CIHM Microfiche Series (l\^onog raphe) ICiyAH Collection de microfiches (monographies) lii Canadian Inatltuta for HIatorieal MIcroraproduetkHW / InatHut Canadian da mieroraproductlona hiatoriquaa 1995 TMlinial and WMamplik No«m / Noan tMhniqim at biMiogcaptiiqiMi Tha Imtitutt hat attamptad to copy aaaUaMa for filmini. 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Laa Imagaa aulvantaa ont ttt raprodultaa avae la plu* grand toln, eompta tami da la condition at do la nattatd da l'axamplaira film*, at an conf ormM avae laa oondltlona du contrat da Original coplaa In printed papar eovar* ara fllmad beginning with the front cover end ending on the leet pege «vlth a printed or llluetrated Imprea- ■k>n, or the back cover when eppropriata. All other origlnel coplaa are filmed beginning on the f ir*t pege with e printed or llluetreted impree- alon, and ending on the ieet page with a printed or iiluatrated impreaakin. Lee examplalrae origlnaux dont la eouvarture en pepler eat Imprimto aont fllm4e en commen«ent per le premier plat at an tarmlnant aolt par la damMre pege qui eomporte une emprelnte dimpreaeion ou d'lHuatratlon, adt per le ceeond plot, eelon le oee. Toue lea autrea axemplelrea orlgineux aont fUm' 1901, E. A. V. WORK BOOK I which the Mionne to^t flo^beujfin ii T^ "* «°^ « ot the Bleose MonntahM Zd whlTh- V"* *»» Promontories the Ah™, „ thTo^SgnoneSworkiT^fe ••»«?• »8«)n,ie perceived two S ft^rn^rJ^ '^^ "« 'he pooriy clad, her Wd hSf u5d«n^*° ''^'^8 ^^ y°^e. Btaff; M,dtheother;aeXiTm13il*"?? ™88«^ '""U"" fiwed child, about Si Wo?r.^^ " afarts. was a white- Both had their eyw fii^^n the S^^^S^^ "'S^^ "* »"• ^. motionleL. with^tS? ^o^i^ U^ ^^i^SI -atehrrttt^tiSS:tuJ5;S5^.§^t^C'o'e'-^^ down at present, but koro™ t),rl"i, ^ "° '°°8»' «»°"»g BtiU driving a nimber""Snd£ ,Svft^ i^Petnous wind wj which filtered a tov,ydiZl'?f*?1,'''?^' •"""»' ness. Along the rS ov» Jhfnh J^.^t^??' °' """*J "d- where big pivSg-stMa^^^ /l,v„-^^ u*^ ^^ °^ "^as. M»d there flow^I^^ver of Mwrmnf ^fi'lt ^^ «««nnous tiffic. dust of the neirhCrLi" aWo^fa nJ^T? ^"^^^ °"'"'»«^ were for erer going by rndtWno(?"fi.'?°^ *™''~l8 a ivox/: smoke. An ominons meluichol; Bwept b^ with the wind ; one might have thought that the mnrky ^uiTering twilight was bringing the end of the world in its tram. Lno had stopped short at a few paces from the young woman and the boy, and he heard the latter saying with a shrewd decisive air, like one who was already a little man : ' I say, ma grande,' would you like me to speak to him t P'r'apg he wouldn't get so angry with me.' But the young woman replied : ' No, no, frirot, those are not matters for little boys.' Then again they continued waiting in silence, with an air of anxious resignation. Luc was now looking at the Abyss. From professional curiosity he bad visited it when first passing through Beauolair the previous spring. And during the few hours that he had again found himself in the district, suddenly snmmoned thither by his friend Jordan, he bad heard through what a frightful crisis the region had just passed. There had been a terrible strike of two months' duration, and ruin was piled up on either side. The estabUshment had greatly suffered from the stoppage of work, and the workmen, their rage increased by their ^werlessness, bad almost starred. It was only two days previously, on the Thursday, that work had been resumed after reciprocal concessions, wrung &om either |)arty with the greatest difficulty after the most furious wranglmg. And the men had gone back like joyless, vanquished beings enraged by defeat, retaining ir their hearts only a recollection of their sufferings and a keen desire for revenge. Under the wild flight of the mourning clouds the Abyss spread its sombre piles of buildings and sheds. It was like a monster which had sprung up there, extending by degrees the roofs of its little town. One could guess the ages of the various structures by the colour of those roofs which arose and spread out in every direction. The establishment now occu- pied a surface of many acres and employed a thousand hands. The lofty, bluish, slated roofs of the great halls with coupled windows, overtopped the old blackened tiles of the earlier buildings, which were far mo' e humble. Up above one per- ceived from the road the gigantic hives of the cementmg- fumaces, ranged in a row, as well as the tempering tower, ' Literally *mj big one,' »^.' big BiBter.* We have no exact equivalent for this ezpreision as a form of endf'arment, nor for the enBning on«, (rirvt, Uttle brother.— rrons. Booty bSrCa^ledTtSTe i^nj"Z; 'r^^ 'l""*' '•«»• at regular intervSrnTr^. Ki ^^ '°*'* ?^,"'» olond., whUrt inoessantly exhaled envelnnl^ ,t t • ^ . vapour that it ti.« perapJatioTof- "a 'TnV t^ere ^i 'M^L'^'' °i |ts organ,, the impact, the noise of it7 eTrv^ffoA ' th^'^ "^ huge boL an^maS ^e t?l sh^kTZHf.""!! "''I the road, in the depths rf » Ttl. Kn*M- ^ ?' "•* *^8«o' Qoriimon had first f„™oj • "* '"^'^""K. where the first despe«to dSToeo" wo Wt h^"' °°* S?"^" ''«" ">« ^"'^^ like the vm^ pu°8e of ^« ^r™*™ '""'"' "«" •^'«8 'here devonringSr:s%aa^'^i°r'' "'""' *""■ °' "^"^ l^- g»duallJl„Sa%Shttbl'Z?r"'", T' rWot was yet lighted up the ySrda fc^ Ik ""«'* ' ?"J"'' ''""P " throA the dustv ^d^™ 4,"" *Il*'* *?' ''^l^' gleaming transpieroed the S, irith » i^n °^' '/V"".^ ^"°« ""^'"^ 3ir '^^ '^"- ^•^'"t^e ^^vjifCd r officts s'jJuo k's'i Ato^k *lnd'*L^^ surmounting the poor ohUd saying- 'lTsL ^ ^""."^f" "gain heard the out now.' ^ ■ ' ^ ^""^i 'W will be coming • Jnrt K'e5St7'" "'""^'^' ""' y°°"8 '"■"'^ ""^-^ed- wiaJ^^felTb'^k'ri!^ IT"*^ *•"» «™. J"*' ragged remStedthede^lcvTher^? before her face, and Luo surely less than twenty fihrh'^*','^"'l "l^""- ^he was .poor.thinlittle"C'?;hil'^^^^L^- S^Tbltet^ «3 4 WORK binned by iean, and • p»le month that twltohtd Uttoriy with sa&ring. And what • light, girliib Ihune then wm within her old threadbare dreul And with what a weak and trembling arm did she prew to her skirts the ohild, her little brother, who was (air hke herself end eqnallv ill-oombed, bat stronger-looking and more resolute I Lao (eft his compassion increasing, whilst the two poor creatures on their side gnw distrustfully anxious about that gentleman who had stopped so near, and was examining them so persistently. She, in particular, seemed embarrassed by the scrutiny of that yoaog fellow of five-and-twenty, so tall and handsome, with square- set shoulders, broad hands and a (ace all health and joy, whose firmly-marked (eatures were o'ertopped by a steaight sod towering brow, the towering brow o( the EVunant family. Bhe had averted her gaze as it met the yonog man's brown eye^ which looked her frankly in the &ee. Then sha onoe more stole a furtive glance, and seeing that ha was smiling at her in a kindly way, she drew back a little more, in the disquietude born of her great distrsES. The clang of a bell was heard, there was a atii in the Abyss, and then began the departure of the day-shifts which the night-shifts wue about to replace; (or never is there • pause in the monster's devouring life ; it flames and forges Ix>th by day and night. Nevertheless there was some dcJay in the departure of the day-hands. Although work had only been resumed on the Thursday, most of them had applied for an advance, for after that terrible strike of two months' duration great was the hunger in every home. At last they began to appear, coming along one by one or in litUe parties, all gloomy and in a hurry, with their heads bent whilst in the depths of their pockets they stowed away their few dearly earned silver coins which would procure a uttle bread for wife and children. And in turn they disappeared along the black highway. 'There he is, ma grande,' the little boy muttered. ' Can't you see him 7 He's with Bourron,' * Yes, yes ; keep quiet.' Two men, two puddlers, had just left the works. The first, who was accompanied hj Bourron, had a cloth jacket thrown over his shoulders. He was barely six-and-twonty ; his hair and beard were ruddy, and he was rather short, though his muscles were strong. Under a prominent brow ha showed a hook nose, massive jaws, and projecting cheek* WORK «««^ TalTet«M. wmTwI i?°*^ *° " °M jwl'et 3 ]■• y^dod the morf esjSd^to M^,''lf ~'"i-«toiict on £KStS'^^*3-'^/osi.e waanow g^nU,, other workmenipproMhaunf.jD* P*"»^ o" seeine two ha «Jr^ '. **■* eaten into bv iho ™trl: ™**<' growing, and deefeiS^ nol"^ *"""'" "^ "' ^^^ fe 0«h«a«.F,„eh«dc«ried«.oiaM«ko.erb«ke, 6 IVOJtK knd be bitd itoppad to tak th* othMi in • hnikj toIm: 'Did '^^widMdtouowtoinif thay had gon* to th* aMUar'i offle* and obtilnsd an advano* then. And when Bago, withoQt a word, ilapped hii pooket in which loma flTa-frano nieoM jingled, Uie othn made a deapairing geatare and axolaimed : ' Thunder t To think that I've got to tighten mj belt until to-morrow morning, and that I sliall be djing of thirst all night unless my wife by some miracle or other contrives to bring me my ration by-and-by.' His ration was tour quarts of wine for each day or ni^ht- ihift, and he was wont to say that this quantitv only just anffioad to moisten Us body, to such a degree did the fomaoaa drain all the blood and water from his flesh. He oast a mournful glance at his basket, in wtiich nothing save a hunk of bread waa jolting. The failure to secure hia naual four qnarta of wine meant the end of everything, black agony amidat overpowaxing unbearable toiL 'Baht' aaid Bourron complacently, 'your wife won|t leave yon in '.he lurch ; aha hasn't her equal for getting credit aomewhare.' Then, all at once, the four men standing in the aticky mud became ailent and touched their caps. Luc had seen a kind of bath-ohair approaching, propelled by a servant ; and ensconced within it aat an old gentleman with a broad face and regular features around which fell an abundance of long white hair. In thia old gentleman the young fellow recognised JMme Qnrignon, ' Monsieur JirAme ' aa ha waa called thronehaut Qie region, the son of Blaise Qori^on, the drawer, by whom the Abyss had been founded. Very aged and paralysed, never speudng, Monsieur Jirdme caused himself to be carted about in this fashion, no matter what might be the weather. That evening, as he paaaed the works on his way back to his daughter's residence. La Onerdaohe, a neighbouring estate, he had signed to his servant to go more slowly, und with his still bright, living eyes he had then taken a long look at the ever-busy monster, at the day hands departing homewud, and at the night hands arriving, whilst the vague twilight fell from the uvid sky besmirched by rushing clouds. And his glance had aftertsaraa rested on the manager's house, a square building standing in a garden, which hia &ther had erected forty years previously, and WORK *ty were both workmen ^d drew i>n S™^^^^ If' tortpa. might h.ve come to Tb^^ ,w'V'°2'.n "' .'''^ ^^ Be, quiet, Boorron muttered. .you'U b. g2Si^ii„o 5-W>'e'^''up.'i^wif: -dwhenMonrieur JWme. •ovJSgngS'fSmwh'om S^'t'l.'u.e'tiS^'r? "^-Sl* jwvant meanwhile ilowlv Dwhedth^ K.?i.^ *«> 8 WORK wfatl wonld hftpMB : the monty h« bad obUintd wooU b« ■prat in lonM winwbop, and ha and har litUa brothar would baT* to tpand anotbar wbola araninc waiting, dTing of itarration, amidit tba Uttat wind in tna atiaata. And bar ■aiTaringi and a fit n( raddan angar Imt bar ao mneb eonraga that, panr and woofnl tbougb aba waa, aba wrat and took bar ■tana bafora Uia man. ■ Ba raaaonabla, Aogtuta,' laid iba ; ' yon ean't laava ma ont-ot-doon.' Ha did not anawer, but itapped on in order to pan har. ■ If yon are not going home at once, give me the kejr, at anvrata,' aba continued. ' We've been in the (tnat erar ainoe tbia morning, without even a moraal of bread to eat' At tbia ha bunt forth : ' Just let me ba t Haven't yon dona atieUng to me like a leeob ? ' 'WbT did you earry off the key tbia morning?' ■be anawered. ■ I only aik you to give me the key, yon can eoma in when yon like. It is almost night now, and yon tnrely don't want na to aleep la the pavement.' ' Tha key I the key I I haven't got it, and even if I bad I wouldn't give it you. Just understuid, once for all, that I've had raongh of it, that I don't want to liave anything mora to do with you, that it's quite enough that we starved together foi two months, and that now yon oan go lomewhare abw, and ■aaifi'mtbaiel' Ha abonted those words in her faoe, violently and aavagaly ; and aba, poor little ereatnre, quivered beneath bis inaolts, whilst gently persevering in her efforts with all tha woeful desperation of a wretch who feels the very ground giving way bemathher. 'Ohiyonareomellyonareemeirabegaaped. 'We'llhave a talk when ypn oome home to-night. I'll go away to-mottow if it's necessary. But to-day, give me tba key just In to-day.' Then the man, infuriated, pushed her, thrust her aside with a brutal gesture. ' Curse it all 1 ' he cried, ' doesn't the road belong to me as much as on 7 6o and oroak wherever yon like I I tell yon that it's all over.' And as little Nanet, seeing hia sister sob, stepped forward with his air of deoision, his pmk fkoe and tangle of fair hair, Bagu p.Uded : * What I the brat as well t Am I to have the whole family on my ■honlden now ? Wait a minute, you young rascal ; I'll let yon fitel my boot somewhere.' Joaine quickly drew Nanet iowarda her. And they both WOXK , {!Sr!l?hL"'i*h!'f'"^'''«J? "■• ""'' mod. .hivoring with dreanSirof » r«m«fll^ ho' ro of generous enthusiasm m "turn to Be»uoW^ Ve oaTe nTn'n ^W "^ "''''"°8 "" ^ Chi could ever W ^^li • '"™? T'^"^^' '''«'«' i"**"-! h..ur£^y,:%5^f-iwh^^^^^^^ e^^pea "> WORfT ^S^^w^T^^ Beauolair and trying to take hia bMrinn br a^^JT"" °U'«}t "''" '"" »""™rt "»» sooty dSuS S^.^J^ iJ"".^'.^'''",'.'?"' '*■ buUdings bordering th« Bma road ; beneath lam roUed the Mionne. whilst higher up! hS^ ^ embanbnent on the left, passed the raUwaytoe from wl!r« fi. * .J?"? °,' "''' ^'*'"« MoiLitains, at thi s^ where vhey parted to disclose the great plain of La BoumagSe. t^„^ J ^^ .^ *^','^'y' »' '!•« «P°* "here the raWne ^u^ mto the plain, Beaudair reared its houses : a wretohed ooUeotion of working-class dwellings, prolonged over tte flat by a httle middle-dass town, in wh^ we™ ?he bu" ih^tT ""• ^r'-^' ""> l»w-courts, and the prison, ^ the. ancient church, whose waUs threatened to faU stood part in new and part in old Beauclair. This toirn. the chief one of an arrondissement,' numbered barely six thousand S^ff •■ *'« th""""^ °i **'«"' ^"^e Po°' huible souls in m^enng bodies, warped, ground to death by iniquitous hard Ali„^.» " *°°?u*" fi^^fything fully whe£, above the Abyss, half-way up the promontory of the Bleuse Mountains, he djstangmshed the dark silhouette of the blast furnace of La Or«cherie. Labour! labour! ah! who would redeem and reorgamse it according to the natural law of truth and equity so as to restore to it its position as the most noble, aU- regulatrng, aU-powerful force of the world, and so as to ensure » jnst diyision of the world's riches, thereby at last brinmne the happmesB which is rightly due to every man ! AlUiough the rain had again ceased Lno also ended bv gomg down towards Beauclair. Workmen were stiU leaving thfnwt^'ri^."'*'^*?*'"°°8*''«™ « *hey tramped on, thintong of that rageful resumption of work after ^ the diBMters .of the strike. Such infinite sadness bom of re- bellion and powerlessness pervaded the young man that he would have gone away that evening, indeed that moment, nad He not feared to inconvenience his friend Jordan. The latter— the master of La Creoherie— had been placed in a pjMition of great embarrassment by the sudden death of the old engineer who had managed his smeltery, and he had wnttrai to Luc, asking him to come, inquire into thines and give hun some good advice. Then, the young man, on —l?"^-^^"^ 'department' or county ia for adminutntive f^STj;""!''*. '»^.'™.«»«.or four 'ar/ondissemeZ^rind ^ airondisswnmiti in their turn are subdivided into ' oantooi.*— IVow WOXJC It of other oooS^^^Z^M 'Z%^Z ^Jr^,' ?'' '" }^^ he Boaroely l^w, he had JrmT^i? ' ■''"'! *0'™ "l'''* telling the'ser,^ who t^%ntrfH^''" ? """"«• even return to dinnlr V^ on hun that he should not popukr mumW^roasi™. ?'*^' mtereeted «e he was in ofthe town. *** «>"'8tl»uig to eat in any tavern the heavy tnunninoTf ^ on through the black mud amidst felt aSJdrf^M? '^* Iwraased, sUent workmenTHe Bhonlfrg^off.terh'eraZ.'^f'^ ''^'^T ^S poignant ud so keen th« n^^T ■"? ""I*. ""^ '<"»nd. w baiited? HemuLnotfll^h.i*'?*''?.'''^'* •" ""^ ever together, and^P^W lmU«Al ^- *' ''* Z""** f*""*' *"*» ing at times in the «ea^Pari„ w?^*''°<*''i'°' '""-l "^ »<»k- with the faawdiea^ *hf^ buildmg.yards. he was familiar ^««mt. in a^fa^^Vi trinrhli'**"":r"*'' "«» triumph of the labom.wo3dnff^„P"'* *? "■* V^t^txa he do. in whidi wJu M jrv^T- ^i' "'"'* «>°l'i e-.KXTtETi-i if ^"■'^ -" Messiah-like capacity that an unknown foroa had eaii Ua mto that woefnl region to fulfil the long-dre»mt-of mission of aeuTeranoe and bappinesi ? When Lno, raising bis head, iieed himic of thoae Tagna reflections, he perceived that he had come back to Beanclaii agam. Four la,rge streets, meeting at a central square, the Place de la Mame, divide the town into four more or less equal portions; and each of thew streets bears the name of some neiabbourmg town towtiUs which it leads. On the north IS the Bue de Brias, on the west the Rue de Saint-Cron, on the east the Rue de MagnoUes, and on the south the Bue de iormene. The most popular, the most bustling of aU— with Its many shops stocked to overflowing— is the Bue de Bnas, m which, Luc at present found himself. For in that direction he aU the factories, from which a dark stream of toUers pours whenever leaving-off time comes round. Just as Luc arrived, the great door of the Courier boot-works, belonging to the Mayor of Beauclair, opened, and away rushed Its hvo hundred hands, amongst whom were numbered more than two hundred women and ohadren. Then, in some of tbe neighbouring streets, were Chodoige's works, where only nails were made ; Hausser's works, which turned out more tban a hundred thousand scythes and sickles every year, and Mirande s works, which more particularly supplied agricultural machinery. They had aU suffered from the strike at the Abyss, where they Bupphed themselves with raw material, iron and steel. Distress and hunger had passed over every one of them, tte wan, thm workers who poured from them on to the muddy paving-stones had rancour in their eyes and mute revolt upon their lips, although they showed the seemiuR resignation of a hnrmng, tramping flock. Under the few lamps, whose yellow flames flickered in the wind, the street was black with toUers homeward bound. And the block in the circulation was increased by a number of housewives who having at last secured a few coppers to spend, were hasteninB to one or another shop to treat themselves to a big loaf or a little meat. It seemed to Luc as if he were in some town, the siege of wbioh had been raised that very evening. Hither and thither among the crowd walked gendarmes, quite a number of armed men, who kept a dose watch on the inhabitants, as if from tmt of a resumption of hostilities, some sodden fury arisiug boB galling soffering*, whenoe might oome thesaekol tl».tn.n emSS? hSi' th! *^S"»" authorities, hadVveroome the w«e. STfiT'th?^,^ oyeipowered slaves still remained so thrito- hS^«„^toth1Mer4' '"^' '^ ''"' '"'"">' •«**'• WlulstooDtinuinghis ramble Lno mineled wifh (ho »«,„« SSii, - i.*°'1 '^ '^' "t™^ o" the toreshold kS!^^ Monsieur Dacheux," stammered Natalio •)*,««, u S "w^^d'^V"-' ^"^"""^ hasTneb^^t;, theCta^ou Snow, and wiU receive something on account Jmrn^- feHn^'- --^^ ^'- "^- m-eat-S^^ u WORK stitte of 7onw nearly mined me I How e«n jon think »• foolenoDghtobeonToiuiider There wiUalumvi be enotwh ^ worlmen to prevent honest folk from doing basinen. Wlien people don't work enoogh to eat meat, ther so witbont it I ' ° He bniied hinuelf with poUtioe, and like a nartow-rainded hot-tempered man, one who was greatly feared, he was on the side of the noh and powerfnl. On his lips the word ' meat ' assumed aristocratio importance : meat was saored, it was a luxury reserved to the happy ones of the earth, when it oueht to have belonged to all. . - i ^°" "'* '°® '"" '"*"'" fro™ 1"' summer,' he resumed • ' I have to pay people, I have I ' At ttiis Natalie almost eoUapsed, then she again strove to touch him, pleading in a low prayerful voioe. But an mcident whidi oocnrred just then completed her diseomfiture. Madame Dachenx, an ugly, dark, insignificant-looking little l^°^l who none the less contrived to make her husband the taU of the town, stepped forward with her little daughter Julienne, a child of four, plump, healthy, fair, and foU of gaiehr. And the two children having caught sight of one another, little Louis Fauohard, despito aU his wretehedness, began to laugh, whilst the buxom Julienne, feeling amused, and doubtless as yet unoonsdous of social mequaUties, drew near and took hold of his hands. In such wise that there was sudden play, fraught with childish delight, as at the prospect of some future reoonciliatioD of the clasMs. 'The Uttle nuisance I ' cried Dachenx, who had quite loet hi» temper. ' She's alvrays getting between my legs, tio and sit down at once I ' ' -» "Hien; turning his wrath upon his wife, he ronrtly sent her buk to the cash desk, saying that the beet thing she could do was to keep an eye on the till, so that she might not be robbed agam, as she had been robbed only two days previously. And, haunted as he was by that theft, of which he bad never ceased to complain with the greatest indignation dunng the hkst forty-eight hours, he went on, addressing himself to aU the people in the shop: 'Yes, indeed, some S°^.?f beggar woman crept in and took five francs out of the tiU whilst Madame Dacheus wat looking to see if the flies laughed. She wasn't able to d«ny it, she still had the money m her hand. Oh I I had her taken into custody at once. She's at the gaol. It is frightful, frightful ; we shall WOXIC ,j %^r'''^ "' "'"""^'"^ -<«" " we don't keep on, to I»^^i^J!^T ^'^ '■• »8»^° ''tohed iii. meat mirrom andTilyTit^d „n k^I^ 1''°^.' »«• trough or Ws oven^n S« Li'^''''' "°?'" ''''' """^^8 son, AT,ri8te,»Udoften „L'^°"'',°*" ^' '^f* «»* theii Mit»i:f*'.B?owd/°^„^TTn.^r''"?"' -^^^ Madame your Olympe. I need not Lk ™,^1f »h'" " '?" *"'*'«^ ""^ The pTsant wm am" fn t^„^hL*" "> 8°°'» i«>>ltl»-' , sedate W He did not W h„f ^I^^'l ^'^ " •'"'^ his thoughtful way, • Yes. y^' thi*°WU^ •'"'^'^8 *° doesn't get along so baivVri. n uS?'* "» 8°°^; one most p<5r!y^*Zn.t To !kw ^r''*"««- ThI soil's the ' promiL yL, M^^^e M^ine' It'^ . '*"? •"""" '''^ b™" ^ |6 WOXK Mid for sowing and numniing. And the beautiful Maduae Mitaine gently nodded her head. It wu quite true. One had to work a great deal nowadays to reap bnt little satis- laotion. Few were able to satisfy their hunger. She did not busy herself with politics, bnt, mm IHeu, things were really taking a very bad turn. During that strike, for instance, her Heart had almost burst at the thought that a great many poor people went to bed without even a crust to eat when her shop was full of loaves. But trade was trade, was it not ? One ooiUd not give one's goods away for nothing, particularly as u domg so one might seem to be encouraging rebellion. And Leniant approved her. * Yes, yes," said he, ' every, one hia own. It's only fair thai one should get profit from things when one has taken trouble with them. But all the saniB there ^ some who want to make too much profit." Evariste, interested by the sight of Arstee and Olympe, had made up his mind to quit the counter and do them the honours of the shop. And like a big boy of ten he smiled oomplaisantly at the httle girl of six, whose big round head and gay expression probably amused him. ' Give them each a little cake,' said beautiful Madame Mitame, who greatly spoilt her son, and was brincini? him ud to kindly ways. And then, as ifevariste began by giving a cake to Arsine, she protested jestingly : ' But you must be eaUant, my dear. One ought to begin with the kdies I • At this Evariste and Olympe, all confusion, began to laugh, and promptly became friends. Ah I the dear little ones, they constitute the best part of Ufe. If some day they were mmded to be wise they would not devour one anoUier as do the folk of to-day. And Lenfant went o£f, saying that he hoped to be able to bring some bran after aU, but, of course, later on. Madame Mitaine, who had accompanied him to her door, watched him climb into his cart and drive down the Bne de Bnas. And at this moment I uo noticed Madame Fauchard draggmg her litUe Louis witl ler, and suddenly making up her mind to approach the baker's vrife. She spoke some words which Lue did not catch, a request no doubt for further credit, for beautiful Madame Mitaine, with a gesture of consent, immediately went into her shop again, and gave her a large loaf, which the poor creature hastened to carry away, close- pressed to her scraggy bosom. llketaS5i5^,rhfvTa?A?";.^<'B"'««-i4'tth, flock, to him M a ft iw,, L"" *^" increased. It now seemed Then.« he rtS^Me^l-CdTll'^M"'"'''!:"*'" ^^• tt/;»rSltvSi - ?1-' s,-i^ fiMoa mora th»n MoaL" ""*y' «» ""» one yon agk two --4^a?Va sit tpl^fthn/Ji^^ with':ter^^„a,^:'2J|"«a m^,ext™melvacti^^^ whSt they hawked arnn^f^ 54? °'. P"*"' "^e". """d saws each succeeding ^^vemonth/nS'"^ """'^*^ *» «°We it Vefy important Sesra«mX''*'"Vx°''»' 'l'^ l^^ad of of the rerion anT fk! ""ddlemen between the factories Banssere- scylkeTand stklts Tl« M^^'l""'^ ''' '"^'' «>» -'dh^toestahhlX^'S^^-S^^^atc^^ It WORK evMiing when they emptied their till and eonnted ap the money that they had amaseed, levied ai tribute on the needi of othen. They weie like OMlera oogwheela in that looial maofaiue, whioh was now bst getting out of order; they made it gratei and they oonsumed mnoh of its remafaiiiig «ne^. Whilst the peasant aad the ironmonger were diipnting fariously over a reduction of a franc which the former de- manded, Luc again began to examine the dUldren. There were two in the shop — Augusta, a big, thoughtful-looking boy of twelve, who was learning a lesson, and Eulalie, a Uttle girl, who seeme(' to be scarcely five years old, and who, giave and gentle, sat quietlv on a little ohair as if judging all the folk who entered. She had shown en interest in Arsine Lenfant from the moment he crossed the threshold. Finding him to her taste, no doubt, she greeted him like the (ro^d-hearted Uttle body she was. And the meeting became coiuulete when a woman entered, bringing a fifth child with her. This woman was Babette, the wife of Bourron the puddler, a plump, round, fresh-looking creature, whose gaiety nothing would ever dim, and who held bv the hand her daughter Marthe, a little thing but fbni years old, who seemed as plump and as gay as herself The ehild, it should be said, at once quitted her mother and nn to Auguste Laboqne, whom she doubtless knew. Babette meantime promptly pat an end to the bartering between the ironmonger and &e peasant, who agreed to halve the franc over which they had been disputing. Then the woman, who had brought back a saucepan purchased the previous day, exdaimed : ■ It leaks. Monsieur Laboque. I noticed it duaotlv I put it on the fire. I can't possibly keep a saucepan that leaks, you know.' Whilst Laboqne, fuming, examined the ntensil and de- cided to give another in exchange, Madame laboque began to speak of her children. They were perfect pests, said she, they never stirred, one from her ohair, the other from his books. It was quite necessary to earn money for them, for they were not a bit like their parents, nobody would ever find them up and doing to earn a pile. Meantime Auguste Laboque, listening to nothing, stood smiling at Marthe Bourron, and Eulalie Laboque offered her little band to Ara^ne Lenfant, whilst the other Lenfant, Olytnpc, thought- fully finished eating the cake which little Mitaine had gfven her. And it was altogether a very pleasant and moving seen;, WORK ,g S S^n^h f***'**-.. ^''*^* "e no go2d workmeirien. they Mj^^i**^ ■*"•* ■«>»»''»y8- And what a lot of wmSJ '^ wknt^T" "bW again this afteZ,n/ "'"'■ -K ?*»"? *^e PlOM I Of course they do. It isn't we wh« t«'^* ' ?i^'"' '?2 "'' ""• '^W """ined out » strike te «wSS^"i?,' y°",'°'rv'*'> " the, haven't the moneyto bS jnything they steal whatever they can. Only a mud^. „^ nj/fi^' — ' ' ^t"""* °' «"^*«" disquietude, tuminir P^ ""q.'uvering as he pointed to the t&eateninB ^rtS«.f ^wded with the gloomy throng, as if he KZ?. tt rarush^some invasion which might sweepUmX otom and toadesmim. away and despoiJlgm of ev^ySSg her p&TuU"'?&n;t"ffto^'i''*^^ could people do with them? It's iust lik«r»«.„ ^' way-Poomplains thaTa box o^^s^^^^^'-i^'^JoS'n from him. ^m. urchin just wanted to SlTem? nS tn™ ^7*%?^"."°?**°^' ever convinced that things would wDom all the housewives ought to have ourafiiJ flha kTS juat seen her man Bourron go into his pC with R,^ and Bourron would oertainlv break un S fit-.^ ^' there But when aU was St was oi3? nat^^W .^Z! should amuse himself a bit after toiling so h«d ^d 4^ S,'ir/i,"r° '° 'l^^P'^ilo-PWoalfiew st'took^er^^^ Eer W;^'iersarp^''" '"' °''' ''" ^'"^ ""^ ■ We ought to have some troops here, you know/ resumed M WOJtlC Z«boqiu. MpUniag Ug vUwt to th« p«Mui 'I'm la bvonr of giviog • good l«Hon to all thoM ravolatioiwiiw. S;X'rSs«s' "*'' ' •^'^ '"* '^ -«« iMfut joggad hit hMcL With hif dittmttfbl eammon MUM ho hMiteUd to tzpnu hit opiniani. At Itit ht too wnt « •mMMUtet on th. ttr..hold of • pr.4Wgirl .bout ^L^ ,«« Sil^^hi. iji HonoriiM, Um Okffikni'i daugliter, a .tort, dimVniiiott*. wlHi Am blMk ejM. She Mter ifaiTtd uit time in the «»Si- .i.'°"''°'i''*"?,''A""^8P«"'7- And on now entering ihe merelj oaUed her mother, a itoot, ^rnin. uJ^'t""'*".'!?'." ''" hneband.who stood beUndthi W rino bar. All thoee tradesfolk, n eager for gain, aU those fi.^ ^'J?'*'"*' Aopkeepers seemed to have very fine children, thought Lno. And would those children for ever and ever remain as grasping, as hard, and as egotistical as their fore- runners 1 But all at once a charming and mournful vision appeared before the young' man. Amidst the pestilential odonlTthe thickening tobaooo-smoke, the noise of a souffle which h»d d^^nrM^H^i"" ""• •l"-'" ■" '"in' standing, so vague and blurred, however, that at the first moment hi?did rt,l?t!S- 1^ ^°°l- Trembling, anS still hesi«itil^ ^he ?^-^t 'm ?*«°' T?"? '^'^ "»* '«« ''«': "d for a moment «,? ^^r *" '?,"'">'?« ^«. »o »l™ in her wretched gown, and with so gentle and shadowy a face under her ngf»d Jtenu. But he was struck by something which he bad not observed over yonder near the Abyss : hir right hand was no ^n^L'^fT^' 7"PP*^ """^ to the wrist with linen, doubfless a banSage for some injury which she had received. 1..™; n A% """"t?™^ "P »11 ter courage. She mast thJ J ^"""^ Vl' *" C»fl5»»«'8 "hop, have gSnced through l^?hT n >"■? u""-^ "^" ^8" ■' t»W9- She drew nZ Ti-.K ,]"■"'• i'".^?°8.''*P' """^ 1"^ ker girlish hand upon ^ot™„^*^-,,®?' ^t' *°.*^* «'°' "' his" intoxication, ?Sd h^'autSt'ttn'^'S""' '"^ ^"'"^ by shaking hi^-untU tbe— ""d'o^'wl^^te;^'"" "■*'»»'*'-' What to fl.ti' J'^k'^i''* *" dealt the table snob a thump with his fist that the gUsses and the quart-bottles fairly daieed 1~,n "1°"' ^l"' 7°" d°""* »°«n8 home/ she answered coking very pale and half closing her large fri«htOTed eV^ in sntioipation of some act of brutality. * "rigntened eyes But Eftgn w»» not listening to her, he wae working bim- WOJiX windy darkness wrapped them round oloe more '^' '^'' H WOXK How frightful was the misoiy, how hateful wan tha WUhhi Llll'w'S^* T^""^ "'"y degradation iZS^T With his heart bleeding, hia mind cloud^ by the blackest ?^^i?T°°'' H*8^ wandered through the thrwS crowd whose numbers still increased in the RueTS whi^if ?°"^°r^ '\"" *•"" '»8"e atmosphere of W which had come from the recent struggle between the oImsm «„!^^'?,7''''''' "?^'' S?"^***' ''toll near return one coX scent m the very air. That resumption of work was but a deceptive peace, there was low growling amid Jt all the resigna onof the toilers, a silent oSvingf^r revenge -their eyes stUl retained a gleam of ferocity, and were r^f to flash once more On both sides of the way w^eteWs full of ZZ'^"^}'^'^\<'°^r'^mth^ir pay, poisonous MhalTt^ons TmnfiJ^ hTr?i'° *.*" ™7 ="««'- ^l^lst the shoprnew emptied, but stil and ever levied on the meagre resources of the housewives Uiat iniquitous and monstroTtrSutHaM "^s.'SOT.^sar • - «"*. ^ -«; h- w?^ ^^ Ji""^ ^°? recognised several persons whom f^lo Zii^^'oT 'P"fi?- ^^? outhoritieswere thlX tear no doubt of something beini? amiao H« ..— «_- Gourier and Sub-Prefect Ch'fii^a p\Ton ^ll^^T. first, a nervous man of large property, wouldTave "ked to have troops m the town ; but the second, an aSle wlif of hZritri"''^'*"*'" was sharper, hadwisXcllnt^^ himself mth the services of the gendarmes. Gaume th« nresidmg judge of the local court, a!so we^ b>. o^Zin^ bv Captam /olhvet, an officer on the retired liTThV™ shop they paused to exchange greetings with the MazellL ?°°"' 'Tf .*^^°P'» "20, thanks to a rapidly^S moome, had finaUy W received into the hig^SHflhe ^^a.nf^ "■*"? *'"" r''« '" ^^ ^o^'ol with T^Sy confident expressions on their faces, a. they glknccd sM^yg m'sic •s heard thVmX.f^l^^om.^V*? *?*" ""> M"^*"** he the Judge and^eTaDfafniti,"''''?''*"' '^ " questioning indeedl^ing from m?uth t„ ° '''tu""''''^]- tittle-tattle waf been tak» from DwC^'s tiu?"' hn//'*:;^"?"'' ^'^ ^"^ abstracted from Caffianx"s^on'h^,t^?o°' '^/°*'' '"'^ •>««» were those to whSHhe theft of tA^"''''*"?'"''"'"™^ e»verise. The terror which w^ nl„^ '"^"* '. Paring-knivea people. Was it true then thirth« »™^V«""*-^ "P"" «»°»ble themselves, and pnrS cartvfnT°''i''°''*"*'''*"""^"K very night, that stomv niI7^^^ u"i *°™« massacre that BeanclSr? Tha Sroif trTk.^h Y'^'^ ''"''"' °^«' of gear, hunger was iSi^^ ! had put everything out the%;onorSolTthe«arr^,''«» t^^^ tive and murderous maiaesB T^T '^^ breeding destruo- filthy, muddy rmdwav .l!fi!X *k ? f^^g'b, right along the founJaU th/So^^nt^" id de^'^-*°°';£"«'"»'» °°» iaiqmtous toil Oie toil „/»i. aepadation that come from ment of Sie few-labi„ d^^h '^^^l °»°'''«' &' tbe e^?^ frightful misS^ tKs^ ri^'^^r'^''''"'^' 'b« «napto8titntion whioh^re its ml^ ' '°^*"'^' '*"' 'beft Pale girls passed bvf:^^™ monstrous parasitic growths. Bntter; and drun™n Sn went off ^■f^r'^!.'""'' '"'»«> puddles and the darknes ° * "'^"' ""^'■K'' ^ tbe -.^^.rnSsrs&c'^^K^ri'^'''^^^-^ what horrid dark nook had" .i, T."^^ /°"°« be ? In Nanet? But S^^at owe a^J * °°°«'" "'"B« 'rf'b little to sweep overlhe Zwd fi^? " r^*' ? hurricane seemed one nportte othy^'arabourhf' '* Q-^'.i''"^ P«8s^ •midrt the growing terror ^WmL™ "*»°"°«"?8 accents from every dde. ' ' ""^'^ "»™» back wUdly ~«^"^, excited crowa was now rushmg np the ifaM t6 WOJRJC street. The afisir mnet have taken place at Mitaine'i shop. Women ghrielied, an old man fell down and had to be picked np. One fat gendarme ran so impetaonsly throDgh the gionps that he npset two persons. liQC himself began to rmi, carried away by the general panic. And as he passed near Judge Ganme he heard him saying slowly to Captain Jollivet: 'It's a child who has stolen a loaf of bread.' That answer came back again, punctuated as it were by the rush of the crowd. But there was a great deal of scrambling and nothing could yet be seen. The tradespeople standing on the thresholds of their shops turned pale, and thought of putting up their shutters. A jeweller was already removing the watcl^es from his window. Meantime, a general eddying took place around the fiit gendarme, who was busy exerting his elbows. Then Luc, beside whom Mayor Gourier and Sub-Prefect Ch&telard were also running, aga'n doteoted the words, the pitiful murmur rising amidst a little shudder : ' It's a child who has stolen a loaf of bread.' At lost, as the young man was just reaching Mitaine's shop m the wake of the fat gendarme, he saw him rush forward to assist a comrade, a long, lanky gendarme, who was roughly holding a boy, between five and six years old, by the wrist. And in this boy Luc at once recognised Nanet, with his fair tumbled head, which he still earned erect with the resolute air of a little man. He had just stolen a loaif of bread &om beautiful Madame Mitaine's open window. The theft conld not be denied, for the lad was still holding the big loaf, which was nearlv as tall as himself. And so it was really £is childish act of larceny which had upset and excited the whole Bne de Brias. Some passers-by having noticed it had denounced it to the gendarme, who bad set off at a run. But the lad on his side had slipped away very fast, disappearing among the groups, and the gendarme, raising a perfect hollabaJoo in his desperation, had nearly turned all Beauclair topsy-turvy. He was triumphant now, for he had captured the culpnt, and had brought him back to the scene of the theft to confound him. 'It's a child who has stolen a loaf of bread,' the people repeated. Madame Hitaine, astonished at such an uproar, had coma once more to the dooi of her shop. And she was quite But the little feUow was not put out. He iuiiiwb~<» eyes so fuU of indulgent kindness. Poor litt'e deril^ T,d h^ S'SSff '; wV- ~^^'^^ Ite «,a^Tl» K "«'' ?^ ' handsome woman accustomed to Be ooorted by all her customers, she said in her Ray quiet ™v^ Igave7h"w '"■• K'"*'™'-*'" ctUddidn-fsirthekff; Without relaxing his hold on Nanet, the eendarme stood vermn. has juBt robbed you, Madame Mitain^t'd *y'u lan't Quite pink from having told a fib, the baker's wife none the less repeated gently: 'You are mistaken, nei^U.^1? that hv h„ff f ^'- ^^r ^'° * '<""P«' '"h her, pretotimj all J?C^ °°^'^ indulgence she would end by h^Lg ttem aU pillaged and massacred, Sub-Prefect nhAtoUwf iT had judged the scene at a glwce hke a shretd^?^; T ° proached the gendarme and mide hLfrele^NTet S wh™S" JJ^-te';-'*"-"'^ ^'^'' ^« -<»= 'Off wr*yi°fe her^drrLTSlt^ ^L^^^^-^^^ *' WOSJC "Z^l.%':^f' ' """^'«"» '"'« -^ iMi he«d 'Ah I ourae it I so little urohins six years old have ti> i»t because you are cowards I • starving its simply mn«.^;-. "' * ™''<' appearance but with a glow of intelli- ff hfa7;f 7^'^ ^' ''"°* "^ 'P'^'^i"?. Proolain§ng the dream to whom everything belongsfmay^aTtt'b^d up^'the'':^;^' Women took fright on hearing this. Even the n,«n :„ presence of the aggressive vehement of We's w^U became silent and retreated. uaxiau^ZTi^iht^^ '°"*' ^«u°.° '°^ 8° '" P™°°. they thought. terH5^2Z^?"'5Me^-"o\hr:;r^^ much If you are unable to BmellthisevenSgt^tete^th^^ ""•ters I Ah I may evemhl^ ? v"?" l*" """dereii. our hiB authority. SoSy Ir to tT'^ f ."S*^ *» «««i«e darmea sprang upon We t^d I^k?™']?^' ^° '^ree gen- deserted side str^t, S't^eir ll ™5 ^°'^ - '"o^. The crowd itself had shown bnft ""^ ^°°^^^ dieu ai^v which were promptly qZted l^-?fK"°°'"«^<"<»7mpS "P «|d the trampingC afrt^h '«V «""'« i°« 'as S b«yond the horizon, tatK™ i!Pr'''''^e from the deptt^ doud of fire which 'would conZ^»nr°* °l'*'"« »ven|in| 8">md. And with hiBhoZvTJ^J^'^ ^/"""^i' 'o ttf the thought of it. What I muU t?^ w/°'^* ^.»» ="ff«ed at force, would theft and murfer h« n?^'**"" ''^/'S'^' 5" Would find Itself once more vnmntbJ^^tT^ ^°' "■'"kind to traoted state it had wemed Vt ^1* ?^ J^tioe ? In his dis sombre faces of tbeZ^n^t^'^^r''^' "^ "■« ^^h Utory thought remainS'tha^ of '/ °?,.'?'"°P»»«<»'^'e Vo^o-" £-.-d^ascertaining^otlt%Xn':^4^^^^ WamtleXrS'XhVf V"' "" *''« courage of rapid y, for the dear littlo fellow ir»^^' Tl^°°^ ^'"^ fairly |"gbis big loaf. He pressed Vm P'^' <'"S'=«l'y in carry^ hands, from fear of dropSt and frl"?''' "'^^ ''""^ hi« g^-hearted man or Bom^g' Z^ ^Zt'^' *oo lest some On heanng Luc's hasty footsteos in fS '^"," ^o"" !»'«• felt extremely frighten^ ^ottratrenSiTrt ""Buto'n' 30 WORK glancing round he recognised by the Ught of one of the lart gWB-lamps the gentleman who had smiled at him and his bin Mter, and tiiereupon he felt reassured, and aUowed hims^ to be overtaken. ' Shall I carry your loaf for jrou ? 'the young man asked. Oh, no I I want to keep it. It pleases mo,' said the boy. ^W were now on the high road beyond Beauolair, in the darlmess felling from the low and stormy sky. The lights of the Abyss alone gleamed forth some distance off. And one could n.;ar the child splashing through the mud, whilst he raised bis loaf as high as possible, so that it might not got ' You know where yon are going ? ' asked Luc. ' Of course.' ' Is it very far 1 ' ' No — ^it's somewhere.' A vague fear must have been stealing over Nanet aeain for his steps slackened. Why did the gentleman want to fcnow ? Feeling that he was his big sister's only protector, the litUe man sought to devisp some ruse. But Luc, who guesMd his feelings, and wished to show him that he was a tnend, began to play with him, catching him in his arms »' ™9 ">oment when he narrowly missed stumbling in a • Look out. my boy I Yon mustn't get any mud-iam on yonr bread.' = .» , mu Conquered, having felt the affectionate warmth of those b« brotherly arms, Nanet burst into the careless laugh of oh^dhood and said to his new Mend :' Oh I you are strons and kmd, you are I ' ^ Then ha went trotting on, without showing further maquietude. But where could Josine have hidden herself? Tha toad stretched out, and in the motionless shadow of each successive tree Luo fancied he could see her waiting. He was drawing near the Abyss, the ground already shook with the heavy blows of the steam-hammer, whilst the sur- roundmga were illumined by a fiery cloud of vapour traversed by the broad rays of the sleotrio Ughts. Nwjet without gomg past the Abyss, turned towards the bridge and crossed the Mioune. Thus Luo found himself brnii. l k^*^ ?«"^» ""» P^Ungs whenheperoSvU JoBin. ^'' ""u^ ""derstood everything the benoh^lLe hi^'SSei^Sf^r!^'""*^' V "^"oniu^n offering, letting h«liWe^ro^e* rT""!, ''' ''""8" '"d standing what £e vrith *»,« »^i J„ *° J*' ?"f' ""^^l? "ider- had inini^'i^^io^^f^J,^J^,''^,.of the streets, if lifeless, sobbed \o.i^l^il^^- ^"^ *■« "o'-l. " eat. ther'e-stZ'^ J?''* "^^ '-^« "/' ^O" --t eat. do offering. sho^dfX' 3:"^ .d«"«y of privation and He qSirdSMndsdCh! w''*'''y5^~"»8«o»s creaturesi in tie wa4:Ktme bi?k J^d^Zi-^^^f his. handkerchief Fortonatalv that ^o^hIT'^ " *" ^"'^t' ''""Ples. last he took hold ofX v^^ w^.^°' t ^V "^'^ ""«• ^t -Id warmed them '^ Rn'P"^ fln.'n^'.™''^^ '^'"»' seemed to awaken tMT^sZl'h^i,^^^ '''*„"8^*d »"d prostrate condition^ duTtoZk o^L^*^' ^"' *» •>" her; it appeared to W e^te^tull ?Sf t h""^"^ astonished be there with th»t u.? . '"*' "e^ brother should hands^lSe gttkman wh^Z*?"^ ^^J^ *^* *^ -^ imagined that it^M th« ^„f? woognised. Perhaps she breir^Ha p^ we^'fif!?^*^«;,'^l»o ^ broajhtthe Ha had to helD her h^ *?^ "^"^^ "o' '''eak thVernst he Pas8eS'hertty^^„tb?:ne":^tra^«h""''Tr' ^ herself in her haste to quit thf.!^-^ "?!«''* °°*''l'oke griped her. And then thTwhofe of CT '""Jf' ^^'^ hg«« began to tremble,^d she wept we„rn; "'"' ^P*?" i^^rhetMiJs?-^-^^^ shivering c!-!Sen,fJm°"''^L*^'""« "■« "h"* the longer llo^Xw t^ st^oT T' T »''° Tr »• ''''''"' °° t his hear, gentl^L'SiJ^:^ b^r""hatrw^;r/t^ ^^1 i-IT' s» tVOKK SLi. u!2^S!i^*ViH*Jv'^'?''°'*» "»' refibring and load- i,»tu'^*f^*'°^,'»«*» «ff •»« own •»»». ud ate like a ISSw f ^^t',^^ *• ? weep wh:?*S'y ^ fler side, unable to leave Her like that alone in the nicUt with that Bleepjng ohUd. He had understood at last thTt wmTof the plumsmess Uiat she had shown in eating had b^enTe to he, mjured hand, around which, as well K couwSm^L^ she had again wound her bloodstained bandase. '"""""'8*' You have injured yourself ? ' he said. Yes. monsieur, a boot^sUtohing machine broke one of my fingers and I had to have it out off. But it wm my &nlt so^^e foreman «ud. though Monsieur Gourii' ^"MtS; tr.^ti^"'* "" ' Mmewhat low and yery gentle voicfc which ttemWed at moments as with a kind of sfi.^. ^ GounV.'tte mJ^?? "" "^''''^ ''^'^^ *» Monrien, . 'Yes, monsieur, I first went there whan I was flfteen—T-n, eighteen now My mother worked ther7moT&;;nS K«, nJ?! "'i.^*'^- /'"» »" alone, I've ody^vliZ Ai^' .?*"*'■ 7''° f ^?'' ^'^ My name's Josine.' ' only^ to .T* z"" ''""« ''*' ?'<^' ^ »°o»> "iw that Luo ^i^^SdeT^tffo^j^xtwrheS:? ° dS'a^as1tL°l;rrf"''«'-°?''''^^^^^^^ oies at last from the effect of over- work, and then the danahto, ,ust sixteen years of age, has to become^mXr to h» UttiS W^S!*"? •'"i'"? IdlliDg herself with hard WOTk/th^rf, a? tomes she is unable to earn bread enough for herseU aiid «.« W ThM comes the inevitable tragedy whU do« Sef,XS>1 of a good-lookmg workgirl-a seducei; passes. Tel^A Ts^, on fw*.'W!i«Ni^ttw.*i.«*? I to her. Her oS& Wt ^^i,f '''^'Jf«° U>«t my romS month* later she ig Intv nf .''"^y "a«mberg. *^' ^| live with Bagu, whr«„t.Sl '^"""^ '»""' 'l^"' of ^ino to Then her acoH^itbeLrw",V'"°™ '» ^' of mirriLe herself unable to ooTni^^orCl?"?''''"'',, »°^ "K« the strike has rendered Raeaso f^^tlf .' '«'/ moment when h« begun to beat her, aceuKer^of tfn'l^?''*'"' ""»' I'* own misery. And from that momLf ^u^^ ""* '^"'o of hia worse, and now he has timied her^n"^ ^^'T «° ^™« •'»d to even give her the key soTat she maVl* >'"''' """^ '^U °ot Nanet. ' '"'" ="« may go home to bed with Bhelh^lKeSS^"^^^^^^ toLnothat if her and make up his minTff „ ^?"'*''°°'9 a"aohed to the young man hint^ tCtolll"'^''''- f °'^<'^«'. "hen tmi No, nothing Tf ttat w.^"^ a5 tit r'^^u'""^«»'ved fell, they no longer spoke Thai !? ■^^''^^•, ^'^ 'flenoe not a mother, that shTl.id L™^'' that Josine w« manflagu, brought Luo »^L?J^^ children to that Bmgala?f6^1ingofrehrfVn^l°'J'," doloroua oompasfflaTa Vague ideas a^se toWs' ^nd wL'tv" ""'''^ ^^^i- »w»y over the dim scene ffi ^ J^'u^^" 'r««'ewd far that gorge of Brias whiK hS' Sf. ^ ••«»? ««enied before it was steeped in shadn^ n "*^f^ *" "»» twilight Bleuse Mountains re^?edthe°rfliX"» '„f''"."^? '''»««>« became more dense. Midwav „n th^ I of rooks the darkness young man now and agai™leard th« *^' >'"°'^ ^^ tbe train which whistled and s?oweddoin ^^-^^ """"« of a B ation. At his feet h? dfstSsC tS! ", approached the ripplmg against the stockade whose bJ™» * k"m ^? ^'°""''' Ana then, on his left, came th« .nr?^ ?;."P.''*^'' '^o bridge. the two promontories'of7heK''S,:nt™"§°' '^'K^^ee, on the verge of the vasi ^oZTr,.T^\^^^'''S'^ie pestuous night roUed on krabl„fknSi°'^r^''"* ""« *«•"- %g.J9 34 WOXK was k «ubmi89ivfl r T^J?^™ * . "* "^d *^"ia that she thm Bhe explained things to him. Bagu occupied , i littln «iJljr h.d not got the Wtrith hi^ •uin>ected that if B«n' to I« Toape, Who wa. ^U^u.'^* "'"»* »>•»• hwaedlt Jodne shudde^l. ' * * *" '"' ""^ "ki"* her for the k!^ eoATi,^ r*t"hA"-/^'' •»"« »•• K one' m.n, but! know tSrhe ^^rk^aUh ' Tk"'" *" S'^n-'tur^ » master puddler, named Cnai« • ' ^^^" *°-'^8'"- He'. be good-natnr^. WeU ^V^ou?.! '?° V'^' "««■"«! ^ meto to him about you/ ' " ' ^""^ ""P'e. I "iU go and spe^ ^SdJo-'ftjlXedCa^ '■''r -'-'"-•'""« went out towards the younTm,m ^nl^ *' ''•"• ''''°'e bei4 yon are l-how can I ever K you?^ '°°°™"' '"'' 8°°3 « bt Zee" iteaw Ctf^ 'JT V^" \'"'«'. «^ I--. »gged wrapper had faul ow her T„ '^"™-''«~'e'i, for hei longer weeping, her blue ev« al..l^°"'^*"- She was no W Uttl. mouth had fonS ™f;f ""'^ '^"^ tenderness, and With her Mpple pScef S^^«. ""u"" "". y°°«^J »mi"e oJiiMish air, she iS l7k„^°*l' ^^* ^^ retained quite a a«>d gav. Her iX &ir ha°r o7 tLT 'nP'.»y^' ""P'e! fcUen, ialf unbound, overihe naL „# h"' °^"P* "'"»■ ^»d qmte.girlid, and oand'd Tppe^ran ' t' T^"''' '«"' »»«' B.. infinitely charmed, bv dZ^^,^? " ^^ abandonment. «d eetonisied at tte 4hT^Z't.?f ?'''«*«''. 'elt moved ■eemed to emerge from ttf rLJlJr '^T"* "'eature that met badly clad, frightened ^d w^^'"' **?« ''''°'° be bad looked at him with o mj^eh adTXf v^^ ''«''''«'■. '^e him so candidly her sonLlike one wh^' '^, ""tendered to Moooured and loved. Handsome «n^i,"V*'' ?'» herself ^med (<, her a very god afteTanth«l!:'^^^'"' "'«• he She would have kissed his very fo„f'„- ?""*''*y "^ Bag™- before him with her hands RtniL ?"1'' = ""^ 'he st«)d ggH the mutilated Ca'^'.:^d*Tht^*'''''"P"''''"«^ bloc^-stamed bandage. And-s^^lthl^f^erawZ^^^;:^ m mfMki n Sofk^'S^t'L'^'*'?"^'""' "»• »' tl'o »»•» hand, of th« earnmg system, he' read^the pCs new^^^^ lite^' from them a revolntionaiy educaUon in^Ch ^.» «~ Michel Q.jHgnoD's lU s«c«33 in buskew hil berp«u"du,' *^t difllculUei which htd bMek «.. . . " «gon .v„ .inc. the BMnf^SS™ o;,*»"^ J^^^ of tb. OM there coaaed to be romnnt!!.^" " '""■ '»iJ« «nd (rirder. •yndjcatea and class grouS^l?' Ti*""? wndemaed aJJ ' That li .tout w.p„, j;i:u. ' 320} Ibl. wm^ 38 WORX sboTTcd great nnwillingneaa to complete the reTiaion of the tarifFs, and thought it neoeasary in his turn to arm himself, in some measure, decreeing a ' state of siege ' at the Abyss. Soon after he had begun to act thus rigoroualy the men complained that no individual liberty was left to them. A close watch wag kept on them, on their thoughts and opinions as well as on their actions, even outside the works. Thn-ie who put on a humble flattering manner and perchance became spies, gained the management's good graces, whilst the proud and independent were treated as dangerous men. Aiid as the manager was by instinct a staunch conservative, a defender of the existing order of things, and openly evinced the resolve to have none but men of his own views in the place, all the underlings, the engineers, foremen, and inspectors strove to surpass one another in energy, displaying implacable severity with regard to obedience, and what Uiey chose to call 'a proper spirit.' Bonnaire, hurt in his opinions, his craving for liberty and justice, naturally found himself at the head of the malcontents. It was he who with a few mates waited on Delaveau to acquaint him with their complaints. He spoke out very plainly, and, indeed, exasperated the manager without obtain- ing the rise in wages that he asked for. Delaveau did not believe in the possibility of a general strike among his hands, for the metal workers do not readily lose their tempers, and for many years there had been no strike at all at the Ab^ss, whereas among the pitmen of the coal mines of Brias strikes broke out oontinuaUy. When, therefore, contrary to Delaveau's anticipations, a general strike did occur among his own men, when one morning only two hundred out of a thousand presented themselves at the works, which he had u) dose, his resentment was so great that he stubbornly held to the course he had chosen and refused to make the slight- est concession. When Bonnaire and a deputation of the syndicate ventured to go to him he began by turning them out of doors. He was the master, the quarrrel was between his workmen and himself, and he intended to settle it with his workmen and with nobody else. Bonnaire therefore returned to see him accompanied only by three mates. But all that they could obtain from him were arguments and calculations, tending to show that the prosperity of the Abyss would be compromisi^d if he should increase the men's wages. Funds had Let^ii cuulldtd lo him, a iiotory had been VO-4WVI .1%..; r^m^ ^% WOJiJC 39 sZ;alTmiI«tn» '^■''"''"S. °"""« ""> ™°™ "'"bfcm after Sorea8Sra,^/L fS ''*?«-«"°?'? ^ well as for the OTnier moreaaing as it did the misery of the men whilst the nlant WhenTe l™^t T"* '''^'*^ ""^ "">«' sober This h^ds thrltiT "i*™»*«'y ga^e way, and took Bonnaire back with in thi "•'"'^'^''^ ^'^^ •»« ■'" being compiled to Mt Sir^'. -^^^ l>i--linations,l.lelyromadesi^' nJ^ 'u*' F'O'"*''' Bonnaire felt that he was condemned ante such croumstances he was at first abSeir^" jnllmg to go back to the works at aU. But he v™^ a }»^ fall> made np his mind and intended to BMnfice himseW in order that none other might have to 5t'^t'''^*°uu' °l*^' semi-viotory which had bwn ga^ed And thus, aJthough he had ended by returningto work oTthe Thursday, i hadTieen with the intention of tfldSg htowVoff af t^ ^"""8 ^""'^y' ^~ •"• '"8 convinced that hisTrSence wi^l/'f'l-''" °° longer possible. He took none of hie m^tL'^s^^^S^"^^"".""' •>"* 'in^Ply warned the lna«" mentra, Saturday morning of his intention to leave IfTe jrere stUl working at the Abyss that night it was solelv desired to disappear in a quiet, honest way. 40 tfOJlX JSw!" lU bSts '".i'T^ totSat". Si's in order toT'^d it toScTrthwTl^L'"'"'^' ^°«'' resounded Sf the aSe' wfth ?.' t^ ^«^=' °^ '»•« '-^3. rollers B it ol Wf '"'" '^* '^"'''^» rumbling of the ^S^? KrwTsrpTd«rSL'"°»'^^ WOUK ^, fu'Siaia\^o':^?^™? '^'"^ ^^"-^ as.floormg- to Ser^^^SfcTarrLSSf *" "'"?'' ^""^ ">»''• entire^leJy ""' ^ '' *'»»«P'«"^ the darkness of the labour betXu them w'"°'»r* *?"! *"™",«' ">d humai dra2°gC*^°°^'""^°°"'''"'«« y°» »°*'' "ked Luc. acitd.ttdda™S -"SSeS* "^'"^ "'•-f .TiJl relapsed toto sOenef l^klL rt^« '".^"' ""> '«>™«> NdtW spoke for^tlmr-th^J^'"^ °'' ^^ »'J'"»^- prolongeTby the S'of tb« ? * *? "'**"'^ °' ^''^^g. And wien t/e m^ter^uX ^as Jw"^Mn °^1 't?""' self beard he simply S^d • ' An Lfct t.ii'^'* '".""'''« ''*"■ I'll go Trith you M ^'as iW' J5 ^!' whatlcan- qnartera of an honr" ^°°° "" ^ ^« &msk^ in about three- resol^rwaJt-I^I.?tl\*l'"^° ''''^°«'' "l«»dy. L-o was cutting b.^stoS'vritt„ m 'k • .'""™ "«" »» """d butter. At ^h motir^mf ^ ^•'"*.' *?'* " ^^ «*««1 "«« of metal feU, wd a h^S w« ^'?'"°!^' '*'"• » ""'« ?•««• In a barrow i^ the ttt^S? T*^' "^J? t° »» oaJried of dxty-sii funds' w3*±^^J' '*">'« «»«> <*«?« wrts^l «fe^- -i^"S level with the bossy ground Htter^ S?;,""""- ■^"* ""a openings of six batteriH w'ef e^h d.^^^ •T.k""' compartments. Those narrno, iv^; ' T^- "™ed wto three walk occupied the wh^leZem«n?^' 8^8 Pi" whose brick of air and flaming gLth.&S^'Jr*'"''-'?^ ^^ ^^'-^ by means of a i^<^^oSt^\tT^.T'^.^^^ ground of the shadowThftr;!,.! ' **"»'™« the beaten above the intern^ Tell thl^^ m^^ six sUts, open subterranean bSer^nML'"?'''!^''''*' '"'""o. ^^ c.,.r. id 00. jom, and from each inter;'^sp^"V^ 1-^ ' r -ii*- '^A •-, *■• WOBK 43 labour dver the Bame which ho \,^a i,„„_ ' * wmoie been condemned: perpetuaUy ren^tinf tvfi.f ^ '"'' '"^ s&tr'L^:^^ - 1 ^r rhS w ^ ih. nTn ♦ '.'' "=°°«™"» "^ intellectual downfall ; for oauX in the monster's grasp at sixteen years of acre after a ™^- tary education suddenly cut shoit, he re^mber^ fhl^tT"; once possessed intelligence an intll^tfn T^u *"'*''*^ Ubour winch he performed like some bUnded beLt crn«h J down by destructive baleful toil. And he now C b^ onf sole craving, one sole delight, which was to drfnt f j ?°,' his four quarts of wine a! each ^ift^l^'r^.fS'' ^ZA'^'l^^.7^f. bated'sldn'pe'rn.th' !J| u> the happy stupor of perpetual intoxication * "* 44 WOJIK wonTJ'tlii'^*^' Fanchard had greatly feared that the fin «P«gL'hl?"h ""d greatly given to complaining, Z ^n?^1^. ?°"?!.y " ^ ^°^ ''■ey would minage to «ret emythuig to eat on the moi-row. Bat her husband, who wm ™»l. hS-, "PPl' *° •** manager for an advance wTif dSnk^/.?*- ^"";' ?f bread sufficed him as foS, 1 e »Wi™ . '* once found himseU full of confideaw. When h.lf^L^.r°"'7 "■* r "*'•«'' ""i^*^ »>« tossJd S «,ott,er lalf-qnart at a gulp, and went to the water eiatern to Wk »li"«\''°*" "P"" *•»' enveloped him. TheTwith W jooden shoes on fcs feet and wet gk^es on his handr;L^ too with long iron pincers, he stoSl astride the funW^st inghu right foot on the cover, which had just b^^u^ed aside, his chest and stomach being exposed the wMe tSth« tt^,^"^^ ^^'^ ".°^ from'^the^pS vd^' %^^l S^f 'k''''^™^ T^ ^' blazing like a torch in the '^OBtot a brazier. His wooden shoes steamed Us anmn and hi, gloves steamed, the whole of his fles?"et^ed to S."u Hi?';™?°' '""'?"* "I^^-e ""7 baste, he looked bSow Sm His eves, accustomed to the brightest glare souX th« sT.htl •" *b6^!P«">.of the bumiSg pit. ^iheuKLi^ ™fi^' ? '^f ^ **"? '' '"b his long pincers, and ^Xa sudden straightenmg of the loins, with three sipnle Avth imcal movements-one of his hinds open^gTd dX„ a^ong the rod until the other joined i^^^drew up to! cruoAle. rawmg easUy, at arm's length, thatwe"ght?f one hundred uid ten pounds-pincers a^d crucible c?mbfaed- and deposited it on the ground, where it looked like ^e pie^ I *''1,T' ". ?"' "f ^•^'^^ whiteness, whi.A"3nv changed to pmk. Then he began the operatic K' drawmg the crucibles forth one by one amidst tte^c^a fL°,ltTl.''l?'°"'5'^ *^*" than Strength, comkg ^T^ Miidst that mcaadescent matter without ever buiLghiS without seemmg even to feel the intolerable ]j^8'™«»"' and thfrt?r *'"°« *? cast some little shells, of one hundred and thirty-two pounds. The bottle-shaped mouldi ^ WORK 4S HM il^g off the orufliblM with the aid of iron roda wUdh ,v!S-J ' ^^ *"• owKaWe* with his larm. round, fflfe'l-r^ T^^f^ "" *°*» «•«* mould? 'jKa Cr.nT!? "'" '^.'1 '"'»• '^»»' J"' » faint pinkiBh Snw here and there amidat a shooting of fine blue hTmIh^m dehoate as flowers. It might have been thonoht thlt th« w^dT- t^f"^, «»"? bright, goldTanWquev^j^ll I^jftTM'"'"''^'^^!.'"'^ P'^^'^ and nimble movZiitg rem^n";*^^" ''" unaconBtomed to it aU, felt stifling, unable to «fS!f / f ? ""yionger. At a distance of twelfi and even hfteen feet from the fomaoes his face was sZclIed anT» burmngperspiration streamed from him The sheu! h J ^'wW n^;."""^ he watched them ^Ung, astfh^ £n^xtMre^Sd"a a£reS teopt^affir ^x-rA6B. thousand tons and its hammers of lesser nower so^ l^? taSed^i^ttetbe^l""'*""^- Then hTlSiaTe il^lu^t tne tube of a large naval gun, more than nine- teen feet long which was stiU warm from havinVnassSS; of steel had spread out and adapted themselves like ml?I^„f paste to form that tube, which w^ waiU^ chainid^S to whit 1' PfT'*^ "^r ""^ »»™«^ to the SgTthes which were farther oflf, beyond the hall wherethe MarHn C wentTrM"' ^'^^l-oaating plant '^,^^1.'*'" iiuo went on to the end, across that haU also tho mn»t spacious of them all, for there tho largest Zc^'^'re Tst The Martm furnace enabled one to pour large^uI^tMes ni eight feet overhead two rolling bridges worked byelwtridtv !^-,!^l""^I^> ThenLuo entered the UtheworZon » huge closed shed which was rather better keptThiTt^i 4« tfOXJT power were filndeT ^»Z^JT^^^^ delioao, u^ PUte. which MAei off "ewth lighted bj . sin^Jeirrio uT TJ'''!' •" "is^t-tim" «unt sound in the deip sC TS'i "i-^^TS '<"•* *>»' » projectiles. There was oZ Tii ??*? '''^ '^'«' oome upon Ue.tobec.lib;Vd:,rnauf Utt ^f "^^ fi-*^ ^ a '"'»> » prodigious speed. Mlil™! „L ""^^ round and roand silver curls flew awaTSmm,.ii°^*™'8' "hioh suggested ilfterwards it Z'^^X'^at t L'^hr^'r^^'K tempered, and finished h„7? ** hollowed internally of. .U that heroic hmnl^ wZr^'i'fi ' ^s the outcome bnoMg royalty to man a" Wcto^i^,!?''J?8»''°'' »' '«» Lucleheld a vision of massacre a^ *k k,'''/°J?*» »' °»ture, of a battle-field I HeTS™ '^* "?°^'hirsty madness o»me upon a Urge lalhe, whe™ T^LT^ " •» •"'"« -Jistsnce whose forged tuEe he W j„rse-n w.™ T'" ^ *''•' ""e however, was already cahteatedexT^™iT°'^f- ^'O'-e. new money. Under the Bn«J!?.i ^*"^' ""^ 'hone liJie forward, attentively watoUnW^" if *• y"""" »ho leant make, that of . ^tehnTtt an'S'"?^ V^' a clock: with a gentle humming whiL7?^h'S^ *°™S^ interminably marveUona precisJoT^i^a^^^-jJ^ m^'de '^l'*' " wit£ been tempered, cast from the^.Siiffr.''*' '^°°'^ have of petroleum oil, to what battSd*iJ„'?J' ^" ^*o a bath Whl'^ldSf^^fhe-'dS^^^^^ stor beyond the wild ^^of Z clouds A^t^ * ^8^« shinmg here and there in the y Jd «nL,2 A'^'k -iTP Slobes and agam he saw the chimne™ ril„ •5l^'^''«° "oon, and a coal-smirohed sky, across Sh™'*'^ Inrid smoke formmgaBitweresomsg8Se„ri'=>«"P"° every side, which transmitted electKwer t^^*^ f ""* '""» i^wer. iiie machines whioh WOUX ^P^^ ■ar.^'te'--*'. r- working Z PeroMTod that ho waa S'l-^? j**^!"* »«>und him h* inroaees fop the ornoibles*^ "'" 8*"*^ oontaiiung the -ci?te':i^rror a'rz~«^ «•-• s«ve.t, b^ Pjece of oagting wW7h W.« i • T°« '"O"*'"* for gome fwie hundred poundZThrmonir'^t''^^' 'l"*" thonS m readiness in the p t j^ t^""^*^ ?'^ ''» fwnel was wS procession was. watfy;,r^L"t!g''^°™g haJi. i^SlSf H.^\C^idSSea^^^^ "wranoe of the well r^!w?°"y ™P''Ji'y. thrDMf^ ^««« were ^ ^^^^,J^'>^^?^^ 4 whiSblS^ hastening np. olboSZT^^oU, * '"' ? ""* ""'d-t of fi^ hack, jnjjgUng au u,, « ^Se ^°iS^*^ "powhing off and oomiS puddler. ^"^ *°" « • moment, monBienr,' said the w«5hi.t"h^^^eadU^%^-oe, whose open door - -t« the other to '^Cl.^L.'^^e ^^rTow^'t^ 48 WORK with the fourth ud Iwt portion. For twenty minniM h« hid b««n itaading bebn Uut Toraoioni maw, hif ohtat ahnoit enoUing from th* heat o{ the faniM«,hiahMidimuiipal»ting hii heavy hooked bar, and hii eyee dearly leeing how to do the work aright in spite of all the dazzling flamei. Ha gazed fixedly at the fiery baU of steel whioh he roUed over and over cintinuoualy in the centre of the brazier ; and in the fierce reverberation whioh gildod his tall pinkish form against the black background of darkness, he looked like some maker of planets, busily creating new worlds. But at last he finished, withdrew his flaming bar, and handed over to his mate the last hundredweight of the charge. The stoker was in readiness with a little iron chariot. Armed with his pincers the assistant puddler seized hold of the ball, whioh suggested some huge fiery sponge that had sprouted on the side of a voloanio cavern, and with an effort he brought it out and threw it into the chariot, which the stoker juickly wheeled to the hammer. A smith at once caught it with his own pincers and placed and turned it over under the hammer, whioh all at once began working. Then came a deafening noise and a perfect dazzlement. The mound quaked, a pealing of bells seemed to ring out, whilst the smith, gloved and bound round with leather, disappeared amidst a perfect tornado of sparks. At some moments the npaotorations were so Ur^ that they burst, here and there, take canister shoi Impassive amidst that fusillade, the smith turned the sponge over and over in order that it might be stmck on every side and converted into a ' lump,' a loaf of steel, ready for the rollers. And the hammer obeyed hun, struck here, stmok there, shwkening or hastening its blows without a word even coming from his lips, without anyone even detecting the signs whioh he made to the hammer-lad who sat aloft in his Uttle box with his hand on the startine- lever. " Luc, who had drawn near whilst Bonnaire was changing jus clothes, recognised little Fortune, Fauchard's brother-in- law, in the hammer-lad thus perched on high, motionless for hours together, giving no other sign of life than a little mechanical gesture of the hand amidst the deafening uproar which he raised. A touch on the right-hand lever so that the hammer might fall, a tsuoh on the left-hand lever so that it might rise, that was all ; the little lad's mind was confined to that narrow space. By the bright gleams of the sparks tVOJtX ^, one oould for • momwit pwoaivt him, lUm ud ''*^ fi» for ">e roUer«nHe WM iMThig the establidunent of hi. own free will in th- m!. Ho.«* 'k 'J'^Sr?"',"" "^''™"«' 'M the more S: rfLaS? the throat, and paased oat the first in ad3 itwoS'db^'yoTff ''"^^' -tbatpieceisstiUwarm- v«ill'^^ T''*, "y 'j?^''"- "^^7 wosMd the two dim yar^ under the lonar lights, and passed before the few tmldong where the tUt-hammers ^ebeaTing rageftiT seized hold of them agam, and the glow and crowl of th« monster died away behind them. The^iTd wi fSlblotiTg a wmd earning the ragged flight of clouds skvVard • Tid h. w^*? «°? '"^ ^°^ ^°^^ reclining on the bench where S?tK^ 'f ^"' '"°*'°°le» «nd starini into thVdartasM with Nanet asleep and pressing his head »a«in»t her he tSH R,nS^w:;,l?' ''%'»""it««'» '^^ i^Bsion e^'ded s*:^ Bonnaire would now find the poor creature some piacTof '■^ 1L s« WORK ihdtM. Bat the pnddlnr inddmlv baaun* Mnl»rrMMd uicl knxioai kt th« idM of the loene wnioh wonU follow hii bom*- doming when Ui wife, that terrible Toapa, ihonld Me bim aeooiDMnying that bou;. The icene wm bound to be the more mghtfiil linoe he had not told bii wife of bii intention to quit the worki. He foresaw . I ndeod, that a tremendooi qnarrel would break ont when she learnt that he waa without work, through throwing himself voluntarily out ot emptoTment. ' Shall I aooompanj yon 1 ' Lno suggested ; 'I might ba able to explain things.' 'Upon my word, monsieur,' replied the other, feeling relieved, ' it would perhaps be (he better if yon did.' Mo words passed between Bonnaire and Josine. Bha seemed ashamed in presence of the master puddler, and if he, with his pood nature, knowing too all that she suffered with Baga, evmoad a kind of fittherly pity towards her, he none the less blamed her for having yielded to that bad fellow. Josine had awakened Nanet on seeing the two men arrive, and after an encouraging sign from Luc, she and the boy followed them in silence. All four turned to the right, skirting the railway embankment, and thus entering Old Beanclair, whose hovels spread like some horrid stagnrint pool over the flat ground just at the opening of the gorge. There waa an intricate maze of narrow steets and lanes lackmg both air and light, and infected by filthy gntters which the mora torrential rains alone cleansed. The overcrowding of the wretched populace in so small a space was hard to understand, when in front of it one perceived La Boumwne spreading its immense plain where the breath of heaven blew freely as over the sea. The bitter I'eenness of the battle for money and property alone accounteJ for the niggardly fashion in which the right of the inhabitants to some httle portion of the soil, the few yards requisite for everyday life, had been granted. Speculators had taken a hand in it all, and one or two centuries of wretchedness had culminated in a cloaca of cheap lodgings, whence people were frequently expelled by their landlords, low as might be the rents demanded for certain of those dens, where well-to-do people would not have allowed even their dogs to sleep, tihanoe-wise over the ground had risen those little dark houses, those damp shanties nf pl9:fit^r=wnrkj tho?e vermin and fevar^brftodJiig ?^?™? ; and mournful indeed at that night hour, under the lugubrious iky, appeared that aceursed city of labour, so dim, so closely- «.. -"mp ^M^m^ML^i^^smj WORK S« pout, filthy too, like aomo horrid vegetation of social in- joitice. Bonnaire, walking ahead, followed a lane, then turned into another, and at last reached the Rue dea Troia-Lunen, on* of the narrowost of the so-called streets. It had no foot- ways, and was paved with pointed pebbles picked from the b«d of the Mionne. The black and creviced house of which he occupied the first floor had one day suddenly ' settled,' lurching in such wise that it had been necessary to shore up the frontage with four great beams ; and Ragu, as it happened, oooupied the two rooms of the second story, whose sloping floor those beams supported. Down below, there was no hall ; the precipitous ladder-like stairs started from the very threshold. ' And 10, monsieur,' Bonnnlre nt last said to Luc, ' you will be kind enough to come up witli me.' He had once more become embarrassed. Josine under- stood that he did not dare take her to his rooms for fear of some affiront, though he suffered at having to leave her still in the street with the child. In her gentle resigned way she therefore arranged matters. ' We need not go in," she said ; ' we'll wait on the stairs up above.' Bonnaire immediately fell in with the suggestion. • That's best,' said he. ' Have a little patience, sit down a moment, and if the key's in my place, I'll bring it to you, and then you can go to bed.' Josine and Nanet had already disappeared into the dense darkness enveloping the stairs. One could no longer even hear them breathing, they had ensoonoed themselves m some nook overhead. And Bonnaire in his turn then went up, guiding Luc, warning him respecting the height of the steps, and teUing him to keep hold of the greasy rope which served in lieu of a hand-rail. ' There, monsieur, that's it. Don't move,' 'le said at last. 'Ah I the landings aren't large, and one wou , turn a fine somersault if one were to fall.' He opened a door and politely made Luc pass before him into a fairly spacious room, where a little petroleum lamp shed a yellowish light. In spite of the lateness of the hour La Toupe was still mending some house linen beside this lamp ; whilst her father, Paddy Lunot, as be was eallad, had fallen asleep in a shac , wy nook, with his pipe, which had gone out, between bis gums. In a bed, standmg in one corner, slept the two i2 s» WORK children, Luoien aiid Antoinette, one six, the other four yean old, and both of them fine, big chUdren for their respitiva ages. Apart from this common room, where the family cooked and ate their meals, the lodging only comprised two others, the bed-room of the husband and wife, and that of Daddy Lnnot. IjaTonpe, stupefied at seeing her husband return at that Hour, for she had been warned of nothing, raised her head, eiolaimmg: ' What, is it you ? ' ' He did not wish to start the great quarrel by immediately tdhngherthat he had left the Abyss. He preferred to setUe the matter of Josme and Nanet first of all. So he repUed evasiTidy: '.Yes, I've finished, so I've come back.' tLu, without learajg his wife time to ask any more questions, he introdnoed Luc, saymg: 'Here, this gentleman, who is a fnendof Monsieur Jordan's, came to ask me somethine— he'U ezplam it to you." * Hot surprise and suspicion increasing, La Toupe turned to- wards the young man, who thereby perceived her gJeat likeness to her brother Bagu. Short and choleric, she had his strongly muked face, with thick ruddy hair, a low forehead, thin nose Md massive laws. Her bright complexion, the freshness of wluoh still rendered her attractive and young-lookinK „i„vf u j^"-'?°*y.y*JJ" °^ *8«' »l°n« explained the reason wluoh had induced Bonnaire to marry her, though he Ttif Tu''*" ^iqna'nted with her abominable temper. That which everybody had then foreseen had come to piss. La Toupe made the home wretched by her everlasting fits of anger. In order to secure some peace her husband had \a bow to her will m every little matter of their daily Ufe. Very coquettish, consumed by the ambition to be weU-dressed and possess jeweHeiy, she only evinced a little genUeness when she vras able to deck herself in a new gown. . Luc, being thus called upon to speak, felt the necessity of gammg her good will by a compliment. From the moment of crOBsmg the threshold, however bare might be the scanty furniture, he had remarked that the room seemed very clean, thanks undoubtedly to the housewife's oarefuhiess. And ^,^'°*' T" ^ '■'* ^^ *" exclaimed: 'Ah I what fine children, they are sleeping Uke little angels." La Toupe smUed.^ut looked at him fixedly and waited, feehng thoroughly oonvmced that this genUeman would not tl,T„''V-^'°!!" °"' '".'»" ''"'" " l^* tad not had": thing of importance to obtain from her. And when he found •.«.c ' WOXK 53 her hnaband in a C? ' Whf U wD-f^t-*""*^ ^°''"^' any concern of miner Wliat b this again ? Is it herfeteoSt'^^l:,!"'-^^^^ ^"- '^ ^-^y oneo^hftoStt^h:-:" «"»»'«««'« Wwith you. to know anvthinc ahont A^.,. "."™"'" ' j""'.-' "'"' * ''an' of them. wneediing gold chains and sUt gowns out T„,-' °"*,°°8'''. to ho kind-hearted, madame ' was all fhat -c "^<;flUlr>*' » 54 WOSK their w^tles in company, could no longer separate. Notm- thelesa Bagu, who had some sense left him, had torn himsell away from Caffiaux's wine-shop, saying that, however pleasant it might be there, he none the less had to go back to work on the morrow. And thus he had looked in at his sister's with ms mate, in order to get his key. ' Your key I ' cried La Toupe sharply, ' there it is I And i won t keep it agam, mind. I've just had a lot of foo'Jsh tbings said to me m order to make me give it to that (ai- about. Another time when von want to turn somebody ont of the house just do it vourself." Eagu, whose heart had doubtless been softened by Uqnor. began to laugh : ' She's so stupid, is Josine,' he said. ' H she bad wanted to be pleasant she would have drunk f. glass with us instead of snivfelling. But women never know how to tackle men." He was unable to express himself more fully, for just then Bourron, who had Men on a chair, laughing at nothinc Tnth his everlasting good humour, inquired of Bonnairel °?y> " " ''"* t*"*" tliat you're leaving the works ? ' La Toupe turned round, starting as if a pistol had been fired off behmd her. • What I He's leaving the worksl" she oned. Silence fell. Then Bonnaire courageously came to a decision. 'Yes, I'm leaving the works; I can't do other- wise. , ',^''?'.'* leaving the works I you're leaving the works I • bawled lus wife, qmte furious and distracted as she took her staad before him. ■ So that two months' strike, which made us spend aU our savings, wasn't enough, eh ? It's for you to pay the pipe^ now eh ? So we shaU die of starvation, and I shall have to go about naked ! ' > <* * Hedid not lose his temper, but gently answered : 'It's quite possible that you won't have a new gown for New YearsDay, and perhaps too we shall have to go on short commons. But I repeat to you that I'm doing what I ought She did not give up the battle as yet, but drew still nearer, shouting m lus face: 'Oh, bunkum I you needn't imagine that fo ks will be grateful to you I Your mates don'tlcrSple to say that if It hadn't been for that strike of yours they'd never have starved during those two months. Do you know what they U say when they hear that you've left the works ? WORK 55 K" fl "^' " ?f "*' yo" "S""' "« «»* yoii're only an W \.}A °'T t"r '"" *° ^° """^ • fooliah thing I \" aea^ yon U go back to-morrow I ' C^JLi^ „ » S^ i""" '° "'«" despotioaUy in ordinary household matters, he became lilie iron whenever any OMe of oonsoence arose. And so, without raising his voice! i^ a nlZ. J" "'"•^ ^:^J"'^ ^^^- ^ answered: ' You ^U pl«iselfeep quiet Those are matters for us men,- woi^n hke you don't understand anything about them Midlo^f« ^^\^l they shouldn't mWe^ith ihem ' "u'r^very mM but the best thmg you can do is to go on mending yoS linen agam if you don't want a quarrel.' ^ ' lamn ^T'i^\ ^u^'^x ''*' ^^^^ t^"* <=hair near the temp, and forced her to sit down again. Conauered S^f.'"^'".'* ^^^ "•"> '">«' wouW henSthl^ tt- i^t VP Hi' °'"^'"! ^^ •"'^« " P'«'™<=e °f feeling m tohe- mterest in the questions from which she had been so a^vely thrust aside. Awakened by the noise of vofce? aidd^LTmot her fatner, without evinciig any astonishJeTat SU'^ L° l,'" r,l°' •^t'-Pb "S''**^ '^^ PiP« once m»e .Ld hstened to the talk with the air of an old philosopher X had lost every Jlusion ; whUst in their Uttle bed the chuCn Luoien and Antomette. likewise roused from the5 XmW opened their eyes widely, and seemed to beTtnW to vmdeytand the seriou. things which the big iSriew invoto U^ro^' "^^^ '^'"-" *» ^«. " tf to «wtfiS°'' •''"•?'u, """P^ " *»* no* 80, monsieur? The ^h^tlT '."'t'''^'' «d « i' had to be b^n over again, I shouU begm it over again-that is, iXuld emKiy mfluenoe m ui^gmy mates to try to secure justice. ^One can t let oneself be devoured-work ought to be paid at iti proper pnoe, unless men are wilhng to^become me™ slaved And we were so much in the right that Monsieur DeWu had to «V9 way on every point by accepting our new wZ t^. But I can now see that he is furious, and that som^ body, ,a mj wife puts it, has got to pay for t^dam^e !f I w«» not to go off willingly to-day, h?d find a St for ^L?" 0"' *<^»«>"ow- So wiat? Am I t? hang on obitmately «,d become a pretext for everlasting dis" to"? £%llt ^%"^ S6 woxx 2l wrti of ^^i*" 'JH»"° "^Z^- " -o-W hring «>«m Erike % f d^-5?l "^T "' "■;**■ *^k«d of contmnmg wn,t - J -r " • 'v ^"' """ t*"*' they are aU baok at work and qu,ta quiet I prefor to take myself off. ThaT w5l settle evezytJung; none of them wUlatir, and I shaU have S:r^hW^j' haldrunk^Cth^,. f TU?e formal uL""^" '^'"Se^ Wb Bhouldere, fuU of contempt for that base conception of the future victory of the Sis hlL™ P^'^'t ?,* ^""^ "'^' "fleeted7and he thoigW show thif ho"'*^ ^'u?".""" '""^ j"=' ''«''" «"d. wisWng to show that he was nght, he again spoke. In his wo^Tmn ta3^h^ ^"""f .t^' ideLuchCit isforSuIat^by tSe to?