verance　indicate　a　power　of　the　very　highest　order？　We　have　had　for　some　time　past　too　many　men　who　think　only　of　the　ministry　instead　of　the　nation；　so　that　we　cannot　but　admire　the　real　statesman　as　the　vastest　human　Poetry。　Ever　to　look　beyond　the　present　moment；　to　foresee　the　ways　of　Destiny；　to　care　so　little　for　power　that　he　only　retains　it　because　he　is　conscious　of　his　usefulness；　while　he　does　not　overestimate　his　strength；　ever　to　lay　aside　all　personal　feeling　and　low　ambitions；　so　that　he　may　always　be　master　of　his　faculties；　and　foresee；　will；　and　act　without　ceasing；　to　compel　himself　to　be　just　and　impartial；　to　keep　order　on　a　large　scale；　to　silence　his　heart　that　he　may　be　guided　by　his　intellect　alone；　to　be　neither　apprehensive　nor　sanguine；　neither　suspicious　nor　confiding；　neither　grateful　nor　ungrateful；　never　to　be　unprepared　for　an　event；　nor　taken　unawares　by　an　idea；　to　live；　in　fact；　with　the　requirements　of　the　masses　ever　in　his　mind；　to　spread　the　protecting　wings　of　his　thought　above　them；　to　sway　them　by　the　thunder　of　his　voice　and　the　keenness　of　his　glance；　seeing　all　the　while　not　the　details　of　affairs；　but　the　great　issues　at　stakeis　not　that　to　be　something　more　than　a　mere　man？　Therefore　the　names　of　the　great　and　noble　fathers　of　nations　cannot　but　be　household　words　for　ever。〃
  There　was　silence　for　a　moment；　during　which　the　guests　looked　at　one　another。
  〃Gentlemen；　you　have　not　said　a　word　about　the　army！〃　cried　Genestas。　〃A　military　organization　seems　to　me　to　be　the　real　type　on　which　all　good　civil　society　should　be　modeled；　the　Sword　is　the　guardian　of　a　nation。〃
  The　justice　of　the　peace　laughed　softly。
  〃Captain；〃　he　said；　〃an　old　lawyer　once　said　that　empires　began　with　the　sword　and　ended　with　the　desk；　we　have　reached　the　desk　stage　by　this　time。〃
  〃And　now　that　we　have　settled　the　fate　of　the　world；　gentlemen；　let　us　change　the　subject。　Come；　captain；　a　glass　of　Hermitage；〃　cried　the　doctor；　laughing。
  〃Two；　rather　than　one；〃　said　Genestas；　holding　out　his　glass。　〃I　mean　to　drink　them　both　to　your　healthto　a　man　who　does　honor　to　the　species。〃
  〃And　who　is　dear　to　all　of　us；〃　said　the　cure　in　gentle　tones。
  〃Do　you　mean　to　force　me　into　the　sin　of　pride；　M。　Janvier？〃
  〃M。　le　Cure　has　only　said　in　a　low　voice　what　all　the　canton　says　aloud；〃　said　Cambon。
  〃Gentlemen；　I　propose　that　we　take　a　walk　to　the　parsonage　by　moonlight；　and　see　M。　Janvier　home。〃
  〃Let　us　start；〃　said　the　guests；　and　they　prepared　to　accompany　the　cure。
  〃Shall　we　go　to　the　barn？〃　said　the　doctor；　laying　a　hand　on　Genestas'　arm。　They　had　taken　leave　of　the　cure　and　the　other　guests。　〃You　will　hear　them　talking　about　Napoleon；　Captain　Bluteau。　Goguelat；　the　postman；　is　there；　and　there　are　several　of　his　cronies　who　are　sure　to　draw　him　out　on　the　subject　of　the　idol　of　the　people。　Nicolle；　my　stableman；　has　set　a　ladder　so　that　we　can　climb　up　on　to　the　hay；　there　is　a　place　from　which　we　can　look　down　on　the　whole　scene。　Come　along；　an　up…sitting　is　something　worth　seeing；　believe　me。　It　will　not　be　the　first　time　that　I　have　hidden　in　the　hay　to　overhear　a　soldier's　tales　or　the　stories　that　peasants　tell　among　themselves。　We　must　be　careful　to　keep　out　of　sight　though；　as　these　folk　turn　shy　and　put　on　company　manners　as　soon　as　they　see　a　stranger。〃
