Fundamentals of Signals and Systems 1st ed Edition Benoit Boulet
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- 5. Fundamentals of Signals and Systems 1st ed Edition Benoit Boulet Digital Instant Download Author(s): Benoit Boulet, Leo Chartrand ISBN(s): 9781584506607, 1584506601 Edition: 1st ed File Details: PDF, 7.91 MB Year: 2006 Language: english
- 7. FUNDAMENTALS OF SIGNALS AND SYSTEMS
- 8. LIMITED WARRANTY AND DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY THE CD-ROM THAT ACCOMPANIES THE BOOK MAY BE USED ON A SINGLE PC ONLY. THE LICENSE DOES NOT PERMIT THE USE ON A NETWORK (OF ANY KIND). YOU FURTHER AGREE THAT THIS LICENSE GRANTS PERMISSION TO USE THE PRODUCTS CONTAINED HEREIN, BUT DOES NOT GIVE YOU RIGHT OF OWNERSHIP TO ANY OF THE CONTENT OR PRODUCT CONTAINED ON THIS CD-ROM. USE OF THIRD-PARTY SOFTWARE CONTAINED ON THIS CD-ROM IS LIMITED TO AND SUBJECT TO LICENSING TERMS FOR THE RESPECTIVE PRODUCTS. CHARLES RIVER MEDIA, INC. (“CRM”) AND/OR ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE WRITING, CREATION, OR PRODUCTION OF THE ACCOM- PANYING CODE (“THE SOFTWARE”) OR THE THIRD-PARTY PRODUCTS CON- TAINED ON THE CD-ROM OR TEXTUAL MATERIAL IN THE BOOK, CANNOT AND DO NOT WARRANT THE PERFORMANCE OR RESULTS THAT MAY BE OB- TAINED BY USING THE SOFTWARE OR CONTENTS OF THE BOOK. THE AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER HAVE USED THEIR BEST EFFORTS TO ENSURE THE ACCURACY AND FUNCTIONALITY OF THE TEXTUAL MATERIAL AND PROGRAMS CONTAINED HEREIN. WE HOWEVER, MAKE NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THE PERFORMANCE OF THESE PROGRAMS OR CONTENTS. THE SOFTWARE IS SOLD “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY (EXCEPT FOR DEFECTIVE MATERIALS USED IN MANUFACTUR- ING THE DISK OR DUE TO FAULTY WORKMANSHIP). THE AUTHOR, THE PUBLISHER, DEVELOPERS OF THIRD-PARTY SOFTWARE, AND ANYONE INVOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION AND MANUFACTURING OF THIS WORK SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF (OR THE INABILITY TO USE) THE PROGRAMS, SOURCE CODE, OR TEXTUAL MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS PUBLICATION. THIS INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF REVENUE OR PROFIT, OR OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THE PRODUCT. THE SOLE REMEDY IN THE EVENT OF A CLAIM OF ANY KIND IS EXPRESSLY LIMITED TO REPLACEMENT OF THE BOOK AND/OR CD-ROM, AND ONLY AT THE DISCRETION OF CRM. THE USE OF “IMPLIED WARRANTY” AND CERTAIN “EXCLUSIONS” VARIES FROM STATE TO STATE, AND MAY NOT APPLY TO THE PURCHASER OF THIS PRODUCT.
- 9. FUNDAMENTALS OF SIGNALS AND SYSTEMS BENOIT BOULET CHARLES RIVER MEDIA Boston, Massachusetts
- 10. Copyright 2006 Career & Professional Group, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Published by Charles River Media, an imprint of Thomson Learning Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way, stored in a retrieval system of any type, or transmitted by any means or media, electronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to, photocopy, recording, or scanning, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Cover Design: Tyler Creative CHARLES RIVER MEDIA 25 Thomson Place Boston, Massachusetts 02210 617-757-7900 617-757-7951 (FAX) crm.info@thomson.com www.charlesriver.com This book is printed on acid-free paper. Benoit Boulet. Fundamentals of Signals and Systems. ISBN: 1-58450-381-5 All brand names and product names mentioned in this book are trademarks or service marks of their respective companies. Any omission or misuse (of any kind) of service marks or trademarks should not be regarded as intent to infringe on the property of others. The publisher recognizes and respects all marks used by companies, manufacturers, and developers as a means to distinguish their products. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Boulet, Benoit, 1967- Fundamentals of signals and systems / Benoit Boulet.— 1st ed. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 1-58450-381-5 (hardcover with cd-rom : alk. paper) 1. Signal processing. 2. Signal generators. 3. Electric filters. 4. Signal detection. 5. System analysis. I. Title. TK5102.9.B68 2005 621.382’2—dc22 2005010054 07 7 6 5 4 3 CHARLES RIVER MEDIA titles are available for site license or bulk purchase by institutions, user groups, corporations, etc. For additional information, please contact the Special Sales Department at 800-347-7707. Requests for replacement of a defective CD-ROM must be accompanied by the original disc, your mailing address, telephone number, date of purchase and purchase price. Please state the nature of the problem, and send the information to CHARLES RIVER MEDIA, 25 Thomson Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. CRM’s sole obligation to the purchaser is to replace the disc, based on defective materials or faulty workmanship, but not on the operation or functionality of the product. eISBN: 1-58450-660-1
- 11. Acknowledgments xiii Preface xv 1 Elementary Continuous-Time and Discrete-Time Signals and Systems 1 Systems in Engineering 2 Functions of Time as Signals 2 Transformations of the Time Variable 4 Periodic Signals 8 Exponential Signals 9 Periodic Complex Exponential and Sinusoidal Signals 17 Finite-Energy and Finite-Power Signals 21 Even and Odd Signals 23 Discrete-Time Impulse and Step Signals 25 Generalized Functions 26 System Models and Basic Properties 34 Summary 42 To Probe Further 43 Exercises 43 2 Linear Time-Invariant Systems 53 Discrete-Time LTI Systems: The Convolution Sum 54 Continuous-Time LTI Systems: The Convolution Integral 67 Properties of Linear Time-Invariant Systems 74 Summary 81 To Probe Further 81 Exercises 81 3 Differential and Difference LTI Systems 91 Causal LTI Systems Described by Differential Equations 92 Causal LTI Systems Described by Difference Equations 96 Contents v
- 12. Impulse Response of a Differential LTI System 101 Impulse Response of a Difference LTI System 109 Characteristic Polynomials and Stability of Differential and Difference Systems 112 Time Constant and Natural Frequency of a First-Order LTI Differential System 116 Eigenfunctions of LTI Difference and Differential Systems 117 Summary 118 To Probe Further 119 Exercises 119 4 Fourier Series Representation of Periodic Continuous-Time Signals 131 Linear Combinations of Harmonically Related Complex Exponentials 132 Determination of the Fourier Series Representation of a Continuous-Time Periodic Signal 134 Graph of the Fourier Series Coefficients: The Line Spectrum 137 Properties of Continuous-Time Fourier Series 139 Fourier Series of a Periodic Rectangular Wave 141 Optimality and Convergence of the Fourier Series 144 Existence of a Fourier Series Representation 146 Gibbs Phenomenon 147 Fourier Series of a Periodic Train of Impulses 148 Parseval Theorem 150 Power Spectrum 151 Total Harmonic Distortion 153 Steady-State Response of an LTI System to a Periodic Signal 155 Summary 157 To Probe Further 157 Exercises 158 5 The Continuous-Time Fourier Transform 175 Fourier Transform as the Limit of a Fourier Series 176 Properties of the Fourier Transform 180 Examples of Fourier Transforms 184 The Inverse Fourier Transform 188 Duality 191 Convergence of the Fourier Transform 192 The Convolution Property in the Analysis of LTI Systems 192 vi Contents
- 13. Fourier Transforms of Periodic Signals 199 Filtering 202 Summary 210 To Probe Further 211 Exercises 211 6 The Laplace Transform 223 Definition of the Two-Sided Laplace Transform 224 Inverse Laplace Transform 226 Convergence of the Two-Sided Laplace Transform 234 Poles and Zeros of Rational Laplace Transforms 235 Properties of the Two-Sided Laplace Transform 236 Analysis and Characterization of LTI Systems Using the Laplace Transform 241 Definition of the Unilateral Laplace Transform 243 Properties of the Unilateral Laplace Transform 244 Summary 247 To Probe Further 248 Exercises 248 7 Application of the Laplace Transform to LTI Differential Systems 259 The Transfer Function of an LTI Differential System 260 Block Diagram Realizations of LTI Differential Systems 264 Analysis of LTI Differential Systems with Initial Conditions Using the Unilateral Laplace Transform 272 Transient and Steady-State Responses of LTI Differential Systems 274 Summary 276 To Probe Further 276 Exercises 277 8 Time and Frequency Analysis of BIBO Stable, Continuous-Time LTI Systems 285 Relation of Poles and Zeros of the Transfer Function to the Frequency Response 286 Bode Plots 290 Frequency Response of First-Order Lag, Lead, and Second-Order Lead-Lag Systems 296 Contents vii
