The Country Doctor

her by the affection that every man feels for the horse that he ride

upon his guest. "You hear the drum beat in the morning wher

Genestas, holding out his h

ght," answered Benassis,

well, sir?" inq

; the bed as you made

ter and his guest, and when she had seen them s

rt, after all, that

t, he has given me

ton they cling to customs that bear the impress of an older time, and that vaguely recall scenes in the Bible. Nature has traced out a line over our mountain ranges; the whole appearance of the country is different on either side of it. You will find strength of character up above, flexibility and quickness below; they have larger ways of regarding things among the hills, while the bent of the lowlands is always towards the material interests of existence. I have never seen a difference so strongly marked, unless it has been in the

side of the dead, said a Pater noster, and sprinkled a few drops of holy water on the bier. Above the black cloth that covered the coffin rose the green sprays of a jessamine that grew beside the doorway, and a twisted vine shoot, already in leaf, overran the lintel. Even the saddest ceremonies demand that things shall appear to the best advantage, and in obedience to this vaguely-felt requirement a young girl had been sweeping the front of the house. The dead man's eldest son

avely, my poor Pel

lose your man," and her eyes brimmed over with tears. "Will you pay the two

other woman, giving her the coin. "Come, neighb

re you going on? A little

He suffered so terribly! But come inside, sir. Jacques, set some chairs for these gentlemen. Come, stir yourself a bit. Lord bless you!

sit down. You have a boy there who will take care of

Jacques," cried the widow;

ye, mother,"

rvant, g

e, it is an institution somewhat akin to all moral obligations. But in spite of our endeavors neither M. Janvier nor I have succeeded in making our peasants understand the great importance of public demonstrations of feeling for the maintenance of social order. These good folk, who have only just begun to think and act for themselves, are slow as yet to grasp the changed conditions which should attach them to these theories. They have only reache

ongs to God and to Him only, the body is amenable to social law. Is it not therefore, a first step towards atheism to efface every sign of pious sorrow in this way, to neglect to impress on children who are not yet old enough to reflect, and on all other people who stand in need of example, the necessity of obedience to human law, by openly manifested resignation to the will of Providence, who chastens and consoles, who bestows and takes away worldly wealth? I confess that, after passing through a period of sneering incredulity, I have come during my life here to recognize the value of the rites

ism, and of the deep root that it has taken in the ordinary life of man, lies precisely in this-that it steps in to invest every important event in his existence with a pomp

I have come to understand its power, through a knowledge of the actual thing which the word expresses. Religion means a bond or tie, and certainly a cult-or, in other words, the outward and visible form of religion is the only force that can bind the various elements of society toget

speaks of it with tears, and her grief is as deep after ten days of sorrow as on the morning after her bereavement. Manners are patriarchal: the father's authority is unlimited, his word is law. He takes his meals sitting by himself at the head of the table; his wife and children wait upon him, and those about him never address him without using certain respectful forms of speech, while every one remains standing and uncovered in his presence. Men brought up in this atmosphere are conscious of their dignity; to my way of thinking, it is a noble education to be brought up among these customs. And, for the most part, they are upright, thrifty, and hardworking people in this commune. The father of every family, when he is old and past work, divides his property equally among his children, and they support h

id Genestas. "They are a kind of people something like your mountainee

n extinguishes thought of a wider kind; but evil propensities are weakened and good qualities are developed by it. In fact, the fewer the numbers of the human beings co

efts are riven in its sheer inaccessible sides. The gray crest of the summit towers above the ledge of fertile soil which lies around it, a domain sometimes narrower, sometimes wider, and altogether about a hundred acres in extent. Here, through a vast break in the line

or the dead has begun, that is the name th

lay at the farther end of the yard. Barns, sheepfolds, stables, cowsheds, and other buildings lay on either side, and in the midst was the great pool where the manure had been laid to rot. On a thriving farm, such a yard as this is usually full of life and movement, but to-day it was silent and deserted. The poultry was shut up, the cattle were all in the byres, there was scarce

