The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-10-14

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Mere Lucas stood there.
Her fine dark eyes looked as If they might
fash at times with passionate anger, but the
lines about them were pleasant traces left
by mirth, and her long upper lip and broad
mouth seemed made for laughter and good
cheer. Her habitual geniality, however.
was less obvious just then, for she scanned
me with a distinctly unfavorable eye, and
her pursed lips showed that she disap-
proved of her master bringing home such a
visitor. Had / been we'll dressed, or only
tolerably good looking, it would nave been
another thing. But she respected and loved
Taras too well to let him read her dissatis-
faction, and drawing back into the passage
as he led me I'm she received us with a pro-
found bow and opened the door of the adj.
joining room.
This is my housekeeper, Mere Lucas"
said Taras to me as he entered, and turning
To her he spoke a few words in French
which caused her to gasp an exclamation
of establishment as she clasped her hands
together. Then, after regarding me for q
moment in silence and round eyed won
der, she addressed me i'm her unintelligible
language, but / understood her tone OF
apology and self reproach, and the tremu.
lous emotion in her full lips and the affec-
tionate warmth in her soft eyes fully atoned
for any hostility she might at first have
shown. Finally. as il by an ungovernable
impulse, she seized me by the shoulders
and planted a couple Of sounding kisses on
my cheeks, saying as she gave me one last
embrace before leaving the room, "Pauvre
cherie, val"
/ remember that phrase because for some
time after she never looked at me without
repeating ii in the same one of compassion.
Indeed, with my thinness and careworn ex-
preston, l must nave seemed to the eyes OF
the fat, jolly soul deplorable indeed.
We were in the room which had been the
shop. 1t was low ceilinged, but large and
very light and bright, by reason of the long
window, with the white muslin curtains,
the flowers and many pictures hung upon
the painted walls. But that which aston
ished me greatly was the surprising neat
ness and cleanliness of everything, for re-
ally this was the first time in my life that
I had ever seen the inside of a decent room,
and next to this the table, which was laid
for lunch, excited my wonder.
There was a vase of cut flowers in the
middle of the spotless tablecloth, and in
the plate set for Taras stood a small loaf,
set up in a white serviette which would
have made me laugh IL / had not been so
perplexed by the ~strangeness of every.
thing. The quantity of food also seemed
quite ludicrous too. 1t was the ordinary
hour for dinner, and all hat was prepared
for the repast of a great, hearty man, was a
box Of sardines, a plate of radishes and
some butter, and Mere Lucas brought
nothing more except a cover for me and o
bottle of wine, which she stood on q small
silver plate.
We sat down, and seeing Taras take the
loaf out and spread the serviette over his
knees i did the same, though it seemed to
me about the oldest thing in the world,
and then he passed the sardines for me to
help myself. l could very well have eaten
all the little fishes there were i'm the box.
but out Of consideration for him who was
three times as big as me, / only took about
q quarter of the contents, and also took
about a quarter of the number of radishes,
but l could not help looking at Taras In
surprise when he took but two sardines
and only three or four radishes. "Well,
however does he liver" / asked myself.
MAY / I'LL your glass;" he asked, taking
mp the bottle, ''or would you like beer in
steads"
~ amt particular" / said; "winde's good
enough for me-"
The wine made me shudder. "Four-half''
was nectar in comparison with UGH sour
stuff, l thought. However, / gulped ii
down and said nothing, not to appear too
nice. l had scraped out my plate and was
screwing up my courage to tell Taras that
i would finish up the box if he didn't want
any more, when Mere Lucas hustled in,
whisked off our plates, knives and forks,
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cutlery was rs bright and clean as IL IL had
just come from the makers. Then she
placed a steaming dish on a stand.
Come" said to myself, here's duff to
fill up with at any rate"
But | found that il was a savory dish
macaroni an gratin / know now-and that
was not half bad, besides which there was
plenty of it. and TO my great relief Taras
took all hat / left. Then in came another
dish-cutlets, with paper frills around the
bones, and potatoes frothed up in a fash
ion as odd as everything else, and by this
time j began TO wonder when this sort of
thing vas going to end. However, there
was no more to eat except fruit after that,
for which l was thankful, "a my appetite
was fully satisfied, and I did not like TO re-
fuse lest Taras should think l was dis
pleased with my food. But the oddity OF
the whole meal was capped by Mere Lucas
bringing In a large bright pot after dessert
and filling two small cups with hot coffee,
which we had to drink without milk.
IL usually smoke n pipe with my coffee"
said Tnras. "Do you object"
'Garnl' replied. at amt likely"
He filled his pipe slowly" in grave silence,
md ! watched him. trembling with anxiety,
for \ felt that hq was ahont IN dacida nav
fate. He had not yet spoken n word with re-
gard TO my future, waiting until my bodily
needs were satisfied and my mind was in a
better condition to grasp fresh ideas before
opening n subject which TO him nj least
wa Of such wcighty importance.
II have been very silent" he said after
lifting his eyes and regarding me for . mo.