^^«i. °°''- °^ ft? P"'y- ^"' °^ "^ 'he natio/hla in ^^2,1 "^r""" °i^^^ =°" ■""* »•' instruments of labour Ul^^ ijT*''^""*"»'°™ 'tern to one and all. Then ^oZofrtivV^^T"""" would be proportionate to tfie Bo™«?™^^'*.,T5 ""^ "°PP"«^- The Witter on which Sl^» tf!.T Kri^fu-"*" ft« P™"""^ "^e'tod to employ ™,J^^?*'u^.*'"' socialisation, and particnlarly the workmgof It when it should be put iito prS- for such intncate macUnery would need dfection a£d«,Xl a hSSd, and vexatory State police system. And when iT who^ offered some objections, the other repUed with the qirietX^ IfvtS^'T; 'Eyerythmg belon|s to us; we ri^Sl take everyttung back so that each may have his juLt share of\rork and rest, trouble and joy. There is no otheV TOwonlble U^S^^tJ^'gr^r"" "^ """ ^"^^'^^^ "' ^^-^^^^ Even Bagu and Bourron agreed with this. Had not thn T««e-«8tem corrupted andloisoned eve^Uungl It was tt*^.chd.Memmated anger and hatred, ^ve Ise t^ el«s TJ^' '°°? '"r °^ e'ttermination which capital and hS^ LT" ^^^A ? """ •>? '•"« wage-system that^m^ ^ti,^r ""^^ *°'"^'' ""«' "midst ^the conilot rf egotism, the monstrous tyranny of a social system bZd on imqmty. Misery had no other cause. tS Wge^em was the evU ferment which engendered hunger^h aU iS flSTI^^Sn'^fT"' """• »"-!<». P«»«tution?theSwi^ Wth,Zf r£ °^°'*° '"? women cast beyond the pale of A^^^'^ ^^ perverse, destniotive forces athwart Sdo^. And where was only o^e remedy, the abolition ofthe w4e 5S WORK Wtem, Thinh mnst be replao«d by the other, the new dMunt. of Bystom, whoee secret fa^morrow wouiSom ir^^k ni'^ "^^'^ o^fte By,temr«^'"^-tiJ^S:^ tnriM ; and a bitter political mtlu resulted from thfrZi^f the Socahst parties each of which sought tTimZronlh. others Its own plans for the reorganisation of lab^anS th! s'?sCt"'^t:"''""°"»°,' ''^'"'- But nonele lesTthTiS' 2^ J? ■'" P^"' ^o™ "" condemned by one MidSl and nothing could save it ; it had served itsliiie, Z "woSm duappear even as slavery, once so universal, had dSaniWS reaing^m. a dispens.^ where one can s^ the "SStor grabs twice a week, a workshop, too, and a schoolfrarth^ ^^•tn^i*''?."^'' MonsieurlbeW^ls^-t a?^ s^wlS whrlut t^hfs o^no'^'-at'lSf 'it'/rreT'^ M hiS%'x"SS.Si'ed'^^^'^^HT^a?^fit'^'^'^',5'^« ^ "-fi^arfy'^'^y feLsTdra^'er'arthfib^^ Hnort and stout as he was with & n»l» .,„«. / -aoyss. xst* ^^^'•"'f^^^^^^uriru^ii wi^iersMg hu.,. Pernapg it was the water with which he had H ./ f 1^ r WORK 59 been obliged to drench himaeU in the peiformanee of his he W been attookea in the lega at an early age, and now he oojUd onlv walk with great difficulty. And le'" hKt fnlflUed the necessary conditions to obtain even the ridioulona penamn of three hundred francs a year ' to which the new worlmen would be entitled later on/he would have perished hn4^ f/ri" \% streets, like some old stricken Wof h^^l 1^' ^M «^'?'' ^ ^"P^' °" ''"' "d^ce of Bonnai're in »>,?. **''*"i u""" i?' ^»''*°8 tim pay for her generosity Si troKfion'^"'"'' •^ *" ~'°'^"'^ reprolcheaVl ThJ,^'"' ^^l\ ^^- °'°^'y repeated, 'I knew the QuriRnons There was Monsieur Michel, who's now dead and who wm ^ Jj HA'!!iT'i°.'^J5 ^'"'"' ''I'e^Iwas eighteen J^.. . ?^ "'^y forty.five at that time, b5 that doean t prevent hun from still being aUve. But before Monmeur J«r6me. there was Monsieur Blaise, the fornSd^ Itl^J^^'^l'f^ ''™^^" n'^« Abyss withTs Wt hSe™ ™te"*^T'^ ''?* *8°- I ^i^'t Imow him myself. But wik^t-tlft'^ ^' ""^ ""y grandfather, PiLe B^ ™ S?. "'i""^ ""1°°* may even say that Pierre Biiu WM his mate, amoe they were both mere workmen wUh hMdlT a copper m their pockets when they started on the job togetW, m the gorge of the Bleuse Mountains, then dewX Th^ S^t'nn."' "■? Mionne where there ^Z^^VA Ihe Qungnons made a big fortune, whereas here am I ^\wl ""' ^??°"^ »•><> U never be any richer thw I^ ^^f^^Z"^ ^ ''"''• '° '"y "otl^nK of my d»ugh?» and her dnldren who are all threatened witi star4tionf ju" mor^ Bagus have always been for a hundred years' or -inJ'l" °°- ""^y ""*' ^» ™^ "'ese things, but rather S^l? '•?''^*' *"= P'P«' surprised at seeing no smoke ^r;!^'" '■• ^'"•"'""''■■-8'hatLuowasUsteSiSgS wth oompsjMionate mterest, he concluded with a slightX^ poor uevusl There will always be masters and workmen. ■121. 6e WORIC one thing th.f. de,irabla ^h^" . man g"t. oW ulhThL to W Ie«t have the means to buf wTlf^B^'^t «,n7^^l!j'"^*^Tf" Toupe,'why yon'Te smoked two sons worUi to-day I Do yon imagine that I'm ffoin/ tn V«I„ jon^ntobac^,, now that we shin't even be'^Sf to bS? resist ^*L£^"'"t?"'* ^""^ »^» ™«oned him with f^^H!^-. r*y^ » drawer, deformed, hebetated, rednoed toimbeoJiTand paralysis by his mechknioal toT Cthft poor teij ttere survived nothing save the fflt sen«m»{ Bnt Bonnaire protested superbly: 'No no! Tt ™«'t J«wi|.\Sje%ffwr.e-&-:i„^SS ^^^toereby we are to procure happiness "Al^'t T .J,?^i'rV\""''""*^^''e"''°a'aerryway. 'Hnrrvun I should hke to see that. It would just sSl mT^hlt nothmg more to do. and to eat ohioken K^ mZ ? '""*' 'K4^e7pt;,r' """""' -"•"'^^BouSon in ecstasy. BileSthC irn^^P'f ''^* °^ "**?' disiUuBion, old Lnnot BUenoed them in order to resume : ' Let aU that be, thoselre ^1 ^P. ^"* '"°P«« ^""^ when one's young I A mm'S h^ ttew„l'°"S*^?u' '^i^'' ^"Bi"*' S he'sgoin^tochSS^ with /S. ^fc"' '^*? """ '"''^^ ?°«« °"' "nd he's swept awy WJli the oijers. I bear no grudge against anybodvfd^f fto^ Ana ? Y^^ W'nveyanoe, which a servanfpS along. And I take off my cap to him, because it's onl7fit that one should do so to a man who gave om work Wo M'l who'g 10 rich. I fcncy, though, that he dom't Im„» t),.^iri,*^.t""P°" '■^^■''^ ">»' Bounon ud he. on leaving gave one the idea of throwine one's tool, intn ♦TT.' i i Sfl^fr ^''*° P*°P^« say to us : 'Yon see verrw^ thS v^ weU thS'i \^} " "*"* ™'»'«^' l"""-" I ZSa very weu tnat aU that money oan only have been iminrtumty to foUow his terrible^ife to bed ^ '" whiir^usCha'^rSlh^d''"'"''" '^^ '- 'o ^' On the kning Bagn was stiU calling, in tones which Ll.iwm. *-^iflflikA WORK 'Joiin«loom«, Joiinal •5 ItoUyoa MWbMtlM ntoMiinff; • Uul I'm no longer taStj ' towirfl N«eWo S:ddlS*t?.5? '\f*'^»" b, turned ■•Id the man. '^ ' """P' «l>e« ran off,' * Oh I no, where would yoi' ,. ,pr > ■ have eat down on the itiUn ij^i ' ' ' '* """•» tohim a. if hewerette >'.nt^ ' ' '."?'• '••*«•<» • fragile ladder vi^iTZ.'.nZo' T: i '%'f "^ ,«•"• of wentlowerandlow«rhA*»rliLj.i V '\'-^V). i^ndwho for he well nndenrtood that l'^^^ ^^^ J'°" *" «>« "»". be friXi'ed*"'"''' •"• ''^^'^' '» O'der that .he might not Buttolt"',JJe\tSJ^*''.r.'f" ""'S^"?' ""^ °o "Plycame. fr^ to .that'hlnd of h .^Ld'Sae'ed'TiSlenT"? '^ wann4are:inredTn.e''Sim" "'*"* ""' '"°'''*"'«^ ''y stm SJl,«d,? ^""i!;^''^ '^'^y. P"«^. ">. light form w«. powerful charm had flowS into il.v^" ^ s\e«' »nd m ^ W ju?. 66 TVOXK up at last die had ai^TelLl to thi ^ J v'' ? «™^ •Ah^ thi« i^ "°" •^^■'' '«'*'» was h«Ll np above at the sky. mie ten^h^f V'T ^'^f'^'^ "Pwari tars y>^\v^J^^^^\t^.T^ ?°'to?. and oloads. But l^Sark ZT*., ^^J^ ."''' motfonleBi n.d„.holyin jLVhth^wt^te'f^', '""' '^' *" work, sending fo?th a dulV ^mWe L.^ ^e" t^^'"- '* notes o£ it. tilt-hammers which Z deewr U,^.^°!S« lyonx «r that hour the terrori^ T^h^tTJ^^ "*? """""S- ^°' »* conld soe of it on the Wnw of th^ J^^ "''*P' "^ »" »»« na«, where not » %hT^&"'* teiT'inStS'"*^ ''«.»" exist save the Abyss, whose h-inlKi^Jf^**^ Memed to there a noise as o/?hUder1onCJiJ'S„^r "o «;pite; *"«««»»tly devoured the h>es~° men ' ^' '""^ """'*' Lu/;Ltt^,'e^'terdS^d'"a^i^'^%^"^^^ And •oad on his way back to ?£ &£,??S ''S"' 1°.'° *•>» ^rias him. As he waT r^h^„ 1?''*"*' T'^*" •>" ^^ »waited illnmined the Xle^stSS tL\ "^^^^ «'"' "'"''ienly Blen«,Monntains7'he1aamK^ri*„''* *7 P^ontories of the tte far-away fiel.£ of LX^™|nT Th.^^''^' "^ f"" the bUst fiimaoe whose blMk .1^ J '* S'"" """e fi™>» yptheheiVw^iJX nL^t rf r.onfl''''*?"^ '"?"'«' Lno nused his eves it nm^« 1 oonflagration. And aa beheld someleddtU th« .n^™ ™*'°?^ to him as if he the renovTtioSlf hr^^t^.'"""'^ P«»"'««^ to hi. dr«tm of III ° fritdi^^rf^oK^rBor..'?'" ^^'?""' "• «-<^-^ at La Guerdaohr KrCnffi 'r*"* "^r.*" '»»«* Md that the JordanrwZS ^\ that he was at Beanolair, she told him how hannv i^ i".'j"?*'°'°« °° «•« Monday order that Xv Xht cKf * Tu"'*^ J~ "^ ™« ^m again, U enterprises together tathTnJedvdl^iT' 1?r ^« "»««i*«blS Antoine. And Lnn .iJ; J owtaot of the Faubourir St. kind of ;ffeoUonate ieverlTr'^ ^'^"""' ^^^ '^ • -"^r^hrrB-KK----^^^ v3 6S WOltK he passed througrtXtt., tw'^°"i* «"«'«' P«t *«>. "hfuw ooart an J fT" ''?" assembled the sub-prefecture! Bue dTBi^ d.w;r •' ''^'"? "P""^ °°' beyond tha popnZs Rn. J r- ''®™''' "Pe«^Jy reached the fields by wav of H,» It was in 1828 that Blaise Q„rignoD, the workman by tVOJfJP . He had never emBloTea»or?fi, •'■'*'''' *^'''»°»new- line of ancestors obsSyZSS^A^i^' »ergy, a long battling in the riam worlnn„^ *, "PP""*'^' 'WtbfnUy victor who oonld toU eighteen WT. S,**"/^?"* "' **■'« Jfence, good sense, an^wal swe„ni nfc?"^ ^^'^ "*»"'• than twenty yearshe caC T Sln'fotrh^i'C^t- ^ '*5" gave employment to twelve hun ZS S,T* , *•"* S"™^' miUions of francs. And at last «Hfl- ''°r''P~P>?. ™d gained hoase erected b^ hie faU^i V. * "5 the hnmble little thousand francs' on the nnrchU^fT""^"^*^ *.'8'" '""■^"^ sumptuous resfdence'^ &t?n li'm^'^^^.''''^ "^ trwToSfiitin' dl^H^'lr' - -S nation based on Ms dream nfZk' P™?"?* » f"ture of domi- it for thren^ent ofan .S«'T °*^ that he felt USSUJ TJ^^^^ ^d fnfin?/ "^^ i*"* ^'''^ not even increase amonR Ws chiMrTl^^S.**' '^^.''onM i* aiminntion and exhwsUnn dari^„T?°' *?" **"' »" ^""S" of Jt once a first nSoZ," feK^t? • '""'' y'*? ' ^St aU b? « vigorous rS, J;^L4 Ci 't if."'"' 7?,° "^'"•^ to his very prime. inde«3^ oS^iwo aSJIft' T "'V y°»"8-« lysis depnved him of«ie^ofZ?ht i'^ ye«ra of age-para- render the manag^ent oJ^he AK«,V ^u^^^" '"^ ^ <""• Michel QunXn the tht4 Y/ .u '^«°''*'' ^"' «"«" *>"■ thirty. He h^°°' *5nm^ bml.""'pS?' '"" "'O" i°" •gainst his father-sNri^Th J^ '! f'^'^'P^*' "•«•• """'h folly beautiful but ^Jr fli^hfvT"*^ w Paris a wonder- very flighty woman. And betwewi the ■M2,000. the Utter tlCy^rs^id ^^^fi'^M"!?" '^'''Bfi^Md m«.er who squen^rirbJ^^ if '^ "f /""'"^^ »e™., „.L,af jSroriife"'\«: Vo'^t-r tL"a't t WORK France, which, thanks to a nl^i^'i''^"'"**" ""^ Eastern 0888, were now able to e^^W ^« discovered chemical pro- h~i been impossfble to JSSi? irnr^r '*"='' '°,™"'y " years' duration, Michel felt ih^Ak' '" * ??T^'« °^ '"<> Weath him, ind one dav ll,» k^'' "cabling to pieces by haying to'b^^w ttreS'hl^^^l '" "^^ "°^8« 'o' he greatly Ujy life of im'aZble li^ir^ S^-^^My 1<»^'J'' opj/ count eeveraJ^ntunW rf1?^./?""« man, as if he thus it happened ttatnn.?^ 'Uustnons ancestry. And htherhadasyetmX^ t^!^ttc,"r^^'T' ''"'=*' l"" Master Qusta/e omt^K tL^«H*"''?' 'f t*" W^ents. arms around hisTe^kat th« ..^o^f^f*"'' ''"''"^ flung her the sp^d/d^nfeS of^^J ?^P*' 'T^ """ ™oWe. And that of another .^d another a^s'^^'b?. ^"^^"^ foUowed^ ShrE'aiB^'of^rr^--^ Philip;^ likewise Vsli;-:^ f'^^'^tKuTSSl' 7» rfojtx ^^hX'1S''LS,'^y afr«, into which 1« i^ b^ with . t«or,1Surt l21'„Tl°T,5"u^ tobenowiBBiSS Priwte Mylwa, linoe ha «nffSfi / been iwt perforo. to » oomplictid X^MtSl dSr^f "a"*?""" of the .pin' «nd Ua». who tSl wTdoi.t»^f^/ from that .ulfSrer aeemed to be dead, there ™m\infi^ .V'''!. ■» ""•' ^e also he, toJtt-ter^T-"'?' ^ «- y*"" "^'ore whiUt TieitinTat a JJm^^^ Boisgelin, who hid met her then »ir^i^^l^^'^\,^'^°^i' the Aby« w." made Mrangementewhioh !S.hiS u-' °'>««'?tatiou« wky had dowry of a Sn tnZ, ^^^ ^"^ '^ Py* hi» daagiteTa '««^thy, haX^iShS'ft,,^ t^"" "".J^ "de w4 very fortun/'of n,o4 ^^"^ ^^onf S^."'" ■"",? '""""^ Huspioions affairs, redolent of ueur; anT*vf^»»"'u*" ■"'^ of however, was not personal! v LSI- V^^ theft—bv which he, perfect idleness evTS^ffil""*^*^' ™,°'=« ^^ had lived iS heMin great estX aTd envy ZYTJ^' '"'f ' ^e wiS to bow to him, for he reridna f^a ^fP'* "^^ ^^^ys e«ger MonoMo in PariI.^ffi'i^,^y'!i"'5?sion near the pSo ffwoe. Uler seekSTdSrtiS^tfnn k '"'^ ^"^P"'' »°«" It was then that SuzBnn„ hi? T • """T *° ''°* '"'h them. ?ood sense, ^d ^urZ" t %ucri'°"'^ "f™"""'"^«'«™ (eet again. She remised hmtbrhf *" ''""^^ ™ l*" •lowiy, was intact And «L i^^ . "f ^f"^ °^ miUion. her retrieved b/,e^LX Iw'Z?'' "^ ^^'"^^^ ">« ""»""»" wouid now be "«a^e to ker;p°"wh'"'""f,''' '''^"'^ 'W ■I that way. But bow w7™ f hf; . ^P"""*' °»ihon was fonnS on the proceeds of fwT^fir "■*? ^ •"«• P""""!"!? in Paris sufflcedTrllpMon ;o^^^^^^^ °f f™^'". when six had not "ightof aUtheZu' oonsliD»^ f"^f "K"'" " 't« encounter at last decTde^re^Z™""' ^"" ""' ' * •""«<» of on?s'b\'tLTsir^whrr ip^^r''"''''^ -« mventor, had left her Sbhr Zr n^'"'• "^ "^""^y eppneer, occupied a mcS;^"^ ST. R?'^"'''?' ■" »*"' time when Michel 0.tri!l„i ^ • " , ""' coal-pit at the w»U acquainted with Ube Sti„n J?k '»^' ""'f' ""^ «T certain he could i»s»or^ to nm^L V''!.'^*'y°^' ■^''»'* he felt «»»Mi»tion. be w^te p»S? P*"'' '? » "«" "yetem of the».one e;e^'?^ tl Zet"'hf'^.^ 1 -^pitafists, and fcoetolac. wi7tircou8inX-;«L° /"'^^r^ ''™'«^^ came to han. How was it S^' J^F'^tion at once thought of that weSth?Jeliv^ th^n" ?'-. ?°' P'e^ously "•nied a Qnrimon ? hn !.!• ''"°' «» 't happened, had position of JheBdweLsno^^;°«.,'!'"'" ^^^ the pii^ Sjeh they ^.hed^H^Vest ^3 aXl^ " ''°?''' °* '""^" peUveau extended his Xns and «7 '«7?°^y " Po»ihIe. be had with his cS d?,!,^''''"^ mterviews which wtelligence. and energy that he Sded 'h, """^ •"»""««'«• snooess. There was r!a ly «nius fa thn I <»7«cmg him of The Boisgelins must orofW hi fi . P''" •"" ''^d devised. faUen on^MicherQariSion Iv thr**'"^'^^'' ""^^ had ftancs when tbey wer" C?h t™f Jir ''<"■''» 'or a million steel of saperiJ quIiitTwhilT u""''-.^"^ »'"' making Pnrflta. lloreove?" wh^Sd^it '^^^^^^'^^^ '^ ^ tuy I« Guerf«h;9 %_ fu"l'*,°'",*'!« Boisgelins afio .■^ liiu jor5g(i iiquijgtjgn of the KHL£^iNlClfiS.i. J u woxx n i •till have hM • nSrfk to ^TL^^ '"^ "»" inoome. Thev would gimX k.™ t^ '^''?*P"''«^y which the B^^iTpJd for 1£^ ^r'^'*^ f r°'"S°'' f~"» "^^f, oBTiDg no fnnher aoooonia to nndar (n «k. -iu' Bnmving heirs— that ia Ann* t^™!!*?; """*' "p ""« other «U Ua angagementB, reorganised the wm?. «n!2!r fu onfof the mrrri^n^Lri^rtTf'iS:!!^ ^"^ « aone, Aamed for BoSgX b, itsTweWe h^L^"° ' ^ *^ enabled him to instal hto«l7at T. « "jndred workpeople montfi had%one abo„ri^e ^d dr^ ^''uitea'^af ^^"^ '7f^iA.-7r.t*.in IVOXX IS only . few monSs old hFI, J^f^' "'"' ". ""5' '^« "« •eviith veJ Md ?;.• _5' '"^ "■•" ^mpletod hi. thirty- floor .i him^'ta^'^Sik tfoutTL'^Sn. R? ,""," """« that for moreTw . " ^yem^l^l,^«' '"T*" ■*""' ^1 ™e'^;.2trt;ir3f5''t^^^^ moreTdo^th her TS^n^' T'"^'', ^ ''»'•' '^y^^S fo. 6 woa«. -u> i« beautifui; that ebe musrfind th^p^;:; 7« WORK mSSrSw Bi;-^m'"!""'"'"',"^"°'« "O' rich, ofifenSi to wofflw .n which he wotUd prove . iupport aad 1 m^. towudi the end that she had in view ^. t,.^ .A T^ «Sr°om *^«,'"«P "" eTund^h'e'li "h'Sr \u ftath of • deTotee for whom she was a aoddew And fr™! IW.^r.'T/'^ ^"'"S? followed it, CT;ve^^'Z Femande, had demrcd. Within two month, of beino inS!' fnTl," ^ Gnerdaohe by her hu.band. .he deS™^; entered upon an intrigue with Boieifelin who had jS^{ pa...onately enamoured' of her. In Tat hwdwrne ehZ^n Sites; Ttz 'SS 's'.tS^F^ wh^i, !^^ '" "orta of .pite and rancour, the covert hatrad why ^e had Uitened to BoiMelin, for ahe honed S!S^k! to mjke Suzanne .offer. Anino; 31 wS fSv at tI ^^^V f«"«>de reined there Uke^bSS «e^ ^hjtop hjar d «m of a life of display, in whtoh .he h^^ SSti^ fi^rfh' J'", ""oney whiSh Delaveau ^unTta 5n?{!ri^ u *he twelve hundred toiler, of the AbvM And, mdeed. .he even hoped that ,he would «,me fine dav ^" a. «nnt.!i"* ""i' ''""u' """'1' "^'"Pled Luc's thought. aoeradanoe with Suzanne", inv tat bn. If he did nnt tn«„ compMMiy, At la^t. as he reiKd hig head, he perceived S^J!!! r'y ' """^^ 7»^» or to from ih« Aim dmU S^»n %'^' *">•' before hi. iind'. JT^^^Z rtoje aU other fignni that of MoiuUar JirAmt ttT^SnS Wittlt of a frightful family drama. Them wMhir^n^Zf Qn.tave carrying off hJ.'father^ miiSL «d dffi^^ faU„»:it of 'Sf^'^P?' "' ^ P««iP'ce.tSlWth'thr4nS impuwmt of the Furie*. There was his daughter Uore hi son rhUippe, marnring an unworthy woman, gliding Withher uie anniAUation of the family was beina comnletail h. i» erUferment. thatFemand, who had ap^Jd Sfthem^ if to oonsummata their ruin with thoSterribla sh^t^hiu t^th of hers Amidst his long silent J&«me h!d ^tnli^ wd was witaessmg all those things. But dU hr«S them, did hejudm them? It was 1>aid that his mi^hJd &h!!f''',r«?''i •"l" ^^P "d limpid we™ Cy^ wSloLhon™ /'^"''■r'^' ""'"?,''"' ""^ 'hose that tod jus long hours of immobihty ? All his hopes had crumbled • the viotonous strength amassed through a long StrTof to a long hne of descendants whose fortune would ever 3 ^™ „7 . T'^'' enjoyment I In three generation.™ . reserre of creative power which had reomrad .« m.^^ ojnturie. of wretchednew and effort to aocuS h°ad C gluttonously consumed. Amidst the eager satofXn^ So^rSt. S^Lnf, il t^^^ .f «8eneracy. Gorg^ .midst allU. fbn;born^,/;Str A^ l^, ^lIS ..^ L.i3^*fiLf^ii^" '-^M^TM ^iifiijai:ji& "•WOCOW HMIUTION TBT OMIT (ANSI ond ISO TEST CHAIIT No. 2) 1.0 !fi I.I u £ 122 us, 1 20 ^1^ 1.6 ^ >^PPLIED IM/1GE Inc t«3 Eo»t Morn Strwt RoehMtaf. N«> York 14609 usa (716) 462 - 0300 - Ph»« (7I«) 286 -5989 -Fa. 78 tVOSK La Oaerdaohe, which he JMme had parahMed, draaming ol some day peopling it with numerous descendants, haprrr oonples who wonld diffuse the blessed glory of his name, how sad he must feel at seeing half its rooms empty, what anger he must experience at seeing it virtually handed over to that strange woman, who brought the final poisonous fer- ment m the folds of her skirts I He himself lived there in sohtude, keeping up an affectionate intercourse solely with hM pand-daughter Suzanne, who was the only person still admitted to the large room which he occupied on the ground floor. She, when only ten years old, had ahready helped to nnrse lum there, like a loving little girl touched by her poor grand- papa's misfortune. And when she had returned to the spot, a married woman, after the purchase of the family property, she had insisted on her grandfather remaining there, although nothing belonged to him, for he had divided his whole pro- BOTty among his children at the time when paralysis had fallen on him like a thunderbolt. Suzanne was not without scruples in this matter. It seemed to her that in following Delavean's advice she and her husband had despoiled the two remaining members of the family, Aunt Laure and Andr£, the cripple. As a matter of fact they were provided for ; and thus it was on grandfather Jtedme thi.( she lavished her affection, watching over him uke a good angel. But although a smile would appear in the depths of his clear eyes when he fixed them upon her, there remained as it were but two cavities seemingly full of spring water in his frigid, deeply marked countenance, directly the wild hfe of La Guerdache bitted past hun. Was he conscious of It, and did he think about it, and if so were not his thoughts compounded of despair ? Luc faund himself at last before the monumental iron gate opening into the Formerie highway at a point whence started a road leading to the neighbouring village of Lee Combettes, and ho simply had to push a little side gate open in order to reach the royal avenue of elm-trees. Beyond them one saw the ohAteau, a huge eeventeenth-oentuiy pile, quite imposing in its simplicity, with its two upper stones each showing a line of twelve windows, and its raised ground floor, which was reached by a double flight of steps, decorated with some handsome vases. The park, which was of great extent, all copses and lawns, was traversed by the Mionne, which fed a large piece of ornamental water where swans swam to and fro. w.l^™;„T '"T"^^ ^"8 *°''«^ the •*•!>• when • lisbt welcoming Uugh made him turn his head. Unde7moii.k tS- percer^ed Suzanne, who «it there with her eon SSi pU^ awidt^J'™^"; "^^b '^""^ ' ' ""^ I**- ' I '"'▼e oome down to oj^^' "^Hnt-H ""I %»°'«"'7woman who is not AaidTtto ^ShT^™;^''.^^ °'^S" •» "«~P' my »bmpt invitation T nret?^ h^.^ '* ^"" T"* offering her hand. She WM Mt ffit« rSnnl'l T "'rr^g. very fair and 8maU,\ritra h^8u!ffl^^ ^^' ""'y.^"'. "nd eyes of a soft blue. Ha „5fr^ ""^ always considered her to be somewhat inrif S^s"of\3a„^'7'^f«''' "r^- «U theSt?ui^f: beti^^n SSu. Ws^w^!' •""^' "^ -'^^O " fo' » moment ,«J ?i '^j^" ^^° ''*™ "nnd to ttink of me I I am verv very pleased to meet yon again,' he said. '"'' wretehllTn^ ''!?"J'^ *'^«'' ""d had first met him in a 'n«sengerinTtte™^twn%olet"Ze"S^^^^ So WOSK Ime, however, had just noticed Paul, who ran ap with some wild flowers in liis hand ; and the young man burst into exolamations at seeing how much the boy had grown. Very fair and slim, he had a gentle, smiling face, and greatly resembled his mother. ' Well,' said the latter gaily, ' he will now soon be seven years old. He is already a little man.' Seated and talking together like brother and sister in the warm radiance of that September day, Lno and Suzanne became so absorbed in their happy recollections that they did not even perceive Bougelin descend the steps and advance towards them. Smart of mien, wearing a well-out country jacket, and a single eye-glass, the master of La Guerdache was a brawny coxcomb with gre^ eyes, a large nose, and waxed moustaohes.i He brought his dark brown hair in curls over his narrow brow, whioh was already being denuded by bald- ness. _' Qood day, my dear Froment,' he exclaimed, with a lisp whioh he exaggerated so as to be the more in the fashion. ' A thousand thanks for consenting to make one of ns.' Then, without more ado, after a vigorous hand-shake h. VAnglaise, he turned to his wife : ' I say, my dear, I hope orders were given to send the victoria to Delaveau's.' There was no occasion for Suzanne to reply, for Just then the victoria came up the t^venue of elms, and the Delaveaus alighted before the stone table. Delaveau was a short, broad- shoiddered man, possessini; a bull-dog's head, massive, low, and with projecting jaw-bones. With his snub nose, big goggle eyes, and fresh-coloured cheeks half bidden by a thick black beard, he carried himself in a miUtary, authoritative manner, A delightful contrast was presented by his wife Femiuide, a tall and supple brunette with blue eyes and superb shoulders. Never had more sumptuous or blacker hair crowned a more pure or whiter countenance, with large azure eyes of glowing tenderness, and a small fresh mouth whose little teeth seemed to be of unchangeable brilliancy, and strong enough to break pebbles. She herself, however, was proudest of her delicately shaped feet, in which she found an incontest- able proof of her princely origin. She immediately apologised to Suzanne, whilst making a maid alight with her daughter Nise, who was now three years of age and as fair as her mother was dark, having a early tumbled head, eyes blue like the sky, and a pink mouth whioh «» «•« Uughtag. aimpling the ^uj, b„j^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ♦2Lfi^ *" "''*. '^'^ ^0°' to assume whenewr ha on'3lri^htV°°*^'^™' Everything seem. toT^g a 4tf s-m^«o:j->&ft^^^^ St woxjr ' Oh I k anperblj bnilt man, veiy &ir and fresh-ooloimd. I txa anre that Nise will be the very image of him.' By this time Boiagelin had apparently oome to the oon- elusion that it was not the correct thins tr await one's guests under an oak tree — only commonplace bourgeoit after retiring from business into the country could venture to do so and aocOTdingly he led the whole party towards the drawing-room. At that moment Monsieur J^rdme made his appearance, in his litOe conveyance propelled by a servant. The old man had Insisted on living quite apart from the other inmates of La Onerdacbe ; he had his own hours for rising, going to bed, and going out ; and he invariably took his meals by himself. He would not let the others occupy themselves with him, and indeed it was an established rule in the house that he shonld not even be spoken to. Thus, when he suddenly appeared before them thiy contented themselves with bowing in sUence, Suzanne alone smiling and ^ving him a long and affectionate ^ance. On his side Monsieur J^me, who was starting on one of those long promenades which at times kept him out of doors the whole afternoon, gazed at the others fixedly like some forgotten onlooker who has ceased to belong to the wo».d and no longer responds to salutations. And beneath the cold keenness of the old man's stare Luo felt his uneasi- ness, his tor'juring doubts return. The drawing-room was a rich and extremely large apart- ment, hung with red brooatelle and furnished sumptuously m the Louis-Quatcrze style. The party had scarcely entered It when some other guests arrived, Sub-Prefect ChAteUrd, followed by Mayor Gourier, the latter's wife Lfenore, and their son Aohille. Ch&telard, who at forty could itOl claim to be a good-looking man, was bald, with an aquiline nose, a msoreet. mouth, and large eyes which shone keenly behind the glasses he wore. He was a piece of Parisian wreckage, who, after losing bis hair and his digestion in the capital, had ssoured the sub-prefecture of Beauclair as an asylum, thanks to an intimate friend who had been pitehforked into o6Bce as a minister of state. Deficient in ambition, suffering from a liver complaint, and realising the necessity of rest, he had fallen upon pleasant lines there through making the acquaint- ance of the beautiful Madame Gourier, with whom he carried on an unclouded liaison, which wag favourably viewed by those he governed, and even accepted, it was said, by the lady's bBiband, the latter's thought* Wag given elsewhsrs. WORK «3 the Uttertb^^^ 't„^ daughter Euoile, and foUowed by Gaome a m^^ft?'.^°""'l'''.~P,'»^ O" ">« "tired liat. illiktto b?U» aXdr '" "■'' """ ••- -"'^ "fto-*^ Captain JoUivst, though he looked rather worn for a man as •4 WOSX only flT»«nd-tUrt7 Ttftii old, wm none the lew • huaiome fdlow ^th • itabbom brow and Tiotorioui meoitMhei. Vtnvt oontiMted ia Madegasourbad oompdled him to wnd in his papers ; and having just then inheritea an income of twelve thonsand f ranoi a jear, he had decided to establish himself at Beanolair, his native place, and marry Lneile, whose cooing tnitle-dove ways had quite npeet him, Oaume, who had no fortune of his own, and lived poorly on his pay as a presiding judge, eonld not deoUne the proposals of such a suitor. Yet his secret despair seemed to increase, for never had he evinced more severity in applying the law, rigorously following the strict, stem wording of the Code. People said, however, that implacable as he might seem to be, he was really a dis- heartened man, a disconsolate pessimist who doubted every- thing, and partionlarly^ human justice. If that were true, what must have been his sufferings, the sufferings of a judge who, while asking himself if be has any right to do so, passes sentences on unhappy wretches who are nally the victmis of everybody's crime? Soon after the Oaumes came the Mazelles with their daughter Louise, a child three years of age, another guest for the little table. These Mazelles were a perfectly happy couple, two stout follcs of the same age— that is, little more than finrty — and they had grown so much alike in course of time that each now had the same rosy smiling face, the same esntle parental way as the other. They had spent a hundred wousand firanos to install themselves in true houmeois fiwhion in a fine substantial house snrronnded by a &rly large garden near the sub-prefecture ; and they lived therein on an income of some fifteen thousand francs a year derived from investments in Benies, which to their fuicy alone seemed safs. Their happiness, the beatitude of their hfe, which was now spent in doingnothing, had become proverbiaL Often were Eople heard to say : ' Ah I if one could only be like Monsieur azelle who does nothing t He's lucky and no mistake I ' To this he answered that he had worked hard during ten years, and was fully entitled to his fortune. The fact was that, after beginning life as a petty oommiasion agent in tho coal trade, he had found a bride with a dowry of fifty thousand finncs, and had been skilful or perhaps simply lucky enough to foresee the strikes, whose frequent recurrence over a period of nearly ten years were destined to bring about a consider- able rise in the prices of French coal. His great stroke had WUKK H coiuuited in making (ore tk the lowest ponible prioai of lome ▼ei7 large stocks of ooal abroad and m ra-selfiiig them at a huge profit to French manoiaotaren when a inJden iUlnre in their own supplies was forcing them to close their worb. At the same time Maselle had shown himself a perfect sage, retiring from business when he was nearly forty -that is, as soon as he found himself in possession of the six hundred then- sand francs which, according to his calcuUtion, would ensure his wife and himself a life of perfect felicity. He had not even yielded to the temptation of trying to make a million, for he was far too much afraid that fortune might play him false. And never had egotism triumphed more serenely, never had optimism a greater right to say that everything was for the best in the best of worlds, than in the case of these perfectly worthy people, who were very fond of one another and of that tardy arrival, their Uttle girl. Fully satisfied, free from all feverishness, having no further ambition to satisfy, they presented a perfect picture of happiness— the happmess which shuts itself up and does not even glance at the unhappiness of others. The only little flaw in this hap- piness lay m the circumstance that Madame Mazelle, aveiT plump and blooming dame, imagined that she was afflicted with some serious, nameless, undsflnable complaint, on which aeoonnt she was all the more coddled by her ever-smiling husband, who spoke with a kind of tender vanity about ' my wife s illness ' m the same way as he might have spoken of ' my wife 8 wonderful golden hair.' WithiO, this supposed ill- ness gave rise to no sadness or fear. And it was simply with as- tonishment that the worthy couple contemplated th^little girl, Louise, who was growing up so unlike either of them— that 13, dark, iim, and quick, with an amusing little head, which, mth its obhqnely set eyes and slender nose, suggested that of a young goat. This astonishicant of theirs was rapturous, ""v r* .^'"'^ '"'d 'alien from heaven as a present, to bring a htUe life mto their sunshiny house, which fell asleep so easily during their long hours of placid digestion. Beauolair society mUingly made fun of the MazeUes, comparing them to poUeta in a fattening pen, but it none the less resceoted them, bowed to them, and mvited them tm its entertainments ; for witti their fortune, which was so safe and substantial, they reigned over the workers, the poorly, paid officials, and oven the millionaire capitalists, since the tatter were always liable to some catastrophe. •• WORK »!. M ""'.ft.*. "S''."*" S""*' «P«>trf »t I* GwrfMhi that ixj, AbM Mule, the rector A St. Vinouit, the rich pMieh of BMUoUir, urriTed, none too foon, howerer, for the others were aboat to enter the dining-room. He •polosiied for being Ute, nying that hii dnUe^hitd detdnod him/ He WM » tkU, itrong mui, with a iqnue-ihaped fitee, • beak-like "<«•. V*^ • iMge firm month. StiU young, onlj dz-and. thirty, be would wiUinf ly haTe battled for the Filth had it not been for a slight mipediment of ipeeoh which rendered peachmg difficult. This explained why he was resigned to burring himself alire at Beauolair. The expression of his dark stubborn eyes alone testified to his past dream of a militant career. He was not without intelligence, La per- fectly understood the crisis through which Catholicism was passing, an^ whilst preserving silence with respect to the f»re which he sometimes experienced when he saw his church deserted by the masses, he clung strictly to the letter of the Church s dogmas, feeling certain that the whole of the ancient edifice would be swept away should science and the spirit of free examination ever effent a breach in it. More- over, he accepted the Invitations to La Querdache without any illusions concerning the virtues of the bourgaouie. Indeed, he lurched and dmed there in some measure from a mint of duty, .j order to hide the sores whose existence ha divined there under the cloak of religion. Luc was delighted with the gay brightness and pleasant luxuriousness of the spacious dinmg-room which occupied one end of tibe ground floor, and had a number of large windows overlooUng the tawns and trees of the park. All that verdure seemed to belong to the room, which, with its pearl-greywood- woit and hangmgs of a soft sea-green, became like the ban- qneting-hril of some idyUic fierie ehampttre. And the richness of the table, the whiteness of the napery, the blaze of the silver uid cirstal, the flowers, too, spread over the bOMd, were a festival for the eyes amidst a wondrous setting of light and perfume. So keenly was Luc impressed by it alt that his expenences on the previous evening suddenly arose before his mmd's eyes, and he pictured the bkek and hungry toilers tramping through the mud of the Bne de BriasTaw puddlere and drawers roasting themselves before the hellish Barnes of the furnaces, and particularly Bonnaire in his wretched home, and the woeful Josine seated on tht stain, saved from starving tbat night, thanks to the loaf which hw WOltK i, UMI« biothw had itolan. How maeh u^nii uiMrr thtn v'M I And on what aooorwd toU, what batafol fofferuic wai I . Md the laxaiy of the idle and the harp; I . . **,'''''"• "''«" <»▼•" "'W '•id BW fifteen, Lao fotind mmseir placed between Fernando and Delarean. Oontrarr to proper oeage, Boiegelin, who bad Madame Mazelle on hu right. Lad placed Femande on big leh. He ought to have aadgned ttiat seat to Madame Gourier, bat in friendlj hoaiei itwaeanderstood that Uonore ought alwayi to be plaoed near her (nend Sub-Prefect Ohitelard. The Utter natorSlT oooupied the place of honour on Suzanne's right hand, Judiie Oaume bemg on her left. As for Abb« Marie, he bad bMO luaeed next to Uonore, his most assiduous and preferred penitent Then the betrothed couple. Captain JolBvet and Lnoile, sat at one end of the table facing young AchiUe Oonner, who, at the other end, remained silent between Delaveau and the abb«. And Suzanne. fuU of foresight, had BiTon orders for the httle table to be set behind her, so that she might be near to watch it. Seven-year-old Paul presided over it between three-year-old Nise and three year-old Louise, ™? !*'? behaved m a somewhat disquieting fashion, tor their little paws were continuaUy straying over the pUtes and C?i *"«.«'»»»«'• LooUly » maid remained beside them, while at Uie larger table the waiting was done by the two valets, whom the coachman assisted. Ab soon as the scirambled eggs, accompanied by santeme. naa been served, a general conversation was started. Befer- enoe was made to the bread suppUed by the Beaudair bakers. . rm. • . "npoTOble for me to get used to it,' said Boisgelin. ThMr fancy bread is uneatable, so I get mine from Pans.' He said this in the simplest manner possible, but they all g anced with vague respect at their roUs. However, the un- pleasant occurrences of the previous evening stiU haunted every "wd, and Femande exclaimed : 'By the way, do you Srt'i ht ?^*' '^ ' '"''"'* "'"'P ""•" ^"° ^ ^"•* Luc could not help laughing. ■ Oh, madame, pillaged I ' rtSleal(ii^ ■ "'""■™P'y»'W»>'^lohiffwho ' We were there too,' declared Captain JoUivet, ruffled br Jif if-.Tr?'*' """'''je .ton* of the young man's voice. It !s „„eh to be regretted that the child was not arrested. at least tor example s sake. in the town »e.tod.7S7gke l\^°?«l??° ••"»"* M it were. »t that plei^l ubU l^^ut'"^^ '?'*'• ''• beantiful thinn* V^Siii J? ^''™°,'"'" ■'">'» n'<» "nd ihoald be Itept then!' mJlr'wiyfCcSr^nroe'Ztg^ bead At>t,i„hf. releaM W ™^'' ""^-^Sa^ry, made up hie nind tS exaction -n.; 7°«»1^ je"! fear beneath humoroua whirrghr.^iii^'-iLriite^.ii's'' ? ^'"- wa. certainly to refrain iT^^.r^^X'^^'^^tZr^ Lang, h^l oMiTo th. wind., for Ui. mor. thoM^ro«bw« •pr»«d, thf mon wonU thty b«w frnii. ♦„ l""!?!? • *•«»•»■? e*'™*^ down, Mt «»wiDg hii moniUohM. for he did not wiih to oontrtdlot lu Utin father-ln-Uw openW But Sob-Prtfect OhiUUrd. who h.d Kto^w^ pat. f»uh to noUiing,.xo1.im.d: 'Ah I 1 qnite nnde«tand yoar V..6W., Monmenr le Pr^ridsnt. What you haTdone ?S m my opmion exceUent policy. The .piri'. of the masse. U not worse a BeaudiOr tTan It i. el«,wh.re. Thlt,piriti" overywhere the san^e ; one must strive to acooitom onenlf to t . and the proper coarse is to prolong the premnt itate of thtog. u much a. poMible, for it Men^ certinXt when a change oome. it wifi be fbr .he worse.' "'™*" "»» *"•» • Luc fancied that he eoald detect w>me jeering irony in the amused by the covert terror of the provincial bourgioU aron^ bim. Moreover, Ohitelard's practical policy W^I^^^d An^^y^^ QovernmK-,t machtoe continued* working «»,'r* °'"y^"^ «no ; there wa. grating and 'Am J^if^'^^^^^" '°"^' "" ^ pi"** »d cAimbletoto ^\i'i^ " "■* ""^ '»<"'•' •ys'*™ °>l«lit appeaT There CMtelard, laughing was wont to My among his intinites The machme roUed on because it was woSad up! bSt ,i the first rmUywrious jolt it would go to thedeuw Even ooaon, tne timid reforms which were eisaved. the usalesB naw Uws which men voted without even dartogto ™? ^M^Z thewild. ragefuJ batthng of parties, were only^culatedto aggravate and hasten the supreme agony. Such a r^™ must feel astonished every mornine atSg itaelf st'l& and must say to itwlf that the SownfaU wou d surX^M on the morrow. He, Ch4tolaid, being m no wise a^« workers tte rtSl- ™P"^« their lot, I wiU never accept the Bubverave theone8,tho^ Ideas of the Colleotivists, wWoh wo"d S aU mviliBed society to an end.' ^ he h'ad*'uw,''l*™^^""f voice rang out the fears which 5!.,^ ■ .u ? expenenoed, the ferocity of a threatened ^^^'''f"^'-^ ff?'" '" "P'e»io» which iSdltoM \^J»% '*'" u * 5*?*!*" "^Rht be forced to resume wS^ under the penalty of being shot. „J^t^ '°L'?y P"^' *'^* ^o^e eveiything fbr the work- peop eat my factory,' he continued ; • they've got reUrf fands genmon fanas, cheap dwellings, ev^iy adJant^e T^Sl « Jn» t °" T tLey want ? It seems as ifthe woridwew ooimng to an end-is that not so, Monsieur Delaveau ? ' r«v«^t.w'°*^'rl*' ^'■y*' ^'^ «" *« continued eating rav^noMly, and hstemng, scarcely taking part in the ^ ^Jn^b. "??T! ^, *? *"\' '*"^ ''«• in his quiet energetic end without fighting a httle to make it laet. I am of the ^T An'^^r''™' '* Sous-Prdfet, the strike has end^ 7u^ n • . . ^ °"'e even had some good news. Bonnaira the (tollectivist, the leader whom I was ^peU^ to takebtS' h«, done justice to himself-he quitted the wXlaSS' V JrJ^".* '!\*»l'"°/i^??"8 *» »PPe*r very loyal and just. ™^ ''.»d»"ght to defend hie own Inierests. By going on on stnke the workmen fancied that they were ser^e thSr interests. He, as manager of the works, ifended^S^^f WOXK 9« the plant, the property entnuted to him. And he wu irilling to ■how Bome indalgenoe, dnee he felt hinuelf to be the Btmnger. His one duty was simply to maintain what existed, the working of the wage-system such as it had been organised by the wisdom bom of experienoe. All practical truth centred in that ; a^art from it there were bat criminal dreams, snoh as that Colleoti-nsm, the enforcement of which wonld have brooght about the most frightfiil catastrophes. He also ■poke of workmen's nnions and syndicates, which he resisted energetically, for he divined that they might prove a powerful engine of war. At the same time he triumphed like an active haid-working manager, who was well pleased that the strike had not Mused greater ravages or become a positive disaster, in snoh wise as to prevent him from carrying out his engage- ments with his cousin that year. Just then the two valets were handing round some roast par^id^s, whilst the coachman, acting as butler, offered some 'And so," said Boisgelin, in a bantering way, 'yon promise me that we sha'n't be reduced to potatoes, and that we may eat those partridges without any twinges of remorse ? ' A lond burst of laughter greeted this jest, which was deemed extremely witty. 'I promise it,' gaily said Delaveau, who laughed like the others. ' You may eat and sleep in peace— the revolution which IS to carry away your income won't take place to-morrow.' Luc, who remained silent, could fed his heart beating. That was indeed the position, the wage system, the capitalist exiddting the labour of the others. He advanced five francs, made them produce seven francs, by making the workmen toil, and spent the two francs profit. At least, however, that man Delaveau worked, exerted his brain and his muscles; but by what right did Boisgelin, who had never done anything, live and eat in such luxury ? Luc was struck, too, by the demeanour of Femande, who sat beside him. She appeared to be greatly interested in that conversation, though it seemed little suited to women. She grew both excited ajid delighted over the defeat of the toUers and the victory of that wealth which she devoured like the young wolf she was. Her red lips curved over, dispUying her sharp teeth while she laughed flie Ungh ?? '■ **• ^ '"^**^ *''® "*" ■' '''*' satisfying her rancour and her cravings, in front of the gentle woman whom she was deceiving, between her foppish lover, whom she domhiated, 9i IVOXK tehSr B&iJl!!!S*2>\'''l'' WM gaining futnt. million. ThA JoiiaT """'""^g.MBe besides politics ? ' views- ho the tribuna^ of penitence, accusing herself of CZ deriv^ rrelect Lhatelard, who sat on her other hand. ^i^tfr? the pnest, worthy Monsieur Mazelle, who remained ^OBt forgotten between Judge Gaume and CapWnTuWet MijSirZ.r' "'T'y- °^°8 to his fears of indigesUon PWitwal matters no longer interested him, since, thanks to W^ faeome, he had placed himself bayond the ^h Tsto?mf Nwertheless he was oompeUed to lend e^toTe theonW the eaptein, who was eager to pour forth his feelingB o "rooh a qmet hstener. ^e army, so the captain said, wm fte s ^^ breeze of P«>{»rty.'«idMayorGo^r"^ °° '"« '^r " *onohe. si^jrJrASt'SJtw^tns;: ^,^t ooa actx i.^^'ar^d^^a-^^ «n>y, the clergAhich ^stoedihrdJ^*- '^•'^- ttl ^nS?.!*""' structure of iS^tv i/^?^«.r'»' "?»'«"'. toll of the greater number fedfh^/ '^^"''' ""e murderoug beheld the previous day A^r „• ■ ''°°° ''bich he had MW the front of that ro tinJ^^iif j??: "P°° "■« ™" he now •ng npon every side Ani 1 u *^'^''« ^bioh was coUa™ «-«»«. He^^ddet^tthattSrsiS^oXaLX? WORK ^ f bat itioTt to forget and to diyert theli mindi whJUt nuhiiut I on towkrda the precipice. ,^ , The dewert waa now being aerred, and the table wm i oowed with pastry and magnificent fruit. The better to brmg ba«k the good spirits of the Mazelles, the others, as soon a* Uie champo^e was poured out, began to sing the praises of i^esB, divine idleness, which bebngs not tothis worU. And then Luo, as he continued reflecting, suddenly understood what It was that weighed upon his mind : it was the problem of how the future might be freed, in presence of thrae folks wno represented the myust and tyrannical authority of the After eoffise, which was served in the drawing-room. Boisgehn suggested a stroU through the park as far as the farm, rhroughout the repast he had been prodigal in his attenfaons to Femande, but she still gave him the cold BhouMer, reframmg even from answering him, and reserving her bright smiles for the sub-prefeot seated in front of he^ Matters had Been hke this for a week past, and were always so when he did not immediately satisfy one of her eapriooi. The real cause of then: present quarrel was that she had insisted on his giving a stag-hunt for the sole delight of sho^ herseU at It ^i a new and appropriate oost^ He had taken the hberty to refuse, as the expanses would be vwy peat; and, moreov« Suzanne, having been warned of the matter, had begged him to be a litUe reasonable. Thus a Btraggle had ended by breaking out between the two women. S:. MifeTfte'oft^"" "'"'* '^ '"'^ '""^ ^ ""» '^'y. During lunch Suzanne's sad and gentle eyes h- " missed nothing of Femande's affected coldness and her «mS^ anxious attenbras. And so when the latter propose a stroU she Mderstood that he was simply seeking si oSportnn%to be alone with her sulky rival, in order to defen/himself and w^ her back. Greatly hurt by this, but incapable of battling, she should remain mdoors in order to k^p the Mazelles company. For they, from considerations of health, mvm 5!f,^u ''■emselves on leaving table. Judge Gaume, his daughter Luoile, and Captain Joilivet also declared that they should not |o out; and this led to Abbi Marie nropo»ing to ^the judge a game of chess. Young AchiUe GoWierhad •Iroady taken leave, under pretext that he was preparing ft« wpaiKd to th* W waliS. S^. ^ GouriM., ud Lno loftTtweB. ' ^^ """'y *<"'«^ " nadep the flT.*Se^;^*^itS'ffi r «'5«>'«««7; the brought up ttTreM a«« flT ..^f^^^'^d "onpre chat? A^ong uTm JXiSn'i? *" T" "^fi^*""'! rnpt. said he/and Kolui^'^f wIT^!^"^* •»»''■ be cheap, ^" ^ felohJS L?*''™.'*'^ **** ""^ "tould have to nrt with the man W^^ me^ o7t^ f°°'"''"' dwcoMed, for the farmer h«fl T.blj renewal of the lease was ^onnti^r to no ir'^'aSlen^'^/^'en't^'jS^'^lt'T' Les Combettes no-TthT^llagT ™n£r w^^" S""?^' ^' separated from mine bv fLT™?^ yonder, whose land ig only wfiat Uttir^^ment S«« T. ™ «)ad you can't imaging bimeelf the whUe I Ah tw^ ^ "^'S'""""' P«>Jysing fStidaUty after Xiho™ fin! ^7"" «"»°6'J^8 good i2 monghlftWhidnothW^f?, •"'""' '^'^^ walk straight «»t l,ey wou^d'^^fh';^^^^^^-;-. ^ were convin^d WORK gy TUi »brnpl eoBdadon nude Imo imila. NeT«rth«lan, ?• f^.**?" "7 *••• ""eomwloM oonileHioB ih»t the pre- tended bankraptoy of (he wU eune from • hwk of Mreement tmm ftoee who tilled it. The p*rty wm now onitting the pjrk, ud the young mtn'a gUnee nnged over the great plain 01 lA Boonugne, farmerlT so tamons for its fmitfolnew; bnt now aoonied of growing oold and etetile, and of no longer Yield- ing initenanoe for ite inhabitants. On the left nnead the extenaiT* landi of Boifgelin'a fcrm, whilst on the right Imo peroeived the humble loofa of Lea Combettes, sronnd which were grouped many amaU fielda, cut up into litUe moraels by repeated partition amongat nnmerona heira, in raob wiae that the whoU reaembled a etretoh of patchwork. And Luc aaked liimseU what could poasiUy be done in order that cordial amement might return, in order that from ao many contm- dietary uid barren efforts a great impolae of aoUdanty micht apring, with muveraal happineaa fiw ita object It BO happened that as the promenadera were approaching Hiejumhouse, a lar^e and fairly waU-kept bnlfiBngr&iw heard some loud aweanng and thumpiag of fista nponatable— m bet, aU the uproar of a violent quarrel. Then they aaw two peaeanta, one atont and heavy, and the other thin aed nemua, come out of the honae, and after threatening one anothn /or a last time, go off, each by a diffenmt path, through the flelda towards Lea Combettes. • What'B the matter, Feuillat ? • Boisgelin inqu'-ed of the farmer who had come to his threshold. T ' S** 'w? °othing, monsieur; only two more fellows of lies (tombettes who had a dispute about a boundary, and wanted me to umpire between them. The Leo&nts and the xvonnots have been disputing together from &ther to son for years uid yeara past, and it maddens them nowadays merely to catch sight of one another. It's of no use my talking reason to them. You heard them just now I They'd like to devour one another. And, mm Dim, what fools they are I they'd be togfe UtUt-'^ " *'*^ '""'' ™'' '^'''' ^^ ■«'*« Then, sor^, perhaps, that he had allowed this remark to S^k^' iS' J?, 7*? °°* •">« '^'io'» ""8 a»8ter should have heard, FemUat let his eyelids fall, and with an espresHonkss, impenetrable face, resumed in a husky voice : moment r ' gentlemen like to come in aiid rest a 9S fVOSX ! Wh« th« Utter ril„„t'*°^''"»''°° with Boi.gelln. thougnt o'er £^ 'JSt^ S^^u^"* '^J. i^qni^d i/ liHS of g»iaiiig hii point 'h«!JI-j^'^..^'P'°™»'"' *idroni thoSghtaZthTtCiht tb^t ^fT^'/'P'w'*"'' ^ «*> thoM who tilled it t5oi.«^!i !?! Ifu ""?'" *° Won* to might onee^ lC^"|^i^ ^ ^-m. « order that Sie, with • shrug of the XnM«; w- ^* ""« »<»1'' ««dhe. fl^U««hl3ZJditZriS^2r'hn?^K^'J^*'.»^'^ '^'' P»"'». to them ? For hi/bSt S^^^™"* ""S' «°^ '"'^ '•"" low abletofertiliM t£^ .^•,i^>7 ~"^^,.''»i* nntU he wm fcr. landlord. whoe^^onrthoTg^f ^^L'^^"^'.!-'' ««>» M soon as the crone .C^m • " "* *" ""^ the rent something elaTbe^Sti^ »«„•'"?*'• ^'"' «■•« wa. he piotnAd whoever hi tri^L'^*'"i"l»°r"^« «»* w«»>»W8 agreement amnnr^ ''**' "''° "■« ^tow: • common. «, that tiCe mgh? b?^,SiS'" ** """^ « seal, with the helpTLSSerr Si ^^P*"" • '^ few ideas which had gnST,^- • were best kept fronr STSS h,,^" ^"?^'^ f *" "^^ occaeionaUy^ped hii '^'^^'°^' •">' '^hioh, aU the lame, found the ooliae^"bLL,«»T'i, ^^ ?""> """o •8»itt with which S^b^^!K*«<'^«oft°il»ndpo^ evening- at Bonne's hLTln thi r"'*j°° «"« PW'ioM Dry and ashen, Uteher mT L« ^. n ? ?» Trois-Lones. attitude of silent reaiXtTnnLaf^ :?"""*' "^ «>«» in «n bo, of twelve, Uo K° he «d hL"?',."^^' ^^"' » % And it was evident to Luotha on .f?"^^ "" """ *«^^- peasants as among thrinan»ti.f ^ *" °^«^' »n«»ig the ?ccnrs6d. aishonoied recarf^d J""??"' ""^ ''"'"'d ''hou? t did not even pS fo,^^tr th^ T""' * ^^^S"^. since to hie toa as to a chain In *^« „ • uv^"*' '''° «"« "veted Combettes thesiSs werf ceS"*"^ tillage of lS /arm; *he dwellings th^sZ^'Sj^ttSfc'S:} 0* domaitia uimaig m npon ,_, . j^ ]>nfantaL with th.<. lSi!r-,f. . ''•'J"* T"'<'"ednaM, ud added to their woeTby tt«r ngeful p«,on to prey on one Mother. Luo, uTSSm ud gUnoing eroond hiin, pictured aU the horronrfTS n.o.Jer who alone oouid p^Virmt':!"^,' ^^'^'^ ^OhM?i t-ll^h " "°»ly J-"' that I should profit b, it.' I ^r§S?r '-^^"''^-^^^ ^'e oZt I tuc&°trt^t^7Mrthe';a^"'8"''A'^^ «'°'«' d<«« '•" WOSK amused him. franght as it wai with charm andhOTT ^ Paul BoisgeUn had obtained permiMion to ^e hlit.n ««/ ™t^ • • * "*^° °' *''«™ ''•" lying down nndei a wiJJow Soaernt .n^fj."' ** adventorewa. that the heHf nSid?n th^!^'''* ?°°"« '•*«• '" Wbi had fonnd the pond in the ^KMsession of lome wovking-olase inTaden lh«. a Aedge. To hia mirpnse Lno fonnd that the leader an^i^^t T^^Jr ^i??"*'^ Bonnaire. Bvidantly eno^lt ™ «^SJ£^ -xi.' ■" 'f ""P'e enough. Luoien had fitted ?nd nI^I""^ ' maohaniMn that carried it over thTwaST SSf ^Zi'"'S5 '^'^ to take him to a fine pond he toew trayellpd quite thirty feet through th^ wateT'wi^t^a Bprmg requiring to fee wound affe.hrbu7rfortSyl vS^i '*'* °° """^ '^'='"'''"> '»"'<»» ma17the UUU boat bMk to ihora, in oidn to wind op tha ipriag kfnih, iIm ttgwlynn iomrdi him. Oood utton and ti)« pleMnt* of pl»7 broQffht them together. < I nude it, -jr know,' uid the Ud. ' Oh I let me ae I give it me t ' repLed the duneel. But th«t WM uliing him too mneh, and he energetieally defended the boat from the approach o( her pillaging handi. ' No, no,' said he, ' it gave me too muoh trouble. Leave go or 700*11 breali it.' However, finding her verr pretty and gay, he beeame more cordial, and laid to her : ' I'll make 70a another one U 70a like.' Then he pat the boat in the water again, and the wheela OQoe more began to revolve, whilst Louise accepted his offer, jping her handi and litting down on the grasa b7 hii side, in her torn won over, and treating him as if he were an habitoal pla7fellow. Meantime it TagQel7 occorred to Paul, who was the oldest of the whole partv, quite a little man of seven, that he ought to find out who the others were. Noticing Antoinette, he felt emboldened b7 her amiable demeanour, her health7, pretty face, so lie inqaii«d : 'How old are 70a 7 ' ' I'm four 7ear8 old, but papa saTs I look as if I wai six.' ' Who'f your papa ? ' ' Who 1. papa 1 ynhj, papa, of course, silly I ' The little minx laughed in such a prett7 wa7 that Paol regarded her answer us decisive, and questioned her no further, but sat down by her side, in such wise that the7 at once became the best friends in the world. She looLed so pleasant with her good health and pert expression that he doubtless failed to notice that she wore a very simple woollen fh>ck devoid of all pretensions to elegance. • And yonr papa,' said she. ' Do all these trees belong to lum ? What a lot of room you have to pla7 in I We got in through the bole in the hedge over there, you Imow.' ' It isn't allowed,' said Paul. ' And I'm not often allowed to come here, since I might fall into the water. But it's so amusing I You mustn't say anything, because we should get punished if you did.' But all at once a dramatic incident ooonrred. Master Nanet,whowas so fair and wavy-haired, had been standing in admiration before Nise, who was yet fairer and more wavy- haured than himself. They looked like two toys, and they •uUimid : ■ Aere'i BO m^f . ''■ '" • "PWl of bt«i«da^ " ^^^J ^7* -'^^^^^^^ "* "* '^ "^ " •««»i«. Md earned her like . „ri,t^^^'"'* "•«' "l"^/ wiling about like » nniini. < ' . '"""• *•" i»i>f of them the .hrill o« whioh Sh J '?"f n« kid8. OnfortinS^^ th. maids Wtoeir f"w^f„7!l« »■" *">»>' ""ltd w^ They roee, uid werT rtSld »Pth?^«u?"r *^« '^''• ttioee TorniRsters who hSv- M*" f*"" °^ ^^ iavadera whohild 'heSjde^^tSteh''''T?i'' "•enoT.Sd do bourgeois. A- M^ntfl '' • j "'^ children of well-to- Mt it d,ould bT^Switid anT^"^S °' ^ '^••^ '"« UgB would oarr. him foU^ the hedge. whihrt the^,4s:r™^^:s^4'u &°"L"i^^ ■StTt's-w'- o?i S ~ -s^^x^i: ""X-'flte'tSr r '« 'W ^^^^^^ "-^ »«hng of egotirai, the hatef" battl«^.M '""?^'? f»*««>'. pa«ionB contended. It waTnow ft!i • ^ "0 ^^'"^ ^ ^^^ gelin-' gueste were tak^^f^ve *°" ° «'«'''' "« th. Boi^ WOKK t«j liij? *!f 1°"^ f^f^ bow«T«r, on pHMMnf Ifoniitur J4rt.M fjjctotoy ia hii b»th-«li>tr on Un'STof tL MdhT" !»• olf gMUwiM l«a jort wtorwd toom UTloM mAp. Md h^ rifMd to hit Nmnt lo iMttUmthaN: ».^Z^S *"? WMmthofllw tan, Mif iadMd h« dMind Itat d»7. Oa tha ttopi, amoogst tht Udiet tod RMitl«a«i J^ltta^g.r»dtath«p«kwithP«rii«l.. Bom. mlirat,; «w Bdnelin aDMu with tb* jonni womra. Thw ww. miUng gnutly dd* bj nde, uid obtttug together m ft their kog itrull wm th. moet ii»tnr.l thins In th7world. SoMine mW no «pUnjtk».. but Lno pla&ly ..w tbet her hudf SitSrS^ ^Li!?'u'*"V"*° ''? """"^ for iho hud to pUv ftjprt of • good hoetoe. and affeot amiabUitr. And^ Wt kamW wonnded, and oonld not help itarting when Boil- gdto, adjrnniw Oaptein Jollifet, dedai^ that hiiheoM Mm «pto eea bun, fa o^^er thai ther might oonmlt togathor and 2!!^*? tbat irtag-bunt whioh hitherto he had bSt^agody thonc^t of ThM the die yn» o .t, the wife wae d^Me^ Jheotte had wo-i the day. b».i impoewl her fcoliah uS warteful whun apon h«>r lover during that long itroU whioh fcr impndenea wai tantamount to a pnblioly given «««ig«»a5Ti BJuanne'. heut roee rebeUiooily at the ihonghtTll™ SJJ ^'^J^l^ ""t*!?'^'*' ?* .""? 8» •'•y **"> •»«» dwiaiea and lofty, bent on ihielding the honour of hw n^ »nd her house with aU the abnegation of a virtuoui woman. id»pii>ng into the silence of heroic afFeetion, that silenoe ii^ whtoh she bad resolved to Hve, siaee it would prottct ber fhnn all the inire around her. Luc, who could divine everythin nrw only detected her torment m the aniver of her feverii , nand when he pressed it on bidding her good-bye. Monsieur JlrOme, meanwhUe, had watched the scene with wn^.,^" S^?^^u*" U^'e.'Pring water, in whioh one wondered whether there yet lingered inteUigenoe to nndar- j 1J?°" P^ ^^^- *»«' ^ afterwards witnessed the departure of theguests— that departure which suKgasted • Hm of aU the elements of human power, aU the sooii^ authorities the masters who served aa ezai ni to the masses. OhAteUVd went off in his carriage with Gourier and Ltonore, the latter WiteUng hig daughter's langnishing turtle-dora^ii^iSfw bOTwd if!riKS"-.^* Mpnsienp Mrtme, to whom tWaU AbJS^i.lii/'*''^^ remained, and the numager of the re(teSdto^«''LT^'^^'"'°?"- ThenBoisgelinolumaUy t-:rS£!^,ss'jar'vS' r '"^"» WORK los Joidan wonld do with nfeienoe to the muagaiiMnt of bis blut- fdiDMa now that the old en^eer Lsioche wm dead. One of Delavean's seeiet piojeols had been to bny the blast-fatnaoe ai well as the extensive tiaot of land which separated it Cram the sted-works, in saoh wise as to double the valne of the Abyss. But the whole constituted a big monthfol, and as he did not expect to have the neoessaiy money for such a purchase for a long time to come, he had only thought of slow, progressive extension. On the other hand, the sudden death of Laroohe had now qniclcened his desires, and hehad&nciedthathe might Chaps be able to some to arrangements with Jordan, whom knew to be immersed In his favourite scientific studies, and desirous of ridding himself of a business which brought him a deal of worry. This was why the sudden arrival of Luo in response to a summons firom Jordan had greatly disturbed Deiaveau, who feared that the young man might upset the plans of which he had hitherto only spoken indirectly. At the first questions which the manager put to him in a good-natured way, liuc, although unable to understand everyuing, became suspicious, and he therefore replied evasively : ' I \ aow nothing, I have not seen Jordan for more than six months,' said he. ' As for his blast-fnmace, why, I suppose that he will simply con£de the management to some devei young engineer.' Whilst ii,. spoke, he noticed that Femande's eyes never left him. Nisei.ad fallen asleep on the young woman's lap, and she kept silence, seemingly greatly interested in the conversa- tion of the others, as if she could divine that her future was at stake, for she had already detected that this young man was an enemy. Had he not sided with Suzanne in the matter of the hunt; had not she, Femande, seen them in cordial agreement, with their hands clasped like brother and sister ? Then, feeling that war was virtiudly declared between them, she smiled a keen, cruel smile, like one detenuined on victory. 'Oh t I merely mention the matter,' repeated Deiaveau, beating a retreat, ' because I was told that Jordan thought of confining himself to his studies and discoveries. Some of the latter are admirable 1 ' ' Yes, admirable I ' repeated Luc, with the conviction of an enthusiast. At last the carriage stopped before La CrScherie, and the young man alighted, thanked Deiaveau, and found himself alone. He again felt the great quiver that had come upon io6 WOSK «»nWw£ ^ hr.^'^i'^i^ beneficent de.ttn» had f^ both sidesrf tte hS.^1 " ^"«^* He hS'tlS. o' "ome. th, estaentiriTedS !? " S* ^9"^*°™ "^ wmnnersted, jld in mn J„ * °? '"'»«"• Work, buUv become meri tortu™ .^"Sl !SJ."n"i? ¥P^'«<»'H hS *he very nobility. IjaalHT ..ST ■ *" '' "bonld h»v» been h-irt ^ bnTeti^gat ^tl?°f. ''•P.If^^ mankind S «»Mnedtoopen aWto rive bSlh to°lh" f ' "^ •"■• »'^» •--i» within him for month« ZJ "'»"''«" which I had ^ bom his whoTb^? P^A,^ht» "^ ^°' J"'"^ POSfflble miaeion nowadava thl» .1, f'i :""' ^»» no other oonr of the wretohS^3 ^^1 t^^P« ^ ""e bu" upon the earth. '""* " '""« JMtioe once more «4 « Me iJieufle Mountains that .^r-" l'- "««"'« "wge jutted out like a proS^'! t^fL'^f"*."' '"" "biS gorge opened into L great pZifl of L.T'* ''"*' *« B^" ui this wise from the north^nl^„?°rSP"- ^^t^M south, the park was li^e a ^tn«i ^^.u"""™* '"""^g the springtide i^ed. °""^ hothouse where eternal casoad:slLlo'kyT,Sl wis'Tnt?!?'"^"*' '^--tb in crystalline 3nd goat-pathe. flfgljf orst:riS'fjT°"^ 4e*^^^ the summit amidit eUmbiTr,Ct^^a ^''' '"^^'>^ *^ Down below, the springs uiStedZa^^J^*'*™*" "^^bs. vi«orouskinds.'Si,ti:Syi:UtttiZ^^^| WORK ler of nature to look after itseU, for he only employea one gar- dmar and two ladi, who, apart from attending to the kitchen garden and a few flower-beds below the house-terraoe, eimpW had to keep thwgE Bomewhat tidy. ' Jordan's grandfather, Aur^Uen Jordan de Beanvisase wa« bom in 1790 on the eve of the Reign of Terror. The BeauTieageg, one of the most ancit.it and illnstrious families of the district, had then already faUen from their high estate and of theur formerly vast territorial possessions they only retamed two farms— now annexed to Les Combettes— and between two and three thousand acres of bare rook and barren moor, a broad strip indeed of the lofty plateau of the Bleuse Mountains. Aurfihen was less than three years old when his Mrents were compelled to emigrate, abandoning their flaming ohAtean one terrible winter's night. And until 1816 Aur^lien nad his home m Austria, where his mother and then his father died m swift succession, leaving him in a fearful state of penmy, reared in the hard school of manual toil, with no other bread to eat thui that which he earned as a worker in an iron ^J?f; T • °»f,i3»' oompleted his twenty-sixth year when, under Louis XVIlI., he returned to Beauclair and found the anoestraJ property stiU further diminished, for the two farms were iMt, and there now on.> remained the Uttle park and the two or three thousand acres of stones which nobody cared for. Misfortune had demooi-atised Aur«ien, who felt that he oonld no tonger be a Beauvisage. Henceforth then he simply signed himself Jordan, and he married the daughter of a very noh farmer of Saint-Cron, his wife's dowry enabling him to build on the site of the old ch&teau the iowae^s brick residence m which his grandson now dwelt. But he had become a worker, his hands were still grimy, and he remem- bered the iron mine and blast-lumaoe where he had toiled in Austra. Ah-eady m 1818 he began to look around him, and at Kst, among the desolate rocks of his domain, he discovered a similar mine, the existence of which he had been Ud to suspect bv ceri;am old stories told him by his parents. And nur^^ K^ up the ridge on a kind of natural landing or t^Z^\t°l }^ Cr«oherie, he installed his own blast- farmuje the first established in the region. Prom thit moment he became absorbed in industrial toil, though without ever realising any very large profits, for he lacked capital, and fiis Me proved one continual 'oattie from that cause. His only title to the gratitude of the district was that by the presence df io8 WOUX «aong others betog BW Onri^r,™ ^1 ^a P"^"' *™''> lmessSverv^„Ji'l!^f^Pr«^ exquisite kind' perfect pl^t tit'n ta^ IZ^.t''^'"" ".T"' '''« >"«" crow/edlhe^ Uvef F^ancor"')' I^^.'"''"*^ fruitfulnes^ Miohon. C™^e? a hnmlt^^-°"T^ kindliness. Doctor charitableness a Fourierinn^^^^ fT"""! '»" "^ divine d«ys. withdreV in Ws a al^a to Tt^^'SS"'^ °' ?* «"" daughter buUt him a oavi LT., • f '*''^erie, where his latefy occupied. TherHZ' tw?*,* '?^?^ 1^"^ I""* J""^ books, amidst all the llTf f " ""e^ootor died among his until thXth F3i '[ fLTniT? "L^ *'""'"'• And oocorred five years aStW if /k ^^ loved mother, which La Cr^cherieCI on amfd-t Jl *^^ *"^ '•"'6'. prosperity .nd Sty * '"^ °^ never-failing woxx 109 •ppuntmenU, and bad taken passionately to the investiga- tioni wbioh the application of eleotrioitj offered to stadioas ■oientists. On one side of the hoose he built a very spaoiooi laboratory, installed the necessary machinery for powerfiil motive force in an adjacent shed, and then gradually took to special studies, surrendering himself almost completely to the dream of smelting ore in electrical furnaces in a practical way adapted to the requirements of industry. And from that time he virtually cloistered himself, lived like a monk, absorbed in his experiments, his great work, which became as it were his very life. Beside him, his sister had now taken his dead mother's place; and indeed, beforn long Scenrette was Uke his faithful guardian, his good angel, one who took eveiT care of him, and set round bim all the warm affection that he needed. Moreover she managed the house- hold, spared him many muterial wnrries, served him as a secretary andasdstant-preparator, rendered all sorts of help ever gently and quietly with a placid smile*upon her face. The blast- furnace luckily ptve no trouble, for the old engineer Laroche, a bequest of Aur^lien Jordan, the founder, he4 been there more than thirty years, in such wise that the present owner, deeplv immersed m his studies and experiments, was able to detach himself entirely from business matters. He left the worthy Laroobe free to manage the blast-fuinace in accord- ance with the routine of years ; for he himself had ceased to bother about possible ameliorations, since he cared nothine for mere relative, transitory improvements now that he bad begun to seek the radical change, the art of smelting by electrical means, which would revolutionise the whole world of metallurgieal industry. Indeed, it was often Soeuretta who had to intervene and come to a decision on certain matters with Laroche, particularly when she knew that her brother's mmd was busy with some important investigation, and she did not wish him to be disturbed by any outside matters. Kow, however, Laroche's sudden death had so thoroughly upset the usual well-regulated order of things, that Jordan, who deemed himself sufficiently rich, and had no ambition apart from his studies, would willingly have rid himself of tte blast-furnace by at once opening negotiations with Deutveau, whose desires were toiown to him, had not Scsorette more prudently obtained from him a promise that he would in the first place consult Luc, in whom she placed great confidence. Thence had come the pressing call I to tvoxx ;^to*Bi?„'el2r« »«« which had brougbt Wm .. MtiSiahed ^S™ on.^n;' ■? "5"* "*y "'•7 I»i»d to studies I^^S G w° "'*" .*? P«»«'°*» ^ between them, bSonTn.. -5** »y™P»'»'y had ariswi tion for the T^thTwho^ so entlfio T"" .^ «"»* "^^ and upon deep affeotioTr4 ^ t^Ui^lV? '^!*^ >>im. who seemed to him likn on4!. j; • «»Peot for the gijter, ness. He ha" mU was T«n J"S- P*'™"^<»"°n of »o^ chemist BoupS^stu'5l,™rTi?^ ^'^ ^i <^"» the young man before hw^ther i^l?*^ ^ *» oonsult she felt too that she ought to tooTS.^' ^^^ ^^'^' would be ceded to Delafeau AoSlT.^l, , "^"S "^ ''»»' b JtS^rrd tr^^tV't ^F''- ?''«' '-- ra Iway station, driving ThUhrl?h«T' •^°'" '¥"■ »' «"« bnnp them hoie. Jofdan shor^JS „ "^^"''"<'^> "as to ;ae' long, and gentle fa^ tuh hafr f„?'i'^"' «°a«"''at brown. Ee alighted fror'the tr^^ T*^ ^"^ "' » '«>«d overcoat, although that Ce SenteSS, ^"P**^ ^ * '""S ^^ With his keen, penetrating blwke^!^ in ivl° ?■ T™ o""- seemed to have taken ref^e T '^4= fi^'"^ ^'^ ''" ^'»«ty fnaud Lm. "^s, ne was the first to perceive hA fVOXK ,1, < Ah. my dear follow I ' wkid ha, ■ how kind of you to have wilted (wail You eua'i have an idea of the oataiuopbe that took va away, that poor oonsin of oun, dying like that, all alone, yonder, and we having to go and bury him, when there's nothing we hate so much as travelling. . . , Well, it's ail over now, and here we are.' ' And Jie health's good and yon are not over-tired ? ' asked Luo. ' No, not too mpch. I was fortunately able to sleep.' Bnt Soenrette was in her turn coming up, after making sore that none of the travelling-rugs bad been left inside the carriage. She was not pretty : like her brother she had a very slight fignre, and was pale, oomplexionless, indeed insig- nifioant after the fashion of a woman who is resigned to being • good housewife and nnrse. And yet her tender smiles lent infinite oharm to her face, whose only beaaty dwelt in its passionate eyes, in the depth of which glowed all the craving for love which lurked within her, but of which she herself was as ytt ignorant. Hitherto she had loved none except- ing her brother, and him she loved after the fashion of some cloistered maid, who for the sake of her Deity renounces the whole world. Before even speaking to Luo she called : 'Be careful. Martial — ^yon ought to put on your scarf.' Then, turning towards the young man, she showed herself charmmg, at once giving proof of the keen sympathy she felt lot him : ' How many apologies we owe you, Monsieur Froment ! What can you have thought of us when you found us gone on your arrival I Have you been comfortable at all events, have you been properly cajed for ? ' ' Admirably— I've lived like a prince.' 'Oh I you are jesting. Before I started I took good care to give all necessary orders so that you might lack nothing. Bnt all the same I was absent and unable to watch ; and you cannot imagine how vexed I felt at the idea of abandoning you like that in our poor empty house.' They had got into the carriage, and the conversation cor. bnued as they drove away. Luc fully reassured them at last * 'r?^8 them that he had spent two very interesting days, of which he would give them full particulars later on. When May reached La GrSoherie, although the night was falling, Jordan looked eagerly around him, so delighted at returning to hu wonted life that he gave vent to cries of joy. It seemed to him at if he were coming back after an absence of levnal Ill WORK J£r.h?ir" »«PPfaei» Uyin the little nookwhi««SS m?£i ir?"'/'"*o'"^' ^'^ ^^ ^•'''* of th« <»re. of life * WWrt WMtmgfor Scenrottetohave the dinner served. Jordan washed himself m some warm water, and then insisted^ i±^5;ui,^'''''? labo»tory.for he himself wiSC^r to ^^J'w'' ?''"8 ^^^ » "«''* """ell that he shonlThaw s?at t' teiifs'^itfe^^-t^si! "' »" ""»«"> '"• •^^ f^tL.T'"' ""^*i'' TS'' ^"'f'" °' plan'. »nd electrical furnaces on a reduced scale in the cornen;. A eysterof caMee and wires hangmg overhead ftom end to end of the iSS" ^^7?' •'.1*\«='"?1 Mo«™ force from the neighbouring shed and distributeu it among the appliances, tools and ™"^'"^'5S''?i '^f*.u*>« neo^essaryei^rimMts^ht b^ made. And beside aU this scientific seventy was a ^raSnand oomr retreat m front of one of the windows, a retreat with low bookcases and deep Mmohairs, the couch on which the bro4« ^^ If "Tf**^ *^2?"' »"^ ** "'«« *•"• »' which tte fiSftfuT^^"""'"'"' °^'" """ "" ""^'""8 •»•« ^ • »j;^'^.i!*""'^ *, l^''"''' ""^ *!>» "''ole room became radiant with a rush of electric light. •/"^•ma .•»i'*^i.''®'?. -^ TJ ' ^^ •"«■ ' K«»"y now, I only feel all ^^LTSS°J ? ""^^""T- \''^'' ^"y- *"* ndsfortune which passionately interested in a new experiment-I shall hawto begm It agam. But, mm Dieu I hbw well I feel I • infl lf<,'!?h„'^^*V'°*''"^= "."'""F had come to his cheeks, S^t^nf^'^^i'- '^?" antoation than usual. Leaning back on the couch in the attitude he usually assumed when yielding to thought, he compelled Luo also to sit doW^ 1 say, my good friend," he continued, ' we have plentv of bme-have we not ?-to talk of the matters which mKe K) desirous to see yon that I ventured to summon you here! Besides, it 18 necessary that Soeurette should be present, for Sa Zi«m. t^ ^i°°"' 71 r">»'9. 0" Chat at dessert. And meantime, how happy I feel at having yon there in front WOXK "3 ofnMioteUjrouhowIkmgtttiiigonwithmyiiadiMl Th«j doa't mngress very faat, bat I work at them, ud that'i the gnat tning, 70D know. It's enough il one worka two hoon a Then, thii aiaall; iaoitnrn man went on chatting, reoonnt- ing his experiments, which as a rule he confided to nobodr, excepting the trees of his park, as he sometimei jestingly exclaimed. An electrical furnace being already devised, lie had at first simply sought how it might be praotically employed for the smelting of iron ore. In Switzerland, where the motive power derived from the torrents enabled one to perform certain work inexpensively, he had inspected f amaces which melted alnminium under excellent conditions. 'Why should it not be possible to treat iron in the same way ? To solve the problem it was only necessary to apply the same pnndples to a given case. The blast-furnaces in use gave scarcely more than 1,600 degrees of heat,' whereas 2,000 were obtained with the electrical furnaces, a temperature which would produce immediate fusion of perfect regoluity. And Jordan had without any difficulty planned such a furnace ai he thought advisable, a simple cube of brickwork, some sis feet long on each side, the bottom and crucible being of magnesia, the most refractory substance known. He had also calculated and determined the volume of the electrodes, two large cylinders of carbon, and his first real find consisted in discovenng that he might borrow from them the carbon necessary to disox^genate the ore, in such wise that the operation of rjieltmg would be greatly simplified, for there would be but little slag. If the furnace were built, however, or at least roughed out, how was one to set it working and keep it working in a practical, constant manner, in accordance with industrial requirements ? ' There 1 ' said he, pointing to a model in a corner of the laboratorv. ' There is my electrical furnace. Doubtless it needs to be perfected ; it is defective in various respects, there are little difficulties which are not yet solved. Nevertheless, such as it is, it has given me some pigs of excellent oast iron, and I estimate that a battery of ten similar furnaces working for ten hours would do the work of three establishments liku mme kept alight both by day and night. And what easy work it would be, without any cause for anxiety, work which ' It may be p»inm«4 thit M. ZoU meoni centigrade dtgnn.— >«4 WOXX SSSLy^'lV^ »»r •imply tnrntog on .witoh... Bnt 1 murt eonfeM that my pl« eort dm m maoh money m If th« w«r. dlTW fagote. An3 io th. probUm i. pWi .nooSf^ ? lis,?*' *> *". l» only » Uboratory toy, »nd wlU wUy editwith«.p«,ttomdurtri^ „t«rpri« wtin I .mabr^ ftjditwithMjbundanoe of eleotrieity at » anffloientty low oort to render the imelting of iron ore remunerative.' Then be expUmed that for the laat aix months he had lefl IM famaoeon one aide to devote himieU entirely to itadyinii the tranipori of eleotnoal force. Might not economy already from, and by transmitting electrical force by eaies to the distant faotonn re^nirmg it? That again was a problem 1^ many wSimti'sta had been endeavouring to whe to ■wraal yean, and unfortunately they aU found thenuelTea confronted by a considerable loss of force during transit. Borne more experiments have just been made,' said lioo wth an mcredulous air. 5 bwlthj iiien teemed to be neoeiauy ? He eonld hardly trut I abont, he oonld iouoely bresthe, end yet be railed • very world I with hie little bandi, week thoagb they were, like thoee of » ■ieUy obild. However, Scaurette now made her appearanoe, and gaily exolaimcd : ' What I aren't you coming to dinner f I eliall took up the laboratory, my dear Martial, if yoa won't be reaionable.' The dining-room, like the takn — two rather email apart- menti u warm and aa cosy ai neeti, in which one detected the watohfnl care of a wom»n'e heart— overlooked a vaet itretch of greenery, a panorama of meadowi and ploughed field) ipreading to tbe dim distant horizon of La Bonmagne. Bat at that boor of night, although the weather wai lo mild, tbe ourtaing were drawn. Luc now again noticed what minute attentione the sister lavished on the brother. He, Martial, followed quite an intricate regimen, having his special dishes, his special bread, and even his special wnter, which was slightly warmed in order to ' take the chill off it.' He ate like a bird, rose and went to bed early, like the chickens, who are eensible creatures; then during the day came short walks and rests between the honn that he gave to work. To those who expressed abtonithment at ilia prodigious amount of work that he accomplished, and who thought him a terrible labourer, toiling from morning till night and showing himself no mercy, he replied that he worked scarcely tkree hours a Jay, two in the morning and one in the afternoon. And even in the morning a i^ll of recreation came between the two hours that he gave to work ; for he could not fix his attention upon a subject for more than one hour at a stretch without experiencing vertigo, without feeling as if his brain were emptying. Never luid he been able to toil for a longer time, and bis value rested solely in his will-power, bis tenacity, the passion that ha imported into the work whiRh he undertook, and with which he persevered, on and on, in all intellectual bravery, even if years went by before he brought it to a head. Iiuc now at last discovered an answer to that question which he had so often asked himself : wherever did Jordan, ■ffho was so slight and weak, find the gtrongtb requisite tot his mighty tasks? He found it solely in method, in the owrefnl, well-reasoned employment of all his means, however slight they might be. He even mode use of his weakness, iS ii6 lyoRjc Ming it »i » WMpon which pr*v«utcd him from bains dUtaibed by outdden. But kbor* kU eln, ha wm ever intent on one Mid the wme thing, the worli he had in huid. To Ui»t work he gave e -eiy minute at hii diipoeal, without Mwr yieldipg to dueoui-aeement or Uuitnde, bat laetained by the onbUing deeperate laith which raiief moontaint. le it known what a maei of work one maj pile up when one worke «iiy two honri a day on some usaful and decisive task, which la never interrnpted by idlenem or fancy ? Such work ii like the grain of wh<»t which, accumnUting, fUl« the sack, or Uke Uia eTer-falling drop of water which cauBee the river to over- "U; , "^ byetone, the edifice riaes, the monument giowa, unHI it o'ertope the mountains. And it was thus, by a prodigy of method and personal adaptation, that thin iijhly Uttle man, wrapped in rugs and diinking his water warm for "^Vu t "i"""" "'*'' *°'^' acoomplishod work of the mightiest bnd, and this although he gave to it only the few hours of intellectaal health that he succeeded in wrestino from his ohytical wes'-.ic. . The dinner proved a very friendly and cheerful repast. The household service was entirely in the hands of women, tor Boeurette found men too noisy and rough for her brother. The coachman and groom simply procured assistants on certain occasions when some very heavy work liad to be done. And the servajnt-girls, all carefully selected, pkasant-looking. gentle and skilful, contributed to the happy qtiiescence of UMt cosy dwelling, where only a few intimates were received. Inat evenm^r, for the return of th . master and mistress, the dmner conmsted of some dear soup, a barbel from the Mlonne with melted butter, a roast fowl and some salad— all very simple dishes. ' 80^ yon have really not felt over-bored since Saturday ? ' Boeurette mquired of Luc when they were aU three seated at Uie table. 