"The master is dead!" they wailed; the unison of voices gave appalling effect to the words which they repeated twice during the time required to cross the space

such grief as this," sa

that no mischance caused by grief has befallen the living. You need not hesitate to come with me. The

ned out of the great hall which served the whole family for a kitchen and a sitting-room; the whole colony, it should rather be called, for the great length of the table showed that some forty pe

ide of the bed stood the children and the nearest relations of the husband and wife. These last stood in a line on either side; the wife's kin upon the left, and those of her husband on the right. Both men and women were kneeling in prayer, and almost all of them were in tears. Tall can

dear helpmate for ever, and our household has lost its beloved head, for truly you were the guide of us all! Alas! there is not one of those who are weeping with me who has not known all the worth of your nature, and felt the light of your soul, but I alone knew all the patience an

mbrace, as if her kisses and the tears with which she covered it could

ster is

ne of voice with which he had said, 'Everything is all right, friends,' only a few days before. Ah! grand Dieu! a few days ago! A few days have been enough to take away the gladness from our house and to darken our lives, to close the eyes of the best, most upright, most revered of men. No one could plow as he could. Night or day, he would go about over the mountains, he feared nothing, and when he came back he had always a smile for his wife and children. Ah! he was our

ight press her face close to his as she kissed it. The servan

o say, "The people from Saint-Laurent have ju

had just expressed her grief; "you are the master of the house, my son; see that they rec

t you made glad, could tell you that I shall be happy in the memory of my happiness-that the dear thought of you will live on in this room. Yes, as long as God spares me, this room shall be filled with memories of you. Hear my vow, dear husband! Your couch sha

became general. The widow took a pair of scissors that hung at her waist, cut off

again," said Benassis; "this determinati

ve. We shall thus be united for ever, and through love of your children I will live on among the family in whom you used to feel yourself young again. Oh! that you could hear me, my husband! the

mountain commune; all of them waited in meditative silence, as if the sorrow and grief that brooded over the house had already taken possession of them. As

hen did

ght before, 'You must go over to the town, my boy, and pay our taxes; my funeral will put that out of your minds, and we shall be behindhand, a thing that has never happened before.' It seemed the best t

ster is

ve been better to lose all our money than to leave home just then? Could all that we have make up to me for the loss of his last far

e on the battlefield; death did not wait to let their childr

a good man!" he replied,

as in the direction

ndemnation, she would be at the same time her own accuser and judge. Is there not something sublime in this custom which thus judges the living and the dead? They only begin to wear mourning after a week has elapsed, when it is publicly worn at a meeting of all the family. Their near relations spend the week with the widow and children, to help them to set their affairs in order and to console them. A family gathering at such a time produces a gre

spoke; he opened the door and made the com

built after this pattern, capta

wide space between them and the wall; you could see their horned heads and shining eyes through the lattice work, so that it was easy for the master to run his eyes over the cattle. The fodder was placed on some st

keep themselves warm without going to any expense. The sheep are housed in the same way. You would not believe how quickly the beasts fall into orderly ways. I have often wondered to see them come in; each knows her pr

ight of this cowhouse," said Genestas; "with

hem about," Benassis answered; "but

nly; you had good reason to prai

ateway, "we are going over some of the newly cleared waste, and through the

plimented the doctor; then they came down the mountain side into the township again, talking whenever the pace of

y bring down has silted it up, and he is engaged in clearing it out. But if you are to take any interest in the man, I must tell you his history. His name is Gondrin. He was only eighteen years old when he was drawn in the great conscription of 1792, and drafted into a corps of gunners. He served as a pr

tand the tricks played by so many different climates. My word for it, those who are still standing on their stumps after m

neral Eble, who was in command of the pontooners, could only find forty-two men who were plucky enough, in Gondrin's phrase, to tackle that business. The general himself came down to the stream to hearten and cheer the men, promising each of them a pension of a thousand francs and the Cross of the Legion of Honor. The first who went down into the Ber

h had been promised to him, nor yet for the Cross of the Legion of Honor, but only for the bare pension due to him after twenty-two years of service, and I do not know how many campaigns. He did not obtain his pension or his traveling expenses; he did not even receive his arrears of pay. He spent a year in making fruitless solicitations, holding out his hands in vain to those whom he had saved; and at the end of it he came back here, sorely disheartened

hares in my feeling of respect for him; if he would allow them to support him, nothing would please them better. At every house to which he goes the people follow my example, and show their esteem by asking him to dine with them. It is a feeling of pride that le

t for that accolade he would have died ere now. This memory and the hope that some day Napoleon will return are all that Gondrin lives by. Nothing will ever persuade him that Napoleon is dead, and so convinced is he tha

the doctor's story with rapt attention, and now seemed to recover con

ut their horse

epaulettes. He has a fanatical affection for Napoleon, who conferred the Cross upon him on the field of Valontina. He is of a jovial turn of mind, and like a genuine Dauphinois, has always looked after his own interests, has his pension, and the honors of the Legion. Goguelat is his name. He was an infantr

