on　the　1st　of　October　1812。　But　I　am　not　the　Minister　of　War；　my　friend；〃　the　commandant　added　as　he　dismounted；　and　with　a　sudden　rush　of　feeling　he　grasped　the　laborer's　hand。
  The　old　pontooner　drew　himself　up　at　the　words；　he　knocked　the　ashes　from　his　pipe；　and　put　it　in　his　pocket。
  〃I　only　did　my　duty；　sir；〃　he　said；　with　his　head　bent　down；　〃but　others　have　not　done　their　duty　by　me。　They　asked　for　my　papers！　Why；　the　Twenty…ninth　Bulletin；　I　told　them；　must　do　instead　of　my　papers！〃
  〃But　you　must　make　another　application；　comrade。　You　are　bound　to　have　justice　done　you　in　these　days；　if　influence　is　brought　to　bear　in　the　right　quarter。〃
  〃Justice！〃　cried　the　veteran。　The　doctor　and　the　commandant　shuddered　at　the　tone　in　which　he　spoke。
  In　the　brief　pause　that　followed；　both　the　horsemen　looked　at　the　man　before　them；　who　seemed　like　a　fragment　of　the　wreck　of　great　armies　which　Napoleon　had　filled　with　men　of　bronze　sought　out　from　among　three　generations。　Gondrin　was　certainly　a　splendid　specimen　of　that　seemingly　indestructible　mass　of　men　which　might　be　cut　to　pieces　but　never　gave　way。　The　old　man　was　scarcely　five　feet　high；　wide　across　the　shoulders；　and　broad…chested；　his　face　was　sunburned；　furrowed　with　deep　wrinkles；　but　the　outlines　were　still　firm　in　spite　of　the　hollows　in　it；　and　one　could　see　even　now　that　it　was　the　face　of　a　soldier。　It　was　a　rough…hewn　countenance；　his　forehead　seemed　like　a　block　of　granite；　but　there　was　a　weary　expression　about　his　face；　and　the　gray　hairs　hung　scantily　about　his　head；　as　if　life　were　waning　there　already。　Everything　about　him　indicated　unusual　strength；　his　arms　were　covered　thickly　with　hair；　and　so　was　the　chest；　which　was　visible　through　the　opening　of　his　coarse　shirt。　In　spite　of　his　almost　crooked　legs；　he　held　himself　firm　and　erect；　as　if　nothing　could　shake　him。
  〃Justice；〃　he　said　once　more；　〃there　will　never　be　justice　for　the　like　of　us。　We　cannot　send　bailiffs　to　the　Government　to　demand　our　dues　for　us；　and　as　the　wallet　must　be　filled　somehow；〃　he　said；　striking　his　stomach；　〃we　cannot　afford　to　wait。　Moreover；　these　gentry　who　lead　snug　lives　in　government　offices　may　talk　and　talk；　but　their　words　are　not　good　to　eat；　so　I　have　come　back　here　again　to　draw　my　pay　out　of　the　commonalty；〃　he　said；　striking　the　mud　with　his　spade。
  〃Things　must　not　be　left　in　that　way；　old　comrade；〃　said　Genestas。　〃I　owe　my　life　to　you；　and　it　would　be　ungrateful　of　me　if　I　did　not　lend　you　a　hand。　I　have　not　forgotten　the　passage　over　the　bridges　in　the　Beresina；　and　it　is　fresh　in　the　memories　of　some　brave　fellows　of　my　acquaintance；　they　will　back　me　up；　and　the　nation　shall　give　you　the　recognition　you　deserve。〃
  〃You　will　be　called　a　Bonapartist！　Please　do　not　meddle　in　the　matter；　sir。　I　have　gone　to　the　rear　now；　and　I　have　dropped　into　my　hole　here　like　a　spent　bullet。　But　after　riding　on　camels　through　the　desert；　and　drinking　my　glass　by　the　fireside　in　Moscow；　I　never　thought　that　I　should　come　back　to　die　here　beneath　the　trees　that　my　father　planted；〃　and　he　began　to　work　again。