- 14. Frequency Response of Second-Order Systems 300 Step Response of Stable LTI Systems 307 Ideal Delay Systems 315 Group Delay 316 Non-Minimum Phase and All-Pass Systems 316 Summary 319 To Probe Further 319 Exercises 319 9 Application of Laplace Transform Techniques to Electric Circuit Analysis 329 Review of Nodal Analysis and Mesh Analysis of Circuits 330 Transform Circuit Diagrams: Transient and Steady-State Analysis 334 Operational Amplifier Circuits 340 Summary 344 To Probe Further 344 Exercises 344 10 State Models of Continuous-Time LTI Systems 351 State Models of Continuous-Time LTI Differential Systems 352 Zero-State Response and Zero-Input Response of a Continuous-Time State-Space System 361 Laplace-Transform Solution for Continuous-Time State-Space Systems 367 State Trajectories and the Phase Plane 370 Block Diagram Representation of Continuous-Time State-Space Systems 372 Summary 373 To Probe Further 373 Exercises 373 11 Application of Transform Techniques to LTI Feedback Control Systems 381 Introduction to LTI Feedback Control Systems 382 Closed-Loop Stability and the Root Locus 394 The Nyquist Stability Criterion 404 Stability Robustness: Gain and Phase Margins 409 Summary 413 To Probe Further 413 Exercises 413 viii Contents
- 15. 12 Discrete-Time Fourier Series and Fourier Transform 425 Response of Discrete-Time LTI Systems to Complex Exponentials 426 Fourier Series Representation of Discrete-Time Periodic Signals 426 Properties of the Discrete-Time Fourier Series 430 Discrete-Time Fourier Transform 435 Properties of the Discrete-Time Fourier Transform 439 DTFT of Periodic Signals and Step Signals 445 Duality 449 Summary 450 To Probe Further 450 Exercises 450 13 The z-Transform 459 Development of the Two-Sided z-Transform 460 ROC of the z-Transform 464 Properties of the Two-Sided z-Transform 465 The Inverse z-Transform 468 Analysis and Characterization of DLTI Systems Using the z-Transform 474 The Unilateral z-Transform 483 Summary 486 To Probe Further 487 Exercises 487 14 Time and Frequency Analysis of Discrete-Time Signals and Systems 497 Geometric Evaluation of the DTFT From the Pole-Zero Plot 498 Frequency Analysis of First-Order and Second-Order Systems 504 Ideal Discrete-Time Filters 510 Infinite Impulse Response and Finite Impulse Response Filters 519 Summary 531 To Probe Further 531 Exercises 532 15 Sampling Systems 541 Sampling of Continuous-Time Signals 542 Signal Reconstruction 546 Discrete-Time Processing of Continuous-Time Signals 552 Sampling of Discrete-Time Signals 557 Contents ix
- 16. Summary 564 To Probe Further 564 Exercises 564 16 Introduction to Communication Systems 577 Complex Exponential and Sinusoidal Amplitude Modulation 578 Demodulation of Sinusoidal AM 581 Single-Sideband Amplitude Modulation 587 Modulation of a Pulse-Train Carrier 591 Pulse-Amplitude Modulation 592 Time-Division Multiplexing 595 Frequency-Division Multiplexing 597 Angle Modulation 599 Summary 604 To Probe Further 605 Exercises 605 17 System Discretization and Discrete-Time LTI State-Space Models 617 Controllable Canonical Form 618 Observable Canonical Form 621 Zero-State and Zero-Input Response of a Discrete-Time State-Space System 622 z-Transform Solution of Discrete-Time State-Space Systems 625 Discretization of Continuous-Time Systems 628 Summary 636 To Probe Further 637 Exercises 637 Appendix A: Using MATLAB 645 Appendix B: Mathematical Notation and Useful Formulas 647 Appendix C: About the CD-ROM 649 Appendix D: Tables of Transforms 651 Index 665 x Contents
- 17. List of Lectures Lecture 1: Signal Models 1 Lecture 2: Some Useful Signals 12 Lecture 3: Generalized Functions and Input-Output System Models 26 Lecture 4: Basic System Properties 38 Lecture 5: LTI systems: Convolution Sum 53 Lecture 6: Convolution Sum and Convolution Integral 62 Lecture 7: Convolution Integral 69 Lecture 8: Properties of LTI Systems 74 Lecture 9: Definition of Differential and Difference Systems 91 Lecture 10: Impulse Response of a Differential System 101 Lecture 11: Impulse Response of a Difference System; Characteristic Polynomial and Stability 109 Lecture 12: Definition and Properties of the Fourier Series 131 Lecture 13: Convergence of the Fourier Series 141 Lecture 14: Parseval Theorem, Power Spectrum, Response of LTI System to Periodic Input 148 Lecture 15: Definition and Properties of the Continuous-Time Fourier Transform 175 Lecture 16: Examples of Fourier Transforms, Inverse Fourier Transform 184 Lecture 17: Convergence of the Fourier Transform, Convolution Property and LTI Systems 192 Lecture 18: LTI Systems, Fourier Transform of Periodic Signals 197 Lecture 19: Filtering 202 Lecture 20: Definition of the Laplace Transform 223 Lecture 21: Properties of the Laplace Transform, Transfer Function of an LTI System 236 Lecture 22: Definition and Properties of the Unilateral Laplace Transform 243 Lecture 23: LTI Differential Systems and Rational Transfer Functions 259 Lecture 24: Analysis of LTI Differential Systems with Block Diagrams 264 Lecture 25: Response of LTI Differential Systems with Initial Conditions 272 Lecture 26: Impulse Response of a Differential System 285 Lecture 27: The Bode Plot 290 Lecture 28: Frequency Responses of Lead, Lag, and Lead-Lag Systems 296 Lecture 29: Frequency Response of Second-Order Systems 300 Lecture 30: The Step Response 307 Lecture 31: Review of Nodal Analysis and Mesh Analysis of Circuits 329 Lecture 32: Transform Circuit Diagrams, Op-Amp Circuits 334 Lecture 33: State Models of Continuous-Time LTI Systems 351 Lecture 34: Zero-State Response and Zero-Input Response 361 Lecture 35: Laplace Transform Solution of State-Space Systems 367 Lecture 36: Introduction to LTI Feedback Control Systems 381 Lecture 37: Sensitivity Function and Transmission 387 Lecture 38: Closed-Loop Stability Analysis 394 Lecture 39: Stability Analysis Using the Root Locus 400 Lecture 40: They Nyquist Stability Criterion 404 Lecture 41: Gain and Phase Margins 409 Lecture 42: Definition of the Discrete-Time Fourier Series 425 Lecture 43: Properties of the Discrete-Time Fourier Series 430 Lecture 44: Definition of the Discrete-Time Fourier Transform 435 Contents xi
- 18. Lecture 45: Properties of the Discrete-Time Fourier Transform 439 Lecture 46: DTFT of Periodic and Step Signals, Duality 444 Lecture 47: Definition and Convergence of the z-Transform 459 Lecture 48: Properties of the z-Transform 465 Lecture 49: The Inverse z-Transform 468 Lecture 50: Transfer Function Characterization of DLTI Systems 474 Lecture 51: LTI Difference Systems and Rational Transfer Functions 478 Lecture 52: The Unilateral z-Transform 483 Lecture 53: Relationship Between the DTFT and the z-Transform 497 Lecture 54: Frequency Analysis of First-Order and Second-Order Systems 504 Lecture 55: Ideal Discrete-Time Filters 509 Lecture 56: IIR and FIR Filters 519 Lecture 57: FIR Filter Design by Windowing 524 Lecture 58: Sampling 541 Lecture 59: Signal Reconstruction and Aliasing 546 Lecture 60: Discrete-Time Processing of Continuous-Time Signals 552 Lecture 61: Equivalence to Continuous-Time Filtering; Sampling of Discrete-Time Signals 556 Lecture 62: Decimation, Upsampling and Interpolation 558 Lecture 63: Amplitude Modulation and Synchronous Demodulation 577 Lecture 64: Asynchronous Demodulation 583 Lecture 65: Single Sideband Amplitude Modulation 586 Lecture 66: Pulse-Train and Pulse Amplitude Modulation 591 Lecture 67: Frequency-Division and Time-Division Multiplexing; Angle Modulation 595 Lecture 68: State Models of LTI Difference Systems 617 Lecture 69: Zero-State and Zero-Input Responses of Discrete-Time State Models 622 Lecture 70: Discretization of Continuous-Time LTI Systems 628 xii Contents
