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French； and I'll ask it in good Burgundian； as long as I get the
money； I don't care； I'll talk Latin： 'latinus； latina； latinum'！
Besides； twenty francs is what you promised me this morning。 My
children have already stolen the silver you gave me； I wept about it；
coming along；ask Charles if I didn't。 Not that I'd arrest 'em for
the value of ten francs and have 'em up before the judge； no！ But just
as soon as I earn a few pennies； they make me drink and get 'em out of
me。 Ah！ it is hard； hard to be reduced to go and get my wine
elsewhere。 But just see what children are these days！ That's what we
got by the Revolution； it is all for the children now…a…days； and
parents are suppressed。 I'm bringing up Mouche on another tack； he
loves me； the little scamp；〃giving his grandson a poke。
〃It seems to me you are making him a little thief； like all the rest；〃
said Sibilet； 〃he never lies down at night without some sin on his
conscience。〃
〃Ha！ Monsieur Sibilet； his conscience is as clean as yours any day！
Poor child！ what can he steal？ A little grass！ that's better than
throttling a man！ He don't know mathematics like you； nor subtraction；
nor addition； nor multiplication；you are very unjust to us； that you
are！ You call us a nest of brigands； but you are the cause of the
misunderstandings between our good landlord here； who is a worthy man；
and the rest of us； who are all worthy men；there ain't an honester
part of the country than this。 Come； what do you mean？ do I own
property？ don't I go half…naked； and Mouche too？ Fine sheets we slept
in； washed by the dew every morning！ and unless you want the air we
breathe and the sunshine we drink； I should like to know what we have
that you can take away from us！ The rich folks rob as they sit in
their chimney…corners；and more profitably； too； than by picking up a
few sticks in the woods。 I don't see no game…keepers or patrols after
Monsieur Gaubertin； who came here as naked as a worm and is now worth
his millions。 It's easy said； 'Robbers！' Here's fifteen years that old
Guerbet； the tax…gatherer at Soulanges； carries his money along the
roads by the dead of night； and nobody ever took a farthing from him；
is that like a land of robbers？ has robbery made us rich？ Show me
which of us two； your class or mine； live the idlest lives and have
the most to live on without earning it。〃
〃If you were to work；〃 said the abbe； 〃you would have property。 God
blesses labor。〃
〃I don't want to contradict you； M'sieur l'abbe； for you are wiser
than I； and perhaps you'll know how to explain something that puzzles
me。 Now see； here I am； ain't I？that drunken； lazy； idle； good…for…
nothing old Fourchon； who had an education and was a farmer； and got
down in the mud and never got up again；well； what difference is
there between me and that honest and worthy old Niseron； seventy years
old （and that's my age） who has dug the soil for sixty years and got
up every day before it was light to go to his work； and has made
himself an iron body and a fine soul？ Well； isn't he as bad off as I
am？ His little granddaughter； Pechina； is at service with Madame
Michaud； whereas my little Mouche is as free as air。 So that poor good
man gets rewarded for his virtues in exactly the same way that I get
punished for my vices。 He don't know what a glass of good wine is；
he's as sober as an apostle； he buries the dead； and II play for the
living to dance。 He is always in a peck o' troubles； while I slip
along in a devil…may…care way。 We have come along about even in life；
we've got the same snow on our heads； the same funds in our pockets；
and I supply him with rope to ring his bell。 He's a republican and I'm
not even a publican；that's all the difference as far as I can see。 A
peasant may do good or do evil （according to your ideas） and he'll go
out of the world just as he came into it； in rags； while you wear the
fine clothes。〃
No one interrupted Pere Fourchon； who seemed to owe his eloquence to
his potations。 At first Sibilet tried to cut him short； but desisted
at a sign from Blondet。 The abbe； the general； and the countess； all
understood from the expression of the writer's eye that he wanted to
study the question of pauperism from life； and perhaps take his
revenge on Pere Fourchon。
〃What sort of education are you giving Mouche？〃 asked Blondet。 〃Do you
expect to make him any better than your daughters？〃
〃Does he ever speak to him of God？〃 said the priest。
〃Oh； no； no！ Monsieur le cure； I don't tell him to fear God； but men。
God is good； he has promised us poor folks； so you say； the kingdom of
heaven； because the rich people keep the earth to themselves。 I tell
him： 'Mouche！ fear the prison； and keep out of it；for that's the way
to the scaffold。 Don't steal anything； make people give it to you。
Theft leads to murder； and murder brings down the justice of men。 The
razor of justice；THAT'S what you've got to fear； it lets the rich
sleep easy and keeps the poor awake。 Learn to read。 Education will
teach you ways to grab money under cover of the law； like that fine
Monsieur Gaubertin； why； you can even be a land…steward like Monsieur
Sibilet here； who gets his rations out of Monsieur le comte。 The thing
to do is to keep well with the rich； and pick up the crumbs that fall
from their tables。' That's what I call giving him a good； solid
education； and you'll always find the little rascal on the side of the
law；he'll be a good citizen and take care of me。〃
〃What do you mean to make of him？〃 asked Blondet。
〃A servant； to begin with；〃 returned Fourchon； 〃because then he'll see
his masters close by； and learn something； he'll complete his
education； I'll warrant you。 Good example will be a fortune to him；
with the law on his side like the rest of you。 If M'sieur le comte
would only take him in his stables and let him learn to groom the
horses； the boy will be mighty pleased； for though I've taught him to
fear men； he don't fear animals。〃
〃You are a clever fellow； Pere Fourchon；〃 said Blondet； 〃you know what
you are talking about； and there's sense in what you say。〃
〃Oh； sense？ no； I left my sense at the Grand…I…Vert when I lost those
silver pieces。〃
〃How is it that a man of your capacity should have dropped so low？ As
things are now； a peasant can only blame himself for his poverty； he
is a free man； and he can become a rich one。 It is not as it used to
be。 If a peasant lays by his money； he can always buy a bit of land
and become his own master。〃
〃I've seen the olden time and I've seen the new； my dear wise
gentleman；〃 said Fourchon； 〃the sign over the door has changed； that's
true； but the wine is the same；to…day is the younger brother of
yesterday； that's all。 Put that in your newspaper！ Are we poor folks
free？ We still belong to the same parish； and its lord is always
there；I call him Toil。 The hoe； our sole property； has never left
our hands。 Let it be the old lords or th