as of
Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity everywhere by means of its good sense
and its victories, and which never would have been vanquished if the
Emperor had not made an alliance with the kings at Tilsit, this nation,
which in a few years produced so many more great captains and orators,
learned men and geniuses of all kinds, than the noble races produced in
a thousand years, must surrender everything and go back to tilling the
earth, while the others, who are not one in a thousand, will go on from
father to son, taking everything and gladdening their hearts at the
expense of the people! Oh! no doubt the fields and meadows and ponds
will be given up as Anna-Marie said, and that the convents will be
rebuilt in order to please Mons. le Comte d'Artois and help him to gain
his salvation--that is the least the country could do for so great a
prince!"

Then Father Goulden, joining his hands, looked upward saying:

"Lord God, Lord God, who hast wrought so many miracles by the little
black St. John of Kortzeroth, if thou wouldst permit even a single ray
of reason to enter the heads of Monseigneur and his friends, I believe
it would be more beautiful than the tears of the little saint! And
that other one on his island, with his clear eyes like the sparrow-hawk
who pretends to sleep as he watches the unconscious geese in a pool,--O
Lord, a few strokes of his wing and he is upon them, the birds may
escape, while we shall have all Europe at our heels again!"

He said all this very gravely, and I looked at Catherine to know
whether I should laugh or cry.

Suddenly he sat down, saying:

"Come! Joseph, this is not at all cheerful, but what can we do? It is
time to be at work. Look, and see what is the matter with Mr. Jacob's
watch."

Catherine took off the cloth, and each one went to his work.

IX

It was winter. Rain fell constantly, mingled with snow. There were no
gutters, and the wind blew the rain as it fell from the tiles quite
into the middle of the street. We could hear it pattering all day
while Catherine was running about, watching the fire, and lifting the
covers of the saucepans, and sometimes singing quietly to herself as
she sat down to her spinning. Father Goulden and I were so accustomed
to this kind of life that we worked on without thinking. We troubled
ourselves about nothing, the table was laid and the dinner served
exactly on the stroke of noon. At night Mr. Goulden went out after
supp