  〃Poor　old　man！〃　said　Genestas；　as　they　turned　to　go。　〃I　should　do　the　same　if　I　were　in　his　place；　we　have　lost　our　father。　Everything　seems　dark　to　me　now　that　I　have　seen　that　man's　hopelessness；〃　he　went　on；　addressing　Benassis；　〃he　does　not　know　how　much　I　am　interested　in　him；　and　he　will　think　that　I　am　one　of　those　gilded　rascals　who　cannot　feel　for　a　soldier's　sufferings。〃
  He　turned　quickly　and　went　back；　grasped　the　veteran's　hand；　and　spoke　loudly　in　his　ear：
  〃I　swear　by　the　Cross　I　wearthe　Cross　of　Honor　it　used　to　bethat　I　will　do　all　that　man　can　do　to　obtain　your　pension　for　you；　even　if　I　have　to　swallow　a　dozen　refusals　from　the　minister；　and　to　petition　the　king　and　the　dauphin　and　the　whole　shop！〃
  Old　Gondrin　quivered　as　he　heard　the　words。　He　looked　hard　at　Genestas　and　said；　〃Haven't　you　served　in　the　ranks？〃　The　commandant　nodded。　The　pontooner　wiped　his　hand　and　took　that　of　Genestas；　which　he　grasped　warmly　and　said：
  〃I　made　the　army　a　present　of　my　life；　general；　when　I　waded　out　into　the　river　yonder；　and　if　I　am　still　alive；　it　is　all　so　much　to　the　good。　One　moment！　Do　you　care　to　see　to　the　bottom　of　it？　Well；　then；　ever　since　SOMEBODY　was　pulled　down　from　his　place；　I　have　ceased　to　care　about　anything。　And；　after　all；〃　he　went　on　cheerfully；　as　he　pointed　to　the　land；　〃they　have　made　over　twenty　thousand　francs　to　me　here；　and　I　am　taking　it　out　in　detail；　as　HE　used　to　say！〃
  〃Well；　then；　comrade；〃　said　Genestas；　touched　by　the　grandeur　of　this　forgiveness；　〃at　least　you　shall　have　the　only　thing　that　you　cannot　prevent　me　from　giving　to　you；　here　below。〃　The　commandant　tapped　his　heart；　looked　once　more　at　the　old　pontooner；　mounted　his　horse　again；　and　went　his　way　side　by　side　with　Benassis。
  〃Such　cruelty　as　this　on　the　part　of　the　government　foments　the　strife　between　rich　and　poor；〃　said　the　doctor。　〃People　who　exercise　a　little　brief　authority　have　never　given　a　serious　thought　to　the　consequences　that　must　follow　an　act　of　injustice　done　to　a　man　of　the　people。　It　is　true　that　a　poor　man　who　needs　must　work　for　his　daily　bread　cannot　long　keep　up　the　struggle；　but　he　can　talk；　and　his　words　find　an　echo　in　every　sufferer's　heart；　so　that　one　bad　case　of　this　kind　is　multiplied；　for　every　one　who　hears　of　it　feels　it　as　a　personal　wrong；　and　the　leaven　works。　Even　this　is　not　so　serious；　but　something　far　worse　comes　of　it。　Among　the　people；　these　causes　of　injustice　bring　about　a　chronic　state　of　smothered　hatred　for　their　social　superiors。　The　middle　class　becomes　the　poor　man's　enemy；　they　lie　without　the　bounds　of　his　moral　code；　he　tells　lies　to　them　and　robs　them　without　scruple；　indeed；　theft　ceases　to　be　a　crime　or　a　misdemeanor；　and　is　looked　upon　as　an　act　of　vengeance。