- 19. I wish to acknowledge the contribution of Dr. Maier L. Blostein, emeritus pro- fessor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at McGill University. Our discussions over the past few years have led us to the current course syllabi for Signals & Systems I and II, essentially forming the table of con- tents of this textbook. I would like to thank the many students whom, over the years, have reported mistakes and suggested useful revisions to my Signals & Systems I and II course notes. The interesting and useful applets on the companion CD-ROM were pro- grammed by the following students: Rafic El-Fakir (Bode plot applet) and Gul Pil Joo (Fourier series and convolution applets). I thank them for their excellent work and for letting me use their programs. Acknowledgments xiii
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- 21. T he study of signals and systems is considered to be a classic subject in the curriculum of most engineering schools throughout the world. The theory of signals and systems is a coherent and elegant collection of mathematical re- sults that date back to the work of Fourier and Laplace and many other famous mathematicians and engineers. Signals and systems theory has proven to be an extremely valuable tool for the past 70 years in many fields of science and engi- neering, including power systems, automatic control, communications, circuit de- sign, filtering, and signal processing. Fantastic advances in these fields have brought revolutionary changes into our lives. At the heart of signals and systems theory is mankind’s historical curiosity and need to analyze the behavior of physical systems with simple mathematical mod- els describing the cause-and-effect relationship between quantities. For example, Isaac Newton discovered the second law of rigid-body dynamics over 300 years ago and described it mathematically as a relationship between the resulting force applied on a body (the input) and its acceleration (the output), from which one can also obtain the body’s velocity and position with respect to time. The develop- ment of differential calculus by Leibniz and Newton provided a powerful tool for modeling physical systems in the form of differential equations implicitly relating the input variable to the output variable. A fundamental issue in science and engineering is to predict what the behav- ior, or output response, of a system will be for a given input signal. Whereas sci- ence may seek to describe natural phenomena modeled as input-output systems, engineering seeks to design systems by modifying and analyzing such models. This issue is recurrent in the design of electrical or mechanical systems, where a system’s output signal must typically respond in an appropriate way to selected input signals. In this case, a mathematical input-output model of the system would be analyzed to predict the behavior of the output of the system. For example, in the Preface xv
- 22. design of a simple resistor-capacitor electrical circuit to be used as a filter, the en- gineer would first specify the desired attenuation of a sinusoidal input voltage of a given frequency at the output of the filter. Then, the design would proceed by se- lecting the appropriate resistance R and capacitance C in the differential equation model of the filter in order to achieve the attenuation specification. The filter can then be built using actual electrical components. A signal is defined as a function of time representing the evolution of a vari- able. Certain types of input and output signals have special properties with respect to linear time-invariant systems. Such signals include sinusoidal and exponential functions of time. These signals can be linearly combined to form virtually any other signal, which is the basis of the Fourier series representation of periodic sig- nals and the Fourier transform representation of aperiodic signals. The Fourier representation opens up a whole new interpretation of signals in terms of their frequency contents called the frequency spectrum. Furthermore, in the frequency domain, a linear time-invariant system acts as a filter on the frequency spectrum of the input signal, attenuating it at some frequencies while amplifying it at other frequencies. This effect is called the frequency response of the system. These frequency domain concepts are fundamental in electrical engineering, as they underpin the fields of communication systems, analog and digital filter design, feed- back control, power engineering, etc. Well-trained electrical and computer engi- neers think of signals as being in the frequency domain probably just as much as they think of them as functions of time. The Fourier transform can be further generalized to the Laplace transform in continuous-time and the z-transform in discrete-time. The idea here is to define such transforms even for signals that tend to infinity with time. We chose to adopt the notation X( jω), instead of X(ω) or X( f ), for the Fourier transform of a contin- uous-time signal x(t). This is consistent with the Laplace transform of the signal denoted as X(s), since then X( jω) = X(s)|s = jω. The same remark goes for the dis- crete-time Fourier transform: X(ejω) = X(z)|z = e jω. Nowadays, predicting a system’s behavior is usually done through computer simulation. A simulation typically involves the recursive computation of the out- put signal of a discretized version of a continuous-time system model. A large part of this book is devoted to the issue of system discretization and discrete-time sig- nals and systems. The MATLAB software package is used to compute and display the results of some of the examples. The companion CD-ROM contains the MAT- LAB script files, problem solutions, and interactive graphical applets that can help the student visualize difficult concepts such as the convolution and Fourier series. xvi Preface
- 23. Preface xvii Undergraduate students see the theory of signals and systems as a difficult sub- ject. The reason may be that signals and systems is typically one of the first courses an engineering student encounters that has substantial mathematical content. So what is the required mathematical background that a student should have in order to learn from this book? Well, a good background in calculus and trigonometry def- initely helps. Also, the student should know about complex numbers and complex functions. Finally, some linear algebra is used in the development of state-space representations of systems. The student is encouraged to review these topics care- fully before reading this book. My wish is that the reader will enjoy learning the theory of signals and systems by using this book. One of my goals is to present the theory in a direct and straight- forward manner. Another goal is to instill interest in different areas of specializa- tion of electrical and computer engineering. Learning about signals and systems and its applications is often the point at which an electrical or computer engineer- ing student decides what she or he will specialize in. Benoit Boulet March 2005 Montréal, Canada
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- 25. 1 Elementary Continuous- Time and Discrete-Time Signals and Systems 1 In This Chapter Systems in Engineering Functions of Time as Signals Transformations of the Time Variable Periodic Signals Exponential Signals Periodic Complex Exponential and Sinusoidal Signals Finite-Energy and Finite-Power Signals Even and Odd Signals Discrete-Time Impulse and Step Signals Generalized Functions System Models and Basic Properties Summary To Probe Further Exercises ((Lecture 1: Signal Models)) I n this first chapter, we introduce the concept of a signal as a real or complex function of time. We pay special attention to sinusoidal signals and to real and complex exponential signals, as they have the fundamental property of keeping their “identity” under the action of a linear time-invariant (LTI) system. We also in- troduce the concept of a system as a relationship between an input signal and an output signal.
