Madame Delong immediately went to her son's room and found him leaning against the corner of the mantel-piece; his fortitude was completely overcome; the poor boy was in tears, and his mother felt much disposed to join him. As if suddenly struck with resentment upon her entrance, he exclaimed, "You wished to punish me because I dared to be angry with my aunt when she tried to box my ears;" and these last words were uttered in a still more passionate manner.
"To punish you!" said Madame Delong, putting her arm round her son's neck, "to punish you! Oh, my dear child, it is a very long time since I have even thought it possible that I could have occasion to punish you!"
The tears of Louis were now flowing abundantly. Madame Delong leant her head on his shoulder, saying, with much emotion, "My dearest child, overcome this weakness, I entreat you. What will become of me who have the responsibility of making you acquainted with your duties, if you have not resolution enough to fulfil them? How cruel will be my task, Louis! I have laboured all your life to inspire you with fortitude, in order that your courage might sustain my own."
"This disappointment cannot grieve you as much as it does me," said Louis, still a little angry, though already in some degree softened by his mother's words.
"My dear boy," replied Madame Delong, "if you were now at the theatre, I should be watching the clock, and although alone, should fear to see the hours pass, for I should say, 'he is now enjoying himself,' and that would render my whole evening delightful." Louis kissed her hand. "But," she continued, "if after having refused your aunt, you had been weak enough to accompany M. Lebeau, and I weak enough to consent to your doing so, we should both of us have had our pleasure destroyed; the sight of your aunt at the play would have disturbed you the whole time; on your return we should not have dared to converse together on what would have been a subject of self-reproach to both, and you would have gone to bed without having anything to relate to me."
Louis was insensibly calmed by the conversation and affection of his mother; nevertheless, he had some difficulty in applying steadily to anything during this evening, and he dreamed all night that he had gone to the theatre, and was wandering round and round the house without being able to find the entrance, whilst all the time the play was going on, and he could hear the applause.
Madame Ballier, on her part, had returned home much dissatisfied with the manner in which she had passed her evening. She had the misfortune to be seated in a box close to the one occupied by M. Lebeau and his family: there was already a good deal of bitterness between them, for M. Lebeau, though a good-natured and upright man, was little disposed to think that people should inconvenience themselves for the sake of others; he had never approved of Madame Delong's plan of having Madame Ballier with her, and consequently had taken an aversion to the latter almost before he had made her acquaintance. Never would he consent to show her the slightest attention calculated to attract her to his house, and as this prevented Madame Delong from visiting there as frequently as she had previously done, M. Lebeau was the more dissatisfied; and the grievances of Louis, who was a great favourite of his, and even those of Barogo, with whom he cultivated a certain degree of intimacy, did not tend to soften matters. When, upon entering the theatre, he saw Madame Ballier in the next box to that which his family had taken, he felt so annoyed that he would have changed his place had it been possible. His excitement, and the explanations given to his party in no very low tone, soon informed Madame Ballier of what had taken place, and the name of "poor Louis," which, at every pause in their pleasure, was repeated by the children in a tone of regret, and with a side glance towards her, rendered her evening extremely disagreeable. On returning home she complained of a headache, and retired to her own room without seeing any one. The next day she made no allusion whatever to the play; and if Louis was wrong in somewhat enjoying this little revenge, he was at all events justified in congratulating himself on having escaped a similar embarrassment. Two days afterwards, at the house of M. Lebeau, the latter again attacked Madame Delong on the subject of the play; Louis defended his mother with so much eagerness, that M. Lebeau, provoked at finding in him an opponent, exclaimed, "Young man! this is the way you spoil your mother." Everybody laughed, and M. Lebeau amongst the rest, while Madame Delong gave her son a smile of affectionate pride, which seemed to say, "Persevere, my dear Louis, let us continue to aid each other in fulfilling our duty."
The Curé here paused. "Is that all?" exclaimed the two little boys.
"That is not a story," said Juliana, drawing up her head with an air of pretension. "It has neither beginning nor end."
"As to the end," replied the Curé, "I have not told you that my story was ended: I wished merely to show you how very disagreeable it is for young persons when their relations happen to be bad-tempered, and at the same time to point out to you that when such is the case it is the duty of the young to make every sacrifice rather than displease their relations."