“Look—look, what’s that?” said the saddler. He pointed to a wagon coming slowly up the road. In front of it a team of dogs drew a cart. It carried some thing covered with black. “It’s a funeral! There’s the coffin. It’s on Jo Portugais’ little cart,” added Filion Lacasse.
“Ah, God be merciful, it’s Rosalie Evanturel and Mrs. Flynn! And M’sieu’ Evanturel in the coffin!” said Madame Dauphin, running to the door of the postoffice to call the Cure’s sister.
“There’ll be use enough for the baker’s Dead March now,” remarked M. Dauphin sadly, buttoning up his coat, taking off his hat, and going forward to greet Rosalie. As he did so, Charley appeared in the doorway of his shop.
“Look, Monsieur,” said the Notary. “This is the way Rosalie Evanturel comes home with her father.”
“I will go for the Cure” Charley answered, turning white. He leaned against the doorway for a moment to steady himself, then hurried up the street. He did not dare meet Rosalie, or go near her yet. For her sake it was better not.
“That tailor infidel has a heart. His eyes were leaking,” said the Notary to Filion Lacasse, and went on to meet the mournful cavalcade.
CHAPTER LI. FACE TO FACE
“If I could only understand!”—this was Rosalie’s constant cry in these weeks wherein she lay ill and prostrate after her father’s burial. Once and once only had she met Charley alone, though she knew that he was keeping watch over her. She had first seen him the day her father was buried, standing apart from the people, his face sorrowful, his eyes heavy, his figure bowed.
The occasion of their meeting alone was the first night of her return, when the Notary and Charley had kept watch beside her father’s body.