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- 27. I caught up Blanchon and carried him, to which he made no objection. We were soon in the open air, and walking quickly down the course of the stream which had scooped out the valley, we found ourselves in the little hamlet. It seemed to be deserted. Not a man was to be seen, nor a light, save in Isabeau's cottage. The night had grown wild and stormy, but it was not very dark. And we could see the mast of the boat, which lay at the end of the little pier. "Now if Pierre has been true," said Andrew, and at that moment we heard his voice. "Monsieur and madame, is that you! All is ready; but we shall have a wild night." "Never mind, so long as the wind is fair," returned Andrew, in the same whisper. "I would rather face the sea than the devils we have left behind." We were assisted into the boat. I holding fast to my cat, and set sail. I can give little account of the voyage. I know it was a rough and tempestuous one, and that we were many times in the greatest danger from the rocks and counter currents which make navigation in those parts so difficult. Andrew had the helm most of the time, while Pierre, whose smuggling and other lawless exploits had made him well acquainted with the channel, directed our course. My mother sat quite still under the half-deck of the boat, and I dozed by fits, with Blanchon in my lap, who now and then uttered a peevish growl, as he vainly tried to lick himself dry. "There comes the morning at last," said Le Febre joyously; "and here is the blessed St. Aubin's bay spread
- 28. out before us, if we can but get into it. I would we had a better pilot than myself." "Yonder comes a boat which has been out all night," said Andrew. And he stood up and hailed her in English: "Boat ahoy!" "Hilloa!" came back, as the stranger rapidly overhauled us. "Who are you?" "English," was the answer. "We have ladies on board. Where are you bound?" "To St. Aubin's," was the reply. "Follow us, and you will do well enough." "Good!" said Andrew to my mother. "We shall land close at home. And now that we are comparatively safe, tell me, Pierre, did I not hear your voice at the tower last night?" "You did, monsieur," was the reply. "I had a mind to see what was going on, for I knew I would get back in time, and without being missed. It was I who put the rascals up to break into the cellars. The priest tried to draw them away after him to search the old chapel, but he did not know his men so well as I did. Then, when I saw them well engaged, I took to my heels and reached the pier before you, not having so far to go, or knowing the way better. But where were you when the floors fell? I trembled for you then." "We were safe enough, and not far off," was the reply. "Was any one much hurt?" "Yes; Michaud will die, and a good riddance too. There were some broken heads and bones; I don't know how many. But, monsieur, what could have been in the chapel
- 29. which handled the priest so terribly. I found him in the court blinded in both eyes and his face torn to pieces as by a wild beast, and he said something sprang at him in the old chapel. Could it have been that devil of a white chevalier, think you? Could a ghost handle a man like that?" "I do not know whether or no ghosts can scratch," answered Andrew gravely; "but the one who attacked the priest has been a passenger with us." And he raised my cloak and showed Blanchon, who had abandoned the attempt to keep himself dry, and lay a wet and sulky heap in my lap. Pierre's face fell. "A white cat," said he. "If I had known we had a white cat on board, I should have given up in despair a dozen times. However, all is well that ends well," he added, brightening up; "and here we come sure enough." "And yonder is your cousin's house, Vevette," said Andrew, pointing to a comfortable-looking mansion not far- away. "We shall soon be under a roof once more." The family of the fisherman whose boat had preceded us were gathered at the landing to see us come in, and loud were their exclamations of wonder and pity as my mother and myself were assisted from our cramped position in the bottom of the boat to the landing-place. By one of the boys Andrew sent a message up to the house, and in what seemed a wonderfully short time we were surrounded and conveyed to the mansion Andrew had pointed out, by a troop of excited boys and girls, under the leadership of an elderly considerate manservant. Here we were warmly welcomed, kissed, fed with hot soup and
- 30. mulled wine, and finally put to bed in the most fluffy of feather-beds, my mother and myself in adjoining rooms. Maman was still in the same curiously passive state, but not unconscious. "Go to rest, my Vevette," she said, kissing me as I hung over her. "Have no fears for me. I shall do well. Thank God that you are in safety. Ah, if thy father were but here!" And for the first time, she burst into tears. "That is well, my love," said my oldest cousin, to whom I looked in anxiety. "These tears will relieve your mother, and she will sleep, and all the better if she knows you are at rest. Go, my child." I was used to obey, and my kind motherly cousin inspired confidence by her very tone. I undressed, put on the dry warm flannels provided for me, and crept into the bed, on which Blanchon was already established. Oh, the delicious depths of that English bed! I thought I should lie awake to listen to the sounds from the next room, but I was worn-out, and fell asleep before my head was fairly on the pillow.
- 31. CHAPTER IX. IN JERSEY. I SLEPT till afternoon, and when I waked I could not at first tell where I was, everything about me was so utterly different from anything I had been used to. My bed was surrounded by light curtains of blue and white checked linen, and through these at the foot I could see that the hangings of the latticed window were of the same. The bed was covered with a white spread worked with a curious pattern in colored crewels. Everything was very quiet, but I could hear the distant hum of a spinning-wheel, and the singing of a robin outside my window. I lay quietly a long time, half asleep and dreaming, half bewildered, feeling as if I had died and wakened into a new world, of which all I knew was that it was safe and friendly. At last I raised myself, put aside the curtain, and looked out. The room was small, very little larger than the one I had inhabited—oh, how long ago—but it was very different. The window was not a mere slit almost lost in the thickness of the wall, but a peaceful lattice, broad and low, into which, late as it was, looked a cluster of noisette roses. The floor was of boards instead of tiles, and covered here and
- 32. there with rugs, evidently of home construction. A little table stood at the head of the bed, on which were placed a bright brass candlestick, a Bible and prayer-book, and a little cup of flowers, and a shelf on the wall held a slender row of volumes. On an arm-chair near the bed was laid a change of clean linen, and beside it a mourning frock. The sight of that black frock brought back to my mind all that had passed in the last twenty-four hours. I had been through so much, and the need of action had been so instant, that I had had no time, as it were, to feel what I had lost, but now it came upon me in one moment. My father was dead—murdered by the very man whom he had saved from the effects of what he believed to be a false accusation. His body lay unburied at this moment, a prey to wild animals or more savage men. My mother and myself were exiles in a strange land, never again to see the home where I had grown-up, and where I had lived so happily, in spite of uncertainty and danger. "Oh, if my father were but here, I would not care for anything else!" I sobbed, and covering my head I wept till I was exhausted, and once more I fell asleep. I was waked by some one who came very softly into the room bearing a shaded light, and I started up in alarm. "What has happened?" I asked, only half awake. "Have I been asleep? Has not my father come home?" "It is I, my love—Cousin Marianne," said the new-comer in a soft, ladylike voice. "Do not be frightened. All is safe. Your mother is awake, and I thought perhaps you would like to rise and take some refreshment with her." "Is it very late?" I asked, still bewildered. "Has neither my father nor Andrew come back?"
