and Joseph. Henry was twenty years of age, Pauline was eighteen, and Joseph only three. The old maid, however, showed no fondness for hor relatives.

In the spring of 1682 Queen Hortenso suddenly fell ill. The neighbours hurriedly. tent for a doctor, whom she promptly sent about his business. A priest, who hastily arrived on the scene, was .'accorded a similar welcome. Her littlo maid-of-all work, driven to distractioir,- kept bringing'her hot drinks. After three days the case became so sei-ious that a working man in the neighbourhood, acting on the doctor's instructions—the latter had forcibly installed himself— hastened to bring th© news to her relatives. About ten o'clock the following 'morning, lier two sisters arrived by tho same train. The Colombels brought with them their baby son, Joseph. When , they reached the garden gato tho first thing they saw was the maid wospirig copiously. A dog was sleeping on: tho hall mat. Two cats dozed on tho window-sill, tails and paws extended, A fat,' clucking lien was conducting her lluffy,. yellow brood through tho garden, aiid an"'immense cage, adorned with chickenweed, was naileu to the wall, and contained a regular colony of birds, that wcro screaming themselves hoarse in the dazzling sunlight of a spring morning. In an .adjacent cage, built in the form of a chalet, a pair of gentle lovebirds ■ seemed glued to their perch, so motionless wero they. If. Cimme, a stout, blustering fellow, who invariably pushed himself forward wherever he went,, exclaimed at sight of the maid: .'

"Come, come, Celeste, this will never do!"

Tho little handmaiden groaned through her tears:

"She no longer recognises me I Tho doctor says it is the end." The relatives glanced at each other on hearing this. Mines. Cimmo and Colombel silently, embraced. These two sisters wore very much alike in appearance. They had always cultivated straight fringes, and had a decided fondness for bright red- cashmere shawls of a most vivid hue. Cimmo turned to his brother-in-law—a lean, pallid individual, dyspeptic," and a cripple—and said, in ft dcoided tone of voico:.

"My word! It was high time!" None of them had tho courage to enter tho sick room. Kven Cimmo held back, and it was Colombel who eventualiy decided to do so. Leaning heavily on his stick, ho hobbled across tho hall to tho bedroom on tho ground floor. Tho ladie9 then followed, and Cimme brought up tho rear. Tho, youngster, Josepn, fascinated by tho signt of tho dog, remained Within, tho sun shone full on tho bed, and lit upon tho nervous restless hands, whose twitching seemed to speak of an uneasy mind within, a fevered, troubled spirit. The angular lines of her figure showed; beneath tho coverlet,' quite still and motionless. Her eyes. remained fast closed. " .

The visitors gathered round the bed in silence, and prepared to spend somo time Waiting.' Tho littlo servant stood in the background, still weeping copiously. Cimmo. risked her what verdict precisely the doctor had given. Falteringly she replied- that he had given strict orders that'tho patient was to be kept perfectly quiet, as nothing more could bo done. Soon tho old maid's, lips wero ,6een to move. She appeared to bo voicelessly forming ccrtain words and disconnected phrases. Her hands' began to twitch oven more excitedly. At length, in 0 thin, quavering voice, she spoke, a voico they scarcely recognised.'as hers, a voico that seemed to come from afar—from tho depths of a long pent-up heart, .perchance. . . .

Cinimb' hastily tiptoed out of tho room. Tho situation was becoming too painful for him. Colombel, whoso lameness had wearied him out, took a seat. The two ladies remained standing.

Meanwhile Queen Hortenso still prattled .on rapidly and unintelligibly. Sho uttered somo names, a great many names, and lovingly spoko to several imaginary people. . . . "Come here, little Philip! Give mother a kiss! You're fond •of mammy, aren't you? And Hose! Bo suro and look after your little sister when I'm out. Don't leavo her alone, you understand? Remember, too, you'ro not to touch tho matches."'. . . Sho bccamo silent again for a while, and then in louder tones called "Henrictte!" She

waited a little before resuming. . "Tell your father to como to mo before he goes to the office." . . . -Then, "I am feeling ill to-day, dear; don't bo lato coming liorflo. Tell the chief I'm ill. Yoir know it's not safo to leave tho children by themselves whon I'm not about. I will make a rice pudding for dinner. Tho children lovo it. Won't Clairo bo delighted!" . . . She began to laugh, a gay, infectious laugh, a laugh she had never known in her. life '. . . "Do look at Jean! How funny ho looks with his face all jainmy, tho grubby little atom? Look, dear, how quaint he is!" . . . Colombel, who Kopt shifting uneasily in his chair, for his lamo leg had grown stiff after tho journey, whispered: "She fancies eho has children and a husband. The end is near at hand now!" Her two sisters, paralysed with astonishment, did not stir from their places at the bedside. Tho servant murmured timidly: ' "Won't you tako off your bonnets and shawls and come.into the parlour?" They nodded assent, and left the Toom silently. Colombel followed, and oneo more tho sick woman was loft alone. Her voice was still audible. Sho seemed to be living at this, her last hour, the life sho must havo been awaiting always. She was saying good-byo to her happy fancies, her fond day-dreams, for now the time was at hand when hope and desiro must cease. Meanwhilo Cimme Tomped in tho parden with little Joseph and tho dog, with all boisterous hilarity of a tripper out

for tho day and without a 6iDgle thought for. the unhappy woman who lay at death's door. However, ho soon tired of this, and, coming into tho house, called to tho maid:

