e everywhere, and the enemy pillaged everywhere that he was not.
Groison made the general understand that it was necessary to organize
the defence on a war footing, and proved to him the insufficiency of his
own devoted efforts and the evil disposition of the inhabitants of the
valley.

"There is something behind it all, general," he said; "these people are
so bold they fear nothing; they seem to rely on the favor of the good
God."

"We shall see," replied the count.

Fatal word! The verb "to see" has no future tense for politicians.

At the moment, Montcornet was considering another difficulty, which
seemed to him more pressing. He needed an alter ego to do his work in
the mayor's office during the months he lived in Paris. Obliged to find
some man who knew how to read and write for the position of assistant
mayor, he knew of none and could hear of none throughout the district
but Langlume, the tenant of his own flour-mill. The choice was
disastrous. Not only were the interests of mayor and miller
diametrically opposed, but Langlume had long hatched swindling projects
with Rigou, who lent him money to carry on his business, or to acquire
property. The miller had bought the right to the hay of certain fields
for his horses, and Sibilet could not sell it except to him. The hay of
all the fields in the district was sold at better prices than that of
Les Aigues, though the yield of the latter was the best.

Langlume, then, became the provisional mayor; but in France the
provisional is eternal,--though Frenchmen are suspected of loving
change. Acting by Rigou's advice, he played a part of great devotion to
the general; and he was still assistant-mayor at the moment when, by the
omnipotence of the historian, this drama begins.

In the absence of the mayor, Rigou, necessarily a member of the
district council, reigned supreme, and brought forward resolutions all
injuriously affecting the general. At one time he caused money to be
spent for purposes that were profitable to the peasants only,--the
greater part of the expenses falling upon Les Aigues, which, by reason
of its great extent, paid two thirds of the taxes; at other times the
council refused, under his influence, certain useful and necessary
allowances, such as an increase in salary for the abbe, repairs or
improvements to the parsonage, or "wages" to the school-master.

"If the peasants once know how to read and write, what will become of
us?" said Langlume, n