Sister Anne (Novels of Paul de Kock, Volume X)Kock, Paul de
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Sister Anne (Novels of Paul de Kock, Volume X)
Kock, Paul de
French fiction -- Translations into English
Sister Anne was overwhelmed; it was not the money simply that she
regretted, for she did not realize its value; but the Comte de
Montreville's address was in her purse, and the villain had carried that
away with all that she possessed. What would become of her? how could
she find her protector's house now?
During the day, the young woman still retained a little hope, trying to
convince herself that the stranger would return; but night came, and he
did not appear. Sister Anne strained her child to her breast, weeping
bitterly; it was not for herself alone that she trembled, and her terror
was all the more intense on that account. Already she imagined her child
deprived of the sustenance he required; she shuddered as the whole
horror of their situation dawned upon her, and she was sorry now that
she had left the farm, for the thought that her son would suffer
destroyed her courage.
She passed in her room the second day after her arrival in Paris; the
villain who had robbed her had told her that the count was absent for
two days, so she waited until the third day before trying to find him.
She flattered herself that she could recognize the house in front of
which the cab had stopped. The poor child thought that she could find
her way in that immense city, where she had never been before! she did
not know that the wretch who had deceived her had caused the cab to stop
in front of a house which was not the count's.
The next day, she took her son in her arms, and, with the bundle that
contained her effects, left the lodging-house, whose mistress made no
attempt to keep her, because she had been paid for two days only. Sister
Anne commended herself to Providence, and tried to revive her courage as
she ventured forth into that city which was entirely unknown to her.
Every minute the horses and carriages frightened her, and the cries of
the street peddlers deafened her; the sight of all those people, going
and coming in every direction, and often jostling and crowding her, so
confused her that she had no idea where she was. The poor child went
under a porte cochère and began to cry. The concierge asked her what the
trouble was, but Sister Anne was unable to reply except with more tears;
whereupon the concierge turned away in a pet, saying:
"What's the use of sympathizing with people who won't tell you what's
the matter!"
After she had wept a long while, Sister Anne walked on; but she had been
on her feet four hours and had made no progress; she saw nothing but
endless streets, and shops; she had no idea in which direction she
should go, and often walked a long distance only to find herself at the
point she had started from. How was she to recognize that house of the
count's? she began to think that it was impossible. She was sinking with
fatigue, for she had had her child in her arms all the time; and soon
hunger made itself felt, and added to the horror of her plight.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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