- 33. "Recollect yourself, dear child," said my cousin, setting down her light and coming to the bedside. "Do you not remember what has happened?" "Oh, yes, I remember!" said I, and my tears flowed again. My cousin sat down on the bedside, laid my head on her shoulder, and wept with me for a while. Then she began gently to soothe and hush me, and by degrees I grew composed, so that when she again proposed to me to try to rise, I was quite ready to comply. She assisted me to dress, but looked a little displeased when she saw the black gown. "That was thoughtless of Katherine," said she. "We are wearing mourning ourselves, but she might have got out a colored frock for to-day." "It does not signify," said I. "I must put on black, of course. How is my mother, madame?" "She seems well in health, and very quiet and composed," was the answer; "but I have persuaded her to remain in her room, for I am sure she must need rest after the events of yesterday and last night." "Yesterday!" I exclaimed. "Is it possible that it was only yesterday morning that I saw my father and Andrew set out from our gate to go to Avranches?" "So I understand from Andrew," was the reply. "I dare say it seems an age to you. My love, how curly your hair is." "It curls worse than usual because it has been wet," said I, almost laughing at the odd transition. "Maman says it is real Corbet hair."
- 34. "Yes, you are like your mother's family, all but the complexion. Here is a fresh cap for you. They say that in London young ladies do not wear caps, but I cannot think that a modest custom. There, now, you look like an English maiden, and a very sweet one," said the dear old lady, kissing me, and then holding me off and regarding me with great satisfaction, much as if I had been a doll she had just dressed. "Now I will let you go in to your mother, as I dare say she would rather see you alone just at first. The next door to this on the right hand, remember. I will go down and send up your supper presently, and you must try to make dear mamma eat something." And Cousin Marianne glided away with that peculiar swift, short step of hers, which never seemed to make any noise even on a tiled flour. I never saw any one else move in the same way or get over so much ground in the same time. It was with a feeling of awe that I opened my mother's door. She was up and dressed, and lay back in a great chair, with her little worn prayer-book in her hand. I now remembered seeing her slip it into her bosom when we changed our dresses in such a hurry. She held out her arms to me, and I fell into them weeping; but she did not weep, and I never saw her shed a tear but once afterward. Seeing how calm she was, I tried to quiet myself, and succeeded. Then she read to me that prayer in the Litany which begins, "O God, Merciful Father," and then for a while we were silent. "Do you feel quite well, my Vevette?" she asked at last.
- 35. "Yes, dear maman, only tired," I answered truly; for though my head was a little inclined to be giddy, and I had an odd feeling of bewilderment, as though I were some one beside myself, I had no pain. "Why do you ask?" "Your eyes are heavy, and your cheeks more flushed than usual; that is all." "And you, maman?" "I am quite well, my love, only weary, as you say. Have you seen any of the family?" "No, maman; only that kind, gentle old lady. She called herself my Cousin Marianne. Who is she?" "She is your cousin, as she said—the sister of Mr. George Corbet, the rector of this parish, and whose household she has governed since his wife died. A better woman never lived, nor one on whom advancing years made less impression. We have fallen among kind friends in our exile, my Vevette, and we must take care to show that we appreciate their kindness. You will find your cousins' ways quite different from anything you have been used to; but do not fall into the common error of thinking that therefore those ways must be wrong. Even if they should laugh at you, take it in good part and laugh with them." "I do not feel as if I should ever have the heart to laugh again," said I, sighing. "Ah, my dear one, you are young, and youth is elastic. Your father would not wish to have all your life wrapped in gloom because he hath been so early and so easily removed to his eternal rest. But oh, my child, if you are ever tempted to sin against your own soul by denying your religion, remember it was for that your father laid down his life."
- 36. "I will never deny my religion!" said I almost indignantly. "I trust not; but no one knows how he may be tempted. There are other inducements besides that of escaping persecution. The smiles of the world are far more dangerous to natures like yours than its frowns, and more than one of our religion has given up to blandishments and to ambition what he would never have yielded to the rack. Your father was attacked on this side many a time, with promises of high command, of court favor, and kingly grace, but he never yielded an inch—no, not, as I believe, in his inmost thoughts. Remember it, my Vevette, and let his example be, next to your duty to Heaven, the guiding light of your life." The entrance of Cousin Marianne, followed by a neat maid bearing a tray of good things, interrupted our conversation. With that gentle, noiseless quickness, which was one of her characteristics, she spread a little table with a clean white cloth and arranged thereon the tempting dishes she had caused to be prepared. She also set out two cups and saucers of delicate china-ware—such as David had once brought to my mother from Dieppe. A signal dismissed the maid, who, however, presently returned carrying a small silver coffee-pot—the first one I had ever seen; for though coffee had come into quite common use in London and Paris, it had not yet penetrated to Normandy. "I have made you a small pot of coffee, cousin," said she. "My brother learned to like it in London, and though I do not approve of its constant use, yet tempered with cream it is refreshing and wholesome when one is weak or tired. Now I shall leave you to wait upon yourselves, and do
- 37. try to eat. It will be hard, I dare say, but you will be the better for it." "Why does Cousin Marianne make one think of poor Grace?" said I. "She is not in the least like her." "It is the Cornish accent," said my mother. "Grace always retained it, and so does our cousin, though she has lived so long abroad. But, my child, you do not eat a mouthful. Are you not hungry?" "I thought I was," I answered; "but somehow I do not wish to eat now the food is before me. But I like the coffee," I added, sipping it with great satisfaction. "Do you not think it is good, maman?" "Very pleasant indeed. I have tasted it before when it was a new thing even in London; but you must not drink much of it without eating, or it will keep you awake. Take one of these saffron-cakes. They are like Mrs. Grace's." I tried to eat to please my mother, but with all my efforts I did not succeed very well. Whether owing to the coffee or because I had slept so much during the day, I cannot say, but I passed great part of the night lying broad awake and going over and over again, even to the minutest circumstance, the events of my life. They seemed to pass before me in endless succession, from the very earliest things I could remember in Jeanne Sablot's cottage, and that without any volition of my own, so that it was as if some one unfolded before me a set of pictures, and I lay and looked at them. When at last I fell asleep, it was to be tormented by poor Lucille's messenger, the bluebottle fly, which kept buzzing round my head, saying something which I could not understand, though it was of the last importance that I
- 38. should do so. Then I was being built up by my father and Andrew in one of the niches in the sepulchral vault, while I struggled in vain to tell them that I was not dead. Oh, how glad I was to wake at last and see the cheerful sun just darting his first beams into my casement! I abandoned the attempt to sleep, and rising I dressed myself quickly and softly, for I was possessed by an overmastering desire to get into the open air. I slipped down the stairs, admiring the beautiful neatness of the house, the brightness of the glass and the furniture, and the general air of comfort. The door of a sort of little parlor was open, and I peeped in. The walls were hung with brown hollands worked prettily in colored wools with leafy and flowery designs, and an unfinished piece of the same kind of embroidery in a great swinging frame stood by a window. There was an old-fashioned East Country cabinet, such as I had never seen at that time, a good many books, or what looked a good many to me, a lute and a pair of virginals— an instrument I had never beheld before, with a pile of music-books. A sash door opened from this room to a terrace, and seeing that it was only fastened by an inside latch, I ventured to open it and step out. The house stood somewhat high upon the hill-side, overlooking first a sloping grass-plot and flower-garden, where late blossoms still lingered, which had faded on the mainland long ago. Below was an odd pretty little old church, all surrounded by a green graveyard full of mouldering stones. Beyond were the sands of the bay, over which the tides were coming up in that peculiar boiling, swirling fashion which belongs to tides about the islands, and still beyond were wooded abrupt slopes.
