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get　into　trouble；　so　Sibilet　here　tells　me。　I　wish　you　could　have

heard　Pere　Fourchon　just　now；　the　wine　he　had　been　drinking　made　him

speak　out。〃



〃He　frightened　me；〃　said　the　countess。



〃He　said　nothing　I　did　not　know　long　ago；〃　replied　the　general。



〃Oh！　the　rascal　wasn't　drunk；　he　was　playing　a　part；　for　whose　benefit

I　leave　you　to　guess。　Perhaps　you　know？〃　returned　Michaud；　fixing　an

eye　on　Sibilet　which　caused　the　latter　to　turn　red。



〃O　rus！〃　cried　Blondet；　with　another　look　at　the　abbe。



〃But　these　poor　creatures　suffer；〃　said　the　countess；　〃and　there　is　a

great　deal　of　truth　in　what　old　Fourchon　has　just　screamed　at　us；for

I　cannot　call　it　speaking。〃



〃Madame；〃　replied　Michaud；　〃do　you　suppose　that　for　fourteen　years　the

soldiers　of　the　Emperor　slept　on　a　bed　of　roses？　My　general　is　a

count；　he　is　a　grand　officer　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　he　has　had

perquisites　and　endowments　given　to　him；　am　I　jealous　of　him；　I　who

fought　as　he　did？　Do　I　wish　to　cheat　him　of　his　glory；　to　steal　his

perquisites；　to　deny　him　the　honor　due　to　his　rank？　The　peasant　should

obey　as　the　soldier　obeys；　he　should　feel　the　loyalty　of　a　soldier；

his　respect　for　acquired　rights；　and　strive　to　become　an　officer

himself；　honorably；　by　labor　and　not　by　theft。　The　sabre　and　the

plough　are　twins；　though　the　soldier　has　something　more　than　the

peasant；he　has　death　hanging　over　him　at　any　minute。〃



〃I　want　to　say　that　from　the　pulpit；〃　cried　the　abbe。



〃Tolerant！〃　continued　the　keeper；　replying　to　the　general's　remark

about　Sibilet；　〃I　would　tolerate　a　loss　of　ten　per　cent　upon　the　gross

returns　of　Les　Aigues；　but　as　things　are　now　thirty　per　cent　is　what

you　lose；　general；　and；　if　Monsieur　Sibilet's　accounts　show　it；　I

don't　understand　his　tolerance；　for　he　benevolently　gives　up　a

thousand　or　twelve　hundred　francs　a　year。〃



〃My　dear　Monsieur　Michaud；〃　replied　Sibilet；　in　a　snappish　tone；　〃I

have　told　Monsieur　le　comte　that　I　would　rather　lose　twelve　hundred

francs　a　year　than　my　life。　Think　of　it　seriously；　I　have　warned　you

often　enough。〃



〃Life！〃　exclaimed　the　countess；　〃you　can't　mean　that　anybody's　life　is

in　danger？〃



〃Don't　let　us　argue　about　state　affairs　here；〃　said　the　general；

laughing。　〃All　this；　my　dear；　merely　means　that　Sibilet；　in　his

capacity　of　financier；　is　timid　and　cowardly；　while　the　minister　of

war　is　brave　and；　like　his　general；　fears　nothing。〃



〃Call　me　prudent；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　interposed　Sibilet。