t. Gondrin looks upon him as a very knowing fellow, and something of a wit; and whenever Goguelat talks about Napoleon, his comrade seems to understand what he is saying from the movement of his lips. There will be an up-sitting (as they

ud, and his wheelbarrow, spade, and pickaxe were visible, but there was no sign of the man himself along the various pe

r away. Gondrin! Where a

of rubbish not far away. He pointed it out to the doctor, who shouted again. The old pontoon

f speaking-trumpet with his hand. "Here is a comra

e glances by which old soldiers are wont at once to take the measure of any impending danger. H

es, for every man who wore epaulettes on the other side of the river owed his life to you on the 1st of October 1812. But I am not th

the words, he knocked the ashes fro

hers have not done their duty by me. They asked for my papers! Why,

are bound to have justice done you in these days, i

doctor and the commandant shudde

an was scarcely five feet high, wide across the shoulders, and broad-chested; his face was sunburned, furrowed with deep wrinkles, but the outlines were still firm in spite of the hollows in it, and one could see even now that it was the face of a soldier. It was a rough-hewn countenance, his forehead seemed like a block of granite; but there was a weary expression ab

allet must be filled somehow," he said, striking his stomach, "we cannot afford to wait. Moreover, these gentry who lead snug lives in government offices may ta

I did not lend you a hand. I have not forgotten the passage over the bridges in the Beresina, and it is fresh in the memorie

o my hole here like a spent bullet. But after riding on camels through the desert, and drinking my glass by the fireside in Mos

rything seems dark to me now that I have seen that man's hopelessness," he went on, addressing Benassis; "he does not know how

ck, grasped the veteran's han

t man can do to obtain your pension for you; even if I have to swallow a dozen refus

aid, "Haven't you served in the ranks?" The commandant nodded. The pontooner

you care to see to the bottom of it? Well, then, ever since somebody was pulled down from his place, I have ceased to care about anything. And, after all," h

the only thing that you cannot prevent me from giving to you, here below." The commandant tapped his heart,

ily bread cannot long keep up the struggle; but he can talk, and his words find an echo in every sufferer's heart, so that one bad case of this kind is multiplied, for every one who hears of it feels it as a personal wrong, and the leaven works. Even this is not so serious, but something far worse comes of it. Among the people, these

whose business it is to dust papers in a government office, has pocketed Gondrin's promised thousand francs of pension. And yet there are folk who, never having measured the excess of the people's sufferings, accuse the people of excess in the day of their vengeance! When a governme

aw two people walking along the road in front of them, and turned

ou are about to see an old agricultural laborer who is submitting to the same lo

long use and the sweat of toil, rattled audibly together; while the other end of the wallet behind his shoulder held bread, some walnuts, and a few fresh onions. His legs seemed to be warped, as it were, his back was bent by continual toil; he stooped so much as he walked that he leaned on a long stick to steady himself. His snow-white hair escaped fro

rials. On her back she carried a rough earthen jar by means of a thong passed through the handles of the great pitcher, which was round

een engraven on their faces; but it might be gathered from their attitude and bearing. Incessant toil had been the lot of both; they had worked and suffered together; they had had many troubles and few joys to share; and now, like captives grown accustomed to their prison, they seemed to be too familiar with wretchednes

suppose there is no help for it,

t I mean to clear for you before I knock off work," the old ma

ing? If you will not take a rest now,

grubbing up the land. As to the wine, sir, yes, that is wine sure enough, and it is all through your contriving I know that the May

u are going to work on that bit of la

a beginning there

o you, at times, to see this hillside. You two have br

d woman, "it has been our doing!

the open, in the sunlight. Faith, he bears a proud heart in him. He has worked until work has become his very life; and yet death has no terrors for him! He is a profound philosopher, little as he suspects it.

There was some discussion about Napoleon's pension after his fall; it came to his ears, and he said that five francs a day and a horse to ride was all that he needed. I meant to have no more to do with money when I came here; but after a time I saw that money means power, and that it is in fact a necessity, if any good is to be done. So I ha

them, it is enough to say that I have a fund which will some day enable the Commune to award several scholarships for children who show signs of promise in art or science. So, even after I am gone, my work of civilization will continue. When you have set yourself to do anything, Captain Bluteau, something wit

awn me out and made me chatter like a magpie, and you have not said a syllable about your own history, which must be an interestin

rial Guard has struck a blow; but everybody knows all about these events. A soldier has to look after his horse, to endure hunger and thirst at times, to fight whenever there is fighting to be done, and there you have the whole history of his life. As simple as saying good-day, is it not? Then there are battles