- 39. On the top of these, I could see a single farm-house, from whose chimney rose a tall, thin column of blue smoke touched into a rosy glory at the top by the rays of the low sun. Nobody seemed to be stirring. Two or three fishing- boats were anchored off shore, and a few skiffs were drawn up on the beach. A very distant church bell was ringing and a few birds pecking and chirping about the hedges; but these sounds, with the rush of the advancing tide, seemed only to render the stillness more tranquil. I stood and gazed like one entranced, till I heard steps approaching, and looking about I saw Andrew for the first time since we landed at the little quay, where Le Febre's boat was still lying. I could not speak, but I held out my hand. He pressed it warmly and long, and we stood in silence, looking over the scene. "You are up early," said I at last. "I saw you from my window, and came to join you," he answered, and then asked, in a tone of concern, "Are you quite well, Vevette?" "Yes, of course!" I answered pettishly. "I can't think why every one should ask me whether I am well." "Because you do not look so," he answered. "But that is no wonder, considering—" and then he broke off and was silent again. "How beautiful everything is, and how peaceful!" said I at last. "Do you know it seems so strange to me to think that we are safe. I can hardly believe it." "It is hard to believe it, even to me, to whom safety comes natural," he answered. "I can scarcely think that yonder is a Protestant church, where all the village will
- 40. presently assemble to worship, and that my cousin will preach, and say just what he pleases about the mass or anything else." "Is my cousin the minister?" I asked. "Yes, the rector, as we call him here. It is but a poor cure, but Mr. Corbet has property of his own. Have you seen any of your cousins yet?" "Only Cousin Marianne, as she bade me call her. I think she is charming. Is she a widow?" "No, she has never married." "Why was that?" I asked, surprised. "Because she did not choose, I fancy," replied Andrew, smiling. "In England, my cousin, women do not have to choose between a husband and the cloister. I have known more than one lady who has never married, but lived to be a blessing to all about her. Others, I am sorry to say, waste their time in miserable frivolity—in cards and dancing and dress." "A woman who would live like that when single would most likely do the same if she were married," said I sagely. "And then her family would have to suffer. But I must go back to the house. Maman will wake and miss me." "And here comes Eleanor to call us," said Andrew. "Dear good Eleanor. She is not as bright as the rest, but I am sure you will like her." Eleanor came forward, and shook hands with me cordially enough. She was pretty and fresh-colored, but I noticed in a moment that her cap was awry, and her fresh
- 41. lawn apron already creased and tumbled. Nevertheless, I took a fancy to her in a moment. "Do you know whether my mother is up?" I asked, after we had exchanged some commonplace remarks. "I think she is. I heard her moving," she said, and then asked abruptly, "Don't you want to carry her some flowers? I would have gathered them, but I thought you would like to do it yourself. There are plenty of late violets and rosebuds in the garden." I was pleased with the idea, and with the odd kind of consideration it showed. We collected quite a nosegay, which I carried to my mother's room. I had acted as her maid and attendant of late, though I am sure I but poorly supplied the loss of poor Grace, and I was surprised to find her up and dressed. "Oh, maman, I ought not to have stayed so long," said I; "but the morning is so beautiful, and I longed so to breathe the fresh air—" And then I stopped, and had much ado not to burst out crying again as I observed that my mother had put on a black dress and a long mourning veil after the fashion of widows in England. I checked myself, however, and put into her hand the flowers Eleanor had helped me to gather. "Thank you, my love. They are very charming," said my mother, who loved flowers with a kind of passion. "But I fear you have been making too free with your cousin's garden." "Oh, no, maman; Eleanor showed me where to gather them. It was her thought in the first place. See what beautiful rosebuds, for so late in the year. We have none
- 42. such in Normandy. But I suppose our poor flower-garden is all trampled into the earth," I added, and then seeing that my mother's lips turned white, and that she grasped the back of the chair for support, I sprang forward, exclaiming, "Oh, dear maman, I beg your pardon. I did not mean to hurt you." "There is no fault to be pardoned, my child," said my mother, recovering herself as by a great effort, and kissing me; "but, Vevette, I must be selfish enough for the present to ask you not to speak of—" Her lips turned pale again, and she seated herself in the chair. I bathed her face with some sweet waters which stood on the toilette-table, and she was soon herself, nor did she again allude to the subject. When she was quite recovered, we said our morning prayers together, and read the Psalms for the day, as we had been used to do at home. We had but just finished, when Cousin Marianne tapped at the door, which I opened. "So you are both up; and I hear—my dear, what shall I call you?" said she, with one of her abrupt transitions. "That name of Genevieve does not suit an English girl, to my thinking." "Call her Vevette," said my mother. "It is the name she has always gone by. Or you may call her by her first name, Agnes, if you like." "Oh, my dear, Agnes is an unlucky name—at least for Cornish folks. Vevette answers nicely, though it does sound a little like a cat," she added reflectively. "However, it does not matter; and I am sure such a nice cat as that of yours is a credit to any family. Why, no sooner did it see me cutting some cold meat than it sat up upon its hind legs,
- 43. and spread out one paw exactly like a Christian. But, my dear Margaret, will you join us at breakfast and family prayers? Do just as you please." "We will come certainly," said my mother. And leaning upon my arm, she descended to the parlor below—not the one I had been in before—where we found the whole family assembled, including my Cousin George, who came forward to meet us. Of all men that ever I saw, Cousin George came the nearest to my idea of a clergyman, at least in appearance and manners. He was a tall, slender man, with curling hair as white as snow. His face had that hale, healthful red, like that of a winter apple, which is so beautiful in old age, and shone with a benignancy and purity that I cannot describe. It was the light within shining out which did so illumine his countenance, for a sweeter, more godly, and withal more kind and genial soul never inhabited a mortal tenement. There was nothing of the sour ascetic about Cousin George, though he could fast at proper times, and was self-denying by habit; but he loved to see and to promote innocent enjoyment. If ever any man fulfilled the command to rejoice with those that rejoiced, and weep with those that wept, he did, and he was equally at home at the bridal or in the house of mourning. My other cousins all rose when we came in, and remained standing while their father greeted my mother with a tenderly spoken blessing, and led her to a seat by his side. They looked at us with a sort of reverence and awe, as young folks of any feeling are apt to do upon those who have just come through any great danger or affliction. There were five of them—three girls, and two little boys
- 44. much younger. I found out afterward that the birth of these two twin boys cost the life of their mother. As soon as we were seated, my Cousin George read the tenth chapter of St. Matthew. Then all together sang a version of the twenty-third Psalm: "My shepherd is the living Lord. Nothing therefore I need; In pastures green near pleasant streams He setteth me to feed." Then my cousin read prayers. Nobody who has not been placed in like circumstances can guess how strange it seemed to me to be reading the holy Word and singing psalms with open windows and in absolute security. I saw the girls look at one another and smile, but by no means unkindly, when I started nervously at a passing footstep outside. It all added to that bewilderment which had been stealing over me all the morning, and which seemed now and then to quite take away all knowledge of where I was or what I was doing. The breakfast was very nice, with abundance of cream and new milk, fresh-laid eggs, and brown and white bread, but I could take nothing save a glass of milk, which I had hard work to dispose of. I saw them all look at me with concern, and again Cousin Marianne asked me whether I were ill. "No, madame," I answered; "I am not ill at all."
