Rimbaud's girl

Eat and drink, of course happy.

There didn't seem to be many servants, and they didn't hang around, probably all of them went to work.After more than ten minutes, Gabriel changed his clothes, went downstairs, and asked the maid to bring him hot cocoa and puffs.

"Do you live alone?" She asked curiously.

"That's it."

"Where are your parents?" Is it not good to ask?But it seems to be the only way to ask.

"They're in—London." The boy's face was gloomy.

"Then why did you come to Ardennes? Ardennes is so remote, and it's a battlefield."

The boy hesitated for a moment before saying, "It's a bit complicated. But it's not a good idea to go back to Paris now."

On the contrary, the Paris Commune does not seem to last long, and will soon be replaced by another group of people.

She loses interest in him very quickly, they are not of the same class and unlikely to be friends.The rich young master changed back to his clothes. She didn't know how much the clothes and shoes cost, but she knew that the workmanship was fine and valuable.On the other hand, she looked like a poor country girl in Shire's old clothes.

Charles asked later, is that fool really the young master?Vitaly taught him how to see a person's origin: a rich man would not give up a pair of comfortable shoes even if he pretended to be poor and dressed as a country boy.Charles was stunned.

Country men wear leather shoes and boots, but they are always dirty, and they don’t pay as much attention to cleaning and maintenance as city people.

Besides, a 14-year-old boy can easily take out a 20-franc gold coin, can he be an ordinary rural boy?Charles was already considered the richest of the boys, and he couldn't take out a Napoleon in a casual bet without feeling sorry for him.

When thinking of pocket money, Charles felt a little dissatisfied: in order to make her happy, her uncle gave her a whole bag of gold coins!There are dozens of them!At least 1000 francs.Vitaly was not stingy, and gave him 10 gold coins the next day, a total of 200 francs, which was considered a small fortune.

Charles has long since realized that Vitaly has been loved and even favored by his uncle, and he cannot compare with his lovely cousin, so he can only recognize her.The cousin is also very good, every time she gets pocket money, she will always give him some, which is pretty good.

Vitaly originally thought that she would never see the young master of the Oran family again. Unexpectedly, a day later, Gabriel found Jufu's house and returned to her the "Les Miserables" that she left in the small villa that day.

"Thank you, I thought I lost it while walking." Gabriel put on the rich young master's muslin shirt and suit jacket, looking very handsome.Vitaly also went back to her house dress.

"You like Victor Hugo's books?"

"Okay."

"Do you like Notre Dame de Paris?"

"I don't like it very much."

"why?"

"Probably, it's too tragic."

"Isn't Les Miserables miserable?"

"Be better."

"Who else do you like to read?"

"Lord Byron."

Gabriel smiled, "Are you good at English?"

"generally."

"Where do you go to school?"

"Santa Maria Convent Girls' School."

"never heard of that."

"A priory in the Ardennes."

Gabriel nodded, "Haven't you thought about going to a better school?"

"Thinking about it. But there is no public girls' school, and my family can't afford to go to a very good girls' school."

The boy seemed stunned by her answer, and was stunned for a while.

Gabriel came back twice afterwards and brought her some books, both in French and English. He himself can speak very fluent English. His mother is French and his father is British, but it is more than 200 years old. Immigrated to the UK from France.

Charles was very upset to see Vitaly and Gabriel together, he could not understand what they said, so he became more and more displeased with this rich young master.So when Gabriel came for the third time, he had a fight with Gabriel.

Both boys were thin, but not thin. Charles grew up eating and drinking well, but he didn't gain weight; Gabriel was a little more robust, but not tall.The children of rich families were well-clothed and well-fed since they were young, and they had never been pissed off. They were not like the country children who grew up fighting with their friends, and were beaten by Charles.

Because things were going so fast, before Vitaly could react, Gabriel had already been pushed to the ground.Not to mention making excuses, Charles didn't even have a conversation.She was sending Gabriel out when he was beaten by Charles before he got into the carriage.

The coachman was stunned, and Vitaly shouted to him, "Separate them quickly!"

The coachman hurried over, pulled Charles away, pushed him away, and then pulled up his young master.

Vitaly was annoyed. "What are you doing? Why did you hit him?"

"It doesn't matter why, I just hit it when I want to." He imitated Vitaly's tone, and said contemptuously: "Do you need to choose a date to beat him?"