at times, and it would be interesting to

answered th

t think that you are wanting in modesty even if you should tell me of some piece of heroism on your part; and when a

are drawn up in a line, and we charge; and if we do not strike down those before us, they will begin to draw blood without asking leave, so you have to kill if you do not mean to be killed, and your conscience is q

and the Emperor (one need not scruple to say it) knew that it was useless to attempt to exert his authority when things had gone so far. When we reached Studzianka, a little place on the other side of the Beresina, we came upon human dwellings for the fi

here was no room to lie down; others lay stretched out on the floor-it was a mass of men packed together so closely for the sake of warmth, that I looked about in vain for a nook to lie down in. I walked over this flooring of human bodies; some of the men growled, the others said nothing, but no one budged. They would not have moved out of the way of a cannon ball just then; but under the circumstances, one was not obliged to practise the maxims laid down by the Child's Guide to Manners. Groping about, I saw at the end of the barn a sort of ledge up above in the roof; no one had though

t in fine style. 'Gentlemen,' said I, 'one of our friends outside has a mind to warm himself at our expense.' A few moments more and the beam was sure to come down. 'Gentlemen! gentlemen!' I shouted, 'we shall all be killed in a minute! Look at the b

devil of a Wurtemberger, who was tugging at the beam with a certain enthusiasm. 'Aho! aho!' I shouted, trying to make him understand that he must desist from his toil. 'Gehe mir aus dem Gesicht, oder ich schlag dich todt!-Get out of my sight, or I will kill yo

e man suffered for the good of many, so you have

ncy or no, a good many of them are living comfortably in fine ho

e that exorbitant interest called gratitude?" said Benassis,

of kindly actions always held his tongue about them, those who reaped the benefits would hardly say very much either. Now the people, according to your system, stand in need of examples, and how are they to hear of them amid this general reticence? Again, there i

er than he who transgresses them, even through necessity? Would not our veteran, dying of hunger, and unable to help himself, be worthy of rank with Homer? Human life is doubtless a final trial of virtue as of genius, for both of which a better world is waiting. Virtue

s; "but those who dwell on earth are men af

he indulgence. But ought we not to aim, at any rate, at perfection? Is not virtue a

you; but, on the other hand, you must admit that virtue is a divinity who

regard things with the lenience natural to those who live at peace with themselves; and I wit

interior of the cottage, where a man was lying in bed. Benassis examined his patient, and suddenly exclaimed, "My good woman, it is no use my coming here unless you carry out my instructions! You have been giving him b

was starving, and when he had eat

husband eat a single mouthful of bread before I give him

. Is he any better?" she asked,

Shall I never get it into your stupid heads that

en nothing for two or three days, they think he is at death's door, and they cram him with sou

ith a little mite

is still alive after the mess you cooked for h

uld far rather die m

see. I shall come again to-

s; "there is only a footpath between this cottage and the next house

is is the first case of really strong fatherly love that has come under my notice. As a rule, when their children die, the peasant's regret is for the loss of a useful chattel, and a part of their stock-in-trade, and the older the child, the heavier their sense of loss. A grown-up son or daughter is so much capital to the parents. But this poor fellow really loved that boy of his. 'Nothing

pathway that led to a bark-mill. They saw a man about forty years of age, standi

is the little on

wife is sitting with her. In spite of all your care, I am ve

Death is too busy to take u

e out again. The mother was with him this time, and he spoke to her, "You need

octor said to the officer, as he mounted his horse, "I

ired of it, I g

and they are all alike; nothing, to outward

on," said t

going from one side of the canton to the other, they

es grew. "Those trees may possibly be two hundred years old," he went on, "and that is where the woman lives,

anything

precaution, I must go in any case to make sure that there are no further alarming symptoms; I shall see her through her confinement myse

lost to sight in a cloud of dust, but in spite of the paces of his horse he still heard the doctor beside him. At a word from Benassis his own horse left the co

look at the horse, that was neither sweated n

turning a hair, and will never miss his footing in a canter along the brink of a precipice. He was a present to me, and I think that I deserved it, for in this way a father sought to repay me for his daughter's life. She is one of the wealthiest heiresses in Europe, and she was at the brink of death whe

harness, the little bells, and the knots of braid in their manes, were clean and smart. The great wagon itself was painted b

in business is reflected by all his belongings, even by the carter's wagon! Is it no

ks very smart indeed,

des for business purposes, for he does trade over a wide area. And only four years ago h

