CHAPTER VIII
OLD AND YOUNG
She stayed three days with him, three happy days, though over them
hung a dark and ominous forecast; one might as well call them three
days of respite.
At last she was forced to return to Ploubazlanec, for she had come to
the end of her little savings, and Sylvestre was to embark the day
afterward. The sailors are always inexorably kept in barracks the day
before foreign cruises (a custom that seems rather barbarous at first,
but which is a necessary precaution against the "flings" they would
have before leaving definitely).
Oh that last day! She had done her very best to hatch up some more
funny stories in her head, to tell her boy just at the parting; but
she had remembered nothing--no; only tears had welled up, and at every
moment sobs choked her. Hanging on his arm, she reminded him of a
thousand things he was not to forget to do, and he also tried hard to
repress his tears. They had ended by going into a church to say their
prayers together.
It was by the night train that she went. To save a few pence, they had
gone on foot to the station; he carrying her box, and holding her on
his strong arm, upon which she weighed heavily.
She was so very, very tired--poor old lady! She had scarcely any
strength left after the exertion of the last three or four days. Her
shoulders were bent under her brown shawl, and she had no force to
bear herself up; her youngish look was gone, and she felt the weight
of her seventy-six years.
Oh! how her heart ached at the thought that it was all over, and that
in a few moments she must leave him! Was he really to go out so far,
to China, perhaps to slaughter. She still had him there with her,
quite close, her poor hands could yet grasp him--and yet he must go;
all the strength of her will, all her tears, and all her great
heartrending despair--all! would nothing be of avail to keep him back?
With her ticket, and her lunch-basket, and her mittens in her grasp,
agitated, she gave him her last blessing and advice, and he answered
her with an obedient "Ay, ay," bending his head tenderly towards her
and gazing lovingly at her, in his soft childish way.
"Now then, old lady, you must make up your mind plaguey quick if you
want to go by this train!"
The engine whistled. Suddenly terrified at the idea of losing the
train, she bore her box from Sylvestre's grasp, and flinging it down,
threw her arms round his neck in a last and supreme embrace.
Many people on the platform stared at them, but not one smiled.
Hustled about by the porters, worn out and full of pain, she pressed
into the first carriage near; the door was banged quickly upon her,
while Sylvestre, with all the speed of a young sailor, rushed out of
the station to the rails beside the line to see the train pass.
A shrill screeching whistle, a noisy grinding of the wheels, and his
grandmother passed away, leaving him leaning against the gate and
swinging up his cap with its flying ribbons, while she, hanging out of
the window of her third-class carriage, made an answering signal with
her handkerchief; and for as long as she could see the dark blue-clad
figure, that was her child, followed him with her eyes, throwing her
whole soul into that "good-bye!" kept back to the last, and always
uncertain of realization when sailors are concerned.
Look long at your little Sylvestre, poor old woman; until the very
latest moment, do not lose sight of his fleeting shadow, which is
fading away for ever.
When she could see him no longer, she fell back, completely crushing
her still clean unrumpled cap, weeping and sobbing in the agony of
death itself.
He had turned away slowly, with his head bent, and big tears falling
down his cheeks. The autumn night had closed in; everywhere the gas
was flaring, and the sailors' riotous feasts had begun anew. Paying no
heed to anything about him, he passed through Brest and over the
Recouvrance Bridge, to the barracks.
"Whist! here, you darling boy!" called out some nocturnal prowlers to
him; but he passed on, and entering the barracks, flung himself down
in his hammock, weeping, all alone, and hardly sleeping until dawn.
