on sunday morning, two days after athénaïse’s arrival in the city, she went in to breakfast somewhat later than usual, to find two 77covers laid at table instead of the one to which she was accustomed. she had been to mass, and did not remove her hat, but put her fan, parasol, and prayer-book aside. the dining-room was situated just beneath her own apartment, and, like all rooms of the house, was large and airy; the floor was covered with a glistening oil-cloth.
the small, round table, immaculately set, was drawn near the open window. there were some tall plants in boxes on the gallery outside; and pousette, a little, old, intensely black woman, was splashing and dashing buckets of water on the flagging, and talking loud in her creole patois to no one in particular.
a dish piled with delicate river-shrimps and crushed ice was on the table; a caraffe of crystal-clear water, a few hors d’œuvres, beside a small golden-brown crusty loaf of french bread at each plate. a half-bottle of wine and the morning paper were set at the place opposite athénaïse.
she had almost completed her breakfast when gouvernail came in and seated himself at table. he felt annoyed at finding his cherished privacy invaded. sylvie was removing 78the remains of a mutton-chop from before athénaïse, and serving her with a cup of café au lait.
“m’sieur gouvernail,” offered sylvie in her most insinuating and impressive manner, “you please leave me make you acquaint’ wid madame cazeau. dat’s m’sieur miché’s sister; you meet ’im two t’ree time’, you rec’lec’, an’ been one day to de race wid ’im. madame cazeau, you please leave me make you acquaint’ wid m’sieur gouvernail.”
gouvernail expressed himself greatly pleased to meet the sister of monsieur miché, of whom he had not the slightest recollection. he inquired after monsieur miché’s health, and politely offered athénaïse a part of his newspaper,—the part which contained the woman’s page and the social gossip.
athénaïse faintly remembered that sylvie had spoken of a monsieur gouvernail occupying the room adjoining hers, living amid luxurious surroundings and a multitude of books. she had not thought of him further than to picture him a stout, middle-aged gentleman, with a bushy beard turning gray, wearing large gold-rimmed spectacles, and stooping somewhat 79from much bending over books and writing material. she had confused him in her mind with the likeness of some literary celebrity that she had run across in the advertising pages of a magazine.
gouvernail’s appearance was, in truth, in no sense striking. he looked older than thirty and younger than forty, was of medium height and weight, with a quiet, unobtrusive manner which seemed to ask that he be let alone. his hair was light brown, brushed carefully and parted in the middle. his mustache was brown, and so were his eyes, which had a mild, penetrating quality. he was neatly dressed in the fashion of the day; and his hands seemed to athénaïse remarkably white and soft for a man’s.
he had been buried in the contents of his newspaper, when he suddenly realized that some further little attention might be due to miché’s sister. he started to offer her a glass of wine, when he was surprised and relieved to find that she had quietly slipped away while he was absorbed in his own editorial on corrupt legislation.
80gouvernail finished his paper and smoked his cigar out on the gallery. he lounged about, gathered a rose for his buttonhole, and had his regular sunday-morning confab with pousette, to whom he paid a weekly stipend for brushing his shoes and clothing. he made a great pretense of haggling over the transaction, only to enjoy her uneasiness and garrulous excitement.
he worked or read in his room for a few hours, and when he quitted the house, at three in the afternoon, it was to return no more till late at night. it was his almost invariable custom to spend sunday evenings out in the american quarter, among a congenial set of men and women,—des esprits forts, all of them, whose lives were irreproachable, yet whose opinions would startle even the traditional “sapeur,“ for whom “nothing is sacred.” but for all his “advanced” opinions, gouvernail was a liberal-minded fellow; a man or woman lost nothing of his respect by being married.
when he left the house in the afternoon, athénaïse had already ensconced herself on the front balcony. he could see her through the jalousies when he passed on his way to the 81front entrance. she had not yet grown lonesome or homesick; the newness of her surroundings made them sufficiently entertaining. she found it diverting to sit there on the front balcony watching people pass by, even though there was no one to talk to. and then the comforting, comfortable sense of not being married!
she watched gouvernail walk down the street, and could find no fault with his bearing. he could hear the sound of her rockers for some little distance. he wondered what the “poor little thing” was doing in the city, and meant to ask sylvie about her when he should happen to think of it.