'No, I assure you,' the young man answered, 'And besides, yon have no notion how fuUy my time has been ocoupied. Then he first of aU recounted his Saturday evening, the covert state of rebellion in which he had foo- \ Beanolau:, the Uieft of a loaf by Nanet, the arrest of Lange, and his visit to Bonnaire thfi victim of the strike. But bj- a strange acruplB, at which he afterwards felt astonished, he virtuaUy skipped His meetmg with Josine, and did not menUon her by nami^ WOXK "7 ■ Poor felki I ' eieUinMd BaonlU aempaisioMtely. ' Tlul frighttnl itrik* rednoed thtm to bnad aod water, ud •Ton tboM who had bread ww* loeky. What can on* do ? How oaa on* help them f Almi gira but the ilightett reliaf, and jou don't know how diitrauad I hava b««n daring the lait two monthi, at feeling that we, the rioh and happy, art la utterly powerleM.' She wae a humanitarian, a pupil of her grandfather Dr. Uiohon, the oldFourieriitand Saint-Biinonian, who whan •be wae quite little had taken her on hie kneee to teU her iome fine atoriee of hie own invention, etoriei of pbalaniteriea eetabUehed on bliieiol iilanda, of ciUee where men had tonnd the fulfilment of all their drMmi of happinen amidit eternal •pringtide. ' what can be done 7 What can be done ? ' she repeated doloronely, with her beautiful, soft, oompaeaionate eyee fixed upon Lnc. ■ Something ought to be done, surely.' Then Lno, emotion gainmg on him, raised a heartfelt ery. ' Ah I yes, it's high time, one must act.' Bui Jor WOXK I do not allow myBelf to b« disturbed by them, for the hmost will come m ita due Besson.' f^ri^""' '«'e™^^">d disturbed as he himself felt, did not &?;. \^'?*'^5 ""'r*"" ^ "'»*« ''""he had spent Ms Sunday, hig mvitation to La Guerdaohe, the lunch thVe IhaWK^* •"^. ">«'»' t»Me, and what had been done ud what h^ been said. But whilst he spoke he could see that tt'&tho^' foC'* '"'""'"« ~^'' " " '^«y *~"' - 'We seldom see the BoisgeUns now that they are Uvinc ?qwT '5.i°^ exclaimed, with his quiet frankness, rhey showed themsdyes very amiable in Paris, but here we ^J"**!.'-;*^ "" i*"" »" intercourse has graduaUy ^tlh-f ""***' "."S"' ^ acknowledged that our Weas anj pur habits are very different from theirs. As for Delaveau he JBanrnteUigent and active feUow, absorbed in hirbSss R.i,!?''"."^®- •^^ ^ ■""'* '^^ *!>"* the fine society of S^ r ■^'f^'^^^t *° """^ " P"*"' ""' I keep my /oot ^o^it" "• ^^'i^^^*^ "' "' indignation and at remLntag alone like some dangerous madman.' * ..M T'*'?t''**^. *" .'??«''• ' ^'^^^ exaggerates a little.' Tm S?*-tJ.J "^"* ^'''^ ""'«' ■^'"o •« "Worthy man, M wellas Doctor Novarre and Hermeline the sohiolma^e^ whose conversation mterests me. And if it is true that we Ji^am simply on a footing of courtesy with La Guerdacheri none the less retam smcere friendship for Madame Boisgelin. who is so good, so charming.' ""gwm, exouS": 7^u"¥ f. *«"* ^ ""ter at times, thereupon exclaimed : ' Why don't you say at once that it is I wto wcl^^^r" V'l ^ ''?'"' ""^ "^ « I ^ere not he«, yo2 would throw the doors wide open I • <=™ you ' Why, of course I ' she answered gaily, • the house is sneh as you desire it to be. But if yon wMTlt I wn qiSte S» 0«fJL*n" ^^' "■« invite Sub-Prefect OhitSard, Mayof S^^Llf »" G«ume, Captain Jollivet, and the MazeUes wd .?,. w''?*^"'^ *°^ '•'e D^laveaus. You shaU ocen the h»ll with Madame Mazelle ! ' ^^ * "*" «J^!'k!1?!'' °° J*"'?"*! ^°' '^ey felt very happy that evMung, both on account of tUJr return to thefr ne^t and rf Lnc 8 presence beside them. At last, when the dw^ww •arved, they proceeded to deal with the great question. The t^«f *»\.T^':r^' ^ «°"* "^ ^ ^^" light 'elt slippers, whiob rendered their footsteps inaudible; wd the |^ WORK H9 d'hLng-rwjm ' eemed fall of the charm of sffeeUonste Intimuy, w.Hen tsartf. »nd minds can be opened in all freedom. ' Bo iiil^, my friend,' eaid Jordan, ' ia what I aak of jonr friendship. I wish yon to study the qnestion, and tell me what yon yourself would do if you were in my plaoe.' He recapitulated the whole business, and explained how he himself regarded it. He would long since have rid himself of the blast-furnace if it had not, so to say, continued work- ing of its own accord in the jog-trot manner regulated by routine. The profits remained sutHcient, but holding himself to be rich enough he did not take them into account. And on the other hand, had he been minded to increase them, double or treble them as ambition might dictate, it would have been necessary to renew a part of the plant, improve the systems employed, and in a word devote oneself to them entirely. That was a thing which he could not and would not do, the more particularly as those ancient blast-furnaces, whose methods to him seemed so childish and barbarous, possessed no interest for him, and could be of no help in the experiments of electrical smelting in which he was now passionately absorbed. So he let the furnace go, occupied himself with it as little as possible, whilst awaiting an oppor- tunity to get rid of it altogether. ' YoD understand, my friend, don't you ? ' he said to Luc. 'And now, you see, all at once old Larocbe dies, and the whole management and all its worries fall on my shoulders again. You can't imagine what a lot of things ought to be done — a man's lifetime would scarcely suffice if one wished to deal with the matter seriously. For my part nothing in the world would induce me to relinquish my studies, my investi- gations. The best course, therefore, is to sell, and I am virtually ready to do so ; still, first of all, I should much like to have your opinion.' Luc onderstood Jordan's views, and thought them reason- able. ' No doubt,' he answered, ' you cannot change your work and habits, your whole life. You yourself and the world would both lose too much by it. But at the same time I think yon might give the matter a little more thought, for perhaps there are other solutions possible. Besides, in order to sell yon must find a purchaser.' 'Oh I I have a purchaser,' Jordan resumed. 'Delaveaa ba* long desired to annex the blast-furnace of Ja Grteherie 130 WOXX ' tE th« v!l ®- '! ?° ~"'* "^ intelligent man.' c^f peehngcaldned rock amongst whilhtheTeSne Hatrefa^e Soe™t'te'""a ™li'''°i'"'*i5 '^. "° '<"'»6' «>« ''O'ted ? • insisted ^B eyening in i-ans that the ironmasters in Eastern France WOSX III had muiagecl to make nae of most defective ore by eubjeoting it to some chemical treatment. Why faaa that pioeesB never been tried here?' Jordan raised his arms towards the ceiling in a fit of de- spair. ' Why _? why, mjr dear ? ' he cried. ' Because Larocho was deficient in all initiative ; because I myself have never had time to attend to the mr.tter ; because things worked in a certain way and could not be got to work otherwise. If I'm selling the property it's precisely becauso I don't want to hear it mentioned again, for it is radically impossible for me to direct the business, and the mere thought of it makes me ill.' He had risen, and his sister seeing him so agitated, re- mained silent for fear lest in provoking a dispute she might throw him into a fever. 'There are moments,' he continued, 'when I think of sending for Delaveau so that he may take everything whether he pa^s or not. I am not hard up for money. It's like those eleotnoal furnaces which so greatly impassion me; I have never once thought of employing them myself and of coining money with them, for as soon as I solve all the difficulties in my way, I shall give my invention to everybody, so as to help on universal prosperity and happiness. . . . Well then, it is understood. As our friend considers my plan to be a reasonable one, we will study the conditions of sale together to-morrow, and then I'll finish everything.' Lno made no resp(nise ; a feeling of repugnance still possessed him, and he did not wish to pledge himself too far. Bat Jordan became yet more excited, and ended by suggesting that the;r should go up to see the furnace, the more especially as he wished to ascertain how things had gone there during his three days' absence. ' I am not without anxiety,' said he. ' Although Laroche has been dead a week I have not replaced him — I have let my master-smelter, Morfain, direct the work. He is a capital fellow t He was bom up yonder, and grew up amidst the fires I Nevertheless the responsibiUty is heavy for a mere workman such as he is.' ScBuretto, alarmed by her brother's suggestion, intervened entreatingly. ■ Oh, Mutial I ' she cried, ' you have only just oome ba(W firom a long journey, and yet, tired as yon must be, yon want to go out again at ten o'clock at night.' Jordan thereupon became very gentle again, and kissed her. ' Don't worry, little one,' said he ; ' you Enow that I never Its WORK jure that the night wm^IiIt Zm r^^' ■? ?"^ to make beneath the heavens whiXZ^J? ""« fields aU slumbered velvet spangled wUh s Ws ^^ '"'* ^^ " '^"''Py <" ^^ Baid' tote^^«^^^^,nX; ''.T*".^?--*' remain out late.' brother. 'Do not let him whi2h"wM ^uToItT ^"^ *? "'^.'' » "»'«"' Btairway halfway up the huge ndBToftL bi « ^"™«« stood, • labyrinthine sta^^y of L^lto «r "°'^'^'"- » '""^ pines and olimbinTSStr aT^i. il^' '^'^8 ^^"^ W one peroeiv^ SrlTaok pilTtf ^"/i °°u™"^ T "" fo^tasti^^taroulrrce^tSftf '^"°'"' "^"^ w-.^fCS^^'g'^^'^S^^^^ijAirt steps, and as he Mora"at°hSm^ir'' '' """ *° ""^« "-« ""ether • Why'h'e^' ^X ' '^1^ ^"o « astonishment into.rLY'o'f"'d:^^g?irr;hi^''H, ^ ,*■« *™«d obstmately wth hialon ^d ^lan^J • •" '*°8» "«wt offers that I have mLe of ™„ J* ''u'?'' *? "?'»« »' all the AU along the g«w of Bri^* ^ ''* » "*"« »»0"«>-' people dwell h. Sar iX^'^M f -"'^'»"' "^ Poor remamed there from^to f-Vi, S*^"^*^ ^ Ws part had first see^ th^ hgW^aSd mn^"''' I*"' previously^J beside his work, that fti;,^^;^^!"',''' '"'I ."""b 'lose prison, and his ompoT^rZvlf' ^'S.^i'f'^J^ •*'«• *^ historic dwelling, he hkd h«h^II "it ^^ -^^ "^^'"^ a pre- oaves, dosing bfuTridwtf, !!/;''* *"u""**' ">»" ""he ^^m^-^im WOSK "3 bedroom, and the oommon room, which serred at once ta kitohen, dining-room, and workshop. And all three ohambera were very clean, with their walls and their yaulted roof of ttone, and their substantial, if roughly hewn, furniture. As Jordan had said, the Moriiaaus from &ther to son had been master-smelters at La Crioherie. The grandfather faaC helped to found the establishment, and after an uninterrupted family reign of more than eighty years the grandson now kept watch over the tappings. Like some indisputable title of nobility the hereditary character of his calling filled Morfain with pride. His wife ' '^d now been dead four years, leaving him a eon then sixteen, i a daughter then fourteen years of age. The lad had immediately begun to work at the fur- nace, and the girl had taken care of the two men, cooking their meals, sweeping and cleaning the dwelling-place like a good housewife. In this wise had the days gone by; the girl was now eighteen and the lad twenty, and the father quietly watched his race continuing pending the time when he might hand over the furnace to his son, even as his father had transmitted it to him. ' Ah I so you are here, Morfain,' said Jordan, when he bad pushed open the door, which was merely closed by a latch. ' I have just returned home, and I wanted to know how things were getting on.' Within the rocky cavity, lighted by a small and smoky lamp, the father and son sat at table eating some soup - a mess of broth and vegetables— before starting on their night's work, whilst the daughter stood in the rear, serving l^em. And their huge shadows seemed to fill the place, which was very solemn and silent. At last in a gruff voice Morfain slowly answered, ' We've had a bad business. Monsieur Jor- dan, but I hope that things will be quiet now.' He rose to his feet, as did his son, and stood there between the lad and the girl, idl three of them strongly built and of such lofty stature that their heads almost touched the rough smoky stone vault, which served as a ceiling to the room. One might have taken them for three apparitions of the vanished ages, some family of mighty toilers w..ose long efforts throughout the centuries bad subjugated nature. Lno gazed with amazement at Morfain, a veritable oolossns, one of the Vnlcans of old by whom fire was first oonqoered. He had an enormous head, with a brood face, ravined and scorched by the flames. His brow was a bossy 124 WOSJC S?i«5fLTiJ'°''*^..^''*>« '»»'«. Ws now showed lilu tn •»«le B beak between bia oheeks, which looked m if fwi,.2 ^en ravaged by Bome flow of kVa tjdWs ."ouL t^^i^d tLw"" '»1°" "d the BtreDgth of pinee« of oTdTtoel Then Luo glanced at the son, Petit-Da ' m ho wm «X^ Md fitw w °'°°'?' *° pronounce certain words badl^ waf ."'oS?oS;alS«,t r' tgHaKtjr 'th«''' "«"" SsStw-f^Sj^thrr^-"-^^^^^ by dawning powere ot'thonKht7 Finally Luo ■" ■ ■ .f!5T 1 ? region, yet one who in her wildness dreamt he^&thiA''3'' '""' ^"^ -^^ "^ "«' approach of thLgB that leorea au tbe long overpowermg labour of mankinil ™ iL deadly to°l' ' """*"' "°'"^'y «>»' springs from .—11 •'^° "*° finished their soup Btandine. hastily Bwallownig large spoonfuls of it whilst th^e girTS, lE I ► t ■ WORJC us to wipe tlie table. They rarely ipoke together, a gesture or a glance Bufliced for them to unaerstand each other. Neverthe- fesa the father, affectionately aofleniiig his gruff voioe, said to Ma-BIeue : ' You can put oat the light, yoa need not wait for D8, we shall have a rest up above.' Then whilst Morfain and Fetit-Da went off in front, accompanying Jordan, Luc, who was in the rear, glanced ronnd, and on the threshold of that barbarian home he per- oeived Ma-Bleue, standing erect, tall and superb, like some amoro»a of the ancient days, whilst her large azure eyes wandered dreamily far away into the clear night. The black pile of the furnace soon arose before the young man's view. It was of a very ancient pattern, heavy and squat, not more than fifty feet in height. But by degrees various improvements had been added, new organs, as it were, which bad ended by forming a little village around it. The running hall, floored with fine sand, looked light and elegant with its iron framework roofed with tiles. Then on the left, inside a lai-ge glazed shed, was the blast apparatus with its steam engine ; whilst on the right rose the two groups of lofty cylinders, those in which the combustible gases became purified, and those in which thejr served to warm the blast nom the engine, in order that it might reach the furnace burning hot, and in this wise hasten combustion. And there were idso a number of water-tanks and a whole system of piping, which kept moisture ever trickling down the sides of the biick walls in order to cool them and diminish the wear and tear of the awful fire raging within. Thns the monster virtcally disappeared beneath the intricate medley of its adjuncts, a conglomeration of buildings, a bristling of iron tanks, an entanglement of big metal pipes, the whole forming an extraordinary jumble which, at night-time especially, displayed the most barbarous, fantastic silhouettes. Above, beside the rock one perceived the bridge which brought tite trucks laden wHh ore and fuel to the level of the mouth of the furnace. Below, the kieve reared its black cone, and then itom the belly downward a powerful metal armature sustained the brickwork which supported the water conduits and the tsmx twyers. Finally, at the bottom there was bat the omcible, with its taphole closed with a bung of refractory clay. But what a gigantic beast the whole made, a beast it disquieting, bewildering shape, which devoured atonM ud gava out metal in fusion. I}< tVOJtX doira the uda. of the brioki, and the oeaaelesi diitant nimK pi the blast apparatus in the engine-shed. And the onl? lights were those of three or four lanterns gleaming amidst the darkness, which the shadows of the huge huUdings rendered the more dense. Moreover, only a few pale figures wore seen flitting about, the eight smelters of the night-ihift. who wandered hither and thither whUst waiting for the next mn. On the platform of the mouth of the fiimaoe up above (me eould not even discern the men who, sUentlv obeym« the signals sent them frpm below, poured into the furnaol the reqmute charges of ore and fuel. And there was not a cry. not a flash of light; it was all dim, mute labour, somethiiS mighty and savage accomplished in the gloom. ^^ JordMi, however, moved by the bad news given him, had revert^ to his dream ; and pointing to the pUe of buildings, he said to Luo. who had now joined him :■ You see it, my fnend ; now am I not right in wishing to do away with aU that, in wishmg to replace such a cumbersome monster, which entails such pamful toil, by my battery of electrical furnaces, which woiUd be so clean, so simple, so easily managed? Smoe the day when the first men dug a hole in the ground !^* -M K* "S? \ °»"Slmg it with branches which they set aUght, there has reallv been little change in the methods employed. They are still obUdish and ^Uve. Ourbh^ fuznaoM are mere adaptations of the prehistoric pits, ahanged uito hoUow columns and enlarged according to requirMuents. And one contmnes throwing in the ora and the combustible peU meU, and burmng them togethei. One might take such a fiimace to be some infernal animal, down whose throat one IS for ever ponnng food compounded of coal and oxide of iron, which «he b^t digests amidst a hurricane of fire, and which it gives out down below in the form of fused metal, whilst the gases, the dust, the slag of every kind goes off elsewhere. And observe that the whole operation rests in the slow desomt of the digested substances, in total absolute digestion, for the object of all the improvements hitherto effected has been to bcihtate it. Formerly there was no blast, no blowing apparatus, and fusion was therefore slower and more defective. Then cold air was employed, and next it was perceived that a better result was obtained by heating -li^*rPlr 'f^-^v-^yp- WORK 117 the air. At lut osme the ides of lieating tliat air br txHTowing feam the furnace itself the gasea wbieh had formerly bamt at ite mouth in a plume of flames. And in khii wise man^ external organs have been added to our blast- fomaoes, but m spite of ever; improTement, in spite of their huge proportions, they have remained ohildish, and have even grown more and more delicate, liable to frequent accidents. Ah I yon can't imagine the illnesses which fall upon such a monster. There is no puny, sickly little child in the whole world whose daily digestion gives as much anxiety to his parents as a monster like this gives to those in charge of it. Day and night incessantly two shifts, each of six loaders up above and eight smelters down below, with foremen, an engineer, and so forth, are on the spot, busy with the food suppL'ed to the beast, and the output it yields ; and at the slightest disturbance, if the metal run out should not be latisfaotory, everybody is in a state of alarm. For five years now this furnace has been alight ; never for a single minnte has the internal fire ceased to perform its work ; and it may bum another five years in the same way before it is extinguished to allow of repairs being made. And if those in charge tremble and watch so carefully over the work, it is because there is the everlasting possibility that the fire may go out of itself, through some accident of unforeseen gravity in the monster's bowels. And to go out, to become extinguished, means death. Ah I those little electrical furnaces of mine, which lads might work, they won't disturb an^rbody's rest at nights, and they will be so healthy, and so active and so docile I ' Lno oould not help laughing, amused by the loving passion which entered into Jordan's scientific researches. However, they had now been joined by Morfain and Petit-Da, and the former, under the pale gleam of a lantern, pointed to one of the fonr pipes which, at a height of nine or ten feet, penetrated the monster's flanks. ' There I it was that twyer which got stopped op, Monsieur Jordan,' he said, ' and unfortunately I had gone home to bed, so that I only noticed what was the matter the next d%y. As the blast did not penetrate a chill occurred, and a quantity of matter got together and hardened. Nothing more went down, but I only l)eaame aware of the trouble at the moment of tapping, on seeing the slag come out in a tbiok pulp which was abea'-r black. And you can under- ui WOKK •tima my fright ; for I remembered our miafortua* ten vekn Never before had Morfain apoken lo many wordi at a jtajtoh His voice trembled Si he roS The fom« Mcident, for no more terrible Ulnen can fall oa the monSer than one of thoae chiUa «h> h solidify the ore wd Lnv°rt it Sin j*^'^"'?.''"'™"- By degrees the whole mass becomes dulled^d adheres to the furiiace: and then therf '.S.^ else to be done but to demolish the pile, raze it to the around like some old tower chokeful of atones. " " " "" grouna, 'And what did you do ? ' Jordan inquired. Morfain did not i immediately answer. He had ended hv lovmg that monster whose flow of glowing if^ hS MOwheS hia face for more than thirty yeai-s. It waslikTa oii!St » m«to. a god of fire whieh bVadored. bendfng b^^eS" 'he Sf m/.IJfn^'K°' '•'' rr "P '^" ^'^ ''«'"' '"««d upon Wm IZ^iSr *' l**"^'^ ,?*" ' <>»'»'« " 1"" sole means of procuring daiiy bread. He scarcely knew how to read ha W not Eeen touched by the new spfrit which JasabJ^; he experienced no feelings of rebellion, but cheerfully aocTpted his life of hai-d servitude, vain of his strong arSis XS ^» »^'o."'^-'' ^r^'l.*'" '^^^"'y 'o that^crSncUng cdZJ nf Lw ^8«'"«>".,'»e ^ateted without ever a thought ^gofag out on Btnke. And his barbarous and territSe god had become his passion; his faith in that divinit/waa insfanct wi^ secret tenderness, and he still qnive^'Jih 1» h^ t^ ^"t'y I"'? ^"'S^^O"^ attac^Xm wWch devofon. ^ ' ' *" »'™orfi>»M7 effort, of . J,.^^''*' I did I • he at last responded. ' Well. I beean hv ^:^^L^' farges of coal, anfthen I trW to o&hj twyer by working the blast apparatus as I had sometimes seen Monsieur Laroche do. But the attack was Sv^ serious, and we had to disjoint the twyer and attaS^ th^ stoppage with bars. Ah I it wasn't ia easy jSJ and ™in„ S^* f" S- *" P*'."' ""^ I '" be'ter pleased wC! Mnong ^e slag this morning, I found some rerinants of ore for I reahsed &at the matter whieh hsd set had Tot brokra •light now, and we shaU be doing good work again. Beaidei wosx «»» Alftough he WM weU-nigh ezhanated by tuoh . long JMeooMd, h» added In a lower voice: 'I really believe Monaieur Jordan, that I ehould have gone up "C tS flung myself into the mouth il I had not had better news to whSJ ™„^"'i,'"'l'""*t:. •'''° °°'7 » '"'••'■nan. » "melter, in rn^nX./'''*^.'°"?^5°?*'«!."°8 «« » genUeman's p^st, M engineers post. And jnst fancy me letting the fur^e go out and 'ellmg you on your return home that it was dead I Ah I no, indeed, I'd have died tool I haven't been to bed mlt!!?,^, ** ^""1' ,1'? J'*?' ''»'<'b here, like I did beside S^^^nn^K.'u *° ^'°" ?"• ^""^ " P'*'*'"' I may admitit. rt!S^^ ^^^ y°,? '5°°^ ™« 6'"''"8 ^»s 'he first food I had tasted for forty-eight hours, for I couldn't eat before, my own stomaoh seemed to be stopped up like the furnace's. I don't WMt to apolo^se, but simply to let you know how happy I feel "i: having failed in the confldenco you put in me." That big feUow, hardened by perpetual fire, whose hmbs •mm like steel, almost wept as he spoke those words, and Jo«tan pressed his hands affectionately, saying : 'I know how valiimt you are, my good Morfain ; I know that if a disaster had happened you would have fought on to the very end.' Meantime Petit-Da had stood listening in the gloom, inter- vening neither by word nor gesture. He only moved when Ills lather gave him an order respecting the tapping. Every fonr-and-twenty hours the metal was run out five times, at intervals of nearly five hours. The charge, which might be eighty tons a day, was at that moment reduced to about fifty, which would give runs of ten tons each. By the faint light of the lanterns the needful arrangements were made in mlenoe; channels and panels for casting were prepared in the flne Mnd of the large haU ; and then before running out the met^ the raly thing remaimng to bo done was to get rid of the alas. Thus the shadowy forms of workmen were seen passing dowly, busily engaged in operations which could bo onl^ dimly distinguished, whUst amidst the heavy silence which prevaUed within the squatting idol, one sflll heard nothing save the trickling of the drops oi water which were oonrshig down its sides. • Monsionr Jordan,' Morfain inquired, ' would you like to see the slag run out ? ' Jordan and Luo followed him, and a few steps brought .:•-"•*--*_- 1 : IJO IVOXX them to % hUIock fomad of u »coumuUtion of wmU. Tha U^rtl!^' ^r^» °"' m . flood of ipulZ^dwM, M « fte culdrpn of fu.mg m«tol were being^iimiXlK, 'The oolour'B good, you Me, Monweur Jordan.' returned »nn«, had ju«t thrust a bar into the bung of refractory dav ni^hf.hHT' ""■ ^P;^'?• ,V"* "»" the eight ~n of tti ffi f.li?t r" '''y"'!""»Uy ""nming th? bar in furC h..,^ ti ^;i^,fj?' """^.^ "»"«'? t» diSiemed, and oneTnly heard the duff b owe of the rammer. Then/aU at^w J tttLt'.' ^ '^ "«"• >Pn"d. » B-nall peep-hole tCJgh Wc^^oTthi^? "^'" ^.'■'; ^?' ■« y«' there was onlyalkS bar^B^ l^n^"i^.°"'"^' "* ^«'""^'' ■""'J to t^eSnothar efc'rtT^ n,ii?; r^ "}" " ^"""^ »"^ «"^^ with heroul^ ^?? 7 ^i.""!" i° '"^"^e the aperture. Then oan» the meW ^uJ^ll^ '?^''*^.'"" tum,5— .,ly. a river of^ ™! «ii^^ along the channel in t^. ^u, md then i^ out, filling the moulds, and forming blazing iS whM?Jw and heat qmte worohed the eyes o1 thlbehC 5^ gZ Sb^^' ?'/*^'»'« ethereaUty, «,d fusees of gSld, ffl'tfaUv refined, a floreaoenoe of oomflowers, as it were am d»i?m3^f of wheat-ears. Whenever any obetade T'd " d «S^- TumW i::?/"""*"" sparks'and'^: tj^l^^ And^' tJl"""" *" T" ^"^^^ ^ » »»°inet of sKw i^l.A °T- ?' '"^ «<"°« miraculous sin had HmT^ mtense dawn burst over everything, castine a «^C Sottrafif^Lrss^^^^^^^^^ suddenly found themselves enveloped by a ni^b'us o"gl5^ f"' ¥A I a \^m-' WOXK ,j, Ana Uw (^Nftt glow iprMd to aU the lunoundioffi ooniunri ih. hug. ndge of the SZe MounUin. ZtTZ'iSt ^di^.w",7t LTi^r A* "'f "« "°'' »' ^S wtlfViTtJ!"'*'.'*'' "**. f"^' "ndying the quality o( the metal by the colour and limpidity of the flow. '' ™ "»• out ^^« it r* 80?^ *o'l'. Buch ae we ought to tuni Luo alM waa talcing an interest in the prooeedinn Bo olothee. latt^e by Uttle aU the moulds haS be!n fiUefa^ cr^Oe bll^t s^tlSrtgrgrit TaU^Sg ut pr/hrSi^ ^wttelg'ht'^^.t ^1' n-Trf S oon^owars and golden wheat-ears was reaped. Then glX nnftlyfeU once more, blotting out the hafi andthefumZ and aU the attorning buUdings, whilst it seemed « if ?h! l^ten.8 had been lighted np^afresh ^sJ^dTuTe wo kmen one oould i«am only distinguish some vague figures aotivelv of his mates, who were again plugging the tap-hoS wi^ ev^fc^^th^'bW ^* *J? sSenoe^wlSfh las now iepi'r tC .yo;'a'^°ht:«t^!j-;;j?'*--'^'>«ix--ed, ' mL"!"' ^ "'"^' T°^ "^^ '"«''' •>«".' tie "nan answered ^mat I you mean to stay.anS pass a third sleepiest i^hi Jora«^''L^!r'*?'*°'P'^"*,'^^*''e''»'<*.hou8e, Monsieur Jordan, and one sleeps venr well on it. We'll relieve «u,k oTh " ay fcu and I ; we'll each do two hours' sentry duty in tn^' Jn, ' ^J*' ^*'!i'"^^ ^""J* ^"^^ "« now ^ right a«^' mi ^m.'^y^ «3» WORK ' No, no, Monsieni Jorfan, let me do m I wish. There'i no more danger, but I want to make sore how things go until to-morrow. It will please me to do so.' Thus Jordan and Lno, after shaking hands with him, had to leave hun there. And Lno felt extremely moved, for Morfain bad left on him an impression of great loftiness in which met long years of painful and dooUe labour, »U the nobUity of the crushing toil which mankind had undertaken in the hope of attaining to irest and happiness. It had all begun with the ancient Vulcans, who had subjngated fire in those heroic times which Jordan had recaUed, when the first smelters had reduced their ore m a pit dug in the earth, in which they lighted wood. It was on that day, the day when man first conquered iron and fashioned it, that he became the master of the world, and that the era of oivilisation first began. Morfain, dwelling in his rocky cave, and for whom nothing existed apart from the difficulties and the glory of his caUmg, seemed to Lno Uke some direct descendut ot those pnnntive toUers, whose far-off oharaoteristios still lived by force of heredity in him, silent and resigned as he was, giving all the strength of his muscles without ever a murmur, even as Us predecessors had done at the dawn of human society. Ah I how much perspiration had streamed forth and how many arms had toUed to the point of exhaustion during thousands and thousands of years I And yet nothing changed —fire, if conquered, stiU made its victims, stiU had its slaves, Uiose who fed it, those who scorched their blood in subjugatine It, whUst the privUeged ones of the earth Uved in idleness, m hcnnes whfch were fresh and cool I Morfain, like some legendary hero, did not seem even to suspect the existence of all the monsbous iniquity around him ; he was ignorant of rebeUion, of the storm growling afar ; he remiSied quite impassive at his deadly post, there where his sires had died and where he himself would die. And Luc also conjured up another figure, that of Bonnaire, another hero of labour, one who strujjgled against the oppressors, the exploiters, in order that jUBtiM might at hist reign ; and who devoted himself to his TOmrades cause even to the point of giving up his daily bread. Had not aU those suffering men groaned long enough beneath theur burdens, and, however admirable might be thSr toil, had not the hour struck for the deliverance of the sUves m order that thejr might at last become free citizens in a fraternal commujijty, amidst which peace would spring from* ]u8t apportionment of labour and wealth ? ■ WORK m Mok^J^rS "/<«*«». ."kilflt descending the stepa out in the rook, stopped Wore a night-watohman'slint to bwb «n omT, to .""S^ l^„r ^"'I'r ""d b^'Ant.'Sn^' !?„?.*r™5?-.. Behind some bushes, amidst some soattered rooks, he distancUv saw two shadow^ forms pasringrS in a kiss. Luo readily reoogmaed the girl, so tall she was. s8 SSd^1,;i'°^tM ^^^ "" "O"* "«"«' than Ma!BWh2 U^lri""* ^*5 ""l"* T« '^^'^^^ to fill her face, lid the i^n^^nH"'^^ ^ "^"^i"* <^°"i'". tl>« mayor's so^ that SLl^ b»ndsomo youth whose demeanour he, Luo, h^ noticed at La Guerdache-that demeanour so eioresSve of cjmtemptforthe rotting bcmrgcmie of whioh^he wM^nl of the revoltog sons. Ever shoStmg, fishing, imd riS^he K* t.M r r°°8 '^^ steep'^paths KbI^M^'u^ tarns, beside the torrents or deep in the pine woods An/l ^f ^^^"wh"^ ^"^ ^ '°™. '"•> th^t bLutif'uUh'y, ^d Sin!f ?^ °'.°'' »wve been oonquered%y the advent of ^t Prinoe Chanmng, who brought her something that wm bev3 ^J^t^'r^ °" 9.^" ^«^8''«°1 dreams of rSw Miidst the sternness of that desert. To-morrowl to-moWl ZZ wl*^* "^^^ ^^'^ ^ Ma-Bleue's bTue ey^Xn Se th™«CI T..^«>°8 **« »'">7.'>he stood so thoughtM m the threshold of her mountain oave ? Her father and her brother were watching over their work up yondw! ^d she had escaped down the precipitous paths. Si fJr h« to whn'^IS'T'K'^' taUfloviLg lad,^thTt io^ti stSrii^ vowJ^ t i° ''",?', P'*?"y »3 if 8he had Zn a bdS vowed that he would love her for ever thfl thl'l'**^^' ^ .MM^ement, Luo felt a heart-pang at tte thought of how grieved the father would be should he ?el-on„ft\' '^'^'•"'"tmg. Then a tender feeling t(Sk pos- session of the young man's heart, a caressing breaSi of hone came to him at the sight of that free and gentle love Wew not those ohUdren, who belonged to si^ch different classed fflrtherg^n of iu^lc^r"""^''"" ""^ """^ "* '-' ^JZ^alt^ mo« wor * '°^"' ""'•*' ""^ P"''' ""^^ his fiS'n°.i''" v'' '*°«''* *^'^' I tope ? • said the young man to his friend. ' Your sister would never forgive me, you kn^/ m '34 WOUK ' 'So, no, I feel quite well. And I am tobedln th« I intend to best of niiritB, for I've quite made up my mini „ rid myself of that enterprige, sinoe it doee not inteien me, and proves siioh a constant source of worry.' For a moment Lnc remained silent, for nneasiness bad retnined to him, as if, indeed, he were frightened by Jordan's demaion. However, as he left his friend he said, shaking his hand for the last time, ' No, wait, give me to-morrow to Uiink the matter over. We will have another talk in the evening, and afterwards you shall come to a decision.' Then they parted for the night. Lno did not go to bed unmedlfttely. He occupied— in the pavilion formerly erected for Dr. Michon, Jordan's maternal giandfather— the spacious room where the doctor had spent his last years among his books ; and during the three days that he had occupied this chamber the young man had grown fond of the pleasantness, peacefutaess, and odour of work that filled it. That evening, however, the fever of doubt, by which he was possessed, op- pressed him, and throwing one of the windows wide open he leant out, hopmg in this wise to calm himself a little before he went to bed. The window overlooked the road leading from La Cricherie to Beauohur. In front spread soma un- cultivated fields strewn with rocks, and beyond them one could distmgoish the jumbled roofs of the sleepfaig town. For a few minutes Luc remained inhaling the gusts of air which arose from the great plain of La Boumagne. The night was warm and moist, and athwart a slight haze a bluish light desoraded from the starry sky. Lnc fistened to the distant sounds with which the night quivered; and before long he reoogmsed the dull, rhythmical blows of the hammers of the Abyss, that Cyclopean forge whence day and night aUke there came a clang of steel. Then he raised his eyes and sought the black, silent smeltery of La Crecherie, but it was now mingled with the inky bar which the promontory of the Bleuse Mountams set against the sky. Lowering his eyes he at last directed them upon the close-set roofs of the town, whose heavy slumber seemed to be cradled by the rhytiimio blows of the hammers— those blows which suggested the quick and diffioult breathing of some giant worker, some pwn-racked Prometheus, chained to eternal toil. And Luc's feeling of uneasiness was increased bv it all ; he could not quiet his fever ; the people and the things that he had beheld during taose last three days crowaeU upon his mind, passed before kim in a tragic scramble, the sense of which he strove to HS^-.,fiP n IVOSK »3S ^V^ V "^ *' Pu™'''*"' ''*^«'' possesaed hig spirit now tortared h.m more than ever. Assuredly he would L unable to B^ep until he found a means of solving it. hn«h.°.'.l7fu**'°T ^ ^'T'' wross the road, amongst the tHn»lf?-\*?' ™eta-»'V°^denly heard a fresh sound, some- l^*wJ^?';,?° ^h ^"K^" """'"^ °°' *«" '»"" it might SLJ^ ^ '1**"8 °' * ^"^'0 ''"'P. tbe rustle of an W^^ ^L^T^""! f'"""? darkness that spread far, far away. No doul.t he had been mistaken. But the sounds reached his ears again, and even seemed to come nearer. Interested by teem, seized with a stranp- emotion which astonished him, flnSJ '"'* *" P?.°lf »'«,.t''e darkness, and at last he dis' MngMshed a vague, hght, delicate form which seemed to float S* L^'!; *"^ ?.V." •'* "»« ™»'''« *» 'eM wba' 'tat form might be, and was wilhng to beUeve himself the victim of Bome delusion, when, with a nimble spring like that of some wild goat, a womwi crossed the road and lightly threw him a Uttle nosegay which brushed against his face Uke a caress. It was a little bunch of mountain pansies, just gathered amons SrfmS'^'brit powerful aroma, that he was qoitl ♦1, /^£'~^* divined that it wag she, he recognised her by that fresh sign 9^ her heart's thankfulness, by that adorable gesture rf infinite gratitude I And it all kerned to him exquisite m that iimiesg, at that late hoar, though be could not teU how she had happened to be there, whether she had beenwatchmg for his return, and how she could have con- wu *° ??"»e. ™less mdeed Eagu were working at a night- shift. Without a word, having had no other deure thanthat of eipresamg her feelings bv the gift of those flowers, which she had so hghUy thrown km, she was already fleeing, dis- appearing mto the darkness spread over the uncultivated moor; and oijy then did Luo distinguish another and a wnaUer form, that assuredly of Nanet, bounding along near her. They both vanished, and then he again heard nought save the hammers of the Abyss, ever rhythmicaUy beating in the distance. His torment was not passed, but his heart had been wa™M by a glow which seemed to bring him invincible strength. It was with rapture that he inhaled the little nosegay Ah I the power of kindness, which is the bond of brotherhood, the power of tenderness, by which alone happicasa Is created, the power of love, which wiU save and m^e the 136 IVOSX Luo went to bed and put out tba light, hopina tliai hli dreariness of mind and body would b"ing 1dm found ^d refreshing g^^p in which his fever would at b^Tbe d^L" But when the large room sank into silence and oEw Bionnd him.he found himself quite unaWeto ctoSeUs ev^ they stared into the darkness, and terrible insoSkepf h^ b,mm.g hot, stiU a prey to his one obstinSe^XiZlS Josine was ever rising before him, oominK back amin ».r,a iigam with her childish" lace and dilefS^SarT STo^ce more saw her ip tears, standing, full of tenor!^ she wS wme-Bhop, then thrown into the street by Bagu in solrahJ a fiuhion that blood gushed from her maim'ed hSdTMd hSIaw SSri^niX''''^T-^"l" t*"" Mionne, forsaken midst ttl aZ.I iLl.. ''°'^8 ^" ''"°?«"^ ^^o «»»« V>or wandering ^^; ^i liavmg no prospect Wor her saveVfinal tS? S™„tf '^""- M^?"^. after those three days of unexp^ted ahnost unconscious inquiry, to which destiiy hJler^! dffi as'^f? Itrf^ °^ ?^r"7 apporfioned tofl oU amaea as if it were shame, toil conducting to the »t ateocious misery for the vast majority of manSnd^ l^ame fa ^ eyes synUietisad in the distressii case of that s^tS whose misfortunes wrung his heart. »"*"'"""' *o"y girl ^.n!*"""!?*!;"^,' tJ^npng around him, pressing ibrward IlwS! J- • u"^V"*'» "' Beanolair, along which tawmSed ^ the dismhented wretohes, secretly dreaa&ig of ve^w S such hZ^'"^;."'!^''^' "^^ ^^ revolStion^KS m such homes as the Bonnaires' cold, bare, sorry roomT^^ ev^ the mere necessaries of life wer^ wai^tinZwWlS tnSw^"*^-"'' *f "J *° ^^^ J^o waisfCdf and^lefi the fem^ starving. And, on the other hand, he behdd at La Guerdache aU the insolence of corrupting laiurv iS thl S^J^? "T^T""^ "'^^ "»" finishing Iff thHriW^emd gorged to stiflmg point with all tie iniquitous wealth «*1S' tlo^X'^. the labour and the tLs'°of The tom^ w..dly lofty biMt-fumaoe, where not one worker complii^ ••^^•.♦^-kl IVORK '37 the lonji effortg of mankmd were stiioken, so to bst. by • euTM, unmobihsed in eternal doloor, without hope of any complete freeing of the race, of its final delive^ce from Slavery, and the entry of one and all into the city of jostics and peace And Luc had seen and heard Beauolair ontoldng upon aU sides, for the fratricidal warfare was not waged only between oUsses, its destructive ferment was peiverting families, a blast of folly and hatred was sweeping by, flllinS T? ^ T*^ bitterness. Monstrous dramu ioOii homes that should hare been cleanly, fathers, mothers, and ohUdren •hke rolled into the sewers. Folk lied nnceasingly, they stole, they kUled. And at the end of wretcSfs ^l hunger came onme perforce : woman selling herself, man smkmgto dnnk, all Wan kind becoming a rageful W Sun, ™^f^i. ?°^..!?'f"f '"''Jy "P"" satisfying its vices. Many were the frightful signs that announced thl inevitable o»tastrophe ; the old social framework was about to topple down amidst blood and mire. ""fi"" Horror-strf .km by those visions of shame and chastisement, weepmg with aU the human tenderness within him, Luc the^ .1^ ^"iv ". ^® phantom of Josine returning from the depths of the darkness and stretching out arms of entreaty! t^Att"^ •, none but her remained: itwasunon her that the worm-t-ten, leprous edifice would faU. She ^came, as It were, Uie one victim, she, the pnny UtUe work- girl with the maimed hand, who was starving and who would ™m'M°Pri«t« tasks, they wou^^^ SS ^f^£i "**" Joy'-iy"*""" M simply thelrlogioal Jbosen Then anoUier stroke of genius on Fourier's part was th« i5UL T* '""'H""-'!" pride, health, gaietV. ud ve^W ol^T.. Ji ""If'? ""f •* J° reorganise work S. oiSer to w! organise the whole of society, of which work woSd Jm tjfi one civic obligation, the ,?tal rSe^ Th»^ To^ "£, nS totter question of irut^, toposing worfon^qM •Sorted bv^ allnJL*^' "*3^*^' '°* """Id »« freely wjoepiea oy aU, allotted accordmg to tastes and natn™.. S^'Zf tf„T« '^^i''' ^°"™. *^* "^^ bl iX^bte; and constanUy varied according to the choicerSf thA rt^ tf""- t *<"« woulTbecome li toTen^ 1^2 m which there would not be one idler, and in w^h mS laoour Which nught be necessary for the town to live The tendency towards unity and final harmonV vranM TJl- i^f jnh^bitante together ^d compel theTto^g^^J^thtL^eS wnraig the vanous series of workers. *An§ thelSote mMhaoMm would rest in that : the workman ohoodnT the task which he could perform most joyously, not riTOto^foS wor« to another. Moreover, the world would not h> revolutionised all of a sudden, the beginnkgs woSd be ™.U tte system being tried first of all in sWiow^ship of T^ ftouaand souls The dream would then approwh fu^Sienr Uh^ T^™V '^' P^-^^er?. the ooimnon house, woui be built. At first, too, one would simply appeal to willing WORK «4i mcQ, and link thorn togetber in such win m to form an •nooiation of capital, work, and talent. Tfaoie who now poiaesied mone^r, those whose arms were strong, and those who had brains wotdd be asked to come to an understanding and combine, patting their various means together. They would produce with an energy and an abundance fu greater than now, and they would mvide the profits they reaped as equitably as possible, until the day came when capital, work, and talent might be blended together and form the common patrimony of a free brotherhood, in which CTerything would belong to everybody amidst general harmony. At each page of the little book which Luc was reading the loving splendour of its title ' Solidarity ' became more and more apparent Certain phrases shone forth like beacon- fires. Man's reason was infallible; truth was absolute; a truth demonstrated by science became irrevocable, eternal. Work was to be a festiral. Each man's happiness would soma day rest in the happiness of others. Neither envy nor hatred would be left when room was at last found in the world for the happiness of one and all. In the social machine, all inter- mediaries that were useless and led to a waste of strength would be suppressed ; thus commerce, as it is now under- stood, would be condemned, and the consumer would deal with the producer. All parasitic growths, the innumerable vegetations living upon social corruption, upon the permanent state of war in which men now languish, would be mown down. There would be no more armies, no more courts of law, no more prisons I And, above all, amidst the great Dawn which would thus have risen, there would appear Justice flaming like the sun, driving away misery, giving to each being that waa bom the right to live and partake of daily bread, and allotting to one and all his or her due share of happiness. Luc had ceased reading : he was reflecting now. The whole great, heroic Nineteenth Century spread out before his mind's eye, with its continuous batthng, its dolorous, valiant efforts to attain to truth and justice. The irresistible democratic advance, the rise of the masses filled that century from end to end. The Bevolution at the end of the previous one had brought only the middle classes to power ; another century was needed for the evolution to become complete, for the people to obtain its share of influence. Seeds germinated, however, in the old and often ploughed monarchical soil ; and already during the days of '48 Uie question of the wa^ «4t ffOJtJC WM in their ium rotting. And now. on the thr-lSuJlX »•' J»°»"7. •• soon M the ipreikding onrud« rfthTiWMlSI •hould have ouried the oITwdJ faSeWk .UT^ reog«u«tiono/ Ubour wouU nrov. the^ ftTd^a^rt^ of fatore eooiety. whioh woulTonly be .ble to exS^. kit gp^ionment of weelth. The violent oriS. wSd. b2d o^SJ ^wn empire, when the old world pwed from wnXATto *''.*.'»«;-»7«»«"> *" M nothing ooipS Witt t^tonribk t?I!*^ °"*"?* *V »^ 0' ^ wage-eyrtemiLSg ttWBgh roooewiye evolotionf and tnuirionnitioi., ud ^^ toU«,me«.m.thingd«,. And from thM ^thinTiS wanM b« bom the Happy and brotherly looial Byrtwn^ to- Luo gently pat down the Utile book and blew out hie light. wrtoring deep wae approaching. True, no preoiae Wwer. ^oometo U.. urgent appeals whioh had previoudTnpS him; b«U he heard thoee appeals no more. It wasaiif tte Rented Wngs who bj'h^ them were noToo^„ ™ i?S^ '**.,'?J:° t"»^ "^ '"« *»kuig patience. Serf S^M*!?™ -^ *^ '*^~' '""W rise. l.io himself w tronUed with no more feverishness, he felt thai his mind was pregnant with ideas, to whioh indeed it might oive Wrth on the Tei7 morrow U his nighfB slumber ffid V «^ ^ delight mto a deep deep, -nsited by geniuVWthTMd fcs. ^^»u' 'T[?''* " '^"^ '^''^^ «« *•»« following morning lui first thought on seeing the sun rise in the bS)ad dea! tterod^ stairway leading to the smdtery. He widied to SM Morfem agun, and obtain certain information from him. in this respect he was yielding to a sudden inspiration. With S?f^ "£!*;.'" ^ *^'' '* «■»"« precise opinion respecting ^nSiil^I^"^ ™"*v Themaster-Bmefter^ason^ofttf ^^K ?J**^' ^^""^ ^* *"°"^ °P »°^ ''^'". »ft«' J^ night spent beside the furnace, whioh decidedly had now recove^ woxx MJ own, wUoh nobody would head, although he h»d Stox^Tm «P««tontoit. >hi.thialdn«,old]SiS.rttfiS^^ W done wroM in deepuriBp and forwidng the mini dHjeUjr ">e woriona of it hed &Ued to prove 4mune«S«! ^^»^^ u »'T.'°"°'"^ ^ oertMJy become « •l«mm.ble one, charged with sulphur « *• explontiou Ur- mfa.t«d Lne Moepted • P»po«l to lonoh off egg. ud milk np In «!• BlenM Monntami. When »boat two o'eloek b« OMne down »g«ui, dtlighted, hit Innn inflated by the free £?^ ?^J^' *••'"?•?• r^^'wd him with exeUmation., tomot knowing what had become of him ther had beran to grow uxioiM. He apologised for not having warnedthem, ^ {I^*f* 'ul!l L'.u*"^ '°^ •"*• '^y """"B the Ubleland* Si iK?i?l k*"^ "^'i T*. !*■*?*• """• He Tentmad to teU thu flb beoaase th|B Jorduii, whom he fonnd itiU at Uble, were not alone. Ai wai their onitom eyery leoond Tneaday ofth. montt. they had with them three gu^, Abb< Marie. SSSJSti^T^V^^ Hemehne, the eehoolmaiter, whom Bonuatto delighted to gather together, langhingly ealUng Uiem her pnvy counoiUore, became thay all three helped her m her oharitoble worlca. The doors of La Crtofae^ r2i 'T? "•"*"? .'"'P' «'°"«^' Jor^'n M™>g thero in loUtnde hke lome doiatered acientiat, were thrown open for those thTM visitor^ who were treated as inUmates. Itoonld not be said, howeyer, that they owed this &Tonr to their cordial agreement, for they were perpetnaUy ditpnting together. But, on the other hand, their duongsions amnsed 8«rarette. Md indeed rendered her vet more partial to them, since ■^^ * distraction for Jordan, who listened to them . o.'i?'Ju'?° •*!? lonohed?' said Soeorette, addressing Lno. Htiu, that won t prevent yon from taUng a onp of ooffee with 09, Will it 7 ^ ' Oh I I'U accent the onp of cofTee,* he answered gaUy. i on are too amiable— I deserve the bitterest reproaches.' They then passed into the drawing-room. Its windows were open, the lawns of the park spread ont, and all the exquisite aroma of the great trees came into the house. In a horn-shaped porcelain vase bloomed a splendid bonquet of rose»-roses which Doctor Novarre lovingly cultivated, and » bundi of which he brought for Scenrette each time that he lunehed at La Oricherie. Whilst the coffee was being served a discussion on eduea- Bonal matters began afresii between the priest and the school- M^mt^,^M:^v WOKK us u Ji? IV^- T *"• ««'*•>'»»**»>> yotir pupili/ daeknd AbM k i' ''.? J?*?** y^ •>•'" "'*'•'> "llglon oat ol your Mbooli. Ood if th* niMtw of human intelligtnee ; one koowi nothing eiMpttna Uirongh Him.' Tafl and •taray, with hif m«U bsalc mI in a broad, fuU, regular faee, the pneit ipoke with aU the anthoritatiTCriiab' bornneai bom of hu narrow dootrinea, plaoing the only ebanee of the world's aalvation in CathoUeinn, and the rioid obiervanoe of ita dogma*. And, in front of him, HeimelSe. the Mhoolmaiter, ilim of boild and angular of faoe, with a bony forehead and pomted chin, evinced similar stnbbomneu, bemg quite as formalist and authoritaUve as the other in the praotioe of his own meohanioal religion of progrea, which dSdnto ""*"^ *' ^ ^' "' '"'' "^ «nU*tMy ' ^'t bother me,' said he, ' with your i«ligion, which hai never led men to aught but error and ruin. If I get nothinc out of my pupils it is because, in the first place, theyMe taken from me too early, to be placed in the factories. And ■eoondly, and mrre particularly, it is because there is less and less disomline, because the master is left without any authority. If a ohild IS whipped nowadays the parent* shriek like a pack of tools. But if I were only allowed to give those youngsters * "i". 8°od caning! I think I should open their minds a Uttle ' Then, as Soeurette, quits affected by this theory, began to protest, he explained his views. For him, given the general corruption, there was only one means of saving society, whioh was to sabjeet the children to the disciplined liberty, insert behef in renuhlioan principles in them by fbroe, •{ necessary, and m such a manner that they should never lose it. Hu drejm yn» to make each pupil a servant of the State, a sla\-a of the Btats, on* who sacrificed to the State hi* entire per- sonality. And he could picture nothing beyond one and the same lesson, learnt by all in one and the same manner, with *'»6«»e object of servini. "le community. Such was his harsh and doleful religion, a leiigion in which the democracy was dehvered from the past by dint of punishments, and then agam condemned to forced labour, happiness being decreed under penalty of being caned. n B' ^"^ ""^""^ " the same 2Sa«J^ » V *? *'"' «g°t'3m. such as we have hitherto understood it, has «ven us such a frightfnl social svalem^ S'Slotrb e !?"?"r''*^r^^^«™8-*'>"' it woulfreS 2t^?r™« t^ °°°J* "tber factor. But I repeat that 1 Jfloeftepot^m if by such you mean the very legitimate de^ ^ .»"»«|W9 craving, which each man las frhLineS' ^^Jl^^t\ ^T-^ ^**."»'' I would slrSenU oy making it what it ought to be in order to brine almnt th« happy community in whfoh the happiness of each'^^be t^e we'ZuM be±?a%°>.'f ■• %"' « " BuffidTnt tha !!.£? . °* oon^nced that in working for others we are ^miTt^J'f''""? 'i *f <"*P- ^°' ">ose reasons ai^ agreoment must be arnved at for the reorganisation of work ^ "Ponft* certainty that our own ^hest felid.y^ S^b^Ss.^* " "'"" "' ''^'"y ^ '»"« homes of ^ ..^™*"°® sneered, and Abb6 Marie agahi broke in- Ir^" ""S ""Wtber," that is the teaching of o^W^e Master. Only He also said that happiness was not of ttU l^kZJM^T^^.f^^^ '"*^«'«' toTtempt to m1 the angdom of Godupon this eaxth when il is in heaven.' wbBl. .ffn?* , T% ^y be done,' Lno retorted. ' The whole effort of mankmd upon its march, aU prcwress and aU '^'T: *??^ ^ *'"' future city of happiness.'^^ But the schoolmaster, who was no loneer Usteninv e^ly assailed the priest : < Ah I no, Abb«, ZTbeSS with your promtsfs of a celestial paradise; they arlo.5?^ '56 tVOJiX to dupe the poor. And besides, Jesus of Nazareth reaUjr belongs to us; you stole Him from us, and arranged Hu sayings and eveiything else in order to suit the irposes of yonr domination. As a matter of bat, He was simply a revolutionary and a free-thinker I ' Thus the battle began anew, and Dootor Novarre had to calm them once more by showing that one was right in certain respects and the other in others. As usual, liowever, the various questions vhich had been debated remained in suspense, for no final solution was ever arrived at. The ttcnee had been drunk long since, and it was Jordan who, in his thoughtful manner, put in the last word. ' Tbe one sole tijuth,' said he, ■ lies in Work ; the world will some day become such as Work will make it. ' Then Soeurette, who, without intervening, had listened to Luc with passionate interest, spoke of a reftige which she thought of establishing for the infant children of factory women. From that moment the dootor, schoolmaster, and priest engaged in quiet and friendly conversation as to how this asylum might best be organised, and the abuses of similar establishments avoided. And, meantime, the shadows of the great trees lengthened over the lawns of the park, and the wood-pigeons flew down to the grass in the golden September sunshine. It was already four o'clock when the three guests quitted La Or&iherie. Jordan and Luc, for the sake of a little exercise, aocompanied them as far as the first houses of the *^wn. Then, on their way back across some stony fields which Jordan left uncultivated, the latter suggested that they should extend their stroll a little in order to call upon Lange the potter. Jordan had allowed him to instal himself in a wild nook of his estate below the smeltery, asking no rent or other payment from him. And Lange, like Mor&in, had made himself a dwelling in a rocky cavity which some of the dd torrents rushing past the lower part of the Bleuse Mountains had excavated in the gigantic wall formed by the promontory. Moreover, he had ended by constructing three kilns near the slope whence he took his clay ; and he lived there without God or master amidst all the free independence of his work. ' No doubt he's a man of extreme views,' added Jordan, in answer to a question from Luo, who felt greatly interested in Lange. • What you told me about his violent outburst in WORK 'SI the Bua de BiUi the othei evening did not miiprise me. He WM lucky m getting released, for the affiui might have tnnied out very badly for him. But you have no notfon how intelligent he is, and what art he puts into his simple rarthen pots, although he has virtually had no education. Ue was bom hereabouts, and his parents were poor work- people. Left an orphan at ten years of age, he worked as a mason 8 help, then as an apprentice potter, and now, since Ive aUowed him to settle on my land, he is his own employer, as he Uughingly puts it. ... I am the more piurtioularly mterested in some attempts he is making with refractory clay, for, as you know, I want to find the clay best suited to resist the terrible temperature of my electrical tumaoes. At last, on looking up, Luc perceived Lange's dwelling- I«ace among the bushes. Faced by a little parapet of dry stones, it suggested a barbarian camp. And as the young man saw a tall, shapely, dark-oomplexioned girl erect upon Uie threshold he inquired : ' Is Lange married, then ? ■ i„*u u-*' "P***^ Jordan, ' but he lives with that girl, who is both his slave and his wife. It is quite a romance. Five y^ ago, when she was barely fifteen, he found her lying in a oitoh, very ill, half dead in fact, abandoned there by some band of gypsies. Nobody has ever known exactly where she come nom ; she herself won't answer when she's ques* ned. Well, Lange carried her home upon his shoulders, nu ted her and cured her, and you can't imagine the ardent gratitude that she has always shown him since. She lacked even shoes for her feet when he found her. Even to-day she seldom puts any on, unless indeed she is going down into the town ; in such wise that the whole district and even Lange himself call hM ' Barefeet.' She is the only person that he employs, she helps him with his work and even in dragging his barrow when he goes about the fairs to sell his pottery, for that is his way of disposing of his goods, which are weU known throughout the region.' Erect on the threshold of the little enclosure, which had a gate of <^pen fencing, Barefeet watched the gentlemen ap- proach, and thus Luc on his side was well able to examine her with her dark regular-featured face, her hair bkok asink, and her large wild eyes, which became full of ineffable tender- ness HiiOiiBVer they turned upon Lange. The young man also lemarked her bare feet, childish feet, of a light bronze hue, «5« WOSJC resting in the cUyey soil, which wm always damp. And iht ■nod there in working eoBtnme, that ia, barely elad in garment* of grey Imen, and (bowing her ihapely legs and mnsoiUar arms. When she had come to the oonelnsion that the gentleman accompanying the owner of the estate was a friend, she qmtted her post of observation, and, after warning Lange, returned to the kiln which she bad previously been watching. Ah I It's you, Monsieur Jordan,' exclaimed Lange, in his turn presenting himselt 'Do you know that since that affidr the other evening Barefeet is for ever imagining that people are coming to arrest me. I &ncy that if any policeman should present himself here he would not escape whole from her olutcfaes . . . You have come to see my last refractory bricks, eh ? Well, here they are— I'll tell you the composition.' Luc leadUy recognised the knotty little man, of whom he had wnght a gUmpse amidst the gloom of the Bne de Briai whilst he was announcing the inevitable catastrophe, and cnrdng that corrupt town of BeaucUir, whose crimes had condemned it. Only, as be now scrutinised him in detail, he was surprised by the loftiness of his brow, over which fell a dark tugle of hair, and the keenness of his eyes, which guttered with intelligence, and at times flared up with uger. Most of all, however, the young fellow was surprised at divining beneath a rugged exterior and apparent violence a mxa of contemplative nature, a gentle dreamer, a simpU roBHo poet, who, urged on by his absolute ideas of justice, had finally come to the point of desiring to annihilate the old and guilty world. T _^' introducing Lno as an engineer, a friend of his, Jor^n asked Lange with a Uugh to show the young man what he called his museum. ' Oh I if it can interest the gentleman, willingly,' said Lange ; • they are merely thingswhich 1 fire for amusement'! ■ake— th«ffe, all that pottery under the shed. You may give it aU a glance, monsieur, while I explain my bricks to Mon- aieni Jordan.' Luc's astonishment increased. Under the shed he found a number of faience figures, vases, pots, and dishes of the strangest shapes and colours, which, whilst denoting great ipiorance on the maker's part, were yet delightful in their original naivety. The firings bad at times yielded soma superb results ; much of the ename! dispiajed =. wondicag richness of tone. But what particularly struck the young WORK «SJ man among the current pottery which Langfe prepared for his nin»l ouatomers at the marketa and fairs, the crockery, the BtMk-pota, the pitchers and basins, was the elegance of shape and charm of colonr which showed forth like some florescence of the pmnlar genius. It seemed indeed as if the potter had denyed his talent from his race, that those creations of his, instinct with the sonl of the masses, sprang naturally from his big fingers, as though in fact he had intuitively re- dis<»yered the primitive models, so full of practical beauty. When Lango came back with Jordan, who had ordered of him a few hundred bricks with which it was intended to try a new eleotrioal furnace, he received with a smile the con- gratulations tendered him by Luc, who marvelled at the gaiety of the faiences, which looked so bright, so flowery with purple and azure, m the broad sunlight. 'Yes, yes," said the potter, 'they set a few poppies and cornflowers, as it were, in people's houses. I've always thought that roofs and house-fronts ought to be decorated in that style. It would not cost very much, if the tradesmen would only leave off thieving ; and you'd see, too, how pleasant » town would look— quite like a nosegay set in greenery But there's nothing to be done with the dirty bmirgtoit of nowadays!' " Then he at once lapsed into his sectarian passion, plunged into the ideas of Anarchy which he had derived from a few pamphlets that by some chance had fallen into his hands. Furst of all one had to destroy everything, seize everything in revolutionary style. Salvation would only be obtained by the annihilation of all authority, for if any, even the most insignifi- rant, remained standing, it would suffice for the reconstruction of the whole edifice of iniquity and tyranny. Next the free commune, without any government whatever, might be estabhshed by means of agreement between different groups, whidi would incessantly be varied and modified, according to the desues and needs of each. Luc was struck at finding in this theory much that had been devised by Fourier, and indeed the ultimate dream was the same, even if the roads to be allowed were different. Thus the Anarchist was but a Fourierist, a disabused and exasperated CoIIectivist, who no longer believed in political means, but was resolved to use force and extermination as bis instrument to reach sociiJ liappineas, since centuries of slow evolution seemed unlikely to achieve it. And thus, when Luc mentioned Bonnaire, »S4 IVOJiX }^A^?^ ^** ^"OOWM in hi* irony, ibowiiu nuu «»mon. dbUecUvigm in which on. woSd uSSS,^ «!! ^ff " ^^"^ Beauolair, whow t8ob he overlS the potior onoe more poured hi. l^entation, hi. prSo oity of truth ud jostioe might at fut rise from it. aahw. «^tl . . n 4 t' ""' violence, Jordan looked at him cnriouriT. «j!y>g : 'But, Lange, my good feUow, you are not w baSy 'I, Monaiear Jordan, I'm very happy, a. happy a. one «,^"^'l. u^°° *"'* 1" "ne take this little bit of WS. the ^f'^^J^'^^'Su*" "" '"■ *^ I'™ ^y own maaterTl pay wnplover to crueh me, and no workman for me to crulh I 2?^*'S"'y *"u^ ■?? P^***'" to good folk who ne^em without bemg wbbed by tradesmen or aUowing them torob ^7^-f^ .And when I'm so inclined I've stiU lime to miSm myself by firiM those faience figures and ornamental MtT^d ^te^wUebnjfht colour, please my eyes. Ah°nofiBdS, W8 don't complam, we feel happy in living when the mS comes to cheer us. Isn't that so.Barefeetr The girl had ^rawn near, with her hands quite pink from SrCwl? ^{^"^ the wheel. And she smSed &7^ ■he looked at the man, the god whose servant she had i^ herseU, and to whom she whblly belonged. ""' "" "^ •""« «» Tlilr Slff '^*'' "1™** ^^^^'^ * tlwre are too many poor devils suffering, and so we shaU have to blow ud fiaudair one of these fine mornings in order thWt it ml, b? ^^fT P"^'/- ^"P^e^pda fy deeds is the onty ^^i^ that is of any good; only lombs can rouse the people! ^ do you know that I've everything here tUfs^ssarTto SZfli*r " *V~ do^"" •><""»» "Web woSd^Sovl wond^y powerful. Some fine day, perhaps, I shall *S rff vnth the barrow, which I puU in fr^, ySi' knoT wlSe SS.^^^' *f .°?^ tas to drag It along the bad village roads from market to market. So we takS a rest now wd •gam under the trees, at spot, where there are sprfn^hw^ WORK 'SS Only, tUt daj, w* iba'n't quit BMooUir, w* duJl m •lona •U tb* ttneti, and thart'U U • bomb bldcUn in Mob liodi- pot. Wa ibkll deposit onn at tbe rab-prefaotate, anotbar at tba town-ball, anotbar at tba law oourtt, tban anotbar at tba oburoh, at all tba plaoas in fact where tbare'i anTthins to tba abape of antbonty to be deatroyed. Tba mat^ wiU bum, eaob will last the neoesaaiy time. Then all at onoe Baanolaii wiU go np I A frightful eruption wiU bum it and carry It away. Eh? What do you think of that, of my Uttla promenade, with my barrow, and my UtUe distribuUon of the rtodi-j^tB I'm makmg to bring about the happiness of man- He laughed a laugh of ecstasy, bis &oe aU aglow with ex^tMnent, and as the beautiful dark girl begM to laugh wjtb bun be tnmed and said to her : 'Isn't that so, Barefeet» 1 U pi^ and you shall push, and it will be even a finer walk than the one we take under the willows alongside the Mioana when we go to the fair at Magnolles I ' Jordan did not argue the point, but made a gesture as mudj as to say that ha, as a sdentut, regarded such a con- cepUon as imbecility. But when they bad taken leave and were returning to La Or«oherie Lno quivered at the thought of that black poem, that dream of ensuring butpiness by destruction, which thus haunted the minds of a few primiti4 poets among the disinherited classes. And thus, each deep in his own meditations, the two men went homeward in silenca. On rewiring direo* to the laboratory they there found Bfflurette quietlv seated at a Utde table, where she was m^Wn. a dean copy of one of her brother's manuscripts. ShejuiS raised her head and smiled at him and his ooippanion then turned to her task once more. . . '.•^ '.' *"^ Jordan, throwing himself back in an arm-chair, Jt Is quite certam that my only good time is that which I spend hare amon^ my appliances and papers. As soon as I coma back to this laboratory, hope and peace seem to rise to my heart once more.' He glanced affectionately around the spacious room, whose large windows ware open, the glow of the setting sun antarina wannly and caressingly, whilst between the trees one sMrtba roofs uid oaaements of Baanolair shiaiag in the distanoe. ' How wretched and futile all those disputes are I ' Jordan rewuned, whilst Lno softly paced np and down. ' As I listened to tbe pnest and the schoolmaster after lunch I felt astonished :MJm 156 lyosx that people conid Iom their time in itriviiig to eoaTiae* on* another when thej viewed qneitiani from oppodto itudpoiate. and oould not even «pe»k the wuneUngMge. FlMwobMrrT that they never oome here without bMinning prwdMlr tho iwme diaonnions afresh, and teaohing abwdutely tt* iMno jpoiat af on the preylou* ooeation. And heridei, how ijUt it 1« to confine Mieielf to the abnlnte, to talce no aooonnt of expwienoe, and to fight on eimply with eontradiotorr ariru- mentsl I am entirely of the opinion of the doctor, wlio ammea himself with annihikting both priest and lohool- master by merely opposing one to the other! And thm, as regards that fellow Lange, can one imagine a man dreamine of more ndioulous things— losing himaeU in more manifest, dangeroas errors, aU through bestirring himself chanoewise, and disdalmng certamiies ? No, decidedly, political passions do not sut me; the things which those people say to one another seem to me devoid of sense, and the bineat questions wiucb thev broach are in my eyes mare pastime* fbr amuse- ment on the road. I cannot understand why snob vain battle* should be fought over pettv incidents, when the discovery of the smallest soientifio truth does more for progress than fiftv years of social struggling!' — —luv Lno begra to laugh. ' Yon are falling into the absoint* yourself, said he. 'Man ought to struggle, politics simply represent the necessity in wHoh he finds hteSdl to def£a his needs and ensure himself the greatest sum of happiness 'You are right,' acknowledged Jordan, with Us simpi* good faith. ' Perhaps my disdain for poUtios merely comes ftom soine covert remorse, some desire to live in ignorance of the country's political afiain in order to avoid being disturbed by them. But, sincerely now, I think that I am still a good oitiien fa shutting myself up m myUboratory, for each suves the nation according to his lights. And assuredly the real revolubonanes, the real men of action, those who do the most to enrare the advent of truth and justice fa the f^tur^ are the •dentists. A government passes and falls; a people grows, triumphs, and then dedfaes ; but tiie truths of science are transmitted from generation to generation, over spreadfag, ever Siving increase of Ught and certafaty. A pause of a century oes not count, the forward march 11 always resumed at last Md in spits of every obstacle mankind goes on towards knowledge. The objection that one wiU never know every- M% ^- lyoxx «S7 thing U tidionloai ; ih* qoMtion ii to Imib m moeh m w* OMi in order that w« nuty atUin to the grettatt h»ppin«M ponibU. And so, I rapaat it, how animporttnt w* thoM poUtioal joltf on the road in which netioni take mch pauionate intereit. Whilit people let the lalvation of pro- greu in the maintenance or fall of a minlttry, it ie really the ■dentist who determines what the morrow shall be by illomin- > « the darkness of the moltitude with a fresh spark of troth. All injostioe will cease when all truth has been aoqnired.' Bilenoe foil. Soeurette, who had put down her pen, was now listening. After pondering for a fow moments, Jordan, without transition, resumed : ' Work, ah I work, I owe my life to it. You see what a poor, puny little being I am. X remember that mv mother used to wrap me in thick rugs whenever the wind was at all violent ; yet it was she who set me to work, as to a r6g%m» which was certain to bring good health. _ Bhe did not condemn me to crashing stadies, forms of punishment with which growing minds are so often tortured. But she instilled into me a habit of regular, varied, and attractive work. And it was thus that I learnt to work M one learns to breathe and to walk. Work has become Uke uie function of my being, the necessary natural play of my lunbs and organs, the object of my life, and the very means that enables me to Uve. I have lived beoaose I have worked ; some sort of equilibrium has been arrived at between the world and me ; 1 have given it back in work what it has brcucLt me in the form of sensations, and I beUevs that all health lies therein, that is in well-regulated exchanges, a pertaot adaptation of the organism to its surroundings. And, however slight of build I may be, I shall live to a good old age, that's certain, since like a little lachine I have been carefully put together and wound up, and work logically.' Luo nad caused in his slow perambulation. I&eSaarette he was now listening with passionate interest. 'But that is only a question of the Vtt of beings, of the necessity of good hygiene, if one is to Lave good life,' continued Jordan. ' Work is life itself ; life is the continual work of chemio^ and mechanical forces. Since the firat atom stirred to join the atoms near it, the great creative work has never ceased; and this creative work, which continues and will always continue, is like the very task of eternity, the universal task to which we all contribute our store. Is not the universe an immense workshop, where there is never an •'^r^-^Hil >s« WORK •off d»y/ where m»tt«r from the limplest fermenit to Um mort perfect creatnrM acts, make*, brings forth nnoeMiiislT. ^efleldi whioh b«ioma eorered with orope work ; theilowlT growing foreete work; the rivere etrnuning throosh tb T»U»jf work ; the eeM rolling their waree from on* tomthar MBtmait work ; the world*, carried by the rhythm of BnTita- Mjm thtonj^ the iniinita, work. Thew i* not a bainTnot a thin; that can remain «till, in idlenea*; aU find thraiaalT** f*T ■JS?°*' ■•* *" "'"''• ^°"^ *" oontribuUto th* common ta*k. Who or whatever doea not work, diaappeaia from that ▼«y oatiM, 1* thriut aaide a* something uaelei* and onmbar- ■ome, and has to jrield place to the necessary, indispenaabia worker. Bnch is the one law of life, which, npon the whole I* sin»|ly matter worldng, a force in perpetual activity tondinc towards that final work of happiness, an imperions craving fw wmcb wa all have withm us.' For uo^er moment Jordan reflected, bis eyes wanderina "" fway. Then he resumed: 'And what an admirabto regulator IB work, what orderliness it brings with it where- over it reign* I It is peace, it is joy, even as it is health. I am confounded when I see it disdained, vilified, regarded aa ohasfasemoit and ahame. WhUst saving m* from oertain death, It also gave me aU that is good in me. And what an admiraWe ormm.eritis.how weU it regulates the facnltiai of the BMnd, the pUy of the muscles, the rdle of each group "ili: 1 "'^ of workers. It would of itself suffice a* a political oonetitntion, a human police, a social ration Hin. We are botn solely for the sake of the hive : we none of as "2?f ""i^,*"? ^'"^ """• *•>»" 0" individual, momentarr et^. AU other explanations would be vain and false Our Mjvidnal hve* appear to be sacrificed to the universal life of future world*. No happiness is possible unless we set it in the solidary happiness of eternal and general toU. And this M why I should hke to see the foundation of the Bellgion of Work— a hosannah to work which saves, work in which is to- be found the one truth, and sovereign health, joy, and peace I ' He ceased speaking and Soeurotto raised a cry of loving enthusiasm: 'How right you are, brother, and how true! how beantifol it is I ' But Luc seemed more moved even than she. He had remained standing there, motionless, his eyes gradually fiUine with light, as if he were some apostle illumined by a suddenly desaending ray. And all at once he spoke ; ' Listen, Jordan. fjf^'iimw'^m^Mm^'^w^. wm^^ m>xK »s» •T«ry4him, both the blMt-fornaM nA tfa* mis*. Tli«fi mr Mfww.Tgij. il Ton now Iwcom I ]>.,• qniu Bi.dSnp ^ miaa upon Ui»»uWec».' ^^ ^ ' «K.^"^7^ ^ " "* .T^"' *''• «onnection of which with cSaJ^I 5r '. '"* -»i«d him, tho mMter of I* „~^ ,*^ ' '" '^"•\'tv«r, r u'nod lilent for > moment. bM0f,.ac,.yM, W OK....-,-.;. ; woA hi^ iuddenfr raised him, Mr ..vd hi.„ - ..a . u. -(irt, it last showing him then«i^ homoB, -wliich I. ti to ,ad b«ea olonded in miit. ifhta 2J^n,!J*!L"r"'; "1. .««i"if««.PteoiMon. grew animated, a^med abjclutc c^rtM,- . /-»i& ,!«, globed within him "Se'rlT^" "" '"" "'^ "^ '^•^ .xtr^-rdinarypow.; • I ^"SLTa?.".!* 7" ^* P-'°P*^? *° DelaTean,' he repeated. th.Z^-?* abandoned mine to-day. Snoh a. the oJ^a in robiSSJ,* it t^tl.*"' **" ?'»",*rye good profit from it by robjeotin^ it to the new chemical prooesMa. And Morfain haa oonpncrf me that one wiU find exoeUent lodea<« ft. The blaat-fomaoe will yield cast iron cheaply, and if it b« SSS.^Sll:.^'"*?' «.m. puddling fomaJSi'Xg m U^ ateam h*mmert and ao forth, one may again begin makins *nth_the moat proeperona ateel-woilci of the north and thi «te™«™'* ^^f'^r^. increajing. becoming .beer con- ifTi.' , ^ "*"* "<»•? abeady; uid if I deaiia to jeU the place it i. precisely in 'order to' escape frimTthI cares of gain. finiJh'"' » ?''