Apparently he did not understand, and asked the reason. Then she lost her
temper and her caution, and, raising her voice still higher, said:

"Why? Can't you understand why? When there are Prussians in the house!
Perhaps even in the very next room!"

He was silent. The patriotic shame of this wanton, who would not suffer
herself to be caressed in the neighborhood of the enemy, must have roused
his dormant dignity, for after bestowing on her a simple kiss he crept
softly back to his room. Loiseau, much edified, capered round the bedroom
before taking his place beside his slumbering spouse.

Then silence reigned throughout the house. But soon there arose from some
remote part--it might easily have been either cellar or
attic--a stertorous, monotonous, regular snoring, a dull, prolonged
rumbling, varied by tremors like those of a boiler under pressure of
steam. Monsieur Follenvie had gone to sleep.

As they had decided on starting at eight o'clock the next morning, every
one was in the kitchen at that hour; but the coach, its roof covered with
snow, stood by itself in the middle of the yard, without either horses or
driver. They sought the latter in the stables, coach-houses and barns
--but in vain. So the men of the party resolved to scour the country
for him, and sallied forth. They found them selves in the square, with
the church at the farther side, and to right and left low-roofed houses
where there were some Prussian soldiers. The first soldier they saw was
peeling potatoes. The second, farther on, was washing out a barber's
shop. An other, bearded to the eyes, was fondling a crying infant, and
dandling it on his knees to quiet it; and the stout peasant women, whose
men-folk were for the most part at the war, were, by means of signs,
telling their obedient conquerors what work they were to do: chop wood,
prepare soup, grind coffee; one of them even was doing the washing for
his hostess, an infirm old grandmother.

The count, astonished at what he saw, questioned the beadle who was
coming out of the presbytery. The old man answered:

"Oh, those men are not at all a bad sort; they are not Prussians, I am
told; they come from somewhere farther off, I don't exactly know where.
And they have all left wives and children behind them; they are not fond
of war either, you may be sure! I am sure they are mourning for the men
where they come from, just as we do here; and the war causes them just as
much unhappiness as