e house?" Benassis ask

er just now by the hedge down yonder; I

a space enclosed by hurdles. The tiles, both round and square, were made under the great elms opposite the gateway, in a vast green arbor bounded by the roofs of the drying-shed, and near this last the yawning mouth of the kiln was visible. Some long-handled shovels lay about the worn cider path. A second row of buildings had been erected pa

and were spoiled, and so he lost the value of them. So he died of want at last. He had ill-treated his wife till she was almost idiotic, and she lived in a state of abject wretchedness. It was so painful to see this laziness and incurable stupidity, and I so much disliked the sight of the tile-works, that I never came this way if I could help it. Luc

e and took up his abode here, taught his wife, her aged mother, and his own mother how to make tiles, and made workmen of them. How they managed, I do not know, upon my honor! Vigneau probably borrowed fuel to heat his kiln, he certainly worked by day, and fetched in his materials in basket-load

e money, and since then from year to year the fortunes of the family have steadily improved. After the second year was over the two old mothers no longer moulded bricks nor pounded stones; they looked after the little gardens, made the soup, mended the clothes, they did spinning in the evenings, and gathered firewood in the daytime; while the young wife, who can read and write, kept the accounts. Vigneau had a small horse, and rode on his business errands about the neighborh

o press so hardly upon her, has recovered her good looks, and has grown quite young and pretty again. The two old mothers are thoroughly happy, and take the deepest interest in every detail of the housekeeping or of the business. Work has brought money, and the money that brought freedom from care brought health and plenty and happiness. The story of this household is a living history in miniature of the Commune since I have known it, and of all young industrial states. The tile factory that u

former quality of ladies' maid, for she wore a pretty cap, a pink dress, a silk apron, and white stockings. Mme. Vigneau in short, was a nice-looking woman, sufficiently plump, and if she was somewhat sunburned, her natural complexion must have been very fair. There were a few

will. Come thi

ne? M. Benassis, please try a little of the wine that my husband has be

ood man for y

and spoke in quiet tone

au; I only came round this way to see

the garden, as you saw, turning the so

he young wagoner planted himself in the middle of the yard, i

y felt her pulse, he stood in silence, absorbed in thought. The three women, meanwhile, scrutin

better!" cried t

d soon?" both the mo

Is Vigneau away from home

about settling his business affairs, so as to be able

sper; continue to increase your w

ost ruinous dwelling fille

like Mme. Vigneau for keeping a house clean and tidy like this. I wi

the two old mothers beamed with pleasure at the doctor's words, and the

ld women, "here is happiness for you both

among them. My two mothers wish for a boy, and my husband would like to h

" asked Benassis;

ish for a chi

," said the doctor to the officer, as he

sadly disappointed to learn that you have b

nd the thousand tiles to th

ting to serve you. Why, taking your money is the thing that troubles him most;

e," said

off work to greet the doctor, lingered there to have the pleasure of being with him until the last moment, as we are wont to linger with thos

height of the sun and

my character has prevented any spiteful gossip. If no one understands the apparent caprice that has led me to make an allowance to La Fosseuse, so that she can live without being compelled to work, nobody has any doubts as to her character. I have watched over her with friendly care, and every one knows that I should never hesitate to marry her if my affection for her exceeded the limits of friendship. But no woman exists for me here in the canton or anywhere else," said the doctor, forcing a smile. "Some natures feel a tyrannous need to attach themselves to some one thing or being which they single ou

pring into the saddle, but making no effort to do so, as though the thou

pay her a visit. I am taking you to see her; doe

quisitiveness on my part if I ask to hear more of La Fosseuse? I have come to know the

and the sorrows of a soul that must always feel renewed within it the stir of longings that can never be realized; nor the pining existence of a creature forced to live in an alien sphere. Such sufferings as these are known only to these natures and to God who sends their afflictions, for they alone can know how deeply the events of life affect them. You yourself have seen the miseries produced by long wars, till they have almost ceased to impress you, but have you never detected a trace of sadness in your mind at the sight of a tree bearing sere leaves in the midst of

ad suffered when I sa

poor girl is never well and strong. The soul within her kills the body. This fragile creature was suffering from the sorest of all troubles, a trouble which receives the least possible sympathy from our selfish world, and how could I look on with indifferent eyes? for I, a man, strong to wrestle with pain, was nightl

rung. If the weather is dark and cloudy, she is depressed; she 'weeps when the sky is weeping,' a phrase of her own; she sings with the birds; she grows happy and serene under a cloudless sky; the loveliness of a bright day passes into her face; a soft sweet perfume is an inexhaustible pleasure to her; I have seen her take delight the whole day long in the scent breathed forth by some mignonette; and, after one of those rainy mornings that bring out all the soul of the flowers and give