  〃Eh！　my　dear　sir；〃　said　Genestas；　〃have　I　not　often　pretended　to　be　asleep　so　as　to　hear　my　troopers　talking　out　on　bivouac？　My　word；　I　once　heard　a　droll　yarn　reeled　off　by　an　old　quartermaster　for　some　conscripts　who　were　afraid　of　war；　I　never　laughed　so　heartily　in　any　theatre　in　Paris。　He　was　telling　them　about　the　Retreat　from　Moscow。　He　told　them　that　the　army　had　nothing　but　the　clothes　they　stood　up　in；　that　their　wine　was　iced；　that　the　dead　stood　stock…still　in　the　road　just　where　they　were；　that　they　had　seen　White　Russia；　and　that　they　currycombed　the　horses　there　with　their　teeth；　that　those　who　were　fond　of　skating　had　fine　times　of　it；　and　people　who　had　a　fancy　for　savory　ices　had　as　much　as　they　could　put　away；　that　the　women　were　generally　poor　company；　but　that　the　only　thing　they　could　really　complain　of　was　the　want　of　hot　water　for　shaving。　In　fact；　he　told　them　such　a　pack　of　absurdities；　that　even　an　old　quartermaster　who　had　lost　his　nose　with　a　frost…bite；　so　that　they　had　dubbed　him　Nezrestant；　was　fain　to　laugh。〃
  〃Hush！〃　said　Benassis；　〃here　we　are。　I　will　go　first；　follow　after　me。〃
  Both　of　them　scaled　the　ladder　and　hid　themselves　in　the　hay；　in　a　place　from　whence　they　could　have　a　good　view　of　the　party　below；　who　had　not　heard　a　sound　overhead。　Little　groups　of　women　were　clustered　about　three　or　four　candles。　Some　of　them　sewed；　others　were　spinning；　a　good　few　of　them　were　doing　nothing；　and　sat　with　their　heads　strained　forward；　and　their　eyes　fixed　on　an　old　peasant　who　was　telling　a　story。　The　men　were　standing　about　for　the　most　part；　or　lying　at　full　length　on　the　trusses　of　hay。　Every　group　was　absolutely　silent。　Their　faces　were　barely　visible　by　the　flickering　gleams　of　the　candles　by　which　the　women　were　working；　although　each　candle　was　surrounded　by　a　glass　globe　filled　with　water；　in　order　to　concentrate　the　light。　The　thick　darkness　and　shadow　that　filled　the　roof　and　all　the　upper　part　of　the　barn　seemed　still　further　to　diminish　the　light　that　fell　here　and　there　upon　the　workers'　heads　with　such　picturesque　effects　of　light　and　shade。　Here；　it　shone　full　upon　the　bright　wondering　eyes　and　brown　forehead　of　a　little　peasant　maiden；　and　there　the　straggling　beams　brought　out　the　outlines　of　the　rugged　brows　of　some　of　the　older　men；　throwing　up　their　figures　in　sharp　relief　against　the　dark　background；　and　giving　a　fantastic　appearance　to　their　worn　and　weather…stained　garb。　The　attentive　attitude　of　all　these　people　and　the　expression　on　all　their　faces　showed　that　they　had　given　themselves　up　entirely　to　the　pleasure　of　listening；　and　that　the　narrator's　sway　was　absolute。　It　was　a　curious　scene。　The　immense　influence　that　poetry　exerts　over　every　mind　was　plainly　to　be　seen。　For　is　not　the　peasant　who　demands　that　the　tale　of　wonder　should　be　simple；　and　that　the　impossible　should　be　well…nigh　credible；　a　lover　of　poetry　of　the　purest　kind？