This is what Vitaly said when he was teasing him before, and he used it to learn from it.

She was so angry that she kicked his shin, "I don't know why!"

Turning around to enter the door, Charles might as well stretch out his hand and pull her braids hard, pulling her head back all at once, her scalp hurting hotly.

She immediately cried out in pain, turned around and threw herself on him, "You bedbug!"

The two wrestled together, and Gabriel, who had just stood up, watched them fight in a daze.It took a minute for him to react, and hurriedly asked the coachman to separate them.

Vitaly yelled: "When uncle comes home, I will ask him to tie you up and whip you hard!" Charles didn't know where the beating hit her, she only felt pain all over her body.

The coachman hugged Charles tightly, he screamed, his arms and legs flailed vigorously, finally he broke free from the coachman's arm and ran away.

Vitaly was furious, wiping tears.She doesn't know how to swear, and if she wants to swear, it will be Uncle Felix's super-restricted foul language, which is too ugly for her to speak.

Gabriel's face was dusty and dusty, and he looked a little embarrassed. She didn't think it would be any better.He took out his handkerchief, wiped her face carefully, and said in a low voice, "Go and wash your face quickly, don't get the dust in your eyes."

"Well," she couldn't stop sobbing, "you, you also come in and wash your face."

She entered the room, first fetched a basin of water, and washed her face; then filled another basin of clean water, brought a new towel, and asked Gabriel to wash his face.

"He didn't know why. When my uncle comes home, I want my uncle to beat him up!"

"I, I can't beat him, I can't protect you." Gabriel said shyly.

"He broke your coat, I asked him to apologize to you and pay for your coat."

He originally wanted to say "no", but after thinking about it, he didn't say it.Her skirt was also torn, and one sleeve was torn off in half, revealing the shirt underneath.

"Your skirt...is torn." Thinking that her family is not rich, and a skirt costs more than ten francs even in the countryside, she might be scolded.

"Oh, nothing, I have a new dress." She didn't care much.Of course, this account must also be counted on Charles. "Go back quickly, I'm afraid he will come back later."

Speaking of which, Charles is very skilled at beating people. He greeted Gabriel in the face and blacked out his left eye; he hit her on the body, not in the face—if Felix saw her with a bruised nose and a swollen face , then Shire is not just a matter of being whipped.

Gabriel left quickly.

Vitaly went upstairs to her room and took off her skirt to check.That brat, Charles, was really ruthless. His ribs on the upper left side of his waist hurt so badly, and there was a slap-sized red swelling.She gasped "hissing", thinking about how she would report this to her uncle when he got home.This brat doesn't know why he's crazy!

When Felix came home, he was very annoyed when he learned that Charles had beaten Vitaly, and shouted that the bastard would come back and give him a good whipping and a good punishment.And Shire knew that he had caused trouble, so he didn't dare to go home for several days.

Vitaly did not stay in Roche to wait for his return, and two days later Felix took her back to Charleville.

Arthur was not home yet, and Mrs. Rimbaud was not in a very good temper.She was very opposed to her brother's proposal to take Frederick and Vitaly to Dijon to find Captain Rimbaud, and the two brothers and sisters had a big fight.

Frederick didn't think it would work either.When his father left home, he was just 7 years old. Among the four children, he remembered his father the most, but he didn't have a deep impression, because the person called "father" was seldom at home.

Uncle and mother were arguing, and the three children shivered and huddled together.

Isabel asked in confusion: "Why did Uncle Felix take the two of you—to find your father?"

"Frederick is the eldest," said Vitaly.

Frederick sighed: Yes, he is the eldest son, and he cannot escape about his father.

It bothered him a lot.

Boys are cruel little -->>

The devil, from childhood, knew that "you have no father" and "you're a bastard" just opened his mouth, and he and Arthur had no idea how many fights he and Arthur had with other children about it.When he was a child, he also asked his mother sadly why his father didn't come home, but his mother just told him to shut up with a gloomy expression.

Ugh!

He didn't quite remember what that man looked like.Mom put away all the things about his father, Arthur found some of his father's manuscripts, couldn't put it down, and secretly took them out to avoid his mother.

As for what to do with his father, he still doesn't know.

"Did uncle say anything to you?" he asked Vitaly.

"Uncle is going to take us to find her to ask for our child support for so many years."

"Alimony?" Frederick pondered.an unfamiliar word.

