et rid of after
they've done the work. There are those blackguards, the Tonsards and
Bonnebault--"

"Tonsard is ready for mischief," said Soudry, "I know that; and we'll
work him up by Vaudoyer and Courtecuisse."

"I'll answer for Courtecuisse," said Rigou.

"And I hold Vaudoyer in the hollow of my hand."

"Be cautious!" said Rigou; "before everything else be cautious."

"Now, papa skull-cap, do you mean to tell me that there's any harm
in speaking of things as they are? Is it we who are indicting and
arresting, or gleaning or depredating? If Monsieur le comte knows what
he's about and leases the woods to the receiver-general it is all up
with our schemes,--'Farewell baskets, the vintage is o'er'; in that case
you will lose more than I. What we say here is between ourselves and
for ourselves; for I certainly wouldn't say a word to Vaudoyer that I
couldn't repeat to God and man. But it is not forbidden, I suppose, to
profit by any events that may take place. The peasantry of this canton
are hot-headed; the general's exactions, his severity, Michaud's
persecutions, and those of his keepers have exasperated them; to-day
things have come to a crisis and I'll bet there's a rumpus going on now
with the gendarmerie. And so, let's go and breakfast."

Madame Gaubertin came into the garden just then. She was a rather fair
woman with long curls, called English, hanging down her cheeks, who
played the style of sentimental virtue, pretended never to have
known love, talked platonics to all the men about her, and kept the
prosecuting-attorney at her beck and call. She was given to caps with
large bows, but preferred to wear only her hair. She danced, and at
forty-five years of age had the mincing manner of a girl; her feet,
however, were large and her hands frightful. She wished to be called
Isaure, because among her other oddities and absurdities she had the
taste to repudiate the name of Gaubertin as vulgar. Her eyes were light
and her hair of an undecided color, something like dirty nankeen. Such
as she was, she was taken as a model by a number of young ladies, who
stabbed the skies with their glances, and posed as angels.

"Well, gentlemen," she said, bowing, "I have some strange news for you.
The gendarmerie have returned."

"Did they make any prisoners?"

"None; the general, it seems, had previously obtained the pardon of
the depredators. It was given in honor of this happy anniversary of the
king's restoration to Fr