ave grown so stupid with looking up there; I have looked and looked, till I hardly know where I am.' 'But what do you see there?' 'I cannot tell you, sir,' and you might question her in this way all the evening, yet you would never draw a word from her; but she would look at you, and every glance would seem full of thoughts, or she would sit with tears in her ey

y kind of work. When she was out in the fields she used to spend whole hours in looking at a flower, in watching the water flow, in gazing at the wonders in the depths of the clear, still river pools, at the picturesqu

nstant toil, day after day, was no doubt too heavy a yoke for one who is all independence and caprice. Then she set herself to look for mushrooms or for truffles, going over to Grenoble to sell them. But the gaudy trifles in the town were very tempting, the few small coins in her hand seemed to be great riches; she would forget her poverty and buy ribbons and finery, without a thought for tomorrow's bread. But if some other girl here in the town took a fancy to her brass crucifix, her agate heart or her velvet ribbon, she would make them over to her at once, glad to give happiness, for she lives by generous impulses. So La Fosseuse was loved and pitied and despised by turns. Everyt

Benassis' tone as he u

pented of it. It is like espionage to bring a test to bear upon

ous of the embarrassment that his last remark had caused to his companion, who busied himself

y of women whom the slightest contact with others causes to vibrate perilously; so that she must be made to value herself on her discretion and her womanly pride. She is as wild and shy as a swallow! Ah! what a wealth of kindness there is in her! Nature meant her to be a rich woman; she would be so beneficent: for a well-loved woman; she would be so faithful and true. She is only twenty-two years old, and is sinking already beneath the weight of her soul; a victim to highly-strung nerves, to an organization either too delicate or too full of power. A passionate love for a

s, and surrounded by a wall high enough to serve as a fence, but not so high as to shut out the view of the landscape. Several rivulets that had their source in this garden formed little cascades among the trees. The brick-built cottage with a low roof that projected several feet was a charming detail in the landscape. It consisted of a ground floor and a single story, and stood f

the air was fragrant with the scents from the hillsides and the perfume from La Fosseuse's garden. The sky overhead was clear and serene, but low clouds hung on the horizon, and the far-off peaks had begun to take the deep rose hues that the sunset often brings. At the height which they had reached the whole valley lay before their eyes, from distant Grenoble to the little lake at the foot of the circle of crags by which Genestas had passed

e said, with a sigh, "nothing has so stirred me as the sight of all this. I owe

as he spoke, "It is better to

im, "and I can say openly that I love him, now that he is dead! What a ruler! He knew every man when he saw him! He would have made you a Councillor of State, for he was a great administrator himself; even to the point of knowing how many cartridges were left in the men's boxes after an action. Poor man! While you were talking about La Fosseuse, I thought of him, and how he w

s, and mechanically followed the example set by B

a Fosseuse on the threshold. They went into the house, bu

id Benassis, with a smile, "and has gone upstairs to

s they might be called, made of osiers and wooden hoops, had been filled with moss and flowers, and the windows were draped by white dimity curtains bordered with a scarlet fringe. There was a mirror above the chimney-piece, where a plain china jar stood between two candlesticks. Some calico lay on the table; shirts, apparently, had been cut out and begun, several pairs of gussets were finished, and a work-basket, scissors, needles

untenances that since the disasters of 1814 have unfortunately come to be so widely known in France. La Fosseuse was, in fact, very like these men of the North. Her nose turned up at the end, and was sunk in her face, her mouth was wide and her chin small, her hands and arms were red and, like her feet, were of the peasant type, large and strong. Although she had been used to an outdoor life, to exposure to the sun and the scorching summer winds, her complexion had t

hat she had begun. She sat there under the officer's eyes, half bashful, afraid to look up, and calm to all appearance; but her bod

?" said Benassis, taking up the material intended

e doctor a timid an

ly. But the weather has been so fine! I wandered out and picked a quantity of mushrooms and white truffles, and took them over to Jacquotte; she

o ply her n

se here, mademoiselle," sai

er eyes seemed to grow red and tearful; "it belongs to M. Benassis," a

t you will never have to leave it,"

ddenly rose an

addressing the officer, "

her," Genestas answered. "How very nicely y

use of hers, and her simple furniture, seem pretty to you, because you come upon them up here on a hillside in a forlorn part of the world where you did not expect to find things clean and tidy. The reason of the prettiness is a kind of harmony between the little house and its surro

