Page:Rachel (1887 Nina H. Kennard).djvu/69

 servant of the establishment to fetch them; no one was left, therefore, to cook the supper! Rachel rose and disappeared into the kitchen. A quarter of an hour afterwards she returned in a dressing-gown and night-cap, a foulard handkerchief tied under her chin, looking beautiful; in her hand she held a dish, on which were three pieces of beafsteak [sic] that she had cooked herself. She placed the dish in the middle of the table, saying, "Help yourselves." Then she returned to the kitchen, and presently reappeared, a soup-tureen full of smoking soup in one hand, in the other a saucepan containing spinach. That was our supper, no plates or spoons; the servant had taken the keys with her. Rachel opened the buffet, found a salad-bowl full of salad, took the wooden spoon, fished out a fork from somewhere, and began eating. "But," said her mother, who was hungry, "there are tin plates in the kitchen."

De Musset then goes on to detail the conversation that takes place between Rachel, her mother, and sister; Rachel making fun of Sarah because she considered herself too fine to eat off tin.

"Figure to yourself," says Rachel, addressing the poet, "when I was acting at the Théâtre Molière, I had only two pairs of stockings, and every morning." Here Sarah began to chatter German, so as to interrupt her sister. Rachel, however, went on: "No German here! Why should she be ashamed? I had only two pairs of stockings, as I told you, and I was obliged to wash one pair every morning—it hung in my room on a string while I wore the other!"

"And you did the housekeeping?" I asked.

Rachel.—"I rose at six o'clock every day, and by eight o'clock all the beds were made. Then I went to the market to buy the dinner."

I.—"Were you extravagant?"

Rachel.—"No, I was a very honest cook. Was I not, Mamma?"

The Mother (her mouth full).—"Yes."

Rachel.—"Only once I robbed for a month; when I had bought four sous worth of goods, I put down five, and when I had paid ten sous I put down twelve. At the end of the month I found myself the happy possessor of three francs."

I (severely).—"And what did you do with those three francs. Mademoiselle?"

The Mother (seeing that Rachel was silent).—"Monsieur, she bought Molière's works."

I.—"Really!"