Taking the Bastile; Or, Pitou the Peasant: A Historical Story of the Great French RevolutionDumas, Alexandre
History
Taking the Bastile; Or, Pitou the Peasant: A Historical Story of the Great French Revolution
Dumas, Alexandre
Bastille -- Fiction; France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799 -- Fiction
Ange was very young when thus he saw the doctor for the first time.
But, we know, youth can feel deep impressions, leaving everlasting
memories. The previous passing of the young man of mystery through the
cottage had impressed its trace. He had left welfare with the boy:
every time Ange heard his mother pronounce the benefactor's name, it
had been almost with worship. Finally, when he appeared, grown up,
adorned with the title of Physician, joining to the past boons the
future promises, Pitou had judged by his mother's gratitude that he
ought himself be grateful. The poor lad, without clearly knowing what
he was saying, faltered words of eternal remembrance, and profound
thanks such as he had heard his mother use.
Therefore, as soon as he perceived the doctor coming among the grassy
graves and broken crosses, he understood that he came at his mother's
appeal and he could not say no to him as to the others. He made him no
resistance except to turn his head to look backwards as Dr. Gilbert
grasped his hand and led him from the cemetery.
A stylish cab was at the gates, into which the doctor made the poor boy
step, and he was taken to the town tailor's, where he was fitted with
clothes: they were made too large so that he would grow up to them. At
the rate our hero grew this would not take long.
Thus equipped, Ange was walked in a quarter of the town called Pleux,
where Pitou's pace slacked. He recalled this as being the abode of his
Aunt Angelique, of whom he had preserved an appalling memory.
Indeed the old maid had no attractions for a boy who cherished true
motherly affections: she was nearly sixty by this period. The minute
practice of religion had brutalized her, and mistaken piety had twisted
all sweet, merciful and humane feelings, so that she cultivated in
their stead a natural dose of greedy intelligence, augmented daily
by her association with all the prudes. She did not precisely live
on public charity but besides the sale of linen thread hand-spun,
and letting out chairs in the church, she received from kindly souls
ensnared by her devout posturings, petty coin which she converted into
silver and that into gold. Nobody suspected she accumulated them and
she stuffed the gold in the cushion and frame of an old armchair in
which she sat at work.
It was to this venerable relative's dwelling that Gilbert led little
Pitou. We might say Big Pitou, for he was too large for his age.
Miss Rose Angelique Pitou, as they came up, was in a merry humor as she
had just sent another gold piece to go and keep company with the rest
of her hoard. She was going around her seat of revenue when the doctor
and his ward appeared at the door, and she had to welcome the relic of
her family.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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