"I fancied that one of my chickens w

was only noticed by the doctor, who sa

that to me before some one

ty that you live here all by yourself; you ought

an end to it; to carry my children in my arms all day, and patch and re-patch a man's rags. The cure tells me that such thoughts as these are not very Christian; I know that myself, but how can I help it? There are days when I would rather eat a morsel of dry bre

as we find her. But all that she has been saying to you simply means that she has never

fond of M. Benassi

ures other people has some trouble of his own that nothing can cure. You are his friend, perhaps you know what it is? Who could have given pain to such

o you think

eemed to hesitate, then she went on,

work, and plied her needl

g you something about Napoleon?" s

cried La Fosseuse, gazing at the o

Genestas, "hun

ike to know somethi

r child," said Benassis, who laid his hand on her shoulder and kissed her brow. "She is my daughter, you see!" he ad

d in a tight clasp as she murm

unt. She waited till Genestas was in the saddle, and then w

ing a foot in the stirrup, "

path; and when they came past the end of the garden, they saw her already perched on a little

at girl, sir," Genestas said to the docto

myself that she will make a charming wife, but I can only love he

asked Genestas. "What did

Laurent du Pont, was nicknamed Le Fosseur, which is no doubt a contraction of fossoyeur, for the office of sexton had been in his family time out of mind. All the sad associations of the graveyard hang about the name. Here as in some other part

hile in a district where a young man not unfrequently leaves his betrothed for another girl who is richer by three or four acres of land. The fate of Le Fosseur and his wife was scarcely happy enough to induce our Dauphinois to forsake their calculating habits and practical way of regarding things. La Fosseuse, who was a very pretty woman, died when her daughter was born, and her husband's grief for his loss was so great that he followed her within the

. They are generous by fits and starts-sometimes patrons, sometimes friends, sometimes masters, in this way they falsify the already false position of the poor children in whom they interest themselves, and trifle with the hearts, the lives, and futures of their protegees, whom they regard very lightly. From the first La Fosseuse became almost a companion to the young heiress; she was taught to read and write, and her future mistre

o poverty; she wandered about begging by the roadside, and working at times as I have told you. Sometimes she thought of drowning herself, sometimes also of giving herself to the first comer; she spent most of her time thinking dark thoughts, lying by the side of a wall in the sun, with her face buried in the grass, and passers-by would sometimes throw a few halfpence to he

the people beneath my rule; her character struck me, and I made a study of it; then when I became aware of her physical infirmities, I dete

lone up there!"

ehind the house. They are hidden by the pine-trees. Oh! she is quite safe. Moreover, there are no mauvais sujets he

l!" said

, they think her very lucky; but there is this difference between her and the other

road which was rounded like a garden path. The trees had not been cut or trimmed, each one preserved the magnificent palm-branch shape that makes the Lombard poplar one of the grandest of trees; there they stood, a natural monument which a man might well be proud of having reared. The shadow had already reached o

cried Genestas. "The sight of t

ere is no disappointment here," said the doctor. "Those poplars are ten ye

to a stand in the middle of the road, o

ten said in the midst of this avenue. There is something holy about this place. Here, we are like

es' hoof-beats; the sound echoed along the green corridor a

t," said the doctor. "Do you not notice the sweet scent given off by the g

ed Genestas. "Let

of singing cam

asked the commandant in a low voice. "Is

doctor answered, as he dismounted and faste

ver a cottage at the end of the stony track. The ridge of the cottage roof was usually a bright green with its overgrowth of mosses and house-leeks, and the thatch was brown as a chestnut shell, but just now it seemed to be powdered with a golden dust. The cottage itself was scarcely visible through the haze of light; the ruinous wall, the doorway and everything about it was radiant with a fleeting g

n earth by the flowers and the bright insects of the day. There is a tinge of sadness about the radiance of sunset, and the melody was sad. It was a song widely known in the days of yore, a ballad of love and sorrow that once had served to stir a national hatred of France for England. Beaumarchais, in

ears. Let us hurry; we must put a stop to the singing! The child is killing himself; it would

ross the sun, the landscape and the voice were both mute. Shadow, chillness, and silence had taken

more rice pudding nor snail broth! No more fresh dates and white bread

oman. His hair was fair but scanty, and the color in his face was so bright that it seemed hardly natural. He rose up slowly from the bench where

k, not to expose yourself to the chilly evening air, and to go to

so happy that without thinking I began to try over Malbrouk s'en va-t-en guerre, just for fun, and then I

appen again; do you hear? Let me have y

sweet expression, but just now

ered with perspiration," said Benassi

, s

-doors and g

into the cottage, followed

said the doctor, who was helping Jacques

skin and bone. When the little peasant had been put to bed, Benassis tapped the lad's chest, and listened to the ominous sounds made in this way by his fingers; th

feel, my l

omfortab

tumbler and a phial on the mantel-shelf, and composed a draught, by carefully measuring a fe

her is ve

d the child; "I can hear

less, the mother was wont to sleep in her clothes, for there were neither sheets nor coverlet. Genestas pointed out this bed to Benassis, who nodd

at I have poured into the tumbler on the table. Take care not to let him have more than two or three sips at a time; there ought to be enough in the t

to-day, sir; I had to take the hemp ove

n, I will send

e, my poor lad?"

