assions of his life--pale ale and revolution--and
assuredly he could not taste the one without dreaming of the other.

Monsieur and Madame Follenvie dined at the end of the table. The man,
wheezing like a broken-down locomotive, was too short-winded to talk
when he was eating. But the wife was not silent a moment; she told how
the Prussians had impressed her on their arrival, what they did, what
they said; execrating them in the first place because they cost her
money, and in the second because she had two sons in the army. She
addressed herself principally to the countess, flattered at the
opportunity of talking to a lady of quality.

Then she lowered her voice, and began to broach delicate subjects. Her
husband interrupted her from time to time, saying:

"You would do well to hold your tongue, Madame Follenvie."

But she took no notice of him, and went on:

"Yes, madame, these Germans do nothing but eat potatoes and pork, and
then pork and potatoes. And don't imagine for a moment that they are
clean! No, indeed! And if only you saw them drilling for hours, indeed
for days, together; they all collect in a field, then they do nothing
but march backward and forward, and wheel this way and that. If only
they would cultivate the land, or remain at home and work on their high
roads! Really, madame, these soldiers are of no earthly use! Poor people
have to feed and keep them, only in order that they may learn how to
kill! True, I am only an old woman with no education, but when I see
them wearing themselves out marching about from morning till night, I
say to myself: When there are people who make discoveries that are
of use to people, why should others take so much trouble to do harm?
Really, now, isn't it a terrible thing to kill people, whether they are
Prussians, or English, or Poles, or French? If we revenge ourselves on
any one who injures us we do wrong, and are punished for it; but
when our sons are shot down like partridges, that is all right, and
decorations are given to the man who kills the most. No, indeed, I shall
never be able to understand it."

Cornudet raised his voice:

"War is a barbarous proceeding when we attack a peaceful neighbor, but
it is a sacred duty when undertaken in defence of one's country."

The old woman looked down:

"Yes; it's another matter when one acts in self-defence; but would it
not be better to kill all the kings, seeing that they make war just to
amuse themselves?"

Cor