scal is growing! And you think,
mother, that they'll leave him at home to pluck the geese? A sharp lad
like that?..."

A few seconds later, the boy was in the drawing-room. Breathless,
staggering, he reeled back against the table and blurted out, in a
hollow voice:

"It's ... war!..."

Philippe, who retained some hope in spite of everything, flew at him:

"War?"

"Yes ... it's declared...."

"By whom?"

"They didn't say."

And Saboureux, seized with fresh anger, stuttered:

"Of course!... I said so!... I saw the Uhlans ... there were five of
them."

There was a stir among the servants. All rushed to meet a new arrival,
Gridoux, the official game-keeper, who came prancing along the terrace,
brandishing a stick. He pushed them aside:

"Don't bother me!... I've a message to give! Where's monsieur le maire?
He must come at once! They're waiting for him!"

He seemed furious at not finding the Mayor of Saint-Elophe there, ready
to go back with him.

"Not so loud, not so loud, Gridoux," Mme. Morestal ordered. "You'll wake
him up."

"He's got to be woke up. I've been sent from the town-hall.... He's got
to come at once."

Philippe laid hold of him:

"Stop that noise, I tell you, hang it all! My father is ill."

"That doesn't matter. I've got the butcher's cart.... I'll take him with
me straight away, as he is."

"But it's impossible," moaned Mme. Morestal. "He's in bed."

"That doesn't matter.... There's orders to be given.... There's a whole
company of soldiers ... soldiers from the manoeuvres.... The town-hall
is upside down.... He's the only one to put things right."

"Nonsense! Where are his deputies? Arnauld? Walter?"

"They've lost their heads."

"Who's at the town-hall?"

"Everybody."

"The parish-priest?"

"A milksop!"

"The parson?"

"An ass! There's only one man who isn't crying like the others.... But
M. Morestal would never consent.... They're not friends."

"Who is that?"

"The school-master."

"Let them obey him, then!... The school-master will do!... Let him give
orders in my husband's name."

The wish to save Morestal any annoyance gave her a sudden authority.
And she pushed everybody out, to the stairs, to the hall:

"There, go away, all of you.... Gridoux, go back to the town-hall...."

"Yes, that's it," said Saboureux, gripping the gamekeeper's arm, "go
back to Saint-Elophe, Gridoux, and send the soldiers to me, eh? Let them
defend me, hang it all! The Uhlans wi