ny good can come of it; but do not be hard upon him, nor scold him. Do not be down-hear

friend, and they went b

easant consumptiv

ducing organs that give the sufferer a short-lived power of song that no trained voice can surpass. I have made you spend a melancholy day, sir," said the doctor when he was once more in the saddle. "Suffering and death everywhere, but everywhere also resignation. All these peasa

id Genestas, pointing to a spot on the mou

heating his kiln, no doubt. It is a newly-starte

exclamation from Benassis, who said, with an impatient gesture, "

cating a beech-wood up above them on the mountain side

wood, urging his horse at a furious speed across the ditches and fields, as if

e off," shouted Genestas, who

e man of whom he was in search soon appeared on the top of a perp

n he saw that this figure carri

by a respectful and friendly sign which sho

ring impulse that he might possibly contrive to scramble up to that point a

ed Benassis; "the wild goats must feel en

The strong, slender form of the mountaineer was gracefully poised in every attitude which the precipitous nature of the path compelled him to assume; and so certain did he seem of his power to hold on at need, that if the pinnacle of rock on which he took his stand had been a level floo

eeth of dazzling whiteness. His beard, moustache, and the reddish whiskers, which he allowed to grow, and which curled naturally, still further heightened the masculine and forbidding expression of his face. Everything about him spoke of strength. He was broad-chested; constant activity had made the muscles of his hands curiously firm and prominent. There was the quick intelligence of a savage about his glances; he looked resolute, fearless, and imperturbable, l

pledged mine for you because I had your promise. My promise to the procureur du roi at Grenoble was based upon your vow never to go poaching again, and to turn over a new leaf and become a steady, industrious worker. You fired that shot just now, and here you are, on the Comte de Labranchoir's estate! Eh! you

ommandant, who recognized a

nd looked at Genestas by way o

icks again, you will find yourself once more in a park enclosed by four stone walls, and no power on earth will save you from the

arrel of his weapon i

s, nor flourish a whip and drive a cart, nor scrub down a horse in a stable all my life, so I must die of starvation, I suppose? I am only happy when I am up there," he went on after a pause, pointing to the mountains. "And I have been about among the hills for the past week; I got a sight of a chamois, and I have the chamois there," he said, pointing to the top of the crag; "it is at your service! Dear M. Benassis, leave me my gun. Listen! I will leave the Commune, foi de Butifer! I will go to the Alps; the cham

sked Benassis. Butifer pa

, and turn carabineer. If they once sound 'to horse' for something like a war, you will find out that Provi

n was back again,"

u undertook to go for a soldier. I give you six months in which to learn to re

oked at th

. The life that you are leading will take you straight to the convict's prison. After over-fatiguing yourself, you are obliged to take a long rest; and, in the end, you will fall into idle ways that will be the ruin of a

cated whenever I am in a town. I cannot hold out for mo

or's benefit. But it is late, and I am in a hurry. Come to see me to-morrow, and bring your gun

semen went

I call a man,"

w at defiance. He must wrestle with something; whenever he is not risking his neck he is at odds with society, he lends a helping hand to smugglers. The rogue will cross the Rhone, all by himself, in a little boat, to take shoes over into Savoy; he makes good his retreat, heavy laden as he is, to some inaccessible place high up among the hills, where he stays for two days at a time, livin

the middle of it. Round the enclosure were high banks on which a triple line of trees of different kinds were growing; th

of the High Street, by those two handsome houses that I told you about

h large cobble-stones. There were altogether about a hundred new ho

s undemonstrative; there was the instinctive delicacy of all deep feeling about it, and it had the same pervasive power. At the sight of this welcome it seemed to Genestas that the doctor had been too modest in his description of the affection with which he was regarded by the people of the district. His truly was a sovereignty of the sweetest kind; a right royal sovereignty moreover, for its title was engraven in the hearts of its subjects. However dazzling the rays of glory that surround a man, however great the power that he enjoys, in his inmost soul he soon comes to