CHAPTER XXXII.
WHAT PITOU DID WITH THE FIND.
It has not been forgotten that the Charny estate and the Gilbert andBillet farms were in the market at a price. On the sale day, MayorLongpre bought for "Mr. Cash" the properties at the price of 1,350 goldlouis, for the equivalent of assignats.
This happened on Sunday, the eve of the day when Catherine and Pitouwere married.
At eleven on the following day, all the crowd were grieving that a finefellow like Pitou should throw himself away upon a girl who was ruinedutterly, with a child who was even more poverty-stricken than herself.
When Mayor Longpre had pronounced Citizen Pierre Ange Pitou andCitizeness Anne Catherine Billet united in wedlock, he beckoned littleIsidore to him. The youngster had been sitting upon the desk, whence heslipped down and came to him.
"My boy," he said, "here are some papers which you will please giveyour Mamma Catherine when Papa Pitou takes her home."
"Yes, sir," said the little fellow, taking two papers in his littlehand.
All was finished, only, to the great astonishment of the spectators,Pitou pulled out five gold pieces and handed them to the mayor, saying:
"For the poor of the parish."
"Are we rich?" asked Catherine, smiling.
"Happy folks are always rich," returned Pitou, "and you have made methe happiest man in creation."
He offered his arm to the wife, who leaned on it affectionately.
On going forth, they found the crowd to which we have alluded.
Unanimous cheers greeted the couple. Pitou saluted his friends and gavemany hand-shakes; Catherine nodded to hers and gave many smiles.
Pitou turned to the right.
"Why, where are you going, dearest?" asked Madame Pitou.
"Come, my dearly beloved," he replied, "to a place you will be glad tosee again."
"Why, you are going toward our old farm," she said.
"Come on, all the same," he persisted.
"Oh, Pitou!" she sighed, as he brought her over the well-remembered way.
"And I thought to make you happy," he sighed, too.
"How could you think to make me happy by taking me again to a placewhich was my parents', and might have been mine, but which was soldyesterday to some stranger whose name even I do not know."
"Only a couple of steps farther; that is all I ask of you."
They turned the corner of the wall, and had the farm entrance beforethem.
All the farm-hands, carters, cow-men, dairy-maids, plowmen, were there,with Father Clovis marshaling them, a bunch of flowers in his hand.
"I understand; you wanted me to be welcomed once more in the old homeby those who, like me, will leave it forever. I thank you, dear."
Leaving her husband's arm and Isidore's hand, she ran forward to meetthe people, who surrounded her and bore her into the house.
Pitou led Isidore, who was still carrying the papers, into thedoor-way, and they saw Catherine seated in the main room, staring abouther as in a dream.
"In Heaven's name, tell me what they are saying!" she cried. "I do notunderstand a bit of what they are saying."
"Perhaps these papers which the child has for you will make it allclear, dear Catherine," replied the husband.
She took the papers from the little hand, and read one by chance:
"I acknowledge that the manor-house of Boursonnes and the lands dependent were bought and paid for by me, yesterday, on behalf of Jacques Philip Isidore, minor son of Catherine Billet, and that consequently said house and lands are the property of the said son.
"LONGPRE, Mayor of Villers Cotterets."
"What does this mean, Pitou? You must understand that I can not makehead or tail of it."
"Better read the other document," suggested the husband.
Unfolding the second paper, Catherine read as follows:
"I hereby acknowledge that the farm called Billet's, with the lands and buildings thereon and the appurtenances thereof, were bought and paid for by me, on behalf and for the account of Citizeness Anne Catherine Billet, and that it follows the said farm and lands and buildings belong to the said Citizeness Ann Catherine Billet.
"LONGPRE, Mayor of Villers Cotterets."
"In Heaven's name, tell me what this all means, or I shall go mad!"said Catherine.
"The meaning is," rejoined Pitou, "that thanks to some gold found inmy Aunt Angelique's old easy-chair, which I broke up to warm you, thehouse and manor of Charny will not go out of the family, or the farmfrom the Billets."
Catherine understood all at last. She opened her arms to Pitou, but hepushed Isidore into them. But she leaned forward and infolded husbandand child in the same embrace.
"Oh, God!" exclaimed Pitou, stifling with bliss and yet unable torepress one tear for the old maid, "to think there are people who dieof hunger and cold, like poor Aunt Angelique!"
"Faith!" said a stout teamster, nudging a rosy milk-maid for her totake particular heed of their new master and mistress, "I do not thinkthat pair is going to die in any such way."
* * * * *
Let us turn from these truly happy ones, in the peaceful country, tothe bereaved widow of Louis XVI. In her lonesome jail she mourns overthe loss of all--husband, lover, friend. What can replace a Charny oran Andrea? She thinks there is no champion of the blood of either, forshe knows not that Cagliostro's surmise was not baseless. When the sonof Andrea shall know how his mother fell, he will fly to arms to avengethat loss and to spite her foes, who are also the queen's! We shalltrace his gallant, and desperate attempts to rescue the royal captivein the pages of the conclusion of this series, entitled: "The Knight ofRedcastle: or, The Captivity of Marie Antoinette."
THE END