talk about the girl in the wood, I wished to verify the strange facts
that had given rise to absurd stories. What was my feeling when I
beheld the Countess? Fleuriot told me all that he knew of the piteous
story. I took the poor fellow with my niece into Auvergne, and there I
had the misfortune to lose him. He had some ascendancy over Mme. de
Vandieres. He alone succeeded in persuading her to wear clothes; and
in those days her one word of human speech--_Farewell_--she seldom
uttered. Fleuriot set himself to the task of awakening certain
associations; but there he failed completely; he drew that one
sorrowful word from her a little more frequently, that was all. But
the old grenadier could amuse her, and devoted himself to playing with
her, and through him I hoped; but--" here Stephanie's uncle broke off.
After a moment he went on again.

"Here she has found another creature with whom she seems to have an
understanding--an idiot peasant girl, who once, in spite of her
plainness and imbecility, fell in love with a mason. The mason thought
of marrying her because she had a little bit of land, and for a whole
year poor Genevieve was the happiest of living creatures. She dressed
in her best, and danced on Sundays with Dallot; she understood love;
there was room for love in her heart and brain. But Dallot thought
better of it. He found another girl who had all her senses and rather
more land than Genevieve, and he forsook Genevieve for her. Then the
poor thing lost the little intelligence that love had developed in
her; she can do nothing now but cut grass and look after the cattle.
My niece and the poor girl are in some sort bound to each other by the
invisible chain of their common destiny, and by their madness due to
the same cause. Just come here a moment; look!" and Stephanie's uncle
led the Marquis d'Albon to the window.