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Conches　they'll　come　to　Blangy。　I'm　an　old　offender；　and　I　shall　get

three　months。〃



〃What　can　we　do　against　the　gendarmerie；　old　drunkard？〃　said　Vaudoyer。



〃Why！　cut　the　legs　of　their　horses　with　our　scythes。　That'll　bring

them　down；　their　muskets　are　not　loaded；　and　when　they　find　us　ten　to

one　against　them　they'll　decamp。　If　the　three　villages　all　rose　and

killed　two　or　three　gendarmes；　they　couldn't　guillotine　the　whole　of

us。　They'd　have　to　give　way；　as　they　did　on　the　other　side　of

Burgundy；　where　they　sent　a　regiment。　Bah！　that　regiment　came　back

again；　and　the　peasants　cut　the　woods　just　as　much　as　they　ever　did。〃



〃If　we　kill；〃　said　Vaudoyer；　〃it　is　better　to　kill　one　man；　the

question　is；　how　to　do　it　without　danger　and　frighten　those　Arminacs

so　that　they'll　be　driven　out　of　the　place。〃



〃Which　one　shall　we　kill？〃　asked　Laroche。



〃Michaud；〃　said　Courtecuisse。　〃Vaudoyer　is　right；　he's　perfectly

right。　You'll　see　that　when　a　keeper　is　sent　to　the　shades　there　won't

be　one　of　them　willing　to　stay　even　in　broad　daylight　to　watch　us。　Now

they're　there　night　and　day；demons！〃



〃Wherever　one　goes；〃　said　old　Mother　Tonsard；who　was　seventy…eight

years　old；　and　presented　a　parchment　face　honey…combed　with　the　small…

pox；　lighted　by　a　pair　of　green　eyes；　and　framed　with　dirty…white

hair；　which　escaped　in　strands　from　a　red　handkerchief；〃wherever　one

goes；　there　they　are！　they　stop　us；　they　open　our　bundles；　and　if

there's　a　single　branch；　a　single　twig　of　a　miserable　hazel；　they

seize　the　whole　bundle；　and　they　say　they'll　arrest　us。　Ha；　the

villains！　there's　no　deceiving　them；　if　they　suspect　you；　you've　got

to　undo　the　bundle。　Dogs！　all　three　are　not　worth　a　farthing！　Yes；

kill　'em；　and　it　won't　ruin　France；　I　tell　you。〃



〃Little　Vatel　is　not　so　bad；〃　said　Madame　Tonsard。



〃He！〃　said　Laroche；　〃he　does　his　business；　like　the　others；　when

there's　a　joke　going　he'll　joke　with　you；　but　you　are　none　the　better

with　him　for　that。　He's　worse　than　the　rest；heartless　to　poor　folks；

like　Michaud　himself。〃



〃Michaud　has　got　a　pretty　wife；　though；〃　said　Nicolas　Tonsard。



〃She's　with　young；〃　said　the　old　woman；　〃and　if　this　thing　goes　on

there'll　be　a　queer　kind　of　baptism　for　the　little　one　when　she

calves。〃



〃Oh！　those　Arminacs！〃　cried　Marie　Tonsard；　〃there's　no　laughing　with

them；　and　if　you　did；　they'd　threaten　to　arrest　you。〃



〃You've　tried　your　hand　at　cajoling　them；　have　you？〃　said

Courtecuisse。



〃You　may　bet　on　that。〃



〃Well；〃　said　Tonsard　with　a　determined　air；　〃they　are　men　like　other

men；　and　they　can　be　got　rid　of。〃



〃But　I　tell　you；〃　said　Marie；　continuing　her　topic；　〃they　won't　be

cajoled；　I　don't　know　what's　the　matter　with　them；　that　bully　at　the

pavilion；　he's　married；　but　Vatel；　Gaillard；　and　Steingel　are　not；

they've　not　a　woman　belonging　to　them；　indeed；　there's　not　a　woman　in

the　place　who　would　marry　them。〃