- 45. I caught a look of surprised reproof from my mother, and became aware that I had answered pettishly. "Indeed, I am not ill," I said more gently; "please do not think so." I suppose it was a part of the bewilderment of my head that I somehow felt annoyed and hurt that any one should think I was not well. My cousins came round me after breakfast, and carried me off to the room I had seen in the morning. "This is our own den," said Katherine, the elder sister. "To-morrow we will show you our books and work. The lute is Paulina's, and the virginals are mine. Eleanor does not play or sing at all." "But she works very nicely," put in Pauline, the second sister, while Eleanor never spoke a word, but looked at me like a good dog, which says with his eyes what his tongue cannot utter; "and she can tell tales better than any of us when she is in the mood. Can you tell tales, Cousin Vevette?" "I do not know, I am sure," I said. "I love to hear and read them. But what is that?" I asked, with a start, as the near church bell swung round and then rang out loudly. "Is it an alarm?" "That is the church bell," said Paulina, with a little laugh. "How you start at everything. I noticed it when my father was reading." "If you had been through what she has, you would start too," said Eleanor, speaking for the first time. "Can't you understand that, Paul? Will you go to church, cousin?"
- 46. "I don't believe she ought to go," said Katherine; "she looks so tired and overwrought." "I would much rather go, if maman is willing," said I. There was some demur among the elders, but it was finally settled that I might do as I pleased, and I presently found myself walking with my cousins through a shady lane which led from the rectory to the church. Once inside the gates, we found ourselves amid a throng of people, all well- dressed and comfortable-looking, and, as it seemed, all talking together in an odd kind of patois which was not English, and not any French that I was used to. However, by a little attention I understood the tongue well enough, and I found it not so very different from the Norman French spoken in La Manche. There were a good many English people in church, and some whom I guessed to be French exiles, like ourselves. I saw Pierre Le Febre seated along with a decent-looking family of fisher-folks, and as I glanced at him from time to time, I saw him listening with the greatest attention and an air of profound amazement, not to say alarm, which made me smile. The prayers and sermon were in the language of the island, but, as Katherine told me, the afternoon service was always in English. I was still listening, as I thought, to my cousin's sermon, when to my great amazement, I found myself in my little blue and white bed. It was toward evening, as I guessed by the light. My mother was bending over me, and Cousin Marianne with a strange gentleman were standing on the other side of the bed. "There is a great improvement, madame," the stranger said in English. "I think I may say that with care there is
- 47. nothing more to fear. But I cannot too strongly recommend absolute quiet and silence for the present." "What does it mean, maman?" I said, finding my voice somehow very hard to get at, and very thin and tremulous when found. "I thought I was in church. Have I been ill?" "Yes, my love. You were taken ill in church, and were brought home. Do not talk now. By and by you will understand all about it. Let me give you a little food and refresh your pillow, and then perhaps you will fall asleep again." "I should like something to eat," said I. "I feel hungry, though I could not eat this morning." My mother smiled sadly, and I saw Cousin Marianne suddenly turn away to the window almost as if she was crying. I wondered vaguely what she was crying about, but it did not disturb me. I took the cup of broth my mother held to my lips, and presently fell asleep again. I lay in this state of childish weakness for many days and weeks, coming gradually to understand that I had been ill some time, though I had no notion how long the time was. The girls flitted in and out, and Eleanor often sat by me hours at a time, working away at her plain white seam. I liked to have her with me best of all. She never put on airs of bustle and authority like Katherine, who seemed to think that the only way to take care of a sick person was never to let that person do or have anything she wanted. Neither did she lean against the bed, or pat the floor with her foot, or talk of half a dozen things in a minute, like good little Paulina, who thought I needed to be enlivened and diverted. She just sat quietly, with her sewing, where I
- 48. could see her without any trouble, and was always ready to wait on me and to save me the trouble of speaking by anticipating my wants. My mother said of her that she had the precious nursing talent, which is one of the best gifts ever bestowed on man or woman. I lay quietly in my bed, as I said, very little troubled as to the lapse of time or anything else, taking what was given me, perfectly content so long as I had my mother or Eleanor by me. I learned afterward that this long-continued passiveness of mine was a source of great alarm to my friends, who feared that my mind was irretrievably injured by what I had gone through. However, such was not the case. The bow had been terribly strained, but not cracked, and by and by, it recovered its elasticity. One morning I woke feeling much stronger, and very decidedly interested about what I was going to have to eat. The curtain was undrawn from the casement, and I raised myself on my elbow and looked out. Lo, the great willow was hung with catkins, and the hedgerow was budding. What did it mean? My mother was resting, half asleep, in the great chair, but roused herself and came to the bedside as I moved. "Maman, what time of year is it?" I asked. Her lips moved, and I was sure she said "Thank God!" Then she answered gently— "It is spring, my Vevette; the last of March."
- 49. "March!" I repeated wonderingly. "I thought it had been December. And what, then, has become of Christmas?" "It has gone where all other Christmases have gone before it, no doubt," answered my mother, smiling. "It passed while you were so ill that I dared not leave you for a moment, and all the congregation on that day prayed for you. Do you not recollect anything of your illness?" "No," I answered. "The last I recollect clearly was being in church listening to the sermon, and then waking in my room and hearing some one say I was better. But that was some days ago, was it not?" "Some weeks," said my mother. "But do not talk any more now. Here comes our good Eleanor, with your breakfast. The dear child has been like an own daughter to me." "I remember Eleanor," said I, taking her plump hand in my thin one and kissing it. "She has been here a good many times. But what are these flowers? Violets? They really are violets and primroses." "I thought you would like them," said Eleanor; "but don't let your broth get cold while you look at them." And she would have fed me, but I took the spoon and helped myself. From this time, my recovery was rapid. I was soon able to sit up by the window, and then to walk about the room, and at last, I got down-stairs and out of doors. Every one was very kind to me, and T had only one trouble, over which I used to cry in secret sometimes. I had a ravenous appetite, and though I had half a dozen meals a day, they would not give me half as much as I wanted to eat.