"It's living expenses."

understood.Both Frederick and Isabel were stunned.

"He is our father, so he should give our mother our child support instead of letting my mother raise us alone. Money can buy a lot of things, so that we can eat better, and it is best to hire a maid to do it. housework."

Isabel didn't understand the concept of hiring servants yet, but servants would do all the housework for you, and she knew that, so she fully agreed.

As for Frederick, of course he already knew that money was a good thing.If you think about it that way, it's a good idea.

Madame Rimbaud thought it was a waste of effort to go to Dijon, but finally agreed.

It's not too late, go early and return early, and set off after 3 days.Mrs. Rimbaud asked them to stay in Paris for a few days to find Arthur and take him away.He was alone in Paris, and my mother was not at all at ease.

Felix was staying at the hotel in Charleville and wanted to buy a new suit, which Vitaly said could be bought in Paris.When you go out to do errands, people need clothes. When you go to ask for money, you can’t dress in a rustic way. You have to put on the air of "I don’t need this little money", otherwise, Captain Rimbaud will treat him as a poor relative and give him 100 francs. up.

Vitaly is also going to make two beautiful dresses in Paris.Who doesn't love a pretty dress?He also promised to bring Isabel a new Paris dress, and Isabel was also very happy, excitedly wishing them all the best.

3 days later, Charleville train station.

The train to Paris has not yet opened and needs to be detoured. The itinerary is first to Reims, then to nearby Chalons, and then from Chalons to Paris.

Reims is a famous historical city, a large city in the province of Marne, with many famous cathedrals. There were 25 kings enthroned in the Notre Dame Cathedral in Reims. It is known as the "coronation capital" of France. Joan of Arc is also Having left footprints in this city, Vitaly has long wanted to visit Reims.

This was the first time for her to go abroad, and Mrs. Rimbaud was very worried, and repeatedly urged Frederick to take good care of her sister.

Vitaly was elated.

She had already agreed with her uncle that when she arrived in Paris, she would make beautiful new dresses.Uncle loves her very much, so he agreed.Finding "Father" is not the most important thing. How nice it is to be able to go to Reims, Chalons, Paris, and Dijon along the way!However, Mrs. Rimbaud was worried that she would run away as soon as she went out, just like Arthur, after going to Paris once (although it can only be counted as stepping on the land of Paris), his heart became wild and he could no longer be honest. stay at home.

Mom is right to be worried. After seeing the colorful world outside, how can she stay in a small border town like Charleville with peace of mind?

I stayed in Reims for one day and visited the Notre-Dame Basilica. On the second afternoon, I rented a carriage and went to Chalons; I stayed in Chalons for an extra day. Uncle Felix went to the local winery to buy wine, because it was I drank on the walk, I didn’t buy much, I only bought a barrel, and I made an appointment with the owner of the winery, and I will buy it again when I return.Vitaly sighed, Uncle is a real drunk.

It was a few hours train ride from Chalons to Paris, and on the fourth night, I arrived in Paris.

Felix took the two children to live in a hotel near the train station, opened two rooms, and asked for the two rooms at the back of the corridor, and let Vitaly and Frederick live in the one at the back.This is to avoid being harassed as much as possible. Hotels are cheap, and the residents are not very educated.

They stayed in Paris for three days, but Arthur was not found.After all, Paris is so big, with 3 million people living in it, how can it be so easy to find a boy under the age of 300?Vitaly had left a letter for Arthur at the post office where it had been mailed last time, but it was not known whether he would come to pick it up.

Already in the third week of May, the situation in Paris is quite tense.Government forces are gathering on the outskirts of Paris, preparing to invade Paris and "rescue the great capital" from the Paris Commune.Vitaly urged her uncle to leave Paris as soon as possible. She couldn't remember when the Paris Commune failed, but judging from the newspapers and the information she got when she went out, a big purge was coming soon.

Uncle Felix is ​​not a smart person, but he has been in the army, and he also thinks that the government troops will invade Paris sooner or later, and it will be chaotic. They, the provincials, may be a bit bad, so once they find it, they really can’t find it. Arthur, at noon on the seventh day, hurried to the train station with his two nephews and left Paris.

When they arrived in Dijon at 6:[-] a.m. on the eighth day, they heard newsboys peddling the latest news about Paris, saying that government troops were attacking Paris and the Paris Commune was in chaos.

Felix looked grateful, "Fortunately, I escaped in time."

