No one could
explain what had happened; but all agreed that, after talking with the
farmer, the girl had gone away without saying a word, taking with her
the child, who was weeping.
"Did they ill-treat my son?" cried Germain, his eyes flashing fire.
"He was your son, was he? How did he come to be with that girl? Where
are you from, and what's your name?"
Germain, seeing that his questions were answered by other questions,
according to the custom of the country, stamped his foot impatiently,
and asked to speak with the master.
The master was not there: he was not in the habit of staying the whole
day when he came to the farm. He had mounted his horse, and ridden off
to some other of his farms.
"But surely you can find out the reason of that young girl's going
away?" said Germain, assailed by keen anxiety.
The farm-hand exchanged a strange smile with his wife, then replied that
he knew nothing about it, that it did not concern him. All that Germain
could learn was that the girl and the child had gone in the direction of
Fourche. He hurried to Fourche: the widow and her lovers had not
returned, nor had Pere Leonard. The servant told him that a young girl
and a child had come there and inquired for him, but that she, not
knowing them, thought it best not to admit them and advised them to go
to Mers.
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