«iP»?»'on»te gestnre Lno broke in: -Let me fh. ^•T ^".'^^- ^* ''"■' y°" "^''* I ^«"" to enrich, it is net nnw tK^^-r"' ^Y.^P'^^'<> "bo"" we were speaking of i!^!. u° • "'*'.;«"™s of iniquitous and vilified Ufionr ! As yon have said, work ought of itself alone to be a soo,^ roMon d'ttrc. At the moment I heard you, the path to^S^ ^^^^ <»n only be brought about by such a reorganisaLn of work I*, w,U lead to an equitable ap^rtioament ofw^ft x6« WORK the only solntion by which our miieiy and Bofferingi may be dispelled lies in that. If the old somal tabrie, now eiMking and rotting, is to be replaoed bv another it most b« n^ the basis of work, shared by all and benefiting all, aooepted, indeed, as tiie universal law. Well, that is what I shonld like to attempt here, a reorganisation of work on a small soale, a brotherly enterprise, a rough draft, as it were, of the so fortunate applications of them, but he also knew how slowly attempts progressed, and what difficulties stood in the wav of any decisive result. Perhaps his choice was due to the fact that revolutionary violence was quite re- pugnant to him personally, since he had set his scientmc fiuth m ceaseless evolution, which has all eternity before it to achieve its ends. Moreover, a complete and sudden expropria- tion of present-day possessors could not be eflected without terrible catastrophes which would increase the present sum of misery and sorrow. Would it not be best therefore to profit by the opportunity of such a practical experiment as lay before him, an attempt in which ho would find contentment for his whole being : his own native goodness of heart and his foith in man's goodness also ? He was upbuoyed by some exalted heroic feehng, a &itb, a kind of prescience, which seemed to make success a certunty. And, besides, even if the application of Fourier's formulas should not bring about the immediate end of the wage-system, it Wduld at least be a forward step, it would tend towards the final victory, the destruction of capital, the disappearance of mere traders, commercial middle-mim, and the annihilation of the power of money, that source of all evils whose uselessness would ^a proved. The great quarrel of the socialist schools is one as to the means which should be employed. The schools are all •gieed aa to the object in view, sjid they will all be reconciled when some day the happy community is at last established. It was the first foundations of that community which Lno desired to lay, by collecting scattered forces, associating men of good will together, and he was convinced that, given the frightful massacre now going on, there could be no better poir >f departure. Jordan remained sceptical, however. ■ Fourier had flashes of genius,' said he, ' that is certain. Only he has now been d^d more than sixty years, and if ho st;U retains a few ■*rjLikr«J 162. •^CJiX stubborn disciplee I see no sign of big leligiou CQnqneiiqg Aft world.' ' Catbolioisiu took four centuriee to oonquer a gmall pwl oi it,'' Lno qniokly retorted. ' Besides, I don't adopt die whole of Fonrier's views ; I regard him simply as a wise man, to whom one day a vision of the truth appeared. Moreoveir, he is not the only one ; others helped to prepare the formula and others'will perfect it. One thmg whiohyon oannot 4eny is that the evolution now proceeding so rapidly dates bom far back. 'The whole of our century has been given to the laborious engendering of the new social system which will arise to-morrow. Each day for a hundred ^earg past the workers have been, bom a httle more to social life, and to- morrow they vrill be masters cf their destinies by virtue of that scientific law which ensures life to the strongest, healthiest, and worthiest. It is all that which we nowMayi behold, &e finnl struggle between the privileged few by whom wealth has been stolen, and the great toiling maeies who wish to recover the possession of wealth of wmch tbey have been despoiled for long centuries. History teachea us how a few seized on the greatest happiness possible — to the detriment of all the others; and now since then all the wretched despoiled ones have never ceased to struggle, furi- ously, e^er to reconquer as much happiness aa they could. For the Ust fifty years the contest hag become merciless, and one now sees the privileged folk seized with fear, and slowly relinquishing of uieir own accord certain of their privileges. The times are approaching, one can feel it by all the con- cessions which the holders of land and wealth make to ,the, people. In the political sphere much has been given it already, and it will also oe necessary to give it much in the economic sphere. One sees nothing but new laws favouring the workers, humanitarian measures of all kinds, the triumphs too of associations and imions, and all announce the coming era* The battle between labour and capital has reached such an acute crisis that one can already predict the defeat of the latter. In time, the disappearance of the wage-system is certain. And this is why I feel convinced that I shall conquer by helping on the advent of that something else which will replace the wage-system, that reorganisation of work, which will give us more justice and a loftier civilisation.' He waq radiant with henevnlence, faith, and hope. And Gontinuins he went back to history, to the robberies perpe- mmp^^m'Mm^m^ im WORK ««3 (rated by the gtronger in the earliest days of the world, the wietohed mnltitade being redooed to slavery and the posaeuors puuig crime upon crime in order that they might not be oUiged to restore anything to those who were de^ioUed, and who perished by Btarvation or violence. And he showed the aeotmiulation of wealth increased by time, and still now in the hands of a few, who held the country estates, the hoosfis in the towns, the factories of the industrial centres the mmea where coal and metal slumber, the means of trans- port by road, canal, and rail, and then the Eentes, the gold and the silver, the millions which circulate through the banks, briefly the whole wealth of earth, aU that constitutes the mealoulable fortune of mankind. And was it not abominable ihat 80 much wealth should only lead to the frightful indigenes of the greater number? Did not such a state of things demand justice ? Could one not see the inevitable necessity of proceeding to a fresh apportionment of wealth ? Such miqmty, in which on the one hand one beheld idleness gorged with possession, and on the other pain-racked labour, agonising in misery, had made man wolfish towards man. Instead of uniting to conquer and domesticate the forces of natore, men wolfishly devoured one another. Their barbaroos social system oast them to hatred and error and madness; infante and aged beings were abandoned, and woman was crushed down, to become a beast of harden toe some, and a mere instrument of pleasure for others. The wovken themselves, oormpted by exampie, accepted their Mcvitude, bmdiag their heads amidst the universal cowardice. And how frightful, too, was the waste of human fortune, ^ coloml sums spent on warfare, and %11 the money giv«n to usdess functionaries, to judges and to gendarmes! And then tiers, was all the money which without necessity remained in the hands of the traders, those parasite intermediaries, whose gams were levied on the consumers-! But, after all, this was only the daily loss of an illogical, badly oonstructed social system. Apart from it there was downright crime, famine dehberately organised by those who detained the instrumente of labour, m order to protect their profits. They reduced the output of a factory, they imposed off-days upon miners, they created misery for purposes of economic warfare, in order to keep up high prices. And yet people were astonished that tue machiiiB uLouid be cracking and collapsmg beneath such a pile of suffering, injustice, and shame t I«4 WORK ' No, BO I * cried Lno, ' that cannot Uit, unless mankind U to disappear in a final attack of madness. The social compact must be chan^, each man that is bom has a right to life, and the earth is the common fortune of us all. The instruments of work must be restored to all, each must do his own share of the general labour. If history, with its hatreds, its wars, its crimes, has hitherto been nothmg but the abomi- nable outcome of original theft, of the tyranny of a few thieves who had to urge men on to murder one another, and institute law courts and prisons to defend their deeds of rapine, it is time to begin history afresh, and to sot, at the dawn of the new era, a great act of equity, the restoration of the wealth of the earth to all men, work once again becoming the universal la\f of human society, even as it is that of the universe, in order that peace may be made among us and happy brotherliness at last prevail. And that shul be I I will work for it, and I will succeed ! ' He seemed so passionate, so lofty, so viotorioni in bis ncophetic exaltation, that Jordan, marvelling, turned towards Soenrette to say, ' Just look at him, is he not handsome ? ' Soeurette herself, quivering, pale with admiration, had not taken her eyes from Luc. It seemed as if a kind of religions fervour possessed her. ' Oh ! he is handsome,' she moimursd faintly, ' and he is good as well.' ■ Only, my dear friend,' reiumed Jordan, smiling, 'you are rtftUy an Anarchist, however much jtm may deem yooiMlf to b« an evolutioniit. But you are right in holding that one bagins by Fourier's formula, and ends oy the free man in the £rw commune.' Xiuo himself had begun to laugh. ' At all events,' s^ he, < let's make a start ; we shall see whither logic will lead as.' Jordan had become thoughtful, however, and no longer seemed to bear him. He, the doistered scientist, had bean pro- foundly stirred, and if he still doubted the possibility of hastening m&akind's advance, he no longer denied the utility of experiment. ' Individual initiative is no doubt in some respects all- powerful,' he said. ' To dotermine facts, one simply needs a man of will and action, some rebel of genius and free mind who brings the new tmtli with him. In cases of accident, when salvation depends on cutting a cable or splitting a beam, only a man and a hatchet are necessary. Will is everything, ise Dibvioar id ha who wiuius the hutuiiei. Noiuiu^ romsU, IVOHJC mounWi.. collapse and seas wtire before an MividuaUtJ sion^oTthe^liS^'I^,' i" "?r ^'".'^ ^"O '""»'' <"> «?««- i_ ■ ^'' ^^ conviction elowinc wUliin him h» taew not yet what pnius he brough? wUh f ii^'buTh^M pS! UU^ r,l^n"*r ''"* "r** *» •»"*«' »»«n long JSI- iMmg, a strength compounded of revolt arninst Si thpin ^?X1 ?"'"/«"' as were soientificaUy proved. He wm mUn touldl^L'lLt"' ■"' "^" ""^** '"' -«"-*' '^^ S:^&"r '^"~- -Vita^".^-,rL- h^nd, so as to rii myself of them and to be able to^l^o myself in peace to my studios and esperimenS Sn Ikf r^ « ^^ ?*"!• } 8*" undertako nothing without money A^ M ''??t'^,«'ousand francs' to estfbUsh Sie ^0^ dream of^ which will be lilte the foundation of the fntZ^citv ;ou; LnTtaTr,?'*^/''?' ^ °^- y°" » eood investmenHfacJ know°i^ i°^i" ''"*¥ >• 'nt^T^w. be went on : < Yes, I S?.^I. ^°" ■".? "°' ^«»'™ to become any richer. NevirT sW^JSSV""',=i ""* ''y" P'" °«' your moliy I shsj t£rv™ J^~^ * '"' *" y?" °'"«"»1 wmt" i" 8«ok /manner &,S^^M T'""" *"" °«^" ^ disturbed.' .Mctan^rZ^ wi "'*'"'*■ 8?'*' '"" °' ^"'otio''. fi>U in that ipaoioni room, where so much work was already germinating ■ 20,0002. \1 iM WORK for the harvesto of the dayi to oome. The daoiiion that had to be taken was fraoght -with sooh great importance for the fatnre that it set ■omethiog lilw a religious quiver there during that august int«val of auspanse. ' Yoam is a eonl of renunciation and benevolence,' said Lno again. ' Did you not apprise me of it yesterday when yon told me that you would not trade upon the discoveries you pursue, those rleotrical furnaces which will some day reduce human labour and enrich mankind with new wealth ? For my part it is not a gift that I ask of ^ou, it is brotherly help, help to enable me to lessen the injustice of the times and create some happiness in the world.' Then, in very simple fashion, Jordan consented. 'I'm willing, my frieqd,' he said. ' You shall have the money to realise your dream. Only, as one never ought to tell a £uRe- hood, I will sdd that, in my eyes, that dream is still only so much generous Utopia, for yon have not fully convinced me. Excuse the doubts of a scientist . . . But no matter, you are a good fellow ; make your attempt — I will be with you I ' Luc, whom enthusiasm seemed to raise from the ground, gave a cry of triumph : ■ Thanks I I tell you that the work \n as good as done, and that we shall know the divine joy of having accomplished it I ' S">« good nowJtor 1«»— I !»▼• fcnnd Wm lome work.' Blw sh<>w»a her pUunre by • Ungh, tinmd with ttnotimi AM, oontinaed h« in a lower voioe, for he. likewiie. wai faeliag moved, ' I AaU have work for lOl wh?wK%Jfc fcTei^y"?* *" '^ *" P'°'*^ ' litUe jurticeandhapiSSS n.„^i?i°" •*'" nadawtood him, for her Ungh became vet JS: ^ '°''' *?«>««•'» LuoT- Then ib» vinon besuto S^^^ ^""^ "r the licht ehadow fleeing thronSthe iS^u ■«»°I«»i«d by anoSier and •mS^ooeTlW J^^fflSttt"' '^' ""' ''•"' wa.n^t.S ! i?*"? ' ^**"* ' ■^« »»»o»r, Jodne I ' ■Thank von, Monsienr Lno I ■ k„t u! 'S^J^^^V^ dtotingniah her, she had diMtppeaied. but he itiU heard her expreMoni of iatitndTMdJwttS luL^Sd'ws'hllrt. » '°«-^'' «*«» -Wch penetrated and mnto« Li°"& ^T ^? '•' ""««' »' the window, fuU of ^»Hi^^i**""^*".'"'P«- ^•''"" "'« Abyss where MOM^d toU was panting, and La Guerdaohe, whose pi^ teL'^S'^^i**^ P»t«tuponthelowpl«nof LaBoimJSn^ ^ T^^"^ xS*^ Beauolair. the workeA' dwelling.plMe,^S& rt. abiky rotting hovel, slumbering beneathie'^ wffi r«i?.£'T^ "^^ "^'fo^e- There lay the oloa^TH iw.^*^.*? P°"^' ^^ •»*'9n« 8wl of the wage-system^ ^,I?°i!t'^ ""!? '° i^* K™""'^ with aU its hahSTSmT; ^^^L r "^^ »hf' ">»nWnd might be cured™ the ^ecte of the long efforts to poison it. ISd on the same spot h« was m jmsj^tum, already raising the future city, Se •Aoae of truth, jusbce, and happiness, whose white hon«a he couMalreadypwtnre smiling &eelyand fratemaUy amonpt ddi«to TOTdnre, under a mighty suh of joy. """"S" ant, all at once, the whole horiMin wu illansissd, • M --.-1 H<#"4 wotuc •«9 «»•* pink glow lighted ap tb« roob ol a^— i-t. tu. _,„ |2g« b. aught thaSTJlra i;t'.m:J^;J".S^ 170 m>jtx BOOK II Thmb yews went by, and Lno eitabliahed hia new fkotory which gave birth to a whole town of workers. The land which lay below the ndge of the Bleuse Mountaina extended over a spaoe of lome twelve hundred square yards, a neat J?Sf"^ wluoh, sloping iliffhtly, stretched from the park of La Or«oherie to the jumbled buildings of the Abyss. And the beginnings were necessarily modest, only a part of the moor was at first utilised, the rest being reserved for the extensions ™ioh It was hoped the future would justify. *u ui x'!"''" ■**^. •8»^»t »l>e rooky promontory, just below the blast-fumaoe, with which they communicated bi two lifts. Pending the revoluUon which Jordan's electrioai fumaees would effect, Lno had done little to the smaltciT; he had improTed it in a few matters of detail, and then left it in Morfam s huids to continue working according to old-time routme. But in the new works, both as regards the buildings and the plant, he had avaUed himself of aU poiil^e improvements in order to increase the output and dudnith the labour of the workers. In a like spirit he desired that the bouses of th« workers, each of which stood in a garden, should be homes of comfort where family life might flouriih. Some fifty werealready built on the land near La Cr«cherie, fbnnimr quite a httle town advancmg towards Beaudair. The buiUins ^ each new house, indeed, was like a fresh step taken byt^ future city towards the conquest of the old, guilty and con- demned one. Then, in the centre of the land, Luc had erected I^~T.T1; r'*' ^ •"«* i*^^* containing schools, a Ubrary, a h^l for meetings and festivities, baths and so forth. IhiB was all that he had retained of Fourier's phalansterr. leaving everybody free to build as he pleased, and only deem- ujg collective action to be nscessftry for certain pnbHe swrioeB. r M* woxx «7« oSS^'for ^"JS?"*'.' S°*7r d.i»rtoent. not 'o Sm"on •rUeta. tba whole Uing eondnotad on the prindplM rfTeo! .w^"',"?/^""".' "" """^^y ' beginning, bnt there w^no I,?- i "[/'•ir"' "'"' ""'^ »''«<'" ■«« "d judged, work W rn.'^i."''^ •"'• •"W'^'d in miking .aa£ nSd pwZw Ji«d_ not the happy thoiurht awn^ui »„ i,j» ?/Vl.?!°*?'* S^'^k"' '-? ^?^"P '^- '^ 'he ente^riM oS^S ^l^^^f I*rtioul«l^ deUghted him we. tSt he hedmSl fcr?lF.^' mJ?" 'Pr°8* •<*"«"^ "nong the highlrroS^ SLSS'th":'or'£ :^d°ttT °' ''""'1: "^P"« wl"Xoh vwBUHa ue worke and the oommoD-house, B»ve mointura tn «d?ShTtoX''hi^f^"'^ ^^'^^^^^^ g.^'^ujvrrjictteliL^v^^^^ whiZ' ?"''~'?«^^»»<» doleful, had remained und« DeUv^' WT^T ?°"S!"'^ ^'^ "P^"d to *•» »ew works, taking ^a, Wm hu brother-m-Uw fiagu. who in his torn had md™S F^;^t-S,"«S'L "^^^ then workeTwi Auo "^ iranchMd wished to question them. In the state of heb^t^ to whjd. fifteen years of labour, ever the same.Tv^ a re^'^^ 5^1 ,• ^ ri\ ^' tmvmg at any decision by himT^ m!fnth K K* ^ '*«'?« h'" ^<^°^^ of mind, tiat foTC suffiwent strength of wiU to make it. Prom the mommt of oommg as he did from the grimy, dusty AbTM into «),«.o heavy tumbledown halls thfTght^rody ^to^^'Z mjJjeUed^ m the first instance, at fhe s.>h?rf^h?S'4 »i»UB Of La Creohene, aU brick and iron, throuou whoM broai S^°^.K*^t r*?^" '^'^'^- Au'thTworkshors We .sZ" w *• »hundanoe of water facilitated frequent wwh- 3i„^ ** "condition, by reason of the new smoke^^ Thu^ in heu of an infernal, oyolopean den there we^ bright jn^:''^M^jS^r:i^:j!mm:z T.Xr wr..:. *«aOC0fY RiSOUITION TBT CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) ^ APPLIED IM/C3E In ^^ 165^ Coat Main StrMt ^2 RoctwiUf. Na* Yofk 14609 USA S (^'6) ^^2 - 0300 - Phan« K (716) 280 - S9S9 ~ Fox I7» WORK Bhmy spacions workshops in which toil seemed to lose mooh of Its harshEesa. No Soubt the employment of ekotriSlv ^as stJl very Umited; there was stftlTdeaienLR roar of efforts'^'^nwLt' '""' '^li/tJ^ad been founrfo? h°„ma°„' Waf. „♦ 'i,^-°"f """,? °' '^» furnaces had there been S.-1 "'*=''»°"=^1 appliances, which, although hithMtS freed from excessive labour. At La Creoherie thev wero feehng their way, so to say; and yet how crcat was Tho im^ov^ment which already Resulted from dLKss.Z, a'd ^in.'^Tu^^i'^ expected to find Bonnaire, the master-pud- dler, at his fhmaoe, and was surprised to comrunon him '"'*^HXr " 'r^' rolling-machle for the mTkingWR puddltogtlie/""""^ """ ''=''"■ ''«'- y- ^ven up 'No,' Bonnaire replied, 'but we do a little bit of everv- th ng here. That's the rule of the pUce : two houra on o?o whnl' LT*i*' °'/'"' .^°°. ^ "0' easily induce the men whom he took on to quit whatever might be their SD«!iStv Later, however, reforms would be reahsed, for the Sr^' woJk ^^^ r'?''^ '?«'"S'^ "^^^l appranticesWps, since W a fc^l """^ '^ "^^ attractive by vk^ing it, andri^°n| but a few hours to any one particular form ""«' Pving .i„ Ah!' sighed Fauchard, 'wouldn't it just amuse me to tTenTcfntl t^ t;hrr' ^ "^ ^^ ^^ «' CJ^n ^^^ •'^^•"'?,"al to shake handS with BagTanl U^s^iJ ° •^»? busily engaged in receiving the r«T ^\ nnt ™^ •''f,.^'"'* ' ""Kbt 'or Fauchard. The rails were not made m the same wav as at the Abyss. He Iwked at LtrwTrds "°?hrih- 1"«^'^' ""'""^ ^« '""1^ "»' have pu i^i.1^ u- i .\^ ^^^^ ™°" particuUrly made him suffer S was'^the'^m"' "''"••=^^ "^ •'V^''^ to tb« si^^Ta^^ tool, was the dim consciousness that he might have been a Xt a fr^'te' "^^ rV'- ^' ^» '°^««d «o ^Td totohik Iil™^!, j' Wealthy joyful man he might have become if rtei*^^ ?-°l""' "^^ '"t" ^^'^ brutifying gaTthe AWs I The rails, which ever grew longer before hi! lyes, seemed to WORK m ThesterfbillS «,1 'r "t^oj^i""? speed and regularity 174 WORK She«D^n „?*■'"' ^rf"*?^ y^'l^*^ ^y "•""■nio"! treatment of ^hISL fL*" •f'^'J' ' "^ S"'' ^* *^t the mannfcotSe of girders and mlg, being euffioiently remunerative enn^ the prospent^ of the works. They paid their w^7tt; ZZj ^^yJr}" '■ ^^°^ ^•^°'*" "«" ^™«ted towards the7ntoe ^d hl™lt?-°° °' P^^i'- ^''^ ''°''™«° ^a'' 'heir oomfo-t and happmess mcrease. None the less his daily life waTf nU L^r^^^^^"" "•*' complicated creation of Ids XTwere considerable advances to make, an entire Httle ai^ to l3 and worries assailed him both as a reformer, asT rarine^' mdeAtoSdter ■ f ""^'^ "^"^^ -^rt"^. y«t ^e^faUy at B^nal*''R."^~"'j*'?, ""'y P»"=«^ ^°' » """""snt to smile „„T. * II f\ "''*" '^*' ''»'l "here the rollingmaohinerv ana rails made there ; it was the good foice of m^ )« S3 P^irtUef^er^ts^JS'l^f i^^^^^^ S^ AhT'^K^f r ^^ ""' «*^ *<» e*ta^*^ urns. _ Ajii might the steel girders and framewnrk. k. oibes, bndges to cross riyers and valleys, miaht rails^ b^r.^t'^ the presses and form eXs3 to aboiwj frontier? bnng nation, together, and win the whole vrorld over to the broWly oivili^tion of to-mOTrowl rt« ^f ?' •'"^v.*^ ^"° P*™^ "to the large foundry where the preat steam-hammer began to pound away, foS^ St ftP^^" ^"^««' thVroUing mwlSfwa^ suddenly stopped, and an mterval ensued pendingthe 2^rtL^ of another section. Fauohaid then dre " nearer t^WsSd mates, and some conversation ensued between Tern he 4ui5-er' "^ ^""^ "^^ "^''* ''*™ = y°° "^ ^"'^fi^d, eh ? ■ 'Satisfied, no doubt,' Bonnaire replied. 'The working WOXK ,^5 dlLd/l^L*"!? °'..*^''* *'°«"' *»« " what on« does ■» w»rt. h2V7^ j f °\ '^^ •''"«^ mainstays of the new he workei anfl T^fLi ??* "* '?"* '""« **»« ">» was sensible, «-t:?iT^aS}: r^^aTer ^f.t""o.^Sfe^ aouL^whrt'yrz^to^r'^' *^°" «"" -^ '"' "* "-«y. douWe^^l '''L'ri'*"?''."!^'' '^" to jest :< Oh I the just to betrin wif). t • «;j v. TV > "" ' » hundred francs ioun^boufTorSHndayf'''- '^^ -°"* " '^"^ ">" *1 176 IVOSK ao-opentive aiorea and the gay Uttle houaaa which are let to nt umost for nothing. Certainly this ien't yet real justioe, bu; all the same we are on the road to it.' Bagn continued sneering, and a desire came to him to jatiafy another hatred, for if he jested about La Cr«cherie, he never spoke of the Abyss otherwise than with ferocious rancour. 'And what kind af &oe does that animal Deiaveau pull nowadays 1 ' he inquired. ' It amuses me to think that he must be quite wild at having another show erected dose to his own, and one too that seems likely to do good business. He sm a rage, isn't he?' Pauohard waved his arm vaguely and replied : ' Of course he must U m a rage, only he doesn't show it over much, ^d yet I reallv don't know, because I've enough worries of my own without troubling about those of other people. I m heard say that he doesn't care a fig about your works and the competition. He says, it seems, that cannons and JheUs will always be wanted, because men are fools and will always go on murdering one another.' Luc, who was just then returning from the foundry, heard those last words. For three years past, since the day when . *'»?,^Pja»»iIed on Jordan to keep the blaat-fnmaoe anl estabhsh forges and steel-works, he had known that he had u enemy in Deiaveau. The blow had been a severe one for the kttMr, who had hoped to acquire La Crtoherie for a com- pa»tiyely small sum payable over a term of years, and who in Uen thereof saw it pass into the hands of an audacious young man, full of intelligence and activity, possessed of MCh ci-eative vigour that at the very outset of his operations he raised the nucleus of a town. Nevertheless after the SS"* isS' *"* *"' *°"'' "' surprise, DeUveau had felt fcU of confidence. He would confine himself to the manu- facture of ordnance and projectiles, in which line the profits were large ones, and in which he feared no competition. The Mnouncement that the neighbouring works would resume the makmg of rails and girders had at first filled him with merriment, ignorant as he was that the mine would be worked afresh, "^hen, on understanding the situation, realising that large proi ts might be made by treating the defective ore ehraucally, he did not lose his temper, but declared to every- body that there was room for all enterprises, and that he would willingly leave the making of rails and girders to his ^VORK but poUte int^"ri^ ' ' „ i Pf "^ '^l °° aisturged. cold of juirand^ee work rnlT".^'^' ?'*?"" ^at centre Might gain "wn T, n-^ Vu '"°'' '^' '" t'™* "» spWt fail him, his arms howevB?»JTt. * ^S''?'' °' ""P^'al n>'ght for him in L&th«^2»^^'' ^^''"^^•P *'?'" "he still retained lives ^ * ^""^'y ''™8«'« '''''"h now parted their thel^erve'forh."''°^i?i??"'','''''^' '^^ P"* himself on sary cSIte ^h thrAt''*'^^'''" *° avoid all unneoes- .Ju,d corCt!!;\t!'fcr^7wr«f tCr N 178 WORK serrioeg, but he did not -wish it to be tald that he ifled to •ttraot them. As a matter of fact, it was the vorkerg of La CMcherie who decided whether a new hand should be admitted or not. Accordingly, as Bonnaire had on various previous oocamons spoken to him of Fauohard, Luo feigned a belief that the latter was trying to gain admittance from his former comrades. * Ah I it's you, my friend,' said he ; 'you've corns to see if your old mates will make room for you, eh ? * The other, once more full of doubt, incapable of prompt resdntion, began to stammer disjointed words. All novelty frightened him, accustomed as he was to blind routine. Those new works, those large, light, clean halls, filled him with emotion as if they formed part of some awesome place where It would be impossible for him to live. He was already eager *o ™*™?. **> ^" Wack and pain-fraught inferno. B»gu had derided hiiu. What was the good of changing, when nothing was certain 1 Besides, he dimly realised, perhaps, that it was too late for him to make a change. ' No, no, monsieur, not yet," he stuttered ; ' I should like to, but I don't know. I'll see a little later— I'll consult my wiffe.' Luo smiled. ' Quite so, quite so— one has to please the women. Au reeoir, my friend.' Then Fauchard went off in an awkward way, astonished at the turn that his visit had taken, for he had certainly made 1* ^'''iS* •°'«"'io° of asking for work, if he found the place to his hking, and one could earn more money there than a« the Abyss. Fot a moment Luo remained speaking to Bonnaire about some improvements which he wished to introduce into the roUing-maohinery. But Ragu had a complaint to make. Monsieur Luo,' said he, ' a gust of wind has broken three more panes in the window of our bed-room. And I must warn yon that this time we really won't pay. It all comes from our house being the first in the line of the wind that comes from the plain. One freezes in it.' He was always complaining, always finding reasons for mwontent. 'Besides, it's very simple. Monsieur Luo,' he added, 'you've only got to call at our house to see how it happens. Josine will show you.' Since Eagu had been working at La Cr^cherie Sceurette had prerailed on him to marry Josine; and thus they lived together in one of the little houses of the newto?ra of workers, » house which stood between those of Bonnaire and Bonrron. WORK »79 »'> erecting which Luo lad aiied a a^fct 't''^ the place as commodious as poSe liW^. !*• ?H? **,°?'' occupied one wing of^t, tlie one, whilst the meeting and festival-hall, together with various offices, occupied the central pile. The sSs ^re a™ted mto three Jstinct sections, first a kindTf iXn riil^LT ?-f*,'°°*'" ^°"°^S various avocations coufd lOace their htUe ones, even when these were mere babes in swaddhng clothes; secondly a school proper, comprismg fiie f^^- Lf *v "S^ " '^"'P'^'^ ^y^'em of education was in teoe ; imd thurdly a series of workshops for apprentices m^e pupils fre3uented.the latter even whilst foUowmg thef; aZ^\ ^^"T/ *T'''?"'y ""'' °'""'»' eallings ^ their »™^«fl ^''^**/''';^'°P"^• ■^"^ *he sexes were not ^awted, boys and girls grew up side by side, from the ?^. . ^ workshop of apprenticeship, wtich they quitted ^f °™er__*9_'nf'^y. passing meantime through the five classes mini^fnr?r' "''"*'? *'''y ""t^'^e by side on the forms, minghng there as they were bound to mingle in after life i8o WORK To separate the sexes from infancy, to bring uu Lovs and Sher'dt.'^Zl"'''" ^ffe-ll^'ly. one in ig'no^^ncVoftte wner, does not this render them n mical, and does it Mt S? L*^ PfT.'* *?"" *•' heightening the nTy'stery of^he laws th. ..*°^ »t raotion 1 Peace will only be complete b^twwn hoJnw"' ™ ^^ """""'" '"*«"«' 'hich ought to miito thZ WhnS°T'^i^* had greatl;^ aided Luo in organising the schools AS^^llff""' ""i!- 'Pr8 the monejr he had promis^T h^ Z.^TTTC^^ measures should be adopted, his sister hsS Kw i™in ?!"""°"''-"' T'T*' « '•"'' °'" town which Lv?f; *,°^ ' "T.* '"^ »l''»ys been latent within her and a few Z°r71t' ^V-'hJitherto had been unable to go b^y^d a lew poor folk pointed out to her by Abb^ Marie SStnr Novarre, or Hermeline the sohoohnaster, suddenW «^d^' Z K°t?n?' ^r;' '"iS* ^""""y °f woikers, whoSd to £^r:a'2^l.f-i^^i-^2:is^^ SuS'atJistrif'riLViSsi^i'S^^^^^^ Z^^tTSlTY'^!'" """^^'o" <«>a a pretty UuX^^bS! rL l^j the children of others to look after ? • ^ oui, u *" *°^"' •>? fin^'ig »n assistant in Josine whn mott sSir™^ ,'° ^T- ™>»«ned childUss -Eth ^^f SjBuretto employed her among the infants • 3 t^r»,^*i'''*' *" '"^^y ^"« ''y solicitud! for thriUtle o^s r&^^«>i^g??hTthrbL^^^^^^^^^ ^»- - o5.^ fo£t="!ion^Th^- '■ ^^;« „ j the other, allowing a warm these dSnSe"^!^^^"' "^.^ *5« ^e^ther beSig wise that Luo imd sZrettTlS "m°'.'"^?°P«"' '" «»«S room without earing ' '*"* *'''" '" e'»°''« '"to eoch -anZ iuUe'atew p^ °mm/ f °/ '^« -'"■*^" ^ad flntcVin whiortL?STAv,/t^f''°?- F""' the read, to the fifth in IhToh .hev trt'i^/ ""^T ^^ "?"^^ and enables one t^go on wlini i f^'t"?^ ^^"^ classifies taowledge one hW° fly "S^°?^iT«"«^' ?i^^ was not condemned in tl/XWia 0^^°' i^ iSi WORK -yatem thVindivldu" en"?^ of e^Jh t-uJil «^ \ ""i' and Bt muUted In iik« mii„. • ? P" *"' »waliened curiosity of the child for »n thZf ^' , 'neitinguisbabla ik7Wrj'd^.i & j£" s necessaiy if one wiahj. chSd to^me'f l^^'^fn '5 fi JSornTto'r^','rrnfor^°^^"^? ^^f «"- -^^ Cwe« g^^e^ t^crcCr'SS'^^''^ T" ^^• body might be fortm^nt^^'i^ ^ ?''l' '" °"'" ">»' the stu4sfproSnartotherMU°a''''°"^'.'^°? "«» "^^ amidst the things on w^rfS!?,!? \ ^"P'i* "*" *""8h' shops, now iHfes^nce of the nhlT"' !^ "<" « 'O*. ani^ids and dK .!r LoTJ^ phenomena of nature, among Then, to^efforts were mal? ''»'<"-f°°"«? ""d mountains. what manid^dmlW wa^lVof^tht'*'' "^' ?T * "°'i°" »' u «auy was, and of the necessity for solidarity. ^HL: WORK '83 men lat^LA V^ K^ifi """'^ *"** ""« iw****! harvest— others too who ore verj twbffi. Thev Du«h ^A fit?'''* writing, a tool was already placed in his han,l ■ »«T?»j • 1 84 WORK thai eMh pupil on leaving the school simply had to choose ae oaUmg he himself preferred, and peiK^t himself k it ^»A '~™*?P- 1? J»ke manner beaniy flourished ; the »S^^! 1 ^'"^ '^'^''8'' '^"^ <" °"^e. ^''ring, painting, and sculpture, and in souls that were weU awaken^ the joys Sn!^^"*.'*". ""."v" •"?"• ,^'*" fo"^ *•»<«« "ho had to ion fine themselves to the first elements such studies tended to £™Hf.f?- "" ■? ?°.' °.' "•"'•'^ *o"" embellishing the »^^i li?™!- ^\ "> 'be garden, at the close of fine days, amidst radiant sunsets, the children were gathered together tt^ Sh^Sfi^'mSt^S'"' " "^ '* ''^' by si^cttS ♦h.f^?^'*'^"!'''"??" ^""y "=■' wlien he was informed that two peasants of Les Combettes, Lenfant and Yvonnot rUe mTetfugXl'" '*■" ^» *''^ ""'« ^^^ ~"^'' .' v^? i'^''^ "P"/ *''.°"* '"^^ «'"«"' ? ' asked Soeurette. AnJ ftt V„ ^Tt ' 'J?*? asked me to fix an appointment. And for my ^ I greatly desired to see them, for Ywas talk- indLesromw'^v"'* i' ?'*^/^-'' •'«*^'^» ^a CrScherie and i^eg Combettes if we desire to win the day.' nlan« . <.ni?ff *" *'™- ""J'J"*' "''« °n« ''«' knew aU his plans ; and after pressmg his hand she returned with her ttrfut'i^'"lt^{:'.''1f '^'^'l r^««' ''he^ woSd aS tne^^ture people that he needed for the fulfilment of his ,«„£f°'"l'' i""® '''"?"'=' °^ ^a Gnerdaohe, had ended bv ln.j tk £T ? • ■^?' " ""s necessary to Uve, as FeuUlat said • M l™LT?'Vf 'y"'*'" ^^ '^'=°'"« «» ^«f«^tive that it ^d th. ™?S i.''*^ ^V ^°^ '*''^'s. It was leading, indeed, to stohWn^,if l^P'^y °J ^^^ ?°"- ^'^^ s° Feuiuit. likfttl tn n^^ "" ^'.,™'' ^*°"''^ ""y «•" 'dsa 'hich he imparted tnrklh\'^""?'-'=°?'''"'«^ urging on certain experiientel work which he desired to see tried near his farmr SS in'.,w w'^"°° ?^.'l« P*''^^*^ «' Les CoStes,^oS orj he^r'™tr''''i '^ f ^'''"S *'««*''«' ^ -^ comioCty the crfiafil^f '' °' '*".^' °°'' •="' "P '"'o li"'« strips, ana ™lSfS ^°^ one great estate, whence they would derive W ^u V^P'r^.'''^ P^'-^'P'-'s of high cultivation on a largo scale. And the idea which Feuillat kept back in the IVOUK I8S 1 de^Uw of his mind muBt have been that of persuading BoMgelin to let the farm enter the new association, whenthe ant expenments should have succeeded. If Boisgelin should Mfuse, facts would end by compelling him to consent. In JfemlUt moreover, sUent man that he was, bending beneath such servitude as appeared inevitable, there was something of the nature of a patient, crafty apostle, who was resolved to gam ground by degrees, undeterred therefrom by any feeling of weariness. ' """""o I^ had just achieved a first success by reconciling Lenfint and Yvonnot, whose families had been quarrelling for centuries, ihe former haying been chosen mayor of the vUlage and the Jatter adjoint, or deputy mayor, he had given them to under- stand that they would be the real masters if they could only agree together. Then he had slowly won them to his idea of a general agreement, by which alone the village could emerge from tli3 wretchedness bom of routine in which it vegetated, and once more find in the earth an inexhaustible source of fortune. As the works of La Crecherie were at that time bemg estabhshed, he cited them as an example, spoke of their growing_ prosperity, and profiting by some water question which had to be settled between La Crecherie and Les Oombettes, he even ended by putting Lenfant and Yvonnot in commumcation with Luc. Thus it was that the viUaga ma^r and his deputy happened, that morning, to be at the Luc immediately consented to what they came to ask him, and the good nature he evinced in doing so in some degree dispelled their habitual distrust. « "efcrao 'It's understood, messieurs," said he, 'La Crecherie will henceforth canalise all the springs captured among the rocks, and turn those which it does not employ into the Grand-Jean nvntot, which crosses the lands of your village before joining the Mionne. At little cost, if you only establish somi reservoirs, yon will have abundant means for watering vour Jand and increasing its bearing qualities three times over ■ Lenfant who was short and stout, wagged his big head Mid reflected : ' It will certainly cost too much,' said he. Th^ Yvonnot, who was short and slim, with a dark face and bad- tempered mouth, added: 'Besides, monsieur, one thing that troubles ns is that this water will lead to a lot more dis- putes among us when we divide it. You act like a good neighbour in giving it to ns, and we are mnoh obliged to yon. i86 WORK tbe two men. • But water wh?<,r,Pf^'°"'"'y ^«8«ed to dm to belong to every^* w''^^'? '"''''^^'v Baid he, »» 5 ^ -ohines^or KhL^ iri^a"^^^^^^'^^^^^^^ IVOJiK .87 W^wt^ .^5'°^u"®'°?' <^«'°'«iUypreparedin neighbouring ^^^"^^ r*^ continuous waterings by which the oropf WOTkea rione, m isolation, were leading to famiSe, but pro- digious plenty would ensue if the peasants of a viUage would procure the necessary machinery, manure, and water. Extra- ordinary ertiHty would be created thereby. T^ or tl^ee i^ZrS"'^ suffice to feed two or three families. ThepomSa! ^^jT'^r-^^^ ^ *'^''?*^' "« «"1 'ool'' amply siffice f^™. J*'^" were cultivated logically, all the creative forces workmg harmoniously together. Aid that would a^^ mean happmess ; the peasants' labour would not be one-third aLir "^ "?* "T'l^^ ^""^^ ^ liberated from aU sorlrS Wm andthrt A**"," °^"'5 »°°«yl«°der who preys upon ^ S„ *!, •^'u"^'^^ '"8? landowner and the Stati^ who like- wise do their best to crush him. BM vlni^^^^J • dedaired Len'ant inhis thoughtful way. h. M? i.fT"*' *°°^ ^'^ ""."/t "^'"^y- * Ah ! dash it ! ' said he, '^ tiiat be true we should be fools not to try it • Lno ^oT5T '^"c .situated at La Crficherie,' resumed 1^0, Who had been keepmg a final argument ii reserve •We have hardlv been three years in existence, and oSZai-' ^^^^^•^^ •°" •"■"^l^bo have combined^geTer "^^ meat and dnnk wine, and they have no debts left ^d no fSr for ^e future. Question them, and visit our workshops, oSJ homes, our common house, aU that we have manw^ to create m so short a time. It's aU the fruit of unioTaXou yom^el^ves wiU accomplish prodigies as soon as yo'uToome in c'horasr"' **"''' '^°' ''^ ^°^' ^^ t'^o peasants answered ^.if^? 'M??* ••''*'°'® '^^^ '■» ^"O *hey had inquisitivelv visited La Crgohene, appraising the wealth already aSfj feelmg amazed at the sight of that happy town which was wringing up so rapidly, and wondering what gain there milht ThI Jn^^'^f ^''' '^.""'y *°"'^ '•"°'''°« ^ 'he same mS fhe force of example was gradually winning them over. Well, since you know, it's all simple enough.' Luc irailv ^ow 1 ^^\rf? ''""^ = ' "«" """'t «vT f you dZ S^« „I„ T that's necessary. And you others need tods spades, ploughs machmes made of the steel which we manufao tore. And so the solution of the problem is simple enoughtl i88 wosr ' there ahouS" ^^^f ll^ ^-^^e it. Itw«^ There wire the ChodorgeTrk^lv*^ *" =''»™ "W^d Hauaser works which rnXsoXl T^'t- "^^ mUs, X jnose of the oIothinB tmiJo- ? : ''"' hnildinif tradea ^ " Me young man WORK 189 Sni^ te '^ " «« f ^a-. where their chi.aren' They had doubdt'ron^Sf^S-.?^?. ^''*^' **« "'"'"g- them that Com CrfZi*tM"i%r*'' ? .~^«' *° "^o^ taUdnif about A;,i..-fu' ""'"^ ""• "hole region was fuU of turbXn S/ Thi sklrt^'of t ^^^{ "k 'H" '"^'' oii\wSoS3£Sr?-P^- sheep. Behind him were ff™f,^ V?* th, fleece of a young ten years of a«e, the fSS^-^r" •'^'^ '^'° «^e «» in«tt«a ^th her ifkeik olt!,w''™,? S«[""«»' «|ning admit himself tobein't'hevS^'' ""^ ''^^ wouMTve? . P»' "8 the matter ? ■ Luc inquired. that he led there her^^Z^°'%"- ^ have just leamt time they even cHm&ettho^au'^' ''^^^«' '"<' ^- roiir;:^Ch^;>raii^&^^^^ strongly bolted wteroonrse had ceased was kept he. ^?isnTt^?il.ft te aK "ov^r^r'- 7^* °'»H.' -«> myself, and then I o^ed1h'^°drto? Ai ?"' "^^ •'^ pleasantness.ISdlZeaH^l^^*^f°° "fu^""* ««"<>"" "^^ «.d Wicked to disobl^^n^'thllalolir "^^ " '' '""^ ^-« 1 90 WORK Nanet stood listeninB and looking with his eTe> wide onan t^^^\^'^''\ atlK,ttom, but Enable to KaW^ mpjrtanoe of hu transgression, he felt moved at seeing Luc so disturbed. If he had climbed over the wall to ift the ^H ■''■•'7»?>'=aa8eNise Delaveau hsd some tSaJmiM*^ \nth her that afternoon, Paul Boisgelin, Louise MazeflTand other amusing Uttle 6o«rj«,£,, ani beoki^^ thej^il ^^.^d • Why was it so wrong ? • the boy repeated with an air of „a J*"? ^w","""^ *** 1^^"° ^"lo had been present, and ™w„l.^""^ "TT' "i"*"" t^'^y J-ad done They Sd n»^lf,^'*1? ".r"* '"?,r*i'» = '*■«? "-^ "°t broken any plan^ flowe^eds ^ "™ *''' '^'"' 'y^« '" ""> P»*h» °» t° the •Sh«^^t./t' °\ ■^^fy./e" ''"t 18.' he said in oonolusion. pKa togetw.' °" ""^ ""' ' '*^ •■*' ""■=« "«'^ Luo forced back a smUe. But in his heart a vision wan t'i^f rtr'*'"' "'¥'^° "^ *•"> *'° rivircbssTs^X" Sltte h^'^f^ "^P^y- '??i''»8'' '"S^'her, in spite o1 Wnir^tT^ f^ '"'f'l ^hich separated their fathers, to them^ P**""**^*" °^ *he future community flower forth ^J}h^^^^ possible,' said he, ' that Nisc may be charming, aad that you may agree very weU together ; only it is S' ^r ^tl tt" " *° "T "*" °° ■>«' '"""J »°^ yo° on ours, to order that there may be no complaints ■ «l„MC!^^'''T*i*''.T* '"'^'.'''y aU the charm of that tonooent ^dhood, looked at him with eyes so suggestive of forriveness Me ™'^^;!f ""'"' «^'"'? V' r^' y°"^"^ not dof I^ato little Mes, because you might bring some real worry on us.' ;„„ ^!? ^*°{^i '°^ Yvonnot had finally taken leave, carry- ing o«f their chddren, who, after mmgling to the play of tfie now finished, thought of gotog home agam. But fie s uddeSv ^W^S'^"*^,*"?' had promised toZ Josine, and sohe ™^ onl^J^^ "^'k "u H.S morning had hitherto been a go^ h::;t".Sl''^f ^oS" *"• '""^^ ^ -""^ *- ""°™ home with*W^ The house occupied by Ragu and Josine, one of tk first WORK jgi Aat h«d been buUt, stood near the park of La Cr«oherie. between the houseg ooonpied by the Bonnaireg and the iJounrong. L^ 5 was crossing the road when, at some distance, at a comer of the foot pavement, he saw a small group of women, who appeared to be busily chattering. And he soon recognised Madame Bonnaire and Madame Bourron, who were apparently gmng some information to Madame Fauohard, she having wime that morning, like her husband, to see if ««^.Tii, Tj™'?''!*^ such a Tom Tiddler's ground as some folk assorted. Judging by the sharp voice and harsh gestures of Madame Bonnaire-La Toupe as folks called her- nlTnT^f ^''i"'' '•"*' '''* ''"';?°' P"°"°» » '^^y seductive K i, u ^* "" concern. Cross-grained as she was, she could be happy nowhere, but invariably spent her time in Wilinp her own life and that of otheiT At the ve^ begmmng she had seemed pleased to find her husband obtain- ing work at La Cr«oherie, but after dreaming of immediately securing a big share of the profits, she was now enraged at having to wait for it, perhaps for a considerable time tocome. uer great gnevance, however, was that she could not even succeed in buymg herself a watch, an article of which she Had coveted the possession for several years already. Qoite a oontrast to her was Babette Bourron, who was ever in a state ot delight, and did not cease extolling the advantages of her new home, her keenest satisfaction arising perhaps from the laot tnat her husband no longer came home drunk with Bagn. Between the two of them— La Toupe and La Bourron — Madame Fauchard, looking more emaciated, unlucky, and mournful than ever, remained in a state of some perplexity, but she was naturally inclined to favour the pessimism of La Toupe, the more particularly as she was convinced that there was no more joy for her in this life The sight of La Toupe and La Fauchard thus distressfully ohattermg was vei^ disagreeable to Luc. It robbed him of 1U3 good huniour, the more especially as he knew what a dis- turbMoe in the future organisation of work, peace, andiustice was threatened by women. He felt that they were aU-power- ful, and It was by and for them that he would have Mked to found his city. Thus his courage often faUed him when he met snch as were evU, hostUe, or simply indifferent-women WHO, instead of proving: » belp such as he awaited, might DMome an obstacle, a destructive force indeed by which his tobonr might be annihilated. However, he passedf the gossips «9» WORK Wlen .n her lap and, gazW f«L*'""?' •"" •""" ''"k --d '" «> deep a reverie that "ie did n^t '^^ "!!* "'"' P'" ^K^d For • moment he nauaed «,^ i "°' «^en hear him ento longer the wretchXrirJ th?t ti%^»^ t^^'- She wa? no pavements, dying of aWvaUon L5f^ h°"» »«>"rin? the wd woeful feMMderT^d tkn';^'^,'^'^' '''"' « Pwched jwd-twenty now, and look^ctei' "•' H?"' ^^^^ «" one. Wue linen stuff her fl™;,- oUarming m her simple irown nf »hin. And hrSK^iPPthT'''^^' b/nTm7a°s delicate florescence above her A ,f*i" ?"'• ««"ned like a wg blue eyes and ite lutle J^u^k' '°°? '"^^ ^i"> '»« laugh" She seemed also to be seated HfiV' ^T^ ^ » «>sebSd. gay and clean little pXurfu?ptw°l-5i:^'^ '^ «>at *j"e room that she mn«t «,!*?*? '""' varnished deal— ehe had e„te?earh^p^a/'^d fa /5 ^''^ '^"l? »«"'»« wWcI which she had taken romu^«H^^''5«' ?"^ embellishing years past. ** """'' P"de and pleasure for thwf had prevailed on Batra to folwV^ "**^'^. ^^hen Bonnairo La Cr«cherie she hS deeS'hi^?,,'"'* J°'° the others^ teals. ThenceforwarfslTwoiJd hi '*^*'^.f«''° «" '"ture her daUv bread woulTbeL^T.55'«» "ice little homeL after consn.-ing £no who foi hf, " ""'y consented to it master. And dlip iS'h„ beinc thLTrf' '«'"' God m" tug bom of the mLenKSC ,^v ^ » »Ptnrong feel- "» h.m before he si«,^ m. . ^"i"* *« had divined n S that the best. Kde^'tSf J^^?"" S«' "^ter alT^ S-e could not do oSbenrise th«„ n,"'^ «"='"«• solution? J^mg L„o had toa^ar pleased f^lf^ .^"^ ^^ ^ for her the same affeotiSTXr h«^/ • ''*' *'.^«' ^taming '* '" ""*''"' '•■« -- ba^ Biii^tTo^'^m%"sh1 tyoxje «M Blie''\nt rm%!!f.°°'"*uPT' broken. Mondenr Luc,' said -.««£*T*''!** *^.* "'S''*' however, he at last wrunB a full ^nfesBton from her. Bagu did Mt become aSftised to iff!;tt^^" J' °^^l' Peacefulness, and slow and Suou^ muieis yet habituated to slavery, and consoIinR himself fo* it Wh ,TS?- ^T- "''''" J"* intonoated himsflSlnJed 1^^/^'*'''°°,' H PO'erless words. He regrettJd^S.e^U^ .n™i''^*r""'''^°P=i*« '^"e'* warfare S^tooM'. one 8 wife and ohUdren when one at last returned E »»4 WORK of worri«i.^xfetrM to wtther^hiiJf ^ """ '•'• *» «»*« whotlur tli^r^V,?! L "'"'"'«' ""ngs were going **11. ud n.» ^°L?'*°"* /•" •**'*«» Jo»iM and Lue The Tonn. comJS>,h»v2^uV '"" *"'^* °''^" ^"^ Bo"^ her incessant desln to bartand fctl « ii ^~ "*? ''y And so, Josine/ he slowly resumed. • ,on are not happy f ■ IVORK >95 1 A^f^t^"^ *° P".**''= 'O*" Montl«ur Lne, why •bonld I not b« hippy, when you h«T« done w mndi te But her itrength fuled her, and again two big tearn »PPf^ "» ''•' 'JM "tl rolled down hwoheaki. ' You eee very well, Joeine, you are not happr,' repeated ine young man. 'I am not happy, ife true, Moniienr Lne,' ihe at lait aniwered, • only you can do nothing in the matter. It ii no lanit of youre. You have been a Providence for me, and wnat oan one do if there's nothing that can change Raim-g heart? He u beooming quite malioions again ; he cm no longer abide Nanet ; he nearly broke everytH" •» here yeeterday erenmg, and he gtruck me, becauM the c^ 1 eo he aaid. josweied him improperly. But leave me, Moniienr Lne— S^ii!^ .T^tmH"'' ""'y .W""*™ me; at all eventa I promiM you that I'll worry as little as I can.' Bob* broke upon her trembling voice, which was seareely andible. And he, powerless as he was, experienced inoreasinc •adUMS. A shadow was oast over the whole of his happv morning ; he was chilled by doubt and despair— he usuaUy so wave, whoaestrength lay so much in joyous hope. Although things obeyed lum, although material success seemed f sur^, was be to find himself powerless to change men and develop ^vins love, the fruitful flower of kindliness and soUdaritv in thMT hsMts ? If men should remain in a state of hatred and violence his work would never be accomplished. Yet how was he to awaken them to affection, how was he to teach them Jiappmess ? That dear Joaine, whom he had sought in the ven depths, whom he had saved from such awful misery she to him seemed the very image of his work. That work would not leaUy exist untU she was happy. She was woman, wretched woman, the slave, the beast of burden and the toy, that he had dreamt of saving. And if she was still and ever unhappy, nothing substantial could have been founded, eveiything stiU remamed to be done. Amidst his grief Luc foresaw many dolorous days ; a keen perception came to him of the fact that a temble struggle was about to open between the past and the future, and that he himself would shed in it both tears and blood. ' I>o not cnr Josine,' aaid he ; ' be brave, and I promise you that you shall be happy, for yon must be happy in order that everybody may be so,' 19« tvoxi: «M1»IW Of TMUrilSd^l "^ •'"•'''^ ""> *> Ol*" With iS ^« r«voir, Jodne.' w^D • fln.1 «noonnt«r made him «.^/ ^ ^ CombettM, u«dr'icihW."w'^^^^ cis^ri.- ehuM meetings with him nn- ^ ^ '" I'M other frermJt ^Iwly the first meetogo?;urur»: "r."""™' ""^ pS »he AbyM ud mziM with L* , ''* ''•^ »e«n him mIX, °nd childhood ^^-l'**"' °'^ "w ■"▼•nt slackened his naoe M™.- t, . '"^'«'"' wWUt the IHWrive. raised his broaT^id rfJ^'r" •'*'*°'- «»ve md im Bideof whiohfeUhisWwhihf^" eonntenwoe, on SthTr •yerything. letting nSa wafc a r^'"*'' «^S^ Which he'hKrerWay* "^ •'''»''« '^-'^^^^^ m>jtx »»r he »t*rted, ind drew bank ruL . a? .."'n. nowtver, were not ^ide enough fo^two «J p.*^ • '«"••« th. ,o,d bent double. bowTpSly^^ik'V^V'i.*'?'' •'''• ""^ jnoeetor, to tho mMtar and founder tW^h^^'.j*'''."^?'*.* ?r4^xrLrdnrji^i^^^^^^^^^ isfute'^«i„^sS^^^^^^^ wo^ropao. U Cr*c^.^e;:;LrpXru^e"w]^^^^ looked >t hie toi^ ^aml rf.l™ T" ..'° P'^k »w»y I He etood what Se^W™ htt"" •*.''* «","/"'' «<» under? growing .nd^o,peri'i''%?,t'^>V' T'*" '"'""»""•' ^ could eSd by Wvi^S Ticto^ '^""'' ""* ''«""•». "d obiid n At firet there hKy b4„ jf ^"u"? 'f.f""" Be»««l«ip. .none^der™ ^. ^^^^^bK^ ^raS'^b:? ret^uI^JeJ^r^^St^rfiitd^ l^^^'^^-. *He 00-operat.ve stores oHL fSSXot-. "i.*-^i'Pj»y«d "««1^- The with derision ^h"7J't ™'''^i'**"^''««"»g»rfea suocesBf.!, eounSramon^ thT""1' ''*" ""'^ P^"g ^«to-., hands. butV.^x^T„srwr.dTM! *'• WORK U^Sn^?.° ^"'^ ° P"^"" with those disaetroMideM of w the firat instance a^ enabling the humble ones of the^f Srooe™ uTb.T^'";^"' .andjcheaply. The buLhe„r£e i H nn ft5, .^ bakers the wine dealers, would aU have to put ' out t Th'" 1 P?°Pl« '«" '» »'«»''«d in doZ wi?S- °t wasTbomS<,*'''T''*f*°P'''P'? ^°"'«^ ^ ohorfs that ctZ\LlTT^} •^° '^*" society did indeed seem to be f^f „f f *^ oollapsmg now that they oould no loncer levv the prohts of parasites, and thereby increase the mte^^of thj ty,r.?}^^ °'°*' ^^^^^ °^ '^' however, were the Laboonea ThVnrif^ k' ?"* ^f ^""^ ""d the Place deuS teriiS'Li^rc^^i^f^-s^^ out large quantities ; and the worst wsa th"t w^ ^J ^»* d^v m.B^^^ ^l ^% Laboques became smaUereverJ rS«^V^^°^'"^-'^^-i"- ^nf^.,f i''"™"^'"',*' robbed, Simply because theru'seUss Mid Caffiaux the grocer and wineleUer, who, althouX?eekW of rancour, was of a colder temperament and wSd h?.^ mterests carefully. Even the Kautiful SaTe^Mitoie ttS WORK 199 n baker's wife, though inolioed to agreement, came at times and lamented with the others the 1o9b of a few of her cuBtomerg. ' Do you know,' Laboque cried, ' that this Monsieur Lno, as people call him, has at bottom only one idea, that of destroymg trade? Yes, he boasts of it, he shouts the monstrous words aloud : " Trade is robbery. ' ' For him we are all robbers, and we've got to disappear I It was to sweep us away that he established La CrScherie.' Daofaeuz listened with dilated eyes, and all his blood rush- ing to his face. 'Then how will one manage to eat and clothe oneself, and all the rest ? ' he asked. ' Well, he says that the consumer will apply direct to the producer.' 'And the money 1 ' the butcher asked. 'Money? Why, he suppresses that too I There's to be no more money. Isn't it stupid, eh ? As if people could live without money I ' At this Daobeux almost choked with fury. 'No more trade I no more money I Why, he wants to destroy everything. Isn't there a prison for such a bandit ? He'll ruin Beauelur if we don't put a stop to it I ' But Caffianx was gravely wagging his head. ' He says a good many more things. He says first of all that every- body ought to work— he wants to turn the world Sto a perfect stone-yard, where there'll be guards with staves tc -"hi tliat everybody does his task. He says, too, that there ought to be neither rich nor poor ; according to him one will be no richer when one's bom than when one dies ; one will eat according to what one earns, neither more nor less, too, than one's neighbour ; and one won't even have the right to save up money.' ' Well, but what about inheritances ? ' put in Dacheux. ' There will be no more inberitances.' ' What I no more inheritances ? I shan't be able to leave my daughter my own money ? Thunder ! that is coming it too strong ! ' And thereupon the butcher banged his fist on the table with such violence that it shook. ' He says, too,' continued Caffiaux, 'that there will be no more authorities of any kind, no government, no -gendarmes, no judges, no prisons. Each will live as he pleases, eat and sleep as he fancies. He says also that machinery will end by doing all the work, and that the workmen will simidy have to drive it. It is to be tbn earthly paradise, because IVOXJC to take ni, with othe^ter on Tt^^ "" * '^J^'^V ^«l>i M for ohlldren. the oWm^Uy Jiu?2''l' "" '"f'?""- ^ ■ them np in a heap as ehm^^Z^lv "^""^^ "' '''em, bnnjr she. ■ I hop^that eac° mAth? ' -n^ ?°,°'' '''^'« ""m ! ' said to bring up W own lr« „n " '"^^ f ' '«»»' ^"ve the rSht are foriLken by S pa e„ts to*h^ ?" '°u' '^« childrenXo J^rangera as ii orpUasylUs bTS, "•? P«U-«eU b^ tha what you have been tel W i« l^t^f^ " '^^^^^ *<> "»« ' Say at once that it-c, au?^ . , " """ly proper.' beside 4nself ' Whv tLw^ ' ™?"^ """l"*"^. who was b« a house of iil-fame 1 ' "^ ^'""°"' *"««" society ;iUri4?y" inJS^. S practised with a v?ew7o mciTnf fh'' '"'' '"'8'' *'°"'^»«<'n reaping large profits, which woSL*^u "T '«"'°1'J and Moreover^ the two associSnT that of f .'r 1^^ °.»« ""^ «"• M Les Combettes wonM ™„i 1, ™ ■'^* <^'"*'herie and that the peasants wo^d supplt Z wt? """"oWate each other workmen would supoTLn. *?"*". ^'h bread, and the /aotured articles l^lSforlTt T'*^ '""'^ ""^ *«'°«- would be a oonMotion /f t^otirjl: ^C^ ^by WORK 201 degrees to faiion, and forming the embryo of t brotherly people. Assuredly the old world would come to an end if Socialism should win over the peasantry, the innumerable toilers of the country districts, who had hitherto been regarded as the ramparts of egotistical ownership, preferring to die of unremunerative labour on their strips of land rather than part with them. The shook of this change was felt through- out Beauclair, and a shudder passed lilte a warning of the coming catastrophe. Again the Ijaboques ~. re the first to be affected. They lost the custom of Les Combettes. They no longer saw Lenfant nor any of the others come to buy spades, ploughs, tools, and utensils. On the last occasion when Lenfant called he haggled and finall;^ bought nothing, plainly declaring to them that he would gain thirty per cent, by no longer dealing with them, since they were compelled to levy such a profit on articles which they themselves procured at neighbouring works. Henceforth all the folk of Les Combettes addressed themselves direct to La CrScherie, adhering to the co-opera- tive stores there, which grew and grew in importance. And then terror set in among all the petty retailers of Beauclair. ' One must act, one must act t ' Laboque repeated with growing violence each time that Dacheax and Caffiaux came to see him. ' If we wait till that madman has infected the whole region with his monstrous doctrines, we shall be too late.' ' But what can be done ? ' Caffiaux prudently inquired. _ Dachenx for his part favoured brutal siuJghter. 'One might wait for him one evening at a street corner and treat him to one of those hidings which give a man food for re- flection.' But Laboque, puny and cunning, dreamt of some safer means of killing his man. 'No, no, the whole town is rising against him, and we must wait for an opportur^ty when we shall ha\ e tbe whole town on our side.' Such u^ opportunity did indeed arise. For centuries past old Beauclair had been traversed by a filthy rivulet, a kind of open drain, which was called the Clouque. It was not known whence it came ; it seemed to flow up from under some antique hovels at tbe opening of the Brias gorges, and according to the common opinion it was one of those moun- tain torrents whose sooices remain unknown. Some very old inhabitants remembered having seen it in full flood at certain WOJiK $01 periods. But for I "'"^^ seemed too weat 1 fi, "^ ""''e^'^ over Bm tt debated 3»ietly oont1Lu^'l.'i" «»««• was shelv;d and Jh' ^?P«"«' bonrhood i\t. Perfuming and conf.,^ ^" *°e Clooque attributed IniiM', '^e bad fevers of th./; i^*'. f""^ ^o™ aayor at half-past Z^Tto feS? ,^? "' 7°»t. -^Ued on the Gouner had been living in^j*?* "T"^ »' I* Cr^ohlrie qmver was passing thrfurfiThi iT" F". ""^ ^^ed th»™ employed at his lirge Cfwlrt. ""-J^^" °^ ^^^' that he jnen wen, evidently ilfla^^°bJli° ""« B"" <>e Bri«, ThI be better to vield, to help on 7..^. ^•""'*" " " wonld not wojJd be mied by it ff he muT^T^"" ^'""^"' '"he This, however, was a won-v w^; 1, V'*?*'"'^* to belong to it was another which fiM^ hf '^^^t ^« M "ecret, fofiieM him t,uo's personal enemvw.^^ ^?** ™ncour, and mS! although the mayor wan rm™?ii- *°'''"' seonrity. But I ' WeU,' Mtid he to ChAteUrd, m soon u he uw Iha Utu. enter, -that lawsjit i. .t hand now Lab«™" „ bUn^ »ee me again, as he wanted some oertifioatS He Is rtU of opmion hat the town oupht to intepv«?e. L.d it ta^y ™v ^' «'^JPre'■e<'t contented himeeU with smiling. ' No no i*boaue, ^ho tl^ts for vengaanoe and massacre, to act by mmseu. itaat was fittuig, and, I beg you. DersavarB in tl..* toZflnt^rZ*"." "?^*«'^':^<'"'riJiX7y:b?toe to profit by Laboque's victory if he should be viotorioM ^l^XTti^T'^ •""- ''»' i^vantag^oJe'^JS?^ mJX i^^tt^^T^a-f si^btt?^, S ^ ^St ^'"L'?^ '"°"*" *° ••« iot^ii^n theii. Thing, were w^nif ^'^S'* '* ™^''* ^d"« «" then, and finXwfwe happilyu, the warm fittle nest which he had chown ^ whok pohcy therefore consisted in letting th^Tio ta vinced tfiat the Qovemment, amidst the difficulties ofite W Inm with praises, whilst he quietly finished bur^ngO,rofd j^s^frcuK-^n^rr-'""- "' '■^^ -°^»'« «' ^' *•• tvojtx KS -.Sd- SS '^.t^J'ffitH connected with hil life ri^ri°^«'' "* " •>« ^1' eve^T^f to which he clnnif m^!^"^*'', ^^e" thathmMn fS J«okage which mfgh?±^"°?'' ".'o a ^p^'^t else have suffered at seeing thitj death— he must above all dao^hterLucile, of Xm*he t^r^§'» •'«»»> with his wrpnal of countenance and «T!.^ ■^°^' *°^ who was so She a her turn was now deoeirin. l,"'°?«'{ '^'«' ^^'^ ^h^ havmg surprised the'intr[ffu^*suff!l%° ,^""""- ^he Judge tnTr"^ uf *'■*' betraX;^^ WJ^T " " '^ >* we?e TiT^^'^J^' h«art. &reS"d fj^'*"*" ever-bleeding tion, which would have bK.JS? hf™ """u* 'P""^'^ "plwa- the awful day when his Sad kmjP/r'''","A''«P«''«o« of after confessing her fault B,7* k ^!"^'^ before his eyes ■ Andhowcou,donebelievclfa\'?h':^i'S^S ! WORX 309 it wu Um most bMutifal I erually 1 ' ""• "'"' "«'• »»>• •uffer to I MDM^nSr tJ^ ".""f ^"P*"" "d Luoill made their hS'^r.i r^'.rmed'totm',r'h' ^ Crtohene'w'S article,\°° L'?u"mour^' 7o'^''"'™*' '"^° **• ««^ in.„Uing one ', XS,/ he s^d?" '^•"^" " "^ "^ I write I* h. iE.M°, ?^^ •, 8^''"" of embarraeamenl : • Oh idea., rome notM vou toow L™' ""' / 8^^' ^"»° «>°'« dTT^JSjd'^^^^andrvlVZ^^^^^^^^^^ -" °- He rose painfully, and took his hat aaid gloves in order to p ^.>J9. tie M^OJtJT I* ta th. .t^it. \^ LuSte!^,*27*^' *»"« •««» J- •nn, b. «|joy^ , moSwl^ ?riSh»£r!~'*?>, »wU. of hi, • lowrf qwird. "' " a«Uglitfal loijrtfalaeM m aftw room of th. p,viiion bnuX* aTonrFZ"* ""{? '^ '"°'»«- «>• horn, of the muultZt ih^^V^°'"i ^^'"^ "•• »<>» other martmeat, whioh bel«Sn h./^^'^f """t^ed one Md which oommanioXdbv. w^^ ",1^* "' Pri'^'oroom. offices of the work^ThLriTfl^f^f''^'^ ""«?»''«''• *•« >ome bed.room,. Stooe a ^LJt ""' "«»"1 Aoow P«Sd!*^ WM the first guest to .rriye, «d e«, ««oe^. »o* B^s^L'e' A^"„'?.^''™-<'«. - ** 8«.tly aistres^rf, ■ i. «»^fi"'°s*he'Vok: OD^'tLS'''^ "P'^«<» 1" ^ry hetdMhe, ud hM ^n ^2^1-? i "f™*^ *i«» • tjS Each time that tS,^i^ *° '*"• ^" «»»>•' Aby« matter, (^k tSs'3^'St^^„ '"""r "J «°i^ *» the te awiding such an amSt^™ '5?t'''°°^.'?°'«P"*««* I>« i» ; and if at bottom I am weU pleased with that law-suit, it is because it wiU finish him off ^J^/i Tfu°° °\ Beauclair. Before three months have elapsed al the workmen that he has taken from us will be coming with hands clasped to beg me to take t^em b«k You will see you will see I Authority is the only sound principle ^^^tl r"""' °' I'bo"" arrant stupidityTrSie S^meThrs'-otTasJe":- '"'*^« P"^'" ''^•" °°" "« SUenoe fell, then he ^ded more slowly, with a faint shade r3 ail WORK ii: what would alarm me wonSCanv ^vTl ~° "*«'•«*• •»<» should establiBr^Tubst^tite.^* mdiBPensable that ^ reduce his expenditure, Md that «L;„ I '°™''-.'°'»''» ''^^^ ^ mightsuffertherefrom She had t^^'f"fl''"''?J«'>''"«8. moment with looking at BoiseeL "Sj'?"' »'«"'««. for the '-ccord, plainly answered ' X^nT^" ?"' '''' °^ l"" own ttoment. I can't Tt anVtli; arf^T""' "°' "' *« ?«=«•" heavy. At the same timfl mL th.iif ^ ^^P'°'*' "« *°o you make my monev ^»li ^^^ ^ou once more, for WewillseeaborStLestL:/" "°" '^?° Jon prom sed^ ^ Nevertheless Feraande rema?n«7'^' "*" ^'''^ " o^"^-' her covert anger fell n„„nNfci.^v'°,*"*'^oas state, and m.der the sn^bn^of a maid :h'''^J"'l'""''^'' "^o^'. th^mhn beC takL her tS ' ™d T'" ^r'"^''* "^^^ ■»'o M^nef^« oW to^ot^ SS ^5S t^d ItttL^: wron?diing°°Wo™,^°*«','«l'« ^'* admit M,y it a ize„^times!*sh°e rain^°n;nt'f ??''^ \}^^ ^^^^ garden wall to admit all ?Si^^°^* ,'^^ °'^ '^oo' « our ^to our grounds There was tL"rHr^''^^* ^'^^''^'^e little rascal for whom she lllt *"«*.l't«e Nanet, a frightful yonrboyPaulwTs^«tei™^«d "- affection. Vd ^ of them fraternising wiTh;C'^l°.,T Louise Mazelle, Bonnaire, who left us to ™1 1 • "^^^^ren of that man w^th Antoinette, and ^^Ssf wi«, /n^' ^"''"i""- ^es, Panl N«e and her Nanet!le"LrLmT'tr'.*''''?'"r"« B i"eia to tiic assault of our WOUIt »i3 flower-beas. Yet she hug not even a ,Uma of shm. m her cheeks, you see ! ' ="■.<«. ju aer ' i* ""'' J?3'-' Nise simply answereii iu L: - "Aea voice • kTis'^tt ttJ^^""""'' ^' '"^'^ '°«^'''" -y --™ : _ This answer made Femande quite angry :' Ah I you think him funny, do you? Just listen to me. If ever I S you with him, you shaU have no deasert for a week. I don't want yon to get me into any unpleasantness with those Kl°T 7; J'^'r.r"''^ «° "b""' everywhCsayW that we attract their children here in order to render thei ^A ^°".^^' ■?/? Tl'-s t^e it is serious ; you will have to deal with me if yon see Nanet again.' ' Yes, mamma,' said Nise in her quiet, smiling way. And r^?f?' ^tt ^™' ?*f.?"' '^'' '""id, after kfssTng every- body, the mother concluded : ' It is very simple-I shall have the door wal ed up. In that wav I shall be certain that the children won't communicate. Ttere is nothing worse than that— It corrupts them." Neither L/elaveau nor Boisgelin had intervened : for on Che one hand they saw in this affair only so much childish- when^^L"" ^a" ""'^'."'^y "PP'Oved of severe measures when good order was m question. But the future waa germinating. Btubbom MademoiseUe Nise had carried away ^laSS Bo'^ic'r *'""'" "' '"'°^'' "'" '^' '""" "°^ At last the guests arrived, the Gouricrs with ChAtelard, then Judge Gaume with the JolUvets. Abb6 Marie was the last to appear, late according to hia wont. Though the Mazelles had expressly promised to come and take coffee, some obstacle prevented them from sharing the repast. Thu^ there were ody ten at table; but then they had desired Ii-» f" *i."^ °°'"''*' S* 9^"" t*"^' tl'ey ""gbt be able to ^Lln.M, T- ?*'"'""' *^! ^i°8-room, of which iemande felt ashamed, was such a small one that the old mahogany sideboard interfered with the service whenever therewere more than a dozen round the table From the serving of the fish, some delicious trout of the Mionne, the conversation naturally fell on La Or«oherie and ^uo. And what was said by those educated bourgeois, in a position to know the truth about what they called ' socialist Utopia, proved scarcely one whit more .TOnsibie or intelligent man cue extraordinary views expressed by such people aa »«4 Bacheux and Laboqne. Work i very rapidly. Wthth«JrlJf^i° ^^•=°°'* » populoas one, wage system, and that there wUl be a i «7.^ •'^- °"P?™'' "'" when only workera am iTw ^"["8 a, just division of wealth the oomnfunXluri cln'*?'' ^"^"8, "' ^^''^ °f toil to d«am than feat, for itTi?^.Z''t,°'°°.'"°'« ^"8«™»« Qotuier? ' " inreaheable, is it not. Monsieur plate%^?SS.e'^,rwiS«,7^^^^^^^ bent over his npon to make nse of^.*"""' »"d 'f" ^Msolves may be oaUed exec4le deeds 'ZZtL'^rn-TslTof'tf^^ Lac— is planninir aiminiit »ii tiT » i ^ , °' '"*' Monsienr onrs, such as the gS o&Ar '°^%''"'* "" ^^<=« of it to us ? ■ ^ °^ °°' ^^'^e™ aade it and bequeathed awse. Tie m^Xn oTht TateS fZ^ °^^. T^' ^uo -enge.' So^rb^yr^st^rs 'zz^ '^ WORK "S Gonner for news of his bod, AohiUe the renegade, and the mayor had to curse the lad once again. ChAtelard alone tned to taok about and keep the discussion on a jocular footing. But in this he faUed, for the captain continued prophesying the worst disasters if the factious-minded were not immediately kicked into obedience and order. \nd his words diseeminated such a panic that Boisgehn, bbcomine annous again, appealed to Delaveau, from whom there nappily came a reassuring declaration. A., '^".m?'' " *''*"^y '"'•' declared the manager of the Abyss. 'The prosperity of La Creoherie is only on the surface, and an accident would suffice to bring everything to tne ground. Thus, for instance, my wife was lately lAnm me some particulars ' j' s » "s ' Yes," broke m Femande, happy to have an opportunity of rehevmg her feehngs, 'the information came to me from my laundress. She knows one of our former hands, a man named Bagu, who left us in order to go to the new works, weu, It seems that Bagu is declaring everywhere that he has had qnrte enough of that dirty den, that the men are bored to death there, that he isn't the only one to complain, and that one of these fine days they will aU be coming back here. Ah I who wiU begm, who will deal the blow necessary to make that man Luc totter and fall to pieces ? ' 'But there's the Laboque lawsuit,' said Boisgelin, oominjt to the young woman's help. 'I hope that wiU suffice for everything. i'resh silence ensued whilst some roast ducks made their appearance. Although the Laboque lawsuit was the real motive of that fnendly gathering, nobody as yet had dared to speak of it in presence of the silence which Judge Oaome preserved. He ate but little, his secret sorrows having brought him a complaint of the digestive organs, and he rontented himself with listening to the others and gazing at them with his cold grey eyes, whence he knew how to mth- draw aU expression. Never had he been seen in a less communicative mood, and this ended by embarrassing the others, who would have liked to know on what footing to treat hun, and at least have some certainty as to the judgment whi(A he would deliver. Although no thought of possible acquittal at his hands entered anybody's mind, they all hoped that he woo'd have the good taste to pledge himself in a suffi- ciently clear fashion. *i6 JVOXJC inquired 'AllX™J!i °!' Mo"™^" le Prfsidont?' h« water in aioh rfasWont tt ♦ P^^H "''*'?'"' «'«»' * 'o'"'" as8u;^X'a„l^^t%*7?^°";f ."05, became apparent^ f"; sore distressVuie °ons of thiVaTfi^/^°* '^'°^'^^ ^"^ « times had reach^ m«h a Lr„f '''■'*-^?<«d peasants of former liberty by an honfstSoienr '"^^*'"' ""^*'«^ » »» vagT^mark^towLeTthevXP *%«"".' •»•"«»* with that ofLno's ooniSion Tir.'™i i''"'**''^*'«''*''« certainty after a BuS «L tW™**" "" now virtually over, for and the desZ B^t^hf 'T. "^^^ "<""« ^'^^berry ices and they laughed ll^' i^^'t^V^^^'^' """^ '^^ioxiJ, victory mfn !h.t ifT •' '" "^^y were convinced of better, bat she^g dehttft f^*^'"* l.''?"'^'*'"' "»« "o •bofi«hed. that nowTve her rtatn"'.''*'?''"''* '°°'^ »>« *;tlldBg.boutdisaSrettogsrM^l'';Lr^^^^^ lu. wfe with profound satisfa^t^'tii^'attrotrs";:] WOXK •«r 'jegged them to raise those horrid subjeots no more, ainee the; had such a bad effect on Madame ilazelle's failing health. And then the gathering became delightful, they all hastened to revert to the happiness of life, a hfe of wealth and enjoy- ment, of which they plucked all the flowers. At last, amidst growing anger and hatred, the day of the famous lawsuit dawned. Kever had Beanclair been so upset by furious passion. Luc in the first instance had felt astonished at Iiaboque's writ, and had simply laughed at it, particularly as it seemed to him impassible that the claim for twenty-five thousand francs byway of damages could be sustained. If the Clouquehad dried up it would in the first place be difficult for anybody to prove that this had been caused by the capturing of hillside springs at La Crgcherie ; and moreover those springs belonged to the estate, to the Jordans, and were free from all servitude, in such wise that the owner had a full right to dispose of them as he pleased. On the other hand Laboque must assur- edly base his claim for damages on facts proving that he had really sustained injury and loss, but he simply made such a feeble and clumsy attempt to do so that no court of justice in the world could possibly decide in his favour. As Luo jocularly put it, it was he who ought to have claimed a public grant as a reward for having deUvered the waterside land- owners from a source of infection, of which they had long complained. The town now simply had to fill up the bed of the stream and sell the land for building pui-poses, thereby putting a few hundred thousand francs into its coffers. Thus Luc laughed, not imagining that such a lawsuit as Laboque'a could be at all serious. It was only afterwards, on finding rancour and hostility rising against him on every side, that he began to realise the gravity of the situation, and the peril in which his work would be placed. This was a first painful shock for him. He was not ignorant of the maliciousness of man. In giving battle to the old world, he had fully expected that the latter would not yield him place without anger and resistance. He was prepared for the Calvary he foresaw, the stones and mud with which the ungrateful multitude usually pelt precursors. Yet his heart wavered as he realised the approach of folly, cruelty, and betrayal. He understood that behind the Laboques and the other petty traders there was the whole bourgeoisie, all who possess and are unwilling to part with aught of their possessions. His attempts at association and co-operation «i8 WORK that were now Ci^rth^rdvee'' ,v '*'°"'^ '" «^<«7 'o™ "'•'.^ri^gto crush h!m ute ieuX? "" the struggle would rush upon him and devour hi™ w*', P'"'' °' ''"'ves of those enemies, funoUonariestr^-^^^^' ">« °«'°es Plaoid faces who would hay" eatt^hy!; T^''^'"^' '^«» bun M at a street corner Anf *r^,*'"'* '^ they seen distress of heart, he oremlt^/u.^*"'"'*' mastering his that one can found nothCwittuSr^"" °^'^"' ^^^-^^ sided. Beauclair was inTsUtl^* ^ Jndge Gaume pre- had come in from the neighbotini ^r"' u'i ""« ^""^ '^o the general feverishness on the Pilate i?'P? i^^wase Sue de Brias. Soeurette who fcT f ? ^^^T' ""^ ^ the begged Luc to ask a few Z^Jh '5"f "«■ ''"'J therefore Bat he stubbornly refused t^ ^^* ^^^^ ^ accompany him. eoart alone, just L" e had rasolv^'tn^*, ^"i'^ to*^ tolhe son, having engaged an r^v^I * • ^,^^«^^ himself in per- When he L^^itZ^Z^ w7i^ " " ■"»««' "' fo™. orowded with noisy peTpk ^^l^}^^ T/^"" "'^ "^"ady curiosity which griets an iso?af^ ^^'"'y^^'^^d the eager saorifioe became maSfest Lu„^' "•°?™''^ ^"'^ ^eadyfor rage of his enemies?Xp™ZZTV'^'^'**^''«»»«^the insolent. He remained sta?S^!^ 1 ^^ demeanour to be to defendants, andTuist anr«Hf " ^°°' °^ *''« »»neb aUotted people around him.KoS £S *' ""'"lo-^l' P»oW and other shopkeepers amoC^ fc"' °'?''»»»- Oaffiaux, with ardent faces, ^om he s!w for fhl fi'"Z'"™°' '"e™" he felt a little relieved on finJLrtw ^^'' T' however. Guerdache and the Abyss haT^f*^i!l ^\ "^tunates of La "fi^ from comingt^L^tti-^J"^^ the g^ ^^ Long and exciting nrooeedin^p „ ^- . * '^"^te. was notSing of the Idni fe,rt" "v,''"*'*'*''' ''°* "»«« provincial advocates with a rCte in^ "^""t? .'»'« of those are «.e terror of a region And t51^",?"4:'"°»'»<«'' "ho Luc's enemies spent was when tM,^ '*" "l"' *^« which how flimsy were the legS woMdl on -1? k^P^" ^"'^ damages was ba^, he«^n^°nZ^Cs J^^^th^'^^^-Jg ^-"^^.^ ^19^. *.aL WOXK •19 tetania attempted at La Crtoherie. He made bia hearers laugh a good deal with the oomioal and distorted picture which he tow of the proposed future society. And he raised general indignation when he pictured the children of both sexes being corrupted, the holy institution of marriage being abohshed, and free love and aU such horrors taking its place. Ijovertheless, the general opinion was that he had not found the supreme insult or argument, the bludgeon blow by which a smt 18 gained and a man for ever crushed. And so great, therefore, became the anxiety that when Luc in his turn spoke, his shghtest words were greeted with murmurs. He spoke very simply, refrained from replying to the attacks made upon his enterprise, and contented himself with showinc with decisive force that Laboque's demands were iU-founded! Would he not rather have rendered a service to Beauclair if he had. indeed, dried up that pestUential Clouque, and pre- sented the town with good building land ? It was not even proved, however, that the works carried out at La Cr«oherie had caused the disappearance of the torrent, and he was wait- ing for the other side to give proof of it. When he concluded, some of his bitterness of heart appeared, for he declared that If he desired nobody's thanks for whatever useful work he might have done, he would be happy if people would but aUow him to puisue his enterprises in peace, without seeking woundless quarrels with him. On several occasions Judge Gaumehad to enjoin silence on the audience; nevertheless when the pubhc prosecutor also had spoken, in a designedly confused manner, in turn praising and condemning both paities, Laboque's advocate replied in so violent a fashion oalhng Luc an Anarchist bent on destroying the town, that loud acclamations burst forth, and the judge had to threaten that he would order the court to be cleared if such demonstrations were renewed. Then he postponed judgment for a fortnight. When that fortnight was past, the popular passions had become yet more heated, and folk aUnost came to blows on the market-place m discussing the probable terms of the judgment. Nearly everybody, however, was convinced that it would be a severe one, fixing the damages at ten or fifteen thousand francs, and ordering the defendant to restore the Uouqne to its former condition. At the same time some people wagged their heads and felt sore of nothing, for they had not been satisfied with Judge Qaume's demeanour in court. Anxiety was caused, too, by the manner in which the W^T0^^ M. a 10 WORK Jl; ■I i I jndge had ghut himself im «* i ttn;""'''''''-""^-^^^ morrow 0/ th. won. It was said that he was ro»i? ^^ "^ """« indisposi- ^± .Bunply desired to plU hffl k P*'^*"' health, Md jomoial oonsoienoe. What diA-^ • *.7 *" influence hig which his daughter even was t^t !?,' "'"""7 closed, and what moral struggle, what in?«^ 1 /Mowed to enter? To P"y amidst his If^'kJdWeTe"!"*^'.'"^ he Men a iw,^*^ "^ *•"" he W believedTn?^V '^ ''"" '"'had whach occupied many people, but whi^h « °™ "ere questions Judgment was to be deliMw^Tr " """^ """W answer foS^n^^f f"' "K"'" '«^<^dTlS^!°^'''">"nihilated. ^resfrrts^niS'^-cttr^^^^ wg around hi™ ^""T"" He stood up smiling and look fn™ -™= ui UI8 mission. Ho thf ti!!"'°r ""■" '^'hout even ap'^-nTf™""'* *"■* '"ok- p4tK7heXurjutt'»^"-'''^ZdTrias'!' his two assessors MdlheZli?""'"'' """« •». followed bv which his Jndg,Sent^as^^ifc/°'«' V?"* ""« P»Per on "^'^edthus.motionlZa^^ent'l^l^ » """""e"' he "wav beyond the crowd At lasf 1t i' ^'i" his eyes gazine far empiasrs. he begaTto read hii^ J''°'''^'''°"»'hefl^te^ business, for 'whf^s ' foUot^'iS!''^''^'- I' "as a tong wgularity, presenting the vS, T *"?" '^*h monotonou! «o»rt m full detail 1.ndS'j;;;''o»^BubmittedtoT Peoplepresentlistened without ntT^.P^f^hle aspect. The was read, and without mMari^wir''"^* ""«=h of what "■oesaanUy and closely ^dfSl^ir"'* *^*' inclusion, so one another. It seemed, howe^?t! "k f'""' "■''« foC Lues contentions were kdoptld L L^'' '""^"^ «tep that Si^.*""** '*''*''-^'» 'M •oqnittwl, tbtMtioa wm dif. ThoB, everybody having understw i the position, tbero came crowd, maddened by kes for months past, was robbed of «. promised vietim I jt demanded that^viotC" SSS^ hto Wm l?^'"i*"^S '°,P'*«"'' "•"<* ^ •'tempt to wS it?f him was made at the last moment by a jnam tSo hiS stranger who had come nobody Imew wfienoe to ronunt had he not with diabohcal wickedness stolen the town's Z^i ^*l"§ ' ""!?