Vitaly was also very grateful, "If it's a day later, I won't be able to leave."

This day, August 5.

Arthur had been to Dijon last time and had given her the address of Captain Rimbaud.Felix wanted to go there right away, but Vitaly said that he should find a hotel to stay, rest for half a day, and go there in the afternoon.

A few provincials with Charleville accents are naturally very eye-catching on the streets of Dijon. Fortunately, they are well-dressed, all of which are ready-made clothes bought in Paris. Felix and Frederick are wearing 20 francs each Cotton shirts, 80 franc suits, 10 francs leather shoes, 15 francs a small bowler hat, two people spent more than 200 francs; Vitaly also spent more than 200 francs on two new skirts, and gave Isabel bought a new dress.I thought it was a good thing that I took the time to buy new clothes when I was looking for Arthur, otherwise, I would definitely not leave Paris when I went back, and I would have no chance to buy clothes.

They found a hotel near the train station, still with two rooms.

After washing her face and changing clothes, she had breakfast in the restaurant next to the hotel. After returning to the hotel, Vitaly took the new clothes of her uncle and brother to be cleaned and ironed.

Back in the room, she found a rag and wiped her new leather shoes. Women's shoes are more expensive than men's shoes. Such a pair of children's shoes cost 12 francs.Although it was less than the price of a gold Napoleon, she could afford it herself, but she still felt that it was quite expensive. After all, it only cost 2 francs to have a decent dinner in a restaurant in Paris.

She has a lot of money in her hand, most of which come from her uncle. Over the years, she has given 300 francs of pocket money one after another. The last time she gave 500 francs, the 1000 francs she gave in Roche Village, the round number is 1800 francs; minus the 50 francs usually used, it cost 50 francs to buy Arthur's book, 200 francs from Arthur's second trip to Paris, 200 francs to Charles, and she still has 1300 francs.

For a 12-year-old girl in a small town, this is definitely a huge sum of money.

She took 300 francs with her when she went out this time, thinking that if she had something to spend and her uncle wasn't around, she wouldn't have no money at all.Mrs Rimbaud also gave money, but to Frederick she got nothing, and it never occurred to her brother to give her an allowance.

Boys are so careless!

When she was about to return, she asked her brother for some pocket money.My uncle spent the whole process of coming out, and the money my mother gave me didn't cost much.But if she can get the child support smoothly, she doesn't care about the little pocket money.

She has also thought about how to ask her father for child support. Of course, this matter requires an adult to come forward. Mrs. Rimbaud should actually come, but she does not want to see the man who abandoned her again, which is also reasonable.It's okay for uncle to come forward, it may be better, Felix has never liked Captain Rimbaud, and he will not soften his heart.

Then, the eldest son will definitely come. The role of her eldest daughter is to cry, as pitiful as she can be. The abandoned child, the crying daughter, tsk tsk, the scene must be very beautiful.Anyone who has a little conscience in his heart feels sorry for this.It would be fine if he was poor, but he was not poor at all, and even lived too comfortably. He didn't think about his wife and children far away in Ardennes, which is really infuriating!

The uncle didn't know where he went, and Vitaly asked Frederick to look around. Maybe there was another tavern where the uncle was drinking.She also has nothing to do about Felix's alcohol addiction. As a niece, it is not appropriate to say too much, or it will be annoying; but she can't say nothing at all. After all, smoking is harmful to health. Health is already recognized.

She asked the innkeeper where she could hire a carriage and how much it would cost to go to the Rue Napoleon, and the innkeeper said he could call one for her and asked when.

"Tomorrow morning, 9:9." She thought for a while, [-]:[-] should be more appropriate, and if it was later, Captain Rimbaud might go out or go out for dinner.

Côte d'or is richer than the Ardennes, and Dijon is larger than Charleville.The living index in affluent areas is higher, food is more expensive, accommodation is more expensive, and renting a carriage is also more expensive. It costs 2.5 francs for a one-way trip, and 4.5 francs for a round trip.Vitaly paid a deposit of 1 franc first, and made an appointment for the carriage to arrive at 9:9 tomorrow morning, leave before 10:[-], and arrive at Napoleon Avenue at about [-]:[-].

The boss couldn't help talking, and asked them whether they were visiting relatives or friends in the Napoleon Avenue.

"Go to my father," Vitaly said smiling, "I haven't seen him in 10 years."