DEATH OF FRANCOISE
"Pease go back to the chateau at once. There has been an accident." Charlotte called from the chateau,
"Do not bring the child."
Only Charlotte and the woman who milked the cows and the cook were in the chateau: all the others were
out searching for Marie-Noel. Charlotte were weeping, and the woman who milked the cows was shouting in
my ear. Then the cook, who was Gaston's wife, came out of the kitchen. She said, "They came from the
hospital in Villars to fetch Madame Francoise."
The woman who milked the cows turned first to me and then to Blanche and said, "I saw here fall ... I
saw her fall."
We drove to Villars. Blanche went into the hospital first and spoke quickly to a young man in a white
coat. Then she went with him through the door. A nurse came back with Blanche.
"I can't tell you how seriously she is hurt," she said. "The doctor is examining her now."
She led us into a small waiting room.
After some time a big man came in.
"I am Dr Moutier. We are doing everything we can, but it would be wrong to give you any great hope."
He turned from us to speak to the nurse. I heard the words "Le Mans" and "blood".
Blanche put her hand on the doctor's arm: "Did you say that you had sent to Le Mans to get blood?"
"Yes."
"Wouldn't it save time if my brother gave his blood? Both he and my brother Paul have Blood Group O
which can be given go anyone without danger."
This was terrible! My blood was not Blood Group O.
"No!" I said.
Blanche looked at me: "Don't you want to save her?"
"Please do not trouble yourselves," said the doctor. "It's better to use blood from the hospitalin
Le Mans. Everything necessary is already on the way."
At one o'clock Paul and Renee appeared at the hospital. I did not want to talk to them, so I went out
and walked about in the market square. After some time I went back. Paul was standing at the door. He
took my arm and we went along to the small waiting-room. Dr Moutier was there. There doctor said, "It's
all over: I am very sorry. It is hard for you to have lost them both ... you would have had a son."
"You had better go home to Saint Gilles," said Paul. "Blanche and I will stay here and make
arrangements."
When I reached the chateau I said to Gaston, "Please go to the glass factory and tell Julie that
Francoise is dead; I want Julie to give the news to Marie-Noel. I will go and see the Comtesse."
I opened the door and went straight in.
The priest was there. He stood up. "My sone, we have been praying for you. Would you like me to tell
the child?"
"No. I have asked Julie to tell her. Will you arrange with Paul and Blanche the many things which have
to be done?"
He blessed us both and left the room.
I drew back the curtains to let in the light. Then I went and knelt beside her chair.
"Why did she die?" I said. "Did she kill herself, or was it an accident?"
"She came to me, dressed, ready to go and search for the child. She said, "Why has Marie-Noel run away?
Is it because she thinks that a baby brother will get all the attention?' And then she said that she was
very unhappy, that everyone wanted her out of the way ... Whether she threw herself out of the window or
whether she fell is something which we shall never know. The result is the same. You've got what you
wanted, haven't you?"
"No!" I shouted. "No! You have got to help me."
Whatever wrongs had been done in the past, they could not be put right by a stranger.
"How can I help you?" she asked.
"I want you to be head of the house, as you used to be, and you can't so long as you take morphine."
"I am tired and old and useless."
"You are not tired or useless. Yesterday you came downstairs and stood there receiving the guests. You
wanted to stand beside me as you had stood beside my father. You wanted to prove to yourself that it
could be done. Now give me your hand."
She put her hand in mine. I pulled her up from the chair.
"Now come downstairs," I said.
"Downstairs? Why?"
"Because I need you, and in future you'll come downstairs every day."
For a long time she held onto me. Then she moved towards the door. She moved like a grand lady, a queen.
She did not take my arm outside.
She said, "Did I hear you tell the priest that Blanche and Paul will take the arrangements for the funeral
of Francoise? They don't understand these things. There hasn't been a funeral since your father died. It
must be done properly."
As we entered the room we heard voices. Pual was standing by the fire, with the priest. Renee was in her
usual place. Blanche got up and said, "You ought to be in bed."
"Mind your own business," said the Comtesse. She went to the chair where Francoise always sat.
She put on her glasses. "Pual get me a pen and some paper. Blanche, you will find my desk the list of all
the people who came to your father's funeral. Renee, bring me the telephone book. Jean, I do not except
any help from you at the moment. You had better go for a walk. But before you go, change into a dark suit
of clothes."