When Mr. Sublet had arranged his son comfortably, with tender care, upon the sofa, and had satisfied himself that the child was quite uninjured, he attempted to find words with which to thank Evariste for this service which no treasure of words or gold could pay for. These warm and heartfelt expressions seemed to Evariste to exaggerate the importance of his action, and they intimidated him. He attempted shyly to hide his face as well as he could in the depths of his bowl of coffee.
“You will let me make your picture now, I hope, Evariste,” begged Mr. Sublet, laying his hand upon the ‘Cadian’s shoulder. “I want to place it among things I hold most dear, and shall call it ‘A hero of Bayou Têche.’” This assurance seemed to distress Evariste greatly.
“No, no,” he protested, “it’s nuttin’ hero’ to take a li’le boy out de water. I jus’ as easy do dat like I stoop down an’ pick up a li’le chile w’at fall down in de road. I ent goin’ to ‘low dat, me. I don’t git no picture took, va!”
Mr. Hallet, who now discerned his friend’s eagerness in the matter, came to his aid.
“I tell you, Evariste, let Mr. Sublet draw your picture, and you yourself may call it whatever you want. I’m sure he’ll let you.”
“Most willingly,” agreed the artist.
Evariste glanced up at him with shy and child-like pleasure. “It’s a bargain?” he asked.
“A bargain,” affirmed Mr. Sublet.
“Popa,” whispered Martinette, “you betta come home an’ put on yo’ otha pant’loon’ an’ yo’ good coat.”
“And now, what shall we call the much talked-of picture?” cheerily inquired the planter, standing with his back to the blaze.
Evariste in a business-like manner began carefully to trace on the tablecloth imaginary characters with an imaginary pen; he could not have written the real characters with a real pen – he did not know how.
“You will put on’neat’ de picture,” he said, deliberately, “’Dis is one picture of Mista Evariste Anatole Bonamour, a gent’man of Bayou Têche.’”
