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head　but　not　attempting　to　recover　his　money。　Doubtless　he　had　long

realized　the　futility　of　a　struggle　between　his　daughter；　his　terrible

son…in…law；　and　himself。



〃Another　bottle　of　wine　for　which　you　get　five　francs　out　of　me；〃　he

added；　in　a　peevish　tone。　〃But　it　shall　be　the　last。　I　shall　give　my

custom　to　the　Cafe　de　la　Paix。〃



〃Hold　your　tongue；　papa！〃　remarked　his　fair　and　fat　daughter；　who　bore

some　resemblance　to　a　Roman　matron。　〃You　need　a　shirt；　and　a　pair　of

clean　trousers；　and　a　hat；　and　I　want　to　see　you　with　a　waistcoat。

That's　what　I　take　the　money　for。〃



〃I　have　told　you　again　and　again　that　such　things　would　ruin　me；〃　said

the　old　man。　〃People　would　think　me　rich　and　stop　giving　me　anything。〃



The　bottle　brought　by　Marie　put　an　end　to　the　loquacity　of　the　old

man；　who　was　not　without　that　trait；　characteristic　of　those　whose

tongues　are　ready　to　tell　out　everything；　and　who　shrink　from　no

expression　of　their　thought；　no　matter　how　atrocious　it　may　be。



〃Then　you　don't　want　to　tell　where　you　filched　that　money？〃　said

Tonsard。　〃We　might　go　and　get　more　where　that　came　from；the　rest　of

us。〃



He　was　making　a　snare；　and　as　he　finished　it　the　ferocious　innkeeper

happened　to　glance　at　his　father…in…law's　trousers；　and　there　he　spied

a　raised　round　spot　which　clearly　defined　a　second　five…franc　piece。



〃Having　become　a　capitalist　I　drink　your　health；〃　said　Pere　Fourchon。



〃If　you　choose　to　be　a　capitalist　you　can　be；〃　said　Tonsard；　〃you　have

the　means；　you　have！　But　the　devil　has　bored　a　hole　in　the　back　of

your　head　through　which　everything　runs　out。〃



〃Hey！　I　only　played　the　otter　trick　on　that　young　fellow　they　have　got

at　Les　Aigues。　He's　from　Paris。　That's　all　there　is　to　it。〃



〃If　crowds　of　people　would　come　to　see　the　sources　of　the　Avonne；

you'd　be　rich；　Grandpa　Fourchon；〃　said　Marie。



〃Yes；〃　he　said；　drinking　the　last　glassful　the　bottle　contained；　〃and

I've　played　the　sham　otter　so　long；　the　live　otters　have　got　angry；

and　one　of　them　came　right　between　my　legs　to…day；　Mouche　caught　it；

and　I　am　to　get　twenty　francs　for　it。〃



〃I'll　bet　your　otter　is　made　of　tow；〃　said　Tonsard；　looking　slyly　at

his　father…in…law。



〃If　you　will　give　me　a　pair　of　trousers；　a　waistcoat；　and　some　list

braces；　so　as　not　to　disgrace　Vermichel　on　the　music　stand　at　Tivoli

（for　old　Socquard　is　always　scolding　about　my　clothes）；　I'll　let　you

keep　that　money；　my　daughter；　your　idea　is　a　good　one。　I　can　squeeze

that　rich　young　fellow　at　Les　Aigues；　may　be　he'll　take　to　otters。〃



〃Go　and　get　another　bottle；〃　said　Tonsard　to　his　daughter。　〃If　your

father　really　had　an　otter；　he　would　show　it　to　us；〃　he　added；

speaking　to　his　wife　and　trying　to　touch　up　Fourchon。



〃I'm　too　afraid　it　would　get　into　your　frying…pan；〃　said　the　old　man；

winking　one　of　his　little　green　eyes　at　his　daughter。　〃Philippine　has

already　hooked　my　five…franc　piece；　and　how　many　more　haven't　you