〃Well；　we　shall　see　how　things　go　at　the　harvest　and　the　vintage；〃

said　Tonsard。



〃They　can't　stop　the　gleaning；〃　said　the　old　woman。



〃I　don't　know　that；〃　remarked　Madame　Tonsard。　〃Groison　said　that　the

mayor　was　going　to　publish　a　notice　that　no　one　should　glean　without　a

certificate　of　pauperism；　and　who's　to　give　that　certificate？　Himself；

of　course。　He　won't　give　many；　I　tell　you！　And　they　say　he　is　going　to

issue　an　order　that　no　one　shall　enter　the　fields　till　the　carts　are

all　loaded。〃



〃Why；　the　fellow's　a　pestilence！〃　cried　Tonsard；　beside　himself　with

rage。



〃I　heard　that　only　yesterday；〃　said　Madame　Tonsard。　〃I　offered　Groison

a　glass　of　brandy　to　get　something　out　of　him。〃



〃Groison！　there's　another　lucky　fellow！〃　said　Vaudoyer；　〃they've　built

him　a　house　and　given　him　a　good　wife；　and　he's　got　an　income　and

clothes　fit　for　a　king。　There　was　I；　field…keeper　for　twenty　years；

and　all　I　got　was　the　rheumatism。〃



〃Yes；　he's　very　lucky；〃　said　Godain；　〃he　owns　property〃



〃And　we　go　without；　like　the　fools　that　we　are；〃　said　Vaudoyer。　〃Come；

let's　be　off　and　find　out　what's　going　on　at　Conches；　they　are　not　so

patient　over　there　as　we　are。〃



〃Come　on；〃　said　Laroche；　who　was　none　too　steady　on　his　legs。　〃If　I

don't　exterminate　one　of　two　of　those　fellows　may　I　lose　my　name。〃



〃You！〃　said　Tonsard；　〃you'd　let　them　put　the　whole　district　in　prison；

but　Iif　they　dare　to　touch　my　old　mother；　there's　my　gun　and　it

never　misses。〃



〃Well；〃　said　Laroche　to　Vaudoyer；　〃I　tell　you　that　if　they　make　a

single　prisoner　at　Conches　one　gendarme　shall　fall。〃



〃He　has　said　it；　old　Laroche！〃　cried　Courtecuisse。



〃He　has　said　it；〃　remarked　Vaudoyer；　〃but　he　hasn't　done　it；　and　he

won't　do　it。　What　good　would　it　do　to　get　yourself　guillotined　for

some　gendarme　or　other？　No；　if　you　kill；　I　say；　kill　Michaud。〃



During　this　scene　Catherine　Tonsard　stood　sentinel　at　the　door　to　warn

the　drinkers　to　keep　silent　if　any　one　passed。　In　spite　of　their　half…

drunken　legs　they　sprang　rather　than　walked　out　of　the　tavern；　and

their　bellicose　temper　started　them　at　a　good　pace　on　the　road　to

Conches；　which　led　for　over　a　mile　along　the　park　wall　of　Les　Aigues。



Conches　was　a　true　Burgundian　village；　with　one　street；　which　was

crossed　by　the　main　road。　The　houses　were　built　either　of　brick　or　of

cobblestones；　and　were　squalid　in　aspect。　Following　the　mail…road　from

Ville…aux…Fayes；　the　village　was　seen　from　the　rear　and　there　it

presented　rather　a　picturesque　effect。　Between　the　road　and　the

Ronquerolles　woods；　which　continued　those　of　Les　Aigues　and　crowned

the　heights；　flowed　a　little　river；　and　several　houses；　rather

prettily　grouped；　enlivened　the　scene。　The　church　and　the　parsonage

stood　alone　and　were　seen　from　the　park　of　Les　Aigues；　which　came

nearly　up　to　them。　In　front　of　the　church　was　a　square　bordered　by

trees；　where　the　conspirators　of　the　Grand…I…Vert　saw　the　gendarmerie

and　hastened　their　already　hasty　steps。　Just　then　three　men　on