〃Well；　well！〃　cried　Blondet；　laughing；　〃so　here　we　are；　like　Cooper's

heroes　in　the　forests　of　America；　in　the　midst　of　sieges　and　savages。〃



〃Come；　gentlemen；　it　is　your　business　to　govern　without　letting　me

hear　the　wheels　of　the　administration；〃　said　Madame　de　Montcornet。



〃Ah！　madame；〃　said　the　cure；　〃but　it　may　be　right　that　you　should　know

the　toil　from　which　those　pretty　caps　you　wear　are　derived。〃



〃Well；　then；　I　can　go　without　them；〃　replied　the　countess；　laughing。

〃I　will　be　very　respectful　to　a　twenty…franc　piece；　and　grow　as

miserly　as　the　country　people　themselves。　Come；　my　dear　abbe；　give　me

your　arm。　Leave　the　general　with　his　two　ministers；　and　let　us　go　to

the　gate　of　the　Avonne　to　see　Madame　Michaud；　for　I　have　not　had　time

since　my　arrival　to　pay　her　a　visit；　and　I　want　to　inquire　about　my

little　protegee。〃



And　the　pretty　woman；　already　forgetting　the　rags　and　tatters　of

Mouche　and　Fourchon；　and　their　eyes　full　of　hatred；　and　Sibilet's

warnings；　went　to　have　herself　made　ready　for　the　walk。



The　abbe　and　Blondet　obeyed　the　behest　of　the　mistress　of　the　house

and　followed　her　from　the　dining…room；　waiting　till　she　was　ready　on

the　terrace　before　the　chateau。



〃What　do　you　think　of　all　this？〃　said　Blondet　to　the　abbe。



〃I　am　a　pariah；　they　dog　me　as　they　would　a　common　enemy。　I　am　forced

to　keep　my　eyes　and　ears　perpetually　open　to　escape　the　traps　they　are

constantly　laying　to　get　me　out　of　the　place；〃　replied　the　abbe。　〃I　am

even　doubtful；　between　ourselves；　as　to　whether　they　will　not　shoot

me。〃



〃Why　do　you　stay？〃　said　Blondet。



〃We　can't　desert　God's　cause　any　more　than　that　of　an　emperor；〃

replied　the　priest；　with　a　simplicity　that　affected　Blondet。　He　took

the　abbe's　hand　and　shook　it　cordially。



〃You　see　how　it　is；　therefore；　that　I　know　very　little　of　the　plots

that　are　going　on；〃　continued　the　abbe。　〃Still；　I　know　enough　to　feel

sure　that　the　general　is　under　what　in　Artois　and　in　Belgium　is　called

an　'evil　grudge。'〃



A　few　words　are　here　necessary　about　the　curate　of　Blangy。



This　priest；　the　fourth　son　of　a　worthy　middle…class　family　of　Autun；

was　an　intelligent　man　carrying　his　head　high　in　his　collar。　Small　and

slight；　he　redeemed　his　rather　puny　appearance　by　the　precise　and

carefully　dressed　air　that　belongs　to　Burgundians。　He　accepted　the

second…rate　post　of　Blangy　out　of　pure　devotion；　for　his　religious

convictions　were　joined　to　political　opinions　that　were　equally

strong。　There　was　something　of　the　priest　of　the　olden　time　about　him；

he　held　to　the　Church　and　to　the　clergy　passionately；　saw　the　bearings

of　things；　and　no　selfishness　marred　his　one　ambition；　which　was　TO

SERVE。　That　was　his　motto；to　serve　the　Church　and　the　monarchy

wherever　it　was　most　threatened；　to　serve　in　the　lowest　rank　like　a

soldier　who　feels　that　he　is　destined；　sooner　or　later；　to　attain

command　through　courage　and　the　resolve　to　do　his　duty。　He　made　no

compromises　with　his　vows　of　chastity；　and　poverty；　and　obedience；　he

fulfilled　them；　as　he　did　the　other　duties　of　his　position；　with　that

simplicity　and　cheerful　good…humor　which　are　the　sure　indications　of

an　honest　heart；　constrained　to　do　right　by　natural　impulses　as　much

as　by　the　power　and　consistency　of　religious　convictions。



The　priest　had　seen　at　first　sight　Blondet's　attachment　to　the

countess；　he　saw　that　between　a　Troisville　and　a　monarchical

journalist　he　could　safely　show　himself　to　be　a　man　of　broad

intelligence；　because　his　calling　was　certain　to　be　respected。　He

usually　came　to　the　chateau　very　evening　to　make　the　fourth　at　a　game

of　whist。　The　journalist；　able　to　recognize　the　abbe's　real　merits；

showed　him　so　much　deference　that　the　pair　grew　into　sympathy　with

each　other；　as　usually　happens　when　men　of　intelligence　meet　their

equals；　or；　if　you　prefer　it；　the　ears　that　are　able　to　hear　them。

Swords　are　fond　of　their　scabbards。



〃But　to　what　do　you　attribute　this　state　of　things；　Monsieur　l'abbe；

you　who　are　able；　through　your　disinterestedness；　to　look　over　the

heads　of　things？〃



〃I　shall　not　talk　platitudes　after　such　a　flattering　speech　as　that；〃

said　the　abbe；　smiling。　〃What　is　going　on　in　this　valley　is　spreading

more　or　less　throughout　France；　it　is　the　outcome　of　the　hopes　which

the　upheaval　of　1789　caused　to　infiltrate；　if　I　may　use　that

expression；　the　minds　of　the　peasantry；　the　sons　of　the　soil。　The

Revolution　affected　certain　localities　more　than　others。　This　side　of

Burgundy；　nearest　to　Paris；　is　one　of　those　places　where　the

revolutionary　ideas　spread　like　the　overrunning　of　the　Franks　by　the

Gauls。　Historically；　the　peasants　are　still　on　the　morrow　of　the

Jacquerie；　that　defeat　is　burnt　in　upon　their　brain。　They　have　long

forgotten　the　facts　which　have　now　passed　into　the　condition　of　an

instinctive　idea。　That　idea　is　bred　in　the　peasant　blood；　just　as　the

idea　of　superiority　was　once　bred　in　noble　blood。　The　revolution　of

1789　was　the　retaliation　of　the　vanquished。　The　peasants　then　set　foot

in　possession　of　the　soil　which　the　feudal　law　had　denied　them　for

over　twelve　hundred　years。　Hence　their　desire　for　land；　which　they　now

cut　up　among　themselves　until　actually　they　divide　a　furrow　into　two

parts；　which；　by　the　bye；　often　hinders　or　prevents　the　collection　of

taxes；　for　the　value　of　such　fractions　of　property　is　not　sufficient

to　pay　the　legal　costs　of　recovering　them。〃



〃Very　true；　for　the　obstinacy　of　the　small　ownerstheir

aggressiveness；　if　you　chooseon　this　point　is　so　great　that　in　at

least　one　thousand　cantons　of　the　three　thousand　of　French　territory；

it　is　impossible　for　a　rich　man　to　buy　an　inch　of　land　from　a

peasant；〃　said　Blondet；　interrupting　the　abbe。　〃The　peasants　who　are

willing　to　divide　up　their　scraps　of　land　among　themselves　would　not

sell　a　fraction　on　any　condition　or　at　any　price　to　the　middle

classes。　The　more　money　the　rich　man　offers；　the　more　the　vague

uneasiness　of　the　peasant　increases。　Legal　dispossession　alone　is　able

to　bring　the　landed　property　of　the　peasant　into　the　market。　Many

persons　have　noticed　this　fact　without　being　able　to　find　a　reason　for

it。〃



〃This　is　the　reason；〃　said　the　abbe；　rightly　believing　that　a　pause

with　Blondet　was　equivalent　to　a　question：　〃twelve　centuries　have　done

nothing　for　a　caste　whom　the　historic　spectacle　of　civilization　has

never　yet　diverted　from　its　one　predominatin