Page:Ainsworth's Magazine - Volume 1.djvu/191

length, he beheld La Bonne Femme slowly descending the steep path above, and with a spring he hurried to meet and offer her his support.

"Who are you that ask my aid?" she inquired, when he had told his business.

"I am the vacher of Quaire," he answered, “and live in the cottage by the Dry Lake."

"Oh!" said she, "you married Ursule Bilot, about a year ago—the daughter of Simon Bilot, an old friend of mine?"

"The same," replied Cyprien; "she requires your speedy help, good mother; for I left her suffering much."

The old woman, without further remark, bustled about, collecting various articles of her trade, and in a very short time was ready to attend the young husband, who expected soon to become a father. The rain by this time had begun—fine, and piercing, and steady—but the old woman expressed no annoyance at being obliged to go through it, and cheerfully accepted the arm of Cyprien, who led her over the stony way which conducts between the hills to the village where he lived.

The spot called the Dry Lake is a wide space which extends beneath the mountain of Murat; all the appearances around prove it to have been formerly a sheet of water, dried up, probably, at the period of a sudden eruption of one of the volcanoes in its vicinity; shells and sand are found in the ravines which occur on its surface, and its rounded form shews what was its former nature. There is some pasture here for cattle, which is taken advantage of by the vachers; and here Cyprien had erected his simple cottage, the retreat of himself and his wife—the beauty of the village, with whom all the swains had been in love, and whom his long affection had been fortunate enough to gain; for Ursule was as good as she was beautiful, and repaid his love with a devotedness of which he was deserving.

They gained a tolerable living; for Cyprien, during the long months of winter, when the cattle could no longer be driven to the mountains, used to employ himself in various ways. Amongst other things, he was famous for making the musical instrument to which the peasants of Auvergne dance their bourrées. This instrument is called la tsabretta, because it is made of goat-skin, and those fabricated by the hand of Cyprien were much sought after.

The young husband and his companion reached the door of the cottage quite late, drenched with wet, and chilled with cold. They, however, found a warm fire; and La Bonne Femme was welcomed with great cordiality by the aunt of Ursule, who attended on her.

That night a son was born to Cyprien, who hailed with delight a fine healthy child, so large as to seem already several months old. His voice was so loud when he cried, as to be quite remarkable; his strength was astonishing, and his whole appearance denoted a robust constitution. After a few days, La Bonne Femme departed, leaving Ursule nursing her child, and quite well and happy. No sooner, however, had she left the cottage, than the infant began to cry so violently that every one was alarmed: he clamoured and struggled so that he could hardly be held, and stretched out his arms towards the door, as if he asked for the old woman. Cyprien, finding there was no peace to be obtained, ran after her as fast as he could, and at length overtaking her, entreated her to return and pacify the child.

"What!" cried she, with a sinister smile, "does it work already?"

She followed the father, and on her entering the cottage, the child ceased crying, and was seized with trembling.

She took it, whispered something in its ear, and giving it back to Ursule, it became perfectly quiet, and fell asleep. She then departed, and took her way home. Nine days after this, about the same hour as before—just at dusk—the infant began to cry in the same manner, and stretch its arms towards the door, trying apparently to get out. The father, mother, and nurse knew not what to do to restrain it, for it was so strong that they had great difficulty in keeping it in bed. All on a sudden, there seemed to come a blast of air into the chamber, the cottage door banged violently, and the child fell into a profound sleep, from which no efforts could wake it for nine days longer, when it roused itself at the same hour, and the same scene took place.

The parents now became very uneasy and harassed with continued watching and care. The child grew in a surprising manner, notwithstanding its lethargic existence, broken only in this strange way; but there was something about it unnaturally large, strong, and cunning-looking. At the end of six months, it could walk and