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the gleaning。〃
〃Stop the gleaning！〃 cried the whole tavern； with one voice； in which
the shrill tones of the four women predominated。
〃Yes；〃 said Mouche； 〃he is going to issue an order； and Groison is to
take it round； and post it up all over the canton。 No one is to glean
except those who have pauper certificates。〃
〃And what's more；〃 said Fourchon； 〃the folks from the other districts
won't be allowed here at all。〃
〃What's that？〃 cried Bonnebault； 〃do you mean to tell me that neither
my grandmother nor I； nor your mother； Godain； can come here and
glean？ Here's tomfoolery for you； a pretty show of authority！ Why； the
fellow is a devil let loose from hell；that scoundrel of a mayor！〃
〃Shall you glean whether or no； Godain？〃 said Tonsard to the
journeyman wheelwright； who was saying a few words to Catherine。
〃I？ I've no property； I'm a pauper；〃 he replied； 〃I shall ask for a
certificate。〃
〃What did they give my father for his otter； bibi？〃 said Madame
Tonsard to Mouche。
Though nearly at his last gasp from an over…taxed digestion and two
bottles of wine； Mouche； sitting on Madame Tonsard's lap； laid his
head on his aunt's neck and whispered slyly in her ear：
〃I don't know； but he has got gold。 If you'll feed me high for a
month； perhaps I can find out his hiding…place； he has one； I know
that。〃
〃Father's got gold！〃 whispered La Tonsard to her husband； whose voice
was loudest in the uproar of the excited discussion； in which all
present took part。
〃Hush！ here's Groison；〃 cried the old sentinel。
Perfect silence reigned in the tavern。 When Groison had got to a safe
distance； Mother Tonsard made a sign； and the discussion began again
on the question as to whether they should persist in gleaning； as
before； without a certificate。
〃You'll have to give in；〃 said Pere Fourchon； 〃for the Shopman has
gone to see the prefect and get troops to enforce the order。 They'll
shoot you like dogs；and that's what we are！〃 cried the old man；
trying to conquer the thickening of his speech produced by his
potations of sherry。
This fresh announcement； absurd as it was； made all the drinkers
thoughtful； they really believed the government capable of
slaughtering them without pity。
〃I remember just such troubles near Toulouse； when I was stationed
there；〃 said Bonnebault。 〃We were marched out； and the peasants were
cut and slashed and arrested。 Everybody laughed to see them try to
resist cavalry。 Ten were sent to the galleys； and eleven put in
prison； the whole thing was crushed。 Hey！ what？ why； soldiers are
soldiers； and you are nothing but civilian beggars； they've a right；
they think； to sabre peasants； the devil take you！〃
〃Well； well；〃 said Tonsard； 〃what is there in all that to frighten you
like kids？ What can they get out of my mother and daughters？ Put 'em
in prison？ well； then they must feed them； and the Shopman can't
imprison the whole country。 Besides； prisoners are better fed at the
king's expense than they are at their own； and they're kept warmer；
too。〃
〃You are a pack of fools！〃 roared Fourchon。 〃Better gnaw at the
bourgeois than attack him in front； otherwise； you'll get your backs
broke。 If you like the galleys； so be it；that's another thing！ You
don't work as hard there as you do in the fields； true enough； but you
don't have your liberty。〃
〃Perhaps it would be well；〃 said Vaudoyer； who was among the more
valiant in counsel； 〃if some of us risked our skins to deliver the
neighborhood of that Languedoc fellow who has planted himself at the
gate of the Avonne。〃
〃Do Michaud's business for him？〃 said Nicolas； 〃I'm good for that。〃
〃Things are not ripe for it；〃 said old Fourchon。 〃We should risk too
much； my children。 The best way is to make ourselves look miserable
and cry famine； then the Shopman and his wife will want to help us；
and you'll get more out of them that way than you will by gleaning。〃
〃You are all blind moles；〃 shouted Tonsard； 〃let 'em pick a quarrel
with their law and their troops； they can't put the whole country in
irons； and we've plenty of friends at Ville…aux…Fayes and among the
old lords who'll sustain us。〃
〃That's true；〃 said Courtecuisse； 〃none of the other land…owners
complain； it is only the Shopman； Monsieur de Soulanges and Monsieur
de Ronquerolles and others； they are satisfied。 When I think that if
that cuirassier had only had the courage to let himself be killed like
the rest I should still be happy at the gate of the Avonne； and that
it was he that turned my life topsy…turvy； it just puts me beside
myself。〃
〃They won't call out the troops for a Shopman who has set every one in
the district against him；〃 said Godain。 〃The fault's his own； he tried
to ride over everybody here； and upset everything； and the government
will just say to him； 'Hush up。'〃
〃The government never says anything else； it can't； poor government！〃
said Fourchon； seized with a sudden tenderness for the government。
〃Yes； I pity it； that good government； it is very unlucky；it hasn't
a penny； like us； but that's very stupid of a government that makes
the money itself； very stupid！ Ah！ if I were the government〃
〃But；〃 cried Courtecuisse； 〃they tell me in Ville…aux…Fayes that
Monsieur de Ronquerolles talked about our rights in the Assembly。〃
〃That's in Monsieur Rigou's newspaper；〃 said Vaudoyer； who in his
capacity of ex…field…keeper knew how to read and write； 〃I read it〃
In spite of his vinous tenderness； old Fourchon； like many of the
lower classes whose faculties are stimulated by drunkenness； was
following； with an intelligent eye and a keen ear； this curious
discussion which a variety of asides rendered still more curious。
Suddenly； he stood up in the middle of the room。
〃Listen to the old one； he's drunk！〃 said Tonsard； 〃and when he is； he
is twice as full of deviltry； he has his own and that of the wine〃
〃Spanish wine； and that trebles it！〃 cried Fourchon； laughing like a
satyr。 〃My sons； don't butt your head straight at the thing；you're
too weak； go at it sideways。 Lay low； play dead； the little woman is
scared。 I tell you； the thing'll come to an end before long； she'll
leave the place； and if she does the Shopman will follow her； for
she's his passion。 That's your plan。 Only； to make 'em go faster； my
advice is to get rid of their counsellor； their support； our spy； our
ape〃
〃Who's that？〃
〃The damned abbe； of course；〃 said Tonsard； 〃that hunter after sins；
who thinks the host is food enough for us。〃
〃That's true；〃 cried Vaudoyer； 〃we were happy enough till he came。 We
ought to get rid of that eater of the good God；he's the real enemy。〃
〃Finikin；〃 added Fourchon； using a nickname which the abbe owed to his
prim and rather puny appearance； 〃might be led into temptation and
fall into the power of some sly girl； for he fasts so much。 Then if we
could catch him in the act and d