of
greatness of soul; for I did not recoil from this infamous burden. I
disposed it, Heaven knows how, so as to be mildly portable, and then
proceeded to steer Modestine through the village. She tried, as was
indeed her invariable habit, to enter every house and every courtyard in
the whole length; and, encumbered as I was, without a hand to help
myself, no words can render an idea of my difficulties. A priest, with
six or seven others, was examining a church in process of repair, and he
and his acolytes laughed loudly as they saw my plight. I remembered
having laughed myself when I had seen good men struggling with adversity
in the person of a jackass, and the recollection filled me with
penitence. That was in my old light days, before this trouble came upon
me. God knows at least that I shall never laugh again, thought I. But
oh, what a cruel thing is a farce to those engaged in it!

A little out of the village, Modestine, filled with the demon, set her
heart upon a by-road, and positively refused to leave it. I dropped all
my bundles, and, I am ashamed to say, struck the poor sinner twice
across the face. It was pitiful to see her lift her head with shut eyes,
as if waiting for another blow. I came very near crying, but I did a
wiser thing than that, and sat squarely down by the roadside to consider
my situation under the cheerful influence of tobacco and a nip of
brandy. Modestine, in the meanwhile, munched some black bread with a
contrite hypocritical air. It was plain that I must make a sacrifice to
the gods of shipwreck. I threw away the empty bottle destined to carry
milk; I threw away my own white bread, and, disdaining to act by general
average, kept the black bread for Modestine; lastly, I threw away the
cold leg of mutton and the egg-whisk, although this last was dear to my
heart. Thus I found room for everything in the basket, and even stowed
the boating-coat on the top. By means of an end of cord I slung it under
one arm, and although the cord cut my shoulder, and the jacket hung
almost to the ground, it was with a heart greatly lightened that I set
forth again.

I I had now an arm free to thrash Modestine, and cruelly I chastised
her. If I were to reach the lake-side before dark she must bestir her
little shanks to some tune. Already the sun had gone down into a
windy-looking mist; and although there were still a few streaks of gold
far off to the east on the hills and the black fir-woods, all was cold