  〃When　an　official；　who　ought　to　see　that　the　poor　have　justice　done　them；　uses　them　ill　and　cheats　them　of　their　due；　how　can　we　expect　the　poor　starving　wretches　to　bear　their　troubles　meekly　and　to　respect　the　rights　of　property？　It　makes　me　shudder　to　think　that　some　understrapper　whose　business　it　is　to　dust　papers　in　a　government　office；　has　pocketed　Gondrin's　promised　thousand　francs　of　pension。　And　yet　there　are　folk　who；　never　having　measured　the　excess　of　the　people's　sufferings；　accuse　the　people　of　excess　in　the　day　of　their　vengeance！　When　a　government　has　done　more　harm　than　good　to　individuals；　its　further　existence　depends　on　the　merest　accident；　the　masses　square　the　account　after　their　fashion　by　upsetting　it。　A　statesman　ought　always　to　imagine　Justice　with　the　poor　at　her　feet；　for　justice　was　only　invented　for　the　poor。〃
  When　they　had　come　within　the　compass　of　the　township；　Benassis　saw　two　people　walking　along　the　road　in　front　of　them；　and　turned　to　his　companion；　who　had　been　absorbed　for　some　time　in　thought。
  〃You　have　seen　a　veteran　soldier　resigned　to　his　life　of　wretchedness；　and　now　you　are　about　to　see　an　old　agricultural　laborer　who　is　submitting　to　the　same　lot。　The　man　there　ahead　of　us　has　dug　and　sown　and　toiled　for　others　all　his　life。〃
  Genestas　looked　and　saw　an　old　laborer　making　his　way　along　the　road；　in　company　with　an　aged　woman。　He　seemed　to　be　afflicted　with　some　form　of　sciatica；　and　limped　painfully　along。　His　feet　were　encased　in　a　wretched　pair　of　sabots；　and　a　sort　of　wallet　hung　over　his　shoulder。　Several　tools　lay　in　the　bottom　of　the　bag；　their　handles；　blackened　with　long　use　and　the　sweat　of　toil；　rattled　audibly　together；　while　the　other　end　of　the　wallet　behind　his　shoulder　held　bread；　some　walnuts；　and　a　few　fresh　onions。　His　legs　seemed　to　be　warped；　as　it　were；　his　back　was　bent　by　continual　toil；　he　stooped　so　much　as　he　walked　that　he　leaned　on　a　long　stick　to　steady　himself。　His　snow…white　hair　escaped　from　under　a　battered　hat；　grown　rusty　by　exposure　to　all　sorts　of　weather；　and　mended　here　and　there　with　visible　stitches　of　white　thread。　His　clothes；　made　of　a　kind　of　rough　canvas；　were　a　mass　of　patches　of　contrasting　colors。　This　piece　of　humanity　in　ruins　lacked　none　of　the　characteristics　that　appeal　to　our　hearts　when　we　see　ruins　of　other　kinds。
  His　wife　held　herself　somewhat　more　erect。　Her　clothing　was　likewise　a　mass　of　rags；　and　the　cap　that　she　wore　was　of　the　coarsest　materials。　On　her　back　she　carried　a　rough　earthen　jar　by　means　of　a　thong　passed　through　the　handles　of　the　great　pitcher；　which　was　round　in　shape　and　flattened　at　the　sides。　They　both　looked　up　when　they　heard　the　horses　approaching；　saw　that　it　was　Benassis；　and　stopped。
  The　man　had　worked　till　he　was　almost　past　work；　and　his　faithful　helpmate　was　no　less　broken　with　toil。　It　was　painful　to　see　how　the　summer　sun　and　the　winter's　cold　had　blackened　their　faces；　and　covered　them　with　such　deep　wrinkles　that　their　features　were　hardly　discernible。　It　was　not　their　life　history　that　had　been　engraven　on　their　faces；　but　it　might　be　gathered　from　their　attitude　and　bearing。　Incessant　toil　had　been　the　lot　of　both；　they　had　worked　and　suffered　together；　they　had　had　many　troubles　and　few　joys　to　share；　and　now；　like　captives　grown　accustomed　to　their　prison；　they　seemed　to　be　too　f