Monsieur Valmondé grew practical and wanted things well considered: that is, the girl's obscure origin. Armand looked into her eyes and did not care. He was reminded that she was nameless. What did it matter about a name when he could give her one of the oldest and proudest in Louisiana? He ordered the basket of flowers from Paris, and contained himself with what patience he could until it arrived; then they were married.
Madame Valmondé had not seen Désirée and the baby for four weeks. When she reached L'Abri, she shuddered at the first sight of it, as she always did. It was a sad looking place, which for many years had not known the gentle presence of a mistress, old Monsieur Aubigny having married and buried his wife in France, and she having loved her own land too well ever to leave it. The roof came down steep and black like a hood, reaching out beyond the wide galleries that encircled the yellow stuccoed house. Big, solemn oaks grew close to it, and their thick-leaved, far-reaching branches shadowed it like a pall. Young Aubigny's rule was a strict one, too, and under it his negroes had forgotten how to be gay, as they had been during the old master's easy- going and indulgent lifetime.
The young mother was recovering slowly, and lay full length, in her soft white muslins and laces, upon a couch. The baby was beside her, upon her arm, where he had fallen asleep, at her breast. The yellow nurse woman sat beside a window fanning herself. Madame Valmondé bent her portly figure over Désirée and kissed her, holding her tenderly in her arms. Then she turned to the child.
Question 1: Why did Monsieur Valmondé grow practical and want things well considered regarding the girl's obscure origin?
Answer: Monsieur Valmondé grew practical and wanted things well considered because of the girl's obscure origin.
Question 2: What was Armand Aubigny's attitude towards Désirée's namelessness?
Answer: Armand Aubigny did not care about Désirée's namelessness. He believed that her lack of a name did not matter, as he could give her one of the oldest and proudest names in Louisiana.
Question 3: How did Madame Valmondé react upon reaching L'Abri after four weeks?
Answer: Madame Valmondé shuddered at the first sight of L'Abri, as she always did. She found it to be a sad-looking place that had not known the gentle presence of a mistress for many years.
Question 4: Describe the appearance of L'Abri?
Answer: L'Abri had a steep, black roof that extended beyond the wide galleries encircling the yellow stuccoed house. It was shadowed by big, solemn oaks with thick-leaved, far-reaching branches.
Question 5: What was the atmosphere like under Young Aubigny's rule?
Answer: Under Young Aubigny's rule, the atmosphere was strict, and the negroes had forgotten how to be gay as they had been during the old master's easy-going and indulgent lifetime.
Question 6: How was Désirée positioned when Madame Valmondé visited her?
Answer: Désirée was recovering slowly and lay full length in her soft white muslins and laces upon a couch, with the baby beside her, asleep at her breast.