the fact was that they and their
families had always had the best offices.

I have often thought since, that this is the way the good places are
obtained under all governments, and still I should be ashamed to abuse
those who could not defend themselves, and whom I had a thousand times
flattered. I should prefer to remain poor and work for a living rather
than to gain riches and consideration by such means. But such are men!
And I ought to remember too, that our old mayor and three or four of
the counsellors did not follow this example, and Mr. Goulden said that
at least they respected themselves, and that the brawlers had no honor.

I remember how, one day, the Mayor of Hacmatt had come to have his
watch put in order at our shop, when he commenced to talk against the
Emperor in such a way that Father Goulden, rising suddenly, said to him:

"Here, take your watch, Mr. Michael, I will not work for you. What!
only last year you called him constantly 'the great man.' And you
never could call him Emperor simply, but must add, Emperor and King,
protector of the Helvetic Confederation, etc., while your mouth was
full of beef; now you say he is an ogre, and you call Louis XVIII.,
'Louis the well-beloved!' You ought to be ashamed of yourself! Do you
take people for brutes? and do you think they have no memories?"

Then the mayor replied, "It is plain to be seen that you are an old
Jacobin."

"What I am is nobody's business," replied Father Goulden, "but in any
case I am not a slanderer." He was pale as death, and ended by saying,
"Go, Mr. Michael, go! beggars are beggars under all governments."

He was so indignant that day he could hardly work, and would jump up
every minute and exclaim:

"Joseph, I did like those Bourbons, but this crowd of beggars has
disgusted me with them already. They are the kind of people who spoil
everything, for they declare everything perfect, beautiful, and
magnificent; they see no defect in anything, they raise their hands to
heaven in admiration if the king but coughs. They want their part of
the cake. And then, seeing their delight, kings and emperors end by
believing themselves gods, and when revolutions come, these rascals
abandon them, and begin to play the same role under some one else. In
this way they are always at the top, while honest people are always in
trouble."

This was about the beginning of May, and it had been announced that the
King had just made his solemn e