horseback　rode　rapidly　out　of　the　park　of　Les　Aigues　and　the　peasants

at　once　recognized　the　general；　his　groom；　and　Michaud　the　bailiff；

who　came　at　a　gallop　into　the　square。　Tonsard　and　his　party　arrived　a

minute　or　two　after　them。　The　delinquents；　men　and　women；　had　made　no

resistance；　and　were　standing　between　five　of　the　Soulanges　gendarmes

and　fifteen　of　those　from　Ville…aux…Fayes。　The　whole　village　had

assembled。　The　fathers；　mothers；　and　children　of　the　prisoners　were

going　and　coming　and　bringing　them　what　they　might　want　in　prison。　It

was　a　curious　scene；　that　of　a　population　one　and　all　exasperated；　but

nearly　all　silent；　as　though　they　had　made　up　their　minds　to　a　course

of　action。　The　old　women　and　the　young　ones　alone　spoke。　The　children；

boys　and　girls；　were　perched　on　piles　of　wood　and　heaps　of　stones　to

get　a　better　sight　of　what　was　happening。



〃They　have　chosen　their　time；　those　hussars　of　the　guillotine；〃　said

one　old　woman；　〃they　are　making　a　fete　of　it。〃



〃Are　you　going　to　let　'em　carry　of　your　man　like　that？　How　shall　you

manage　to　live　for　three　months？the　best　of　the　year；　too；　when　he

could　earn　so　much。〃



〃It's　they　who　rob　us；〃　replied　the　woman；　looking　at　the　gendarmes

with　a　threatening　air。



〃What　do　you　mean　by　that；　old　woman？〃　said　the　sergeant。　〃If　you

insult　us　it　won't　take　long　to　settle　you。〃



〃I　meant　nothing；〃　said　the　old　woman；　in　a　humble　and　piteous　tone。



〃I　heard　you　say　something　just　now　you　may　have　cause　to　repent　of。〃



〃Come；　come；　be　calm；　all　of　you；〃　said　the　mayor　of　Conches；　who　was

also　the　postmaster。　〃What　the　devil　is　the　use　of　talking？　These　men；

as　you　know　very　well；　are　under　orders　and　must　obey。〃



〃That's　true；　it's　the　owner　of　Les　Aigues　who　persecutes　us　But

patience！〃



Just　then　the　general　rode　into　the　square　and　his　arrival　caused　a

few　groans　which　did　not　trouble　him　in　the　least。　He　rode　straight　up

to　the　lieutenant　in　command；　and　after　saying　a　few　words　gave　him　a

paper；　the　officer　then　turned　to　his　men　and　said：　〃Release　your

prisoners；　the　general　has　obtained　their　pardon。〃



General　Montcornet　was　then　speaking　to　the　mayor；　after　a　few

moments'　conversation　in　a　low　tone；　the　latter；　addressing　the

delinquents；　who　expected　to　sleep　in　prison　and　were　a　good　deal

surprised　to　find　themselves　free；　said　to　them：



〃My　friends；　thank　Monsieur　le　comte。　You　owe　your　release　to　him。　He

went　to　Paris　and　obtained　your　pardon　in　honor　of　the　anniversary　of

the　king's　restoration。　I　hope　that　in　future　you　will　conduct

yourself　properly　to　a　man　who　has　behaved　so　well　to　you；　and　that

you　will　in　future　respect　his　property。　Long　live　the　King！〃



The　peasants　shouted　〃Long　live　the　King！〃　with　enthusiasm；　to　avoid

shouting；　〃Hurrah　for　the　Comte　de　Montcornet！〃



The　scene　was　a　bit　of　policy　arranged　between　the　general；　the

prefect；　and　the　attorney…general；　for　they　were　all　a