"Aren't we going to get anything to oat, girl? Ladies I what would you like?" They eventually decided on an omelet, somo cutlots, with new potatoes, cheese, and coffee. Mme. Cimmo fumbled in her pocket for her purse, but Cimmo stopped her, and, turning to (ho maid, said:

"Volt have money, haven't you?" "Yes, sir." "How much?" "Fifteen francs, sir." "That is enough, then. Make haste, for I'm hungry." Mme. Cimmo pensively contemplated a pair of amorous doves on tho roof opposite, and, gazing wistfully at the creepers outside elistening in tho sunshino, remarked ill depressed tones: "What a pity we came down on euch a gloomy business! It would havo been so nice to havo spent tho day in tlio country."

iter sister sighed, but made no response. Colombo], 'whose lameness annoyed him greatly, started grumbling: "My leg plagues mo internally." Little Joseph and tho dog wero making a tremendous uproar outside, tho child yelling with glco, whilst tho dog barked madly as they wampored round tho flower-beds playing hide-and-seek. Queen Hortenso continued to address her imaginary children, chatting to each in turn, imagining that ilto was scolding them, dressing them, or teaching them to read. . . . "Now, Simon, repeat A, B. C, I). You don't say fho D properly, D, D, D 1 Now, say it again. . . ." Cimmo remarked, "It is strange what fancies one has at such a time."

Mino. Colombel asked if they had not better go back to the sickroom. But lime. Cimme dissuaded her.

"What for? You can't do anything for her. Wo might as well stay where wo are."

No one seemed anxious to press the matter. Mine. Cimmo turned nsido to inspect a pair of lorclirtls. Sho drow attention to their singular fidelity in the most praiseworthy terms, and mndo scathing remarks at the expense of men in general, so different in this respect. Gimme gultnwed at this, as if admitting his own discrepancies to bo no small matter. Colombel. tapped the ground with his stick, for just then ho was seized with a bad attack of cramp. At one o'clock thoy sat down, to lunch. When ho had tasted tho wine, ; Colombel, who, on account of" his health, was recommended to drink Burgundy, rang for tho maid, and said: "Is there no tetter wine than this in tho house, girl?" "Yes, sir; there is a special brand which the mistress would open if you were coming hero on a visit. "Good. Go and fetch three bottles of it." This wine, when brought, pleased their palates mightily, not that it was of any special vintage, but it had been bottled fifteen yeirs. Cimmo declared it to be the ideal wino for an invalid, and Columbei, seized with a burning desiro to posses3_this treasure, inquired of the maid: "how much of it is left?" "Aearly all, sir," she replied. "Mam'zelle never drar.k any of it." He at once turned to his brother-in-law and • offered him anything he liked in excltaugo for the lot, "for," said he, "it agrees with me beautifully." Meanwhile the two ladies amused themselves throwing crumbs at a hen that had marchol into tho room at tho head of Iter chickens. Joseph and the dog, who had both had enough to eat, were sent cut again to the garden. Queen Jlotrenso still babbled on incessantly, but in such a low voice that it was impossible to catch what she said.

They waited till they had finished coffee before they went in again to ascertain the sick woman's condition. As sho seemed calm once more, they all went out into tho garden again, and settled themselves comfortably to digest their meal. The dojj started scampering arouna, carrying something in 'his mouth. Little Joseph chased him. wildly,'and they both disappeared into the house. y Cimme lay on liis back on tho grass, dozing in tho diowsy afternoon heat.

Suddenly Queen.-Hortenso-was heard to raise her voice, calling aloud on someone. Then 6ho started shrieking in a manned that brought tho ladies, accompanied by Colombel. in from the garden in all haste, Cimmo, though thoroughly aroused from his slumbers, did not seek to put himself about. - He did not caro for scenes.

They found Queen Hortense sitting up in bed, wild-eyed and haggard. In order to escape from tlio pursuit of littlo Joseph, nor dog had leaped on to the bed, jumped across his dying mistress, and now, entrenched behind her pillow, eyed his pursuer with glistening eyes, ready to recomnioiice tho gamo. In his mouth he hAld his mistress's slipper, tattered and tor'i into shreds—his plaything of an hour. Her nephew, Joseph, frightened to see her sitting up so stiff and straight, stood paralysed with terror by the bedside. Suddenly Queen Hortenso shrieked i "No, no, I won't die! I won't die! Who will bring up tyiy children ? Who will look after them ? Who is'there to love them? No, I don't want to die! I don't want-to die!'' t She fell back. All was over.