° "^'^ disappearance was a di^?e? for aU who had propertv near its bantT? The 'Journal de B«LuolMr had repeated those accusations every weeWll the auaorit.es. all the gentlefolk had spread themXa^ ^d S2.«l»«°™ M °°*'' ^t^'^J^^ »"«ed. convinced tCa peatUenoe would come from La Cr«cherie. 'saw red" and hZStih '" """^ *^""' '°""«''' "«• t^« "ries to d'elSil^,^'; .""^ "■■'" ^0 ^-»'' -«" «>« P0>-«. s^dmg amidst the uoroar. He wishef to speak wdgiva hope of making himself heard. And for dignity's wSMhe had to rest content with suspending the sit3Ty *tt,d«wte» from^the^courtfeUowed gyhisU a««sso?s7nrtte3 nJhS, k*^ ""aineteato ^d smiling beside his bench. tmor^f r. »» '""«1' ™JPri?d as hii adversaries by tt, tenor of the judgment, for he knew in what a vitiated atmosphere the judge ived. It was comforting to meet a ju^ man amid so much human baseness. When however thp rM^'ln ^/"'/rV^' ^"'''' "-"'l^ ^^^^ sad on"'and his heart fiUed with bitterness as he turned towards that SiZM""*- T"' ^'^}'' ^'^' *° those pett7wjS {^^fif n"""?**''?* workmen? Had he not desired to benefit all, was he not working in order that aU might becom^ ten.^Tf•'Jf^''"',*r'Jl.^"' *•"> fi»'« still threatened hun, and the shouts hished hun more violently than ever- .^k'^*#L ^^M WOXK To dwth with th* MMe gnardi had not at Iwt .,?™ ? i'^*' '° »«' »* W. 4 ojtteoourt-room and seouriL ^^^"^ '" t^^'ting h^ont 0' Judge Qaume, the oST* .1 ""* ^'""■- Then, Sn ShiJf refrain from \.>».^ii^^^^^ f^^ «»ine to be^L^to •wnuteaofhia We. for hnhnn^."?. "'^ """" P»infiU fi^' enlprit rijonld thns^f fo^'''* ?«"'■<>■> of an a^wnt |ws^o-r!^H3-^» c^^S i|obody«jmedto notSS^u^'^^H the Race de UkaiSj the oport had waited ^h^for./ ^'^'' "*■» had qohSd ?ertam that he would TotTatu» *'T?"'"te8; vien Reeling h«d gone off to spread the n^l "^ f^"' '"* I"*' hour., thef town. Bat on the Place deTwl*' "^"'ttal throaghThi ^".g held, Luo was rewg^i^d "S!' "^"^ ^^ '""''ft wtj few persons even beganlfMlow Sm '"♦^""'''^ <»" ^^ « wtentions, but solelf to see wbTmtu'^°* " '«' 'i'h evil ^y some peasants ind theiT oult^^ ^^^^°- ''here were ««™ who were not mi«d up T^^"" P'r"*' •"<"« "ight •«v tf'OJtJT »»3 AU the tndeapeople ol the neighbourhood htd huUn^ to Laboque's establishment direotly Thrhad h«rf t^ «.lm"K:J"""'"''P'°"°?'~°'«»*«dtimBelf with tuminahii crim brave eve. on tEe tumultuous throng wh^T^ Laboque'B husky invectives. This was takenXTu « a^t Ini^^fi"^.^ 8^*"^ -"""O"' aroT gathered"^ K d^Sh^ii'S,.',^-'"'^",'"'^. ' ^° death with Se Si 10 death with the poisoner I To death with him 1 • Suie^.Twr^'TwVgllXl'-SrierHtr'^^^^^ A^f .L ^° l'"'^ ''"^ "•« PO'"""" ' To death with hiTr went^? ^r "^f"*" °"^" ««'««''• l-"' S^^w and spread M he went at a leisurely pace up the Sue de Briaa n„V „*^ u shop came fresh trad«g4>DlB to i^t thT'^ °' *-"'' Women showed themselverrthe" d^" ^^Th^ST^ yomig man as he passed. Some in°°SxSemU^evt' »»4 WOXJC raAtd np ud ihouM with Um man : 'To dMth with tki thirf and poiionw ' Luo mw on* af Oi.™ . #.i SS^t^J^tfc """ • J.">f-boot, who alMct threw hC !h. kf.*TT J^ >o«ng man'a legi in order that he misht be the better heard : ' To death with the thic« I To death »ith MuTU P?°'""'«T'''"' Who could h.vTire,^J J*ught him to raise that ehoul of hatred ? But matter. SSirDlinT^^^IP'il'^ '^« factorieV.ituated°iiX upper part of the street. The workirirli nt a™^..'. i. I .r h w '?rt" *''-^^"&Cd'^ r\^ rhiiT! J w*° 'I'*'* ^'"■» e^en 'i^e workmen of the Chodorge and Mirande factories, who stood smokinff on th« foot-pavement waiting for the bells to rinTtCcliSf of the djnnerhour, and who, brutified by servitude likeiri" joined othere. 'To death with the thief 1 To death wluT iS. poisoner I To death with him I • ^o ««•"« with the h«,^«* i^' »«*»'<>' «>• Bue de Brias, with that giowine UrMti and msulta I Luc remembered tlTe evening of his ta^trL^?!"'-,-'"'"!^??^ previondy. when the bl^k i^'i^l^^ disinherited starveling, along that i«ae •teeet had ^ him with snob active colnjassion t^he "ad Wh^ tt ^' ^ *° "■« salvation of the vietebji aIm 1. *• "^^ '** *°"' y«*" !»»*. that 10 muoh hat^ AouTd have sprang up against hii ? He had made him.^ S5dtSvanffi.T™^' '^•' »P0'"« ^ a co^JatunuTa work-work thr^T''',°'?''°'''«^ •'y »•"« ennoblement IL «^™^^ ' * "#">^°' of Iximan wealth. He had given Ml example of what he desired to establish at that T,a «nl"'''!J5*'^^'"? the future city was germfaa 4, and whore ™«iw«^.''°".'' justice and happinels as waTfor tJe S possible already reigned. And that had sufficed-the wS town regarded him as a malefactor; for he amid feel that Howt> ' °* " T '^Ji'"? '*>« '"«'' °°^ barking at his heels How bitter was the suffering thai accompanied that cLTOty-' '% ..- .'M''* WORK „, JlIS*"v'i^''k'? '"^"J' ""^ "">•' '"»''« •mWrt the blow, of V-t..7 bjing. whose redemption they wek to Cton Yet M for those boxLTQcoi, whosi quiet di«e«tion« he tmnwS hv th??."'"' '^«/'">'"i'>8 Wml for X th v not SS SSrib^^e^'l*"\ ««»'«>,"<'>"«<> «iO80.hopkee^«T^o » better employment of booIbI forces, and of preventinV .II useless waste of the public fortune.' And he^e"eT«cui^ Z, iT ? i" ",*'. '° ''boriously raising a city of justice vet who hooted and insulted him^ such i degiie, indeed Z'd ««l™i"f,f '"'«", °?K^'> ""d 'heif hearts chiK OnW'if he fnS .t'T.'"' '" '"''' ''°"'"''"' brotherliness, h/ bl^! the nobles, the free and happy men of tomorrow. ih. ^^iT"? "■'■' "«'«'>^">8 that endless Rue de Brias. and the pack of wolves was still increasing in number thSr & -SfTS"* 1° """"'""^ 'Todeat^^thTethirfl I^ death with the poisoner ! To death with him I • *or a moment he paused, turned, and looked at all those P«pU m order that they might not imagine tt»t he wm therea-bouto. on. man stooped down, took up a rtone «d .-J***.. ! u Ifflinediately afterwards others stoooed and^tlr. stone, began to r«n upon him amidst ewr^w^g To ?iitl S^,'^' "'"''• ^° ^^"^ -"> »he poisoner 1 So now he was being stoned. However, he made not a geeture even, but mumed his walk, pwse^ring in (^ ag^t of his Oalvarv. His hands were empty, he hiS wiA himnn weapon save fcis hght walking-stick, StWs he had ZZ A^v «m- But he remained very calm, full of theK W™ fnill''*1>i^''"°x??*°^!^.^' hism'issionit would rende? him mvulnerable. His grief-stricken heart alone suffered cruelly rent as it was by the sight of so much eC^d X;?f„'- ^«''"«'='' t? his eyes, and he had to makVagrTat effort to prevent theni from flowing down his cheeks T„ .1 .1 *Ju ,?''h the thief ! To death with the poisoner I A stone at last gtniok one of Luc's heels, then another -€.^m J aa6 WORK rebounded over the Bround T^wTV^' ^ "??? °^ "" "t""** ~ ne« Luc-. head.Cue 5h ■haSute'"*? ^T He no bnger turned round hn? .*;ii ]"°"8nt Imn struck. Bne do Brias attoe s^ iLiT™!'^ ""^ ever ascended the who, after going for alS^Ui^'^yPf"" !f '^'°"' ^ <»»« » stone did^lum. tS'iSa rioST^ ^°°f- ^°t »* »"« striking his lefthinT^t *hl^.'**'i »°'l«'en another, ground. . «™ leu m big red drops upon the ^v^^.ft'z^'l^l^ri T°^-'hwith momentorily stayed the adtm^ S^™"*,"" "^^^ °' P""" seized with cowaidioe!nowt^^; ^^'*'*1 P*"?'* '"» off. "«««d to We iSd rZ« the moment to kiU the man and carriedThe cSS'aw^^it Iff* """"en too, shrieked, furious £anatics thTkerL th^*^"°??- 0"'^ ""« »ob tinuing his painful Tourney just ri«S^ ; ^""t "''" o""- after wiping his earSrith h i hL^t ^- ?' J^hand; then, latter o^^his &torpato^ut'h^'L''' .'^PI^ ""e pace, and could hear hTp^ersd^J had, «l»okened his When on the nape of huS T. fffTf 5J"'« °«" <» him. of the throng. hftSnld ^ni^V '^H" "■« '^«"t ?"«•>« on ft-^ticJ^:!" tKnS'^^""5,^l tone. fiUinl workman with carrotv ^rlnli^ the short and scraggy smith belonging tTSeAbv.^l'"* duU ey^s. He waf a hound he rSdSeZi whom tZl'Sf- 71^^ » ^ the bottom of the street an?T«VS? ''**° following from motive for his fren^i^'Ctfi"'."*'' "»•« ?eemed to%e no vwlenoeinhisface" ^' ^^ ^P*' *"h the greatest To ;2htlh W^,^^" ^'^^ "r" <>«'* '^th the poi«,nerl final abonJnable ou^e H^ f^i" t^^"^^, .»'e°«»th that and an involuntary i3 lee of hisThif^T* ^^^^^^^^^ P»le. to raise his uninjured Znd\n^ .\''*."'« Pwraptedhim looked like some s^erb «it^.,f ""'" " ^K"^?- He with one blow he could ha^e^euK IT'^^t}^' ^"^ e,es, however, .owed ^"^^t^^i^^^ > .mr iVOUK »»7 which hitherto he h»d been able to keep back, but which he could now no longer hide, suoh had iZme the b tteS^ of ^t^L ^'^T ^^'^ ^^^ **"»« <^0'^ be w mu,^ ipioranoe, so temble a nusunderfltanding, that aU those doot ^ppy. weU-lovedtoUers should refuse to beTaveSf^d whiS l^*.tnt°"*' ^"? shut himself up in the little paviUon which he still occupied at the end of the park, alongaidethe mSfio^-^T?*""*^"*''- .P'f ■"""^""1 did not leave Mm an^ thr««<» ''"l"""? ^i'P'^'y*'' '°™"^» ''^ 'I''" afternoon' „„„if r^ P"?"' .°' ^'^^ ""'^d, told him what warfare S Th^l'^'r' •^'" •""' """^^ whole to^t^: S"„^ ^ T-'? "•* supreme convulsions of an expiring SZ,lS^- "'',"* "^^ ".""^"^K *° ^«- I' resisted^ Bta^M funously with the hope of staying the march of mankind. Some, the partisans of authorityTiet salration S pibJessrepreggion ; others, the sentimentaUste, appeal to t^ St^ t' ^^.' f' "^ '""^^ ^' """ we;p??or when hi ei«:SI?ftiWinyTh'''"' ,"?•** °''?*"' '^»' '«'^«'l '^'h exasperation, jomed the revolutionanes as if eacer to finish Zt^'K°T-n.^^*?'"^"''f«l* """ he hadZ^v^n Sjf*^'" *" Beanclair, which was Hke a miniature 'world aaudrt the gr«.t one. And if he remained brave and stiU T S,f7 »!»'"«' •»9^«* none the less bitterly distressed, aS Wr^lf ./^ weakness pommg over him, he preferred to shut himself U5 and dram his cup of sorrow to the dregs in nrivaov only riiowjng himself once more when he WhfulnK^ Sw.^^^""^? '^"'^ •>« ^"'^ bothlhll^rs^^ bSuWtoTl^' *"'«•'* '"^"'*^" nobody wasto h.J'^^ i^lVi °'*^°*'''' ''<"'«^'. l"* fanoied that he could hear some hght footeteps on the road. Then came a low^ scarce audible, which made him shiver. He went to own the wmdow, and on looking between the laths of the shutters he per^ived a slender form. Then a very gentle voic" M.^^ed. saying : ' It is I, Monsieur Luc, I mu^t f^ak to you ~flIJ*T'.**'-° ''°'"* °' •'°"°*- I-"' ^d not even pause to reflect, but at once went to open the little door communicating ^L.'ur'- ^f '*?"" h« ^^ *"» '°'° his closed room! wnere a lamp was bummg peacefully. But on looking at her «2 ,^1Ea tiV JVOUX herte;:Thftk^a^dH^/y«t''«,^r -J^^Ped about away. "*"*' ""^ '^» "oU" of her gown was torn «ooount of the threate hSe ft-, t^"" ^°""' '"'*<»> know of them this very eS ■' ^' ' "*"'^'""y y" '*<>"« returning to ttie hard tnil J!,^ ^?i °^ ^^'^ ^e»^n» him, times, si^^th nosteW for h^ wretchedness of ^form^^ laboriously striven to extricate th?,^ f T''""'^ ^^ ^'^'>° won naught of thdr mSds oJ T^. \T y«"«hehad worst was that ^osij^^l^^r^^ ^^^^ piR^ ^^- WORK »»» ^«iT Thn» n!!lt^"' ^l' "'^'«^' »«•*•». e«' into the be^ie- for d?d&r'' ^'"''' »°? /verything remained to U «»^ :„i ""1 "0* Jos"J6 personify the sufferinij neonle* ^tt^r^^^/^K "■" '°'^'" humble, the lowest, the nS^stTthl "ouM^ntbe^Ll^d.'""^ " '^°"'"' "^o^ll ^'^ff'r. the world ,J>?\ ' ''°"°*' ■^°?°*' '"''' erieved I am foryou-how I oltv ™«f'„7l' ^'^r'l^.='^« '^°'«d' l^te someSriorpow^ £ fs";ithaSrXrstSr'^rt'c:'in'°,'t cohort him.how^nldsh^XTfe.mKce'^tSi^nt^^^^^^^ /Oh, Monsieur Luc,' said she, 'you do not know hn. ^J^t >ncreafflng tenderness. How she suffered ! how he ttfnSfi'fK-"^ \^^^ """"SW "f J>». even M she oiUy Wui^!^' "* "^""""y °' P"y ""^ " craving for iSJl r„n' T*^ ""V" *•« P'tiea,' said Luc at last; 'there la only you Josme whose suffering iaacrime, and whom I mus save? on„M • w' ^°°"e," I"!". I aonot count; it is youTho ought not to suffer, for you are the providence of us ill" ihen as she let herself sink into his arms, he clasncd re«i.S;?'T'''y-'°,>'' ''r''^'- » ^^ » crisis not W resisted-the mmghng of two flames in order that they BStb'°fh™T? ^."' "^-^ ^"^^ «'^« °^ affection anJ tKo 'it . ^ L^^' '^'''' -"^"'""y accomplished. All had led tnem to it ; a sudden vision appeared to them of their love "^W^. »J0 WORK k?^ *. ■ -^ were two beiiigg mesting in a lone-awiiSS tass, attomng to florescence. No remorse wmd^W »HJp»«d even as they existed, in ordeTttTt Sot ^t h^ S^JX i^ ''°"''* ^^ '^'°« conscious that a ^tUn s-ij'i" C '""• '"" '"' "i"™' '«"• '•*»■■ ■« J- . ^^t "'■'?>;'» WM the h»Pd which had been «i..ht wit^ Sr* ' ^'^ "° ' " "•- ^- ^ -^^t I Mss it «,«^T°°*^ ''•^ "j" *° ^''^ s«a' W by the ininrv he < o2 ^ „???\''*"^*J' °r°*^ '^"'d with cZse^'.^' ^^^ Oh, Luc I she cned, • how you love me, and how I love A^d ZST/"'""^ ""^ '^"^ ""'"""'^ through theffi brtw^nYirwJ? /r' ""' ye' over, the tIrriWe battle fHiead, love at least was sown for the harvest of the fmt^e. ''^^u.mM^ ■;^y^ WOXK 131 m Fbom that time forward, at each fresh disaator which fell upon La CrSoherie, when men refused to follow Lue or impeded him in his endeavoors to establish a commtmity of work, justice, and peace, he invariably exclaimed : ' But they don't love I If they only loved, aU would prove fruitful, all would grow and triumph m the sunlight.' His work had reached the torturing all-deciding hour of regression, that hour Tiien, in eve^ forward march, there comes a struggle, a forced halt. One ceases to advance, ono even recedes, the ground that has been gained seems to crumble away, and it appears even as if one would never reach one's goal. And this, too, is the hour when with firmness of mind and unconquerable faith in final victory heroes make themselves manifest. Lno strove to restrain Bagu when he found him desirous of withdrawing from the association and returning to the Abyss. But he was confronted by an evilly disposed ..inter, one who fell happy i- doing wrong, since defection on the part of the men r ?ht ruia the new works. Besides there was something di • in Bagu's case, a form of nostalgia, a craving to retor '0 slavish labour and black miseir, «. that horrid past which he carried with him in his blood. In the warm sunlight, amidst the gay cleanliness of his little home, girt round with verdure, he had ever regretted the narrow evil-smelling streets of Old Beauclair, the soiled hovels through which swept a pestilential atmosphere. Whenever he spent k> hour in the large dear hall of the common-house, where alcohol was not allowed, he waa haunted by the acrid smells of Oaffiaux's tavern. Even the orderly manner in which the co-operative stores were now managed angered him, and prompted him to spend his money after his own fashion with the dealers of the Ene de Brias, whom he himself called thieves, but with whom he at least had the pleasure of quarrelling. And the more Luc insisted, pointing out how senseless was his departure, the more stubborn did Bagu become, full of the idea that if such efforts were made to retain him, it must be because his departure would deal the works a severe blow. ' No, no. Monsieur Luc,' said he, ' there's no arrangement b n «£3 m i that are not at Si t^^/t° at^''*' '^^ '"'^o •daitional worrie" at La Crlch^rirl.:/'"^'^ t *'Sf '° '^^^ P™"'' --^o the salaries earned it ^heAbysT-ttf t*° "'"%«"'«' *h.n answer. ■ We live a.nll ;= ;/ \ "' ^'"' "laae haste to tte future is certlun'f 1 1' h"av„ *"*t^'""» '^ "^« '^h^ t has been in the convicti™ T**'''*** Bacrifices of yon, lies at tho end. Burprttn" 1*^ ^^^'ybody's happiness necessary together Mafthmtte Jfr*"/"' ""^^ of work also.' ""^ *ask and a great deal On'^i^S'HoZV^l:,^^^ "^r^K^f "-- «^- happiness,- 'he said jeerinriy "tL^l °'" '^e'yhod^'s prefer to begin by my omi'^' ""*' « ^e^y PWtty. Only I bo i^indXtt *S: r/'^i,*'"!^" — * -»M all. he had no interest™ rtt^L^i"" ,^«.P'«'wd. After ovil disposition migh prove feSf*"'^'"?"'' °»°' 'hose thought of Josine's departurr^^^T '^'^T""'' 2»* the sUghUy ashamed when he reaS^th^^K* ^^ "^ ^ *>'' BO much warmth in seekLg to „ Jn R ^ had only shown because he wished to retsL, h.^ ?i ^"'S.*' ^^ Cr^oherie she would go back to live «S^f**u'H','l The thought that with that m\nX,rela;3iS*^ ^"''- °',0" ^"""^ MBuredly treat her ^Ui vfoknL " P''''°? ^" ^™1'. ™nld Hemcturedheroncemore^nfrR'''",""':?'™''''' *<> !-»«• alUthyroom,apreytoBordid deafl? ''*' ^'°''' ^■•"'<«. i« no longer be nea? to^^toh over her ^ v''?\= """^ ^e would and hfi would have liked to w t\ J^^' '^^ '^ his now, in order to rendir her life a Cn,"^ her always with him' njght she came back to see Wma?,'/f.f- °° '^« ^"""'i"* rending scene between thflm V.^ *^^'^ "*« 'hen a heart- •ndnUms. But «^° prevailed •'l'/"^''' '''!?, fW«onB Bhonid accept facts T tWwere' f,T "1?^^"' ''"""'ey compromise the success of tCCl -I'- '^ did not wish t^ *o both of them. Josine would foiwp"'' """'""^ «»™»°'> not refuse to do so witW ra^ 1°"^ ^?«"' »">« she could whilst Luc at La cScS'^^^'"? » dangerous scandal; -rybodys happiness if ^^e^ c^S^c^irihTvict^lo,^' ivojix: »33 f; aome d»y unite Uiem. Thoy were titaag, lince love, tlio invinolble, was with them. She promised that ahe wouU come back to see him ; neverthelegg how painful waa the rending when she bade him good-bye, and when, on the morrow, he saw her quit La Cr&iherie, walking behind Bagn, who with Bourron waa pushing a little hand-oart contiUnmB their few ohattels I ° Three days later Bourron Mowed Bagu, whom he had met each evenmo at Oaffianx-a wine-shop. His mate had joked to suoh a degree about the 'syrups' of the common- house, that he fancied he was acting as became a free man when in his turn he again went to live in the Rue dea Trois Lunes. His wife, Babette, after at first attempting to prevent such foohsh conduct, ended by resigning herself to it with all her usual gaiety. Bah ! things would go on right enough, for her hnsbuid was a good fellow at bottom, and sooner or later would see things clearly. Thereupon she laughed, and moved her goods, simply saying av, revoir to her neighbours : lor the could not beheve that she would never return to those pretty gardens which she had found so pleasant. She par- Uoularlv hoped to bring back her daughter, Marthe, and her son, bSbastien, who were making so much progress at the schools. And, Soeurette having spoken of keeping them there, she consented to it. i- b • «"• However, the situation at La Cr^oherie became yet worse, for other workmen yielded to the contagion of bad example by taking themselves oflF in the same fashion as Bourron and Jiagu had done. They lacked faith quite as much as love, and Luc found himself battling with human bad will cowardice, defection in various forms, such as one always encounters when one works for the happiness of others. He felt ^at even Bonnaire, always so reasonable and loyal, waa seOTeUy shaken. His home was troubled by the daily quarrels picked by his wife, La Toupe, whose vanity remained unsatis- fied, for she had not yet been able to buy either the sUk gown or the watoh which she had been coveting ever since Tif /^ t "*"^*'' *« "M one of those women who regret tuat they have not been bom princesses; and thus ideas of equahty and of a community of interests angered her. She P t5j?"?""*® perpetually blowing in the house, rationed out Vsaiy Lanot s tobacco more gingerly than ever, and waa lor ever husthng her ehildren, Lucien and Antoinette Two more ttad been bom to her, Zoi and S^verin, and this again rii 111 •34 WORK •ooQirtomed to thoM sto^an?^?^*^ '*7 «»lm ; he WM •P«»k.\o>^o7^-nBn™ heTmarj.':"°T' ^-^^M to ="^"t!in'So»Z«^ ^a^r^-fe Jss»;t4Xtkrtoi:^r "« ■" " •'-' ^y- ^^ actipr, wiU have tobeTCpidT'"^'^ *"*' "^"'""onary bra"^-whrbe'^au'Sfat"S^'C^-°^-»<^»^ method which is too mnth. »M.r> °°'bing. Ifg yoar WOSK •35 !?^!l!f * ' ^*^ *•'. »lx»n>n»«on that one can only heal « by applying a red-hot iron.' ' ' Then what ought one to do, my friend ? ' It 18 neoesaary that the people should at onoe nice aU the implement, of Ubour; Tfe neoe«ary thTit M .teT™^"' ^9'^ "I"' "nd dispose of aU the S Itself m order to org,«ise compulsory ,^i;ersal work.' ^ Onoe more did Bonnaire explain his ideas. He had wmamed ent«ely on the side of 6oUeotivism. ,^d W who ^tened sorrowfully felt astonished that he had uTno ^se 5,. n?l?^ him «pealtmg in the Bue dea Trois Lnnm ra ^e^g now, stiU holdmg to the same revolutionary oon- which he had spent at La Cricherie. He held evolutiorto demand far too many years forreaUsation ; and he was w^ l^frev'SuSr^'' "' "-"^ '^•"^ ^ immediate'^ —J H'' ^ "*^*' '^P.'*" "''»* ""^ ^on'' take.' "«id he by way of conclusion. -To have everything we murt take evei^^ .f.S"'"i[*"\J'"® "^ '■^^ "^t- a°d the night shifts had started work m the resounding gaUeries. Luo, whilst 1 steidM to those renewed efforts of lat^ur, could feeUn inde oriffi sadness steahng over him aa he foresaw that hisTork w?ttW be comnromisea by the eager haste of even the bT to ^f of fMtf ? ^^*"^ '»'* "*»^'^ "»« reaUsation 'I won't argue with yon again, my friend ' he at 1i»( or^if^Iv ? ^•"'*.!^'' "■*.' »?H^isiverevol„tion isi^si^ or likely to give good results in the circumstances in wUoh we find ourselves. And I am convinced that asS^iation ^ ^'T^^'Z f *■■ i^! Pr^'eraWe road, one along which pro- gresa may be slow, but which wiU aU the same end by leaSf na to the promised city. We have often talked of IS mattera without altogether agreeing. Bo what use woiUd^ \t^ T f ■" af""'' f "d thereby sadden ourselves ? One Zw «,at I do hope of you is, that in the difficulties thS Z^^ZT''nV^^I°\'^ """^ ^'^^^ to the S. prise we founded together.' I •3« WORK know ve17w.ll that I ,m "ft .^f^y"»»/f"bted me? You' Ineversayto otier. what rvrw*!?^. £"■'>""<»«! I never eay lo Ttler. what rv^w"^^ P""'' '^ """^ i matter, between ?"u I^dJe ClSf, r you; tho?e are nntjl the walll^KCin ott'aT •"" """"" "'°«"'"^ wllingWhte?^ waT ^n^fS^*^?? ? "" •"•" "I'O" «»! more. He had LJwa™^ »if^; T^'"'' ^""^^^ "m even fellows ^sh^ to fnlTn^p "'!'' '"0 or three wrong-headed «^ing the aS, of h« ma^T '^'" •""" '°''"' «°d epeedily became quiet Infln?^.!^ S Tt" ,""*' "" o*''*'' themseWhS m^ .n„i? °m ''' ""« ^^ *•>«' one of anyTrlherof qdtttnf Jh.T''''' V"*"""*"*'- """o «Poke Boanairl^'padfytog hU revoH o^«*^ that epeotade of ~me, Monsieur LnZ I shill haiTi, -^ ^"'^ '° ^°- '^" ">« He^^forotherwi.Vel'^e'^dtWoT.fartr^ sPr- ^ tVOXK ,„ Bmntir* m ii h«ppm«d_whan th« pair of thtm pMMd before wnw .tap of Und which hrf been UA him bSdd. tg.^K withalitUe w»U of itonM. In vain had Luo wpoidto to iTMitif "^^ department which he had found itSL»ry fcee without either God or master.- So he eon^oed dweUuig m Us wUd den and making common pottS??.lSSi, Btook.pot.,and pitchers, which he afterward. SrteftlttS niarketo ^d fafr. of the neighbouring TiUagesThThSiiSJ Ihat •venuig, as it happened, they were retuniing tosetfaer coriiSCin^." '""^*" P'°''l?«ri"8»' "^e young man k. '.^^'ly^*"^' 7,?H ?"*'??'; 'o ?'• "« l""^, Uonsienr Luc, ^-Si!,*!"** ,"••' L' ^""" ° "k fo''* »«»«wered Langi Indeed, he only carted his ware, about when bread wa« lacking m his home. Throughout hi. spare time he^ge^ over pottery which was not inr«nded for^e, remainSv te honrs m oontempUtion of tha things ha thu. ^Se^ .»« haTOjg the dreuny ezpreMdon of those of wma ruticpoet Ml ™™ '• '«'"''?~. !"• 'W7 P»n. and stock-pots, dispUWa which bespoke poetic fancy. A son of the pe^e, as ha wmu W^flf'j^r^y "f"^ "P°° *• old priSiCpJpX iSM?liS!i*^ *i""' ''"?'"« ^°>»~fi« ntendTwbich MiM. ftwn periiotion of proportipng and abMdnte adaptability to the UMS to which the utenril i. intended to be pntr ' ™.™^?n7h' ^'"l"=H''^i^'* ""'"i*? °° examining a few unsold pieces m the little Land-cart. And the sight of Barefeet, that ^L^' TT\ ^"b '"''* i^^ ^'"'"K' »>«°^er limbs of a wrestler and the hrm bonomof an Amazon, Ukewise filled him with mingled admiration and astonishment. to her " '"^ *° ^"^^ **" *'""*' "" ^*^' '^"'' ■' ? ' lie .aid But s!iu was a silent creature, and contented herself with W .^J .'nf ■ '"8. '"'M ?yes, whilst the potter answered in her stead: 'Oh I we rest m the shade by the wayside when *4« woxj: riM young wonuuj )wd to^i^ h« . u,_ «n plMe UBd« .d,^ ow into the .nolo.are and ■•( it ♦roth tQ toU dM WM^?S ffiL'*^ "X '^ *''"<>•• But aMMMWur of „ uncouth pSLnTTn^' ^^ '??••*'' ">• t»uok.i.tUttl« man Tri^K,u^^:LA P^* »' '"» th*' »Migl«o/hMr.^be^!2i"?'*'P*^ ''••d. buAy with » jj^j^ ™ oeard, wai of • very gentle md amorouj 'wy : ' Well, im't wm.h^^ I, ^»"" Wi rough, frank bwntoke wiUiii'to U h^Trj'.K '""'♦^•"'"Ivm upin your Eaoh timeaS h! ™ ^'T "" ^ .*"•"»» you want ? ■ ' Shave's^- b/^ou'^re ^ft .^f^'?»*y>^ wJ/tU, i. tolS^ ,t' «'?'ytbing i, rott;n7»nd L. 'Oh 1 with bSKh.t^.*&';'J«*. •""Ply i"t«ven«i. your famous sooialisaZH Z ^.t?„Tn ' "1;??^'^ '"^ '' ?tie!^a- ^i;s;|S"pth°iitK noticed, was as ^"TX^Z.^-^^^ i^^^ jn w^^ w- enemiVr «^ a *" ^ '"•'' °' different raoet, herediUry for o'n, ^X^ey mlt .T^S^tJ^"'^"'?*"?^ mmmmM ' She^hdi't?' *° •*■ '""•'' »d5! fo Morlain abject anTffiSHe ^nM"* w "*"' •^** But there was yet another reason which aneered Morf«.in with those new times which ho wished to ismf™ .-j^- "ii-^%»rik «' weU-loved houSof thL^-wlf ' death had worked as the forgave her, saT^g to 2i^.StL?..."=°'t5'^ "• """J "■«» ^y have OTt mSd &,t fil- "'" ''"'^^ «»suredly some name-that TAohm,, o!? •" ^^^^^^' ^*^« ''™ ••<" Io'»'s Beauolair Theintri^e wT' **" •'°° "^ "'^ ""y"' »' •inidst the evening Kesunde?tr°? °° ^T y«»™ ""W. paths of the BleSse S^t^ff *^® "*"7 ^''y- ^'o^K the patches of thrae and iZiT"' '?\T' """^ rocks and Serconrse^tHsfamni^^^ breaking off aU bc^geoisie bored i^ddTsSsted »,£? .'^ wT"^' ^"""^ ^^ takehimonatLaTffi„ • ^*1 *'J?1' '^SSei Luo to He thus severfld «™,^* ' ■** ^^ ^^ ''«''0"'e a designer. BeeJ^'SVut"r:S'nr'f ■r''? ?^' '" ^'"^ """^ whole antiqie e^fice m, at tf,^^"^^ "'i'^' o""^"*'- The good and iSUT^gSC shaken it^'^lP'r^ t~ "^ perhaps even ^gUngfor, trson''otL''ma^^r°"« '"' '^ lielessandTeSus trouUe t Jai^L' s' ^"""^^ '° ''''° aie matter, in thHII Ti?" ^ 7!"" "^f Soenrette insist on LaCr^Wie-sgrprXaTrh^^rsS u^^^^^^^^ Ktthatrth1hte™'^«.?° ^^^ to close her fyesX .on^e1itteJ^ataWt:en"tlJr^reo^^ **' WORK ' T iJJ^r ''*?^ '^i' *=' 0° *J>e taWe and made it shake J W « my father lived,' said he, • and yourZ?y /s H^^- dav^*Bnt"5?* **■* *''?• "^ '"^^^'Z exchanged four words a - her from 4 '•'"' *^" °*' *°'™' """ «"^ ^^>^^ ^k awi^fwrTaj^ 11 ' ".^Dde'. and dark, with a ray wide- x'%!ir«ii.5r' ^;... JVORK h« people e^et l:^";^; ^^^ f^' *•»!« 7°" chosen) WiU lived too long • ' ^^ ' « a the end o( everything. I've 7oaS°MdtfiLfCVvr^: t ^j" •^^ ^o -poke like a sensible Ud?^ho was Lnlv;^"?"™*- • ^^ »» as long as might be nwes^^if "^^ to "main patient matter later on NeveSZ^wK^t'""?'^ "^ »•»»* the to meet what lmrmIoSdthe«£f ?„''*•'?? *'" <^^ <"'«"»* •» "oon thing that's respeo "ble W„^„T^ i" ^?°' ' ^pit on every. somebody has cliiigXTisAl..^ '°°^l' recognise you; wild den; where I h?™ the «»t« ^.1' "" ^f? '•""^ ^ this and crush me to dmSh I ■ '^^ "*"" ^ ^""n on me thrJ^oidld^'hearTTh^ T^, ^JTr^' r"^ » '»"» affected by them, for he hdd utrl^S^' % "" 8^*17 a long time he W)n^ xri^ hS^^u"i T"^ «'*««'"■ Po^ arrival of the yowTrntn whom ^^ , "i'5* ""«''«'• °» the forced back his'pSff ?o bewm^ ^J^"^ " * '""'«'. ^ a submissive sufordiW*;!??^ fl°® T" » ""« workman. He did^?evM lu^w hSitSV""- "I'^'^r'^y""^ *■« <»»t." latter waa the primtr lusTof t^° i^*'"- ^f"' *'*'"'"«»' ^^ upsetting the ^ion^T^n^l^lf^"^"""'""" *'»'''l' were masters after lOi had a riTf T^ . '° °"«* Pain. The T ^ for the worimen t^ "^''' '"..*"' *' 'W P'««ed, and it their elde:: ffi^e ifbeTreTheT'' ""' "" "«"' -''" Do not be alarmed. Monsieur Lue,' he said. ■ if I happen »44 WORK no telkol aT^ °"i ^■'PPen'. 'or you know that I'm SotS fmm ird'^nl"* ••"'{" '"^ «■»» the work doe" uo« Buner irom it , for I always keep one eye onen ana nn metal IS ever ran out otherwise than in my ~ce aC Ihen, desirous of changing the conversation, he brnsonelv said ^. ?^r°?*i^7^*^y.'*,?™ 8°"« ^ow" 'o yo» by-and-by .■ he £e"onnVKr>''«^^^^ ;i-'^'>«f^W;boTet;Tthe^^^^^^^^ eated. What would you have ? An evU spell ^» to S™ Brea^Wx.r'^4 resounded to Luc's ears like the knell of his Jiven at La Crfiohene he encountered reason. fZ\i!. u qntn of the notet diseomfort into vbJBh hn n. ii!»!!!?>. One Tuesday, after they had risen frSn table! the dispute to his o^n UghSsed" to ^eSrt i ^'^rZ^t^:^^ man quieOy contents himself ^Cpi;^;. ' Yes weS you^'c^eat'o? >T° «?Pl'^''?= ' WeU. do you know what dZla^l, m^i rebel yVre^'^s" oTw ""'^ ^°. '""•"^ r^, such as it needs then- in order to be stron- and Xrkf/ Thenoo con.es the necessity for discipline and a Bystem of .w "mr »48 JVOXX ^S^^TZ'bT'^T" V"' P™*™"""- which are old republican, a free-iJiAC^.ri: .f°'™y P"" I am an will ev^^r picture mfw a ^''T'^Z*; ^".^y- ^ ^r>^' yet your systea of edncatZ^ J ' retrograde mind ; aSd In lilf a ciutSyf^lTuZa^vstrnf '"'*t "^^ "' *"'<»"«' no more citizeni no mor7BoX^n. ''°'"''' ''*'? ""^'^ b« indeed. I defy yiu to Cke S, °f°" P"'""'"- '^^s. inea;andin4atca«^hX^,!?dZ " T^T''^^'-^ ^^ the event of war ? • ""* """"'y "^^'end itaelf in d^d^it^aSL'^vrunlTd ^zf of"" sr-^ »» soldien. be.some day. if men no l!.n»„ « k.°^ ^^^ "" "^ in rebellion 4Sineme" tate^^?«„»i!?°r'*''y 8«»»»«on. Luct^^^^t '"'^•'" ^-^~ - -taatrophee.. «.a nioi^w-f Zft'sCif^'intS^g ' ^«''*^ P'""^ of to- turn out S»™ riv^*ttteLn''°°iS ^""'f "^ *» authoritarian reoubUo TW^^ ^" "■* "««^ o* Ws dieoipli^^Pfi'^;,^''*" JO-J^^ be no more politi^ of the State, but in Ueu SSf^rn?'*' "°i"»~ sovereignty leadiag to the wont f^f*""^^ •*?■« '^'°'^erly Iio«W8, And & .t once AbwEe w^"i?L""'£,'"f debauch^ nodding his head aDDroS!" ^^^^.^ad been listening and exohu^ ^ I v„»^S^? * '• ^"^^ "°* "sist an impSseto ^^ind^r* ^°" "" «""'« "e^'- -^"l "^ that'^rpj? noee^^'^ia^t^'^'detl'lVr r '?*'""* ^^ "^"^o new society, in which he fe1th^» n > funous attack upon the jeg«ded s&plyTthe histiri^' f^t'T^^^ condemned. But he W ^.^^rhlte^f^ rhl^h^rbe^^m^TnTp^ ■mmM wt^^j^m^ T^W.«:r^-'^ within his narrow doo^rin^ N^i^l*'^' oonaolation more attached to the letter of Hnl^. he shown himself severer penance on hVpenlt^ntf S^^ T*I ^*^ •"« ^fli«««l that the ioj.r<7eoi» worll^v u" '' '"^*^ *>« were desirous cloak of relil^nT Sht aMett^lh^w'Tr^'' ''V''""^ "^^ when it was submergS^ On thfV. i. * u^"'. ^meanour fall, he at any ratew^H h. .fT- I ^^"^ '"* '*"™1> would last mass be/ea^ the^^ "' ^'' •^^' «"««» «spit'S'rif"b:Kh?'rff- ^^'^'-a^i-freewith becZenoneoKas^ttfehth!^"!? ^ ^"^ t"^' i' « be buUt should there"e^faiti,f ,M* "^ °^.°°«- ^"t one can be allowable for aZ^^ T^l^}± f^"^ t ^K"^ "^wayg Batisfaotions«,manja^^m t?*"-.^*'^" '"""^ »«»8»ity of. religion thTt iT^H^i^^ "^ "«"^ <» tJ- one desies to govlm m™ B„?l^^ ' real necessity when themataU; °<»»bnent of the fact that ma ters S^tes lf„?^?tr'^- "■ *''!u?''' '°"'° ■" accordance with my S^»^"i;„ ■ u^""!*"/""* 'bing that I approve, it is certainl? ™ '^,°^^"^°r*,l''°y.^'''*«'*"P°»- Govern men? WhJ yes, only mstead of the priests in their churches, it is we the wnnw" w** ^}'^ ^"^f- '°8"'8l"8 temper, declared that he would not aUow sacrilegious language ti be used La his presence, the dispute became so bitter that Doctor Nova™ as UBual, was forced to intervene. He had hitherto UsS' to ^'nfawL':^*^.'^'' '*~'"1''''' like ageSKd somewhit sceptical man who was not put out by any vu".1s. however '^C™« J^ I ^* ^j I"** '■*' beginning to pain Sceurette. rnn ^^tl. TK ^^ ''*' y°° ^""s' agree, since both of yon put the churches to use. The Abb4 will Always be able tS! r?» *•? ^*'*''' "• y«"8 °f 8r«a' abundance.' Thm «f Jl ^ "*"!? '° "P""^ °^ » °«' ««» that he had ju™ SSl heaTX*" ^"T,; "' ""'*' P*'"'" '^'y "^ite and pC and Jta heart warmed by a pronounced flush of carmine. He ^^A%''m "^ V^I ^°''«"' ^bich had beenpl^ed i^ ™^.?^i. '•'t^'^ l"^ Sceurette looking at it smUed Vnoa S™ S' ?* ??,4 ?' ""*' florescence all ofiarm and perfaS? Sv'?'ZAil'^^*"*1 '"'^ ^^ by the vSen^S nowaday^ marked the quarrels attending her Tuesday lunches. WOXK »49 H tWngi wtot on in that fwhion, it woald Men U impoaiibl* fcr them to t one another. ""i>u»«uw n.^li*r ""ll'oow that Jordan emerged ftom hi. reverie. U.l^„2,*^*^ '°''T"u»"""'"''' "" "deed he wer^ Uitenrng to the others. 6nt he made a remark which showed ^r. t; r'? "• "^f ""^ '«*°- ' »« you know,' eiolaimS .^'1^' ' u f* electrician in America has sacoeeded in Btonng enough solar heat to produce eleotricitT ? • n.rt^ .^.1 T P"]*"' it« >ohoolma8ter, and the doctor had de- parted and Luc found hmiself alone with the Jordans profound t'X.^tn ^''«'^''"«'"°' «iJ 'l-e poor menwhoCZe another and crashed one another in their blind strurele for ^fi'^'iST T'.*5?J''°,?« """'^ '»*«'• As time went^y, see- ^L^} "'".' ^i®""^*' *•?« '«"''«d 'or the common wwS, «X5 ^ ™°'™T^ '8"°'* *''» "''°"» «^«» of those whom one ™o^t„^- tT' ^"° ''"s sometimes seized with discourage- SS^iJl^ J? would not as yet confess, but which left bJth W.^?,!"^ ^i? """^ Btrengthless as after some great us^ on th« «nf.°t" J°- ?.""»"«?» i^s'^U would capsize and seem on the pomt of sinkmg. And again that day he raised his SS™ tef = ',?"* *?;' ^°"'* ^ " they'lovy^uVoSd prove fruitful, all would grow and triumph in the sunlight I * A few days later, one autumn mominff, at a verv earl* te St"** experienced a terrible heartW which threw J^S.^**^* *^*1!' ""S""^- SI'o invariably rose beUmeZ which she had estabhshed for the infants of her crtcl,^, wheZ aashe went along the terrace which ended at the ^vilira ^^^- ^!^^^V^ """""^ *° *»«" *° B'ano" down at the ^^h*? ?' ^?T "^'looked. And precisely at that «??^, i I ^2°' "' *•"' P*^"" °?™^8 w'o the road was fo^'^h?*^- ^^"^^^ "T"" "e"^ a woman of slender S^U i "^""^diately afterwards disappeared amidst the ^tash mommg mist. Nevertheless S^Srette had time to recognise her : it was Josme, leaving Luc at break of day. bince Bagu s departure from La Creoherie Josine, indeed, had returned to see Luc every now and then. On thirooea- return, for she feared lest she might be surprised when le^ ^Liv""^ or returmng thither by some of her inqnisitivi S? ^°"- ■ ^"<»^"> 'I'V^ea of lying and hiding herself S order to join the man whom she regarded as a god had become so painful to her thai she prefe^ed to await tte d^ »So woxx whan Joiina wm »t l«at »Ua to L, k* i. "^ •'"^^ "owe morning mi,t „, ".^ dej«e vX h^i^?'';. ^I *^« •nfficently to prevent Jorlw". dZ fr^ J^«'*^°"l'' "°* S<8urette, in the shock of h.fS; ° ™»P"«ng her. rooted to the spot/L uShe L. tllT'If?'' '^^^ ""fl^ •I'ort. Such wu her^t^on * ^* Kn «?'"' <>Pr?« before her •» first .ha couWTnot^n r^T'^.^V ber ears. th»t to the dairy to°rive ui^r" ..^ *ii'''!«*" »*"* «be was goinB to her Som, thTd;,rr rSSJ? t^" bouse and climbing wildly then she fluk/hS^inT^ A" '?°.''?^ '^">d bar" And eye. •nd be,°!r:?^17,^^k«d -tmnng to cover both her withW' thJtl'hftraA'"'' ^^'^ . r«.ding Luo;. •ftcLatettt'nd tlLcK'dS' to be J^ pamonately devoted to t^ w^k *hSh i!^''' ""* ^^° *" accomplish. Yet now «>,« t.T 5 ■ °" *" *»* striding to fever, Jndihi. l^S^ hi" I™. *" ff '"''' '*•'"" by buxLg And had she oSy^ooma^Jn^r ^l^be love Luc then? wa. too Ute for h'er^^TirCe f Th^ "ta^ ""«" j' love had spmngT^r hotit hlT^*^ """'? ^«"' ber that she h^ad l>r^^ tZ^tT^Jiy'^ ^°7.i'W" thirtieth year, happysimn f^n^l • ' ""*". ""^ "> bar intimacy, untiuoM til? n^i^i.""" ^^J.^^nent of affectionate jn«hadfe,5hat li,t JS Zsote"""'! '''?• Her tear^ the .uddan oblCa wWch C rifan 7 ^h''^';??'' °^" mantowhomunknowinelvsh^J^ u^..''" **•» *be And now naught^ tte^^lJ^tf ^J"?" ^"^ '*»^ ""^ «>»1- and .he aaked henetf m^t !t^*^^°^ bar love axirtad for her ; .uocead in ^iS^;^ttf%t't~^^ <'^°'^^ "*» tbat she should n!t U lo'J^"^r:tuSr.iceTet3'ro^" t .MM WORK »S' power, in such wise as to lessen cost price ooMiderablvirf torily atthe works and W^ f^° "'" 8?»8 °" «»««f»«- nothing seemed-to eSs^i^he wS','*"' ^L,'*""^ morning at an early hour he had res^'^ Zldie' leL^ 1 • •i ^s» WOJtK •«en obstMle, lome error taU. mS^..^? '*" "",'<"•• which he had nwrlected «d .h;,u 51'°°.'' .""»• ^e*"' ^ my,., tb. ,a^,„,a^,. j. „j^ ^, .^ ^^ €fw. .^rmWi irojtx *Si ■ ifl ! efo'fl he Jonir.ii urhttpa,' There WM truth in thU. Luo love.' r,„.,. fc..,-.^^, ,hr, WM M amoTOM, • womM of charm f.,,,1 ..» oi,>n V m, ho tow of hii heart. And besides, be».,i, wna paiiion which peoples the world. kn.-fc'" """tH""''.?!^ Bceurette, 'he J<. er, knew her, so why did he not love me first ? ' More and more embarrassed by these qur-; anxiously sought for deUcate and kindly wordb i orhaD» ' he answered, 'it was because he lived here like a frien/ a '"° wl'n .^^ '',»? ''*'«»"'' • brother for von wd me' ' Whilst speaking thus, Jordan looke/at his siTtSi and tbi. Ume he did not telTher aU that he thought He obj'e^i he? iSd^r ri,^'*-^'' not represent love: she was t^'So hSr tkf/" ^''•™'"8 ?? dontt, very gentle and vewkfed • tat then ever clad in bUok, sombre-lSoking and niuui aU «ie silent and devoted ones. For Luc she had neVerbi^n •ught but an inteUigent and a benevolent creatlSi. '^° snml°"tWif"S!T'"\?' '""' "ist^'.' Jordan presently re- JZ. h.^!!^' •"" ^T »" '*'«" your Wher and nune, he cannot love you m the same way u he loves Jos^e Such a thmg would not have entered his mind. But Tne ™S r5^r,?"J^ ""'' '•* '°^'"' yo" » great deal; he lo^es yon indeed aU the more, as much m fSot as I mysSf lo" t^,^A f^'"^\^ '""Id not admit it. Her whole being pro- h«^.f«rT''i'".'l?'"''^='\*"^'' "P'o"™ 0' sobsZcriTd her distress aloud : ' No, no ; he does not love me the more • what IS that when I suffer as I am suffering now that I ^ ^I. ±'° f." ' . J'J^ "f""' ""8" of aU th?se things a litU^ l^jTil !^ '^^ ""^ """• "^ ^ '"' "'" *oldd Like herself, Jordan was becoming more and more dia- tews. 'Ljttl. sister, httle sister,' said he, 'you grieve me »54 JVOJtIC calm and wnsible, .^d y^S^wXL.-" u'f ;""""' "^ ^^ one ooght ^ evinCSToX tT^fl^e^rr. ^f for ^e.' "ZJ."^^ ^'?r?end:.^' '"'^ "^ '^-'■''» tively, ^ *°°" friends.' nhe answered plain- 'But I am nof anmTTh^r r.°«7 '^*'^ '^'°-' only fmffer.' ^^ ^ '"^^ °° '"»« 'or anybody; I me ? Why dSes he noHo?e me%^ ' ^^ '^ »■« "»* '"^ enough. NoThe doe 'note y^n' « 1"!'°^ Z"- "«" know that yon are the beat thi lt\ .\^ • *'® °°«« »<>* •nd affeotioiate of w™^en Y™ innM l'' *\ '"""* ^"^'"^ pwiion and helner • th^™;. *w "?''* {^^* ^^ » «' oom- Sd easier B^the otCr ^e'^r.,"''!'*'*""'' ■»«» assuredly was a powerful fo«^!^ ^ ^^', '^""'y' "■« that U^L'slut'rt^n^sC.^.r"'-^ -« «»«^ -er hair. •D 4 1. — ?:„""'"'" "" m nis an But she BtUl went on struggling. 'No I no I I cannot.' ^ out I Our hfe would be broken n^ ^7 **" w»>ol-to speak »d you would suffer1fc„Ttrn,rLr'^'^!,*:t -^«?^KeSi:j;r&-nt,^^.^ %.r% WOXK «S5 me like that. Yon are an egotist I ' *^ fn„';:»" *^*'" ' 1 "P'j*^ •''"^»"- ' When I am only think n?„i^/°"' ""' ^?'. '^'"« ""*«'■ At this mome^gri^n, bhwE/y^K"""^ kindUness to exasperation BSThow bittOT would be your remorse if I were to Sow yoi to dLt™T eveiythmg I You would no longer be aWeto Uve li n««^{ of the rams that you would have piled up P,^,"dCZn b./rstippz^.^d-fter^r.'^if^?:^ She stilf protMted, but like one who is surrenderinR Her -itwu" '^?P*"e^' Lno that very day was to take diieu,u^ wu"" •'?"^*' ""* ''•'«° »» h^-PMt eleven bTioin'^Z downoajt, that he noticed nothing. Josine's fareweU th«nZ>!? «tyof thatsepj^ration. filledhimwith A^^'^'Jt^^ of the ove wluoh he deemed essential fofhis missTor sZJfJ B>e^h^ h^ T "■• «^PP? ""Jtitnde to wh"m heTd Si S-rlw ^' ^ ^*. "^y- ^^ the moment of ririi r* the obataoles which hindered hi« advance had ris^Tn ^ r-^u"''? ■?™™o>"'t»ble impedimonto. A Uack^iol Sii^toJt^n'";::il,'T"l^ tohlT La creche^ o^Z path to rum, wrecked already, to such a point indeed th«t i? rre°t°C tt"^ *" ""f? '*■ **«" -Je^^eS^o^aSiUer he^«l„ f)!^ '^'' ™P°«"W« to establish brotherly^rf S^ aS^ fi„r'^*'TT '"'^'y *«'8hed upon t/eS fZL.™!i T\ ^^^ ^°^ ^y the most frightful dS- h^^^^i-''\^^ "*' '"<"^' I""" lost his Sith The Wowrn within him wavered; he was ahnost on the ^int of ren^nomg hi. task, fearing as he did that def^t wL^ « II astf nojix ao, I do not fael weU ,' he answered « T «^ » •gain lay b«k in his ^ & "°'""'«""^ oyerwhehned. Botupthismorntgr&^^Aiin :*^,^^^^ before om of he l^^e ^ndoTfJ^ll """' J*"?"* "' ti""*" w.i.m bi*,ri7ijMri£i^,''.",;; C£rs?^ "^ m: diinnion uid mrall W- *''" ""^ "» "s^vJng bnt»I«>»gooamTefltinenr?^d''^f °* anuw like von, not "peak the truth, for vonr n^ ?". * ■PP««» that fdid up m the -Msaoter lait Mt S?nSi''''t '^ ^ ""^ow^ be haunted by remorse?' ^""'' ""^^fow that I should ^ «rK|e^Pj„Xb, w ,, h«ha„d. as if •wh aay, becoming neoLtt!?,r^°"'ednp : more money S I «. longer dare to*a^kTo?Ton° fo? « l'^" ^'^.««"- And tnbrely.Ihave no right to nun' InV /"* ^"^cemjaelt with me.' »"' "*> P°" yon and your sister /own '^^iu!°^i^'^CZr^'>.^tast ScBurette h«i an/ iTh'er brolST^^u" ^i"«,'»''le. loolted b^ at deep emotion. ' •'^""8 developments in a state of ^h."^^d y"oJ?^ Z^::^^- ^or^ quietly ^oonvmoing mi of th^. Tdfd nS?Swf ^""^ you^ended l^-^« convinced that sciewe^ tk?' ?** '<**»' e»ter. and will alone bring about uSeevolutini^^*"^"^'"'""™"?. ing man towards tnith and in!«° • °.?^'o-'uonow, lead- your theory of soUdariWs'^ ^ ""J^^" ""'^'^'y- But window after my day Worri ^t '^"'■'"J- Sitting at this •t was with iateWthaTi saw U ° i°°>«'' V°'" ^^' ^d wd I said to myself Uiat iV^ ff^Tf «■ , It amused me ; ^ty would one day prove iJ^iTl^ *" "• »"<» eleo thing be abandoned, t£m? • *' ''elpmate. Must eve^. ^mJstS^. he"'Sred*=^I%'-» ^-= -^y ^ing lather than imnoM .''/Pr'' '» ''""don evwy" How could yon give C th« I''' '"^^'"> °P°u ySJ. need? . How'conlf ? e^en have^SS"'*'*^''"' we should you for it?' nave audacity enough to ask the'^M S"bKo'urweVT'"°« n- This was b__ „fa^_,,^, ,„, . j^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ imSs?ble''''FX"th .58 WOXK a iwwing defeat, a momentarr ipeU of oowaidie*. panwd however, by the moat frightful loffermg. ^' ""^wer the remark whi^ Luc with a shnddw had jfK *" ''r/??T"°8 *^* '»'«« »°«>™* of money whioh ^f, «?j ^r""^ ^" "8« °'~ *■» ■!»" limb., then l^i ^1 tl ^? yo">ow, my good frieSd, I'm not yety mmimg. You know how I thought that I had planned a pnfeot Boheme for transmitting electric force chlaply and ri™ ^^' ^^?'"' l'?°8 distances. Well, I was miitikS ; I have, discovered nothing of what I thou^t I had. An «- penment which I made this moming by way of checking evepUung Med completely, andThlv7,;^S& my1S§ ^i. il^ necessary to begin all over again. That mei^ a V^^^ of years, and you will undeSitand how wor^g liMBto_ encounter defeat when one imagines victory tobf BoBurette had turned towards her brother. Quite unset at heanng of that defeat of which she had MUi;rbKio' ^SliL^* S?.T^ ^"°' prompted to compassion by his ?J",4''P^/ Btratohed out his hand in order to eras/ S« ^ J with brothers sympathy. And SorfaT ffi ^. m«ned dm, apart from the slight feverish tremulonsnea wluoh^always came over him when he had exerted hiS < W1.^^:T T'"'i ?° ?'"' *"*«°'^ 'o do ? ■ Luc inquired. «t X^ ^^ 1 ^,?' "7 8ood friend ? Why, 1 AaU ^^hlS^ ■**"• I e»>»ll male a fresh start to-mj^row ; I riiaU begin my work anew from the very beginning, Thire ^ evidMiUy nothmg else to be done. It isdmpl?' enoug" n^ ^ ?f' ^''- °"8^' "«'«' to throw up a task, tf it o^t T15 ^'^"' ^l''^ y«*"' » '''ole lifetimtone stiU ought to persevere with it. If one makes a mistake one as many tunes as may be necessary. Obstades and Wi^ dr»^s«emeyitable on the road,7nd mustll antfoTpatS .n^'^f '^^"- ^'"""'^'' «« lil-e a sacred child, ^d it irauU be onm.na< i.ot to persevere during the period of f^^- There is »me of our blood in it. we have no neftU, and nuad. Kvpn lu a mMU^~ j;«. -f x- ..®.. ' ^"r « doM not ooBt us life we W. k^ ^^ "''""'«' m- And 5 •"jompfahed. and that ^^'rhel^^a^'i'^^ '^ dowheoi?!; H-^rKt-'d^-Siv^^^^^ who was listening, TLmi^^i^ ^" "*""• ^nd to Luo ^•te""TV-^4b'ei^g' gust of energy ean.e"iS force in the ;:,ri|.' w"hen ont^ha""^ = *'•"'" " »<> other « mvinoible. Why shouW we doubt ./T" '""• '" '""'^e we ourselves who (ieate to mn™l 1 °' *»-"«"row since it is "•■^W"*. Ah I holy work «™^-,.'^ P™^e to-morrow's "y We. the one Je^^n';^, I'^^^f,?*'^"* '"''. ""oTlr? ™A''{srr^:':^„At£rr^" -k-^~ "■"'^' seemed to radiate. irom whom peace and ■ 2 t6o WOSK 'Ah I you ue right,' he cried; 'I am » aamxA I feal the glonfloation and reorganisation of S-savinit work. K that Booney which mnat again be died r ""»J— »" BowS^S;*^'"'*^ ••' '"f o'™ Pawionate oathnrsi. wai 111 ^r?*! ^ "?^ ?°" "'""ly «°™d his puny shoidrnT mon« W.'°Lr'* '"' ^™P'y '**^' 'I'af give you the «t^/" w' '^^ eoonomiBe; we shaU alwayl be able to frmt Provided that I am atill ifile to Zy thTei^fS;! of my expenmentfl, the rest will be aU right.' ^ ° with''d2e5"l':;!?J' ^"'•^ "''''« ^-^' -^ '" P"«^ tkem Thl^l "*■ j*x ^°^?^> ' we have forgotten Saurette.' Jhh. ™ti3"K'*°° '"."'' '?« ^"^ ^«"' l-*' elbowerXK do^T«^ehelS;"V'" '''°^- ^'8 tears were' streamhig w^nf^ -r ^- •!?' P<~'> io'tured, bleeding heart was jmbng aU ito woe. She, as well as Luc, hadbSn steed to the depths of her being by all that she hi h«S F™™^ thing which her broth^bad saidT S^M^'J^^^Sk r„*T^K"""^'^.'"'' *""• °^ heart. The nSw^ woA of abnegabon in the presence of one's IskdKt not also mean acceptance of Ufe. whatever tt iXht 1« «fi S*^ to Uve it loyally in order CSl ^k h^^", Sfilhf^°^J*''^'"?'"^ ^^« ^^. "I'e nowwodSThave ttonght herself evil-minded and cowarfly had sh' sTOBht to hmder the great work, had she not devoted hei^ toit even to renuncmtjon of aU eUe besides. The ^at tou«^ of W BimnU, kindly, sublime nature had re.umfdtJ her"fLmo4 and whi^'^.r^ P™""^. \'°°? ^^^ °P°" her brotherTbww •' » hi^Jr„„M'"T°'i^*"^« ^^' ''"'^ ^<" I'e^d resting kLu '^'^^' <^ whispered to him gently, ' Thank voif W J"" ^'' bealed me; I will s^tZ'm,^: ' ' «tir,^l,!m«7/'' """^ T^ eas r for action, was now be- ■tofflg hMMelf. He had gone back towards the window jmd was gwmg a the glow which fell upon the roofeofS U^t^l^'^r. '\^"^ """ heavens.^ And s^^el^ «^ i°iLT^5,i^-%-^l"^ °?~„'"<'.^« "Peated his favowTt^ »io O XSot'XZl"" '"''J-*>*ed fled.. sa,a«tt<, |».e a.ust love even ^Jo^'C^hSf JI.'T' "P"*^^ Those words, from one who ~ *?" ^f^ o*" ever be/ greeDM^ amidst which Jhel^'^f/'^;?'- 8»^«^ towardTthe rs;;^^ •>-' -Xr/iKct jh"a^.tT/| ^-^iS^^eSSsS^S '^^o »• 'V fc-n^erof cities tenhr^j-i«^^-i-°^^^ ^»p' love, in tketnt^ -^-fMteS heart wUh tenderness an^ hope A, l,^' '*"*"'. ""^ AUed w2 dependsnoies of the works desL,« ^f ■'" «°^ ""»d the {hJDg, he was surprised tn ?t''"'"» o' Pving an eye to everv hnnits of laajrhter ri,!;„V '" """"^ ^^Rht, fresh vetoes t?^ foot of the mounL"n nf ''""' ' '=°™«'- "f *he propertTat^f ;n^t.^e ..Shine. -tlS'^l-sTS.^^^^^y^-^f | » On Lno's side of the w~" " ., t ■ , i* Creoherie in search of o^ZZu, ^'"^ ^^'^^ returned to !/ ^^m^mimgm 761 IVOItJC Mcompany him on boom terrible lizard hunt. All three U them stood there with upturned faoee, Uughing and eaUing, wlulit on the other side of the wall, other ohUdren who oould not be leen were laughing and calling alio. It waa easy to nndentand that Wise Delaveaa had had some yountr frioads to lunoh, and that the party on being diamiamd to the garden had heard the calls of those outside it, one and all becoming eager to see each other, join hands, and amnse themselves together. Unfortunately, the former doorway had been waUed up, for their elders had grown tired of scolding them. At Ddaveau's the children were even forbidden to go to the botton^ of the garden, and were punished if they were found domg so ; whilst at La Cr«oherie there were many efforts to nuke them understand that their disobedience might bring about some unpleasant affair, complaints, and even a lawsuit" But, lilie utless young creatures yielding to the unknown forces of the future, they continued meeting and mingling fratermsing together in total forgetfulness of all class rancour and hostility. Shrill, pure, and crystalline voices continued rising, almost suggesting the notes of glnlarks. 'Isthatyou, Nise? Good day, Nise I ' ' Good day, Nanet I Are you by yourself, Nanet ? • Oh, no I I m with Lnoien and Antoinette I And tou. Nise, are yon alone ? • ' ^ ' Oh I no, no, I'm with Louise and Paul I Good day, good day, Nanet I ' •" * ' Good day, good day, Niee I ' . At each ' good day,' again and again repeated, came peals of laughter, so amused did they feel at talking together with- out seeing one another. ' I say, Nise, are you still there?' ' Why, yes, Nanet, I'm still here.' ' Niss, Nise, listen I Are you coming ?' ' Oh, Nanet, how can I, since the door's walled up ?• ' Jump, jump, Nise, jump, my little Nise I ' Nanet, my little Nanet, jump, jump I ' Then came perfect delirium, all six of them repeated 'jump, jump I ' whilst dancing before the waU. as if mdeed they miagined that by bounding higher and higher they would at last find themselves together. They turned and waltzed, and bowed to the pitiless wsU, and with that elaldiili »^i^c:i.^.5'iK- WORK »63 powOT of imkgiDatjon which Buppresseg aU obttMlei pUved M U they oould really see one mother. ""•""'" I«yM you W^hi?!^'"'''"^'"' ''^ "°'«- 'I^*^' Ni«.l do 'No, Nanet, I don't know.' h, t3!l!' ^1? *™°? *° 8et on the waU, and I'U puU you no by the shoulders and get you over here." ' ^ Oh I that's it, Nanet, that's it 1 Climb np I • «^ /- ? tece Nanet, clinging to the stone ^ with hands ^.h J^ u* * ""o^' bMtnding it, he looked quite oomiaJ 5r hS %»^^ h^^-Ws large bins eyes, anThii tambUd TW ^;^'°'°**'*'"^«,"'"'^- 'J""" yo" keoP watch.' „- I ^ bending oyer Delaveau's garden, quite proud of Come on, Nise, let me catch hold of you ' ' Oh, no I not me first, Nanet I I'U keep watch over here ' Then who's coming, Nise V "ju uver uere. ^W^I'- ?«"*'yitto««eifitbreaks.' * ^ BUenee followed. One only heard the oraokinn of soma old woodwork mingled with Stifled laughter. A^d ^m ^SSri^„S:;'[h'rr ," V- °°8" "°* to restireTrder by r.^t-^^.,'*"^ of urchms even as one scatters sparrows on surpnsmg tiiem m a bam. How many times alread^ad not he himself molded those children, IZZ^^^^ riayfiJnesa should prove the cause of some annoying tronbl" Yet there was something ven charming about thi SSlvm^ md joypusness which they dipUyed in'seeSng to jo"^ •nottier m spite of every prohibftion and every oSsWe I ;„.* J~\u '^„*'' '?°°>Pl' "ose. Paul's head appeared S«„^- """vT^- ""^ ?'"'*» "^ ««° hoisting UmuK then paremg him over in order that he might Ml intone arms of L«cien and Antoinette. Although p|n^ UmS^lf w« more than fourteen, he was not a heaw weSht He Sd remamed sto and ieli.atP, a handsomef KmplerionSd lad, very good-natured and gentle, with q^iok and iSSe^ JTIL *«~"y h- had fallen into Antoinette"emb»c? he kissed her for he knew her well, and was fond of^I^' eir bnt'^vl'^y;:;?." '^L ""• P""^' ""^ ""y graceful, alSiough 364 lyojfjc wonun: quite npSetUn. W S^^ ^'"l5.''li-'"'«^ "»"« were etnpefled to find SiarBST? ri'„^* '"'"'1'' *^azeUe., who hail Bpruig from Sieir nl^M. » notoug enthueiaetio wUding for sLet to p«. h« o^bntCm'^ ^^u* ^"^ "o**'"" '"» the arms of £™1m h«'f„li^?^°'^"°'""<»'dtato oldest of all of S A tSr'^t"^ fr?**' *»«' "" ^e with great ingeoSty and ir^i^fwi^'i . °J *"*"'■ '"'^'^^ extralrdinary'^^^J "''"'"*'^« '^»'- »'e "^ her «,me hither and thither *^"™ '"'*' ""''"8 ""^ wving WOBX tohaTapoUadiM foorUm .t the feetS Heuso'K.tor °"""' ""^»'"^ """k wars liico tkl _ 'ii " " "' *" '"O prohibitiona ? Thev ohUdren. th«>ka to tS lyo\J^ whTh """"P'"'"'? by their expect to gain a.ifmora crouni "r a 41 w ,^* ^'^ ?°' t i ^ .\ ^ ^. ^' vJik^j: fictoeon nsoiuTioN tbt ouut (ANSI ond ISO TEST CHART No. 2) in Hi '1^ Hi in U£ 1 12.2 |3^ 1 Lh IB U u 1^ 1 2.0 hmS 1 1.8 Mi il 1.6 i /1PPLIED \M/K3E Inc les:) C«t Main Str^tt Roch«t«f, Nmr rorh 14609 USA (716) 482 - 0300 - PhoM (716) 288 - 5989 - Fo,( *66 WORK enoouragin* the men in thTT^ r?** *•**"' ""^ «wywhew, over the maiuweremt of th«^S? °°.:^°""'"^w»*eJ^ amldat th'eTm« wdX^Sd^r'T. '^."" 'i'*'' *°^. in obedience (o aTavTXwrn*??- "'**'"•*«"'. « « ment was the m'S rf hk^w®"* '^,8«»'«»t thieve. were not always shared h» R«nL- ^i" *"™o«l» hia news wd kindly IniS'g^tion te^^ ^''•*'~* ""^ *^* »>»" the most feiSiS. the mM?d«lS^7?^?* *** ""^ i» J>im whose helprt^oSdTve te^^™°±\'fT'''°°*'*"«'°* enterprise. And Sde^«.» .SJ5?***"u?u**' '*^«" t^^o liuo iad inflnencld JI tlSf ^?**° 7^'''» ni^luA from ending himwS^^i^j^* *T""^"? "* ^ Or«<>herie.>^ happiness himilf had ««j3i^ °? .T"^ "»»*» Md faim. Thus thr'sto^J!!^Sii'^°P^*'»«™»elTM around more and mo™ ol^ to^eth^S ' ,^k *^' ^^ ing that he workadT. {?Ke">«. each ending by onderstand- thSt of ■Sl/o^a 'is T^'^'^L'^'" ^ wortodfi quitted the wX. anff ule"thTI!S' »»*.'' "iiWl* lumd enabled the folk of tZcs^^^^, ' ?««»«" help. It and to .voidt,^^":^^*™ ^ '"l^.^^^^ rh"^ fand, moreover, thev were tS™ m^ '^'^'" ^o *•>« inaohinery.whShh^Crr^tLi"* to purehase new ▼arioug pVioesses «S ^?-k^^ reqmsite by ohanges in =", TOO, mere eame a few strokes of Inok. tVOXJC 167 finding 80 mnoh vitaUty in L» Cr^Bri« wh^ *J ^nger contend againBt the neighCSngworfa «^S M^eet to oommereUI ron and »teel-th3 ~ii. • J^ and itruotnral materials which iTrrA^ilS^ ™ls, girders. ft^ "re X, SS^ r* '"''«™>?»">. "nd ao it happen^ InSsX BulSSl^ Si "' IT'S'"' ■!»" U> «iii»l »by»» of inMlednera ? ^^ •wdJowed op bym »"« of her eiyoy. '-^^•itoi^'i^.tZl^J'J^ ron say that? ■ d.e ^ She pnt thfs quest on in "So^?a*r* ?? "'S' '«" ' ' ^an^ forced hack tWth^ wfetrt^'-jd^ ■oniyWdTg"^ i'n ftatletfbTie*'-?''.^-''*- ""^^ "e. perpetually empty the sS^ n „ >'^' '' Boisgelin did not poor paltiy brain of a coxcomb ■' ^°° = *« "«" ""^y the bedirre.'^^^ruKTar^t^^'r''^ ^?"^-*^ a gross mind, a miser, S desire^Si'/" »°?^dn»l with possible with the lar^e sums wZh t^ ^ P"* "little as U'OffJC !Kl'^JS."5.rl;L^" "-w *■*••« (OBnapeot. ^"'' '"^ "«*">■■« whom it a impawble large staff as he mighrLveVrS^fh ^''°" °' ''''= *« dpubties. the evil that preyed u^ort Wols" fcho.' •7» WORK ohannlng in herdmiW m^?.T^' ''*?i'^* ''^' looking so workmen, she on her «?I.^?„1T 5^°" *''* *°'^ "' Pam-racked •h«ay foliage of La GuerfLttn '" «»? »PP«elnnder the of faioy, and with her whU^tLtSL"'T';,'.°u'\« '"^ winds thousands of francs wh^^h™n;!*K """nohed the hundreds of coined for her aSidst S.?™ *''*^''*'"'?"»°^'"«««-eamers hammers. That ^f ^ SfSi'S"'^ V^? .««»' ejes Trida onen m ST- j ■ ^" "" husband, with his one and another, she^^ f?h.rJ^%?'°f°°J'vP'»'»^ 'o tion of the day so%«fr,'iS.l ■ ''*P' off ter intoxiea- •"loself ended bv falling .=i™ j f ^'"" *' ™* Dehiveau perverse, ^Mj 3 "„ 3' ""f ^"l' that some weird, eatin« awTv ^n^ii^JT " ?*" "' ''O''' beneath the Abyss pestnous night. ' '^^^'^ °" "O"" ^gonJ. tem- Whilst making eTOA^Ioi.^JJP"'!*^^.''*' t^at evening. desired as comuensatinn wJi,l 4, i ■. i^ °° *'" '"^ always years, but it ^^m^yC'^i^i^^^-'^l'^ ''*"""" Mings, with a flat of a thifnlL^ S? ^ P»ns hke vanquished aeptfs'of some suburban7sTrfct^?r°°°»' rentaf in the ..om, of ^nuHou^^Siir'^NSl SiV^'itx rr:^nrto' W^' U"*; ilw wonU not allow har gold«n pnr to umm !.«.. •uoh bght graceftUnew. there was the keen appetite of ^: ^Til „f ?S She npver risked her Uttle feet on thVunewn 80.1 of the workshops ; she never evinced the faintest inS w toe human flock which passed to and fro before her dwr ^TA fT'..'"' T~^ ^^'"- Nevertheless thos^ woA. J^J?^'/"^^''*? ^^' ""J ^^o Mea that fortune i^Rhthf westod from her by the ruin of the business rowed far to revolt prompted her to defend herself aa energeUoaUv m tf h^eitaelf were toreatened. Whosoever harm^Sewwks beoama her personal enemy, a daneerous evil-d™* n?»kJ^« Sn^ •"" ^"!? °^^'"' '"^ Sooo on inoreaKJTsiSX where, with a woman's keen acumen, she had gnees^ toatlS wa. toe man who would strive to bar herZtoTsSiortoal hme, moreover, she had frequently come iSo roUiston wito hrm,jind now it was he whothreat^ed to^e^tWthe aC I?sh^riw'',^"l^*° ^ *« loathsomeness of m^,Sn^ U she should allow him a free hand her happiness would S M^'A^d'to^' ^IX I' '""'^'^^ thS?X*,^tr ta innsnm^ l!? * i^"*''^ her seeming graoiousness, she waa her^^^ofm^r"-"*^*?-. One thought alone possessed vSno. ,™. s°PPressmg that man, and she dreamt of de- pfir* <^*?*'™phe in which he might perish. fa«,wSrLT°'^' 5*^ ""^ 8°°» ^y "°°« Josi°e had bidden teeweU to Luc, and smoe that time she had become enceintf. Kaga had discovered the truth one day, when in Tfit of ^e'i^ri,''* ^^ir^/^ *° l^"* »"'• He hSself h<^ reverted to his old hfe of debauchery, leading astrav aU tha utterly neglecting his own wife. Tiius his discovery both WORK »74 hor tor the moat tkuaeUJot^n^^,^ '^^"^ any man out 'of d^rT^He trf^^u "' •"' •P*'"°« «'"> devisa to wring from her ha^nw '^^ *'*? °""' he oould vioJence, or hii pro^use^ fcTlff °"8'^».'«1^ threat!. hi« sometimes exolaiL ™t!,U rr» m **' ""'""? J"' l^' "onld Andlpromi^youthat'^nirave'VuToner "' "^ -«^' .paS^oT^r^tt^rSj^^^r^^^^ '0' -body, Thus Bagu »u^ht th^oJprimoTh''"'''*'*''''*'*"™' however much le misht watch T* •"' own mates; but question, he learnt Z^L^i'tt'lffJ^ T"^ 5« "»%»>» respect only increased his fiiT " ^* °"^" ^"^d. ^ha^t^tn^^rdt £t"^"^'^^^ lover to teuEWi? B^ff *"? «My hastened to hi her, and she tCght thaf U ™"hl"* ^'' "^"^^ "^ "^ that a chance meetino .i«i ^ '^"' *° "^^ : "> »noh wiia even theTS^^rw « onlv t?!?!^ ^"^ ^^ ^ '^^ A?d •eoMt by a gesturl^^fnr J^tK *° '^°»^' 1»^ '"th her Luc^^hr^ frhri^^:,i^«'/^^^^^ *•> --. wrath and violence InH nf^S i' ""^ *°*"' ''e'"^ of Bagu'a upon Josine hS he Ln^ U^J''''"^ T*'*"'' ^-^^P "latter, the other's w;,m'j°JJ*'"^^^^^ on the have sufficed to dest^S^ K F-^f . T'P*'*"°" »ould garded Josine as his ownl^e' llT '^»*. foment he re- since she was goon to beS^'e f IT '""■ ""^ "^^ "'o"*. of the child, and not tl,«^S? wother-and the fathe^ band. Eagi had vow^ thil hr" *^l "^' """i "ole hus- with ohild^n, tnd thM there t-T""'*^ k^'T '^ •"^•''ed bond which ^^iT^vrAr^zt.'s-^: WORK ,yj (lut, whatever hameii Uwi msw •.. n. ; nnion, no real nSnSre T).^!'t "'' "'•'•'» »<> "^ •Ki„t'e^d"L;roff.rb;i,o^°' -p^sr;?^, g..ped. But he, quivering, had clawed her round the waiet and ^ whispenng paa.ion.tel,, -S^ „o, Joeine, I w^tto teU to lek«",;n T '™*«^e,*oo "»nct, and it ie crin^ of oe ioin'e^'tt m^T'thatTr""' ,*° '"'^ '°°' "d yT^ hrru.'?.'»;'u^t^Vap'??y,P^/ou in n,, hon,e. your embrML''Bn?^f ^'^T«.*^J^'' ^ontle and ooneoling Mked^^l;)^.,^ ^'*Jl" "" °'°" "»«"• than that ? ' she ^^^s^f-u^rhX«oS^^^ wife mnoe I am the father of your child." eaid he. Cd^rit IB that ;yon ought to foUow. By-and by~when oTcTv of lusboe .8 buUt, there wUl be no othef ' Uw save thaf of love, and pur union will be re-pected by „„o anHl Wbv t7« WOHX ■hodd v« tronbU kbout ih« pMpl* whom m mkj MudiJlM IV J L '■ ."''• •"™«d itubbomly bsnt on MMiiflo*, wTiwr tli«l »he took onlythe prannt into account, for ihawubS him tab. mnd iX obitMlM. in order that h. might bMom* powerfal and triomphant, he railed a cry ot grief; 'What. wJl yon Bern return to me then ? WiU that dhild neyar be miacmthepraienoeofoneandaU?' -"".roe Again ihe olaeped him with her delicate, endearina armi. and with her hpg near his she softly murmured : 'I will come back on the day when you need me, when I ehall be not V^. ^1^S'™*?15'" u*""' ' ''*'?' "^ *''«■' I 'iU bring with ma that dear chUd whoee presence wiU endow ua both with mcrease of strength.' Black Beauclair, the old, pestUential den of accursed toil, lay around them, agonising in the darkness beneath the amAing weight of ita centuries of Iniquity, whilst those l<^ 7^'* *** '■"P* ^ ' '"*"• «' peace'iid CpiSS! flower, hke hidden armour, too. Oh I do not pity me : I am •trong and I am very happy.' ' • * "" And Luo made answer : ' You are my wife ; I loved you Irlr II , ^" « yo" keep my name secret so will I keep yonrs ; il '^.^^Ztr^ir?'^'''^ "" ^" yourselfdeem happy^^e rtallbeT'*'^' ""^ '^°'""'' '"" ""' "^ "^^ twJ J5 '^"■* '*?"'■ ''H ''"' "^e me good and reason- t. .i,S J " •^'^"■* \ Buoconred yon one evening that we shall be so very happy later on. amidst the happiness of li^v!^"?""' '^"° speaking they remained yet another moment S^ *i '•°'' ""l"?"*': ^''«" Jo""* freed herself and returned, glonous and invincible, to martyrdom, whilst Luo disappouea amidst the gloom, strengthened by that inter- Wotor^ ready to resume the battle which would lelS to A few weeks later, however, chance placed Josine's secret J-t^'l WORK »77 ^tn^T^t^Aw^^'i F«nuuid. knew Ragu, whoM nddtn return to the AbvM had created aait« a Mnwtion therein him in other wavs although hi. conduct was execrable. Thai ^rnande .houlJ have heard of the drama which had up.et Ka«u ■ home wa. not surprising. IIo made no attempt what- ever to conceal the facts, but openly denounced his wife •■ ! JZl*i*" «"»'"™'''"» the result that the affair became a common subject of conversation in the workshops. It LV .rPprS^ /■'''°"' '* ""*. manager's house, and one aay in Femandes presence .Jclaveau expressed his great t?5,°'iLT„„".t " "i=/?r K«8". »ow thit he was "^^rd tonnhii? r. ''i T"'"!?^ ''^* ' madman, at times never touching a tool for three days in succession, and at other, rushing upon his task and stirring the fusing metal with ,-n piJ.'°iw2 winter morning, when Delaveaa was absent ^.f*?^ 'ju'""*' ^? ^^ »°"«' ">• previous day. Femande qnestioned her maid, who had just brought her the tea and toast which composed her first breakfast. Nise was seated there dnnkmg her own milk and casting covetous eyes at her aUowed to drink, though she was very fond of it ' Is It true, F^icie,' Femande inquired, ' that t , Raima fc!!,S"/i'l','^??.'«T^ The laundress told >rtSat Bagn had half killed his wife." Ik l^^.l"'*.*™^" '^ '•■*''= "», madame,' replied the maid, «^ th. i^n. * ,sS" ^t^-^ "»gg«rated. for I saw Josine PM» the house a httle while ago, and she looked no worse than she usually does," ..i;)^^*",^^ "^^ ."^ '^«° '•»« maid, as she went off. added, 'All the simie, it's pretty certain that he will end by BUing her one of these days. He teUs everybody that ho means to do so.* ' ' Silence fell again, and Femande slowly ato her toast. amidst the heavy stillness, Nise, letting her thoughts escnpd her unawares, began to hum in an undertone: ' Racn isn't Joame s real husband ; her husband is Monsieur Luc, Monsieur Luc, Monsieur Luc I ' "~»"i At this her mother raised her eyes in stupefaction, and »78 WOXX Mmmo an innooMt air. ' Oh. for nothing I I don't taJw • •^WM Wwh^n'L"/^"' '"^n- '"'<''J'«Jyfe" enlightened! Bn/ikfi^^^'/'.'?' "^««^ Nanet who had told her ^\^%r^?:^^ "' ^^e "8«^ «»Wed andTunWied M oSnK o^e' tof ^ «,^},'*^ .»nd Louise Maz&ir^ • niTi 1? "T'\-"'* ™Ji "o she persisted in her falaabnniJ • Feveiishly desirous of ascertaining the truth hor m»»,» Luc ? ■ '"''' ^°" *•"" •^°^«'''' «*• »"«»«id w«i Mondenr ' Yes, mamma.' wall, he My. he CSbT^ '" ^°»^'-^ know»_ question. t^hS.K^'^'b!?* *""»«' P?* any farther hitherto ai8Sly^?.NL.rt jS?i! «°f'>»i'y,'hioh ehelad ^^ch'^.SSSS'i""^""^^^^ she dreamt of rtMoKh.^- '"^ ^ ^ » confused Way would be her Tiotorv if iiho ««.,ij^^ / . " 8™>t, then, hated masted of L7crMferieL°^ ^ BuppreesinB the life of luxury and pleaBwer -ri- «?^ ^}^?, ^J"^*^^ her tion would^ kiUed ^"^ W?th S '""*^' *« *"»P**i- •knnkard, fuU of jeal",^ uid S .T, *Jf J°- If «*?"' * expected. It would doubtleTsXce t„ ff ^'u'^."'-*''* ^ him to draw his knifn Rn?!^ • "»?«™e him, to prompt this aboT^h^^^'she to «t ?• "^r- ^^ "" "'•^'o briiJg denUy to warn bT^ toM^^jL 2^^' P«'P«f,«'°"e was evi- man whom he hK™ S^^^^J?* '"*^,"'« ""^ of the P"t. Then, howeyT^c^l diffiiTtr '.?' *"» '"°°«" w«p him, where, ani' bTwhom ? A?fi«t T !?" "*.• *° «ndmg him an anonymoLt^.U^atatWou^' ago WOJiK lught came and ^'Ht to td 8^« h'^ " °^ ' ^"^ that there waa nobodVXm .hTL i5 ^^ .P*™ oonyinoed this desira tehniw?ir^- ^*"°"« favoured her in early hXine ihe a nurse he was weU ^ZinM "S!!"' '"* "J-ose slrill »s came a moment of toexZ,^hl« ^^ »^ence feU. There ui.hoped.for relief, a glow o/w -Sflf^-; t^V" '"""'^-i shoulder-blade and h^ Twerv^^^^* ""^^ ^ ""'<* *he «mply gashing the flesh ATThf**^"" '^*»1 "8™. but a frightful one! and it stmed a, ff S^L*""" *^ woSnd was in which event oompKL X^f ^"^ "'l''* >« •'"ken. were no immediate daSgwCv^i .Z'™" ^ '*'*" be a long time coming YntTP^^"?* '""^ »* »U events death h^ been^v^ | ^'^ ^"^ '"'^"^ ^ ^e thought Srt the te hef^p^r *^;rni"S'v ^ 'f^*^ '^"^ '» know of it ? • he askid ^ "' «°<^ Jordan, does he .ou- ^^•-^^end.tAtj^J'Jgi.Butl^^^^^^^ itwaj JoflinTwho ent^"' a!!?°'°°P?'"^- ^n^ this time she had hastened to t)^'.™* *?.» fi"' news of the crime That which she had fel^ "Pot, distracted, wild with S ^ surprised :n5 reS "^ ^Kd ^^ri"^ Luc, her husband, the father o7h^Siidl?T, ^ ^'^ there was nothing more forher tfh^Sr i- °" ^^ "" over, in her real home. *° '"^*' *« would die there to me I ■ ' saspea. " is you— you have come back Then, as she, staggerin, forward, sank down beside him, WORK •83 once more-thoy who were alH»dy for ever UnkedWK it i8^''o'v6;-^wr.,T* ''"'' *» y""- ^"<^' "he said, -and no^l Pto^hir ciLfthTf ptresv'i . ^J"* .*'' »' once he remembered Scenretla wr^A «,«- k. ^'^i "•"u"*', '^* manifested in bomidless affS in . gift of her whole life, touched him like m wt of ^he ?nf JLt moBtdevot^LS'.i:^,Jo'?^en°r "^ ""«" '"'«"' co.£|:i^^a:fr^;s^^^^^^ .rhS ^Jlfa^^lf^- "TKoetT^rSf^r.1 284 WORK ever th.lle ^oZuTJ^)"^, .I-uo promi«d. hT only turned soft glances nmn^=' T*" "<> "><>». bnt of his bed. °° ""^ "S"'. 'he other on the left would arise. As the two wI2n mn^Jf'"" '>«» W-'^pb the injured man ODeaed hir«l T"*^ ?eatly around hW Then he fell .^e "^mln^urinr « «=«"- was indeed thon|ht odte nltoVTl * " ^""^ ''«^de. It of the child 1 And W *^' ^'°' "»■ l-" "ot the father inany tears the S to BveVlS'T^. »' ««» ««' S the gendarmes ^4atcK>CL°fo^rr^,^f rvoxjc »™wis of • m J, half dero^ h,^' P^""* MouoWm, the T'^^ the body of Cn^nZT ,'"'"«^„tJ>«t they oonU f-BoIoble, th.'t "terTthf def ;£t°'^r'' * "'"'■ '^^^ «n»med ocowred to nobody ""' **'« "<" legally ?^'"^»*" « ftht fehr'^^f- "-*»' No«« Indeed, a few d»v7l»£. *k i .^°' answer for Luo- «nS^ Utoe88,mhertnm«X^ VK-SSri-" """"gho"* hi- to a vigoroua boy. named h, Ws na™T^-^- *« «"« ^Irth weeks which followed Lnn^ftil^." Bihue. DurinR the •na-chair.nearS;-, M ?h^'r ^?^' «»ted S « worn with sunshine ; on toi tl,! !?''y 8P™>gtide filled the boaoh of lovely «mm whSl *£ i^*"* "»» »l'n'y« a fresh ««*«•. like a pree^I^tionX^tS Wuk '•«'?«l't ^Wto wa« wont to sa^r. Between t^ri?' t^""' »ndT)eanty, as he P«ed by little ^HilS?e whom w"''^™' ""» «»dK oocu? greater strength Td ho? than jW l?^ ?'™^- ^et now flowered from their TesiTthrtf '"^ P^^loosly known Lnc constantly rewated «n^-i!* .f*"°° °' *•»» eUld. S ft.tnreinwhiohhrE;dS,A ^^^^ ?'*°'' '<" *he set to work once more hf w.S^Z?*'.*^® *™* '^I'en he might would found the STof jusT?™ «n^ "' ***' .""nvinced thatTe aWre he had lov^^tt ,oT^^„Tn' T"*!? •'°''«« «d w founded without a child A^T° *^? •"''«• Nothing broadenmgandthenropaTatonoflii f.. living work, thf morrow will duly fSllowttv ThL*'''' !'5,"™°<'« 'bat to- bnngs life, alone works for huSmhHLr'"^ couple alone begin ber n"41lfe bytt^ofTucT ""S' '"«■ ""e to arms, exclaiming: 'Ah I wu a,^^- ' ''« """sbt her in his ^me also 1 A^d now we we neS f°'"'I '"^ "bil'lls more from fate I • *" perfected, and fear nothing *86 WOXX Am non m Luo wm able to mam* Um mukSMDMit o( •J *"'"' ™ fiynipathy which h»d gone ont to hun on til udM fa«lp«d him to aeoomplish prodigies. MoreoTer, it wm not only the baptism of blood which bronght abont the auoocM of L» Ortcherie, > inooeM which now ever insraMed oonUnuously and invincibly. There wm also a laoky die' oovenr : the mme once mora became a lonroe of great wealth, for they feU at but upon conaiderable lodes of excellent ore, thus ^ving that Morfain had been right. From that time forward iron and steel were turned out of such excellent qnality, and at such a low cost, that the Abyss wm even threatened In Its manufacture of snperfinA articles. AU competition became mipossible. And then there wm also the effect of the great democratic movement which now tended on all sides to an mcrcMe in the means of communication, to an endless extension of railway lines, and to the erection of bridges, buildings, whole cities indeed, in which iron and steel were employed to a prodigious and ever larger and larger extent SmM the days of the first Vulcana who had smelted ore in a pit for the purpose of forging weapons to defend themselves and conquer dominion over beings and things, the employ- ment of iron had been steadily spreading, and when its con- quest by science should be perfect, when it would be possible to work It for next to nothing and adapt it to aU usages, iron Itself would be.ime a source of justice and peace. That however, which more particularly brought about the prosperity and triumph of La Or«cherie wm its improved management^ mto which there entered increase of truth, equity, and solidarity. Its success had been certain from the day when It had been founded on the provisional system of an Msociation between capital, hibour, and inteffigence ; and the difficult days through which it had passed, the obstacles of all kinds the various crises which had been deemed deadly, were simply so many mevitable jolts upon the road during the firet trymg days of the advance, when it is necessary that one should brace oneself for resistance if one desires to attain one's goal. All this was now clearly manifest ; the enterprise had ever been full of life, laden with sap whence the harvests of the future would spring. The works were now like a practical lesson, a decisive experiment which would gradually convince everybody. How was it possible to deny the strength of that Msociation of capital, Ikbour, and intelligence when the profits became WOXJC 187 l^!!!^'*' to yew. Md th« workmen of I* Crtoherin Its muMuiM, it, oon^h»llBjSm^r.ni ;?"""■ J., Ji"!i-^*, «'5«"^"»a7 ewmple which La Creoherie dav f88 WORK Muningi, th* iaortM* of eomfort ; and b«w bniUiagi ttom (» all lidM, tontiniially adding thamtalvM to thoM wUeh had bean flnt mMtad. In thna yaan tha popaUtion waa doubled, and the pace of the progreu waa ineraaaed till it became one of inondible rapiditr. Thii waa the dreamt^ oitT, the dty of reorganited work, reatored to ita itatoi of aoUlitT, the oity of happineai at lait oonquared, ipiinaing natnrally from the soil aroond the worki, whieh likewiae grew and iptead, becoming, aa it were, a mettopolii, a eentiml heart, the aoorce of life, diapen^jig and regulating iodal exiitenee. The workihopa, the great halU became larger and larger until thev ooverea aorei of ground, whilit the little bright, gar dwelUng-houies, standing amidst the greeneir of their gardens, multiplied incessantly even as the number of workers increased. And this overflowing wave of new build- ings advanced towards the Abyss, which it threatened to destroy and submerge. At first, between the two establish- ments there had beui a great bare space made up of all the uncultivated land which Jordan owned below the ridge of the Bleuse Mountains. Now, beyond the few houses first built Bear La Orteherie, there had come others and ever others, lines of honses invading everything like a rising tide, which only some two or three hundred yards sewmSed from the Abyss. And whenever the waves might advance against it, would it not be covered, carried away, to be replaced by a trinut>hant florescence of health and joyf Even Old Beandair was threatened, for one part of the new city was marching thither, and would sweep off that black and evil- smelling den of ttie old-time workers, that nest of pain and pestilence, where the wage-system lay at ita last gasp under the crumbling ceilings of the hovels. One avenmg, when Luc stood gazing at his new city, which he could already ijictare covenng the whole estuary of the Brias gorges, Bonnaire brought Babette, Bourron's wife, to him. Said she, with her everlasting expression of good humour, ■ It's like this, Monsieur Luo. My man would very much like to come back to work at La Cr&iherie. Only he wasn't bold enough to come and speak to yon himself, for be remembers that he took himself off in a very wrong fashion. Bo I've come for him.' Then Bonnaire added : ' One ought to forgive Bonrron. That wretched Bagu led him astray. There's no malice in Bonrron ; he's only weak, and perhaps we can still save him." woxx 389 ouiy then »re X '^"'''''? "■*' »™ eMnotreeietl Bo„n^-iii 2 "» ,™veller« whom thev . mediocre wXTi1"ih.^«B^n?'^ had become the recruit WM roch» -*X one th^i£^"°"' '"""^«'' paddlerwaenotdiepoiie. ^KL tt^'ttS™" •""*-• np W^ mtd .riLt''"^^iJS?5H^'''ni«'' ^' ^ wt of «Xi'«„n^:^lL\Y±''\T'''' " ^^ anything good ontofhto!: '* '^ *'" "•»« «•' n,J. f^* J?""'.?'. joyful manner he added- 'This will LrCrl2rir.*'SH'' J""""'' ''°"»« added to the ohlrs V™fw ^^ ''"* ■''" 'nsredulous! Do you wmemK You were anxwus ,«, to the result of the expe^rimS™and ii t90 WORK •bi. to touch th.^u ,iu, sstTflZi^' tS: :?«°s^ "* of CouSmT ' *""• "^ ^ '''" ' y«* •" "y '«^tioa good-natured. .U hand. ,^™ BtreSUtowiri, £to ''JK^ i" with flowers around them AfU^alll. '°>'*'."'7 J"*"™ knew'Ba,wril"w?BSSS''b^n'^f Lno 'aughtag. for he way perhapTSan manTofS ^?^t'*^"*' ^"^ *° • »>•"«' don'tVour diildren^^y Be ^i^l '»'«"'*.: •"'' « *e member that theTutuTs beno^f^ t?** ^'"'"""' ""-^ "■ town is growing, always ^/g"?^ '*''"'8" ♦» «•' ^^ our whi2h'°io^'L%sthenour/t?i^'"^ ^ ««' •«»«- coloured faience showed so^S i^*^^; !f/ht'ofT>. "°ff- °' Beauolair and the Abyss "* °° '^* "^« »' OW hi^d'yr^hS \t «'l"woJr'^"{'' '" Crioherie alone fVOJtX ■ranted, niMgre oroM. t„ Ji 7"Y »P«t»ol« with ita noor to oM.fk«hioMd methodT^??!,. '"^";'*''»»«dlM™no. bond between th. vilC^S ttfwSr'"!^^^?''' ■^'^W* whidi for M many Tewi had M.m!S • P*" ^A"'' meohanio, •Ton and rteelto order tt*t «?« i j ^* *'"'" supplyini, Mtte other hand ITJm lo^K^f^l"^' ^ C°'"'^"«- Crfoherie. At aU eventa „nf„„ "•'e.tlinven without La would spring. And ^hat ! J^P^' ".immunity of to Wr^ eented bythatn^n !.„ ".^racalotts spectacle was nr7 J>th crops I Amidst £e o.h« sS^'ll'"' " »»«'flowed disunion and inoomoetenM T /.^^^ °^ '»»<' stricken by • liWe sea of nTCT^'whfch^'^"*'/''™''' " "^«™ pWedatfiretwith etapZwon Jd .)7^°''I*«^°° ^''^^' dryness, such rterility^esSv j''*" ''''' ^n'T- Such abmii^ce to-day r^r^ttt^tJ".?"** "«°-" «d folk of Le. coml^ttes.' Keighb^^^ "viut^^ral^: agt WOXK making inqmnee, and showing a desiie to join the movement « was said that the mayors of Fleviranges, Lignerolles, and Bonneheax were drawing up articles of association and col- leotmg signatures. Thus the Httle green sea would soon grow, iom other seas, and spread its waves of greenery afar nntil the whole eioanse of La Eoumagne would form but one sole domam, one sole pacific ocean of com, vast enoush to nourish the whole of a happy people. For pleasure's sake, Luo often took long walks through Uiose fertile fields, and he occasionally met Feuillat, Bowehn's farmer, who likewise stroUed about, with his hands m his pockets, whilst contemplating in his silent enigmatioal ''*X ^?^°, °' ""^ ^°* ""P' ''!''«•' sprang from that weu-tilled land. Luc knew what a large part FeuSlat had had in promptmg Lenfant and Yvonnot to take the initiative, and he was aware that the farmer still advised them nowadays. Ihus the young man remained fuU of surprise at seeing in what a lamentable condition the other left the land which he himsdf farmed-the land belonging to La Guerdaohe, whose sorry fields looked like an uncultivated desert beside the rich domam of Les Gombettes. One morning, as Luc and Feuillat were chatting whilst they sauntered along the road which separated the two Mtates, the former could not help remarking: 'I sav Femllat, don't you feel ashamed at keepmg your land ui such poor condition, when over the way your neighbours' land IS so admirably cultivated ? Surely your own interest ought to urge you to active and intelligent work, such as I know you to be quite capable of." At first the farmer simply smiled; then he fearlessly spoke out: 'Oh, Monsieur Luc! shame is far too fine a mmtiment for such poor devils as we are. As for my interest. It IS just to get a hvmg, and no more, out of this land which does not belong to me. That's what I do ; I cultivate it just sufficiently to procure bread. I should simply be a dupe if I were to work it properly, manure it and improve it ; for all that would only enrich Monsieur Boisgelin, who each time my lease expires is free to turn me out of doors. No, no I To make a field a good field it ought to belong to oneself, better still to everybody.' Then he began to jeer at the folk who shouted to the peasants : ' Love the land I Love the land I ' No doubt he was vnlhng to love it: but aU the same he wished to be WORK »93 -«» a.d fructify the sou i„ oX'^n^rse rhe'^o^n:?