  〃She　did　not　like　the　look　of　the　house　at　all；〃　the　peasant　was　saying　as　the　two　newcomers　took　their　places　where　they　could　overhear　him；　〃but　the　poor　little　hunchback　was　so　tired　out　with　carrying　her　bundle　of　hemp　to　market；　that　she　went　in；　besides；　the　night　had　come；　and　she　could　go　no　further。　She　only　asked　to　be　allowed　to　sleep　there；　and　ate　nothing　but　a　crust　of　bread　that　she　took　from　her　wallet。　And　inasmuch　as　the　woman　who　kept　house　for　the　brigands　knew　nothing　about　what　they　had　planned　to　do　that　night；　she　let　the　old　woman　into　the　house；　and　sent　her　upstairs　without　a　light。　Our　hunchback　throws　herself　down　on　a　rickety　truckle　bed；　says　her　prayers；　thinks　about　her　hemp；　and　is　dropping　off　to　sleep。　But　before　she　is　fairly　asleep；　she　hears　a　noise；　and　in　walk　two　men　carrying　a　lantern；　and　each　man　had　a　knife　in　his　hand。　Then　fear　came　upon　her；　for　in　those　times；　look　you；　they　used　to　make　pates　of　human　flesh　for　the　seigneurs；　who　were　very　fond　of　them。　But　the　old　woman　plucked　up　heart　again；　for　she　was　so　thoroughly　shriveled　and　wrinkled　that　she　thought　they　would　think　her　a　poorish　sort　of　diet。　The　two　men　went　past　the　hunchback　and　walked　up　to　a　bed　that　there　was　in　the　great　room；　and　in　which　they　had　put　the　gentleman　with　the　big　portmanteau；　the　one　that　passed　for　a　negromancer。　The　taller　man　holds　up　the　lantern　and　takes　the　gentleman　by　the　feet；　and　the　short　one；　that　had　pretended　to　be　drunk；　clutches　hold　of　his　head　and　cuts　his　throat；　clean；　with　one　stroke；　swish！　Then　they　leave　the　head　and　body　lying　in　its　own　blood　up　there；　steal　the　portmanteau；　and　go　downstairs　with　it。　Here　is　our　woman　in　a　nice　fix！　First　of　all　she　thinks　of　slipping　out；　before　any　one　can　suspect　it；　not　knowing　that　Providence　had　brought　her　there　to　glorify　God　and　to　bring　down　punishment　on　the　murderers。　She　was　in　a　great　fright；　and　when　one　is　frightened　one　thinks　of　nothing　else。　But　the　woman　of　the　house　had　asked　the　two　brigands　about　the　hunchback；　and　that　had　alarmed　them。　So　back　they　came；　creeping　softly　up　the　wooden　staircase。　The　poor　hunchback　curls　up　in　a　ball　with　fright；　and　she　hears　them　talking　about　her　in　whispers。
  〃　'Kill　her；　I　tell　you。'
  〃　'No　need　to　kill　her。'
  〃　'Kill　her！'
  〃　'No！'
  〃Then　they　came　in。　The　woman；　who　was　no　fool；　shuts　her　eyes　and　pretends　to　be　asleep。　She　sets　to　work　to　sleep　like　a　child；　with　her　hand　on　her　heart；　and　takes　to　breathing　like　a　cherub。　The　man　opens　the　lantern　and　shines　the　light　straight　into　the　eyes　of　the　sleeping　old　womanshe　does　not　move　an　eyelash；　she　is　in　such　terror　for　her　neck。
  〃　'She　is　sleeping　like　a　log；　you　can　see　that　quite　well；'　so　says　the　tall　one。
  〃　'Old　women　are　so　cunning！'　answers　the　short　man。　'I　will　kill　her。　We　shall　feel　easier　in　our　minds。　Besides；　we　will　salt　her　down　to　feed　the　pigs。'
  〃The　old　woman　hears　all　this　talk；　but　she　do