My mother named a sum.
“I am going to unpack my bag, have my dinner served, and send you some wood, and I will return with the money you need to pay your debt.”
My grandmother often told me afterwards that she did not look at me, nor kiss me, so as not to betray her emotion.
She went to find the proprietor and arranged my carrying off with him. A berline would be ready in a moment to take my grandmother and me to the town gates. The driver of the diligence which would leave an hour after us would reserve the coupé seats for us, and would pick us up at a point agreed upon between the berline-driver and himself, and we would speed, changing horses once or twice, to Chauny. The hotel proprietor was to detain my mother discussing the bill, and to keep her for an hour at least, and he promised not to furnish her with a carriage to pursue us. Besides, it was agreed that my grandmother was to give to him the money necessary for my mother to join us in a few days.
My grandmother learned from him the amount of the bill, and it was arranged that she should give my mother a little less than the amount, so that the latter should not feel justified in taking any of the money in order to follow us.
My grandmother returned to her daughter’s room, now well warmed. All was ready in her own room for departure—a nursing-bottle full of warm milk and a large shawl in which to wrap me.
Her heart, she told me later many times, beat faster than it would have done had she run off with my grandfather in her youth.
The hotel proprietor had the bill taken to Madame Lambert, and sent her word that he was ready to discuss it if she should have any observations to make concerning it. My grandmother looked at the bill and told my mother that she had not quite enough money to pay it all, being obliged to keep some for her return home, and that, on glancing at it, it seemed to her that the proprietor of The Three Monarchs had added to the actual expenses too much interest for the delay of payment.
My mother was of the same opinion, and said the sum would suffice, as she should discuss the point with the proprietor, and no doubt obtain a reduction.
“Go,” said my grandmother in an indifferent tone. “I will take care of the child.”