bagged　under　pretence　of　clothing　me　and　feeding　me？　and　now　you　say

that　my　stomach　is　too　lively；　and　that　I　go　half…naked。〃



〃You　sold　your　last　clothes　to　drink　boiled　wine　at　the　Cafe　de　la

Paix；　papa；〃　said　his　daughter；　〃though　Vermichel　tried　to　prevent

it。〃



〃Vermichel！　the　man　I　treated！　Vermichel　is　incapable　of　betraying　my

friendship。　It　must　have　been　that　lump　of　old　lard　on　two　legs　that

he　is　not　ashamed　to　call　his　wife！〃



〃He　or　she；〃　replied　Tonsard；　〃or　Bonnebault。〃



〃If　it　was　Bonnebault；〃　cried　Fourchon；　〃he　who　is　one　of　the　pillars

of　the　place；　I'llI'llEnough！〃



〃You　old　sot；　what　has　all　that　got　to　do　with　having　sold　your

clothes？　You　sold　them　because　you　did　sell　them；　you're　of　age！〃　said

Tonsard；　slapping　the　old　man's　knee。　〃Come；　do　honor　to　my　drink　and

redden　up　your　throat！　The　father　of　Mam　Tonsard　has　a　right　to　do　so；

and　isn't　that　better　than　spending　your　silver　at　Socquard's？〃



〃What　a　shame　it　is　that　you　have　been　fifteen　years　playing　for

people　to　dance　at　Tivoli　and　you　have　never　yet　found　out　how

Socquard　cooks　his　wine；you　who　are　so　shrewd！〃　said　his　daughter；

〃and　yet　you　know　very　well　that　if　we　had　the　secret　we　should　soon

get　as　rich　as　Rigou。〃



Throughout　the　Morvan；　and　in　that　region　of　Burgundy　which　lies　at

its　feet　on　the　side　toward　Paris；　this　boiled　wine　with　which　Mam

Tonsard　reproached　her　father　is　a　rather　costly　beverage　which　plays

a　great　part　in　the　life　of　the　peasantry；　and　is　made　by　all　grocers

and　wine…dealers；　and　wherever　a　drinking…shop　exists。　This　precious

liquor；　made　of　choice　wine；　sugar；　and　cinnamon　and　other　spices；　is

preferable　to　all　those　disguises　or　mixtures　of　brandy　called

ratafia；　one…hundred…and…seven；　brave　man's　cordial；　black　currant

wine；　vespetro；　spirit…of…sun；　etc。　Boiled　wine　is　found　throughout

France　and　Switzerland。　Among　the　Jura；　and　in　the　wild　districts

trodden　only　by　a　few　special　tourists；　the　innkeepers　call　it；　on　the

word　of　commercial　travellers；　the　wine　of　Syracuse。　Excellent　it　is；

however；　and　their　guests；　hungry　as　hounds　after　ascending　the

surrounding　peaks；　very　gladly　pay　three　and　four　francs　a　bottle　for

it。　In　the　homes　of　the　Morvan　and　in　Burgundy　the　least　illness　or

the　slightest　agitation　of　the　nerves　is　an　excuse　for　boiled　wine。

Before　and　after　childbirth　the　women　take　it　with　the　addition　of

burnt　sugar。　Boiled　wine　has　soaked　up　the　property　of　many　a　peasant；

and　more　than　once　the　seductive　liquid　has　been　the　cause　of　marital

chastisement。



〃Ha！　there's　no　chance　of　grabbing　that　secret；〃　replied　Fourchon；

〃Socquard　always　locks　himself　in　when　he　boils　his　wine；　he　never

told　how　he　does　it　to　his　late　wife。　He　sends　to　Paris　for　his

materials。〃



〃Don't　plague　your　father；〃　cried　Tonsard；　〃doesn't　he　know？　well；

then；　he　doesn't　know！　People　can't　know　everything！〃



Fourchon　grew　very　uneasy　on　seeing　how　his　son…in…law's　countenance

