Chapter 5

V

BY ROULETABILLE'S ORDER THE GENERAL PROMENADES

"Good morning, my dear little familiar spirit. The general slept
splendidly the latter part of the night. He did not touch his
narcotic. I am sure it is that dreadful mixture that gives him
such frightful dreams. And you, my dear little friend, you have
not slept an instant. I know it. I felt you going everywhere
about the house like a little mouse. Ah, it seems good, so good.
I slept so peacefully, hearing the subdued movement of your little
steps. Thanks for the sleep you have given me, little friend."

Matrena talked on to Rouletahille, whom she had found the morning
after the nightmare tranquilly smoking his pipe in the garden.

"Ah, ah, you smoke a pipe. Now you do certainly look exactly like
a dear little domovoi-doukh. See how much you are alike. He
smokes just like you. Nothing new, eh? You do not look very bright
this morning. You are worn out. I have just arranged the little
guest-chamber for you, the only one we have, just behind mine.
Your bed is waiting for you. Is there anything you need? Tell me.
Everything here is at your service."

"I'm not in need of anything, madame," said the young man smilingly,
after this outpouring of words from the good, heroic dame.

"How can you say that, dear child? You will make yourself sick.
I want you to understand that I wish you to rest. I want to be a
mother to you, if you please, and you must obey me, my child. Have
you had breakfast yet this morning? If you do not have breakfast
promptly mornings, I will think you are annoyed. I am so annoyed
that you have heard the secret of the night. I have been afraid
that you would want to leave at once and for good, and that you
would have mistaken ideas about the general. There is not a
better man in the world that Feodor, and he must have a good, a
very good conscience to dare, without fail, to perform such terrible
duties as those at Moscow, when he is so good at heart. These
things are easy enough for wicked people, but for good men, for
good men who can reason it out, who know what they do and that they
are condemned to death into the bargain, it is terrible, it is
terrible! Why, I told him the moment things began to go wrong in
Moscow, 'You know what to expect, Feodor. Here is a dreadful time
to get through - make out you are sick.' I believed he was going
to strike me, to kill me on the spot. 'I! Betray the Emperor in
such a moment! His Majesty, to whom I owe everything! What are
you thinking of, Matrena Petrovna!' And he did not speak to me
after that for two days. It was only when he saw I was growing
very ill that he pardoned me, but he had to be plagued with my
jeremiads and the appealing looks of Natacha without end