'
We could hardly get them away, they were so joyous, and each carried
a great bunch of grapes as a present to the little boy at home and
his mother.
We thought we saw a coachman's head and the top of a carriage passing
through the lanes, and when we came home I was surprised to find my
sister-in-law in tears, thoroughly shaken and agitated.
Mademoiselle de Gringrimeau had been to see her, she said, and had
told her the Count was in Paris, but had not sent for her; and I
thought that enough to account for her state; but when the children
began to tell their eager story, and hold up their grapes to her, she
burst again into tears, and cried: 'Oh, my dear sister, if you would
be warned. It is making a scandal, indeed it is! They call you a
plebeian.'
I grew hot and angry, and demanded what could be making a scandal,
and what business Mademoiselle de Gringrimeau had to meddle with me
or my affairs.
'Ah! but she will write to my husband, and he will take me from you,
and that would be dreadful. Give it up. Oh, Marguerite, give it up
for MY sake!'
What was I to give up? I demanded. Running about the country, it
appeared, like a farmer's wife rather than a lady of quality, and
stirring up the poor against their lords. It was well known that all
the English were seditious. See what they had done to their king;
and here was I, beginning the same work. Had not the Count's
intendant at Chateau d'Aubepine thrown in his teeth what Madame de
Bellaise did and permitted? He was going to write to Monseigneur,
ay, and the king's own intendant would hear of it, so I had better
take care, and Mademoiselle had come out of pure benevolence to
advise Madame la Comtesse to come and take refuse at her husband's
own castle before the thunderbolt should fall upon me, and involve
her in my ruin.
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