softened　as　well　as　his　words。



〃What　do　you　want　to　rob　me　of　now？〃　he　asked；　candidly。



〃I？〃　said　Tonsard；　〃I　take　none　but　my　legitimate　dues；　if　I　get

anything　from　you　it　is　in　payment　of　your　daughter's　portion；　which

you　promised　me　and　never　paid。〃



Fourchon；　reassured　by　the　harshness　of　this　remark；　dropped　his　head

on　his　breast　as　though　vanquished　and　convinced。



〃Look　at　that　pretty　snare；〃　resumed　Tonsard；　coming　up　to　his　father…

in…law　and　laying　the　trap　upon　his　knee。　〃Some　of　these　days　they'll

want　game　at　Les　Aigues；　and　we　shall　sell　them　their　own；　or　there

will　be　no　good　God　for　the　poor　folks。〃



〃A　fine　piece　of　work；〃　said　the　old　man；　examining　the　mischievous

machine。



〃It　is　very　well　to　pick　up　the　sous　now；　papa；〃　said　Mam　Tonsard；

〃but　you　know　we　are　to　have　our　share　in　the　cake　of　Les　Aigues。〃



〃Oh；　what　chatterers　women　are！〃　cried　Tonsard。　〃If　I　am　hanged　it

won't　be　for　a　shot　from　my　gun；　but　for　the　gabble　of　your　tongue。〃



〃And　do　you　really　suppose　that　Les　Aigues　will　be　cut　up　and　sold　in

lots　for　your　pitiful　benefit？〃　asked　Fourchon。　〃Pshaw！　haven't　you

discovered　in　the　last　thirty　years　that　old　Rigou　has　been　sucking

the　marrow　out　of　your　bones　that　the　middle…class　folks　are　worse

than　the　lords？　Mark　my　words；　when　that　affair　happens；　my　children；

the　Soudrys；　the　Gaubertins；　the　Rigous；　will　make　you　kick　your　heels

in　the　air。　'I've　the　good　tobacco；　it　never　shall　be　thine；'　that's

the　national　air　of　the　rich　man；　hey？　The　peasant　will　always　be　the

peasant。　Don't　you　see　（but　you　never　did　understand　anything　of

politics！）　that　government　puts　such　heavy　taxes　on　wine　only　to

hinder　our　profits　and　keep　us　poor？　The　middle　classes　and　the

government；　they　are　all　one。　What　would　become　of　them　if　everybody

was　rich？　Could　they　till　their　fields？　Would　they　gather　the　harvest？

No；　they　WANT　the　poor！　I　was　rich　for　ten　years　and　I　know　what　I

thought　of　paupers。〃



〃Must　hunt　with　them；　though；〃　replied　Tonsard；　〃because　they　mean　to

cut　up　the　great　estates；　after　that's　done；　we　can　turn　against　them。

If　I'd　been　Courtecuisse；　whom　that　scoundrel　Rigou　is　ruining；　I'd

have　long　ago　paid　his　bill　with　other　balls　than　the　poor　fellow

gives　him。〃



〃Right　enough；　too；〃　replied　Fourchon。　〃As　Pere　Niseron　says　（and　he

stayed　republican　long　after　everybody　else）；　'The　people　are　tough；

they　don't　die；　they　have　time　before　them。'〃



Fourchon　fell　into　a　sort　of　reverie；　Tonsard　profited　by　his

inattention　to　take　back　the　trap；　and　as　he　took　it　up　he　cut　a　slip

below　the　coin　in　his　father…in…law's　pocket　at　the　moment　when　the

old　man　raised　his　glass　to　his　lips；　then　he　set　his　foot　on　the

five…franc　piece　as　it　dropped　on　the　earthen　floor　just　where　it　was

always　kept　damp　by　the　heel…taps　which　the　customers　flung　from　their

glasses。　Though　quickly　and　lightly　done；　the　old　man　might；　perhaps；

have　felt　the　theft；　if　Verm