^ Again did Feuillat break into a -"-.nf !.„„», mi ,. contented himself with aavino • • s^™~I ■^•*''- ^''®° '"^ impressed by the great guet'Tirui^ei^s" h'^'S^ »94 WORK qmvering, ovar that aea of com. If he felt lo itioiu ana competent at La Crtoherie, it was beoauee he now had hii granary and wag assured of bread, through having added a oommnnity of peasants to his community of indnitrial workers. And the delight he experienced when he saw hia mty marching on, its waves of houses ever "idvandng to the conquest of the Abyss and Old Beauola' was no greater thm that which he felt when he came view the fertile fields of Les Combettes, which on their side were likewise marching on, stretching into the neighbouring fields, and gradually spreading out into an ocean of crops which would cover La Boumagne from ore to the other end. Here as there tue effort was identical; the same civilisation was coming— mankind was marching towards troth, justice, peace, and happiness. The first effect of La Crfioherie'g success was to make the petty fectones of the region understand the advantage they would reap by foUowing its example and combining with it. Jhe Chodorge works— nail works which purchased all their raw material from their powerful neighbours— were the first to come to a decision, aUowing themselves to be absorbed by Lia Cr«ohene in the interest of both sides. Then the Hauser works, which after manufacturing sabres had made scythes and sickles their specialty, likewise joined the association, forming as it were a natural adjunct of the great forge. Borne dilBculties arose with another establishment, that of Mirande & Co., who built agricultural machinery, for one of the two partners was a reactionist, and fought against all novelties. But the position of the firm became so criUcal that, fearmg a catastrophe, he withdrew from it, and the other partner hastened to save his works by merging them into those of La Creohene. AU the establishments thus drawn into the movement of association and soUdarity accepted the same statutes— a division of profits based upon an alliance between capital, work, and mtelligenee. They ended by constituting one sole famUy made up of various groups, evM ready to welcome fresh adherents, and in this wise capable of spreadmg indefimtely. And in this there was a re-oastinir of society, which reconstituted itself on the bads of a new organisation of work, tending to the freedom and happiness of mankind. '"' Beandair was astonished and disconcerted, and its anxiety soon reached a climax. What I would La Creohene grow WORK 195 jnthout oMsation, absorb every littie factory it might meet, tbia one, that one, and then that other? And would the town itself and the immense plain beside it be swaUowed up and bMome the dependencies, the domain, the very flesh o1 JjaCraohene? Men's hearts were disturbed, and their brains began to wonder in what direction might lie the true interest 01 one and aU, and the possibiUty of fortune. The perplexity 01 the petty traders, particularly the usual household pur- veyors, increased and increased as day by day their takmeg dimraished. It became a question whether they would not be soon obUged to put up their shutters. The sensation was general when people learnt that Caffiaux, the grocer and u* '"'.°»° <»™» to »n arrangement with La Cr«cherie by which his estabUshment would be turned into a simple dMi, a kmd of branch of the factory's general stores. Caffiaux had long been regarded as the hireUng of the Abyss, more or less a spy, one who poisoned the worker with alcohol and then sold his secrets to his masters, for taverns are the strongest piUars of the wage-system. At aU events the man was a suspicious character, one who ever watched to see which side would prove victorious, and who was always prepared to commit some act of treachery, readUy turning his coat with the ease of one who is by no means partial to nms the circumstance that he had so jauntily set himself on the side of La CrScherie greatly increased the r, ixiety of tiis neighbours, who, for their own parts, wished to take np the most profitable position as soon as possible. A pro- nounced movement of adherence to the association then set m, and was destined to proceed more and more rapidly, ^eautiful Madame Mitaino, the bakeress, had not waited for Oaffiaui's conversion to express approval of the develop- ments at La CrScherie, and she was quite disposed to enter the association, though her establishment remained prosperous, thanks to the reputation for beauty and kindliness which she had imparted to it. Butcher Dacheux alone persevered m obstmate resistance, fuu of fury at the downfall of all his cherished notions. He declared that rather than yield to the ourrent he would prefer to die amongst bis last quarters of beef on the day when he should no longer find a bourgeoU disposed to buy them at their proper price. And it seemed mdeed as if this would come to pags, for his customers were gradually deserting him, and such were his fits of wrath 296 WOXK that assuredly he was threatened with some sudden stroke of apoplexy. One day Daoheux betook himself to Laboque's establish- ment, whither he had begged Madame Mitaine also to repair. It was a question, said he, of seeing to the moral and wm- mercial interests of the whole distnot. A rumour was cur- rent that the Laboques, in order to avoid bankruptoy, were on the pomt of making peace with Luo and joinmg La Crdchene, m such a wsy as to become mere depositiuies of Its goods. Since the works had been directly exohanginR theur iron and steel, their tools and machinery for the bread of Les Combettes and the other syndicated viUages, the Laboqnes had lost their best customers, the peasani^ of the envuwns, without counting the housewives and even the bovrpeoisa of Beanclair, who efiected great savings by making their purchases at the stores of La Cr«cherie, which Ijuo by a happy inspiration had ended by throwing open to everybody. This meant the death of trSde, such as Uhad Jntherto been understood, such as it was personified by the middleman who mtervened between producer and consmner. If^^^i''* "°^5 °l '■>• ""d Ji^ng I'te a parasite on the needs of others. And tins amidst their deserted bazaar the Laboqnes poured forth their lamentations. ..t ZwA ?*<=*'«»» "?^ed. the woman, dark iiid scraggy, Murage to knit herself some stockings; whUst the man, with the eyes and the snout of a ferret, came and went like SoTOMd" oo^"' "** pigeon-holes full of unsold, dust- . V ' ^i'^ '''ft I hear ? • cried the butcher, flushing purple. «^*'^'%'T*^ *""i°'.' I'»Hm. so pople say, yoS W^on the point of surrendering I j-o thinfof it I ^You who Ct that disastrous lawsuit, you who swore that you'd kiU the »«t vin* 1? '* '• "^""^'^ r ' y°" y°" "^ ' Would yoo now set yonreelf agamst us, then, and add to the disaster ? ' BntLaboque, whose hopes were aU shattered, burst into hl^L. V" ?°''o enough worry; just leave me in psace,' he answered. ' As for that idiotic lawsuit, you all urged me !^iL„ »°°''7°" ^'"'' spend enough money with me to enable me to mate my monthly payments. So you need not come taunting me about saving my skin.' And pointing to his dusty goods he went on: 'My skin's thereVand ^ I don t come to an arrangement the bailiffs will be here neit rvox/r »97 Wedneatlay. Yes, ifg quite true, since you want me to say it- yes, Im negotiating with La Crfioherie, I've come to an understajiding with them, and I ahaU sign the Tpen to" eiluLJeT "'^ hesitating, but I'm bei^ wom^^ond Blm^f ■S!?'',°P°? X"}^' "'•''"' D'ohe". qaite thunder- ThSn in^ ahnost diokmg, was only able to stammer oaths. «r„^Jf 5" ^«?!?^r' Laboque, huddled up behind her ^^'•^T^ '°'*H^" P'.^°' '" » l"' and*^ monotonous m m,;«l.T^ m"" u"'''^ ^ ^'"^' "^ ^^^' '0 l"*™ taken so much trouble when we first started in business and went !n }S! -.ff^T^S^f ' ^T. "^^^K" '« ''"»8« ' And then too. all the efforts that we had to make here ii order to open this ^^An w . *J^T •' '™'" y"" '° y^« ' We were rewarded. ?°,„^^. •• *^«.'"^'°ess prospered, and we dreamt of baying «. 'Muse right m the country and of retiring to it and UVinI ra our income. But now eveiything is orumbUng away! Beauol^has gone mad, though i can't yet miderstid^j! ^JJ^^' r*"^'' ^"'^ Daeheux; 'why, because the BeTOlution has come, and the bourgeoi, Je cowarda and don t even dare to defend themselves" For my part, if I'm Sle^«.r^ii!i '^o -y ■-•- - -'-i ^ »»>» w„n^te\*™'i«-'^ ^'' shoulders. 'A lot of use that Tf h oi I, ^* t"''""*^- . ' ^''« '" ^'^y "'U 'ten folk are with one. but when a man feels that to-morrow hewiU be left qmto alone, the best is to go where the others are going, how- uTeU OToughT^ *""^^ °°* *" ^° ^- Caffiaux understood ' Ah I that filthy Caffiaux I • shouted the butoher, fuU of fury once more. « There's a traitor for you-a mac wholells him a hundred thousand francs to desert us.' -t.^.. f "ndred thousand francs,' repeated the ironmonger, whose eyes glowed, although he feigned ironical scepticifm R„rJ? ^^ h^ ?^t^ ^t*"? '° '"«• I'** 'al'e them St once SI '* «. "'"Pii*" >>« obstmate, and the sensible course is always to side with the stronger.' ' How awful ! how awful I ' resumed Uadame Laboque in ^nL!r°^ T-"*- y^^ ^°''^ '" '=«rtainl, being turned upside down ; it is coming to an end." •>""<"• Beautiful Madame Mitaine, who was just then entering •9< WOSK was averysendble (rirLlSJe^v »«Sv'''^ .?"'»"•• *bo foarteenthbirtM«^stUDU;edi^tS^5.S^v!^ P""*^ »"" thaXinfeatod the iifii ffi ^^ Wht''o;i"^!ier°'-'='?- "ojioTB wue. 'Uea elnui nn »— » . ', """^wi sue quarrel because he liM^fn^Si *'?'' °.°''' •>"* we shan't These youM i^oVSlt^^^ ''"° *^« ***''»'» '•Uing. from o4Z &e bS SS" "S '^*^ '^ ^««'°' be here. AU I iS ^mv ?«^l^*l ,™ ''* *»" »° longer he does.- *" ^ "* of n>7 Evanste u to love me well, and &t b.d'^m*:?»etJ^ooftr**°° *»■"-''»"• -'-"e it might be faSv^L™!^ w "*^T''*''«i"«"dMthat manSf B^uoU5o^h?^t^'lTr"'.T ""*.' '^ *^^ did not as yetbeS I, th^^ full freedom of action. She she relied ^n feg1t'^LT^rXt'l^so'±^%h' IS to say, when shn mmht »„„i 'VK"! "? 8° Pleased, that way SrdSU "'.X^ltt t ^' ^"' ^T^M- ^y to-night.' .as 1 can t do otherwise, I shaU sign 399 SSil^if M'iS"!""* *» ^°°' behind hi^went offTS^ blow HiUhr^v.'" *° '*.°^^«' ''y """her uid greater on ^^t t„ T""^"? ° ^^ C'«oheriH had reaotSy Mpi^w^k^ ^n't^S-"'' ^"^'^ "' » partnership between ^Stth^^L^rJ^^^H^'^' '^^'^e^ which the profits Md m time even the clockmrkers and the jeweUera Til 1M« 300 tVOJRX would «om. dayjota ihZ f^^\^ *?"""<"» "nk wWoh "ooial reorganisitiM whiS tlw**""" HJ ' ■"»' "y*""" of future community. '""'^ P""" ">« o"' «3e of the i-i°&JlmA°L:n''Zi"? ^ °'«'''»- ^y • man oF Gourier'a intdl^ ?h?,. .{, ^'^ ««"»ted from that it must have be«n .„„ . / ."'^ f^""*! 0P""0n wag Prefect Chrtllarrwh^e^Ctl*'" '^^ '"/y~ ""y 8n»>- baokground and Sy^^J^T^^A """"^ ""? """^ « "»• «^uchur grad„aSfy'^:l,XL:d''itsT ^h'^'iSflf''''''^ oorrect one, for the mattAr j,.j i. /;?•,*"*"'■<• *;««n*r, when the mawr !^d ?h« f ""/"?* »' » «'"« tether. Evcrythine is itoinatLZ . '"* *°^ <>' <»>' and the BevoTutiinSs aSCT^t*" ''°''» '" P""' remains of the old. rotting r?^ni * •T^P.^'^'y "tatever ^Ai^STffl.-K^'-^ 'Are you. your. trouble alSut my'paZ°a'e^^t°I a"m ' , ''° ^"'""""O'" *i» little as poaaible in tfi« »!'„ * l""- °'*^" '"""Kb to do as •m alwayHf preiLl^'tKmf'"^"''*"^'' *°V «nd1 whoever they m^aTbr^li\Sl\°P'°T "" ""^ ^^Periota. fVO/lJC 301 301 ih»t airecHon, norgkniwd l»bour would end by iwMDi]» ih. old Wquitoos bourgeoise society »w.y. AihhUa^'^ lute iMotivity there had sprung up a Kenuine AMrSiZ/t though m public he carefully klpt this rZSedTSSS«th a demeanour of diplomatic reeervef <»"''""«> breath ' all' thii "^rV""' dear Gourier,' he concluded with a UuRb aU this wont prevent me from declarinir myself 0B.S1. h»^,jo. m . a«i ,< ,.0..,. iwn „ ,i2'Ct.7u been absolute master. Beneath his heavy exterior how*™, that he would nsk nothing by the change, but7on CmSt ">8. *na thus he at last set to work. ^ """*' The whole bourgeoisie of Beauolair was ■(>iinfl»n.«.i t^ putations caUed upon Judge Gaume to C hfrnln w "*" unwUhngnes, to go to the mayor with r^p^esenS^Ch ^'" WORK horn., hid, wllh «o^^ih^^°"'*:»%htftoioK, proprietor, beoomiMMrteS, .t ll.^'''"' u*?! P'^»« "d »J^«.g. feeling tSt?t^°SUt J^J ^"!1 ''"^ ""^ *«• •tronger, wd thin vtub^it? K ** '"' **>• •"? of the ?««7. one day elo,^,Xr to w'"t^ ""• O'*^"?' ^jarmed and reduced to idteS^ sBTf-h.-.'^^' *P*^. "lu. fcllow.town^'^"^;t';^«^^«>d«^ddenlyo^ jwge hinuelf on thei Sde A. ^''L*^/?' *•»• J«dge to had not broken oBMt'te,tn^^€^^ theoaptai? ttey exchanged MlnteTwwi^^ '"* *"• father-m-laT bfing entruetod wito Uie ddf«u »?' ?°**-r -^"^onlinglyToi; •nd two long hour? ehips^W„ir».f ' wnwnonioM faehlon. WW then learnt thatSTh^^ ? v **"« <>"* * awUnrit .vasive repCfrom his fa^.^iS'L^i? tft,*t "^^e woonciled with hie ^fo of I? , «' ''°* *•** ^» h»d become to the oo,«n9,l''^f^, ^ *« '""^wing day d.e reS feauolair waa stDoefiad h,»,i. jV ^Mgreae again. AU dalona barinesef^^^e ifl^''«±r™^' '" • ^wyaciT laughter. ■ "o we aflair ended in a great outitaSot ^rJa^'J^^^of^telj .uccee^ied in drawing <^oe, without g^rSe^ t*t™*f!5' "'•\'^' P^^bf whatever. Ab a ruleTe JX we^o^ '""' "' "^"io^ made his way to the Boalin^Zu °°* ,•^'7 morning and »Yf°ne. whe™ he walked uT^dfe""*"' '.^"f- "J^^^ed with hjs head bent and his'^h™! d« J? L^°TJ «^"w. stooped as if beneath some fin^ „„,i 'P*"^ ^^^ bim. He by tha failorc of hiTwhde hfe^tS« if ^''*' ?" l' ''"Sbed down good which he had fo^d he cou^^' or^ ^,^i "Jf". or the raised h.8 eyes for a momM,t ar^J °°L\, ^^ '^«"«ver he to be looking and waiting for wm^^n^^K-T*/!.*'* ^^'^'^ .'r'i"^P«/obance he would nlvTZ^KZ^"^ ^^ °°' """e. *be Boulevard de Ma«molles thf m Now one morning, on •«1^ to go to mass Sed' suLw *"*"' ^'"» ^'^^ tbe .nd«e in order to -^ ^'t^ZZ^l^^^^ n^ojtJT Sttlfj^' ^ ^ '^•^ would U^ u>^ , j;^ •nj^thlSr';.^^'''"^ -^« do yoa U.i„kol «>• dirtiT Swf .S^J:!^Ck1 '2f • -"^^"t 8"^ into J»« •load „ thouS' ffi™''i^^'^"*°» "vJSr. u^J? world wJl well last another twen t, . *'*3 "'"aed ; ' the ««f, the ve?Sthi?r^n,-rT"^»"' wSwnied: 'Ahl t>tm OS talldng of ,^S^. '***" " Je'. »nd when afae monung till wrenL. ,heTd,^;" "e naturally do faJm deapur «he simply tnT, mpn/^^r'"^'- WhuTw 'WtohedgirLwhyfron won't wf " ^ ""^ *<> ^<"' "You like « goat, and ^'swersT- OM I d^?'' ' 'i^" J"™-'' »l~u° •bit; iBhall leall the mentii" °S\°^'^ tl">t-no, not IS. ^- ^'. ItbougTX 'doea^^- J^^on« fortune m ten vearT Thf^i: c"? '^«» *bat he had m^l delightWlifeVS of wh?I J' ViT ^ le^C tt^ youth, „d that his felt-'t£hYn™ '^'"* '^'*^y ^ ^ ^ -«b, ^rhap, ,e 00.^^ r.^^ ^^-^ '^at ^^- 304 WORK b.^PP,:e.«d. In that case thVm.V«^l*:nr:l; cmMXmeMaz«Ue;TrD^tor Novr,^V°/"'^§ H' *» brnto eoongh to teUtha oU iX » w "I" ""^ °"* ^.y been Not ill.in&dl when rfie hiS^C*' '*«.™"°°* i" »»»11. lovingly forts mlSrTearl^t^In-liri''^''*' '!!"•" •» thoae ino3de£ts of the evolution 1^;), ^f. 1. ■ '*'*•"'"•, desert thf CatS'^huXs ltviL?^'«*VM""*^.,"'""^^ nettles like the ruins of adeadS^»»t '° brambles and tion would berin Andti-th *i,T.1 system, another oivilisa- presence of Zfow wr^^^'aU'oH l^^^^^^^ very decorak-rS,-^-^- tsTrs^J^yi-^l IJFI WORK which th. whSe town L«n^ •' i"*«°"7. »>« li& of lin h« jr^uded that W. MTnVlLdin» 1 ^l* »»oly office, though which ha himMlf wnnM f, '*"*°« Jo •tornal perditioa tm » ohildiri. «l Well eS"^' %'«,?» ^' They we« WM "olely in the hope of Mt^^ti^^ i""' •*•"• »« *"'». '» from heaven. Even m the» h^^f ^?t '?""'°*' '««<="/ d'd they iarwit thSr^,^5Si-^.^?'tS ''""5 """""y- »' deriTuig Bente. from t^h"m7n u»h Anl"" *'»«»'?<»» of the •«», ia that dying loZi^Xv,^^ T fl »" »"■« n the first centuftee hid K f^ri.r'''V"'.* '•^"> ''•"ich iMtod the .pint of rennnoiS an^ 'u'?'' "' *>"». »11 •Phit which WM moVe than e«r „i>''"°''"* oMienoi-, power of the Chuwh w.slo »,! 1 Pf«>»^ nowad.™ if the ?oIc.gj»hid i??rom h'J^irS^*^- Thu. t6e»i«? rf God in Hi. merey did notV^n,Tf •''''? "nmbere^and Pfrhap,, behold the awfu? ,f?^ » ""'L '"°l ''«'"=«• ^e wonW^ cha«rfJli„g^;'^^iS^^'^^»^«'™Phe-^^ o, ",;?,• crashmg the Star of the DWnT "*' "' ""> "'T". "d kept them weUwitWahLn,Md ate f^ il«?nol]o,. H. ^"Jf^. f-ill of disdaintor^sC"!:!.^ remS. braye and that the Chnreh wu th. ™!.^ *.*^*°'''' """der the pretext he «etHermdineThe"X&/wr"'- • ^»* '^««^» »ge oyer the euccessM^ of r ^r iT °''*" *" » oontinnoM over to the reaotioSsTii. oil P*"''*"*' »°^ '"dy to go lonpr discus^Thtg " °^th hi.'T "*" ???"•>"«• ^^ ^ deoEired that he placS^his^^st iL tt^n' .'>''«"«'". but certainl, be allo^ng thefla AnLi?,-.!'* ^mmtjr, who mast objeotof nltimatelvstrS'S^™ .2' «'°n»»lw with the »nd thus makinBit Iri™! . t^*"' ^''^'"iM of religion ^rgecns Beauclair, devonrfiH k^ .•'^' *''*' Plague-spot, demned to be deste^ved .nl „f ' u^l*"™' "»« ^wn wn purified, if on ito Ste ™« £ • /l""^ ">« e"th must be «d delight, jaltici" and ^^i^f ^iT %' ""^ "' '«^* pomted to the approach of^h^*.*' ,?^*'7 symptom ...tern wa. at f« "^^'tbrdSS^^ ^X 3o6 WORK living strength^ thanm^f^^Tlu"*' bringing »U the for ^^^Tm^^iT^^.^Z^^^'^'^'t'^''^^-^' ""das nants o£ the Sd system tw' iT?"-""'' """^"^ «"" wind. The maaS%^„'^Sr'°?l^. •>« »'«P' away by the wd recognised one another. Thm it W^« "**?^' them to exchange a few worfs ^^* necessary for Wer£CeTjS?tr:S ,^oj]«- le Prudent. quite^olrA^ZXo}^' "^""^ *^«W 'It « Of of 'n^r^ittS^Hn^,^^^^^^ -» every^Tng'rfSt a^r °" "^'^ «~^ """ '^ P«*»P" «' «6i™i£'zSfc*r'BS.^iS\uS'.i""' "" '?" i^ WOKK «inoe it so greaUy - \ „ ,j ,. ^"f could no lonfer Zi^t^' P""' ,"' ""^ '»'"e"al. He Md Projectileali. e^;,,esnffM6; T? "?°?ffture of guna «»Uu'g off in orc«-3 ^n^flL'J^^"^ M been a marked more particularly scent n„ °,°*y "' ^^nce had been pe~=e^sooial%„,^X^^ ™anu^^^^^^ ">at sj^bofe tures of aU kinds in wh."h iron\n^"»''Ty'! ''"'J8««. struo- "orstwas that the ordera for nX "'*«' '"""Phed The » few establishmentsrn" XoZ^^Z' l^""^ ^^°» '° "-^y them to pay their way and if ?h« !,w '° ^''aWe aU of behmd him into conf^io^'^^ATd whenT'^' """ ^«" yonder. The suooiss of Luo" e.LriI""f«*' "^"'''J 'h«m the men employed at La CrTo wi^ ™*".' '''" "o^ evident • at tte Abyss, and yet they onWwnrH"'- ':"'"? ■" """oh »« besides, there were otC a^taJt^^ .l'^*" ''on«- And, houses, the schools whTe the cMd^' w"''^J?.^?'»»' «'«e "^ ,!° merrily, the oommon-house^h^r'^ '^'°«« "» ^«" Md the general stores, whose nri^!! I "^T,*" «^« «» fite, than those of other paces the w>.i !" Z'"' » '*'''^ 'owS heaUh and increase of comfort °'' ''°*''8 '" '"or^aae of AbyS ^f > "L^^vaU ^S^lost fi^es. The men of the demanded a rise in wages A, ?fV -^"'^ °^ ^^ Crecherie demand, many of Thfm natwaU? wyf '^'° 8™°' *b'^ Delaveau was paralysed bytttkT. °^- '^.^' ^"""y- Old not yet confesn h.m»«i« * °' * reserve fund n« »«&>:» w ti^e'r/ wo^Td'^^rhi;'' "°"'''. ^-« '"«w cmded by triumphing if he C ^.^ T T"'""' ^-'ve thonsjinjrfi^ncs^hdphim to^-ISiZ'tf*.,' few hundred he obstmatelj beheved to b^ a t^i,T!?°«'"^»''™'s. which -he to continue «ght.Wb'owXTrto°1aoe"^;i- x3 3o8 WORK ^^^\^^^7d,:^ZT'''l-^'^'^ which h, business. YetTe struSon hLwil"''''''* '=^'"«'' "^ "«' aU his inteUigen(». his TOrv W« ?I i'^^'T!' *"<"' d'^"""* he might stiir°ave the crCbL^ B^tTv' If J^' '"'P* «»* and that he might wrini? from fh.^ ■7^''''' •■' snpported, the revenue thafhe^SSrorsed" '*^""' ««•''""*«/ to him' that'htS^oTnge'&Sot'f \r« '">» *^« ^^ hadcovenanted toexTrLt from /hft" """ ?"«'« which he became materialised iTthim^f * ""JT"?^' "°^ ^'^ ^e^ea* whenhewascoSed^torefZhir*' •"^'°° °° "■« ^"J^ on the last occaCthen ac ou^s hrif'''"^, '^"'•°"8'' posit on had nroved tn 1^.? ? bad been balanced the respect ^^^^ ^aTX\^^''t''Z'''^\'^ "o matter he was inflamed bvF.^nf'L ^ue-^aehe. In this band like an oi at th^ pto4h Z i'\''''° J"/'"^ ''^^ ^"o- tiU it bled in orfer to tocwTitl iT''"'' *«,»» Soared had the young woman .hn^ V ' »'"''' Properly. Never insatiable than now She w« ^""" ?r '"^«»*' ""»« excesses. There ^li s^metCg'^w"L*\„^' ", P*"'"" '<" thmg that suggested a Se w jl,^ ^ *"'^?*' «»"«- acquaintances flit M:dom. nL.f .,** "^Possible. Her ChAteUrd confidentiX toTd U^l Gni ■'^^*u S-b-Prefect woman would assuredlv end hv nt^L ?™*' **' '''^ ''tie of foUy. from which^l of lhBUt^*i^"°i '°°"' 8^* P>«» had contented WUwUh chr*» a heU by tmual demiids formonnv »l. ?' P??°f'"» '^ with con. into such a stete of e^' !?tf"''y, ^^^'j^eau was thrown growling at nSht wh^T^*' °?.'*?' ^"^ e™° continued wound open. Nevertheless" hfSSl. 5 mahcously kept his one side^e an iMocint ' ir^,^ f^."?^ .^*'' »* ^er upon impossible ft, sMp^°*' ""'"'«'»1»'« being whom it Sas whil°lA'ertUnLlte!^r'y'l°"-.T'>« P-'y-BHts he could feel the TOr?^™nA"«'*',^u"'.°«'»^«»"fi»<'ie^ beneath him. nt hS^nK- .* '"^^^ "P"" t««nblmg in the safe. On the even n^ Wof'*?'^/"''''"* °' "o^ payments had to be m^The^sh^f h; '1',/*' •°° j'^"'' «"« room to reflect and write anm-irf* ^u"^, "Px?" ^ P"™** «o dine at La ^^^Z^r^^^t^'^^^^^^^^ Boijgelin, in wLioh, afteTpwiv .fS fi.'^."''''.'??"'''' ^'J» he h»A at last prevailed on Wi to ^.^ h™"" P"''""". He meant to liSiit him to T^rcLVliT ^ "Psn-^iture. ye.™, and had even ad^sed hhnTsell flT'^, ^°l "«™"^ now, alone in his private Zm nil. ^^^^^^^ And slowly, every now and thpn S^' ?*',?'«»» walked about coke fire wYioh waTL'XTa'kk.'i"'„;'r^8.'^« '"8« chimney-piece. The onlv no^ihu "^ stove before the secure time: he must write to L^'Jl"' '"^""'"n W" to possibly desire to see Th" wo^k cloL^'^'S' ^^° <»»M «ot not hurry about it • he wr.^Tz\.^\ However, he did Meantime, he continued ^Ir*" \«. '«"«" aW dimier window ti the XTetr ret^^Ll^K «°*"8 ^"^ °»« could see the far.spre;din3 lam^of L^ ^i °?* '^*'»«e ta distant park and tte pa^im wL/. r <^'«'''^.«ne, even to the frosty atmosphere was^e^der^^nd t"h« T^"^' "^^^ '"'"• » sky as pure as crystal: a pde^nwi =™ was setting i„ growing town into deUcate ^r»llr ? ^'"^ bringing the pound. NeverhadDelaveau seen iff ""f-*, ^-^'^ ^'^^- to palpitate with life- ha Pm?M 1 ' °° V^irHj. It seemed branofies of the tree's and h„t'^ '^^?^ "'a "ght slender smallest detaUs of tt^ houses Zl^^l' A" 'H''^6"ish the fcjence which rendered them so tT Ther«^ ^«'=°™«°"'' of when, under the oblique ravs offll, c„.f ?f"?.^ * moment began to flame and sparwJlike hun^^^ '^,'v*'* ''•''^°ws wae Ike a trimnph, a IS ^dS ^' °^ '"'.°fi"«- « frawmg the cretonne Vurtkinsasi^eir^"'""^''^'^ """«• La l^Sirrijrciaf ;:Lt7Ss^r °' ""^'-^ of spreading out and threate^ninglhe Ab™ rfK°'-"°''V'« on. DeUveau on his side often (^iet„t^{f T-? ""/•"on, so ever growing, threatening M™ J?i.*^ * ^' "' »"^ fo™d it times of recent MMshadLwr"' ''S"'!"^''- How many on ^h occasiofhe h«S^ie?tt "Sffnf ^"^ 'tat wi„dowTt?J >ng larger and drawiw neamr *^ ^u L^^^ °^ ^0"s«s grow- from a remoteTbf of a Jea "^^ fT }^ ^"^ "^"^^ deserted land; one house had !n ''™'i'', °f uncultivated, wave, then another, T^d anothe?^T^^ ^^'^ "''« * "'tic' covered the whole spkcrbefore hem t^^ ^T ^*'«' ^^^ 3 few hundred ya^s ^^^ '^t.'^ ^T^Vr^-^ 310 tVOXAT enoe. And doubts had nw^me to hi^''°i'*"^P°°?- WORK bowed hi, head a J"t T^Lt^^^^" t^^^ ^ »' ^ remain^, deep u. angdsh B Wth^"*"" ^^ """ l"- wttle of a oarSage wm heard an^ » 5"' ™*°« '"•''"ent the W Mt "turned from ttfe"li^rrt?^^'^l°°': ^«"'»»'i«> MndjDg the servants to b^ *' ^ Guerdache. and was ar ''''° ^- •>- -ra!;;i?^rcj°j ^aS^ wit^su^'ate''^"' ''" " " ''«™' How can one live th«w ^ff tttfgntenTC ' W "^^ ^'-Pe-J and and appeared ^fl^i Z^^t± C^l'^ ^''^ ^"'^'^'l and white lace, with aras aXil? T ''• 8°^« A" but increased her e:^pe™tion bv hf. .'''?"'^«^ B°««eHn had in bending his hn^b»^S.tesfsr'°^^'^ «"«^«' tinuitits:]^ *• iCt^^ttifl-^^rSS-'^i*' «•"- fell on me as if the varv noiii„„. !t„ ? , ^"'*' "ewa other mefnf of7a?;ab^o^^^^^^^^ '^''«-' ' ' "»- is no hke you others, I won't havelJlTn-t. ^ou°°4'Ce°S WOSJC Wt'^l^rati;-'"" "' ^*^- '-'-«« yon. for'; her mother, the m^'c te^W shte?',!?? "^« "'^fi prize which her grw bw^fv w « """^ /"'*^ '° "P'ore the after sednoUon eh^ wT, ^ 1*^'"/'^ '° P«>mi«e her-for »poa that^ous ''^,^„^*Xt?^°°*''-, And follow^' deep within her h^lCZ^l' ">emory of which ahe hid «pfomi,7the icc^t^Te of th T'"^*?"' ?" ""'""Jation «d whom s/e hKk'eXl elhf ^Jnt^"""^^?''^^" ■npport, a husband whoni bJib mf„K» . . "*®^ "' "°™e had wie a luckv sTrnt^ fn! ^''- -P"' *° "=«• And (hen eu^cessof her pla^SCb-^T'^^^^^^ "' '^' Abyss, the BoisgeliB conquered La Gaerd^hnnT* ^'^ '"' *""• enjoyment at her diroosal T^«i ^^ *'*^ '"^"^7 and ijplete with all the pC^ tlr^ Jk T/! ^*.^ 1°^''^' the enjoyer. the Mr^S «!.«».<. .-"t*"^ '*'«'«. '*« appetitoa a^d the d^rfc L^T "*' "''f^uig her endless c£5dhood,"appyL Ivh/TeTr^iTr*^-''^ ^" ""^ order with her and Vn «.!•?''• ''""SWig ruin and dis- whichX to; from 8n^J^ '^'' ""^""S °^« 'te teaw that this wwnot to w Z^.L*'*"- /"? "O"' ^^ *J^ van_qmshed,intonh'^X;*J:'ft%rer« *° ''^^^' repeals "Tl^nTgf br t^o^uT"- ^« '"-^^-^ ' «>•« to which I have beenVcu^timed ! • ^'^^ ^'"^ '"'"''"g riao^dSIf'^^rrtUl r^S""*".'- ''""»8'^ "" «t«rdy great heat ofti^lre ^^*°*^ "»« '^J^' by the i^^Z^Z for' ouTeem'S mt1o'L''°"''/«' - '^ <" to-night. I ail very fonH ™,f^!. ° **, °*"'=''y reasonable to make anyZrWce to sn^r/^' *' Z°° '"°''' ""^ »m ready you will resT^y^Jae f^?Sl^;LT'"°«» Butlhope tha' mean to fight ailonTaa U,«™^f k lu^^"*" 'e'*"^ '° "^o- I fame past she had Med tTsatWy h„"'°"«i* °V»- P"' wm* Though she was unwiuLff fcT^t? O" Passion for enioTment: npon her. She ™ fnF*, ^^' "P ''«' Present Uteit^fh and her lover, ;r„otnl?r::«??r'*'^"' ^tuSuLI dered wrathfulJy whether^sheT.^.™ ' ^1 ^'^ ""^^ »<»> eager to b.te an/to destroy ^"^ ^"""^ "^ ""<='> » pagsion; any new ones I ' " ' " '^° * ?<>» who-U ever give me re8oundtrmakin«%he'Z„"T.°' »'""'«•"' hammer stiU hammer forg^Tdflieht t^^^ k'"'"'''''- I-'ng h^ a^. ,fealth she o6veted whit ih *"■'• ''' ^"^"8 '«>» stwl^, lives in order IhKo™ tl^' ^°°^ °^ '°""« ga^th^r ment For a moment sh? £ J'L'T °/^"" andSelenjoy' of Ubonr sounding St tte h^,^ '^* "^"'o^-" ««nmXn pavage hatred inoK^ she t3 "''*'"t- "^hen. with he? „^- ?»aUing to the '^^'^^.'^'X^U^X^^ «>»^ W.f„i a. I was. a p «' ^^^^^o ^n^jm^. hfr m fVOJiJf Wend I I took yon ^.n J^„ „„ •' '?"'' '! yourself, my royal poRition Jme A^d iJTtJST""'*!^.'^ » '""une, k h.ve f pt none of yo" r e^Sgeme^ir """ '* " "•»»«" '- of your engi^eLnts-nCeY' No „'°"°"? A"**"*"?' "<""» wi& me, fSr It's ^iLinulJ, ? i."""* '^"' Boisgelin than You pre; Jed Tum ^'t°usT hi'"""' '""'^ **■« A>r fellow, mised him a fabulou^ income an^ ""^l '° '"" = '"" P™" enough money leferbuyViTshoer wr° '"^» isn't capable of manaeino Y l.f™ k • °*^- ^^''^° ' "»" remains a petty cle^^l iL.P ''"""ess, my friend, hu Those sa::^errdrto'rtu^ Z^ TTLTI^'^^'- turned round and round in »,i. k if ™"* ''*^ ^^n think that he W tov^ tha^ L^' "^ «>onscienoe. To her speak of theSTma^ ., IT" u" ''^"' "^ <» hear her sidTSiere h^ JXffi " n,ST ''"«^ ^ '''"'"l' on tioni For nearly aft^n^h.Ti'^*'''""'^ """^ e^lonla- and so heroicX to te? ^hnr^n,;'\*^°l*""°8 so loyaUy and yet she acc'u^ h,m „? SZaci w aS2 T't" ^i'^^^' knowledge! He oaueht hoM ^'^S 'u " '"'' °' business hands,lSd shS.k W Mvin! i °^.'',!f "T arms with both that the soundof his o,^ ^LmftKr i?"'' ^.^^^ ^^^ you unhappy woman °^ irmSm^.^'''^'*^ «'^«'. with ;:^^rd S's°rs?Zof "Ti,^"?"! •"^"'^^ rongh gr«,p had left ro^dhtdlli^Utf.-r'*" "^'^ ''" beat me now, vou blant^n.J^ aeacate white arms. ' Tou yon beat meT'yKt^mfJ'J^' ^°" ''""« ' ' '^^ <="«<'• ' Ah I -^\7z^:^r^^zt^t^-f'^' "l^- "- <»- •nan's oountenaieewhfdi .hetno!^ T'?"'^""" « *»"" nails. Never had she hated him £f *° '««"■'« with her oai .ore. ^^^''^^onT^^t^LV^,^ ^ ■'^f^W\tm/^lB.. «►•' 1 318 WOXJC UughtMeM.per.ted Femande to »uch , pdnt that ri.- bec^e h.U It'mon.. What could .he say to Um that ♦i,.t ;„ 'u .^ ""?«'• ^° I ' So it was not thanks tTme thatron kept yoir place 1 ' oumau m me «l,n,^f/*/?.°° ^; "^ Boddenly risen to her throat. Ah I to shwit It faU m i^ dog's face, to .hout that she had neve? tears' i-'^'i-S-r^^S Delaveau did not immediately understand her TJin.« iiSC^' '"^'^« ''''° ^-^^ thetce. Sd ZZ ' What is that you say ? • n»t \1^I ^* ^'7if '^.*° Boisgelin's mistress for twelve years P».i, and mnoe there's nothing left, since all i> f.ii;/- . piews, weU, there, that's the end of it ?' ^« *" «l.n^J^T^*?™ •"*" delirious, stammering, with his teeth denohed, Delaveau rushed upon her, caught hold of W ams Aook her, and threw her intTthe ai>.ch\ir. CwoiSdZre ^hfat^'^^i^^r'^^^^ "^ that provoking naSt, which she displayed, her bare shoulder, and tare bosL, to pS her fa,m ever msultmg and torturing him again oC Ti Sh^ t^*' *""\ "^^y- ""d he Mw and divined things cltJS fi\^? ?r '°''?^ ^'^ = ^« We beside him had nevS^n aught but hypocrisy, ruse, falsehood, and betaTyS! I??m £,ijr_ Tpicfik.Tit| :^-^^^%d^^ lyoxx 3«7 !-?k 4 1 •" ""0^«n'? emerged a she-wolf, aU lombre fury |»Mi tonorant had sprung from her; she wai the perverter. ^ ^'fl ',•"• •"•!? '''"'i' """"P'^d .11 around her ; hm ^n ™J**'' "V.?*'.*' "^ treachery, whose ei^OTment had been made up of the tears and blood of others. •h. fainlS hi^*.'" •"" »''»88ling with hifi stupefaction drank^' ' '°'" workmen do when they are H,.m''n'i"^^°*u'''L''''8''""' ""«"«« ''I'ich fell between fc.? r.*""" '■^"^ "", fl^""^" "<"" of the steam, hammer, the commotion of labour which, without a nauso Mcompanied both his days and his nigC The ^Zi came to him hke a well-known voice, whose clear lansna™ wSTnntF" "'^ '^.IT'"''? °f *•>« horrible adveK Was It not Femande, with her little teeth of unchangeable h^W^ ^"^ ^:T^ "•" the wealth which yonderhammeJ ahe J«^f?l^ •"' ''.T"'* "^""S*" possessed his brain: she was the devourer, the one cause of the disaster, of the Sr,*'"^?/*T"r^' ?' *'■* -^<^yi^o.hU, approaching bank roptoy. Wtilst he had been heroically striving to klep his LTf^!' I?''""!? "'^^^^ '"'"" » ^"y- endeavouring to f^?.-S^\°'i"'i.°""°"i''8 ''""■ " '" ehe who had E^Srt-" ''". ."^"^ •Pd rotted it. She had Uved thew „t i. r* '??'"°8,?> q"i?'. "i'h her soft smiling face and J!Jl^t5*i;^"» ^ the poison, the destrucUve ageEt who had paralvsed his efforts anJannihUated his work. Yes, ruin had ever 6een present beside him, at his table, in his Knd he ^e hlnT \ ^?' had shaken everything with her little ^ehanii, and pulverised everything with her Uttle wh tl L^ G««SjS°''^^"''?'f\'''f«° "'^'^ ^'^ "*°™ed from la Gnerdache, intoxicated bv the caresses of her lover bv Z.f^5 fw w ^^ ^^ ^"J"? "°""^ ber, and, when she haj w/e™ S5* ">toxicaUon, lying by his side, whilst he, wift h^\l «rf^-n°T'/""°« ^^ ""> ^"'°'««' tortured his ^h 7^» *" ^f^f ^"^ "^s fo' saving the Abyss. f„d fw,"°i*r° ""Z"/ ^??' "' disturbing her slumW^ And this which seemed to him the supreme horror of ijL SSlldfer'" with mad fmy and mad, him K . You 318 WORK wiJ'iidtiLf' """ ""'' ■«••'•■• '•-••<'. growing both. *' ^ '""'* '""^'J »»»w Mffloed for tloii^«.l°?H?'^ k'", ™»'»™™ent, his momentary hesita- SKa'r^rn/trto'^iS^^^ began to laugh, with In insufungf Lnt^ng Wh '"whiu j™ yo^a not going to kiU me. then% Kili°CT me th^ if lying creature, amidst the smoking ruh.a^^»t oU^^i Sjst™ which he had so fooUshiy st^vTtolfe^'d ^ '^"^ With a terrible kick, he overturned the stove, and pro- -^mm^.'mmf"m'' &'f;|^.L^J,t^fJ„°'Jif,-. ever ™^.Un« .. cretonna onrtSnrw^re th« B°! / '5* '"°^'""' Then the began to bnra ThT Tii. " 1° .^»"' »''"«« ">« carpet terJ^'gaTe rin" t'^^'andte't, '"^u?^""'^ "? '° »•" •widng a passage where the fl»t^! ''"">■"« toB^ther. and She d^ted to3d« tl?. ,W *? ''"."''^ not reach them. found DelaW who" ^^-'^ i i° ' °' "" ^°°' »''« « terribU lut' The "h^s'^'n?^, her passage. He looked the one which op^n^tto l^^^t^"^ "•" ""'«' d°°'. room with the works Bu^itT^'"J^,'"7''"""""=""8"^« sih«^:s».^ii----^^^^^^^ anrf.;:?} °''* '^' ''^ """ ^<" '«» me pass, „.nrfererl ^^^h^^Xtl^l ?or^ '"'«^« "- •'•^' opening fierce dJterminat^n Wi w' «^ '"i*^ motionless, full of and tLnTnSdid'^hntWoM n?^.''" "»?'' *°*° ">" "«*. back into the^atre o/the r^J ^"u"?"i' ""^ '"^8 ^ei pwfeot bra8ierAn^L„ *!,'"• '''""? ^"^ °ow become a KKa aUW st^T-tr T"^' hobble battle. She byffi dreTof death •^KaT^^.k ''5' ^""^"^ *«nf°W )5 if ^ •■ 4ii 3» WORX A„/. ^ "' their abomiMble existence miglit be annihilated And to accomplish this he needed all tfie stMnffth of hij ^^ "^'Ji^ J.*"" "^ '«" """kin?. and^toM in the mght have escaped. At last he imprisoned her S a final savage embrace, and thevfaU together amidst the em^4 of the floormg whilst the last hangings burnt awavUk! hM\J:f ?"'""'8?' '^l bit him, he did not release her, but iSg^flSg^'b^eTj'."* ^*""^-*''- witfaV^-crfr «1W '„K *''*u* ^ Cr«cherie, as Nanet left the macbinerv »Uerjr where he was now serving his apprentioesto as m Abyss. At first he imagmed that it came from the cement h^nnST?^ ?k"* '" !'"8'"°«»'> i"creased,Z^ ^t once ft. «tw'°°li''"' *™i.^-*''? manager's house was on fire! 5.!l th^r*"*^*' '•?.^,^*'' «'«"'''' ^" te thought of Ki« S^rtv w^l"^ off wiWy and came into collision with the partv-waU, over which, in former times, they had bothcUmbed r«In S"^ ""a ""^l ^ ^ i°8«'^«'- And o/ce agai^ wUh the help of hands and feet, he somehow got over the waU and found himself in the garden, alone as yet, for no allm hSd I^M^^J^S featmre of the conflagration was that like a fire T?^^^«?*' '"*''°?' ?'y'^y ^'"^n lowing sign of Ufe htL^^^"' '»™»«'ei dosed, and the door* wS^ already It^rfii" «"'*''«« that one could neither goTnorW^ It merely seemed to Nanet that he could hear some loud ones ana a commotion like that of some h"rribTdS struggle. But at last the shutters of one of the^nd l^r win&ws were flung back violently, and thra, ^dst Sbe «nK.ke, appeared Nise, aU in white, wearing on"; hTchen^ diBtrSjTon, affi.°|'!;p'?° ' •" '^«'''-^' -«d Nanet in He had perceived a long ladder lying alongside a shed But on gomg to take it he found thS^it yX^netji inom«t of temble anguish ensued. The ladtook^p a lar^ rJIT'Ti li %M. WORK 3»i of the first floor took fire *S u ™""°8' ^"^ '1»8 whole »?d .parks that .t%e^tatornts'"NSl'P''"™K« °' """"ke Appeared from sight. Nan? .hm ^1 S u' "P.^^o^e. quite which grew wilder^ and ,Sd;r'^„^\'f ^" T"' ^,'"'«^». the Wfe'^'H^ltr^^^rie^-i ''«'''«' "ble to take managed to set i? w^t n ^L"^ afterwards how he had was lie to rear it Mder the t^„"i''"^S°'«' ^""'i bat he perceived that it was too "hort ^t^\ ^^"^ ^°^«^^r, he the discovery that his cour^^'^l'"!,'* ^'" "« ^e»pair at was, only sixteen yeara ^t^^^^-^^' ^^^^^^ ^at he JP:^'^.'^-^^^'^'^'^^^^ Itdoesn. bea^mh*ra"rdr°4trrt^'s'^H'''''°-8»™' get oat, olutohing hold oTthf 1» ^ the roof, manag^ to terror, imagining* that th*S»r''"°*-. Bat. maddened by she euddeSy lefp fato eUe and'^fen 'i^' ^"^^^ ^er^ broken, besiaie the flight o/Z,s ' ^**^' "^'b her sknU --^^^^^^i^'^f^:'^'^^ b'a beoome more out. He piotared CivL «f «%"'? ''^ "bout to jamp "d he raiS.d HSt tert&7caU -^In't' ^^^^^"^^ blo^ I'm coming I • ® *"^ • °°° ' Jnmp ; I'm coming, the MSr%S' wht'h?J^lfi,'^.* ^r^ ^«"<"' «<"«'a*d ^^tid-Sj-if S«^^^ S*«-h' spreading; the wSb, «,i;2 J 1*5,?''°" ''^^ »"« and ever Ipiite as^it s£^ Zi„r the' ^l^t ^V 'j^,^*' "^"^^ ^ I-f Hehadmanytth't^hrt^nfti,:^-^^- 332 WOSK W ^Pu*^ *•" '"^"' ^^ '»" "P- "^ •»">« down laii, . I^t l,^" S^i ■''PP?'!' "'her than stepped, down the Sdder b^» .„r?iw*^ ?'^^' ^'•' ''^ "id Bhe were covered with burns and fdl fainting in one another's arms, olasped in so Criohene, whither Soenrette, who had now been warned repaired to nurse them. ^^ warnea, Half an hour later the house feU; not a stone of it remained standing. And the worst was that tteTs Ster "jwhin^ the generri offices by way of the wooden ^e^'h^' the great hall where the puddling-fumaoes and the rolling- Sf^~17. ^ '°-'.'*^^- "^^^ *"««' '°'ks were in dZ^' ™~^ a'^ "f"^,' "'°«' °'^ buildings, almost aU *'>"l7 fwliion to the help ThXrj^'"i''"i!?'°f' T^"" •«* «"Pne and firemen. The Beauclair fire bngade, whose organisation was very defect Ab™^^ ™ "^ npaiterwaMs. Aniit was too late toivX r.T5 • '' JT """' ^^^e 'rem one to the other end of Ss soriUd workshops oyer an expanse of several acres, fTrmSg , huge brasiffl whence emergelonly the lofty ohimnUsudtte towra in which great cannon wer^ temperi^^ ' When the dawn rose after that night of disaster numerona under the hnd chilly November sky. The Beauiiir au^! '^^•/*v'''^"'*" Chitelard and Mayor GourieThad not quitted the scene of the catastrophe, ^ Ju^qJZ, was with them, as weU as his son-in-law. Captain JollivetAbM ^^i Z'^i t^' °°'y ""^^'^ "l"™ " '" light! ^dwas soon foUowed by a stream of inquisitive h]k,Zu^eJ^ shopkeepers, the MazeUes, the Laboques, the CaZ^ Sd even Dacheux a gust of terror was sweeping by; »e ^d tenl'*"' ^*^ ^T^' "-^^ 8™** anxi^ beiJg to kn^w ^TvZ Jl '»'"'«'Pl'« eo^ld possibly ha/e takin pla^ Only one witness remained, the servant-^l who had ma^sx^ Ontr^v; She related that Madame h2d return^ fr^La Gnerdache about midnight, and that immediately afto^arda *;y^<.^: ^y^- "'"'" us ronmants of his^nn.^'L, P** ^'''^ °'"^ "here the hunmer was imteUed. JordaiT^S^Z 'v* ?***""■ remained in Boita nf tko J^' '^PP~ "? » ™g, obstinately But destiny in its W seeml^^ W *^°? dolorous years, a hnrrioane. l^^oT^t^.tZ *'"»°''?'?»«d i^elf into •wept away. Xm^hUatS m^' tr'^'^* '^ '^«d. pttt&erhalV«Zu^the^s^relShtnT°«'''' f" ""> »Mrfa5^L£^fi|^« honB«Jventotht&Z'S/l3"°'"'"°«''^«" of sr^i^^AV^'^^rs-rK^^^^^ the?h\d7ertttlL'se^ttar>;!«T. ^°^ -<='' - attempted to siknK. Se"»s of ^ T" *''•'" TS pettr«:^^;'rr:Snd'"^ .t^l; - -^e »^ 3*4 WOSX last opMjy nmgiBg thenwelTei upon th«b dde. Lum ma right; there are tragic honMwhe£ae<»yingioai.HirS&ek«o THth madne.8. fling themeelves npon UiepJiT^ iKd n?w S aU those Bun, works of the Ab$«, whe^TSie Wef™Um hSh ohS,«^£,i *t frameworks of roofs, above which thf n. J^ni mominK abont eleven o'clock, when the snn at hist S^LTt^ I, • *° ^"^ 'i"?"' *'°»»«"" «•*">• passed bT Ws^al n;^ "' propeUed by a servant. He wsS making TOM starbng the works and the growmg town of La CraoheriT which lookel so bright and gavin the dry/mmshtoy ^w' And now he beheld the field of defeat. tSe m»^k3^a V^ r.1, " "'^^u"^ empty eves, aa transparent as spring no gesture ; he smiply looked, and then was wheeled mI« no^g^t him tiling whether U^^X^T^ 'mi* t-al 3*5 BOOK III Bain sad- Tuesdav^S^r^JSe n *2JL"«7B«y^.to stop the g^d be discbuged <» miul ^^^' domestics would have to h^ f ^ In the hSge hWitsflf tl^^T** ?' """""■ *-ng-wom, biUiard-room, wd sS^L^T*-"'"'^ Woil"*^ '«""^« ^ «"« -dden ..t-de tof almost nnhinged"heJL,tR.?I?'??;,'^*'' 1^ ^ind what to do lith hffl w^ZL^W.^y'-^'^io''' distress amidst the dorafaU rf 1^» ?/'*-l" ^« » '^^ i° WM at bottom a somrTdni i C. ° °' »;oyment. He they were dne to W he h^T"""'.'^' °°* convinced that in 4 We ; he taSed U^^el?rbe''r ""I H!?^**" ^"" a privileged beinjr one „f t^ fif f u ^^nt from others— b/the ifboar ^f'otSe,^l!tdt '^" '° .^l*^ """J ■""""ed Btood the catastrophe ^Jhilh^l/ ^°^- "n"^^ •"« ''•^e ™der- 3a6 WORK hadvamshXthejla ?S7°{: ' '""]"?'*. *e capital money to Uv^? He ^L^^ Tu"* """'f ''«' '""' «»<''•'« an answer to that question "^ °™ """^ without finding onjojer of life Se bS^; ^ ^* vengeance, for a mere But the greatest bW was to SsJiS^7u'?t"r"^">? «?»''• in strength of i^^^i^C^ir^^^^^^''^^^'^^^'^ energy to set his affaim in n-i„. rC '**"*<'. "»* necessary waitforapnreCeXhowoi§d^f:k.?^? ^' °5' "'*"« *<" and materWMtSd Cn^yi'^J^'h^* ?f ^' ?^ ""f" Pl«t BoisgeBn greatly dou^ S» .^T'' "^^ ?^ ' ^"* ever turn up, anS in nar^nwiv^ ^? Purchaser would obtain fa>m hSn a ^^^^fn, ? ^°"'"*^ ''^*"'" •»« *<>nia otnatior Mo^ver^e a^.'^L^'^S''?^ ^ "^'^^''^ the ^^^he wooS'n^o irger-C^^nlXt^«rh1i?e.t that wonian fuU of heroio gentleness whom he had ^ SSiy WORK 3»7 with Fernande upon her, aha had again and aeain rBgolv«3 npon asserting herself and driving tfiTSitnTdeTX ^t^n^ ^sitoTbafd«''T^«."P appearances inlhrprencrol P«,I^V-: ^«^oV",8>»"«W^ entirely to the education of Paul, whom she wished to save from disaster Ha5 it n^f sL W *^ ''TuS-'" »''°"» »«" renunoiatiSn, her sacrifice I^.S^'r°"^' the delight of seeing him grow up r^mnable and ^eotionato ; and it was only fiSm a See! m to »t that Suzanne had beheld the slow ruin of theAbvsraBd til ?~*">8 P^P^rity of La Crficherie. Like her K^d ^! W no doub whatever that Delaveau, inforn^ of th^ta, A ^^"SS'J^ ^' ^/«* P?" '» ordeTto dlsS^yMm-' s™^!: that oprraptmg, devouring creature, his guilty wife a^hT^t.J?"''''*"-^ ^ ■*« t»»°''8l'tof it, and asWeraelf Jlt^taoS^f S^' i° '""' '""^ "'S'^ contribute to the catastrophe by her own resignation, her weakness in iderafang betrayaJ and shame i. her own hom7?^g s" many Tears. Hghe had only rebelled at the outwt Mrifana the wune would never have'reaohed that climax 'ffie? 2S forTr°°? t^ "P™* ""■ ""^ "-"^"^ her to com! S^™^r K* wretched man whom, since the days of the S^^h'5^'i'i'^."*"^°8»'"'»t like one /l^S through the deserted garden and the empty house ^"°' dra^Vrnfire^BiM^T^rm^XThf ^W^XLhT A^;k She'"J''q°ite8t™d. fiUed with Six ™ "ght. And she, who for many years had never s^ken to hun unless it were necessarv to do .i in thefre^nel in despainng that you strength you need.' #'# 3a8 WOUK i^^AT^"^^. !t«?. •» tahSstf. ,*" '^' uuuea «(meuigii«i than at egotistical Pleasure tu^TStoCtl A r^"^" »''<»" Bueh utter aejeotion tbS hf .^J?^^ j ^"I. '' '^ ^"> fault. He mWiS n^tt-'^^'/'r'*'""' """fof"^ hig *. i» MTue, ne en( Jong, I have behaved aoominahi- Ah I wh, Mi don me, why did tou tri- . t^ • i' ™ HisworiawoK'h«;':S"l'tJ,l?«i««k? His wori awok<, in V"":t:"« *" in me back?' covert CSL* wUoh"'Bhrf u"!: t^ ^ ^VT^^^, the perhaps not done ^ her datv fW *5°°?H *''*' "^« ^^ Buooumi aroWd them J*™"' ''''*" '^* "«»'' ""^ the erring too ffi ?n s^j^g' ° tid ° LT 'r ^-^ ""'^*' ""' I was -wabig Mow of eigr^etSge^nran-atMl^l m^'^m'.'- WOSJC 3„ rw« about to «pa1J tS^'ltX?^ rra'^w^^^'i wi.h^ortoM>^ jaTuS. " ^ «--' ^^-^ -^ ^ SrJ^f!: i -J, ""»*. P^s me some courage iwam We m« m such a teinble position I We ahall ),»^»»5 ^"Sars •rrugement, take^me decision.' "• **• '"""' **" *'""> of the two^mn, L^ It u"^. thousand francs left out 330 WOUK borrow dx hundred thoiuand franw, a dabt wUeh twd weighed heavily upon the buiineBs. It imMj seemed u if the worki were qnite dead linee ther were burnt, and beiidaa, before erecting them afreeh it would be neeeaaarr to pay the debt of six hundred thousand franos. 'Then what do you inteud to do ? ' Suzanne hiquired. Boisgelin thereupon explained the two solutions between which he hesitated, unable to adopt either, so great ivere the diflioultiee which attended both. On the one hand they might rid themselves of everything, sell what remained of the Abyss for what it would fetch— that is, no doobt, barely enough to pay the outstanding debt of six hundred thousand francs ; or, on the other hand, they might try to find fresh funds, and Establish a company, to whfoh he would belong by contributing the hmd and the pUnt that had been saved. But hero again there seemed little hope of effeotir? suoh a oombmation. Meantime, a solution was every day beooming more necessary, for their ruin was growing more and more complete. ' We also have La Guordaohe— we ean sell it' remarked Suzanne. ' Oh I sell La Gnerdache I ' he answered in a deepairing way. 'Part with this property to which we ate io aoon^ tomed, so attached I And all to go and hide ounalvaa in some wretched hovel I What a downfall it would be, what a lot more grief it would bring I ' Suzanne became grave again, for she well perceived that he was not resigned to the idea of leading a rea«>nable modest •i ' "9 ™»11 inevitably have to come to it, my friend,' said she. ' We cannot continue living upon such a footing.' 'No doubt, no doubt, we shsU sell La GuerdaoheTbut later on, when an opportunity presents itself. If we were to put it up for sale now we should not obtain half its value, for m doing so we should confess our ruin, and the whole district would league itself against us to rejoice and speculate on our misfortunes.' Then he added more direct arguments: ' Besides my <^, La Guerdaohe belongs to you. As is stated in the deeds! the five hundred thousand francs of the purchase money were taken from your dowry, the remaining five hundred thousand francs of which formed half of the million which the Abyss Mst us. Whilst we are co-proprietors of the works, la, Guerdaohe is entirely your own property, and I simply desire to keep it for yon as long as possible.' WORK 331 old intimacy wW gmTdeid ' sSu lrS?f 1 " ""'' upon tlie earth Thi. «h^ t, V » "?" .'"""'* "^ 'ova the abnegation of a saorifioed wife nf . ™-v!t P' ''?' oontinuel living for her »1 A, pZ ^7*"° "^^ Lao ceased to exist for I,.. ? fil "°™ *^*' moment «««• w exut for her, and the question which her m i^c 33* WOJiX hlubMd W now pat HTiT*] wbU MMB«d tO b* Huh . fUrtjmt pMt thai A. WM ua.W. io hid. hS wirprijT ™* ' 'How o«n I hsT* Man MoniUar Frommt JkkT • Am .t fci««*«»i- 'Yob know ih.» for mowMSy.Mri intoMoarM UtwMn of bM bMo brok«i off.' •"'"*»•" But BoMgidii. qnl.Uy ihrugged bii •bouldwi. • Oh I that doMo t pNTent it ; too mi^ ht £»t. met him and hay. •pok« lolmn. Iou»gre.aM well together form.rly. SoTOuhlw kept up no relationa with him »t »U ? ■ oo you nay. woJid taow u.-""'*'^' *""*"•«* •^«P^^ ' " I i«d. you 1. P" "^"'.■hment wai inoreasinn ; .h. Mt hnri br h^ hu.Und'. inrieteno.; adiamed. toofit UiiJqniuoM S!t.n^'l Whatoould b. hi. object? wItM h° wiih that she had kept up relations with Luo ? In ier tm ^A. '. ott"' "4 "•qui'ed : ' Why do vou IL m. ^iV* Ju.lnow.-" ^o^m-o^j «. idea wfiieh ooourrad to nw l„ui^°'!!^'' *■•* T^^. *** "» »»*«<«'. »nd revealed what b. ' No, not exactly." ^J^"", '' '' ^•*'y '^?'*- ''^' ^e"ow Luo must have a mat &^.rr'.°'",H.'^*"' "^^ »■" done M"S?h harm; u that not bo? And t ia quite lesitimato tSt « should get a Urge sum out of hfm A^ om s!j™ti™ eertam^y hes in that direction, partic^arly if we 4^ S mterest m the business which would enable Tt^S^lS Guerdach. without heed of retrenchment in o« miSS« rf -..^.^^* ^^"^^^ wi1> "orrow and dismay. What I ha was stiU the same man as formerly ; that frishtful lemSn hil not corrected him I He only dreamt of speXtngoJ^Sie» ttem«w* Pffi' fro"" the Bituation i^whidi tt«foS toemsdves. And w particular he still had one sole oWeot ihatof doing nothing, of remaining an idle ° a kept S^^ oth«w«e a oapitahst. In the wild lespair al^dJt wliohh: .f cwi^'iP' r\m € nottii«»Wi. Jf "•' ^* ^^^ oontinn. to liye, doing MM«Ppwred nob •> h* «»ll7 wm-. m»n intont on .njoj. MBn?rif:4^i.""?'.*i'''"'^ '^ ■'"O" everything. 2ZhS'^£'„t'hn^? '""«'"• P^'^^'P'- »'8" have ».J^ th. wretched beins I So now he bad sank to eo low > KSed to rir«. 1^}1 ^ '«"''. '^"•drawn from hi^ «M K- fk • .* """ '"^ impression. ' You are richt • kn^ fln7. "'»'»"• I BhaU prepare my pUn of attack rf if 0^^h^!f°* °' ."P*"^"! "P '"'^'oourse wi, the dS of I« Ortohene— tmless, indeed, I aUow him to take !).« fit«t step., which would be a more skilful co^m" ""■ ''"" fl.^5! '^ ?°"* '"I'vened by the hope of duping another and ^uldUve irwith'lhld'n^ ira^S^».^f^f wo*;^ He roN, e*v. . „gh of rMlef, and looked on th. grit ^fc 334 WOJtX Mil!;! It Memedmoie extenaiTe still on that olear winter dar, and he hoped to giye tttea in it again as soon as the sprins should come. Finally he exelaimea : ' It would reaUv be too stupid for us to distress onrselves. Can folk like ourselves ever become paupers?' Suzanne, who had remained seated, felt her painful sadness inor^. For a moment she had entertained the naive hope of reforming that man, and now she perceived that every temprot and revolution might pass over him without bringing amendment, or even understanding of the new times. The ancient system of the exploitation of man by man was in his blood, he could only Uve on others. He would always remain a bip; bad child who would fall to her charge later on should juflbce evei; do its work. And thus she could only regard him with great and bitter pity. Throughout that long conversation Paul had remained motionless, listening to his parents with his usual gentle, in- telligent, and loving expression. All the feelings which in turn agitated his mother were reflected in his large pensive fyfl"; He was in constant oommunion with her, and suffered hke herself at seeing how unworthy his father was. She at last perceived his ininful embarrassment, and asked him : ' Where were you going just now, my child ? * ' I was gomg to the farm, mother ; Feuillal must have received the new plough for the winter ploughing.' Boisgelin laughed : ' And that interests you 1 ' he asked. ' Why yes, father. At Les Combettes they have steam plcnghs which turn up furrows several thousand yards long MOW that all the fields have been joined together ; and it is superb to see the land turned up like that and fertUiaed.' He was overflowing with youthful enthusiasm. His mother, who felt touched by it, smiled at him. ' Go, go, my boy," she said, 'go and see the new plough, and work— your health will be all the better for it.' ' During the ensuing days Suzanne noticed that her hus- band evinced no haste in putting his project into execution. It seemed as if he deemed it sufficient to have discovered a solution which in his opinion would save them alL That done he relapsed into indolence, incapable of any effort. However, there was another big child at La Guerdaohe, whose manner suddenly caused Suzanne considerable disquietude. Monsieur J6r6me, her grandfather, who had just reached the advanced age of eighty-eight, in spite of the species of living death to ^sm :''^m^%jm^^-^^^:^m. WOXJC 335 Bervant nroDellntl H,„.™ t Data-otiair which a . »>ini8terJdThir;anta eZ,ina7., ^^"^, ^'« "<«" "^ M she had aWy showrwii . "^^ o^g attention years Soraine h. ^n no hi^ n%i.^" m<«>y monotonous retuniinjr? IMd nnt tK„.. u j ■ , ""'wasitnow ejBB, anVhis LerisW ^iTn"" ^°?"*" J*'*""''" awakenine? Perh.™ in/«J ^T'!i'' "'^"'"'« » Pos«We con«>ious?l^*l^iS?^Cn,^ tha™ ^^T -*^«i,»^ miracle, now when he wfT di^l.^^ ? iT *?"■ i"' ™'"*' ^md of phyrioai bond of'{LS"3if'^8^h to death, the hard measure, releasing WX™ tlT JT™? ?>. wme sUght which h;hadso1onrii^i^ri^nT' '^^ ^^obilit/in ing "tonishment^ aZ^P^"^- » Y^^ T*ff'.«"''- alowworkofdeUyeranoe Swanne watched that bauP^ch^ltXStp'h:, Kl ^""-" .«'«-•« the old man's room, qdte^S bv th^ i'" "^^^S ^"^ which he had watch'e^ht d^t ^ M^d^fi^'T '^"' ▼ant, 'I made up my mind to taU vnn ""i?*™*' "J^ tbe ser- * And what did he say ? ' 33« WORK raoMT^ orders to report to her every evening what had hap- pmed dnnng the dav. In this wise she was able to foUow the growing fever which seemed to have oome upon Monshor JteOme. He was possessed by a desire to see and hear, he made it plain by signs that he wished to have his outings prolonged, as if he were eager for the sights which he foond upon the roads. But he particularly insisted on being taken each day to the same spots, either the Abyss or La 0.a«herie, and he never wearied of contemplating the former's uombre nuns and the latter's gay prosperity. He compelled his ser- vant to slacken his pace, made him go past the same spot several times, and all the while he more and more distinctly stammered those diqointed words, whose sense was not yet apparent. iSuzanne, quite upset by this awakening, at last sent for Doctor Novarre, whose opinion she was anziona to ascertam. ' Doctor,' said she, after explaining the case to him, ' you cannot conceive how it frightens me. It is as if I were witnessing a resurrection. My heart contracts, it all apoears to me like some prodigious sign announcing extraordmary Novarre smiled at her nervousness, and wished to see things aimself. But It was not easy to deal with Monsieur J6r6me : he had closed his door to doctors as well as to others ; and besides, as his aihnent admitted of no treatment, Novarre had for yeara abstained from making any attempt to enter his room. Di the present instance the doctor had to wait for the old mu in the park, where he bowed to him as he passed in his bath chaur. Next he followed him along the load, and on drawmg near saw that his eyes began to gleam whilst his hps parted, and a vague stammering came from them. In his turn Novarre felt astonished and dtirred. 'You were quite right, Madame,' he came to tell Suzanne, the case is a very singular one. We are evidentiy in presence of some onsis affecting the whole organbm, and arising from some great internal shock.' 'But what do you expect will happen, doctor ? ' Bocanne anxiously mqnired, ' and what can we do ? ' ' Oh, we can do nothing, that is unfortunately eertam, and as for foreseeing what such a condition may lead to, I won't attempt it. Yet I ought to teU you that if suoh eases are very rare they do occasionally occur. Thus I remember examining man who had bMO ihnt at the asylum of Saini-Oron an old iiyo< i-Oro fyp^.^Tc'z'-- «" "-P-. to z oUtter. Bai tt, extraorfina.^ni^T'^?'" *«»n" o^ceaaelVs. Mdentood averJ^nTd^^h^"]' ?«^ ™en, heard, wd slumber. And whm^fe re^fJS''*/'"'^ ?«*" o' apparent an endless narrativf ofh^ns^i^' ^7" °f, «?«*'"''' was a^ '^-'^ -SKe^TnlTarp!!- --^^ f-^- 'And wi»t^bei^rX?t'ratrxt^.?^t ^rJ^''^^^a'^lntnr^r S''"'^^ 'H'^ed that son is almost ahwvs a^nST '*'' °'"^°'*' » "^^ of tion. One find, in .- tte ete^'^Sl,"?/'"'"^? dissolu- throws up a last flame blf^'^.S °^ """ ^^ "^'^ l^^'A l^lwep'* Wh •^- ^^ ^■ ^P^^^l Sj|»VoSl^' - 1 «en heard, and understood ^v—tl-^^S."* *«• Had he S-^ even ^t^rlSStsa^rt-troniS^ q»«1ion'r*^%rt^*dd4t'^^,' b^-^yto ask«,other genoe has quite' deS torn 'o.??'-.""^'^' * """ «t^- who does not oonsidl^^t^rfXT' vpnT"'"™ °^"'« "^^^fst -^-Pectin^ matters ^^^'^ ^^ryiUSZl i^et 'AuiZ^mZ:^ ifT''' ^' ^0- 'Every, we still penetrate wTiSCoh d^ffi^/f"' ^/"^"-"'owhiTfa certainly remain intaS a^teX lof nf '' ^'^j^K^""* can »nnot speak it does not follow ^at l^"""" V?"'*"'"' ^°e Howevsr, T e't ■:!- Z . , ow tfiat one is unable to thint 338 WOXK \U\l\ te OTOT ' ^ """"^ ""^ *""*''* "^ •«* to •onile inlinoy intalj?.^''* " '*°^''''" **"* ^ "V have wUined his&ealties ™J ^^^ I»™jWe ; I eTOn begin to nupeot that «iieh in the ^t^*"*"^"'!^ ""yu""* ""^keningof his whole bei^, ^ Sa^7 "^^"^ '^"^ '^" *° »» ~"°'"«f "'"' ^ ^m «.d ttS^.^ •" 'r«*' ^^"^ ^ »•«' grand&ther'B feZir rf ^iTJ^ T* ' ?ior ^s-^ction without a secret W ^^ T^^A u" *'"?'*. *''* ""*« "gi^'y in which he SS^J^ liu? P'^l'^" *"* '"'d ^'*««<1 '^. heard, and r«™linS^*-'^'°'^' ^?"' """^ '^"^ ">irty years he had hT^t^r ""S"'"^^ '""'«8«. as it were, of Uie decline of diLTfll^"™^'^**', r'° ^'^ ^^ •"'^«W the root of hL «^^-^' »/o^f?ll "oelerated from father to son by the ^^n^"^"' ''f'?- ^ ?« devouring blaze of enjoyient W. fcT^''^"!? ^"4 .'"?«*^ *° ^n""™* the fortune \^oh fen H.r^''* '^•^'^* ^?.' f"* '•^oJ' *>« J^^d deemed ao w^» /• ^1 "If" ?" *"■ *"«•'** ™™ himself for worthless ^IT^ ' P'?*°l-*°' : whilst his daughter Laure. losinVw head m mysticism, entered a convent ; and his ieeond son Phihgpe. married to a hussy, perished in a duelXr « unbeoile cueer. He had afci) Men his grandsM G^taw mjp^lhM father Michel to suicide by rof^Twrn rf hS SS!^ SfAfV''? *""^ ^'""^^ fr«n» that he W ooUeoted for h^ bnsmeas payments ; whilst at the same tim* his other grandson Andre, PhiUppe's ohUd, ^ re wJedto ofS^^'°ji""-.*^*c'^'^*'^°BoisgIuS,fteX^1 t.fj^A^''^^^ ^"'''^*' P""""'"* the imperilled Abyss, and conBde its management to a poor cousin, Delaveau, who of hift-rS.* * °i^''* ^^"l ^^ ^^ discovered the betrajtS ^f r * I^^f ^ ^"'^ "■*' "O'^'^mb Boisgelin-the pSr of them maddened by such a craving for Iutui^ and pl«J^ that they had destroyed all around tiiem. iSI he hadZJ W ^}T'^^ well-loved work, so smaU and modest whenT h^J?f r*^^" ^^ his father, so greatly enlarg^ by .n^M • I ^"^ "^"xt*"" *''?«'• •"Wch he had hoped uTraoi would make a oity, the empfre as it were of iroHnd ste^ WOXIC 339 M if Nothing of the Qurii^nn^^^s ' •""* *''"'« °' '''^^' glowed among his «»ndoh& ^fT^f^^^ '»' ^°'k what»prooe«sionoftertble™nr,^nT°' *^* ootogenarian, century of effort, ^.d^^riSSI ™ Vr""'!^'?* » '*«>'« and the future of . fc^^f Td thA * ^''J^* P"*"'' too, it Tas that the bmSin wh^ tw */ ^F^tP^g thing, alnmber should at Uats£iw„!t !' f-^'^ '"^ 8««"6'1'"» ^^to gleaming with?„'t:up;,'^',t^^^?S^ T^ T^ T^ That lal was the sole fedl wJ^eoflT. V.^'^'S ''?"*• powerful trunk he had on^oS ^ ™t ^^ "^'^ branches, a whole swarminir *»S^J*^ ?"''" °' vigorous «»t family tre^ IrTTnlw L^^ll^fiv,'"^*^- ^"^ "<" from sturdy, toilineforerSnl^?' w ^' »°AT'8''"'' tlerived forth and spr^Zjun^^*" ^ ^"J^lt """"^ "m Wossom joy of the worid?Tat b^hnwT' "^ ^^ ^'^^^ "^ »" 'he with the comlg of W's^aiit-l-f P ^"^ ^"^7 exhausted century a misawnt life nf^wf ui'^''^^ "" ''"^ ^^"^ ^^ » strength amS thrm.rS, IT^^ ^"^ consumed the whole was whenTat unhaPDv .n^nHTf^^ "°' '»'"«' " surviying amidst s^mu^i!SS^*^*I\'.*'« ^JP'^'^c witness one sole heir, that ge^Ue dSta «« ^""'^l^ confronted by the last gift voudiSfedhv Iff? "i."!"*^ ?*"'• ""^^ '»» «ke to the oSimons i^ni^.^ °; !'.'"'* P'"'''»P8 J^ad left him flower rn^^°Z^ "e'^ ''hat f ' ' '"'^'•' ^''"^ ''*'«* '«'^ the fapt that only that AA^^^ml^^^ZZ^ ^V^i I 3 340 WORK WhiTi?^' *'*>^ imagined that he oonld h^ thi tanjhter of an eTer-moreaemg troop of bovg and girl.^ hi. ertato when the erer-frmtful dynaetj of the QarignoM^J ™«». Bnt, on the contrary, the rdoms had irrown emDti«r daj by day; dponkennegs. madness, and d^ff J.Tbt 1^5^* Mwtn" had eome to complete the min of the ho™- iS Jn^T^j"" ''^u'* °' "■» »«»"^ floor '»» abandoned to JS^^ AlnSi^/ ^«'"^? Monsieur rep^teT^ mnrt give back, one mn.t give back." • *-»""• "na m^nfil^^JI^t incredulous. The word, seemed to have no meamng. What was to be given back ? . i_ ?°?.™?** "^^o mow attentively,' she said to the servant • ' try tp distinguish the word, better.' ' »«"o "»» «en«nt , " T «f„^* "O'™''.' i>?yever, the man was still more positive. I assure madame,' said he, • that Monsieur really says :<' One ^Xl^^^' °™ ""?'* ^'* ^^^■" H« »"?« '' twenty and thttty times m snooession in a low but persistent voice as if pnttmg all his strength into it.' ' ™J;ifc!i,**?® T°"« Suzanne determined to watch her ES^^'!'w\V°°'^'J*^''' ^''« ■"'?•'» understand thin^ ™ wu^.Hi- 'oUowing day the old man was unable to e!t tK« ^f ""^ ?■"** ^f^.; Suzanne was ereatlv Sed^ this, aad agam seat for Novarre, who wag ^unable to do any. 1 13K ■ipiM \ .5^ tVO/lJt <»rwd ro8ew)od, thZfcj wafa 1»,^ / ''^ furniture WM of was a taU mirror in w^ 7)f« „ i^* fo^r-poster, and there old trees, stretch^ owr anTmm^^^ "" ^'^^' "'o'^Mn the saw first the jnmbled roofs of r1. P^nonma in which one Mountains with CcSnfJ^^^'^"'r^ *''«° 'l"e Bleuse whose gigantic chinTneTs st^l^rSse e'ecT'''''^' '"' '''^ ^'""• ^X ZTZ '^^ ctJ^^vZ ''t "f- •«<« winter sunshine: and aU at nn„ i. ^ !'^^^ *" a^™"* the hearing Monsieur j'rdme peak "K' r''"' ""'^«d °» face had been turned toWs ™« f?*., ^w moments his which he had been looki^Hi thi%° **''! r°^°'« t^^wngh first he only utterly t^ Zil • ""• ^''°' ^<»^»- Andlt 'Monsieur Luc' oome'^^irS.^rise". Mon',''*"? *«"' ''« ^nite over- had never bS^j inte^^e tS ^^ \ °« ^dfct^r been i«norMt of his «^n^ ^Ti"" H"' H® °°8'»t *» J»Te what t^ld lalety ^^^iSS ^if ^iS^.'"' "" •^W o^ rtood everything, eronMhithLS everything, and nnder- fewed. 23' tt^"oJi*^*^»''^«J7 suspected a«d hiB lip. whiAhadW,^^ 'Monsieur Lnc,' fJling from that he had reCedrn^,i f , ?"«' ^*" "^e a firrt w^ «.d conliSL^^^aU^l inWhgenco ainidst his silSJS, ^^^^^^^ »na unaerrtand. Suzanne felt her anguish in- die '.^^. "*"' *^'^»" !-«• that you say, grandfather?' ■Yes, yes, Monsieur Lno.' Kpeaisa; ' ' — " vCiiOjsu impaneaoe h« ' Monsieur Lnc I ' 34* WOSK III Monaeur «rtme qnioUy noddedhS head! and than ■■ if nvJi^^^Zlif. *° -- to «. ^„_yoa ,i.h to to W ■'*"'"""""• I*'»^«<»°e»*once-Iwai,p6ak The sniprisa and the vague fright that Dosseued Hii7anni> »rto°L«oTTh^«- ^i«^»i^MonS;ra?^e^:srs Bay to iiuo? There were such painfiil nogsibilltiaiL that f™ a moment ahe tried to avoid graniingthe^ m^^ ^r,^ a. ^ mdeed she imagined hiTS hf deUrioa. Tt h?°^ ass's -^s&srttH ultima?SytC' '•"' '°" '^ ^ "">• «»"^ther » • .he oh, auLce r *" *'°""'"" ^'"'- ^ "'" '^'^ to »^»tanoe- hop;^7t r^iu^'^ir ''"'"• ^ '^ -»« *<> »>-. -a i |fedte.rrr^^.^7t^^^^^^ ?ew words, so painful were the memoes thTa.e?L„2S hoW^fi^A^"^?"*^' ?"" ?""'^» <""«id« ">e oommon- h^^ . u '^ ^' niormng inapeotion, when the note ^ mTef»«e1 ^A^^ ^^^^ ^ft"^ ^» followed toe 70Z messenger. But how great was the emotion whioh hn fclllS wading those simple yet touching words :°M7wen4 I ha^ need of yon, come at onee.' Events had %^^t^ mmk^- IVOXX tJut wonid MiiSnS t! a»y— like one, too, who wu oertain U« fr> ndAip torTmoment"a„yr'- ^^^ ^ °<" ^<'"'"«J finding her evX'TI.^'tm fcrteriv'^ec't^^''*" ?' former timee. Tha moai f^^iTJji i ■""'V, affection as m around rm,vi^''ZrioWiiW""' ''^ ''"" ^""^ and things, yet kLvn «. ?°'' »''«'P">8 away men themK'Cd ta h^roZ^-^o^-^P-a^n "'•^fo-d him that BoSn miahf S , » "onient it occurred to mmmtm .he'^'arLSto^ir"' "-"""^ ""™-^ -^-^ h ipmart„rrtht^,:s'^S Atr^tS^ "t^ c».emo^1S-h^";a^S>lMtT4°'r^'^tf m , Sk_. S'%£"»^ 344 tyoRx and htroiam .hehXh^^^'- ^? ^^^.- *~. '»>»» dignity ■eparaaon she h^ neve? be^ ah"."*'^ Th?i m. spite of heart-he had pitied W™^.. j ' '^ ^ ""^^ "d that fell upon h» He w 'ft^** """f »] ^h f«»h trial help her. It wou^d W. tlf*i'*°;i wondered how be might proVe tfa;i he lad foSroti^A^*''*''!*^ '''°> '» ^ '"e to h^ren^^S"^"-^^^^^^^^ frieni, on^wt^Zi'^'^Vbe^ll'^ .'^l!' '»»' •w«tedyonr,n»u„on.toUCw. ^ '"' "^ ''"•' "^^ that foF.;r„nit5'thfruk°ti'^«?"«?r °' «'«'«-^ embr^ied and kiwed «Sh otW ^^fc" "'^"«*«'. «>•* they who fear nought rftManfoUT^,^*^^'^?''" *■ "«>* npon me-I beUevVd ftaff must oSS^ ^ fiT."'^'' '»°"' never forgive me for Cg&eM,lof^h. -'*''•" '?" ''?°" yon must be struggling.' *^' *""'*■ "> ^Woh ' Curse you, my friend I But I was with ,™ r :, , w\i^m WORK 345 yoa'°''itw«fhL„r" ''""Id .»>•;. com. about without VrL\ ^" »ne Others who ruined mo. And you will see howbr.velo« be, no matter how deUoat. yo/marthtok ' But Paul, your son ? ' ue will work. You know wliat wealth has done to m, . n™«^» ""°°* *' '",','°'^ ^"'"•"y 'he had sent him such hta Vt wL r •5'* ''»«"/« "he revealed, wished to speak to UMeved Hi. ?„,r" °//''?°? """'- '" I'^'O' No^arre oeueved in his unnunent dissolution. Astonished bv thAM bding, even a. she had been, seized too, Uke hfrseff with IT^J^^^i^^" '^°^^\ "'• "■" "'-rec'tion in'VM h Mi^e^ tSi^** ' ^""?^ f "'^-^ene. L«o none the less d^Svir'r LiTht ?e°S " '" ''''^'^' ""' '^^ »» a«d;.^ss;yrrr'h^^v'i^:'°^ "' '''°"'"" '*'*""'•' IaifrsriWit'liSiSt"s«i^Jrrr^;^^ feng time past it has seemed u if my gnmd father no lonLr knew that my husband existed. He dSeTnot swak to S^ w«t'i:t"?b«T '^'? ^.-"^ ^- Mo'J^v'er^^htS.Td h^.° .?S*'''"u« ««]y this mominff, and he hai not yet Mme sS'-ssns ^^-^^^^ wZr.S^ •^■u''i'u''** ^ "y^" *»"«d to''"^" thrwindow whose enrtams had been drawn back. In all probability h' h^n"^nSf ftT'^ oyer the park and the sSng SfSf^^lv^.*''® ^^7^ *°d ^ Crficherie showing yonder ttl.^' Ben^ft^o„„t.i„, b the jumb^^r^ft or Saw; iL " ' scene which seemej to attract him meMstiblv, hke some symboUsm of the past, the present ' 0»n^*h«r/ Mid Suzanne, ' I hare bad Monsieur Lua A'ijf?' fm ■ I): ' i' M i I 'iLlfc he once moi* torn*! hii h^ ;„>^'*'.V"'»'°ent. howew «a «nb2SSLf„"^»»f«^^"toj,i,hmcniM wdlM^^^^^ iath^yoa WW. h«n to^^rSS; ".'S:^""'?"'''^^ 'No no, Boisgelin. Boiggolin.. »nd regular featnrwT fa, wmITu "''^ »8e, with his t^ fei to be einmbering. NotTTnnnt^ °"*"7* 'nnature eeemed "banaonod to dust AndJ.!!*.,^ '*°"«« "hwh had beln mm^m^ m^iiHii^/ 1^ tyojfjc «fmj »oM him of the .^'"^itaf/;" ,; , r'- > ' J '^ Moniim J«rtm.-i room, the old m£,v r /"' ' ■"■ " {r«o. Md the .Utement K. w" .. a ' 'li"'. ■"t;"^^'' En— before ipeitkiiiir. »u thM. nn/^ * ^'- '-Borv fcwmtaoteeofreflS' ""^ "" '"*' ""'"'^ ■^''' -^ Bp^y,ott'Sfi£'S?«' -r 1 - :.u.b«.. But tgftin the old men loo^ i«n«^ .C ' '«<*"•»' a<«heMked..p.„I.whe»ia]PaSr "^^ '"''"-• <"* DoyouwjntPeultobeheretooV 'Yee, yes, I want him.' •toply bowed to^ i^"her finkw"Jl?K^^''«''""'"«> meeting after lo manv »««- f»'»u * * nothmp to say on bre.r.Jready'SlCytJIS^*^"^" whio| «.»'«"" qmver of the air one only iLrd thT ^™^ i?' .'J^ '°^^''* **" tion of Monsienr WrflmB (W . ."°'2?''^at heavy respira- light, were taraed tSs ^« IJST ^ '"?« «'»«- '^^ of •ymbolioal Sthe uCr of^^I^S^' *°^^ «»» horizon bom. And the minntes went hv .?^i *"*?" """^ b« 348 tVOSJC 'One must give back, one muat give back I • 'One mnst give back, my child, give back I • Suzanne shuddered, and exchkSged a g ance ,rith W nlenoe of those who surrounded him K^on J3^' *S «^^, ud eT«n M SnMnne had diviaad with qniyuing ^S^'ii T M *^*.P^ "'^'^ now cam. bM^ »U thS W?^ ^' !^"* ??"*■ .I*"^8 forth in a floodfrim that S^tS^*°T; ""P*"^" '^*"««. » long imprisoned within his SZ.^';il^ family of happy, then stricken, beings, ii Mder to draw from everythins- &e great lesson. On the day t^!^T^' 5*'"^ 8"i°8 '0 ^ death, he spread out all the irinm^Wi • '^"^ " *""> ''*"'' after teUeving in the tnumohuit reign of his race over an empire established bv ^^:^^.^\1^ long enough to see boU. raceTdlmp^ Z^i.N^^ ••' ^ ^^'' f ' ""« '"*""• And he told why Si this had happened, he judged it, and offered reparation. witiri w""*!*' f*?! "■? ^"' Qurignon, thVdrawer who 7^^ t^^^^' had founded the Abyss, he being as poor a« they were, but probably more skilful ^d economical. Then Hn'l.^T^' ""'/eoond Qurignon, the one who had gained a fortune, and pUed.up millions in the course of a stubbDrn staggle,inwhlchhehaddisplayedheroiodr^Ln,i^ dS; S^^ *o his skill in adapting the conditions ofpro- dnotion to those of sale, he knew very weU that he was siiiply the outcome of long generabons of toilers from whom he £a derived aU hw strength and triumph. How many peaKuta p««ptang M they tilled the glebe" how many ^rCH? hauft^bvUie handling of tools had been required for the faTntl >"'°~ ^'f '^'^Bnons who hlT^nquer^ sntunet imong those forerunners there had been a keen ^h^^'^'ti'TJ*' ■" ^^ ?°' enfranchisement of the poor ^iSj n 2*"°?'7'i°^°'"l"''»PPO>ntedtask. And at last one Qurignon had been strong enough to conquer, to esoapefromthegaol of poverty, to acquire the long-desired wealth, and bwome m his turn a rich man, a master I bZ T^^u^ !?*JT^' *!»' " i? two generations, his descen- dMts collapsed, feU once more into the dolorous strugrie for ^.!^T' ."'^""s'ed already as they were by enjoyment, oon- Mimed by it as bjr a flame. ' t j > >~" h„i.??* ""^ fw ''*?''• °^ °""* Sive back, one mast give back I repeated Monsieur Jirdme. * hJ''^u^T ^'?/°° I^"^'^' "^o »^'«' ysars of excesses had killed himself on the eve of a pay-diy ; there was h^ M^M I 11' M wylnm, and QnrtavT^^w^'J "^"^ P"'*^ »''»y in f^y. there was his MM^Tf^u*" ^J hnsiaesB payments. hearted, K«gibl6, wSl-lS^ ^°f **' Suzume, the tender "purchasing the Abvss aid T.^*°2' V""^ ''°»'»nd Xr ?°*j.f dest^raotiot ^'^h^\^'^^^^^ H completed^ Guerdache, where he h^ hoZ ^" "»?'. "" «hes, and I* had become a desert. And whi^j,;. ^ ?'' "«« "warminK. oar^g off both his ^Js^rkLTu"^'^ ^"^ ooll^ another work arise La Or^K • ^^^ own, he had sem Fo^rit,, throbtog ^th%r/« l^HK r- ""wWS He knew aU those thing becanth?. ,^' " '"°"«''* ^^^ i" them m the oonrse of hf« ",?"'* "'s clear eyes had witnem*? oontempUtion':'X° h^h^"fc'-f . '^oL ^°-"^^t at the moment when ««« „. ^r™*'^ °«tnde the Aby«. outside La Cr«oheS where ttf""'' '^^t ""^ ^^^gfor his own foundation took „Tth- ""*" ^^° had des5^ he had passed blto^Llbyt^' ^^,^^ ^^ ^-^^ ^'.TX'-"^ creation hel^rCdtn^ft SS back?^' --' 8ive back, one must gi.e back, one „„st gi,e flowing'\S:^i,th L'raiP^'ifl.*^*^ hi. dowly qaence of all the disastrous eventL^-\'l '5* °»*°n»l oonw- much suffering. If evewuf *"'" ''^loh had caused himK, acquued by the labour of?*hfJ fortune which he had poisonous? The e^oym^t°fcr,« both poisoned^ most certain of destrucH™ « ' ^^^ fortune Irings is th« ^^sorganises a ?amily ^ to S'°'°T/' ba^ter^f a r^ than half a century i W co^iT?"* "*8^ies. In^s' ^noe the genius wW,5i1hrQSo>»'r«'''' ""e inteS! ^veral centuries of rough tea tI?'-'!'^ """"'"e^ during workers had been their Olha^te T^^' °^ ""ose robusf ■ - they ought to •PP-PHate'td'-e^I^rrwrtS'^^- | IVOXK ^^^t^X^^^^T- A-dthe wealth they ▼lew Uum to cite as an^i^wf„Tu ," the moral point of of hia feUow-men wEo W^ eovereign master of thousande duoing thr^uh K^ J^°t perspmng over their toil, pro mereblacknnith myXta Jil'',^'^^^ ^^ intelligenoe a tribntea to the woS^ of i^n.^tr^'^^"'*' ^ """Ply eon- eanilibrium Thrha1«SL«^?'J?' *?* ^«™vato8 s^i'a] dis- o?the unSppKK^foSl f^il^- "»"y?<""PO"»ded he out* down and purioir' Thi / "**? happmess which way, as the aaying Z, h»™ I, J'T*'*?? '^° °'»''«« ^ia oomradea, lives ^nheip^il """f i? '^""^"'da of other it often happena^at Ttfi i, ^'^ °"^ '''^^ suffering. And by fortune S, wMch oofey f °* " Pr^"*-! by success. tionately. provea lu^^eX "^This" irwh/ tZ' "r?".'- oourse 18 to revert to salnturr -^.iT "why the only right aU earning thei? U^^^^o^na 7^^ ? ""? ^ °' '^- ihe exertiSn of theSrlnS/'Csc^r"""' '''''' *" ^iveS^kr-rtftl^i-Jr «^- '"-'• - --* onei,°Uabirto^ire''ofC'*^?ii T' '""^ reatitute becauae One must (rivrbaik lL3 7l"oh one steals from another. of happines^K'do^r On^mnT' ""fl'^ •*'*''°*y of juatioe, and even mmf ,^?'„«1^ ^ ^^^ •'**''' '° » spiri' th^ wpieaa o/:«r^'^x*rLrin^';r^'°^"''' r~ One muat give back in^er thi?!^^ "•* ^*PP'°e" of all. and Uve a tappyuZeIn 1« mM.* '/"^^ '"^7 better health must give baoTWui^iflii Z^nlrT"^ .Pf"^- 0°« egotistical holders of Uie pubUc Sni''°'*'"*°' ^'' "" ^ wealth that thev saa^^Lv^^ J^^^' ^^™ '° 'esto™ the great esta?Lrthe Sndustr af IP^ pleasures-the towns-peao; wouM te iestortd L ^ ''"T "'" "^«- '^e once more amongZna^dZf.iT;?''' '""^ ^""'^ Ao^^' of possessions thKC"2lh«T" '^.r.''^'^ »banda,ioe One must give back h^^?,!^ "^ '"'"''I '^ 'eft in ponurv. desires tlLf oth„ weteo?!?' T" '^' ""^ """Ple if Z whence have come Iuth/«Su fr ^ "°derstand, may realise >aay be inapij^to endL A^T ^^f" ^"^ ^'^'' """^ vigour by pLIiS Sfrnnl'''4rkt"'' ■''"'••™"'^«> _ -s -u -n-e .„oro iato B0HV8 liie, daily 3S» IVOXK oommdes, in .howmir themth^t ^nl '^ "" »*nrning to one'* one «tu™ to odX|& tee ZJ^"^?"' "^ «"•* common effort, ■mththThoprth^th.*? !»*??»»« « «»e peace wiU sooi strike Am) L«^ . •''°"' "*' J""««e Md die with . clear ct^eni"! W wTat't' •'" '"'" »" T..„ u J ° **'' ""c 'Oust ffive baofc I ' give'bwkf:'"'""''"'' "'^ ^«' * "> ^l""" and how are we to was inorderthat height helim^J^hP.^"'' '»*'^.?«'' ''' He has alreadvdone mn«h7^wt"""?'Py°"'n»y«'> Wren. alone can intovene a„?^tore wt'f ""''■ "' "P»««on. he to the sons and ^^^on^omo™ th "^'' °^ ""^ fo^n^e father's comrades ' *°™ '^° "'" ™7 o^ and my the^^Tet'h^heSlrft^'l" c' ',5^"?°^«« ^^^^ of hostiUt^;'.lcano^*j1o'o^ thir'l^r:^^^^^^^^ owners of the Abyss ue willing t^i'i "*~; ""*' "' i' the into our a,«xriation ^U o4.hS^ ""STh."""" '^'^''» other f«,tories have already dSnL; toe" Ab™^!!*^* '*' " fanuly— double, in fact tha imn«Uvl, T" ™' ""oreaw our K by . giving back >u meaL Tr^^^,°" ^"'^K '°'~- a step towards the aLlute jSs?iL^"th^ ZT^. °' ■ 1""~' yon J w,U consent to what 'XZy'y^^'^XJi^ """' ask noising Ce'" "' '"•""^'^ ^^'*-« ^low^s^fwl;,, ; < I addition to the amount which mav^Ltfff "^P""' ""'J '" an interest in the enterprise whil »1^ ^ '^n'T ^"'^^ arranged. I „e.,d money^nd I v^sht s^- ^ ^^^ ^ ^ WORK 353 a-JSt'" thefts '"' ^ ^"^ °«*'^°8 fo' "ooie rr. •_. V oomrary to the spmt whioh iraides na Wo OOTtin^^ M^f^K^t ^ come with his ruin, the old man BO a. to enlarge the fields which had be^ unitd bvS^?' te^'lihUie^'sS"" P*-^*"' '»>" ^^fc^S ?^«S!!v! 1 '^™" suioe a proper nnderstandiiw of their St^ *^ MconcUed them. There would be butSie st^h SS. ^1 ^^''^ P''" °' I"* Eoumagn. wod& end by yielding one vast harvest to fill the granariis of «mne«l«J ST±^;, ^^ *i ^^ I* GuerdacheTS^tobCon^ snffenng so that she might keep nothing of the nroDertv whioh had poisoned the Qurignons!^ Then, rever ing tTO who still sat on the edge of the bed, and tiking Ws W hi' his own, and looking at him earnestly wiThfs eves which Cr'ZTTrf d^' Monsieur Wra'me said i^' aTowoTtS ohSiY™;J,-n It '""'".?'■'' '""'''■ ""o '""'" P^o back, my WUU. Yon wiU keep aothmg. yon will cive vondflr n,tt t^ to» old somxaaes, «, that they may rejoice there on high days,' A A '5* WORK hour, o*g^ety„d good ^^^^^^^^ft^'Tl workmen. TheTwin }1JS ^1 ""• oWdren of poor they are ailtog » ^eJ&^lT^t"' ^^^ °"«^ wC all, aU back, my oMd S wn',211 T"^* ^"P nothing, gi,e And work a^dliw wlelyC Z wf"*,""™^ tmm^iSn. out the.ianghti'Ti^e"!'' oi^'^C^S^"!^ niarry her, so that she niR» h^^T^ l ,•*"* 'o'*" and whoilBOTiai,OTk.whn^^Tir^«.y°" handiome ohildian. tteir turn ha^ttm^fohSn for ?,»PP' J^^P- «S^ futurity. Keep nothi^ my^M •». liitewi« became faster retfr^'j^^f^ f"'^^,' "••"«* his voice atlastaooompl^1?S"ht«'°«^»J8iI«n«». Hehad j"tice. to hJ^nlhTX^f X h' "?•»«<»'. *"*. wd primordial i%ht of 7«rr ™n i ^ ^P">«« which ia the evening he Si^^™"- ■^°d»"" duty done, that «une f^^t^-^lX.t^l^^^i^^oUH Mon. for a moment in the li^ISL Tk!^ themselve. alone •motion that their heaSTi^ th^'™ "° °'"~™ *>y or^^JmiZinTtt ^rsu^irr ^''" ««"wm w-»h moment.' '^ "" »'*«'^ ♦» >»*ter» from thia She had taken hold of hig handd Tkh, .^ , «»»r«J. 'I place my faith m yo„ I wiLl*?*"^'' *« you h«TO already performed Rn/r^'„ know what miracles which you wiU acoomnl^lTh °,'"" ^°n''' '*>« prodiify is nothing bTlS^T^i^ if'T^'""^? "" *"• Ah I Te™ loved r* • '*'"'*^*"^°%'>eenlovedasImyKjf bJi^.Z.rso-IS-eiSrh^/ °[ -^"h Bhe h««M had 'Myfriend,myfrieni'RhBW^! J '^" '"'^"^ moment, have had tor7o4g g5^'*4lThl 'n^ .*^f ' ^''ength ^ "^d l>ad I felt beside LTe'jL'aAT^ { f ^^^ P^ .._.._, .„an, a aero, one whoo) WORK 355 for iendamsM »hn l^^V^. o.«<"»• bo»rd, and the park noZbLo^^^f^.J^T' ''*'> e»tni*OM world, forming a hu« ^f°«!? *" "l* humble ones of th. where children%l3°4wrioV/rr^"'' "^ •" dreamlarTd! where the multiWe iCd S^«Zn"°°''?"'* ^^^" ''«»1"' oo sensible, so genUe and^«t .IT" ^.^o^nM Snwume, authority oyer C.a^d he'Lway^™;,!?\*^'^ •»>*J''S began to de«re «Z ooluSn H^ ?"if * ^"^T^ «»* b" WeU about aU day loS^fhe .„ffe^ ^tZT' "' f*?®^ of shame, a need of action fn,. v,7- ij ""? * "*"«' fecJiaK *!«> the managemeSt^d mn^n^"^ °° i""*" «~ h^^ Shooting TeSd a ^uKrT* °.' "^ '"«* '"^ »onth3, but as soon M^hrfine w^k ''""« ""• ^*« "pthing for him to do exoe?* tS J^f*'"? '*'°« t^ere was dismal ennui then crushed h£dn^ .""J '»<»«onaUy, and prevailed on Luc to confided frT; /°^.»°''hen Suzanne of control over a depitoent of t^'^"'"P,'° '^'°. » kind meant emploj^nentfoJ^rLurs of ht°r™' "'""''• '^bioh ended by acceptine thn ntelT °°»™ of his time every day, he then i4rcyJfl&t:.f^^t'^' which had'su/e'red! ^a^teS^^^rl^Urei^i^^^'^^end "i — J? irOia Diie partioi- Y^mriTmi^^Mj^iT i- .ifr tVOJtJC 357 ^Lofi^^S'*\'''l1f«^"»,""'"" '» •J""' 'he words they apoke of and devote themselves to the common work of g^v»^ founded! '" ^^ ""^ '°' ''°"'™ '•''" "'^ f "'"" d°y hak to?e Eight years had abeady elapsed when Paul Boisgelin who was seven-and-twenty, married Bonnaire'e elS&ter n,?l, 'u"*?"'?" y*^ "'"J- As soon as the Snds ff I^ K^ th. f '"""r' *•■* ^°"'«««» "sociationTlanl. w«h »nd directed one of the sections of the domain, which iS been necessary to divide into several groups And it wL^ his parents' u'tt^e house at La Cr«cheri^ whither he reta^^ ^tZr^'^^t' i^".'"' '"^ ""o^"^ his acquis h^^«. rr*"?'."''" "^*^ '^"' herparonts in a •.efghbSS house. Close mteroourse had sprung up between that rimSf KowhT^""J '1','' V" b!irfss of t^ QuSS And Stho^Ih M i^'^''^^ """^ welcomed every one so ktodly »ma^!S * .J^*^' ^onoaire. the terrible La Toupe. hid S?, nJ 1""" f-ffi""'' customer to deal with, the dmSe nobUity of character displayed by Bonnaire, that h™ of ZJ^rT.°^*'"' ^°'^^."? °' ""« "«'' oity, had soffit to render the intercourse intimate. It was charming towTthe wwXteT •"?*»"'•' "^ drawing yetTs^erlkruS' ri!°i^?".'i°u'':iT,*?™«<'.Kt"T tie representative, of »_4 • , '" '^-'^- "=^ "^"uoiiy lought one aeainst the other Antomette, who resembled her father, being a good lo^^j » ioKr^^ot. by birth who h^'^ *J*?P'* "'•med.he, PmI Antoinett., • d.ngbUr „^ 1^ 8°"? b^k to the ioil, wd Jh. • g"**/^ w "JX. t tbe?r?.V~i^"(f with he"h\S5!