- 50. CHAPTER X. TO ENGLAND. AS I said, my strength increased every day, so that I was soon able to walk about the garden and to take some long rides upon my cousin's gentle old pony, accompanied by Andrew and sometimes by Eleanor, to whom I still clung, though I was on the best of terms with the other girls. We sat together in the brown parlor, as it was called, with our work or our music. Katherine taught me to play the virginals and also the organ, on which she was no contemptible performer. I never saw a girl who could do so many different things so well; but she had some faults, one of which was that she did not know how to help. Whatever was going on, she always wished to take the whole command, whether the scheme was her own or another
- 51. person's. Paulina could give advice as to one's embroidery, modestly point out what she believed to be improvements, and after all, be content that you should take your own way. But Kate always had some greatly better plan or pattern of her own, and was inclined to be offended, if one did not adopt it. I observed that the little boys, though they were fond of Katherine, yet came to Paulina with their little manufactures of kites, etc., as well as with their lessons, and to Eleanor with their bruises, cut fingers, and little difficulties of all sorts. In return for their instructions, I taught the girls to do English cut work, to work lace, and to knit, of which accomplishments they were quite ignorant. Cousin Marianne was in and out, up-stairs and down, looking well to the ways of her household, keeping every part of the family in place and working smoothly, by using oil or a rasp, as the case might require. I never saw any one who better fulfilled the part of the wise woman of King Lemuel, except that she had no husband to be known in the gates (I always wondered what kind of woman King Lemuel married, after all his mother's instructions. I dare say she was some shiftless, helpless beauty, who could not mend her own hose, and did not know wheat from barley). I must not forget to say that Pierre Le Febre returned to La Manche, having been well rewarded for his great services, which money alone would never pay for. He was not afraid to go back, as he had a plausible story enough to tell of contrary winds and the breaking of his boat, which was indeed a good deal damaged. But it seems he did not find himself comfortable. He fell under suspicion, notwithstanding all his precautions, and he was not well treated by his own family, who never forgave his marrying poor Isabeau.
- 52. So one night, he loaded his most valued possessions into his boat, along with his wife and child, and ran over to Jersey. He was hospitably received, on account of the great service he had done to my cousin's family, and he settled down into a respectable, steady father of a family, and became, for one in his station, quite a rich man. All this Eleanor wrote me long afterward. Andrew had always said that poor Le Febre had the making of a man in him, and the event showed he was right. It was a delightful novelty to have comrades of my own age to work and play with, for, except poor Lucille, I had never had any girl friend. As the spring came on, as my strength increased and the island became more beautiful with every passing day, I grew more and more content, and should have been well pleased to make Jersey my home as long as I lived. But my mother's health, which seemed so well to have borne the strain of that terrible night and the fatigues of my long illness, now began to fail. She had feverish nights and a slight cough, which made Cousin Marianne look grave whenever she heard it; and she became restlessly anxious to go home, as she said—to see once more the house where she was born, and the places where she had wandered when a child. "It may be an idle fancy," said she one day to Cousin Marianne; "but since I cannot share my husband's grave, I should like to lie beside my father and mother." "You must not give up life for a bad business," said Cousin Marianne. "Wish and try to live for your daughter's sake."
- 53. "I should strive to live, if striving would do any good," said maman; "but my life is in better hands than mine. As to wishes, I believe I have none, unless it be this one—to see Cornwall once more." "I should urge you to stay longer, if I did not believe that your native air might do you good. I have some longings for a sight of that same Cornish home myself," she added, with a little gentle sadness in her voice. "It comes to me in my dreams at times, but I can never leave my cousin till one of the girls is old enough to govern the family, and by that time I fancy, I shall be ready for a better home even than the old house at Tre Madoc." Andrew, too, was anxious to depart. His ship was to sail in June, and he wished to see us in safety, and to spend a little time with his mother and sisters before setting out on his long voyage to the Indies, whither his ship was bound. So at last, it was settled that we were to sail for England with the first good opportunity, spend a few days in London, to dispose of my mother's jewels to advantage, and then go by sea to Plymouth, from whence the land journey would be but short. An opportunity was not long delayed, for a good merchant-ship, with whose captain Andrew was well acquainted, touched at the island, and as the accommodations were better than any we could have hoped for, we got ready and embarked without delay. I gave my white cat Blanchon to Eleanor. I grieved to part with him, for he seemed a link to my lost home, but I should not have known how to dispose of him in London, and Eleanor had grown very fond of him; so I was glad to
- 54. do something for her in return for all her goodness to me. So Blanchon was left behind. I parted from my cousins with many tears. They are all living still, and the two elder ones in homes of their own; but Eleanor has never married, and now governs her elder brother's house, as my cousin Marianne did her father's. Our voyage, though somewhat rough, was prosperous, and the morning of the third day found us in lodgings which Andrew had procured for us in a good situation. It was in one of the new streets which had been built upon the ground covered by the great fire, and was therefore clean in comparison with other parts of the town. But oh, how dingy and dirty and forlorn it all seemed to me! It is true, many of the buildings were very magnificent, and the equipages quite wonderful to my country eyes; but what did that matter, when half the time one could not see them for the fog and the smoke of the sea-coal, a kind of fuel of which I knew nothing? I well remember my dismay when, on putting my hand on the banister in going down- stairs, I found it as begrimed as a blacksmith's. We remained in London about two weeks. My Uncle Charles, my mother's brother, was out of town with his family when we first arrived, but he soon returned, and came at once to see us, with his wife. They were a very fine lady and gentleman indeed, and dressed in the extreme of the fashion. My aunt especially was quite wonderful to behold, with her great bush of false hair, almost white, which formed an odd contrast to her dark eyes and eyebrows. Her forehead and cheeks were spotted with patches in the form of crescents, stars, and what not, and she wore the richest of brocades with heaps of silver lace. She was a very pretty woman, and very good-natured as
- 55. well, though rather affected. I admired her hugely, as the first specimen of a fine lady I had ever seen. They were very kind and attentive to us, and my aunt was earnest with my mother to remain with her, instead of going down into that barbarous Cornwall, as she called it. "Meg does not think it a barbarous desert, you see," said my uncle, with some pique in his voice, I thought. "And as you have never seen it and she has, she is perhaps the better judge." "But such a lonely place," said my lady, with a very little pout; "no society, no gentry! I should die of megrims in a week." "Margaret will not die of megrims, I'll engage," said my uncle; "nor my niece here. Come here, child, and let us look at you. I protest, Margaret, she is a beauty. Leave her with us, if you will not remain yourself, and we will find her a good husband." "Vevette's market is already made," said my mother, smiling, though I could see she was annoyed. "You know it was an old family compact that she is to marry her cousin Andrew, and both the young folks are well suited therewith." "Andrew Corbet! Why, he is not even a captain, and the estate at Tre Madoc cannot be worth more than four hundred a year all told," said my uncle. "Besides, unless he abandons his profession, the child will be a widow without any of the advantages of widowhood. There, I beg your pardon, Meg. I did not mean to hurt you." My mother made no reply, but began to ask after other members of the family—the Stantons and Corbets of Devonshire.
- 56. "Oh, poor Walter is dead of the plague, and his young wife also! He married a girl young enough to be his daughter, and a great beauty, but neither of them lived long." "I thought his wife was that Margaret Matou, who lived at the court with the former Lady Stanton," said my mother. "Yes, she was his first wife, and a charming creature, I must say, though not handsome; but the second was quite different. However, she died, poor thing, and left no children, so the old house stands empty at present." "There was a daughter, was there not?" "Yes, she lives with Mr. Evelyn, her guardian, who is bringing her up in his strait-laced fashion." "To be a companion to his pattern Mrs. Godolphin," said his wife, laughing. "He might do worse," returned my uncle. "But come, sister d'Antin, make up your mind to leave your daughter with us for her education. I assure you she will have every care and advantage of masters, and we will make her a girl you shall be proud of." My aunt seconded the invitation most kindly, but my mother was quite firm in declining it. We promised them a visit, however, to my secret delight. When Andrew came back from the navy office, whither he had been to report himself, and heard what had passed, his brow darkened, and he said anxiously: "You will not surely think of it, aunt. You will not leave our Vevette here to be made a fine lady of?"
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