From time to time, when some former son or daughter of Provins returns
from Paris to settle down, you may hear them ask, as they leave
Mademoiselle Rogron's house, "Wasn't there a painful story against the
Rogrons,—something about a ward?"
"Mere prejudice," replies Monsieur Desfondrilles. "Certain persons tried to make us believe falsehoods. Out of kindness of heart the Rogrons took in a girl named Pierrette, quite pretty but with no money. Just as she was growing up she had an intrigue with a young man, and stood at her window barefooted talking to him. The lovers passed notes to each other by a string. She took cold in this way and died, having no constitution. The Rogrons behaved admirably. They made no claim on certain property which was to come to her,—they gave it all up to the grandmother. The moral of it was, my good friend, that the devil punishes those who try to benefit others."
"Ah! that is quite another story from the one old Frappier told me."
"Frappier consults his wine-cellar more than he does his memory," remarked another of Mademoiselle Rogron's visitors.
"But that old priest, Monsieur Habert says—"
"Oh, he! don't you know why?"
"No."
"He wanted to marry his sister to Monsieur Rogron, the receiver-general."
* * * * *
Two men think of Pierrette daily: Doctor Martener and Major Brigaut; they alone know the hideous truth.