* c^m«l "-e 'JSnciliati^?^f?^«<=»', °"P«i«J^ whichJrSf after tt^Srlh'ojXl^PyfV' f"* warn Job, day Aorti, I* Onerdaobe. HentUt^ v , 'nsmselvee tomtber al the people in .ccordancrCh w« /*"• ""^'' °' "" "^t* ^ whZfe.'^ » Ai^f fe Antoinette had for wluob bad been instaffed fa tZ^hif convalescent home had reigned; and. laaZi ™ *l *'*'° '''«™ the Qnri»nona ;*•, "ow able to si™runVS.etar„,°', ^ "uslann: wWat Suzanne, like a irood^^°*'f^ ^^age of the nark, A few p«»a in the rear wiSked'STelSS fe.-' "^^-^ "" ^7 memoneg arose at the ri^ht „/ .w ^'^elm. And what eopsee, those UwnV SLTSi °' "^* Pn°oeJy honae. ttc« /-««. the (P^llopfa/'o K'°°?,f T «"» nWrrf ^ longer re«)nndld,bntwh^*h„KH,'"'y^« »' honndTno Mjoyed the health-riTteB^,i„ bwnble of the world at W that oame from the^HtTl.'l''' .•,?•» ""> ""tW delight E'agnificent domain wS^ow^t- *'^ the lainry of tf at opened its bri^h 1;^^°' ^*'"' 'he conralel^nt home stocked laiderstD them ^r^n u" P'**'"" «'^. it» wS Mt gardeners oultivaSd Ms of ^'' "^l™/"' their de^ TLey found tho™ their lon«--^';hKii^["°"-**'«^^« flowere And it was delightful to .£^fa^'''^ ''""■?<'' f^utyLdgr^' which for <»ntarii, h^'^^"°yj yo-^'MdmotherhSd^ np m sunless hovels, d^ng?f ^tht"""^^*" •'^^eiing, Ant ^nmoned to partake ofth* j°oy oftej'^^J*'*"-'™^*''"!/ belonging by right to ever^ hJ™ ' ""* '*'•" of happinei happiness at which i^umlbl^ T'""' "»« 1"^^ 8-ed fiom afar withou^-^af/^^Xtt^Tf'^^^^ •»8»n to l«nBh loJuy '' '*'°°'' » "" »' 'riUowi, Loo they might plsr beide thit^S^ ... * r*^?* "" °^^ "'"t w>t«r; and the arHni «# *u !v „ "* "o"* over the veiled^' torb^t«?^'i"'^J°?'f*' M»^eUe,wto»U mar: intrude". And^„'X hS" W^? °"^i '"*'°''" '*">^<' the» had been betmtEMa at^n^PaM. J"****- °''*"»"'' withNanet, Lonke^lTTt-; ' •?'" T"*"" ^toinette, Nlso thJh^Wr-i^t'' ^?S1 i?„'»-TW. declared said Antoinette, who felt Wghl^aiZl ""'^ *""" '*"" '''''■" not h.TO been a very a^g*"^ .""""^ "y """'"T oould effortt^^&J:«"^l':^ 'ie^P^. .w« maldng an moment! It seemT t^' me thft I^' ?"^ *"■ l"^*^^ * Uttle boat had to rb™„g°? b^ liS*a ' I^r'""-'?"' wheels ceased turning; and thtn^ore „f thfi^HT'""*,''" '*» rowly missed falling into the Cd-.^^ ',?" «"'/ ""- •ntraders. the litUe ban^ta nu.aw.von ^- '^^'^"^ tte approach.' ' ^ ""^ °° "«e">g some people WeffimT^'i^l^rihat'.^"' '"J"" «°"»"'»" of hope in tie%iX'^^J ^nfTn"^'*''''^* * -l"''*" Rested the reconoiliVtion wW^h ^ . """^ measure sug. its naive fr^raUy ^ ^t.Tl ^ ?"??• ChildhoodTn tow^»_ justice Z^. 7^^, tl-TU^^^,;: Ltpi^'2 J^^^JA. ':^i,i:AMiffr^^' Jm^j^:^^mM^M MICROCOPY RBOWTION TtST CHART (ANSr and ISO TEST CHART h4o. 2) i /^PLIED IMHGE Inc 1653 Eotl Main StrMt Roeh«t«r, Nnr York 14909 USA (716) 482 - 0300 - Phnn. (716) 288-5988 - Fm 36o WORK She, on her ^e '^.-ngly S'toS 'Vnr?.? -^nLothJ. " very good, becaiae hf i, „ieen " T»?i, ' '""' l"^* J"' we wiU marry him to one of tnn^^,;,»~,i*' ^"' ""' ^^ar Lno, manner the^o^ilSCwiirbeoS^nW*"^^'!"' "din that of yesterday will bennited Ind naoS flV" the combatants aeacendants. Are you wiCgV^^^^^irhrrSJl'r^tt? -A'of^KoXX'Za .°" «'-*-«'-dcMdren whi^t'sSet^tho'^^t' noT'^itf"-' '^f«1 »- -"'•'er, park, his fomeresrale H mao™,^,"""^' ^°°''«'l """d the out any bitterness, to su^h*tZ^dS^'%?''"'8^ '^*- upset and stupefied him. And ttTei th! ^ "" ""'' '"""W walk along the shady p^thrLfl Tn^ V ^ ^^""""^ «•»« changmgsmUeswhi/htoUthei?^k,y^^ ^"'"°' """"'y »" ™bifo%rMo7heletof''ti'^i°''™ they paused for . of the very room wh«™ \f • *"* ?^^' ""^er the windows that PoinTZ peTcred-Cw"/!^'"'' ^"^ died fSL trees-the distant 3a nfnfT" '^^ ""''« "^^ the great and the Abys" Tw' "/ed^tTiTi ?°^ *''» !'» 0'««We insUence. Thev wfnM ^i • ?P°i? ^'"'' spreading panorama boilt afresh XT^e Ks^'u ?,"^ '^^ ^fyssTw with It one sole oity of wo?k Jill Cr^ohene, and forming ransformed ini^^mJBpm7 b^^^^"^ "^^ '""">^^- JusUce and more lovHere bom th^^ *°^ 8*"* ?• More the waves of little sSg h?ust Lft?' """^S- ^nd waves which the anxionsD5av«n1fi.i m, greenery, those had flowed over the once bCku^^'^.?''"y''«l»»°cing. enlarging the future cUy Thev n^w T*"?'/ ?*"• «'» expanse from the ridee of tJ,/ ni '^''"P'^d the whole Mionne, and they woufd sL L« T ^°'^^'^ to the sweep away Old fieSrt1bat^,^y^ ?™^ *°™nt. to hovelsof servitude Td agony A^d '%''"»«™«<»' "^ the •" •' '«' -"« •-^^X^tiran'dTa^^ts.''"' ''"" IVOSJC 361 11 dIfJnf 1*™'"*^°°"" """yi^S Beauolair towards its new on i7.ii°J%'°""»' «*?• '"^ ^"torious. asserted itself, and on aU sides there came frequent marriages, drawine vaiiona W,™^ * J* '•■*. viotonous overthrew aU obstacles, tnumphed oyer the greatest resistanoe with a passion f" of te«rS; •"». ??'°='?° "^ J°y ''^o'" proclaimed in the broad sonlight what happmess there was ii being, in lovimr in creating yet more and more. ^ *' Tear^"a ?^nv n?^^^ 't' *''" ^^^P'"" ^""''B thelast ten ^!!f!^ Af^'y ?J.'^"« boys and two girls haa sprung up ?h^^ J "• ^'^^i ^H ^^^^^' •'0™ before the coUapse of the Abyss, was already eleven. Then, at intervals of two old-'Thlrrrf *'''''*"= «'"'^'««' "iow'snownLeyears old, Th^r4Be,who was seven; Pauline, who was five- and h^/l' ^^°Z^. ^^'^- . "^^ "•« ol^ P-'^Mon another sUuXe .iL„r ;»^>,ll !ff • ?^'^ ""^ '°, ""« sniUing Josine, the con- ftn^fiTlnl. 't "f ««'«'° sp™°« largely from that triumphant fruitfuhiess. In Josme, the amorosa had now largely givei wav to he mother; yet she and Luo were stiU loversf fo'r k™ S not age It remains the eternal flame, the imiortal brarie? whence the Ufe of the world derives its being. Cer haS a th.~ tw '^\ !?''*"• ^^^ "^ey '°^ed one another so well ten^J^r?*^"^™* ^^^ ''■em by. Whenever any reco InffZ™ ^itJ"'?"' Pf^i Fe*°"e^. when Josine recaSedher ^TZ^ *^* aownfaU in which she would have perished «^,iAl^%^°' ^°^ ^"^P'°8 hand, she flung her arms ^^^^4T\ "■ ?• '"J'P"" of mexhaustible gratitude, J^m l!^-'^u" °u^ emotion, felt that the iniquitous op^bri^ from which he had saved her rendered her all the dearer to -:.^?°*''u'"?! Nanet, who was now becoming a man, lodged GiL"^'t^f * ^\',^« "''"■' " »" still call^'JS wii^ J^ ^ ''*'° intelligence and an enterprising braven^ which was ever on the alert, the young foUow captivated W whose dearest pupil he became, a youthful ''sciple fSll of the rl 36a tf^OXK MMterB lessoM. And raeantiine at »),- t -, honse wisso near to LmTi«« Htti^N-'**'*"" ' ^^o^ growing np in the affeotionVt; eW». /* ?"*' "" ^^^^ given her . home on the morro "5 th- fc"^' ''«' '"^ Abyss, happy in beiuK able t^^nnti * ^e«t™otion of the Bhe founri ohan^^ng^l'^"l*^y°™e girl, in whom followed thai Nanet an! S'^^?" T »««"»»»*• And it ended by living soIeW on« f™ ♦S^? '"'* Mother every day. did not tbeHeSal date fr?m°fc ^^ ">»«erof &S days when child-love div?n!h? "wwoy, from the disti.;,t with a craving to be 'to«tho,<^"S?™«"' ^'^ ^^ them punishments ind even tt^'JS,'*?"8*''"» ^ b^ve S tad been fair and ZlylibfiiTSf,!^?'^?' ^ meet ? They how silvery had seeme^'thdr Uuihtrwh™ hose days, anS they embraced, knowinc nothing ffk * *' **"*" meeting she the boury^e bTbU tT,« i 7^*' Parted them sooiaUy. «chin of thTreetB%ft,'^eT»n'„/''^^~i'^»'« ""« worker. Then had oimeXe WMfT °' ' ""'"hed manual aaved by Nanet, to whZ neoW wT"* "l^""""' ^^ covered with bins and at ^.r^^ . "'"fS' •»*•» "'them And to-day alsjThey^ereffhfenn^ "• ."'"T' »' ***". to the same light laughtet as in 1^/v.'"?^' ""^ 8»^e vent »?>ilarity of dtmeanoS « J o^etitl"!.^' l^^ ^^^^"^ » Nise had now become a big rirl W^w ""* .°u'^«'- ^ut adored one another * ^ ' "*' * ■"« y^th, and the" wasmLS?a'^!^i?S'arS '^. '»"«». -hilst L„o to grow up in kiXess^ul' bea„t! '^•'* u^*? J'^'P^* ^ise years of age at the time of the te™"?."!. ^^f^^^od^heen thirteen mother, whose rem^s had b^T^^,"' °' h^UXhei and wisethatnothingof them was fo^nfl^S^.u*" «J'«.in «moh burnt house. For loiwTe^th«^i^^L"'*I*°'»*"*8 »' the tion of that night, ffi ™ „„* ^^ shuddered at the reooUeo- BO far ae that was^^oeTed i^°^'"^''*"°'«"i«ge; wait nnta she should T^w^n^^f^' ^^ '^'"ds wishef t<^ might come to a fiT and 8«T,!,?kY ^ °'^" '^*' "J-* herself himself was ver^ y^rherSder hv^"""?- .^^""^ N^e' still an apprenScJ. ^ith thK''X?5;'irr ^'^' «"1 over, sunply intent as they were m' Jfit^ °"''^«' "ore- they themselves were in no hlL S±"8 ^"7 *<««*her, •AotioMie kiM. Bat amidst their oordial agreement there k. ™ P^ . ""^ '"""■ ' »''« P"* on l»er princess's airs as ^^t,Tt ^ r"^"^ ^8""' l"' wmetimeS though? W 't^ S^ 'i.^ 0°f^ "' ^ ?.'"" ""^ of the/<^at whfoh sh^ WS-^;»|.? T™* 'i ''?* "°* forbidden to appear beautifnl-on the contrary ; but it iras not right to spoU o^s beanty by assuming an sir of contempt for othera. At first Ntee, m whom reappeared some Uttle Sf her mothert pasrion for enjoyment and her father's despotic diZriaonr^ew st^twV" "" f^'^^"^' -^^ endeavou^to de^n wtt .^^-rt^'^'S'i?""?*": ^•" " Bheworshipp^ slri42^ ^ *^ ^Z confidmg in him, Hstening to him, S St3ri^/ *"f Y^y becoming the best and gentlest of Uttle women. And when, as sometimes happened she did not TOcceed m this, die remarked with a uSRt if she ^n^iT"" ^^^ t *"'8''*« *be latter would no doubt be M^of tt**'^ ''««!«l''>»"«e it was necessa.^ ttat the blood of the prmces of this world should have time tobecoma TSr,^-"""^^ \r'? '•«"'"'^'7 «°« of descendaX"" Nan^t ! Jlt^^^ "' ^"* took place, wW Kise was twenty and Wanet twenty-three years old. It had long been wished for foreseen, »n^ awaited. For seven years not a diy h^XsS iT^°° Anf P '"X""^ ^^^ d*«me4».« of the foZg ^d= T.i ^^ ^-^^ mamage of Delavean's daSghter^tt thebrother of Josine, who was now to aU intentf wd Z? poses Lao s wife, extmgnished aU hatred, and sealed a Ct of aUiance, there was a desire that it should be made a ».nT!^~^*^"*'f8 forgiveness of the past ,^d the newZn wri^^'5^»r^f'^'°'° the future With this oWe~1t ^^ siW twt« ■^°'^^ ^ ^^^ '^^ dancing r he very site 01 the Abyss, in one of the halls now erected the™ as an adjunct to La (Mcherie, which at presentT.^ ovH acres and acres of ground, and ever and ever grew Luc and Saurette were the organisers and masters of the for Ni^ T^o^'i^S^"^* ?*'"*f ^" N»°«*- "-d Sceurette o^iLJ^ ,7- ^'^ *° ™P*'* *o the festival aU the splendour of a triumph, to endow it with the gaiety of how?a fomhnent, to make it Uke the very victory of ttie dty of Xk and peace, now founded and prosperous. It is iood^Lt n^^T^"" ^5"^^ ^/°'8e in%reat reioici^gs" S We needs frequent days of beauty, joy, ,4 exXtiin. Thug 3«4 ivoji/r ■Ihe bnok walls, too wam nJ^ ^x**," "" »noient times »;n-s effort fo JZ Win .T^ e'^'t.^'t.""'"''^ of leading solely to happiness. '""^' ■"" »<>'' attractive wd bridXrClVtr^ro^, /r. «■" '«'- of the whole population of tK«-™:' t*"* heroine NiBa tT i^toteZf r^l°4f5„"«^ 'i'ty. where all work w« itop^' fTr *i?'"'' ''^° »* 'l>at time W not '^t'*'* .*•"« Boisgelins Th«i "^ wedding was only to tekl'nl ""^"^ Antofiette, Then came the Bonnaires t6« R™ ^ "* '"" ye»™ late" «deed, all those who^s h>S ^""^".I "'*° the Fauohuds work. Those men IT^^T^^^^.H^ "■« 'i'to^^ IVORK 36s S:ddLi;rTh^^«uL';-r' who.. „„«be„ .m a JeS'^rflK f„«a ^i^?' °/ "i' powerful m'^tj and WaSiTft 4b IZ ZL^^'I "^ ""'o ""serous, Bnt in^l flirr ' '",* *'*™'' """"e of life. 366 WORK the «ged rang their weuSft' i^"'^ »»P"8.,in which their toil, the women HhTK^ » i ' ^* '"*" the triumph of ward. o>me the d«noes IrithT^ ♦ i '^•"" '•°P««- After- which brought aU tut b«th«rl5??*i "^"""^ ""^ »''»'". stretching ont\tta reTOlT,w!f' J*"'® P«°P'« ^x^d in hand murio, tSroi^h the h^„*f tK ^1°" *° ""> »'«^8 <>' 8*7 formerly touTaomncfLds^er^"*' ""^• '^"^ ^ Brimv, unhealthy inferno whiluj f° ?""* "> the dirty, the/ameshadswe^'^°ay''"^e,un£'l J^*"..""! *h^' now entered freely. And the 7n»,Sl ''*•."'* ""■■ ""^ !««. went around the huw annlln. '^* "^* *"" ««°e "wd formidable *te^ hZne™ Z '• "■« «'1°'"»1 P^eaaes, the 'Wch wo,« a^iRSit UnlT*J£ Pl»"^8°««'hine8, flowera and foliaBrwhikuTn ,„ ^'^ ^"^ adommenta of dance, aa if Xr^'^^'UZi^'^ ~"^'f '^ t^e morrow of increase in ennit, .L / ^ ^ '^o" thlnga, that of UieirlongXtiS^^'L^*^''-"'^"**^"'"? ^ |a«rr^7reta"'^'''»^'^»i'«i h7;it^r^^,-->-i-'^^^ fallen and it wm qSte Zk ^b.^V.*'' Y^*" *^« "ig^t had thom»nd. of Tm'pa eS^'g the «v S^h^ ^^/'^'ylfow.d. the rface. Jordan's rea«Sdief ^^L^j"."' ^':*™« """^ Jielfed fruit. After nWdrf^ta ^TlJ^^^^}^ »' '"' *- ■ .rt of electSr?ot'-wi?blf'',!:ff '.r^- ?or_the transport 7f .S^TorUh'^^f'^t'eiXr gemoua means of transSon Mf^? Tf? mg coal was saved^^K™. ?/"'**>?*»' trooroSi^.r^^rsai'^'^^^^^^^ mouth, and the SafhiSery whiohf,;>n 7"" ''^"■' »* **"> Pifs electrical energy sent U ^ ^ te°'?"?*^ °^°"'»' ^to which allowed of no loss on tl,« I °''*™ by special cables, cost price was now orjy ha?f of Jh ^' ^ V't "^ """t the This then was a first ^eafv?cto^'''Ll' ^^^j^^^^ly been. lUummed, power distributed aSwi ^'^berie profusely and the si^ appWeR «r,m»^ ■ '''""°"8''°'b the largi and fortune auSeT' Zd°a1 ZT^' T'^'' ^acilitat^t tual^afreahs(l^towaristajpfnes3 ^^ '""" '* "« '^- When Jordan, on beholding the festive Ulumination WORK 3«7 »nte^ Lao'i .freotioMte intention, he b*g.n to Uagh in»ti;J',I#'?L'1'°^u~/°° S"^' "»« • •»"9'Wt tool Ai • Ihirtli^i'**^" T"^ "• '" " yo° """* remember WhS fe?"*°l*? '?'!• "■* problem for ten long yeanl ••^n^ '~^' T't ^•'~'' ^^ I "o* encounter wWl he Bh^S^ l»"8Wn« with ais friend, whose courage and faith \\J} """T ^' f? "*"•■ «"3 be in reply ; 'yon are the tt^JSrinJ'T- ^^ "^7°/ «"■"«'• loftier master of^er^ JSdT.l«tl^T*'*^'°'**^; y°" •""« P"' ^"'"'e" to flight and as eleotnoity at present costs so little, we shall be able to ^^'«^.' ^'"'" '•~^* .H <^'^'"'"'^ to replace the sun m ^w^Tm^'^k'"' "^ *° *^« abundance of mechanic^ S^ i^il t- \ ^T T**""' ?"« ""^ »'"' «"ffioo» for work «ih^™i.L ° ,r ».'.° ^ «>°Ployed. Thus we acckim you tJ^*" °' ''8^' ""^ warmth and power.' 6o„i™J7S ."J"^!^- " f ™8 which BoBurette, fearing the ^fe?' tbe evenmg, had thrown over his shoulders, waa 1^1^^*.'* *,*" ?"«?,J^'' •"'"'"I ^'°' °ow sparkling Uto tbf^i ° .*»7l»°^- Short and puny, with a pS^ face and the feeble air of one who is on the point of dying, he stroUed about those glowmg haUs, examining them c^ousT f^ teL*^' ^i *«°,y~" be had s«ioely stirred ^m hU ^^U*°*7- ^^™ ¥ marvelled at the results already ob- W h,^™™Tfu °' * r'*'."' "^"^ ^« bad been botL the least known and the most active artisan. n„ '«;»* eleotneitv everybt^y. spread TSo«,t.„'S'" ^'^^^ ^ P^ it to agent of universal comfort/ ' "^ °"^'' '* toe^ctorion. "°:%°'"l'"">ilentandthonghtfiU ^ ' •" " " »• « ^ belong'to'7v^tdrw;;'4e''r'r' i"'"'"' l-oWcity will breezes or theTe^Jg.'^ft^S Z^J "''."^»'' «J^e dMtly to one and all, and ^X^^^V^- P^» " 'bun! they choose. It must cirouUte ^ ^,f **° ^K« °^ » as blood of sodal life Tn ...v. u " ""^ ^owns like the »» t»« on a .\Soh or a tenM""* *""' °»"" me^y Uy72 «"gbt. Atni^S'tiij^^^tEX&T^^W^t anothet sun, wiSoh will eTt.vrl7i2^^u**7' *'*'*rioity will set oppress winter, it^Sl bri^^.*'' *^' "*«"• An^ U ^f warming the old cLS^ and^ '^??»', •°»'»er into betag among the douds^Thi^s "hTl^* V*" ""» "">'' ^ of what I have done «. w ,'./"" °°' Particularly nronS aU that has to bf "^omprsLd ' " "^ ^^'^ "'"« ^^ 'Me^of -n^tnL^e^'^;,?t±ytl.^W^^ and for that to boTshZd nS^! ^^^'P'o^'^wmoneati™ of the rivers a^d ^^^Zl^ToiXCl' """ ""» "»^" - »"e to give it in a floo§t^1tt„n^^- £ J wox/r 369 ewe to escort N.nSt wffi to thSr i?*? i"^*" *•"• »^« Mdimationa in honour of thfl™..!? ?''J'H»' *!<"»•. M>id«» . About thia time lov'ukewii' r«^ t^ H, »fiW tti.in. of Beauelair, and it ™ S^h^ r "'T?*^ "" ^rgeoUi, idler, liriag on toeir^^oZ th.t .w °' *''• MweUes, thoae Their d»nS™ lSu!™ hS ^" '^* '*"P«''* *»' !>""* foi^ « .difTer.nTw.atni'tl'llirthrn'^ "^ "P"'*''^ •otiTeandenterpriainffBirl .hi *" °^"- ^ extremely d«,laring that "S?' "efa*w<;i'd' WI T//' r"' *" ""> '"°"~' pUoed their great delicht in^«.v fl- ^" Pwents, who She WM «, only ch?ld,l2id ttev an^^' bj utaleaa agitation, fortune invested in State^.„^!'' 'S^ ''°"''* ^"^ » very fine »ble in refu^g to ah'St ^^^{"''"'"sienotunrSson! ri.elte,jdfrom the worries of u, ?%hev*h "°" °°?''' """ content with their ecotiatin.i i!. • *'' "" P»wnt», were did •he *™ubleXuf the'l.felZ^'",!*^/ "»*"fo™ were oh»nging the world ifiT-v^/i ''^^•.*?' '^eaa which qmw, full of life, taldngTwLionftf'.nif "fV^^^ •« <>' • and thua. amidat herl^rc^lov- fc^* "" !!"7'bing; great deal of atupefaoUaTat hf^nl ? i"' uf ' "■*" ''w • unlike themselves: At St .1- „n^S ' ^"e^ter so utterly de pa„ion. ariwoh they haM«^,?P«* "T" ^J " cou^ shoulders, thinWngitMme »««»»? «"npW gWged the& K>on came to such » cWi S,!f^h ""'i" '*'i°- ^nt things of the world to be at Cd '^ ^""'" •*"•"«* «>« end Dela'^^rwKL^tSSymeraVti!"^ °' ^- boats which travelled bvth^mL.1 "^ °u '°°8«' °»de little Luc's gnidan "Had Cmel'r' °^" ^* '""«'. but under mechanician, destined to Jf^r/Jf'T ""«^«m' and inventive where he abeadvfi^^^p'^f^f^'"''^'"*'' toLaCr&herie. ■ «=<»«i.ur, he took afort^^f 't^t^^^, ? -"1-^ J BB 370 fyOJfJT •impl* workman, likg bii f.ther, whom be reverod A.M n« dont* In th. .M.„t loT. with which L^J^Zin^fh^i br S^t.ron,Tn't t^' "'• "" "*""»• r.b,IliKich fiSSTtlTfrCih. /?i *f«7V«>" notion.. Mid to behaT« dif- SLtV^t?,". ^••i!*"'"*:?'.'''"'* '•••° •ttMhm.nt of th~ S«X^i!' """""B fi"-'. 'nded by loving her quit, m t^flL^A f T f^'r i^ *•■• "0" "Monf bl. of th. tw" M i /*!? *" ''"'■' noWy's feelings. He suffered »t the idea tha she was too refined and too rich for hi™ riLpW X.LS .r'^t'11; ' '"^'"''2' " '"« ""•'l °°» have her! Whereas she, at the mere thought of opposition to th.i; mamage, became wildly rebellious, and taC of throvrin J up portion and fortune to go and liV. with him °* par^?."i^£!foJ[fif "■°°*''«,tl"' battle went on. Luoien's ^Si iu' * '"■ ~""°°° ""*«• '<""'^ much have prefenS ^onTi^w^k "^^Ty,""""* •"»'••" '''"'gl'ter. TimebaSiSSSS aone Its work, and there was no reason to be proud of seeinv th.^SSr'lJ? *"°"!'" "'*"'' o" *»'«' '"n of aiiughtaro? the expiring 6oarsreo,rie. All the profit of such an alC^ wou^d soon be on the side of the 4o«««,Z itISf wh?«h a «d'S;M''^' ^P'' in orde/C^S^iS'iSd l«t 1 J^ B'rengtt. Quarrels on the subject of the matohat last broke out m Bonnaire's household. Bis wife the nmn^ "d^^r'ble Toupe, would doubtless ha^ cons^Knn itlTi h if^'i *'''°8}'! "' *•" evolution now ii proRm, Suv fihf »"J^.»"~n8dber craving for domination SK ?aav cifp^l f *^ •"•« •""*^' disposition even in her prewnt saw oircumBtances, often reproaching her husband fornot reiiow, wao had done no work for years past. HowevBr wh=„ ehe heard Lueien declare that eve/if he^should m^ Lout home ZT-^'f,! f'^l^^'" '""noybould eveTJnter hfs home, she quite lost her head, and in her turn onnosed th. mat^. smoe it would not bring her any profit ^^^ Toun?' BoZC^"*.,T "-^"^^ wplanation between La ioupe, aonnaire, and Lnoien, in the DreaancB nf n.jj!. They had just fimshed dining in the brieht olean^;nin» ' «»m, who«i window opened onto the^Tg!;^„^.%°i^ h»ve oeaaeu toMtiL hi, * "y«iing for u« tou might hther i^m^^lf fJ'tf; '""* '°" '""'* ""»' both j-ou, ide.oft"»tmISage" ' '"' °"*°' over-plew^i with'the ^^P)y »ia: -But i"5JLTth2^iK',^rti^^! h«^°po^he^\rb^i^T•^,''^/,^J]t:i2i'ad'''^^^^ "?«' your eonieut without wninff me of itV^^V u^"" ?"' than a fortnight ago thatmiol » m. Jl '"' '"'^ "• '«" about like a weather-ooolt, eh ? • ^ ^°^ *^' I think and hell do ^h7Llb^^- ^' ^'^' »'"'* you ^J, yfur!^^.''?^ ^Jrr- '"».'" «~^y f°» over; the««S7«fKre« SS^alr? ''^•"' «""y saying be«. here with MrnZur L^r/ou Ve'T^JdX^ ' '?.""'* what you've donrCtC^ "'' ^''"'P'' y°" ^P" '»«*'' 37* WORK dream about." ' ' ™ "'°'« iourgeoU whom yon l.ere!ta^b7'^^,^»^e^inore -A, forwhat exiat. never nnderatood anrthin/of « l^'*!" " *° ""e- '»' I've you ijre happy, aoSSf be ter'frvo^rv'f^'' «"''• '" no, I'm not. HappineBs is »tl„ Z°" =,''"' I m not happy. your division of profits, yointo™, th^ ''"" "8»«ole, cheaply, your coupons andTour p»»^^ T °°* ««'« *>»uiga hundred thous-md francs intoT^^V^.^'"'^' ^' "ever put a tbem as I please, oaXgs°wh1Jhn?kl!°T **'''' ^ "'^ "P^d Me^f in iatr^t m^ ,t witted nature, Te^n'tinnedn.'aInlT.f'^^^^^ "♦"'bor^ dull" U should have been fall ofloSS* ' *'°°" » '"^' "i-*" • You*S:rad»' fTX'lLr "■ j^ - f" « to Bay to her • us too I • • " " '"" "'■0 make yourself unhappy „d emfcr^htev^uc^ S^; J"--, "^o f^t very parents, had to em»« «Z ^f^''^"' »«»9 between hS tell her that he lov^ ^d «»^. ^1°"' "'«' k*™ her and olnng to herviewrimd sLuK\*'*'i. Neverthel«a Se Mk my lather what he thinks of ,!?„,*" ?°'*'.»°^- ' ^ ' Ju8« body has » share, and that wonl^l "'"J^ ^ ''*''''>' evity! of yours, whicb kre to WMn«^t!^ '"*"?« »°^ happineb workman, he ia I v™ "generate the world. He's an nu ivo/ijr 373 I n>7 fether, J«Ci W?*" r'^""!'*"!; ,?'««>. with whom worked. Rerre ffi ^a bLS^^*'""'' ^"« Bagu' together, two wireSrswho^Z ?>:"'*'""' **" «"««« now you see the Qurimons kre m«f!? ""*. '""« »°^'- And •nd the Bagug hsv"«mZ^ ^T -^"^ 8^^»' millionaires, Things oJil^^^^^'^^fi'^. *«y "«" »'«f°« weU as thev are ' °°* """" ''«l'"e that the, are him^l'rno^f^i?,^!^^^^^^ r '"^dcomeover thin A^e'tLS^'^XaH^^^^^ ^ "'PP- '"at «rame, whom you s™^of hti i„ "•' '™«Past- Monsieur < V , ''*°''~'"'w's that ? • he owc^X^Sri^Ts^^^^ rS" '""^ ^^'^ ''"'"' oconrred a long time a^o XiS^ ' ^°" ^member ? it yes,?i^i^a"csnirsin'::iirw^r^'^i •;i^^ ^-- money baek he was ^ fi,i • ^*^' '' "" ' ^eU, if he gave his Da^J\:^^t'C'nr'i^?i^,rir'*?p'-"'''y' '« big fortune likefte 0^?«w^- "' ^y'l'U'e but making a miter, an iSf genaer"^",??' "" ""^^l^ e^Joy life like a tiU nicht TW h.l ' ^J"" »mu8ed himself from mominc of the%MeSltnSbr"ke1 d'o',^'^'' ?T/', " '«^""»' sole regret was that tw w" „rV"P'°'i^*^^^««'''l'o»8 exploiteis. ^ '"^ ""' ''««n bom among the criiT' Fatfc'tl^oh"aZl"^» ''"«''• ' y°» »«« ' • Bbo the ian to start^on a „M°°' " 1°" '"^»'« »"! he's not andwhe„;?rra?i;h\ttra^^r-' ^^^^'-oneyl tl^e .tubbo^^rsh'^w^„l4 -- ^„ t &^S il !:l 1 . ' 374 WOJIX PM»di8e, in the midst of firatemul happineBs, denyiiur lis Just then, however, Babette Bourron came in Unlik* La Creohene, where work had become uSit^^v ^ «S't^thrr' ""^ "^ "^^^ amidst cfmforfo^e"? „.,„„.' ° "slecided, eh?' she exclaimed. 'Lud^ in iT^u^ t^!i^"'d°"°?V''''°°' ^ ""«* this mamlng.' lia loupe turned white with restrained wmth *tl,rj.t for ha^"^ *«'^2' •'°=^»- '*'°°' Bhe had ne^forl^' whom^aSS ^d fc^'S'^P"""*' "^ ^- t^^«^ hanSome SZ' »i? ^'"*' °»°«°'er. » number of fc °p3'ahXl^4°^CTK);':ir«.:^ Tw broS rT Ye't t^ Jr*' ^T^^ ^"^ ^ "*'-^ liL a ladv Th»t wl ^^u- °'*v.*'" ''«»™'8 » bo^et do nothug but aggravate me, so just let me be I ' ' '°" Then she rushed out of the room, bangingthe door behind hM,^dleavmg the others in silent UaS^^tstt of her friend, whom she indulgently pronounoed to be "^ wox/c 375 arauiKe mSte™ T!^ ^7' V '^„'° P™™se that he would femlyiMs Wo^i .J f^? tappioess at the mercy of spoU thefts of b«th.X^,*rP*' '^*»''' ""ffi"" "■«" to They spent a whole night talking ft over and S H^' daughter to a worianan ? Thev felt t W "^.^ f -^ ?f be deniaivo . fi^.iTtT i- ' . "'*' *""" a Union would 06 deouive. a final abdication on the part of the bomgi^ Ml' 1^ IM 3/6 WOXK governir.g classed sh^'d°bl"«Sn^'J~^^^^^ floJ^ry IS where th^f I,.? '*''*.*'• '** *''«" » '^ei; steetogel faS^'to face S C« ^^PJ?* '"x.'^'^y ■^''' '^V''. at their r<^X'^.fJ'^^iT^l^^^'^^f^^^ was obliged to absent him..lfTl • T^*"?^" the other aimg th^L^Cf hi.^,ML I * ''*?' H'^^^d.'" Ohatelard's Bon iohille! whorZafut \'^''!«,^^^^^^^^ WOXK 377 ?"i' u 't *? """T"*^' I'^onie l^d captivated her grandfather, he had resigned hinuelf to opening hia door to her S^.nli ll t «" TS" •>»d/o">»lyre^ellelagainEthisantho. «ty, and that Ma-Blene, of whom he atiU oooaaionally spoke f m»^?f £•- ,'u'"' 'V°".*l^ eipresaed it, it waa hard for tim, fi.^nl^*'?'*''/"' of lawful marriage, to receive at his flreaida a couple of revolutionaries, who had simply espoused one another under the atara one warm summer's night; But the times were aoatrange, such extraordinary things happened, that a charming granddaughter become a very acceptable present, even although she were the offspring of impenitent free love. ChAtdard had gaily insistedon reclnciliati?^ ; and Gouner, amce hia aon had been bringing Wonie to see him. Cr^chene, though, to hia tainking, it had hitherto remained a source of oatastrophes. oiuoiudub Judge Gaume and AbbA Marie were late in arriving that day at the Mazelles', but the latter could not refrain from explaining their position to the sub-prefect and the mayor. aWe wW? '*°'*° tteraselves to their daughter's unreason- ^u^' '°j ^ certainly understand. Monsieur le Sous- l^«et, aaid Mazelle in an anxioua but pcmpoua manner, apart from the gnef which such a marriage would cause ua we have to consider the deplorable effect which it would have BOoiaUy, Mid our heavy reaponsibility towarda distinguished i^Tb ""^ '■ "*"' °'*"' *° ^ *°"'« towards They were seated in the warm shade, perfumed bv the cUmbmg rosea, at a table with gay-coloured napery, on which Blood aeveral diahes of httle cakes ; and Ch4telard, still a well- groomed, fine-lookmg man in spite of his years, smiled in a discreetly iromoal manner. < We are already in the abyss, dear Monsieur Mazelle,' he repUed. ■ It would be very wrone of you to put yourself out about the Government, the authori- ties, or even fine aooiety, for only a semblance of these things now exists. I am atUl aub-prefect and my friend Goarier la Btall mayor, no doubt. Only we are scarcely more than Bhadows, and there la no longer any real, aubstantial State behind ua. Aad it la the same with the powerful and the wealthy, a little of whose power and wealth ia carried off each aucoeeding day by the new organisation of work. So don't take the trouble to defend them, particularly as they themselves, I J *f W: 378 WORK , He WM fond of that sW?' ^ ■ !? *•" O"^' ' ' Bpnngiag from the ruinB. MnS ' "'■'^ ""' » "•'' <»>e wa. place ial-arig. the anoW e^fil '^"T,,.''^*"'^ ''"« *^ 8jvmg place to a ^^Ao^ZZT" ^'^.'^°8 <"<»" byS »'^^^-i^'tbru^intT4V£tj;.^%7iX^ the husband exclaimed .-'B^ilv^^flf"^ on the little oakes. to each a point ae that 1 l^H 1°/°" ""?'' "« threatened of reducing .:ie intereet on Bfn°r8 • ' '*" '^' P*"?'" t^mk before Sr"lt»Wy^ Ztf^' * tl'f '"l be euppreased plan will be fo„„d fo? C^Bs^B^f Sf. ^^ • "' "tbir. aome "ban't haVtoe B^of'J^n''' "*^"^'^«: 'Ibope that we poor daughtJi'x^X'i.y r°« rj* f ^"»y ' B»t »:: wasonforcompellinehertomii.' *?"' " •" additional are no longer pos.ifi8,STh«r;^?; }^?'«°od maniagea todisappeiS. Sit i«%Sh,^Ill ^'"'/^ Jnheritanoe ig abSat «amed ooaple wiU h.:ft?^Kri^r\ ""-'""^ «""" whether your danchter Lnnil; ■" °'^ happineea. And worhnan's son, tTe capiwTthe ^? ' ^«^" «« «^a beidentical-so much fove if tL?r^7'f''"'^P'^'ai soon s.a'i s£,-°a 'Jssr^X' ssjss son;m-Uw, eh ? ■ P' *"*' ^»"»en Bonnaire aa our «."°;=fes4. ik'swctt.^„" loon- > «o WOAK 379 fond of one another, it Is »t least oertain that yon wiU make them happy. Gouner had hitherto said nothing. He felt ill at ease at bmns; oaUed upon to decide snoh a question— he, whose son had gone o£f to hve with Ma-Bleue, Uiat wild girl of the rooKs, whom he now received in his highly respectable middle- alass home. At last an avowal of his embarrassment escaped hm : 'That s true ; the best thing after aU is to marry them. When their parents don't marry them the young people take ftemselves off and get married as they fancy. Ahl m what times are we living I ' ., j 04 nimu He raised his arms towards heaven, and Chdtelard had to exercise all his inauence to prevent him from falling into black melancholy. Gonrier's old age-foUowing on a some- what dissolute life-was fuU of stupor; he constantly fell asleep, at table, m the midst of conversation, even whilst walkmg out of doors. With the resigned air of a once terrible employer of labour, whom facts had vanquished, he ended by saying: 'Well, what else can be expected? After us the deluge, as many of our class now say. We are done for ' u J'7?? *^ **"' moment that Judge Gaume arrived, much beMnd ^s tame. Nowadays his legs sweUed, and it was only with difficulty aiat he could walk, helping himself alone with a stack He was nearly seventy, and was awaiting his pension, fall of secret disgust for that human justice which he had admmistered during so many years, contenting him- self the wh'le with strictlv applying the written law, Uke a pnest who no longer beheves, but is sustained solely by dogma. In his home, however, the drama of love and betoayal which had wrecked his life had pursued its course stubbornly and pitilessly. The disaster, which had begun with the smcide of his wife, had been completed by his daughter Jjucile, who had caused her husband, Captain JoUivet, to be taJIed m a murderous duel by one of her lovers, with whom she had afterwards eloped. The police were seeking her, and Gaume now bved alone with her one chUd, Andr*, a delicate, affeotaonato youth of sixteen, over whom he watched with anxious affecbon. Buffioient misfortune had faUen, he felt • avenging destiny, punishing some old unknown crime, must go no further. Yet he still wondered to what good power, what future of true justice and faithful love he might guide that youth in order that his race might be renewed and at last wm happmesE. fn ii!l 38e It^OXJC Judge Q.»CimStiUtolf?.iSm.!i T„^»'»"' Bo"""'*. them— pMtionl«^ H tkli "«/»»»« = 'Marry them, vumj ove,^ ob.taole,!"*y;-St"a^^^^ lo*^ intent on pre8eJlduri^sW«w'*/™"l^*°'' ''''''''''•• daoions ririditv of7«m!f^*' hig last days hie wonted men- •Imahimjustnow anHi w™^*"^ ^"''' ^« '««™ed. ^alo3^«one\Tt"l;r;'J^\n:h^^-^^^ who had remained a dVvoS^^ • ^^"^f^ Gourier, would stiU be onre if the dlZf !,»/ .^?**"'-. . ^^^ "P"b"<> us. It was thev who nra^ «?/ *'^,''°' '"«^ *° t'J'e "from and become thT^TMters^ ^""P^* "" *° "P"'* e^«ything Mar^^iSfs^^^TtTi^^^rstrn-- :^~' ^"W do quite riiht. MSam«^,.™n ^ *"!.,1'"P*y eburoh. You bouquets fo? the v1?^ . *'""'"'' ^ ■"»" "»<^« bim some «J^T flu\?^fCbririft irr^f '^r."^ «"> Pri-t of the roses. In l^nno™ h? u ??^bt amidst the perfume Wthful parishioner M^ame'S'a.'eUe d^nbr"* '^ ""'* hun,but she was not reaUyrbeUever ■ futhtt fif*""""?? ^ wligion was aomethin)? ornam«mt!T - w i ,' ** '""Jb* w ?he was a right.rld^7r;^~fflb'L' r^t^'*'' """ ignorantofhia destiny-he wotiM»nmTy i? ^^^^ '*■ »o' he awMted the SrstiU oeleZi/tK '"S^"^ *° ^» &*« : unawareof the ^^^^"^.^^^1^^^'^.^^^^ tvoxx 3«i HU oLuroh WM beoomiDg emptier and emptier, ajin« a little of the great ornoiflx, which .till h.5.g toTm tte 4«U And As it happened Madame MazeUe was far too much niuut -Witt ^ ■?? steamed in the caps of bricht porcelain S! •/"?»/ gilded the little cakeg^ying ifth^^S diahee. Andahe went on shaking her big, plwid heS^ for ?ii ' ?"* '°"^'«« '°»''^ ""I'y be the last blow '.S5 1 cannot make np my mind to it ' patie^d.^'"*'" ^«""^M»^elle; 'wo will exhaust Lonise'e But all at once both hnsband and wife wb™ ti,n« j— »_ u for Louise herseU stood before thlmamZ^the„^t»«i at the entrance of the arbour. They hTd ffneSd h« iTr room on her couch, suffering from that lovTS^efa whi,£ Jn^h! 1: ?~'°'^Novarrf, contentmeirZe ^i^c^^' No doubt she had guessed that the others were dwiJingha fate, and with her beautiful black hair just caught up in^f flSwL .tl^h^J ^"""g-g"'" with a patter^ Me red n^S^' t} ^T^V"" K'^ *"»*«• Quivering with t^ S^ith.* Ii"T**^.^"' ^« ^'^^^ charming %ith he? wmewhat obhquely-set eyes gleaming in her slender fwa It^J^L'^'fr'^'^y'^'^e^'^^ the gay sparUe ™™^.''T^"'*'''*''°"^' ^Pol'e'' 1>7 herpa^Zts -Ah rn^ma I ah, papa I what was that you were Sf ' she .-f^onl?-" Ti?"^? *»' some merely chuffLrice Mm question ? I've told you already, and I teU you mS" I wish Lucien to be my husband, and si he shall" • ^ ' * ;i.„„i* "& hajtoonquered by the sudden apparition of his Wius'^ft^W ?t*'" ^^"^ ,'° et^uggleagainsfKTvitable you were to have mhented, is already in jeopardy, lo it ii ,i| im 3«« tyoxx ^^^}!^'C^f «"- ^y you wiii fl„a ,o«™.„ Then LoniM «nl!vj^ » "•nmble m»m»ge.' •Yon, mot:;^i^P'„1f„J^^ -Pj;b. /oyer ^*«^ r-uoien wiU earn mrb^ for S.^ '^ '?X? ""J •» Wpj. to quiet her b, .t Iwt 4eS tS h.. f "»*"»>:»«» wiion. were not peopl/to oTtirueffiJ'."th.'?".^ J*""''". 'W d«y. in j,e«,e. As for Sub.R.«Sf /n,*,!? !2'HS^ '" ™^ '»>«' Md Judge Gaume, whUst drfSlriS *W^'"» <^°°"«. sweeping them away lilie bite of^Sl. nS"'" ^'^ '<"« oonsjnt to what one Lnot p^v^t "■ ^ """* "•<^« oeptiM.. •OurfrifndttrTriBht^w?'^^ -oaroelyper- It « our children who maTe Jhe Ei,*^;". "^ ''°°« ^"- "^w tookX°'S'thl^"'=lte*rorr ^"^ ^^o ment prevaUed on hiefriani nT^ . •"■ Pe"onal amuw the toTO-hall on L wJddl^f ^"k'?*"" '°.,P''« * «nwd baU at ffooJ joke to make Lb^^tLui B*^ ^- *i'°°«''* '* » weddmg, which became a sS of (he ™?,ih^-,''?°" '* 'W" to power. Thev wmil,l ,i!„ .. * """"titude'e aoeeaaion thattown-ha^I whilh wLf^ZS^""* '3^' »' »uthoi%?a house, where tC mayor i^sn^fc'"'"^ !?!? "^^ '»°''»o» between the various' sS ^™*'' tT/'^",? ''°' » «»k luxuriously decorated, andTher^M mnS a- "^ '^o** the wedding of Nanet and ml I^d ^X "^^ "^^^ « »* arose at the sight of Uie hZu\ „ • ■?''»™»tion8 onoe mora Bturiy. followed^Sy Jl bis ma^offi r°l'°'-~ '*°»» "" BO sUm and passionate, foU^w^ by^ th1°fi'™' *?^ ^«''»' Jo^. whose presence had b^ desi/J k k* """'^'y »' ">« kindofsu^eprote^ ^"u "^2 ,^V«s C"^^e ^S fvoxfr 3»3 Ti^i. '^^Ji' ^\ •»«W»»d«j won ovw to tb. nub MOBUghl, ouned iwa^ and oonqnered to nob • point th»t a jT^tm^T more muruge. between tbe Ud. .nd rirli of tbe te'^"ti'rb:5;?dttr"''"^»'^ •"-"^^' together tor the futn™ d^ of h.ppiW..^TbW ^W oleu of Beanolau:. now on tbe point of dis.pp«,riM ^Tta d»nghton, and n. to the artkane of La Eeife Sd Ihf Pf~"i »' Le. Combetteg. Tbe Laboque. wt Te ex^nU SeK^^Ur'^PM^T'"* '^ marrylartbrBour^TJ^d theirdaughter Eulahe to many ArsAne Lonfant. They had oeaeed sti^glmg for .ome .y.--^ »lready, for tbej real Wth^ ^jD^lr °\^''' *''• "- » ~gwheel wLh W ^n f^^ t,"^^"^ V""«l »"'* "»J*1'. '»» vanquished wd f^*"/i' '^' °^*'?J "'«y»"^ ''«e° obliged to JlowthSr ehop of the Bue de Briae to be tamed intoa mere ZitS eTndioated fiMtonea. Then, taking a further etep they hi^ l^!^tt^ "•'"? "'%'*°P' 'fai^trhad^rmerl^ iniX g^^re. where Luo'e indulgence had proou^them an m«peotor»hip by way of ooenpation. And now old aee h^ S'by\Wl?' m ^tiSTment, t I of WtSme^t a^ 8c»red by the tight of that new world which evinced nme of their own pwdon for lucre. The new ^eS Sd grown up for other forme of actiyity and deuJb tSS monT matong. And thus their children, Auguete^S'S married as they pleased, encountering no obstacle on tW I»^te Bide save the coyert dieapproyfl of old folk who reS the past. It was arranged that the two weddings shoull^ celebrated on the same day at Les Combettes, now a „« ^J^S.n7''7*.°'"^^ 1' ^'^^}^'' '^«» '"^e bright bSI !Sf ^5 *°' °} *»"« ""exhaustible wealth of the earth. And the weddings took place at haryest-time-indeed, on the yery last day of the haryesting, when huge ricks abeady a^M upon every side oyer the great golden pUin. ^^^ Femllat, the former farmer of La Guerdaohe. had alrea^T married his son Won to Eugenie, daughter of Yyonnottbe Msessor, whom he bad formerly recoleiled with Feuiilat^ (he mayor-that re~onciliation whence had sprung the gwd m. 384 WOKK •illli I' 'h|i|' biting ft.. d!.dlTuS?tfc™L^ ^°™*' ^T*' *''•» «»">• wh«n ft«7 should Jn* temth* JTu *^i ^i?*"* ^* '«>» " Md method A tISiln™ / .u '"" '* ''''• "«» of idenea peroeiT«d In wQ d^»oUon \tX ^ }, ^* ''^- H. had the p,..aat., • eoStfon Jf1ff?rt?°\^r*J5?'?^ »» ing once more fte lole ninth., ii„u^' *"* ****^ ^wjom- by one fa^J^ j)^d h^ h.T£i"ft''l' ^'°' "^ cropped dream, he US mm hi, n.,tKi^H^.'K« '"Jfilment of hi, the fa^m of U GueriMri^Ji? • ^.*''^^ *«»'"»>". Combette,.otwS^vm«e1^1Sls"'''.P""^ °' ^ oreated, and let on the m.wS*/!f,^.l "^ "'"•*°' » ^' •rt«t« anneiation, of toe XWh!?.^** ^f'""?*; ""y ■»«»««ive Fe«ill.t,whohad»m^edih.lI^ /Jj*" <*' ^ Bonmagne. "dvice was aJway. found profiteWe "-ings, and whoM EuMe°"Latrn.w«''d3 l^°''5*;i T ^*»« ''th AngnstedetSnLefto Ml^r^U h'i."^ "■? '•**•'"" ''«>*ber Bourron at toe sLe til! u ^' mamage wift Martha idea was ^^epW^S ^tiildT ^ tfleuillat. who4 /iU whieh should be SkethS^ ^'J^ *"»"•«'• B"** triumph of Los CombetteB-rtil- "'tbe pacification and betwft^n the^amnt .„;i ,1. • *J 'f?'^ ^'^ *» fraternity bitterly oZ^ron"i„^fteftt"'^r*«';,/°™»ir^ could estafifish Bodal we^?h^nH „.. """j;! »'""=«• "Jo"' al.ototheendof Tunt^tjnir Jf^*^;- ^W would drink barbarous thing ct^cd h^dTwhlch ^^ ^"«PP«"»°»« of that rtruggle betweli. toe deafer who Bold a tlTtl"''**'^ " ^'"«'*'' made com crow and tho ^117 i * '^'''' *b8 peasant who increased by^rZfts of a nnr^bl?' /-'^ ''™»^" » P™« what better day coSd be chosen^ ^iS.'T!^''^'"'- ^nd ton toan that^hen Z ^°Z.1it^^t^XV''^t, watvr J«5 for ih. hipnCw 0? ,S ^' "woneUed, drew SrW .noagli ye» htd folk fraternisS K, f JfT IS! ' *» "<^«. "^ naTer youth •JSXn^tnMht to»t Zir** ',"«? "' roUed from owTto the oSS ll^ !. 5?*". •«ca»in»tions onlooker. oaUed to UiemirfeLL^i.°'.u'" ""''"•'• The vieionWtoTef^Srt w^which h J'rf'1 """^?° "^ Wk together, by IriX th,m t?? ''"»<^7,^™r" »" those 00 ii It 386 WORK m had Deen dead for ten years, and hei establiahment had been merged into the general storea of La Ortoherie, ai was the case with most ol the retail basinesses of the town. She lived lilie a retired worker with her son Evariste, both very prond of the fact that Luc had given them the charge of the eleotri- eal kneading appliances, which yielded an abundance of white lignt bread. Whilst Evariste m his turn was bestowing a betrothal kiss on Olympe, who had tamed pihk with pleasure, Madame Mitaine suddenly recognised in a thin, dark little woman seated beside a rick, her old ueighboor, Madame Dacheux, the butcher's wife. She thereupon went and sat down beside her. * Must it not all flni^ in weddings,' she asked gaily, 'since all these young folk were ever playing together?' Madaihe Dacheux, however, remained silent and gloomy. She also had lost her husband, who had died from the effects of a badly aimed blow with his chopper, which had struck off his right hand. According to some folk, clumsiness had nothing to do with it, the butcher having voluntarily out off his hand in a fit of furious anger, rather than sign a transfer of his shop to La CrScherie. Beoent ooourrenoes, and the idea that holy meat, the meat of the wealthy, was now being placed within the reach of all and appearing at the tables «=' °f ''e»l'lj.' tbe other tt&. K?* T "I °°r' '"""'' "''« ">« ^»'''«". now thai the times have changed. Just see how be dances I He will never know cold and hunger.- "« wiu Thereupon Madame Mitaine, in her good-natured wav ~™'1t P«'r'\"'» ^^PP'-^^" <" the young c^e^'o were smihng at each other so lovingly whilst they danced before her. She brought the two motLrs. Madame FaS and Madame Dachenx. together, and made them sit down sWe «'nA*°l'?'"u'''* """'^^ *« buteher's widow and Z- ^Med her that she ought to consent to her daughter's msS- Th^naii^"* solitude that made the poor old creature suffer ; ^^iJ^f grandohUdren to eUmb up on her knees and put aU troublesome phantoms to flight. »"upu. 'Ah. num Dim I 'she ended by eiclauning, ' I'm agreeable aU the same, on condition that I'm not left rione. iWaelf never said no to anybody. It was h> who woXdn't h^el! « Jou Se.?^ '"^ "' ""^ P'°°''" *° ^'^«°^ "">• 'l^'" ^°° ^0 «.J!^T ^°" »"^ /"Henne learnt that their mothers con- t.nLVf r'u **" "".^ ^^"g'"^'- And thus amidst the general joy fresh joy was bom. mJ^Tm?*"^^ y°" *'i"i'' of parting these young people?' .L« T • J'* S"ven my Evariste to Olyipe Le^t. whom I remember as quite a Utile girl, when she nsTto ^S. T '?y„«''°P »nd my boy gave he? cakes. It's the sam2 ^iww" ^"«'*^; How many times have I not seen hS. prowling near your shop, Madame Daoheui, and playins wiS ^ur Juhennel The Laboques. the BounlonsXffliS •M the Yvonaotg, whose marriages are now being celebrated. Why, they aU grew up together, at the very time when ftdi I tVOJtJT 389 , 309 K aastme*' '"• ""'*"' "^ ""'^ '0° ««• 'heir When his danghterMaB^^hJ? "'*"i"'8eei>erat:.is. dream of loTO with A^niafl^ bad gone off to realise her were robbing him of the bent r^T^lu- ,? Si? "*'' *"°6" and tavemor M»^.:- u j "»"6"'8r ot bafiiaux, the grocer c^lnrnhiirma^^e fVof^r^^'TP'r"' "^ mm wai that a Urrible quarrel, a frightfiiTrapturi, between . •■ c 390 WORK the two men enned. From tbfti time forwud the muter- nnelter no longer gpoke, save to direct the fumaee work, bat Bhnt hiraseU ap in his cavern like some fierce and motionleaa gpeotre of the dead ages. ThoQ^ years and years went by Morfiun did not appear to age. Be was always the same old-time eonqaeror of fire, a colossus with a huge head, a nose like an eagle's beak, and naming eyes set between cheeks which a flow of lava seemed to have ravaged. His twisted lips, now seldom parted, retained their tawny redness suggestive of boms. And it seemed as if no human condderations would again weigh with him in the depths of the implacable solitude in which he had shut himself on perceiving that his daughter and his son had joined the party of to-morrow. Ma-Bleae had pre- sented Aohille with a sweet little girl, Ltenie, who was grow- ing up all ^[race and tenderness. And Petit-Da's wife, Hono- nne, had given birth to a strong and charming boy, Baymond, now an intelligent young man who wonld soon Ije old enough to marnr. But the children's grandfather did not soften— he repulsed them, shrank even from seeing them. On the other hand, however, amidst the collapse of his aflfection for his kin, the species of paternal passion which he had ^ways evinced for his furnace seemed to increase. That growling monster ever afire, whose flaming digestion he con- trolled both dav and night, was seeming> regarded by him as some child. The slightest disturbance in its work threw him into anguish ; he spent sleepless nights in watching over the working of the twyers, displaying all the devotion of a young lover amidst the embers whose heat his skin no longer feared. Luc, rendered anxious by Morfain's great age, had spoken of pensiopmg him off, but renounced the idea at the sight of the guivering rebeUion, the inconsolable grief which was displayed y that hero of toil, who was so proud of having exhausted, consumed his muscles in pursuing the conquest of fire. How- ever, the hour for retirement would come forcibly from the mevitable march of progress, and Luc indulgently decided to wait awhile. Morfain had abeady felt that he was threatened. He waa aware of the researches which Jordan was making with the view of replacing the old, slow, barbarous smeltery by batteries of electrical furnaces. The idea that one might extinguish and demolish the giaj.t cile which flamed during Mven and eight yean at a stretch, quite distracted the matter- i SSi^'' "J^i"?' '^*°'*' ""'""Sly alarmed when Jordan SKtem .rjfT'"'''"' ••' '"^^8 «"'' »' tbe moulds lH!h?.li 7 T A'7?'"''"'"''*^' "nd bringing eleotri^itv mthout loss to La Orfoherie by cable. However aa thn po J ^oe rtUl remained too high for eleo?rioi^rrempW ^^^^ J^i^f °4^L,^v'^'^'"t^J'' '° "J"'=« over Ztnmtyot JOWMis yiotorv. During the ensuing ten years eaoh frMh defeat which fell on Jordan delighted him He ind^^ iS oovert irony, feehng convinced that fire would never s^S »^ ^ be conquered by that strange new power, thltmvTt^f nous thunder whose flashes were not even risibS He Sng^ for h . master's defeat, the annihilation of the new applS o^ ir™ T' ''rs "oostraoted and improved ffiu »? onoe the position became very threatening, a rumotfr spread that Jordan had at last completed his great worrharinfdTs covered a means of transforming calorical eneri^ Skito mSi^ ThMh°"V''' '"'''^' mechanioal^nS^bcTng S f^t^^ I"' ""* '**"" '"'K*"^- '''»' cumbersome and coBtlv mtermediary, was suppressed. And in thiswise the Cnb^y^T '"^'^ '^^ ""»' °' «'««'ricity would bHowered «mX "^f ""^ ".'1°"'^ ••« P°«=i''l« to employ it Cthe smeltangof ore. A first battery of electrical finaces wa« indeed almdy being fitted up, wd MorfaiirfnUrf despT Sdit '"'^' "°""^ tis^blast-fumar'as if 2;S^ TT.^"Jl^V°.' immediately give orders for its demoUtion. ^th t^laJl"^ fu^T^^ «•">« """"l^ve «perimen?s work went on in both forms, and the old smelter snent Mme abominable days, for he now realised that ^e weU W monster m his charge was condemned. He saw it forS Z^na^^ "TrP '^,* ^ ^ ''^«"' 'herea^LlquS pi«l such little space, and did their work, it was said, so well wl'Sor'^''- !^°'^'^°' ^' P"'*' ^ of rancoSi. neTer went down to see them, but spoke of them disdainfully as of ™n^Sl^!i,'^"'5.'"'^, K"'*" ""» *^« ^"'Pi'e of 'he world ??™f ^ ft"""*' ^°; °°' °°« ^ould have to revert to «™rk5r"*^"=^J'?"* ^^ b"™' '0' «e°t°ries without hrnrrL**^'^^"'*^*^! *nd,alonewiththefewmenunder doi^Zl'^^"'"^""^ '"?''' "''« himself, Morfaia looked down contemptuously on the shed in which the eleotriMa r that foUowfag upSiMtt ,hf M ^''"f, " r- ^•'^•l*' after which It might be d^oliJl.^^ 'tf'^P^'"' «> «° »"'*• warned of this, did not ^sweHut^ai^^''*'"' '"'■ **?« bronze countenance reveSSff nnrt,;„ 5^!^ unpaeaiTe. his soul His calnn.::, filftfea"SS2. MIT" ^ ^' »o%rbrrh?rrlti^^->^?^^^^^^^^ Baymoni Fort mo^^ Jk /* rP."^"' ''""'8''» his son as Tforier days' S7he r^w ^1^.'°"°"* '"*" "~"'"««. livid ekV over ihe dark eartfi^ W*'S'J'"°8 ''O"" « broke the silence, sari^R? Well tho ' ^'"^''.''? "^o »"d there is yet another^^' *"' ""' '™ ^"'»8 for me. farJL%fe'mrn-u„^^rVoJ^°"r' "'^ *° ""« '"«'- shadowy in the inore^faW?''^'^ ''"'«»*• "l^eady time, tfie nsaal woaTm aSn^lT" ^«''^°' ^" '^-^ '«* into the plug of refracto?^ ol^ ttt'^' ^ '^" ''« tl»™' finaUy the tSmX^S^ff*^? i'"'*,^'' '"^"e< ""^ stream of flames nmm^onJ thf ?^ '"**f^ -P"""^ ^""h. a WOXK 393 mo™^w«"tobj'l"'i;^^""' «»"'• '"'"' "-at there h no cort^"4Sfto°lrnow' X:f'"°'*'= 'Father, you've must hve somethnes with one ^'d'lI^.IHS.e? '^h ^thS go away now.' ' * ^°'"' ^ " ''"^ » '<"'''• »"' you can washes T^t^ Zth bed° ET^r'*^ '^ ""f "^' ^ ""^ order to make tu™ tW if was nteteT^S" And"!'- ? '° wwng to abai^do'! But at lasfthl TTk" '"'"'^ ''» and then one moming the IraSd nM ,"°°^2^!" *"^«^' him BO manyjears of study and experiment ^ """ •So^o^'vXr'eSLSlL'^*"'^'' *■* ""^"^^ i°y-'y- iiuo, however, scrutinised him rather anxionslv W. v,. j of the Bnelter. underk orders, however, b^ saved wifw^ 394 WORK Ui»( death which he had oontemplaied, petohanoe ai a laat eof hii loorohed frame (o the monster, ai thoagh indeed let hii pride in dying by fire, after loving and »er\tag it eo laithfally for more than half a eentory. * It ispleasant to find yon still inqnisitive at yonr age, my good Morfain," said Luo, without takmg his eyee from him. ' Now, just examine these toys.' The batterv stretched out before them, showing ten fur- naces, ten cubes of red briolt-work over six feet high and nearly five feet long. And above them one only saw the powerful eleotrodes, thick cylinders of carbon, to which the eleotrio cables were attached. The operations were very simple. An endless screw, worked by a switch, served the ten furnaces, bringing the ore and discharging it into them. A second switch set np the current, the arc whose extra- ordinary tet.:peratnre of two thousand degrees sufficed to melt almost four hundredweight of metal in five minutes. And it was only necessary to turn a third switch for the platinum door of each oven to nse up and for a kind cf rolUng way, lined mth fine sand, to start off on the march and reoe;' tiie ten pigs, each of four hundredweight, and oarry them into the cool air cntside. ' Well, my good Morfain,' asked Jordan with the gaiety of a happy child, ■ what do you think of it ? ' Then he told him of the output. Those toys, each yield- ing four hundredweight of metal every five minutes, oonld torn out altogether a total of two hundred and forty tons daily, if they were allowed to work ten hours at a stretch. This was a prodigious output when one eonsideied that the old blast-furnace, burning day and night alike, could not supply one-third of the quantity. As a matter of fact the electrical furnaces were seldom kept working more than three or foiu hours, and the advantage was that they could be lighted and extinguished as one pleased, in accordance with one's needs, whatever 'quantity of raw material that was re- quired being immediately obtained. And how easily they worked, and what cleanliness and simplicity there was I As the electrodes themselves supplied the carbon necessary for the carbnrisation of the ore, Uiere was little dust. The gases alone escaped, and the quantity of slag was so small that a daily cleaning sufficed to get rid of it. There was no longer any need of a barbarous colossus whose digestion caused disquietude, nor of any of the numeroua and «uab«noma li;iL J WOXIC 395 !S?K^*"' ">•?»"«•". the beaten, the blut mschmerr t^the ooiutani ooireiit of water, w th which it had^ Me««a2; to eomjund it. There 4a. no lon^r any fcjrf mptTingr the moneter whilat still ablaze, beoaueeTtwver wap^went wrong. Loaders watching a the mouth ifd ■met eveiything ™toh of the eleotrodee, and a third at that of the rolling -n^^' ^°7?° "''"'' ,°' " ' ^^t do you think of it, my goodMorfain ? repeated Jordan triumphantly. ^ ' ^J^" ™"t».'-™H'*' '™ '°°''«<1 »t the fumacee without SSr^'/tTA'Tf- %' '"" '^^"dy "t band, sSdowl weie numg the shed, and the working of the battery with its rf oW m^JtSIT 'T*^ ** '^™'«'' '•'"«' t''- little ««" ^ore, moy^ by the endless screw, were emptied one by one 3hl^?irf'lS 7"°*^ *.« P'»tinnm doors^penecC t^eten Itj^ fl ""* **° .r^' *•!"** "PO" ""« gloom/and the ten pigs, flowery with cornflowers amidst lars It whwTt alOT^ and confanuously journeyed off on the rolling wTy. Bowever, Petit-Da, who hitherto had remained iuent ^"t^.n «»"».«Pj«>ation8, and pointing to the thick S th-^ •^' *T°^8 ^"^ "■« "f'e"' "rougLt the current Jo^a thZf '^' '^ T^' 7*?° ""• *»"'«■ *•»« «leotricity cZes along that cable, and such is its force that if the wireswere seywed everything would be blown up I • " ™ "^ '«" l.n^'.n''°'S ^°^'' eahnness had reassured, began to langh. ' Don't say that,' he exclaimed, ' you would ^ten our young people Nothing would be blown up (Sfy thS R^M^'^i man who touched the wires would bS in diiger! Besides, the cable is a strong one.' "-^oi. 'Yes, that's true,' Petit-Da resumed; 'a strong wrist would be needed to break it.' "^uk wnsj Mor&in, stiU impassive, drew near. To reach the cable he simply h»a to raise his hands. However, for a moment 39« tyoxx ■ long«r h* rwuintd then motionltM, nothing on Ui teonlitd M If with a T»gae prenuitimeat of a estartmht. ™™™' n„.n^„''„^S? *ri»t you ..7?' Morfain at laat .xelainiwl. h„M^?tt°"i.'"Jl?*?''f^ ""w •« intervene h. eaoghi illn..^* ""• '^''' h.. hand., harfened by fire anra, strong as iron pincers. And he bent the cable and broke it S* ^'-K ^°i ^ghtninf came, the wires met, and a mighty dassUng flash linrst forth. Then the whole shed w». ?ft??„MV° fr^fr-ul-'?''*" "^^ ^e heKoSht but the faU of that tall, hghtning-strioken old man, who fiopned aU of a piece, like an oak felled in the forest. "OPP*". AlJ^^r' ^ *", ^ '"°'"^- ^°^'^ ">d I'M. utterly Peti??»^.Vw'i'i''^'?"'T°''"' M"'»« '<> •» dead, S «,. ii? "^'?»''•^^•^0"d and wept. Stretched upon h s back, fte old smelter did not appear to have suffered. He lay there hke some colossal figure of old iron. However, his g^mu were smouldermg. and the fire had to be put out ConbtW he had been unwilling to survive the well-L.^ mon.to. that blast-furnace of which he had been the last fervent wor- subduer of fire, the conqueror of metals, bending ben»^ £a wSIl^^-n"' ytr""J!?h l"* « P™''^ ""f *»■•» l^SS over! whelmmg labour-the labour of humanity maiSj towa^i future hapoiness-as to make it a title of noW^ hIC JnT.hT'f^""' knowing that new times were boin,bS(riSg to each by the victory of a just apportionment of worVf little re3t,a httle gaiety, a h'ttle happy enjoyment such 'a* hitherto only a few privileged beings'fiid tested, dSg ij from the iniquitous suffermg of the greater number, ^d h" Will ^^^ "rr ^'t^,' °'""°»*« J"""" 0' the ancieTanI terrible corvie, like a Vulcan chained to his form » Min^ enemy of all that would have free7hLn7set«ngT; ^lo^i^ his servitude, and regarding the possibli diminution of BJ^ fermg and effort as mere downfaU. And the force of the n^ ^^^^H^^V^i which he had come to deny and SsSt had annihilated him. And now he slept. /""amsmi.naa R ^?*"t.1 'j-" i?'®', **"* °""* marriages took pUoe. stiU further blending the classes together and fightening ttTlKmds of that fraternal and peaceful people whJe?wa.T4 «a^ >tCii/, •^J^a«. HiUir* FromMit, th* tldMi fon ol Ln« mn» i«-i«. brotlur • /n.1 in tti. „ >"« was BATerin, Luoien's younoer 3 to «,.^riL'°tr^.V''L"P'?°8*r^ ^lI.j-„ "••people, tbe resigned and miffhtv toilara of tlm JXtSS"^ *"" "'ol-t-nary worker w1.o',^ea"wnS Ma'j^n^"^ 'aboST • " ""' '^PF descendants of Luo The ancient leprous district, the filthy hovels where lE rbis-r«rCe.trrct^^^^^^ 39« WOkK who* M(»b h«a Urad eoop«d op in fUU, hud glvtii pUe* io bMlthier dwaUingi noattand throagh th« hag* gtwdmi, whioh BeaaoUir wh baoomiog, «Mb of th«m ^ity with light and with itreuning wkter. And the city WM foondad, » yaiy grut and very glorioni oity, whose mnlit kTenaM em •tretahed »w»y, overflowing alieadv into ,th« Btiguboorins fieldi of the teitile Boomagne. > -« Till mowrean went bv, and love which had onited w man; oonplei, victorioui and fruitful love, brought eaeh home- hold a floresoenee of children, a new growth going towardi the future. At each freeb generation a Tittle more truth, Juitioe, and peaes wotld spread and reign throughout the world. Cue, who WM already w-ity-five yeara old, evinced, with uereaiing age, a livelier, a keener affection for children. Now that he taw big long-dreamt-of city in being, bii mind went out to the rising generations. To them he gave all bis time with the thought that the future rested with uieu Hipe men, who have long lived amidst certain beliefs and habits, and who perchance are chained to the past by atavism, cannot be altered ; whereas children may be influenced, freed bom ialse ideas, helped to grow and progress, in aocordanoe with the natural inclination towards evolntiott which is within them. Thus, during the visits which on two mornings every week Luo continued to pay to his work, he devoted moat c* bis attention and time to the schools and the erieha where tiie very Uttle ones were kept. He began by inspecting them before proceeding to the workshops and the stores, and as he changed bis visitmg days every week, he generally took all the turbulent young people by surprise. One Tuesday, a delightful morning in spring, he set out for the schools at about eight o'clock. The sunrays were Boattering golden rain amidst the young greenery, and as Luo walked slowly down one of the avenues past the house where the Boisgelins resided, he heard a well-loved voice oalUng him. It was that of Suzanne, who, having seen him passing, had come to the garden-gate. ' Oh I pray come in for a moment, my friend," said she. ' The poor man has another attack, and I feel very anxieus,' «>• lim. Wed to work, in" TTo »» sl«!!^."^ •" '^^ •♦ PT« him , idod of ini,^toii£B .t ih-^*'. '^'"•*' "^d tb« nun who hu n«» ^«!r^ Mr" «•"•»• •tore*. Bat WUr from birth. U^wnrm^' *^J*^. who hai !,•«„ «!• or nuth^' Thu ^i'^T"' "^ "" »« '<>«>«•' bend to whelmed. He ^SLdt^ K"'- '" '^**°'« •>«>». w«- "o bnger wy Snnd of pC^ i!^S i'.?""°'': f« »!"<« wm •Mk into iaoMMin. boiSST^^, ' u^".'^ *" ^"« Wm he jpueed. HewM^4ndtaR£'l^"j'"?'' '" """^^ »ot bJ -xi-ted. .xt«o,din4X"^h!ak'' ^l^^l noMed phMtom aW «,^kT?. *»dering. like a pX **ooh^^r;e^^°^tt^barthng W tte bu.SS wWoM ail the othewTffiJSS!' ^' »■?."« ^^ nothing delight and health wUoh^« ft^^!?' "'"'flowing with the - he found that hrwS>^r^'s>r„*'.r- ^^-^j^^. work amidrt that nation of CI«„?k°'^''"' ^^? ^^3 not upon him that he was the W T' """ V""" '^«» "«i»«d nation was a nation^ dave8 w^i^ "f '.""■• ""^ *•"»* «>>» •maering inoalonlable wealth Jm1'"i? "°^"'T ^^ *■» benefit, he pleased for his sole S„!^ ^ he would dispose of »i wasommbling to piwL thfZ?;; ,-'^''^°"8^ °''^«'> 'ooiety bin., and he Mmi^^e ^.,?P"'M.'^«» bad survived in who, poeeessCWe oaStfl'i?/'!'^''^'' 8od-oapit.list° other men his Xves th™* k^' *"•"''' *"^ '^'^^'^ «80tistiealhappiCs '"**"''"^ ''*"'»»" »' his own •i*S'r^if:«°,»^"^'-h/dofth«ho;.o.d.^ ..f-' *9*-ff 400 WOUJC vam-loofang ooicomb, always weU groomed, freshly shavea, sad weanng that distinotive mark of conceit, a siigle eye- fcii ^ '»I«""8. Sj'ooe and weak mouth alone WTealed t^Ti '■'f °^^w°"°"^- •^*. *^'" °"'™«°' he was about to s?t:d'ov» ws'i!^."""" ^ "" '"'' ^"''' *°^ ' ^y •"•"« T „.' !^'J: '^'^J' ."P '. •^•^^y 0"* ^"^ "''0"t I * exclaimed n? * a good-natured manner. "-"aeu ..««. i''''\°*°*°"'''.'?y ^*" '«"'"''' replied Boisgelin, after pvmg him a suspicious glance. 'Eveiybody de^r.^ me. How can I sleep m peace with all those miUions which my money brmgs me m, and which this nation of workmen "^^I'^r'^'^^ll ^,"? "bligedtosee to thS^^" otherwise there would be a leakage of hundreds of thou^ds 01 irancs every hour, .„-^^"f?°°® °'J'^®-* ",8? °' ^^P*^' *M addressing Lue she said . I was advising him not to go out to-day. What is the use of worrymg like that.' imasH me But her husband sUenced her: 'It isn't merely to-day's Sr. Jv it* "0™.= »e. Jere are all the sums pUed up already-those miUiards which fresh millions increue ever? SntffiV ^ ?""'? '°'« .^y»e" "^ong them; Ino longer know how to hve m the midst of such a colossal fortune. It 1' l^^ ^"^ ^ shoiUd invest it, manage it, watch over it, in Anl„t?,°^T\'°y^°'''^'" ^'""^ robbed-is that not so? I^WlntJ "" J'f'?.'''*' **™*''y ^""^ 'O*. and makes me ha"'n^?he7fi» ^^j^^d.''"^"'"'' *^^° '""^ ""^ ^^ ''"' His voice had begun to tremble dolorously, and big tears LllAT *"" "^r^- H« •'^I'ed a P"iable objeS. a^ ^^™!?^ ^?'??^y ?^°y*^ ^"''' ■^^•o "garded him as ^ ♦^?S^ i''?K'^/u'^l"''"°"' ""?'""« otherwas now stirred to the depths of his heart. ' Oh I ' said he, ' you can at Irart take a day s rest. I'm of your wife's opinion.' If Iwere Tu lair5Vrs"^,oir ' ''"'^' ^' » -' ««^- »^ But Boisgelin again sorutinised him and, as if vieldine to . desjre to confide in him, as in a safe friend,Cum^ : No, no, It IS mdispensablo that I should go out. What bothers me even more than exercising superlieion o.or mv men and my fortune, is that I don't even know where to nu Jiardi I They end by b«»ming an enoumbtanoe-no room* P'JSX 4»1 *«««. Boi^elin profit^ by ?he OD^"*f'"' *° ""'"i" h» &,?f «?-5- He could :tS?^:2t'.M. ""P r ' °' «"« ??*" ™ »nnlit avenue, he epeedilv 5; ^ ^''i "''' '""'"g ""Pulae was to ran aftei hii^^^d brinf PT^", .^""'^ S^^ aet ifT-y""' "»? Wend? Tefe^^ '""''' ''^ ^"6- «ot wrongly in letting him wanLfiK ? Suzanne, ' that you him prowling around tCioSowT*' ^u*"? °«'« ""eet tremble for him, fo' he becomes ,fn 7"'*' J '"-""""eo harden of all that imaginary mnn.l 8''J?"'y, breath the ffit^''»"*d°°«''i^itauStoLl^'^ that a sudden 1 shut him up ? He in n„i„ S " "^ 'eared. But how can him in conii^e».„t ".°,5'L'"'PP7 »"* of doors, and t„^,!t? T,Crl- "*''* ^°ne with it in is to i^„ fl. ^ ""i' » ewden 1 shut him up ? He in n„i„ S " °e 'eared. But how can him in oonii^ement woX L ^^Ji' ""* °^^<»". and to pC «mM .°P*"''» to anyb, Tt, * "' schoolboy ■ " -■"■»"» as wua and as resolved to adom^Ly hir'tl"!,*" the schools Suzanne Baxty.e,ght already, 'fint she bL'" ''^ »««^: e^"' was ?ofave.ever desiro'us of ^o^L Sf,^!?'""?'. ^-ealthy and helpmg on good work. And sSL .h "t^ '" '"''e«. and wh!fi'"'' '"'' '"^ l^'d nothing mot tn^ been living at La IS ^"l"?" """ied and the f^th«rJ ° '°f ^^'^ «"" Paul, had created a larger family for herse.fLT"' ?^"'''«°' =be *fc '"'^W'o and singing for somfi nf */ becommg a teacher the schools. Th,-« h.i-?j J-^°°.™e of the youngest nnniu ,„ .e musical Ltte'^S \-J,t »'!<» '"" BonooiB. This hebed hor TT i- i " /onngest pupils in her to arouse the muskal iLttir' ^T^^' ^^ ^eUghted She herself was a b3 ™ '.°?™':' 'n those little ohildren was not so ZchrLZTeZ r' ^''".''" berambitTon to render their 8ingiL^Z',?S''?J''. '<='"'"'« '» them, as the woods. And she L5 ^^f ' 'i''^ *''*' "f the warblers of w«i .11 the aono«us''git:?:nr'«"'?"\"='^'«-'h^^^^^ *he young ones who Re° tlr f* '" •"/ *'*»'• ""^ cer hands afterwards filled the DD ■^ !0^f^'^'''*MjmjtW?^- 401 WORK other dMsei, the workshops, and indeed the whole town, With perpetual mirthM melody. ' Bnt 70a don't give yonr lesson to-day, do you 7 ' Loo inqnired. ' No, I only want to profit by the play-hour to make my little cherubs rehearse a chorus. But uiere are also some matters for me to consider with Soeurette and Josine.' The three women had become great, and indeed insepar- able, friends. Soeurette had retained the management of the central eriehe, where she watched over the very little ones — the children still in their cradles and those who could scarcely walk. As for Josine, she directed the needlework and house- hold lessons, turning all the girls who passed through the schools into good wives and mothers, well able to manage their homes. In addition, the three friends formed together a kind of ooun(ftl which looked into all important questions concerning women in the new city. Luc and Suzanne, following the avenue, at last reached the large square where the common-house arose, surrounded by green lawns decked with burubs and flower-beds. The building was not the modest pile of earlier years; in its stead there had been erected a perfect palaoe, with a long polychromatic facade, in which decorated stoneware and painted faience were blended with ironwork. In the large halls erected for meetings, theatrical performances, spec- tacular displays, and games, the people found themselves at their ease, at home as it were. They frequently frater- nised at the festivities which were interspersed among the days of work. If the little houses, where eaoh lived as he listed, were modest oneSj the common-house, on the contrary, displayed dazzling luxury tnd beauty, such as was appropriate for the sovereign abode of the people-king. The common- house even tended to became a town in the town, so fre- quently was it enlarged in accordance with increasing needs. Other buildings, too, arose behind it — libraries, laboratories, and lecture-halls, which facilitated free study, researoh, experiment, and the diffusion of the acquired truths. There were also courts and covered buildings for athletic exercises, without mentioning some admirable free baths, flooded with the fresh and pure water captured on the slopes of the Bleuse Mountains, that water to whose inexhaustible abundance the city owed its cleanliness, health, and gaiety. But the schools especially had become a little world by themselves, occupying » nniaber of bnildin™ na«, «, *°3 ^— -fwitiu to mem. ■— «• eu nime^hparf Ltm br^L.t^'^ -»« those littie^ },;;«,- « Pl«ted''^te:^°°^°^«',« .ngh^^^^^^ amidst a g„de„ ticnlar charm, derived f^ i, aavanoing years a nar F^«-; ^£"£"-^-«hf^iir^i ^-^ ws:.e t" t-r^:-r,--t^d£| j»|Js a^rL^ :^Sinr' ^-- - holding «„ tandSoenrettewase^^S? "" ''"' °' her Httle folk. f„, u „.. .... „ "MB wnen some at iho™ . i . "'"^ ^'Ki for it was nor^i , ™' ""* Josine for 1 needlework ward, where Mve?;, was also th« for her of 406 WOMJC the Uttle girla prefened to gpend their pl^-hour in learning to make dreageg for their dolls. Thaa Lao alone foUowM Sazanne down the oovered gallery into whioh opened the At* olass-roome. It had long since been.neoessary to subdivide the olasaes, provide more spaoious buildings, and even enlarge the depen- dencies, the gymnasioms, the apprenticeship workshopB, and the gardens into which the children were tamed in all liberty every two hours. After a few trials a definite system of education had been arrived at, and this system, whidi ren- dered Btady attractive by leaving the pupil all his personality, and only requiring of him attention to such lessons as he pre- ferrcil, as he freely chose, yielded admirable results, provi£ng the city each year with a new generation that tended more and more towaords truth and justice. This was, indeed, the only good way to hasten the future, to create such men as might be entrusted with the realisation of to-mor-ow, free from all lying dogmas, reared amidst the necessary rettlities of life, and won over to proven scientific facts. And now that the new system worked so well nothing seemed more logical or more profitable than to abstain from bending a whole class beneath the rod of soma master who would have tried to im- pose his personal views upon some fifty pupils of varying disposition and sensibility. It seemed indeed quite natunu that one should simply awaken a desire to learn among those papils, then direct them on their journey of disoovery, and favoor the individual faculties which each might display. The five classes had thus become experimental grounds, where the children gradually explored the field of human knowledge, not to devour that knowledge gluttonously without digesting any of it, but to awaken individual intellect, assimilate know- ledge ill accordance with personal comprehension, and in par- ticular make sure of one's specialities. Lao and Suzanne had to wait another moment for the school work to cease. From the covered gallery tiiey were able to glance into the large olass-iooms, where each pupil had his or her little table and chair. Long tables and forms had been discarded, and the new system made the pnpil feel as if he were virtually his own master. But how say was the sight of all thess lads and girls mingled togeuer pio- niseuously I And with what deep attention they listened to the professor who went from one to another, trashing la a conversational manner, and at times even provoking oontn- •^l^i^k" #. ^•ureaau the interest of r ,?;;„'•* '™ '^ason then an make them oogn sant of liV!n„ *i,- "^ mammate books Z «he passion of idew And^* '"«'' *°"' ™P«t to tLm Pleasnre of learn W an/ £^*"-°" '" »"»n of itSj .u^ a™, eiclaumng: • Good mofni^ <±S ^^"''^ in £uX' Xhis was Maurice ih„ =„_ i &,*™''"*'''er.' •nam^^Ba^onrM:.'"""' ^^^'^^o J?^n>ent, who had Come ohild^' shSTreS'n ' ^*"''' ""^ nightingale . ^th^t^et^toto/s^dri^,^- Amon^ascoroof Bonnaire and L4onie ^nri^r ft« '?'"1:."'« ""n "^ 8«v^ Ma-Bleue. whose love had flow^^ daughter of AohiUe and ^ks o the Bleuse Mount^T^te,? '^t "^^ ^^^ jvonnot, a granddaughter^ A „f^..? P'l '^as Germaine Bonrroa. A handsome ^sSLtel H^"" wdlSrthe and m her one found bIendSlS^l!J"'f '''"K P'l she wm other, ft amused Luo to n^,il?l?^ ""« agaSst the those alhanoes, those fiL, ^'e' the intricate skein«„1 "WM9 enraptured hiiaT^ ' ^ '**"• 'hose endleg, in! V :^'^ 408 WOXK But SuMuuM Bpoka: 'You lUU hear th«m,' ih* nid: « 18 a hvnm to the rising gun, a saluU on the part of child* hood to the pUnet which will ripen the crops." Some fifty children assembled together on the lawn amidst the chestnut trees. And the chant arose, verv fresh, pure, and gay. There was no great musical science in it. It was merely a series of couplets, sung by a girl and a boy alter- nately, and emphasised by choral repetition. But it was so lively, so expressive of naive faith in the planet of light and Kindhness, that it possessed a stirring charm as sung by those voung and somewhat shrill voices. For his part Maurice Morfam, the httle boy who replied to Germaine Yvonnot, the girl, possessed, even as Suzanne had said, an angel voice of crystalline hghtness, rising to the most delightful, high-toned, Uute-like notes. And the chorus-singing suggested the warbhng and chirruping of birds in freedom on the branches. JNothing could have been more amusing. Luc laughed, like a weU-pleased grandpapa, and Maurice, full of pride, again rushed into his arms. niaUinafi'.'f'i™!'/"^''^/^"^?'"''' 'y°" "°8 Uke a little nightingale I And do you know that is very nice, because in life, you see, you will he able to sing in your hours of worry, and your songs wiU bring back your courage. One ought never to weep, one ought always to sing.' ' That is what I tell them I ' exclaimed Suzanne. ' Every- body ought to sing, and I teach them in order that they may sing here, and in studying, and in their workshops, and afterwards throughout their lives. The nation that sings is a nation of health and gaiety.' She displayed no severity nor vanity in the lessons which sue gave in this fashion amidst the garden greenery. Her only ambition was to open those young souls to the mirth of fraternal song and the clear beauty of harmony. As she *K^'?5 J ''• 'J?«°eTer the day of universal justice and peace snould davra, the whole happy city would sing beneath the 'Come, my Uttle friends," she exclaimed, ' once again, and carefully, m time. There is no occasion to hurry.' Once again the chant arose, but towards the finish of it the young vocalists ware disturbed. A man appeared amidst some shrubbery behind the chestnut trees-a man who fur- lively turned round as if to hide himseU. Luc, however. perceiTed that it T7as Boisgelin, and was greatly surprised by mS^Ali"^' in«JecUbl6 wealth i^ order tlaH „• ?«'"•'<»• away hi, tim. He was often me. beha^tt^*" m5' *" «'°1«° ^"m with fear, at a loss where hrmiLht^i" "'^7"7'*"'«'»''ling fo'tMe, the Wright of wwS^wedl.lS'^ '"r '^'" "«?'« w^th p,t:f ,i th78mht. and bS v«T 1 "• ^"o "'""idared to perceived that the oM^rin wf^ ',*' "°™ «oncerned when Uowever, Suzanne whn h.j * wpeated in a louder Toioe7' Keen timr^'^ ^?'"«''"'' P"'". bl^vl^SS^nterfJimtSt'tt t""'^'"^' '^"^ • «?^*'^T°" '''««WWren° recovering *K .^°''«""8 shrubs. «luted the sovereign sunlriSS I ?,S? t^eir composure, had Suzanne complimented therifn \ ■ •"i^'"' "?• ^uo and them to their nlavTh.-!? '"' '^."' "^o^ts and dismisap^ .pprenUceshfp t^Lsh^J "on'S Z^&f.^'I'iV ^'^^^' 'D«d yon see him ? • SuLnn« izf/!^* °f ""« garden, moment's silence. ' Ah ' >.e unhan^^ '° * ^V 'O'"'- »"«' • makes me I • But as Luc tijersnJr!?'^' man, how anxious he he had been UMble to follow S»r ''"''?'' '"'" "«'«' "^"t •gam, she once mor" proved ?oi°. V^ '"'? ^^ l«>me foUowedyon; you would wrhad f^ . ^^ ."""'^ "°' have there would hive been qtSte a sc^/'^^^i? ''"" ^im, and "^'" to you, is that le may be fo^d Jf' °i^^'^' ^ with his head broken.' ' """" ""me day in a pit the «S,gP"i'^,'«^7. for they were now reaching playtime there, ph^g wSSd ^fiT» ^P*"' * P"" «>' ttei? hroidering, whiUt othen wiS^'refc """' ""'*"» °' «". »Wpo( ground busied themselvM^t^ S^*'" "«'8hbonring iwefflng. And now T.noTfd sL "" ^'»««»' 'owing, and «tandmginalar»e7oomwhTrls!ZfL!!??'" ■"«' •r°««e. •"aoWnes. place! side by side T,«*'if","?«' ""^ '«aving Birls and sometimes by b?vsHe«*?°'ked sometimes bf 3wn were singing, and a iovn„. .1' i^i'" '*''»»l of the ohil- Mlmate theXgh^p" ^^ ' "P"^'* °' emulation seemed to 'Do yon hear them,' exclaimed Suaanne. whose gaiety 't ^*^ 410 U'OJIX •They wiU klwtyi tlag, thoM wubUn had ntnrnad. nine.' Oh, grandmamma I ' said she ' I can't tn™ »,- ass- '"• ^ ■ " •!.- c.'.S "'dS; took aninterest in these little matters awara u iTi »!. tiT * everything has its importance, thThappTwe"e™nTn™n "r^^rm-e^riSlrelo-^L^l^FSf "'-e th- loving 'a^dd:"t^"irarS'*tht''hdZC'S powerfully to bring about the ftdfllment '( Us dr«S ^, nr'JSi^^^f'^'^-. TheysurroS h m Uce^bob ^W ^^^mw'"^*^'^' *^«, '^'"""l love wK he detail of ^rStion ^tt '^fe it' t!^« «S?« towards the works, their loving eye^ long fouff hi.'Z? The factory halls and workshops, which were now mn.h more extensive than formerly, were'^till of the h^ttT ^ which comes from an abmfdance of sunshine ^X^^ know wh.t pain waa »nd fifShlj < '' "••a»«lTM did not Stha e«Ler dkw th. ^^f?' machine., not tho maotoS awJitne., muveni tooliiWifntT ^ "*«*'• '"'" ''beratinK Around tho» b™ dy work^« Srl^L^K'*^'' ""»° ""te.^ WM« only «o many driwn ^f 2Sf?* ''' j'^'rioity. there ooneirted in moviig Xe™ » .i2?^^'"' 'S'i'"' "wJ* dntie. that the mechanZ ^^ p^peW^ Th""""J?"'"°» """* not exceed foor hours, Mda^^E; J^^' "OfW"? day did two upon one task, beCrJheT^ S th. * • T"' °«'""'.n houre by a mate whiJ«t v,f iffJ .?' ™ eipwtion of hia two of wor/ind^trijS^ l^eulCa P^f"^. ^9 -"me other fom the general employmS,?!^ ^11/*' °' P"'"'"' '"lotion. Again, •wajwith the up^t?L''S'"?P?*" badvirtuaUydre ««2nded. and no^erwere enw/. T^^°^ '"^ on^' workmen, the voeal mirth XhtMJ''u'''? ~°8» <>' ">« their BchoolB like a florescence of h» J,^' •"? ''""Sht from whole lives. And th^Sng of uZ^ "°'^"^'"'*°'' """i' sUent machinery, at onceTo,^LriX°? ■"«» <^<^d that proclaimed the dilight of iusrilnri^n f f,'"' '" ">«»ge. ^ A. Luc passed thr^„g'h''«,fhX™t'' '^"^r^^ ''°'^ furnaces, he paused for a moment t? «^^"""* 'i"* P"^"^? words with a strong you^gm^ ^f t^lr*" '/^ ^™"'"y who managed one of S Z^.l "*?,?' °' thereabouts, assistance. °" '""aces without any need of »ti;fiTrT„f?;'red"^ *'"°« °° -atisfactorily. are you Bo/^^!'''V:!lV^V/^^^«"'^U\^^^ and Marth. pnddler, who had now reS^j^^i***'' ^^^n the fertble task of ^ng tb^^^^u !f '^Z' *"^! ^ P*'*"™ «>« bar amidst aU the flarteg of tte fire^f ,°1!^>''' » '""S P«fonned by mechanioll means and ^n^J^« •'"'' ""^ oontrivanoe brought th» A,7n"~ V-° -. ? I^i. f ingenious placed it on the oharint ^'Ci^"° -t ". °^ '^o furnace and Without the ^rl^r^;^jf J^;™^^* ^^^^ the helve hamS? ^iJ^i^Mm 4I« WO/tJC limb. rem»irdn« nimffiS "PPeariDg on fail brow, hS imder tb« hammer, one M I i^ *l? *" ^'l^* "• """^'n trioit,,»nd doing ev°^tb?LtS!r;.'*i'!"'L''?''*^ by •!««. without nwd of LrS^ S™ Sff .'" ^ ^'"'' ''"*^' thi. •ide and now u'poT h.t AnS tt & °'*'',"°» "P"" W eaaUv and tbe wund it ».l . hammer also worked that it became lite rmul^i °"' *"? ~ char and light of the workmen ^ "oompaniment to the mirth hi. 'hanT' 'ThUet"'; "1" ^tf^'«*'f ' «"« *~»"i«« intereeted, and I ahl U d^o f oouple o1 hou?. l^''^!' ^"'^ 8~"' workshop.' ooupie ot Hour, m the oarpenten' le«?t%:riou!r1:S^nVXil7tre?" '%»r^/l«'''*'i^ order that he ^KtLl^ml^T '?■ * ?' *■" »«•. i" to M,y-good work, good amueement.' ^* "*•" '"^^ far indeed froTthTold ^ !l-.H?!i''''"l'''* "-»»«« to b. glowing pit. kowUdd^ lit. „ ^•'y"' "** baU with ita worked, M'':^!?.^ o'f fire 'ha7'totft"rt "'^ •*'? '^^ their hundred pound.' weiX of f„.,v !',»^'' "•"S'b the old-time grim^ filthylhL the™*w«*^- ^"^ °' gaUery, harinS broid wi7do™ti,rnnaK t? ?°!^ • I*"'"'" - Btreamed, and a pavemOTt rf & I'J""? ."■« '""^^o opened, batterie. of ?^metricaUrdi±'i^ ''t'''''° *"<* efeotrioity wa. emnloved to .™fk ^u ^*° furnace.. As Bilent. cW r/Ch^ 5l*^C «"'7««n"ned cold. the eye. of ^^^^^^ '^f^^t^'^ ^^^^^^^^ •OhI no, Moi'^r if;^' r '°»'' I-uc a,lod ho. of Ev»ri«U Mi»..v J'^"*^ arawD near w« :!" ".r* """^ bi«.fe^°^4^K .if ,o„ wouM .,, ^ .^ .,„. n^V "^ ^ ''«"«° stiu7 "' ""■ ''^*'' "^ yo" sons iS>d ii 111 m 414 JVOXK fimoy he amnaed hin^ >fter completmg his Teguli fo^{ W work by preparing omamenj ded|ns foTX'°tte However, he had abeady set himseli to his tub »)„«i, wav Rin«l !'lZ?° ^?", v«>7 happy, looked on in a iS^ m™, „?^u *°'"?^ '""^ •"'^ "^n employed the tMriwJ uproar of the machinery had ceased • one mU^J^ii ti™^f ^r '^^«5 Twas aU the good and«,n8tIS?|rodM! taon of an epoch of peace, raUs and yet more rXii^« that every femtier might be crossed and ttaftte^ti^ drawn closer and closer together, miirht h««nni» w ^T ^ n^on., spread over the surf^^lftt,^ *"^hwf '± beoommg a perfect network of roads. ^dTaddibvJftnThf maKTrTelTA""^ J^l «^"« '^^ "^ ZZS^ matenais for the erection of the mnumerable edi6oeB whi^ the reconcUed communities needed for their pnblTliflth. common-houaes, the libraries, the maseums!"hrawln^ kr mfancy and old age, the huge general stores ind thZ^e/ fnTt^Xl'^'' "^* '^^ "^'^P "' '^' federatentlSL: Ana nnally, there were the innumerable machinan i3 apphances which upon aU sides and in aSfSo" LCj 2fc ^%.- Jlk . "T^ o' i^ mty of fraternity, jS^dT;" ■'*'' ^ *^« -««Son Before Mtnnanxf homaSjTPP™**- glance at the battorrT* i . ^^^'^ desired to (rive ». i^ PUoedMorf^tCTte?,' H.^f,,^««' wWcf h^J^^ one of &e^VlZ:^ThlTJn *^^ *~"> «S?t tZ.t Lncian Bonnair. andS,?," w ®' Cl»"dwe, the daa«htM 5 b^tte. E^ Jhe fejf^^^^, «d the otherTBu^rb ^Hne. Ab it was nee^ that'ftL^' J*°,^* "^ EnSie attention to switching t^nrSfl ^ "'""^'1 P^e »U th^ ««* only able to^ l?LSrB„tT Tt"^' W 'ew^ SL^TO a^gronp of chUdref who^'^ '^'^' "^ ^S/^;'^^^P^^^r^ -an^dtivelyon' Lndoviol Q4.S'>,'«e Maurice 1 Good-day, my little yon hare come to f«"Sr'^ ^^ ' Ar« lessoii ovi^, ^^ crea^.S"^! ^tS^irlf'i *^' '*?