mmand, and after saying a few words gave him
a paper; the officer then turned to his men and said: "Release your
prisoners; the general has obtained their pardon."

General Montcornet was then speaking to the mayor; after a few moments'
conversation in a low tone, the latter, addressing the delinquents,
who expected to sleep in prison and were a good deal surprised to find
themselves free, said to them:--

"My friends, thank Monsieur le comte. You owe your release to him. He
went to Paris and obtained your pardon in honor of the anniversary of
the king's restoration. I hope that in future you will conduct yourself
properly to a man who has behaved so well to you, and that you will in
future respect his property. Long live the King!"

The peasants shouted "Long live the King!" with enthusiasm, to avoid
shouting, "Hurrah for the Comte de Montcornet!"

The scene was a bit of policy arranged between the general, the prefect,
and the attorney-general; for they were all anxious, while showing
enough firmness to keep the local authorities up to their duty and awe
the country-people, to be as gentle as possible, fully realizing as
they did the difficulties of the question. In fact, if resistance had
occurred, the government would have been in a tight place. As Laroche
truly said, they could not guillotine or even convict a whole community.

The general invited the mayor of Conches, the lieutenant, and the
sergeant to breakfast. The conspirators of the Grand-I-Vert adjourned
to the tavern of Conches, where the delinquents spent in drink the money
their relations had given them to take to prison, sharing it with
the Blangy people, who were naturally part of the wedding,--the word
"wedding" being applied indiscriminately in Burgundy to all such
rejoicings. To drink, quarrel, fight, eat and go home drunk and
sick,--that is a wedding to these peasants.

The general, who had come by the park, took his guests back through the
forest that they might see for themselves the injury done to the timber,
and so judge of the importance of the question.

Just as Rigou and Soudry were on their way back to Blangy, the count and
countess, Emile Blondet, the lieutenant of gendarmerie, the sergeant,
and the mayor of Conches were finishing their breakfast in the splendid
dining-room where Bouret's luxury had left the delightful traces already
described by Blondet in his letter to Nathan.

"It would be a terrible pity to abandon this beautifu