mused themselves gave an additional zest to the return of pleasure.

Some hours later, when they were all seated at table, drinking and
singing, Florian favored the company with a new song which he had
picked up on his travels:--

"In Strasbourg on the rampart,
She loved me much indeed:
She always brought my breakfast
And a letter for to read.

"I always got the letter:
The breakfast never came:
And in it there was written,
'Winter has come again.'

"Winter has come, as usual;
The bosses are feeling good:
They say to the poor journeymen,
'Go out and split some wood.

"'And mind you make it small enough,
And make it not too small;
And you shall be my journeymen,
As you have been this fall.'

"And winter is past and over;
The jours are full of pluck:
They come to the boss's table
And tell him what's o'clock.

"'Come, boss; its time to settle:
Bring out your little bill:
You gave us beans this winter,
And we have had our fill.'

"'Oh, if the bread's not white enough,
I'll get another kind,
And if your bed's not soft enough----'"

At the lines which followed, sad to say, Crescence did not blush, nor
did any of the other girls; but all received the production with
unmingled merriment.

Who could doubt, after this, that Florian was the leading young man in
the village?

But when Crescence came home she had to expiate her glory with bitter
sufferings: her mother was sick, and her father, for the time-being,
reigned supreme. But she bore all without a murmur, knowing that
Florian would be hers; for hadn't they won the wether?

7.
DOWN HILL.

With the jollification the importance of Florian came to an end. He was
pushed into a corner, like a bass-fiddle in working-time: people went
about their business, and thought little of the fun-makers. Florian
alone had no business to go about: he hung around the taverns until he
ceased to be welcome even