A week later La Catiche was the acknowledged queen of the house.  Andree had recovered a little color, and was increasing in weight daily.  And in presence of this result the others bowed low indeed.  There was every disposition to overlook all possible faults on the nurse’s part.  She was the third, and a fourth would mean the child’s death; so that she was an indispensable, a providential helper, one whose services must be retained at all costs.  Moreover, she seemed to have no defects, for she was a calm, cunning, peasant woman, one who knew how to rule her employers and extract from them all that was to be extracted.  Her conquest of the Seguins was effected with extraordinary skill.  At first some unpleasantness seemed likely, because Celeste was, on her own side, pursuing a similar course; but they were both too intelligent to do otherwise than come to an understanding.  As their departments were distinct, they agreed that they could prosecute parallel invasions.  And from that moment they even helped one another, divided the empire, and preyed upon the house in company.

La Catiche sat upon a throne, served by the other domestics, with her employers at her feet.  The finest dishes were for her; she had her special wine, her special bread, she had everything most delicate and most nourishing that could be found.  Gluttonous, slothful, and proud, she strutted about, bending one and all to her fancies.  The others gave way to her in everything to avoid sending her into a temper which might have spoilt her milk.  At her slightest indisposition everybody was distracted.  One night she had an attack of indigestion, and all the doctors in the neighborhood were rung up to attend on her.  Her only real defect, perhaps, was a slight inclination for pilfering; she appropriated some linen that was lying about, but madame would not hear of the matter being mentioned.

There was also the chapter of the presents which were heaped on her in order to keep her in good temper.  Apart from the regulation present when the child cut its first tooth, advantage was taken of various other occasions, and a ring, a brooch, and a pair of earrings were given her.  Naturally she was the most adorned nurse in the Champs-Elysees, with superb cloaks and the richest of caps, trimmed with long ribbons which flared in the sunlight.  Never did lady lead a life of more sumptuous idleness.  There were also the presents which she extracted for her husband and her little girl at the village.  Parcels were sent them by express train every week.  And on the morning when news came that her own baby, carried back by La Couteau, had died from the effects of a bad cold, she was presented with fifty francs as if in payment for the loss of her child.  Little Andree, meanwhile, grew ever stronger, and thus La Catiche rose higher and higher, with the whole house bending low beneath her tyrannical sway.

On the day when Mathieu called to sign the deed which was to insure him the possession of the little pavilion of Chantebled with some fifty acres around it, and the privilege of acquiring other parts of the estate on certain conditions, he found Seguin on the point of starting for Le Havre, where a friend, a wealthy Englishman, was waiting for him with his yacht, in order that they might have a month’s trip round the coast of Spain.