^» by way of re. nofaons of various fo™?ofwor?«y*°°Jf, ~'9uire so^e C *^e place in comparative CdoJ r ''"^ to run a^t -de^Iain^l,3t?h:S7ffheti;r^^^^^ «.ou^8h ^y1S«Tl^f!!,?\^P05*-- . '"ne years old had' of a littli already leamTrgr^T a man who, many 4i< WORK thingi, axelaimed ' Oh 1 1 know, I't« aliaadv mvd. it. Oiand- lather Morfain showed me everything one day. Bnt tell me, grandfather Froment, is it true that there need to be fnniaeei as high as mountains, and that one had to bnm one's lace day and night in order to get anything out of them T ' The others all began to langh at this, and it was COandina who answered : ' Of coarse there were I Orandfaiher Bonnaire has often told me of it, and yon, Maurice, ought to know tha story, for your great-grandfather— the great Morfain as he ia still called— was the last to wrestle with fire like a hero. Ha lived up yonder in a cavern in the rocks, and never came down to the town, but from one end of the year to the other watched over his gigantic furnace, the monster whose ming one can still see on the mountain-side, like those of some storm-rent castle-keep of the andent days.' Maurice's e^es dilated with astonishment, and he listened with all the passionate interest of a child to whom some prodigious faiir-tale is being told. ' Oh I I know, I know I Grandfather Morfain told me all about his father and the furnace as high as a mountain. But, all the same, I thought he waa inventing it just to amuse us, for he does invent stories when he wants to make us laugh. And so it's true?' 'Why yea, it's true I' Claudine continued. 'Up above there were workmen who loaded the furnace, by emptying into it truck-loads of ore and coal, and down below there were other workmen ever on the watoh, ever nursing the monster so that it might not have an attack of indigestion which would have prevented the work from being properly performed.' r^l^^ ^d, *»* iMted seven and eight years at a stretch,' said Celine, the other young woman; 'the monster remained alight all that time, always flaming like a crater, withont it b^ig possible ior one to let it cool, for if it did cool, there was a great loss, it had to be broken open, and cleaned, and i^oat entirely rebuilt.' Then Claudine resumed : ' So you see, my little Maurice, your great-grandfather Morfain had a vast deal of work to do, since he could hardly quit that fire for a moment during seven or eight years ; besides which, every five hours, he had to clear the tap-hole with an iron bar, in order to release the smelted ore, wuich ran out Uke a perfect river of flames, hot enough to roast one, as if one were a duck on the spit.' At this the hitherto stupefied children burst into loud '^ -^iSf-il WOJIK 417 I -^t^i';„r:i,^iSrL^!?^S'^" T'' ""■^^ «-- too mnoh troable.' ' " """' *•"• Bi^en one days.' "• '°' " ^ 'e'y amusing to work nowa- been tSd hiL And T way S^Z^"' "'^«'' '?'«'' ^ad ended by savino. ■ < Aif 11^ »nmmuig up everything, ha dnok.' ' ' ***' °°* "o longer roagti like a cnof J.Si^;&^^t'«c'^^,t„S' Wee. T" "^^ by a Bimple ewt™ ThT^l*M *^ the ourrent on op off «UamB^therBS^;.I^V^|Zht7"l'^dt^.^* \' that hid dSSi^ I Pam-raoked giant Hving in a world Bo«gelii,^o ttd. KM onSo?,^™."*^ P^^«^ ^^•rt^i^h?^r£S^--^^^^^ otth7-;^^.^r:?iHi^S=-S »o jom bim, cta him, and lead "hi'm^'tly hS^e^B^^ a a 4i8 WORK hid lately bJW^OMrief off ,5tH; in ""'"S ^J"*"' N°™™ «nd retired, wu ending his dayTin a sLf^TSj^^ jL*** ^ ^»rSrl^' ^•:^".'t^t Sa,„rett,, who «t 8" »»?•" *<> paeSons, evil ml^C^V^^l^^J°'^ 0P«»'« appointed to crash, are noTOdlvs onlti™?i?"f ''''" ^^'^'^ is ft possible for ^rStetTto ha™ ^r^' '•' ^T" ^O" jdning the priest in Ws hf 2^ of aSl who I.^.^ Vj "^u"""' l.M^ r*'^^ JVOXX ?>nr ehoroli will h. «, i ■*'' OOP religion, no doSbiwMn^' '*■''"' ^ "»* defend itf •dmitteTthe neoeS T 'T ?""«• B"' I have alwa™ Catholid^nw^^leT^;!/^?-"" for ">«. Peoplol'Sa So ,star yourself I We «e^th^„ governing machine, expiauationafterwarfa, whe^i. C' ""^ ''^ ^ have an ground together.' ' ™ '* ''»^« re-conquered the lost -^^^^m^^tC^l^^^^" ^-'- Aa . rule At last to slowly said : ■ I do th« .k i^ ^°'''" °' ««' "gry. ay altarev.^„'on^„g ^^^;°^^« w^^^^^ faiplore God to perforS a Se ^l"^? " ""P'7' ""^ I He deems it nec^sary • °™'"- He wiU surely do so, if do nothing.' °°« """st help oneseUl It is cowardly to .^Xn, Sfon"tlorht°;'°ir'''' 'r '"^ - * H the good doctor tSs stSl he« ■ Jri"^.*" intervene : you not to agree so weU S;, "^ ?*■*• ^^ ''ould beg agreement ^nlf mXs your Ih^m' ""-^ '"^ ^'^l ae. my fi.eni; i shouH ha^J^L'""*;. ^°" K^^^o 7»ve- -on to oar ideas but i^ ^ '° ^appy-not to o£ «I .^oe. a little of all Ih. „ J? you admit, by virtue effeete j this region ■* ^"^ '''"<''» ou. 'eashav. inde^^d^p^tret'tetlf''^-'' '" «"-««- ^d jeo- hearth, so to say, rf the new ^J^T"^' ^^^^ '^^ danoy she stiU exercis^ ove! th!™ I' ^^^''^ "J"*' »«>en- put up with the pr^s^oe of Luc thi'"-''f ^^^ "■«? "^^^ though he, ;t should ^ adm^?LJr J'^'''°T"« adversary, »PP«««;ooofiriumphingovt^*e^' ^T''"'..'?^"'''^ "" he reframed from iitervenin J h™L '^'i"=!°° 'his occasion, might deny aU that heTad "rt^J %'^'T { H«"a«li»e this was simply the last revolt of i),/-' ?H' "'°''8'" ^uo. agamst the liberation of maL Imth w ^n^^Pl^ °^ authority seemg the nations so nea? fte pl?'??''^ "^^ '°''^y- On weU as reHgious servitude, Z S aS '1*^? fir""" "'^ »» once aU-powerful Church, wtichha^'ir"*"' ?***« »°^ 'he for possession of them, now tri^ f„ l.'^"^'°"«'y contended »d^I«^e themselve'e ^ir, *? ^Z t Teco^e? te ■ Ah . • criedHermeline again, -if ,„„ ,^ y„^^„ ■ I 1 %^ 4ae WORK »bW, it mntt be all OT«r Tn »h.( ^ t b.aten: it i. ^r GodHiZif'to I'or ""^^ '^'^ "^^ ^ any farther. OnlyTSIat onivl; ''^■*' *^^ nobody epoka eholypa«t,BwepttUn?hthe^rS CX f^"" K'"^ rose and took his leave ThLiu ""*"'"■« sohoolmaater the same. Scam tte ^ishld ■?<; "Sin in?T' T '''»°* *» ^» which at each recurring visit sheV.Sh^''' ''"'^ *^« ■"« pve him for his poor. Thl, t^^t ''"° »«enstomed to alms which he hadlbMn ■J««L- ' '"O"*^*'. be refused tba forty years; ^d to a loHttrj^S^'"'?'" "°" «»« you. mademoiselle; keen that n,ot ''°"/ ^^ = 'No, thank His'^eLT\'ld''?et?t*LXr^V""l^° -" P-"' more BtarveWs in that toS^nfp '^^'?• ^° ""O" P<»r no 80 black, so wSS^ Mripi^''"°\"'''^"=^''«''»dJmiTO come from the waae-ZS,™ Vl 1 ,«?'!?' «"«» "bioh had and crime soon dla^Cr «»„ ^**'?^. '''^n '' 'ould ah^ tion of work °n ac^oX^ wUhTuZ"'.^'^ ' P« ^rS- bring about a bettor .„^!!-J"°''''® '^d '"ffioed already to whef wo7ksho>5fon^''^i!'T«°' S! ''«^""- ^"^-^ joy. an entirely^f^^ "^'! &','"'°''" ""^ J><«1«" a^S people the happfdw ' bwtherly race would assuredly bad hitorMSei'/r'*' ^-iPP*^ ^ »^ ""«. through which no dSuM K^^tr' ^^**'"P°° 1*«« i>ftr'f:'"^Hermel"e haSe^^^enr^v ^* ""'• without takinit hi. evfl« nff ti!„ * aeparted, he woke up, and watching witi pasTonafe tow"* hf '^i"'.'~°'"^*°^' manner: 'Each time that T...?^' "o said m a dreamy My sad and ISous lupp^Llrr''* \ ^«°°"' ^■ Buppose it were never to risl^,^ „r"!u"°l,*° ""n^ back, bound earth, what « to Jki- ^^.. "'" ** '"'ack and ftost- lifel ThTs'u^rtheS'the^'L''^"''' '^!? overtalTall germs would wither or rot ' kr.t^^^' *j"^°* whom aU must place our ho^°of"jiefiSd fnlnJ^K*^-"^ «"»* '^ were not to help us^fe wo2fd soml "^^^^ '<» « " ly I 4»* wosx ^^|ln deep Mleno. feU in the little lotoi. foU ol weh J^wboMte mtim»oy. It wu delightful toieelhrw^- pedwJly .toeped in the gloom. Twne gleami idUhorS jurt .bove the Wb, whilst the pSt t^ fcd^Wl^lSd Wme hke light «,d quivering%pp«tionri? ttT'bh; h^.? ^"^ ".J™ "?' ">« BweetKlrts' honr-theVe.* -?^ *° 7''°'° "■^P"'' "^ ^ Cr4oherie remained oMTwd Nobody troubled about the roaming" shadowy MunSi who holdmg one another by the hand. gr^uaUy Sited aw« and fc3^^ ? 1 .f°?' "'"^ °'''"' B«lianoe was placed on the freedom to love that was granted them, for this Vonld ^mdeJ them gentle and chaste, like future siouseTwhom B.^w!f become, an indissolnbli tie if iJ^tuSHe^ tS W. And at.^ ""f another, knowing and consenting, nwer p^ ^iot^^'t^Ml^ avenues, over the U^swhere^e BuaaowB stretched, there came sauntering couples, who neonlad mTS'v'?^^'"'?' *'"'' ""yterious glS)m Siddrt ttHdlei ofdeUght which the fresh odours of W broSTht froK As oUier couples arrived Luc reooenised unnno «!..« several of the lads and girls whom hehKn tattf ™A shop, that morning. Were not yondefsh^o^ fo^n^'i; ?^e"same V^ °*''*f,."'ii' they iemed ca?rie?by o^^nl o&^T'^ *^'^* »°^ ^"« Fauohard ? loS th^ o^ers too, wtose arms were tightly clasped around ewhott^ waist, were they not Alexandre Fenillat and a&rS^™ fancied that he recognised his son Charles ^ hf. .JJ! around the dark-hSd Celine Lenfantri^d Wa so^ jSS Ahftle'^L^f^i' T^"^ ^^^ ^ Claudine fiSm^^ U,. I«»t J^ '°^' *^ messengers of the new springtide ^li^, r,"'t^*? .^ '*""' *° *»*^ idling within^mS glow of hfe which the generations transmit one to tWher? tir^w^^h^^^^'J^^" "^'^ ^niver which comes a iJe first whispered words, and the innocent caress ^ nl!,n ;^ Which ignorant hearts seek one ^^.^Vil^^TZ #m. ttta iMae park to exehanm Sfto..TK T^.""^ 'IP^ ^ For there would ever Ua^^ ^i^Ll '"^^ '^"Son- •nd more free paesioa Cd^» S^ Wpmeaa wd more BTen now other mqdI«i rfjS. *" "".<»«»»• of h»rmon7 •ftf' the good da/ oi^ woii tte ^^- "" wq°Wte evening tnd cover, ahado^ lik^ dia^'^T* T?* '^<^<* ^^ Perfime. with noiiht breK^n^ "!2P*^> °'y«««'y Md •ounds of langhterind KwT* ^ ""■ '^''<' «w light f^ 'i*'^'t^1::^f^^Z^"-'^^ onteide the And on finding himttere .h-^i^^S""','' •^° "wking Lno wwied bv Bo&mJin'e n^lon * i°'1. ^ ^<" ?™'tly she wm wtumed Wrteteli*^^,«««'. for ie hed not y« aoors after nightfalL ^ ''* ""«»^ Mke this out of W«' to^K^^filLoi^'Xl*!;'' ?^ '™»« •" 'o'ving old child I • '"*'• •"> ' 'J"* unhappy num, the poor r/''^n:?"afr/it?.'l:'^«J!«8ohomeagai„. -He •honld be the,. FrSrwrti^.'^J '" '? ''^^''t you bri^ you tidings.' '" "y P*'* I will h»ve a look round ind inthX'XtirofreK^'ii.^' "d -"'"•a the park. •J>op^ Buthehad^S^v?*S!^H.'^<'n«thework *M near the littlTwHS^^^K*^ '"^^^ '"«P«. ^d J««diBe. when he lSted1„ h!i^„'^°'?'. qni** • ioik of wUoh came from imlS^alnt m« ',"«'" ""yof terror «mto that foliam thL »^ olnmp of greenerV. ^m • What i8 the matter ? mat w S* *»" Cl"dine Boniaire! But thevdid not answer 5.^,1*?"^/°°^' ^eoaUed. tenwr, like love hirnl ^ ' ""^^ "^^ »» beneath a blast n* «.«8ttgh^^entt^r°"CwhL'?''' l^^ ^«M by Mter the oopse.he alsTLve v«.t w.^°°,'^'^ ^ded tb Porhe had almost fa^Sdi*?.T!f'^??«'>;<'' horror. 414 WORK gUM. oj light fklllng from the Aj whart th. .tut «^ ««. ^Ah I ih. vahaim MM, the poor old ehild I • hiiSmnMJ h2!ri&lf.S5^u> 7"^' »nSir.ding quit. omST ttS «,a UM !?• ""if **' "• «»n^ioM he out doSitS bod* ■»* H'OXJC h«r*,to th« wret7 orerbuidened with debt> iL^ ^'^' "" ™°- The State Jjpon Theto^Su^tef^'a'lt^^^^^ ob%«i to "ek i^^oSthe^^l^'thrr"'''' '"^ ^^» •••eMie inoie and more nrolnti • , '"?» ««">» which not to fldi upo"KufdfA!%^rl"i\'^««' ^« thodoomof werithypariahiSera th.^.^^,^^ •■* '""»'' »' •way, their leal wai W Sn^' n '^•'"?' "«" dwindling b»««/Bl lAmo^ th^*^?- J?°""? the lifetime of thf PWTed iome oomiensatimfif, i. u' T"'* "treme piety Prieathad fouTd p^"S,°°i,elD iS^h^^'Tf ' ''"'"'«°. th^ ever, only Madame Ma«II. 1^^ "•. Subsequently, how- onlr did'her Cour d^l%\WZT^ •*°^'""' »<» °ot generous disposition. In wurse of^tin,?" " •■"" '^'"' »' • fier fortune consumed her^nd ,>,, ^Z" T""*™ »=Peoting quently to Saint Vinmnt in f,?,!? • '™.' '«»» »°d 'ms fre- to thejrieet save a ?e°;°JCr ^mtuTefwb "^ ".^"^^ ^" '"« n- clungobstinatelytoK^^'oTrb:tt'5f^m^^^ IM ?.** 4* tyojtr S^uK f!*^ ««n»iBrf, tlM ehaNh bMtm* quite .mptr. ud wWoh jB««klnd now rt iMt Uft hi. rrinioTSl^^La Hoondhfan. Hm eomnUiiMM h»d bMn dowwUm kTmH ^ iU own mlquitie* In t^ Cd h. oMt th« «lS^ wlMon o»er iti lui tgonj ; it had ditd unidat • fln^l i^U And u ywn, too, h»d 1m woglit • tOugt in thoitriot Utter of dogm., in order that h. might oon«d?nothing toth. tath, ol wmc, which, he cold redi«,. wereTStmting to tte 5?^!ir^''^5»f'?*°** ^y^^^ «>• •MUrTt edifice w!».S^ would be dertroyed. Science, Indeed, had at theKmgdom of God wm .lout to be «>t. not in wme fJidou. pmdiie, but upon ^ very euth, in the nune of triumphut oonwoui. free, jnd muter of hiJiSetiny, wieTweeping mmt ^•i^STt S'*^"?.*^*. *»"'<«"• of ^bolimwrnWuX heh.dlo.thinMeU3uringthe anguU^ of hie long etru^ •^rt nature. After Uie templee of ancient idSatn^ ^ohc ohuNhe. in their turn £ad to iU^fp,^, now fl^ a fraternal people wt Iti oertein happincM in the »Ie force U ite hnng KOidanty without need of any poUtical .r.^ 3 puniehmente and reward.. Thus the Bril.r«iiicec hi. fbnaken raced whilrt the roof cracked more and more above the altar ' A mommg came when Abbi Mario perceived that uother large rtreteh of the vaulting of the nave had .pUt durimr the nreviou. n^ht. Aud although he now felt*certeirS the downfaJl which he had been anticipating for month, pagt, he neverthelesB came to celebrate his last mass, clad in his richest Jf. .-^ --^^MIP, trojtr ,, irSS'Tb^.'tin^..^*^'^**^ with . nc Uk, «»rdtn iMto Uut .Mleft forgethUlv oat of dooiTttooiaatJ i„ .^^>'**,A'>W Marie wu reading the OoiDel he h«»rf . :'S!a:peT2J^"&sr^^ "eir*^ir/wZa"Li?' "e ™w °fi P' V °« f? '^"'- »"' »» t"^' ve^A. "h» ihf ^ .' u""*'?? 5'" P™y"' '""d »he oh JiML . ™ w .1S,SB'^f :^th L*!;?' """"'• ^* T" «^wi»tior He' ofr»^oXhT«r.e^^ra\rt-4"xi?t"3 4>8 JVOXX ■teeplS tcitend ^d tSn in ita IS^ »' """"^er. The .haken ol t^e roof open, Md taij^ *J^'«"' "PP^g^ttw renainder hage litter of atolel wd «?» ^J^^ ^^^"f^^ "° »« • nanti of the ehrttered altar h^l^ ^'°*PP*"«? *">' '^e rem- Wa blood. And in Hlf. t. '.u. "onsumed his flesh, drunk great crndfirof pa^Md"^ l'Z« '!1,''''''J°""^ °'^" been shattered to atZT,!? Vr*1, '"^- ^hat also had «hgion^„ tad.1Sriast nril'" '^"''- .•^'""'' y«' ">»"'» perked ^thSe'la'Jt'ofTh'eCh'r'* •"" •"' ""*■ "^ -^^S^AZ^^^"' 'h ^t^ -cl.oohn«,ter. folk are wont to do ^hen haZSS T** *'^'^i'8 "^""^ " <>" words flonld not be nCnW 5?.^^- 1' ?"?« ^^«^ >de»- His tain thS neSed nS^lC nnl^ '" ^'"? ^«^ *° »»- dead in his bed. S'aJ o^ '.f* J?"™^*' *" '*• ^^^ had been ol^red away . ^J '^ "" "T^" »' *''« "h""* fine tree. 2nd Aadv wX^ridZJ" P'f»*«^, '"*«. with LoTers went thither on ri^i^'J- '"set-smelling Uwne. to the park of La CrfioheSe^. t?°"«'l '"'"° " ""'7 "ent ing, children yei^^^'Ji^^^^^ *"/' '"«' «^« »P"ad- lovers whose Wsses to^/.w ''~°?"'g 'ovew in their turn, After the gly dft d work ^« l"*"" '^J*' '*'*°«' ''«»«^''> ing upon ever, fide LTT}^^ f^l"' *« "»«» "«>■"- slept the dM* of a «,li°nn °/ ^^\ ?«^g>>tful garden where now beheld the «^wS °A"«'*'''«?°'«"'d death, one flonweenoeofUfe. ^ °^ '""°*° J^^' "»• overflowing ?rS?nr'a^iS^rJ^-^t~Sh1«'^^^^^^ "*, ^mJw. -iBi IfOJlJC 4»9 JbMltli. reward oFIim lone effnr^ *i. ^P"**"' *"* »<>» tastsd >U ihA BoShiaW^oiS,*? ^»^!!«" - waning, ^VB had stood the ga A the Iht^* "^^ Z'^"" « fonae? disappeared. Kear thlt »~,f , ^^^' ^''■='» had long giaca p..nned the MioMe^barL^L" T^ "ridge 'Z'Z'e ^™»* had been cc -ed o?er^o? « !■' r"*^*^ ^O' ^^ hundred yards, to admit ntth * distance of about a What'lhi.^.'^'^'^^ Pf'^ago ofa broad bonle^d." wonld erer hani^^iJ/W J'°'^^'' Bonnaire. ^o threshold of ttTaSuaBil^Jl ^°T." ""ok and n,„^2 owr which there w^^l^^ "i '?•* "wad. open mac/ lined with BSSngloK 'A"!'' "i^S^WookinraK moment, erect and h«d4^e lib, t^K^*^ «""« i^ a he experienced ereai m»^ ' "" *" Wpy old man he wiul this other seemed to Ce*bS^^feS °^ "»• ^^ ofethes were in tatters, hi fi^!?!^ K^T^' *>' "« kwfeame emaciated uidZmbKn^^^^ b"*/ with hair, ' A poor man I • mutteredBnnLf 'nth some e»il fever, astonishment. """""a Bonnaire, speaking alond in hi f inoe bSSi^S^ 'se^L^^W"^ ^*^ ^ now gone by 1« who sat on Sie S. Td nJ h3' '''?'"i' Iw^e^rthat shoes and clothes weSthitf ^ h & *" ?? "P""- His sunk opon that bench near the^^L "Au'"? ^^ '""«* "»'• fotgue, after trampin.? The r™5, ^ °'^*^' '°^n fr°« sheer -y SS?Iu^i^,?ZX'^T ,r 1° *■-: 'Can I help ,.„ jou seem to be in great diet«i7 '^ ^ '^nstj, W 430 WOJIX Then, u the other did not aiMwer, bat itill lat hil ^♦l "T "n" '^^ '*? *°™ '"'• PO™* o' *Jw hoMon to the other, Bonnaire oontinned : 'Are yon hungry? do tou need a good bed ? Let me guide you-yon wiU £^ WS tne nelp you need. Thereupon the old and wretohed-looldng beggar began to itammer in a low voice, as if speaking to himself : ' B^olair. BeanoUur— IS this really Beanolair ? ' ^^ ;i«l'.^"?u"S '' "' y°" "* »* Beauolair, that's oertfin,' dedared the former master-puddler with a smile. iJnt oil seemg the other give signs of increasing surprise and anzietr he ended by understanding the truth : • You knew Beauoto formerly, no doubt,' said he. ' It is perhaps a long time since yon were last here?' «■ r e om<,o 'Yes, it was more than fifty years ago,' the Btranirer answered m a husky voice. »"™«er Then Bonnaire burst into good-natured laughter. 'In tnat case I am not astonished if yon find a difficulty in reoognismg the place,' he retorted. 'There have been wme changes. For instance, here the Abyss works have dis- appeared, whilrt yonder the sordid hovels of old Beanolair city has been bmlt; the park of La Cr«cherie has spread over everythmg, invadmg the former town with its gr^erv and tummg it into a vast garden, where the little white houses peep brightly from among the trees. And thus one naturally fiS? '™~' before one can recognise the place.' The stranger had foUowed the explanations, turning his glanoe upon the wious points which Bonnaire with^tle gaiety mdioated. But again he wagged his head as if he could not believe what was told him. 'No, no,' said he 'I don t recogmse it; this can't be Beanolair. Yonder are the two promontories of the Blense Mountains, between which the Bnas gorge opens ; and yonder, too, iut away, is the plain of La Eoumagne. That's certain, but all the rest-those fine gardMs and those houses belong to some other spot, some wealthy and mniUug land which I never saw before. Ahl well I shall have to walk further; I must have made a mistake In tne road. After picking np his staff and his waUet, he was making an effort to nse from the bench when his eyes at bst restel friendly. And at the first glance which he gave BoSSre he mmmTi- 5^ r^mm. WORK 431 Tiolenoe? All »w^ k- ^*^ ^ moments of nvage 'Bagnl- ' ' th. ^'.5^^ ''*?" P*°P'* •'»^ '^'ieved him to be dead I Rnt Th!*^*'i?'^' " i^ y°° ' ' Bonnaire repeated. U-^oJdt' tt\f •^""^i-W' h-d.h«waUeton •Rn^o^' ^ *^* ^^'^^ '"°« °' '""ner tunes, he remmsd ■ >_'*i--^»r. '-^^^^^ai^'^^t'J, r ''• '«,"*«^- the Diaca whore I was BW tK, m!.*^'*'? P*«»« •* shonldn'tWe died easy ta^Jf.M"', T™«^ »•. »nd I in this direction ffl.i",T^'' l^*^* "O""' tor . streU The roads are still free • * '"''"^y "V *<>. i»'» « » 'Nodonbt.' bad'lISn -Tni^.'!^-;"^ ' y*« •80. When a man", go, offer me hospitality UieT/« master of La «»w to all the rest.' "^o-monow, when ife dajMght, we'll ^->^, & tt?r±e^t?°^- /" t""""" -^es, those qmteTeared him H^w*wm h'Tv^^f °« "-y "* » Aop whm«> mai>7nnfa>ow'eT»t« «nT '° understand tiling? b>rihs had taken pC ? h! "?^ '" x"'^' "■"ridges and seated at a well-spr^ table !*„'' °°' T^ "^aiS, but! «yenousIy in ihe ^a^oom ;hth Z' if • ?• ""^ "^^ ^^^ hy an electric lamp; The crmfnrtTj •'""'"'"J' "lamined around him must h«™ w i?^ ?" ""^ ease which he fait bond's Bhould°rfo^TeSed\^„r"^ "P°° the old va^- done for,' as with his fZ w// °°? ^S^*^' "o™ utteriy the food, glancing askZe ?he whil°eTt aJ? S!"'" ''^ ^«^°"'^^ happmess in which he h^ no^harA w-'^*'°'=°'npas8iDg downcast mien at the sijht „?° I ^" 'e'7 silence, his «ve of aU his long sttVL^„Z''^ '^°''°''' '"'' «»?'«" vengeance, his now i^Za^fa T' ^" I?''"'*'^ tbirst for seeing disaster fau'n^hewlniT "^ . '^^Pbi^g and at toe sight of his gloominess ™nd?T?f *' "S"'" »"«»«? ^»'"es bo hadrollfd dS th?fjffi, ''™';g'> ''bat ad- more and more aPtomahfld«t «„! •u-*'^'"^"'"?. and felt »noh destitution. atfindmg him stiU aUve and in ' Whai.0 k. ' ^T.''*^® y°° oome from ? ' he endnd l,„ ■ Oh, fiom eyerywheremoreorless r Sf,„^ "nqnirmg. reepme ffnsin../ '""moriess i Bagu answered with a sweepmg gesture. - ....^ 'Ah^I^so you've seen a good many countries and people Md things ? ' - . -„u j«opje Oh, y«i ; in France, Germany, England and America, and 4M WOXX ^'^^^^^^'^^^ ^d nothing of his old nature had departed fromWm ^t wS?^i w?h ""'^ 1^ "> "^ l^^ °t revolution I iCHS that did not prevent me from starving / "* "°^' "" •" He had passed through strikes and terrible rirfn™ ;„ w ^ irOMA' 435 •PPe«.. unoo?^ ^^Z^'^.^^V'" melts Lddis m5 flower forthT*. few &^d°;K'''r «*?"' «P"»" brotherly eon. AU manS ""e glow of the great But ho, Bagu, bad wortml T"^*'")" of the happy city WM. had aimpi; s„Cft™''lTf,'«°*«? revellerXt ife Jitaessed. mirdy eaw^iS blow/ ^^'"''^'"'P?'*'' ^^ ^ad flndmg an opportunity oTOr^Sii.' *''f"'° ''"''O"' ever for once i„ hTlif^Snlc Wa fi?,'"T * "S^ ""^'o ™Uar. and, . confirmed old v.^a™nd and be.f.?f "y"' ''''^ b^-ne for the Bo-called o,^ of just'ce an^^n!f' ^* t?""*^ »°' » ""se lum baok his twentieth Ww^i^f^*- I' would not brine PalMe full of slIvL whe«1^^''^'-'L'?''''l "ot give hiTf amidst a round of^SUTi^ Uke'?.',!^'"''^,*"''^ J"'" '^^j' of. And he jeered bittoT'atth.f5'"°Sl'^** ^°°^ »Pe»k -^« Which ^r^^'X£-:i^^x£^^ «idB^!^*^'^„^«W sufficed for happiness' quietly hejUthy and gay. I wSl ZwTU , ". ""^ '«'""if»l ""d the aummer feativid »,«ri;) uV^ ; ■'^^o one on the morrow frnito of the wrthl a^^^ •'*«^* '^^ »" the flow^^nd amid* the ^ve^S" Su7?f I" P^^^r J?*""^" tlae nowerful sTrj^nSSS bLe ° ""^ '"^' *° "•"<* W^WdrS'Sia'^; |'--y anxiety, a cover. to-morrow «IS f S!"' ^^Wes where the s^etv of ^i^u^^^iti^jTt,?"!^ frightful stC;,li' ">« town, bis own wliani^T'iT i'TS" ," ^iriuaUy installed in '! 436 it^oxir frantically on »U lidos, coma into being on bii nativa «Dot. dunng hjs absence ? Had be returned merely to behold th. felicity of o her., now that he himself could no longer exp^t any joy m life ? The idea that he had spoUt his 8^8^"^ the very end seemed to him like a supreme crushing blow Snill^'f.,T »? '".^ re«iness whilst he sat there £lenUy finishing the bottle of wine which had been placed before him. r^rii" ° Bonnaire rose to show him to hfs room-a sweet- smelhng white room with a large white bed in it-he foUowed with a heavy step, suffering from the open-handed biotherly hospitahty offered to him with such happy ease """*"'' mon^igf ■'"'"' "^ ^°^ ^'^'^'' ""^ Bonnaire, ' tiU to-morrow In J3!!'i^'°"T"°.''r:"'^*" *''" """e^ "orW ahonld fall to pieces durmg the night. Bonnaiie, who also went to bed, found soma difficulty la pettinp to sleep, for he sf ill felt worried with respect to Bain^^ intentions rfehad a dozen times resisted hi/desiretoVat plwm questions to him on the subject, from fear of provol^g wLm^^^'T '^P'""*"?"; f"' he thought it Lght bl S^tS^nlt^ ^'"P '^ matter in reserve and act hereafter ^^ to oircumstances. He feared some frightful scene ; Z^^"^- ^.'v 'wtehed vagabond, maddened V want and *sMter, might have oome back in order to provokS a scandal, Bn^.i^l'u"""," •^"'^l' ""* «'«° »"«4t murder again Bonnure therefore resolved that he wonfd no. leaTrhim SiSl fTT" "^ *••* '°"°'"°e ^»y- Moreover, inhS hn^„/™*'',T''"" f^e-Tthing at Beauclair. there ^aa £e Jn^?n?i "' '«^«',?"d power a^ would make him realise iiZ,fl wrt '^u'''?.'?^'' ""* "''«"i'»' o' anyonainT -i^ ^''*° he should have seen and learnt eveiything ha final batUe for the sake of general harmony, peace, MdW fl„„^?*''""/'^™*.°" *• following m^ig a joyoM flonnrii o? trmnpeta sped over the roofs of Beanelai/M: ^T^*^*Jt^'^°^^'"^- ThasnnwasalreZ'hSi S^J^Si^"""^?^*^ Windows op«ied.pe«ti;Sifl?w ttrongh the greenery from one house to another, Ldi one oonld S?^ ^°l T '"^y '?^=8 *« <^ °f it. city, whilst the trumpet (aUg continued, arousing from garden ti garden the ones of chUdren and the laughte? of loving coupler WORK ^j^ w Jitt cft« 2±!?',!r^ ''^«««. found E.«u up. htdweUr. ed' SvCSZShS ^' **•": Now that he former d.y, , wiStSd^SoTiSS? '^^"Mquite the jeerer of to •A>o,^edgnh?UKcf^i?^'i 'rf'?* Md 'refusing ■eeinghiBhoitmter he SdSl».V ' «lighte.t propess. On taruSnglanjh. ^'''**^ •»"* »><»" » Wa old evU thoM who don-tTk; to b^' SSa^ 5S?lri.^''«?r''"» fo' yon wakened every momC in«™. i, "[ '^™' »'««P- Are The old in«tor.puX*p^KS;T^' ^^ "•*' ■"■^'' ' ' mood. He gmUed qS iSd^.™ ^^ H? «"*" *° ""'« only the riv^i ^ orhMv^fTI'tf^i; N"' % ««''« rd^K'^rr^ilSlrt^^^^^^^^^^^ -^S95 i^tdV^ - - - you have hers— .l»ti.. ._j "" «garag au those uventiong on. They m^ ?e S^i'd^ht ^°k °°'' '".»^« *° ■'^'"h but it'i itiuTK.»!,Si:' ?°V"' "^^^^ one's in a hnrrv ~U Wo^^'dd'stove -"ind "".^r »°/ "^ °^- he eomandedWying • 7yo„ wI ?" '"" ^l"* ^-^ °°' '^P'y. ficeaT^'tSri^^^J an^'lJ^Bh' IV'l'"'' '■*""»^« »«-■ health and joy i£d gi^tth^ n» R.'7^°'' '"l" °°' ''^ '«? 8-dena theUathtd''^":S^e?a'X„^r'°" "'"«'' "^^ ^T^^'^Zi^'^^'tAf' ^"7 0^ our happy •TMT Sde andfertSe on, I?, p f " " ^*^8 fo»"> on w»e egg8.LaraTfad?*i^\ ^'i the whUe eioth there li 43« WORK old hcit Udih.d on hii wretched BUMt tETmort ddUoaU ^i^^T' ' ;*»P'f,»°d "iffeotioMie EoroitaUtT, wUohMt «» gwion. eyenlng, Bonnidre prudently refnuned from iikiS Bagn any direct qnestions. Yet he felt penuaded thlTSi otoer. after the fashion of aU oriminaU, £«d r^,S.«d to ^ hXuu^'"*°"j oonowned bv an invinoible craving to ^ii' '§?"' f"^ know what W taken pUee duWh" abeenoe. Was Joauie still alive, and if so what ™ riie W ?„'r^-.^l.''**° »'^ '«"" d-^'b. and C helakSJ ttem both 1 Surely It was an ardent curiosity with wspwt to « J T. T^^r ^y""^ «"'**"* >" the v^bondTCgM S!!;*!^!*"! ^^u°°' '°'°*^°° »^»°'' bowevMLprefeniaT*" parenUy to keep his secret looked within him-WS^h^l ^.^."i^'i Wmseif with putting into ewcntion the pUn wUoh he had thought of the previous night. Without Sntio^M '»" flore«»ncrrf the movem.nt, which was scarcely beginning when you went Mj.k J'®,!?'*''*1'° *•'» °"e" 0' the evolution, the esta- W^ent of the works of La Crtoherie. based on an aiJoSa^oa between capital, labour, and brains, a^d its staumUwS, i£^ O^hL^ •lu'u'^ beenvanquiAed and repUoedTa^ Oracherie, wth its pleasant white houses, Lad mdusJlT ti^kJl? Bonnaire showed how, both in a spirit of tolta- toMi «id by reason of the necessities of the position snthA ciation ; and how m due course other groups had bMn fomiM ««ry caUmg of a similar kind grXly Wng .™ffl together every fanuly as it were, mating Ld^mitin^ mr.™^™ "^"^^''f PJ^°"" "^ the one hand wdff consumers on the other had completed the victory wort hS„i reorganised on a basis of humanUdaSi3?riS to it! tram a new form of society. There was niw only f»»e"»«l one., eince "ery day.'STbeing^atTfcoSdfh.T'''^ ^^ •?">" ^"^J came from the h^pineS^'oTX .^»' «'d''«Jual .^"PPwess blood tax-the ooiion^™, vJa ^ °* ^^ ""''gned, the taxee; there werrSTtoZT ^^^ t^PT«> ^J^ ^ other prohibiUve lawa. but In Uefthe^f^iS",;?! "y. J^nd or any and exchange. And in Z^tXl .^i.^i*' '"' Pwdnotioi innnmerable ewBtov^ fSSS""'"'*""^ *•"* P«tt-Mites-the wealth had set in, auTh a Dro^lfffP"™?^'. *•"« Pe»tert l»ie'S,Sf '•:i»*?"SP^ Bagu when Bom,aire had do nothing ; Snd if von Itm trl""^"' *' """^ ?'«"«""« w to To myidfa thereVno MttinZirL'''ie°I » 8«''"«"''^ K^-s^teT^H^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ '''dii^gl^'^iF^^w^^^^^^^ -- have pSc^' powr^fa oTiand«' ^"'- "'^1''' ''^"1' ^°"Jd »«Wt the force of experience ? Vn7Z °' ^""^ •""" OM U« witne«^g ^-^eruJed^ J,X'oo^7„PS:^ i^l f i^.^rmM 44» WORK brothMly UppineM, which I antiut c( m lonffl And thai p.h.nc. h.i coin.*om.j I'm w«k .nough-V you Uki to put h that w»7-to rMt oontenl with tS-d«T'i oonqirti cerUin m I am of to-morrow-. And tietory. 6f cSTS liberty vA juntioa tr* not eompleta, Mpittl uid the »«■ jUm m»,t entirely diMpp«r. th« e'ociS p«,nn.t bTrid ^nr».M°"".°°'i^?;-^ And we try to Mt in each wira that onr godchildren'. ohUdren may brTng .boat the reign of jomUm ud Itberty m their entirety.' ' j"»m» Then he explained the new edneational method, which were m force, the working of the erfcAu 1X«,1, JnS ^prentichip workshop., t1.e adopUonlSd' cSTw^W an the form, of energy .cringing from the pM«on., and th. up-bringiDg of boy. an/ girU together wWi the riew of ln„M 5 '** "^l^^ ^ "' '"'» °° "l""!' 'he city. rt^Iga reeted with the conple. of to-morrow ; it might be taken thai kI!!5i.^.°. *'°tF'"^?."P ""'^" "" inoreaw of equity and kindhne.3 woulf eont^bute it. .tone to the flnlj eifio. SSTt^Tth?!.' «*y.'"»i»h would continue aoc^Sg now that the .uppreuion of the right of inheritanc»-alm^t ^^ly •««o'»/'V-prevented the building 0^^?^ the work of others or on egotiaticU .aving. of their own wm» overflowwg with work, freed from obataolegand WniSiL. wealt^ that production would aasuredly Seme day hweto be moderated. Enjoyment, onoe reaervi for a few pn'Xed f^.Sfv'lJJ"" to-day akeady within the reach of .J" Wf S,ifn """"^'^ "?P'* ""> P""'" •^'fi"" had beMmo I^T^ l^^P*"""/-'"*" enough to hold huge multoud^ S^f, nf tT""" t"*^ '1 commodious a. to & faideed taS P^es of the people, centres of enjoyment where it Wedto ..TaMil"'*'"? °>°«/°'»?. and libraries, theatres, batW Ser^lS'5 P'f"*" ^'".'i''«™ons of on. and another iT^ f^ h.M. 'k-^"".^'' porches,' opening out of meetmg and W ture hall, wbieh die wliole town frequented in it. hou?. of nSt ibW'y*../%.^*«firf. WOJtX 441 T^. ^**. ''"' * •"•* Bomber of boipitab. nMitl iiaUuJ toflrm and th* tged oonld antai freely ; othen, too. puUou- I™ S! 'i"^ ^° " •Mlyetwf .nta their babei motherhood end ohUdhood-the moft." 1,1 , in tli^ »,■ .- ^ ete™l Ufe,the child who ie the Tir . on!.n- iacltt, «nUi^^\°°ir;' ?»»?•'» e»ilr ODjInd.-l -BiD.^, you h» J S^^,u. f^';"';'*. "■ 8° »° i«c all a „, f.,e •l>.,.^.,ou. i^i'Soikofr '"•*'• '^''"■'•^- ^"-•^'^ deoiBTeergnment: 'As you like; but »U >: ..mp „? Jr! not gentlemen, you ere still poor devili if you atil woA J^OTevr*"' "'• '"''° *"■' "^''' 'O"'" "-'^^ • n, Jil-?'%^~/ "^ "■* •"""• ' "'"• •JoeWo oer with evjom- modjbon for two persone wu waiting. Similar can woe at the di<|po.al of all The old mMter-pnddler, whoX^Sul £l!n,T^ ^ retained a dew eyeight 'aid a C MdS^ companion get m. and thra fci* hii own eS 'Yon don't mean to cripple me for good with this meohaniim, eh?' aekedBagu. 8«« wiw inig .1 J»^„V' ^aK\ ^ ''"?«"'• We get on yeiy well together, eleotnoity and I, Bonnaire replied, adding: 'You wif find 'LV^ ■ ' •' *"."" °»' '""^ "•'•<'•' drives our machinery. MTvant. Oh I it has been necessary to produce it in incalonl- and that the former master of La Crficherie is trying to So niSil* 'iJi'iJ?'",'* '''t"°8 over Beaudair at night time, and hve amidst the glow of eternal day.' -i.iS?4k°*''^ri 1^'" 'i^ °,' P""^8 »U darkness to flight. «^* '^ gWed rapidly along the broad avenues. Before expiring B<«nc!iur he proposed to go as far as Les Combettes m order to show his companion the magnificent estate which waeohanginglnEownagnemtoapaiadiseoffertiUty. Ihe *** WORK "•ny 'oot paaienmn were almirf^l t ^^- ^ «»•♦ ride of the iad itoet^JdTlS!^tP'"*?*- . ■^<' <» eithe; the old-time n«i™- » * i. PT*"* »«» of grain. Iiutead nf '-'iytiiKrfor„r^*'„„°' i^-". bK.j^;^''/ 3»ted by thousands of aawcZa V"'''' ^T' ""'■'^ <«J«- •owened. ani high S^tiS^lLlrf Jv^"^' *»»• "^ vegetables and fruit eMhJSSSS Th?^!'?'^ *T° ""P' »' WM spared many e&rts^i...''' '°"'"*^erT, man enchantment oveflZ^' and l^'"*" /P?"« °P " » by wa. even said thatlST woS^J i!^*' °' P'onghel land. l{ ,^ or ^Tsof snSe'f'^oXTtre^^^s'^^C? »we^S^"'.8?f„^"r'';"^«^ Bo"""" with a for 1 ^eTO-to wh^ere^* SK riJ^J breadXad' M bom.' ^™ »oqmres a nght as soon as he Biok and the'tafl^'reteiTfelm'^ u'^'T"""* omftb. good health it bo^owl^ml^? 7°''™?- ^hen one's in The car was n^ tat^ ±,*° "?*i5 ^""^ nothing.' rows of cherry treM^^^?*J??l2°^' »°^'*»« Mdfess llghtlnl "peoSle^hTS^Lw'^* P'«»°'«d »^" and green was the Ct K±S2 ^•*'«? »»* ye* ripe. P«"»reM. NeTerthSsthW™**li2? the apple .Td enongh dessert indeed for iTthM. „^'*'"'7 *bnndance, •Priny. Bnt they w^ at l«t Z,1,°*^t°'' S"**' '^e ensaing •ordil Tillage rf fomer rLT^'f- ^ Oombettes, Thi houses hTbe^ St a^^ "Sl ^'"PP'*"^, and white Gi«d.Jean. the onrmthTs^am wlf^r"^ ''°°««'^'' "■• "to pnre water oontribntir^ to S'tT« 1'" "f^ oanalised, .t;z:°TdiSd£S -^^^^'^^^^^ W wallowed'f^r -^r^feC^^^^^^'STS p-mmw- WOXK ^3 Wttted that spot, and an evolution had set in towards sdence bringing health, wealth, and joy in its train SinaTTll w jowenled to oo-operate 'the hip^toei of'^^^i h J^z^e tato .t-_j« !*°"«J» old Oombettes,' said Bonnaire, ' the hovels ;S^^„','''^^^^ ^™8' -"d «■« fieroe-lo^gZSS^'ti h^XraiL'^r*""^''""""' SeewhatfsSo'S Jul ^^" "jsgeje^ousy, however, Bagu would not let himself Sf wf te^*,. W,th that hatred of w^rk which had leSd Sil L ^-^^ hereditaryhatred of a wage-eamer oKd t^ toil, he replied: 'If they work they are not happy Their notbmg And though in former times he had often reviled the priests, he now added: 'Doesn't the catechism sa^Ub^ work IS man's punishment and mark of degradWion ?%h«„ once one gets to h«»ven one has nothing t^T^heiS.' Qn«;L.?" '^'u''*"' *" Beauolair the car passed La Guerdaohe which was now enlarged, and whoM ^nn^ were fuU of young mothers, their b»L Td pUvM cSuTe^ Bat even tte «ght of that palace of the peop£3^te beauu" W park did not influence 4^1, ' After'aSrwUtVthe va"ue wokitudJ?*^ ""* '""' '^* ^"^ entirely to oneseL' isn't However, the litUe car was stiU speeding along, and thev «on found themselves in Beanelair on'^TZfe^&e townfS Bagu had remarked on first perceiving it, did indeedpra^ h T^' °' ' '"8» 8»nJ6n. The houws. instesTorS pressea dose one to the other, as in the days ofZsSnv 3 toi^r, seemed to have dispersed in order tJat thSZia^ ZtL?^^^ ""n ?^v°""' 9"'"«''''- ""^ health lZ^SJ^ nothing smoe aU had been put in common from oMto «,« &P/T?'*°1''' *^/ Bleuse Mountains. Why, therefore shoiUd folk have Wped themselves together when tte who?^ £^ nf \T too much for a family when so many imSe^ S^.t f I earth are absolutelv uninhabited ? *hus7Mdb fam^had chosen its lot, and halbuUt according toi^aSw Broad avenues ran past the gardens, supplyiL abukdwt means of oommnnication, bat people were not reqdJ^to ■:C^. »».■ Duud their honma m it.,, lu •tonewMB ud fclenoa^l.^^ "^ «»y' "^ deoMi£d*?th avenues met, rose the niMyS^ iJ ^/ I*^*" ''J>"« t^ which triumphed steel anS'.E, ^ i?^^«». W* piles in compounded ^of1i^ii^''„««- Their ^-Ifni/cenr^S for which they were hx^liJX^ ?^."* '" *« P«pSe of materials wd stjie of d^fo^A?' *°'f^<» in the'S was mtended that the mTm^ u"" , A *''8" buildinmit mjeums. libnuiS,. tteaSS^' b.1^°"^1 t »* •'SZ^'a.e and amusement h»U, were b^t»„„' '"^^ratories, mietto* to the entire coZuS?" ''"^»° """y^on-mon-hoiees, opSS ^tia'^^^£8n.of,ug,ri.^^ Mauae. whence stkrted ihL fi! "^ °" "" "M Place de fi Bne de Brias, the fiSTde fV,™" *^?' thoroughfaws-the raumg to pieces from sheer ^tJ.,^ *.,°'^ town-haU wai together with the old scho^» ^h^"T'v'* "« demolish^ under the master's rod And ^^^ ""* ^^^ 'earned toZn "'large pavilions, ohemie^ «d »h'i?",Tl.">''« ««S »11 are free to study Md«T?.l^'?'*} '•'oratories, whe» hare made some Kery^ff ^' '•>«" ""V thii^k tt« conmmniW., ThenrtT t^e foS^ ^r' J^T' °™'''» to thj formed, their hoveb ha?; been fl^ntf'' ^l" ^^ trans? remains save the eudenT^Au^ *"y' ""^ little of them which "mndxyma^^jrhave^ndL" bvnl''^."'' .^P'-tlefK the poor de^s of foTSier ttae^?''*^ ''^ ^^^e the children S brougKrbrtbTX'W."'' ""■". *««'rfonn.tlon, mstance, "Jthough the^ffiLZL^h;!:.'?!^ 'ytem- FoJ two wings had even bera J&'iHt S^ '^'' P«»«rved and "••o a pub«c Ubrary. m tla^."^ J«^ ^^^^ where water »boand^rTherS«» ^'^.l^^ » bath-house W been pUntedT toe ^^oU^uS!n^t «'\f^^' ''^<='' where some fine shady VOTdan, .1™ T^ chnrch-a garden Hub wise, aa the varionJTJ!^^ nndergronnd orypt. in who h& disposed of th«m ;„ ^ 'everted to the peiple. their own coS^VSyme^r^ * °"^" " '» »«««- .venu7B:i:;'.g^Uuorjri.r°j^;j^''''"« fi°« w •M we now ? • '■ *°^ wqmred of his guide : ' Wheri aisappeared. the shops S ,,n !!? «' ^.t^'ff completely iMt t£eold houses were demoM ♦!!"*' i,""' "'•'"• "^ «' new ones whioh smile so nW.„?i *° ™*,''* "<"n for those lihto bushes. ThToiona^r&'''?°°«**'^''''^'''''"''and ooTired up, and the ride' wjf of fhT"""" **'"• '"«' ^een passes oyer it.' ^"^ "^ ">" •'»"«. on the right, far^eJres':°^rh1i^«etS;'„ff ^r "> ^"- "' WMijr workers had trudged d^yb/rju""' °''' ^^'"^^ ■titntion had prowled thfrVa7n,„if» T-, .^"°8" """^ P'o- went from shop to shop to beg 1 iuv '°'j?' ^n?u^^^^^ wigned the libooues kwln!? .1?^?'' '"*^''- There had whlhrt Caffianx Sed the i. !"•""«. °° •" purchasers, MdDaohenxkepTSswLh nrr?''" ^°"'°'«^ 'J™''"' the chosen f ood of WweaUh v n f ^u' *?*"'• '""'y n'«»l^ Mit«no had been wmfng to clo^ t^l^' ^^^^^ Madame happened to disappear from hef-hnn^ \'''*''.' '"»' °' two the street nrchins^We Mable to «X ""tu " '^ ''"y '^en now aU the misery^ ^%a,Sn„ 1^1'° '•"*" "^""Se'- But theayenue S^br^'S^^ '^f^.^'r/rP.' »W and with only the houses ^»t„' 1 ^°°^^^ ^^ sunlight, whilst thJmultiTudeatiSu&onTY'""t"P°" ""»« ^^n^ that bright festiyemotSg ' ''°»^"'« "^ "i^P^S on on the site of that newl^k wh^^ i^*'??T °^«' yonder, Pwping out of the g?L^? "''*" """ ^^'^ hoasefronts are And this timeheremoined aghast. The spot h. mentioned ilii 44< WOItK Oity of Work, in hoSonr of ThS ?^°*^i'^ °' '•»• '»*PP7 houses were gay with hMtini-trill?/'' ?i "«™»^^ »" <*' the light moiSigbreeM «nd*^^?^ * onflamme. lapped in Mvered with rosee, the atrwite ^L * ^"T"' *~- "««> them; such an^abMCce onL'T-''^"' '*=»!*'^ ^^'h plantationa of the neiS^nrh!^ #w ?v«™'^ "> *l"«wst able to adorn iteelf ,^?h S^u *''"' "•* ''*'°'« 'o'™ *as maids and youths fleTnSrt i„ f *"' ""* '*°"" «"?*"« of pure voices if the ZK^J^Tr^ ^r^*-. whTVe It seemed as if the IimnM.j- V*. the very srui itself, partioipatinjin the fes«^ «^t "'K°"^'^ '"'""'" •!» mjder the sly', ,^p~o^teSJ t «w f *";. '*■!?'» »' «»'<» delightfully bine. Afi the Zbi/L^"*' "^^ ?^«°' «d » Jtwety, .4yed m Ughf-cttd""" °''V~''?°« »"*<> the beantifdl stuffs, which Ead™^?^-*^"''' '^°"^ with now at the diipoSl oflu If^'w.'''*' "^ ^'^'^ *«• their magnifioenVn.iul.ii' '' ""hions, very simple in onoe m^TiS^' S^'^* ??'»«' 'ook adorabk^U " used for pSw of^o^J.'^P^^-"" «>'' ^plj bom .founTS^Ter'^c^rC necutS ^'*^K«^ ,««' '^ her rings, even as thruttl.^L « . ' ''" '>»oelets, and their toys ButTeweUenr no °Z»°' '"T" **'" ^'^ &■>»« become so much UaaW A^S^ "^ '*'°«' SoM had imply famaoe. were aLt to 'prod™ ' i^TrC,' *^- '^'^ diamonds and precious sto?r°"k'"!!^'^»"* ^""""ti^p of «ipphires_ge4 eno^h/ tadeJto Mr''"?f ■I"'"*'^ *^ the world. The maidTwho uZifl l, " "" "" ^'»«' of arms r'readv had^efr b»^,^ 5"?^ "^ thair lovns' -pi«. those who. love i!. rfr::^o^'S:s'jK::2.ai WOXK +♦7 theyonng folk of twenty, too, who had reMntly mat«d and were never more to ^; and thoae aim who h£d grown cSd ^dit mutual affection, and whose hand-daBp had tightened with each lucceeding year. 6""""«« inqS"" "* ""*' •" *°"* """ *•»»*?■ B^ »t last . . '.?'' ' *^*y »" calling on one another,' Bonnaire anawered mjitmg one anothw to the grand dinner which ie to be given Uu« evening, and which you wiU attend. And many arljnet •rtroUmg about in the sunshine for the love of tte th W hecauae they feel gay and at home in our beautiful brotherly •J • .°^^^^' '•»»" »re entertainments and games on aU Bides, with admission graUs, of course, for one mav freely entor aU our public establishments. Those parties olE Children are being taken to one or another circus, and others M the crowd are going to meetings, theatrical performances, oTlrr^u'catPo" *""""• '°" '"'"'' ^°*« ^'o »" '^^^ Then, aU at onoe, on reaching a house whose occupiers, it seBmed. were about to go out, Bonnaire stopped the nie the daughter of Ma-Bleue and AohiUe ttonrim. He, Fflioien, only a fortnight previously had for hi" »rt espoused Htiine Jollivet, daughter of Andr« Jollivet mdtanlme Froment. But when Bonnaire wished to explain thon ralataonships to Bagu, the latter made the gesture rfa man who feels qmte lost amidst such a tangle of alliances Ihe young people were charming— the wife very young and adorably fair; the husband also fair, and tall and steouB Love pOTfnmed aU the bright, gay, simple, yet elegantfy that day full of roses; for it seemed as if roses had rained upon Beauc^— there were some everywhere, even on the rooa. The whole house was visited, and then they returned to a room which served as a workshop-a large, square apartment. Where an electrical motor was installed. Besides following three or four other callings, FiUcien was by taste a metal- tnmar, imd preferred to work at this avocation in his own Home. Several of his comrades, young men of bU own ase. ware iimilarly wcUned, and a new movement wae thus arijdng M 44» tyonjc ■9*6" took his aaa£ in *i,. word. He had remSned Jfe^tT.. '^^f 'ittout .p«Udn. a we^to-do 4o«rj,««i, when t^re^^ „„ J'"«» *fi» howei of WORK «*.«. that it waa, brin^ngTSiefGl"^' «*""%""' ""^U- And nothing could havel»fnCv„!: '*"""' "d to beast ? «we« that^omed the pre^s^Tiff u" T™ '°°'>J^g. The PlMing, rolling, Mdt.fmZ'.^u^'**'^ hammers, tfie giant te^JtiTrworkh^ IkL™ v^ machines, proclaim^ howtS. •nd amidst gene?S" la^hfer?Ste°f V"~" "^rr*" ^°™"! •toe, or glancing nowTttb?Lur=^*r """S*" '^t'» »«n walls of speoklesf bThta^' 'i'''',L"°^*' ^°?'' *°d "owat the many of which weTunW„''t ''V^'^l «"« machines, or.,tn«»,^vided^th ™1^ ^T f''^ "«» l»°ge that they might p^rfJrai m«rof /hi ^l" ** ""•"• ^ <»^« man, the njMt tS^ »^i' °' ,'?* *»^f o""* allotted to »«dlegs, arms, f^*a^ItSg nothkj to you tLru'^h^P''" y""^, ?!«"««.! whwh had originated Zone 1hr™?tw°*-?'*"'°™°'«"' Perhaps then the sreat wort«lf„„!r ?^','' .'"^'y workshops would Md by SeaZ^^T^r^ "'^ ^"^'^ general st^ri towards increasHnS tb^' ''°"?« »' 'J"' "dv^^ hap&SC- :?l7^ar fr -^-' 0' how he might hide the &ct th^t hT^ ^"^ f ' » lo" <" to This tmie Bonnaire burst intnJ;- my good fellow, I used The f CnT^?"T'"'«*- 'OJ>l proaohedmefor havinrceMed M h. ^^'T^^'' "»^ you re' Anarchist of me. BnfilTt^a, is Zf ^"^ '"" '»•'« -^ Mythmy at all since the common dL^ A* *" '"' 'o"*" •ndjustioe has been reaSsed R?^ ^'f^Tu"/ >PP"»ess. truth. • Uttle way with me s^MesomitM " '^' [ '^'"'' »' 'I come Wg up our visit.' "** something else by way of finM mo^ffi&^ had formerly instaUed his rnr! mf^," ,?" •'^*"«« the potter w-.ded 4h O'yli-tm tgrbuXg'fe m'^^^mmm^:j^ WOJiJC deoowtioM which «ioraed the ;holl c tv ''T^i'^'"-'"''^ to the friendly entreaUes of Lur»i!i i*?'- ^'«1B T,^^^ , P'?''''" build ngs with setting up in Kquirt iKoZr''''\«?^=«f"l»'«C nosepys, and whence the water ohL"' "^"^ ^°°^'^ hk. aU tSe freshness of eternalTouJh in,l'fi,"°P ^<"^<^ ^^ whom he had created in his own L. ""* '^»°d °f artists art in the very pots whToh UieToZ^* "°^ '!' 'be beauty of for toeir preserves and jfm ^"""^^'"^^ «sed as reoeptaile. ^teps oi'tteol'otehXoi'^ X' '\ «"!« %bt of completed his seventy-fifth year hi. ^^T^^ be had nearly remained robust. He sU l,£fH: °'^°" ^5"*' figure had head, bushy with b"r and be^ n^'^T"?0''^'^» s^us^e at present all the ki^d^ess b^'^ ^7^7'"'^ ^^^ """«'• But bari gleamed from his eye's Ml " •,'"'*''» bis rough playful children stood before him biv. °?''^'; ^ party of one another and stretched o„^th;i^Tan°^,^i^^T''° P»»bed with a distribution of little present^ T, 1, ^'1=' ?« ''«"' o" every /«« day. He thus apport oSed am™. '^^'^ ^^ '"'bit clay figures modelled with a few ?h„,^ w ^, "'*'" ^o^^e little baked by the gross, yet very gracofur.nl™'"'' •^'''""^d =">rdi^Tnl»I.!^'*^ ^ *° *'" "'^of «*oli; Mly we dS 1 to^!^^^* ""^"^ wewiehea to thoeawhot'houghtttSftheyoniht ^'l "^ '°u '""«"'- "^ reedy to masRaSe t^si who »hn»J^ '3" *" *•" "«»" '"« left. ButnowthatweWwr^ ^f^^ ^ turn to the ^too ..tupid of „, IZunT^i^'^f^'Z^' T'" BoMsire ? A. I «.id before, p^S^I^mlS; • *^' "'" "' pre^Td'VoSS H^C^^:^' ^"-'^ ^«^ '" ". «-P. -»-!4'io'^'n^zLtgr^'!:^-'z^'r^.^ -t vented as from nuking mSt^J Or 3/h. *' "'"'''' P"" right, since now here weWhf; J Or perhaps we were all that at bottom weTw^^StL^ri^"'"* to admit Justi^ti'X'rerLC'wsum^*'.'" '"''' ?' ""^J""' lads and lassies to wntiCfth'! w?,r. T "^ ^'^ °° '•«'«' ^u.hear, myhttleroKj^ilJtLN^-mtZe^^^^?^^^ B.jS''L''hS't5w^f.ihif^T,'" Winning afresl,. when pre^SytKa^dbZ^Sir ;«,''*'{:'' T^'^ ^^^ ful and mysterious aeetdl" w' 1™/' ""? ^'<'"'° »' » '"«bt- M't0 iSttJmW'j \:)m.^9M Miaocorv rkoiution tbt chart {ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) ^ APPLIED IN/HGE Inc g^ 1653 Eott Uoin Slr««t rjSE ???^?"*'- **«» fo'*' K609 US* ^S {716) 482 -0300- PhoM S^ (^IS) 288 - 59S9 - Fo> positthemat the town-M th««nh ^ f ?"'' ^tending to de- in all the places jnXed where tStr5'"'"V''*'*'^°rt8-- to be destroyed. For mrnth« I^^/" ""yfo™ of authority had made Lange's hearUleed ^a 1°J ^'*" ""J" '"8*° d«»th attainment orsom^bhl^n^^ra^^?''^^' »''«' t^e of that gentle yet ZMsSrmi '^ '*^' ^°' """ '°'"' alms of a piece of brelS hafl fc^ 'J"'. '" "'»™ 'or 'he royal gift ?f her beauty '^*' "*"'*^ °" ''''» ">« he criU'™X"Si°t:bt ?T -■ : ^°" «« » ^ •»«.' are you ? Where hav^ In,. '" "if ''«»'' '•''« 'hat ? Who her forgiveness, acousfng mTgelf of hl-'^ owning I still ask If I haven't heiomeTh&i^^n jitl^^ ?"»«/ •■" ^«ath ? for she is always ^th me she' i« m! " *^ ^" ''^'"" '"«'"ory. you you are a bad man; I don't waf?l'^"°'''^°'- B°» g;t want to know your -L'^UrV^orrtt'uJ ^r™irha^tow\:S?«^»? o^'l with mfinite quiv;ring kTndTiness "^^ '^"'P^""? "s heart ansiS ' day of summer. The Mmst t^ ,??'* ^ *«■* <»» that first Ot the Whole City, t^h: B 'wS^^t^^l-ih*^-"^. wfleoted the puTDle clow nf tl, ^' r^s'^s and the silver gold money. wTfit ,lT«^„,i *'"°'''- . ^^ sUvermoney, like without n^^n'g^RaJ:,'"' "JSt'li^ ^'^^'^ '"j^ "> 'h« other., onef for Tar'tntrfSonr^r- .^"' ""> '""« '« « ">"« .im m„ Jow ?.?S; ■ hT ITS' , ""•";■. ^ »' gTanddaughtorK'a^Wm,n°rl,''''''''-'.' '?« ""'^ e'«''t- nteJded if his th?ee othtr^.W" *»5K'!'°"''^ l'"^^ been 4S6 WORK *^ff to go om, oonSaeT „« f.^' "^ "° l^P? had been laid on Ben^^X „„!^" ""* »» ^"'ent halS at »»e'7Btreet.eoSS.'*^'rw^™°''*»o^ay8be murderS proposed to take her Trith h^.u'"'^. »*•"** ^er damfhtep o png fed by others^and \t 'ij^'onl'^f "l""* 'jSh? dead-stncken by apop exv hnr fe^l ?. ^7 *« ^^ foiid among a package of h^S'te^:^' T^ T^^' »°d resting lost all value. Poor p^rfe I T?«^"!?-^'' ■''''''''' J""! 'i^uaSf faction, absolutely ovSe a^d Lm'^-"' » =t8to of stap^^ had been turned topsy tu?J^ •' ""^ ^'"lanng that the worid thosepSutat te sat^ eT '°<='-«^ "> --P for a world whence idleness wasTnt^^^* ""' "^ opinion that "J- Then he again looked ronn5 i"*' ""' '"'^h living gloomier as he no«Md thfl- °'^- ^™' ""d became v^ the abundance and W J? .."r«^^P'"'= of one andS ani to the othersXsVtS;t'n'r™^'' "' ''^ '»"«. t^ of dd^U stapK^df ve"; ^^.r- ''^'"' -" "-de up everything being semd " sUvT& "^^ ^•^' ««P««M^ to arise, salntm™ *i. .A ""^"^ aishea, joyous soni>. \.^1 arise ag^^i'S; "f, » ^'"' hours' time it" wo'ulThkrX* the robins, the blackcapMhe finoht 'l*''^"««hbourho« him how Josme whom he wished */i .^To to " "<" L"' -^d curiosity that he hS ^nwff „• ^^ "°» »" 'he ardent in a desire to behSld Z™^"^ s^^ ^''J^'"" culminating planation,Bom,airan^:Sd: ' Cw'^^^JJll't" "" "• !™«'2'^'i^* """"^ °^ the tabled ' '*'"' '"" = hou^^TthafoMhe M7rSLs°"V*A'S' »''^''" ">« "«* b«ide his wife. Hono^e C^„x l^to tft.*"""^! °'« '' Morfein. a t^yoSr^eteen^^^rs rf tf^^"' ^^SS."* tensity, though die^w now n.J^*' '"^'T*^ ^ 'heir in- scraps *Sr"S»- ^ymg a bright and bi'^fcet '^ '" ™'"* ^'^' ■"" «" Gonner, the first to deD«iif.!i -^vT **»"'''"! Lfcnore h^seU to the new BtaWthbS " He h^^'lT "^^^ arms to heaven io astonishment\f i? -^"^ often raised his labour no longer, and hn h.?l *' ■'^"'K an employer of with all the meaScholvof^n '*V"" '» talto/th^L°t wonld willingly Ce devour J fh''^"''- """'• "^H althoughT actually begun t^rS ?h ' * P"*°'' « ^^^er dayfhad Church, theVi„t°CoSions a^ndXr •"' *"« ^S and the pea ng beUs Chit^ -? processions, the inoenuB gallantly ?allen*asleep in "eS^'°,° '\ other hand^^ •PpeariBg t. sflenL^rith the ;ir wS''*°i-'"^ »*'~rt*s- he had so complacently foUowe/^ whose funeral processlba "oned.theZrof'jX'Gau'mT »"*"*•• *- «» «en- presenoe at that table of b^'^^'^'' ''*"«''a"ed by the great-granddaughters miteeaL ^15°° A°d'« an/ his grandson, Gaume had Hv^ toTh« "'\'- ^'°°« with hg the desolation of his swilfc »n^^ i'«^ °' "wety-two in M howerer, when the lawTourts a„/fr°"'- "^^^ On the day had felt himself in TrnZum /r*^ ?"™° were closed he torture of his care^r\s TjXe T^^? .">« «»l senting to play the part of inWlibl«T"*.,J"^?^°e "e"^. "on! »"??*« of all thepos^blefafi^Sf I,?"''*^'°'"'« J"««oe. -avebeen a b^ .ud^; rw^XK^SK WORK 459 1 . 459 mmority of despoUers, and with wh ch .wtl .k^ ""*" multitude of wretched Blaves but inS i k ?^' '?* ^reat feot epidemics of theft and Sr ^"" ''^"""^ "^""8 P"" Fresh bitterness awaited Bagu at the neit taMa ♦!,.♦ „« St; l/i r' ""u"*,^ ^"^"'^ Laboque and CrivS •» .m lb.,, ,„ s? Allowed hi^ fo genoe and fertilised ^i. ••,'"" ^°^ '"^ed with inSli) Dacheu,. the Caffi^:c «d ihr^T \P°''«'- ^nd after°**tt i^m tyo/ijir 461 nuaery and snffarinT^fv^Ji y.™, <>'» '»oour system, fuirof pSd «d dMt^.""' '°'^""°"'' ^^g'-V'tem; Zi H»«t" lnS?o a chmtx "^Jr'"''?!^"'*''"'* ">«>»«»" yeara old. took some rose l^M.tlt^ ^f" ""^'bout five hor ehubby little £1^x1^^^^^^!"^ TL^" *»"«• '° great-BTankther'aThUe heaS » y P""*^ ""»» "wr her some mo™ '1 ^'he v^'e to "^^^^S' ''""' y°" ««• ""^ there's some in your hKd in vnl ^°" " f °''°- O'' ' yo"'™ You've simeev^wTberef SL"'"?.'^ "? y°" ""^ t~- pa Bourron I ."^"^'^ ' And bonne file, bonne flte, grand- Bonnaire in a husky voice • ' L at«n J^'^r* .*"°°*»'y '""l to it back any loneer ? I ™iv „ii °'/''*' ' "»« n™ <>« keeping they? ShU them me ,';'^y"""«*o «««'**'»• Whereof II 46i tyoxx wa Nisekd taken their dIm«t2" ' -"^^ "e-"' i« NwSt the arfsana, traders, and tUler/on. Tn'?' "^^ """ ^^"'^ yet once again flew around tL^?n ""'^J ?^ **■« vicinity who among the branches. Sere "»« " u'*^"™ "'"4 to S flappmgof little wings that the Th""'' ""^^^^ '^niTnoTi snow of warm Uving down vt- '*,"«, ^as covered as wiH. ? b.rds, caressed thel «d jhfn lef fh^""''^ '°°^^^^ of S.^ fidence thus displayed by the rl- ""*" »"• And the coS fraught with adSrable sweetness t "^.^ *^« inches was ?M^*e^' Zrei^-^U-Sniatt fctasT^^ WOUK ffi3 K wan trim . ^5 ?*"* O"' o' Grandma Jos uo'» slasii I ■ anu^ed" d'eotched t'-r' The wS?' "j^ -'/Jfclh whole town of gardens a^a™„? '^ ^"V" ''''«> *« tha When the bird Ud flo^ awav T?f«'?'* J'^'''?8 '*""""'«'• raised it amidst the ^rpirkw 0^1"" "'^ B'"". »"d ~j'!;l?°rf t'e^L'l^'bf^ W remained an had laughingly moistoniTheTlfns^ith fh""" ^'' "^^^ •"^'. turn drunk o/it and i^i ^?To ^h„ t'"! f' f "" i" his whose /d/fi it is to-dayl Mav it vJ ' "^"^ "' °« O''^. way it g,oy> in Uberty, prWeritv^^.lT^^f" ""I "P""^' WW tho wholo world ovii to u;^'tf,tT'y'?°''n"y'' niony I • °^" '" *!'<= worii of universal har- triumphant faifh Ld jl ^mLT^^^a"""^"'^''^ ""h Bimplv expressed the Jelfght he fdt ft f ' °'" T^^^'^ !"« fuUof life and strength. He wJLf.?'« ^^ "^"'^ «> the father; and aU those \^oZ^Jzt °^^^J' ""« "^a^or, tables celebrating ZkLilZS^^.J^" "*' *' *''°'» b«8 people, his friends, hirkiS hr'''""'"*''''^*" brotherly, and prosperous family An ^lamT'^'"^^*' the ardentlylovingwisheswhioh h, «ff J ™*'i°° B'ee'ed ascending i^to the evZKr s^d ^ir "^ "? ^°' ^'^ "'y- table even to the most dfetfit .? °^°^ ^""^ t«ble to risen to their feet,Tn beir^urn h!!i°|-''- .,°?* ""^ »" ^ad and drinking the health nf r „^ "A^^- "'^''" S'^ses aloft patriarchsof work Ihe the r^S» ""^/"^'n^; the heroes, the and as motheTand h ' he ?av?our w^' «/°"'^*'' '''' ''I^"«« saved the whole wre^hed wo"f tba\i° "*'' ^^' ^"«J iniquity and suffering And it t== ^age-eamers from tion aidmagSSf; testifvLrto tr""'"? ^"" °^ "»1»- ol the vast throng for all LrfcL fir'?,':"^*.«'»"'"'l« 464 H^OJiJC -jejng^when Luc, ^^o^T^^^^"^ ^^^ jpring.. Onr city is a d?y XelrZ.^'' *''" '^'*' °' <»" rf.ke room, Josfnel AKu'ttLnS"''.^'"''"'"'"™^ know, come, seat vonrself Lt»^„ '''•.''''°'» "• do not •houldUketohonKvoufc"^,,'^''' '.""^ ""«■ fo' we other oities of the world ' uakoown brothers of the f«ther a^fr- " " "*^«'' ->"> »«"y horror, retr»ted ^t ' No, no, I cannot.' ifyoj^;^:;,5o":a"''fiid ;V'""-»/ ^-^ ^. hand.. We aak you nd hnr v„„ °^ ''^'P'"* "^ comforting aU i. forpven ; Cl^nTJ°Z^^ZT-^'"''T": ^ happmen of all may nrodnl. th^l •*' "" °™« that the you. dear wife, repetl Kat to him ^J??'" °1 "«"'• And Bhe.'^'hrKXft'ga ™«^': '.""^.^^a.' «id »nd your own ? You oZfrSm ,^'°" ",°V""'' ""health in jou we BhaU have the plewZ^^MUnr"- *" • '"°"'"' It Is a custom at BeauoCr mf- !" '"8'ngourfiunUy exchange a Mss of p^e;hcV^!:»?JtJf,..°^ ^^^' ^ glass and drink, for the Cof ^uT? "''*'^'°K' T»k«thi. WU?&SSi^n^fc;/i„*SS^^^^^ vio. aidSli^r:^^^-'^^t--«>t suspect the truth, to experience fresh aufreSri^"!?.!?"^^"'"^?^ merely hfm £.s destiny of sloth an! ^S^^i^^«??« *?<";* *!* h.m an expression of deep ^adneTcTe'in.^'l&J-'^ at WORK 46s to our (Mnily. a the how when^t U iZ-r" "."""" '"''''»» together. prLin, Toand on S rid .f hJLdln'h.S'r r™"!'^ It u muglioff, tablei an ioinin- ..1,1 """',"' >>»»a. Look in honour of the festival 'fS^^r \ "1°^ "' """ "P"* natural, the child«n at firat kIZh , ^°^ " ""' "" T'"« ♦*ble to Uble, for7he?e was a ^nin '"«""'"««". (?oing from member, of p^rtioXfa:^"];*, 'to S/T"*.."''' "»"<'^«J themselves side bv side Hrco„lfs/™„^n''" """^ ■«"" •at at the table 0/ theMoiS?M Vninl "" Bonnaire, who of tt3 Bourrons. and AnStte Botn^f °'^' '''? »' "' *'"" Luc, help feeliig draw toward tL^if''''" ?*.'?,' """ °^ their elder brother Lucrn hJd his 011^9^"^'"''' '^''™ natural that the Froments,s^tt^^dfche»^ '"" ".?1' one casts into different furrow. "chftrf-,!L* °°™ "'""'' Bonnaires, Th6riaeandP»nW it' 1?'°8 ""ong the desire to oin tKth^r?^ he "3e "^nt''"".- 4"'-^ city? Thus one beheld th«?.ii *?? ""»'<" "^ the together in suchVi^ that not ^ttJT^' '^djnitine r«;e^re^z.4Hf9"^^^^^^ The whole city thus CLmf a rii^^?. "l^ '*?■ ""« f^'a^"' famiUe. were'blended fnto onHSe ° Z'"' >^^^^ """ eveiy breast, and the samfl lnv« ™.!f * 'P'",' animated MeStime frim the far-sfr^g^' ^"^itvZln ''"i ,h?^ M, Mvere gn p»ce. the iarmony^f sphZTnd " en ^^"" ^ Bonnaire had not intervened h,,tAoi,./^ and men. lUgu, watching for the chIZ thrt h! . ?i ^'5 *'*' «" cUy of surprise! which! oneSfone Ushatt *'**'.''■''' until at last he was terrified 3' frt^ .? the warderer bh.e of glory._ At las^^^aui^J ^^^^^^^^ bl«e of i^lpryrAri^r^lZXTZV^^^'. t""' and -ITt-T**!*'.. ""?,"'* 8*'o '"m bs hand. 'C raSjr^'^'^^i^vitor^Ki^^^^^^^^^ now .«. that one may work and aHheTme'tiSiVhaS WORK breath of our lungs, the bW J„ ' ■°'" """te^ it Is the In my heart-that of retuSLToR!''^,°?« '»««'^' ttoS man and that woman on?e L ° ^«»"'''f"' of finding tSat flesh the knife I had u^d „„ ,i ' ^"^ °' jlanting in tCr an-nsed me and inatL;tt/e°mU» ' ^^^ on ^r:>^^^^;^,Z''^A^t'^^T^'^- Already' claimed/- 5,4 and 7eepSrn""».^PPy """i^.' he Ix- morrow we'U see -• ^ ^*"' '"•'"?''* »' my house. To- ' Sleep again at your hona« I cw. . I'm ^mg at onoe I ™ "'* ' ^^ ' "o, no I I'm going ' But you cannot start off ai ti,;. i, ' Bagu added: ' Your happine«iwhi"^' of suppressed wiiJh ness^K-^rrat'"t S^' ^T' ^ -«i- house again, and the other, unw^?W«v? ^** '"' ^"«n t" Ws Bonnaie watched the mSir^bl''!?" " Ke-ture of farewU Btops, and y»ish at la^Tawaf in T.^ ' and surrounded wih thn SpIk"? *'°"* '■«'"»i'>ed, loved Sffiurette, and SuTawe U^ti^?.'** '^J*!?""'"' »' Josi^ whose health and eoXe in S oH "^ ""* "'"^ ^°«~' lived on simply to be the hJLT* ^*«* '*™ marvellous Since Lno hSd s^aw^lv L.!,^^**f *°^ °""«8 of the niM Ming Wm tiirhrttmn./'/"*^"".^' ^^ '«g« KradSlTy SpaSiehad come tT^/esidrin tJT^ '°, ^J" ^-^^d jrith Jo^e the glo^ofl- Jg in-'C; 'T^^^ '*"'^"« than eighty now, of unchangeable Svl^j Ff, "^ ""^ of his intelligence-^uitrvoX fn^!^^^''i'""P<'=8«8»on laugh, had i^otw2 for Cwwt^g^u '"' fl^ '^»»' • were becoming like lead An^ fnT. '*«'' °^ ^s "hloh not quit herfrother Jorf^°^X^^r°*'^y>"«*t«'M torv,l,ut worked there in^L^'SL"?'' "«^«5 '«« his labor.. night. He was Luc" elder bv1^nt°" '"^.'^«P' ^^"^ •* atninetvtheslow and methoflUf ^f'^f' *°^ had retained indebte/for the aZnXS? o^f ^^i' '° ^^''''^ ^^ ^ work-ever seemingly Tthl"^! If "''• * '",=' """ount of -ergna:^j^^af -•' S?- -^^^ shaU live to a g^d oW age I shall i?^.'-""" *'i "^« ^"""^ I my work is fished. You'll st vnvfl ^' ?" t*"* ^»7 »•«"> when the time has come and V'rn'**' ^ =''>" know ft^^ds. saying: " Good.-S^rmJ d^^J^rr/S ^^t worfZt?^tt"Xdn^--%^ ^-^"^"on his ^»?/"nks were warmed in order thsth.^^r' =" "P"! cold, and he took long rests on 1 nn , ^i,'?**"' "°' ""toh hourswhiohhewasabltodevJLtohi,«^'T° """ ''"«' three such hours sufficed him how«lil WBeaiohes. Two or -nt of a con^derable amZt fe^i^^u^^^r^S wosx 469 too weak foi any exer^r'it w^rh'' 'l'" •"" '"^^' ^^'^ thoughts for him^ CS«LTt w«r.' "^"'^"'^ out his own life. ueooming as it were a prolongation of his wheI°the°t;?'^itJ.'^Sl,''^f^*r"l^ r^y.^ completed a? unUmited as thVinCbWter'ofl'T H ^ "^'"^.^'^ «r which one can breathe in aU be^am n, "^'^ V ** Mtv years he had acoomnlisli^^ ^ * ?* , ^,""°« '^^^ P»8t to tLat solution. ^^lf^„?„?!^'^«»' "' ''ork tending by burning coals wh^ they^S'theo^\'^d'.H°' '^'''^''J jng the electric force he obS^ t? '?i^'^*°^*«P»'°''- fcotories. And after Ions M^iSi? u' ^^^ '° numerous appliance by whK even tWorm^'f^'^ "^^-^^ » "«^ contained in' coal into Z"r c^lS ii'th^r"*' .,*"*•'«? energy having to be employed He S' ^ *»." "*"''"?<»' away witL boilers whiVh i.™ , "« "^ m this manner done per Mnt to Uie wsttrT^'rl'''?''* °^ """^ t*""" «% l-tj^by the ZprcoS;^^^^^^^ 'rUr^ of electricity for^soci^Tddn™.^*^"'""' '" "•""'dance less, in his opSra it^tm ™i»)^^f ° Purposes. Neverthe- have it for Sg like theT,^!^ ^ ""'"^J ^'^ ''^^^^ ^ disposalofall. fifrides afeHS?.''"*? ^^"^ '" »' "-e ^ssibility-in £act:"&X'!'thTthe''cSL"±" 'J 'Y, " Jruiterrdtoui^h%n^^- ^^^^ «cked by coulCg. abeady wUh ont^^."? P^'* *«^«'^' incessanUT tortDKS hjT^iL^ .u?",® '°°' "^ "^e STOve, he which thi!Ltene7the futZte'SeSs' H ""^ "i^^P^^ would prove nrVthr.°a?n^''^^',t^ 470 WORK ruptions which d^ ias^s hrnn».f* r*".**' ??^ **"« *»'«■ the few watercwaSs SHU L K«7''' l*"""'; Unfortonately, teins-apart fro^e «nri^„ ''r(?."°d 'n the Bleuse Mou£. ae,«gn Jordan tLX-^tUXftheS t "^'F^' ma. and reflux of the ooean »wl *'• '^* oontmual beats against the X^^} Yi P°?'*'' ^''^^ <»» ""e march, already given attentS L *^«/°°'i»?»'8- SoientisrSS researc'hfs Md eTOnll.^ ^*'' '""' .*■« *''"'«^ ^ theS The distanorof BeZollTfrl, th"^' /''P*'^?''! applianoel^ electrical force could Xe^yTf^^ Ti"".*? °''«*«1«. ^r considerable distoces C J-nSlf °?i"*^u'^""'"' ^°^ »''« graduallj, took compfeie posL^^ of hf,^ *^"°^ ^> "«» a prod gious dream fnll «f iif !l , """' tl»rowing him into P»ny and chUly LK. ?^Pi"*'l*°,'''« '''«>1« ^orld. passion irtL sun He oC'w.ft^'?!^ "^'"y" -^"eda With a quiverine fear of th« inl^-^*^i' Pursuing its course. at evening, and Kes he roKvfi.'^^-"'' """ ""^ " "*' that he might have thfiiV™^* . ■ ^^.*''® mommg in order should be Lw^Xn thrse^'. tfT« i' "T"' '^°- « « reappear, what end?ess, icrdead^t S** °°'?I ^^ °«™' mankind I Thii» Tn,./ov> V' ™*'"y "'gnt would fall unon ingit as Bomethtoga'^trflrr^PP^ the sunfrega'rf" and regulator which iXt ^ • ? ?' ""^ ''orW, the creator nourished them with7he frSte o^ tt "SJ^l 'P"'"'' ""d mcalculable number of centuries Th/^li'i'' *^™»«»"»>t an source of hfe since it w.= tKo . ,® *™ ^as the eternal why should not the sun conS 1,;/°'^*°, **«^ J"^"" Danng thous«.ds of ye^a s'tS^iajtV?^ IVOSIC 471 ™ J™^ .1 T^ ^"^ preserved in its bosom that immanM ^ftJtth °£'' °^ heat, which had come to us like a p^S ffipstih:^.;Sp--tf^jSLf:^^^ ^irffl^ZTiS^rlidlSlrS ^ its «f nin „; ?^ °'^" ?*.' , °°« ""'gl" 'iU'out suffering SEMIS'S SSyi'T' S"I~"~ „t^ • f*"'^^'*''^ possessed Jordan had already occniiiflfl other nunds Scientists had succeeded in dSchSn phanoes which captured solar heat and ^rfnSomed i i^E; electnoity but m infinitesimal quantities. ZTstr,mie^to ^f«.™ '\"'*';f,'y/'" laboratory experiments T was necessary to be able to operate on a laree scale and in . the secret of his researches from everybody. In fine w^^?r With the short, Blow step of a weak old man to^he new S to hia. task, wrestled ^t^r^5^"P«5t«d ^""«« he ohLg sovereign planet_he, the littla j..^*^.^'°**«<»"«« the hot a em^y would haw Wiled Ir''"*^* ■"»- ''•'"^ too heroism, never did toe pTranitnl' ^T' ^" ""ere greate of a loftier victory over the If" f "? '^"'^ *»"' "P«»3I yesterday had bee2^ de^v toun^JS, f°«««--foroes which to-day were conquereTsubjX^to Li," '"'^' »°'^ "^^ oeeded m solving the problem «,. '. ^^"^- ^ »uo parted with some litSe ^4 in«L^.-^u', *°."^ 8'°rio"» wn never cooling, it hw wamtd^h? "l'i''H8'°''^'J"'hioh, centuries, ^ter some Krials net"-"" ^"'"'°«'' ■" """r planned and erected, and su?pM%I?'j'' ?'"? ^houI dC c„M '^^ T.'^^'^ "^J-tod Again did JordanVt to woik^ m^^^^ ?.' December. 8 111, resolved upon keepingah'e m,tinfic^°?^'i '"*, '^"'88'*^ pleted. His strength d^liSed Cl^^ ^^ !"'°'^d •«• "O"'- out,andhad to reft conteSmfh . ^*' 1°?* """We to go works respecting the fin J 1^1 /t°?'58 his orders to the hisfashiorseveralmontosweJbv fit r'"-"!"""'- !» tory he there perfected his work resolv^?' "^? ""J^" l'''~«- day wben this work should b^ ended Ard°th1 1^"' °? "■« he found a means of preventing .ii i *''/' ^*7 a^^ed : reservoirs absolutely LBrZ„w! "^^ '^' °^ rendering his store 01 el>.otricforc'efo7ao„„';irt^nA*'°'^,8*''^'' one desire— to bid fareweU tn ),;» „ 'i ^°? '''*" ''e had but and return again inr^trtl We'""'' '"""""'^ ^« «»ds. eiid^^rttie^erjitSi^arv"' "".v--^ '^ quested S(Eurette to have him 7^rri^ • *" 8old. Jordan re- ^t time, to the wSwC«f hi "'*""'"•'''"''. for the nstaUed. He wished la !Lze * n m7 'T"""™" "^ »«<« tlK-t^,:£f-^^=retK^^^ -n ho was taken to th^eTo&s, i1 ^ ^^.^S i^'i IVOXX 473 mspeotmg everything and nftolatinff the acUon of tha »«. plianoes. The works were built atT a ve^f^tS ?L bu^ aU the oonduoting cables passed underground ' bearers h'aJt?/ra'l°' ^"^'?« ^" "»'- J«*"» bade his oearers nalt for a moment m the central oourtvard whoi... »v. gave a long supreme glance around hto aTTh&eug^f a new world, endowed with the source of eterad iSe L! r^s'stur^r^h"' '^ """-."fe ASd fitiSty hi1:;n'S ?^tri?sitra3i:t'^'<»y= ^onowir^^i^! wiU^t k^rZhf-*^;"^^' "H? '»""■ ^^° '••'"ts that he Ju .?.* V. • .,'° ^*' """^ *"" work is done. However an^, who were ever coming and goinij between th«^ ^.\X.tS,'^^- '-^'« ofSf h-^Tudt^ puA;:^VndSu£\h^ie'e%t'ltSof^^^ temew would brmg with it. • But Luc « «""«- ">/ dear Lu, ■ j„m natural that tL^^^^ -d voj we" & ^^^^^ underoneofourdeartreS,h„"'^*>' «"« »" thiswwf The tree under wSw. f""*^*^* J^ave lovedso wM. ! a superb giant that haMX'!' IJ"^ *,'''« ""'"J C^™!' tne two old men as with a Im^„» , '"?^ ""»> »y enveloned women, standing in th« , * splendour, whilJt the th?« solicitude. ^ '" '^« «ar, watched overiiem ^ Luc began to Uugh ? Yes ™f ^r"™**' ^^f"**-' pohtioal, economic^, Md »^:T' *^ ^o" said, my friend WORK 475 Wi^fc'? \u ^hl' "^ "^ *«»" ''"'«^ ">e hour of achievement iZ ^S^"; ?!• 'f'»«fi<»n' gW of your in heart, and I drnoT^fh . *°'^'' y°". ?*«• '" ^nd and to S SiSbLg ^.und ™" Thte\*° "Ty""^* "^"""^ h'^teli'^^"'^^^^^^^^ neuui and the one reason for livinff and .1mn» a-j ™« mild Yotr 1 if*" "'''' *?" *''* 'l''^' '" the depZ of And what an imperishable monument, what a St l^^Z' But the latter replied to Jordan: 'Science remaiiw the ^di.po6*I that eleoK " Jf i'^fl" H "0* Pl*»«d at MMMuy agent of all work ^i .« • i r, J"" ^"me tlia wa. bniJdinrmv friJ!? °' obedient aervinte. WfilJl T -ietlT «pte W^tlirr*^ ri^ '«« -"-• Jordan le one «J^»-rf.,i "-.,''®" ^'"9 voice, 'for at hnttnJ t-.lT^ ^h! w'- f" ""^ '^•?Kudt;'o7°Ju'?'« °°'"' ^ •'•^ those reservoJof fo«^"ri?^Sfe*!:' ">« omplo^lSrof >«t will and testamenrto huL^^Ji^ 7?" "BoSting hS notMng, and was so abmid^K .t^'^K'^ »>««»^oort inhabitants of BeanoWTin^j,.. " '°**" ^ «<»«» to the hke the atreams wW flo^^"*^*^ °'*»»"6 tSey de«iS •ir which camTfredyT.m'S? 7" Woxhanatible; likethe - A^K'tt^n^d -tr Auae. even the »o.t wihoutcoSntteg I'twasonI? ^"^ ""^ distributed Bwitchee and the^howe was mL^tfT"'. to turn on a fej cooked, and various b^r^d K„h f^^ ""f""^' '»«» wm working. AH sorts ofZeTon- H«1! °'^v'PJ^"»°««8 were set mvented for householdTSm™^ "^f^^ were being work which they had forS^^? ' "''?7"« women of thi action fo'man„i'J^/°'^;''yd^»e. substituting meohanicj faotoiy-worker, the ancient hmS ' u. ""* housewife to the altogether reUevSoT^^rri.^7,ZLT' ^ '"^'"' ''»^ ^IS. a subjugated and domSL ^it "i'?^ useless suffering; Uie old-time toilers S^rfo^^l'I^J""'' .""^ "Placing Ml sUence and cleanliness ^STl!^ "** T''' »"»"«d to it. ipr ■^^ IVOJIJC Md ooDMienoe entered" mMi^li. ti^^'?'' "*?• ^^^ow work, devoting himlllf to a? -J^' ^'»'"« ^^e king of cmting mow truth MdbWtTT^^'J^'jf!!^' "'» «>• few faonr« of general wort - ir?* •" "" *»^'' »«« munity. And meant^e olTo thr„„? ''* ^T'* '*' ""« "O""- the eid-looking ho^^ aU i * °,±P ''''r'"" ''"'■"'J', burden, „d 8lrvitu^\ere f^ frX\h'^ '?' ?""?''*' been oompeUed to drae the m^#n!f? .1,"'° ."*i:'' ""' ^-d load, the/had carried ind .^1 ?*" i^V bad tnm^, the Heidi an/theW?e • '""' ""°«^ *° ""PP? "'• in the uJ;^UES,/°l-''«*.^« ''rW' force coold be fa«h benefit. Sn had i^ventLtL'"?"*'"'^"' " *>»• power that two le suSl^niw "*"''* °' ■"«'' ff»»» the dream of liahtii,., Jnlh. ■""'""ne an avenue Thug ttoe would L^hfbTftlfi'i^"" tZ ?«"«""'•' "isb'J! glaea houaei had abo b^iZ"*^ • * v"«i? J""^ "P'^did •n improved system of heati^j*^^ "• "^'"^ ■>' """"^ o' fruits could be eaX^JTat 5l i ""' 'Sgo^Wes. and foUof them they we^eSbuteSVotHi j|eJown w„ night, ceased to exist. Moreover i^^l ? V^^^' '"''« were facilitated more and Zr^hankTund my friend, is the delSc'e of tie n.?" ^l^ ""•'" ^'»««d. great invincible revoluTiona' who wfn''"'' ^y.«'''e",<». the crease of peace and truth ^ortn-^^ T" ''""8 *''™ ^■ the froatiMs so to sav f; y?"rself long ago obliterated »»Te ext^nd',^ fa^^r^LTS^^r"^'^""^"'"*'"'^ piercing mountains, gathS^grn^^Cs^fCIn"; ST 47> tVOJtX t»* "wty, when ih« iiinT^-l? . 5? ^^ Mother, howtnr »Iw»ji teen ^e ao oompoMd m wh^^-i " '""y y<"> »>•▼• •Hotter religion, migit pu, erro, 'L*"''' '° •'*^°" on* «»«n their domin.tiof.bn^Mien^w*??"^*"*' '» ""^w ^ every day, creating more lSh?m^«''K '"?*"«? 'o^^^H b«ppine.8. And by the imiftiM. /"" »>«y'herline»., mwe 'awd»ofmen,inddnrwSdrh.«l. i^'"' P"*' ">»»»• the Jordan waa orowinir tw . j i- ' , '"" °^ •»• »1 . Nev«rtheleM W«lhfd'^'"^AVl'* ^^ '""^ ''•»»• able to th«ik you VuStly fo^tej''^.?","''^" «* PM«^ between thoTr.S^^^^^JJ"«r. '"d a light quiver had Mlhe planet-. g<5SS dwt" now S".' i'?' '«*''"««'« approached, and a dellffhtini .tin ' P*'" bue. Niehi tall herbage. Thettwl.^Tn'P'''^ slowly orerSe and atteSive, fall of^S^' '*■" f«"-lins thJre. rilwt neverthelees became anSoT and i„f, "^^T^^ interview .TfaS jr^.t^«=-?:r. «lf7«yTn'trr^e;ed!"'B?^;' --.»..uw„H oecame anxious anc ever a. Josine and Stenrette oovereJ Ln^ j^v";""- ™w- ffiLr *° '"-•• •' ^-"^-^°;"ho'":v*;^',ii^,* aboStl:2pl^t*Cm1h^&n'in^r' ^^'' - Tok* • few iMt word! ' •Mtwiged » lut gUoM ud «a:?rh1W'„«S"'^ «{-.»«i. .'Do not b. one remaine immortal. wTh?™ ^J**.'«""' '" o""*". othen, we have worked for ih«m „!ri^'/'""' <»>"elve. to »««in in them, and h„, ZSZtaL*^^ *" ""!? "* »»™ l>7e, my friend.' "^°' °" ">«» of our work. Good- Ui.i''^ «m j;" ?f ttnSJT^ = ' ^-^■'-y'- "y Wend, all Each i. bom for hi, ta k that T.'^h.^ 7'°'*^ "'"'o^ nature bringi a freih beWlnl! tk "", ""'e '•e»»on of ijfc • need.anottSwortaaan^"'!^^';^'^' '^"j'J r*" 'j'"'' that .he workman can lie down, the S^th^lftlufl? '"''''' •>'«'. «•« Me». Good-bye. mv friend • ^"^ '"'" '«»'" '~ other hewMa^ri'-^^^t-r^,^^^^^^^^ J""^'"; but OMnetothehelpofbothoftbBm "■"« . affe«tionate wimen "Changed that W emb^e*''7h-/,Y'"n "'.!'? '^Uet th" Uiey were full of gaietf^diZi^?*''*? •''*'•''• <>WMren, »ep»ration. feelinir nether ^f^"°"' *' ">•* moment of done all theirduK^heirST,!,""' ""'"*• ""«• '^ey hi '?". "o t<^' oPJhe mo^r^Z'S^r^t^^"- And ""7 ''^ »» ^d'^r'^rh^Si.T^^^^ became ,nten« vwlehing behind the y^Tl^d d^Snt I 5"' •»«""«". perched on the Ume tree^at/^iL- ^°'.^.°'*^°'>- A bird etole over the br^oherStttfiT^*''"'""'' "badowe park with its clumps of tTees Nt, i It^ ^f'^Uge. and aU the mto thedelightful';„tt"ftlffi' and its lawns, .«.k •eked that he iSighTS ttd ^l^f""' *"?> "''•J'- Lu? hi U'tle longer, andls he sS^ ^Mht/T"° °"A' ""» »"* • «;«ng off along . broad.lTrSht ^thtlv"*'^^'^ '"'' '"'"^ Jordan looked round. «,d a^list'^gfcand'a^haU-ffi 48o WORK done, his day be1^rended-hf ^^Zt^^^^t' ''^"» the morrow very ^fally with « ™fi ^l■ ^^^^ on ScBurette-slovi^^s ^' '"*'' * smile upon his lips, in Luc was destined to live five TOtti-i. !«.,»-.,■_ It i of his which he seldom auittpd «nf ti • f '° '^,*' """-olwir ^n his happy citf he o& iSh^o'^S 'h/Ct ZZ He once more saw his noinf n» ;i„„. .i ^l ... P*'* "gam. of genius had suddenly iuimined LnP^lf.;^ 1''°'* "^«^ him to action on the very monw It ™« ? X^ P?""!"*^ . he was indebted if he had Sto make fh.f ^°™'"" *^" La Cr«oherie. The firat comm J l,^ -,1' .^^'Penment at first bright cleaf:orkXsZfir8rdw^lt''r'='''^Mi'e ' their white waUs smiling am aJthe greerer^h^i°Jir '"'^ from Fourierist ideas, idks which hKenleM™?''^^ hke good grain iu winter fields, ever ready to fr^^^"°? flower. Even like Catholicism the h2o!^/?^''^ "^ might need centuries to be fi^v estthS S' ,H"P«"y evolution afterwards, what Si^uou 'broadeufnlTtl'-" ' pies as love grew and the citysDrpafll r! ^?'P™""- bination between capital, work and brain ^nl^™P°™«. *"""- diate experiment, F^^iirier, the evoluti™ »f^ '' ^ ?° "^'^''■ tion of the ColMvists,ind XrwSd^etn M'4u°'"8r*?r- tarian dream of the Anarehists Tn tw ° -"..'^^ ^''«'"- gradually became anSted,- and tkTd'^SrP"'^ became the only regulators and basis oTte new ^^W ^m" crin exisi 00 1( Wha one ruse all, , cumsi idioti( chasti from t pieces Prisoni whokt ffork.i, IVOJtK pact. Aith , °^^ iMven set at last upon ^k*"*" •"""mon mMP'^Z ."""""iJed And that was fho j'^.® '^'^^. ' ^^^ '™gdom „? fotio, and the ^Vf" '^^'"'" ? cZ«\ '" "« good dr r T r I 48j WORK T-^^^^^^Z^^}:'^^', -^ fro. the ♦he truth and bent \^ \^v^ '■J'^ j?fonned. imowing became the alleged 'ntopia. of ™1! "1^'"' ^^ ^!^^ the passiona, instead oS„ rnXliJ'^ Wpinees. Since cnltfvated Uke the^i^fo^fofT^^ and stiied, had been bitterness, and had be^m. .„■'.'''*? ^»^1°«»»" original flowering 'of iSdi^'duar^e» ""'lJI^^I^' ? "^^'i^^ons m the development and Xc? n of ^iT'* '«»PP«e'» % sense of love. The longlfforts nf ™Vu 5'* ¥"'*'' "^ t*"* expansion of the mM and l„T^? ^'"'"^ ^ ">« ^ evenrneed. man beh,? mik £ h°s e»^*' '''°'™- "^"^ m Its entirety also An^^^^^^^ Wort, the outset desired to destroy the iniouSSw."* ^ '* ""« '-"y dreamt of anewcompaotXhwo^nir^';'^-'**"' ""^ "^ ment of wealth. But what » dpi? ^°^ °^ V°?^ apportion- necessary to travewel In tht of ground it had been hadSd from^uriw for rfim '^'^u''"'' """""oS association of workerMh^ ^rfed attLr",^".*"^ ">« of the workshops, the ^unrof wnT*"'^" ^™'«^ 'a^our series, parting to meet^SZ ^d r^;^' r ^°"^« Baccessive stant plav of free ^iZ^J^u °^?H°? '""> »" '^e con- of tbe'^l/bertarianC^''J'i7h°^''^«"?«J'- The germs he repudiated brutal re^htion L^V°™\"' Fourier, for if the existing mechanifm of s^jeT/te '7-°''''^»°«« °f their result to that sooietv'Vflfl^™^-^ doctnnes tended in system had long Ce%' af Z r^ ^°/?'''* ""« ''»8«° passing through van* uTsW«» nf °*' ■°l ^ Cr&,herie, profits, a pere^ta^f^te'tf/nfL'''^'''*'''"'' ^'^^o" o It had been transformed l^Tueh a mrn'°°'''° /"'• ^' '■«' CoUectivists,reali8init their fn.^ni! °^'^ *^ *° sa'wfy the ' vouchers foiwork^^Net^EV J;-,?"''""'^ oiroulatioa of system, attenuated, d^sS'tL J^," ^^"''i^^d the wage- the doctrine of the Liber^^' rn™ "^°''°,8 *° ^^e. ?nd away in the course of a S^™ ""??* "^°°6 had swet, <». liberty and juS "4 "thj?,' el'^tv' haJ "l.^^U-^'-^oe^ by days, that unity and harmonv th^K ^'" °^™«™ of other present no authority S^S>^l"°''-'f"y"^«''- At ' ™""n«"> tae new social compact was WOXK 483 practised it, stirtinB wil th. „u •^° '"^'"'7 <>« groDM clothing,andinetelK thei^aSl^""'", °' ^'^ buS of the soil, but mnW^wJ^d'^^in'"''"''*"^ *««"«« wise as to be adapted to5l?n^v^di?rfli'°''"'»»°%. » SMh the needs of the'^oommuni y Nothi^^T"/" T" "" '« "^J expansion, each citizen foS part of it°/*"'^ ^'"^'J"'" desired, passed from the cuJtivation of Z"^ ^"."P' '« •" work, gave his time as best suiterMffu- ™'^ to factory And there was no Cger^y^eol^t^'r."^^ swce only one class existed a wS? »^*'''**° «lMses, equj^y rich, equally happKeducat^d tot? '°° °f ''"'"=" nodifferenceei*herinattiS^'orTS°'nf/'''"'>^'''^'h and customs. Work was irin„ ?^ .^^'P'^^^-or'niaannei-e and only deity, insTmcrw«hlV»ei« t&' "?'' °««'«^ redeemed mankind when it was dvfnf nf fo? u^' T"^ " ^"^ towa'id: hWthf X;t,^^« ---« breeze wafted most delicilte as weuTs h^mig^ ?£, .""^.V w"'""'^ ,°' "• ^J'* the new machinery which oomnwif' '^"' P**'™''^ by nature and loaded him ^th wS It,^ T", """^^^'t ^ from long hours of rough toTj*^^„ abuiidance. Freed exert his mind ; art and BPinn^i' ™*°?'a' the better able to mentality was ev^risteg "'StS; *' '*"«' °^ """^nt exception, and men '■: seniuf ^J^^ ^?''™ '^^^ to be an ^. Thescience of ahmentation hL"P,'°T^•'«• tiomsedbychemistry, theeartt J,°^t 't^y- l^i^" ^«^olu. wheat, no more olives no CrfRS/anr T'*^'^ °° ""ore oil, and wine for the whole cftfTuldh»/*' ^"°"8J' bread, laboratories. In physics in «7?- -.^ "ome from its inventions were ev/rTd ev ? elrShT'^^'fy. '^^ possible, and endowing men with thS % '^°?*'» °' 'be aU, seemg aU, and capable of^i "'S.Pf^^'- of gods, knowing art. the. growth and Son of belutTin'""* '*■« ^'^^^ "^ extraordinary florescence of all the arts^nLTu'^ IV^^' "« the multitude throbbed in everv .m^ ' aT,. '^'•' ^^ soul of with aU its.passions.f^S. lov7g :^',^5 ^''.^S y»« 1"^ t-t^ Inspired by theuniversallirgi:Siierrsi;\tL^^^ 113 484 WORK onoe varied and vet all nno litl *l *?« ■"" » majesty at charming vaK "Jl tSon anVs *oMnd1t?.^' H.B?lf. al/the expression in them. Then sculn?n~ - 1'^^.?*''''«» ^n-^ing museums with living bronze and 'L^i.'' ^ ' ?'"^™"' ""^ rated the public edifices th««)?^'V.?'"* P*'°'«™ deco- the libraries, the theatre »nfl?v,'T^,°';'"»"- '•>« ""a'tets, Bion with so Js borrowed'from illv". f' ^^ «' ■"' """^ •^'^"- gave to that innurSle neol wh'. ,. ^'t™ '»°'«°'« Btrong, and powerful works ttA«" ""^ fT' ^«*- Genius expanded, acouirino. fro^^ ! !?.' ?*'"«'^ 'o'' t*»eni. knowledge and friedZ a" nn"*^ '""^ • ™'° '"""^"^ '^ had it dispkyjd s„°h Sfour' "Th":"""^' "ever beiora aristooratio, hot-house literature of the LrilTTl '^'^^^ away by the literature of hum«n?*V P*°' 1>*^ been swept life, which all had b„lnL . '^.' P°^"« overflowing with wUch returned to thefis'^f''S*''' '"' *'"'" "°'^' ""^ youth. M d^e^endefem the'^^^^^^ T"' «'«"^ two promontories of the X™ i5 l*?''^^'' ''«'''ee'' the Bpre^ over the meadow-laid of ^°a°^'°'' """^ '"' °°' weather its white hous^front Lm^ ^°?"8°^- I" «»« without a sinele Duff nf .™ u V.™' *^ ^■""^s' 'he verdure sphere forTht'^fre^irSerj:^^^^^^^^^^^ everywhere replaced coal and wood 7n, r'-.^'eotno'ty having hghtsilk canopy of the broad bI«;=tv''°^i'"P'''««- '^'^^ maculate, without a speck of soot Vhl^'*"^ "T .""• ™- remained a new one brieht ^n!i ^ a° "'P^"' t^'* town breezes, whilst Tn all' sidfs one w^MJ"^'" ^^? '•^''•«*i°8 the crystalUne streamtog „f ' rfn^'' I'l" """-"l^Pg °f water, health and perpetual delight Th^'rrP""'^ •""""S'" creased, fresh houses were built fro%^ ^"1"'°" steadUy in- A happy people, free and hrn4! ? ^ f ^*'"' "«" P's^ted. attracUon.and thu3 thehttU tS' Y^"^^ ■" '""'« o^ Saint-Cron, Formerie Ld M».in!^ "f *he neighbonrhood, sary to foUow the eiamnk Tp '°' ^"^ '"""^ '' °eces- by becoming srmanrP^lonLtinnri'J''k"''^ •''?'' «°<'«« It had been sumcient^o^St7xiitt''r^sSS.- \ fr WORK 48s of It. ManlMdha3lmowTbut on^»t?''V'?='^« perception the snaggle for happ^ess whTo^Wt'^™"8''''"«»««». every form of religion, everv form J '° ^^ '°°°'^ beneath ■8 merely an indi^^ua effS aoou rf T"""'".'- ^S"'"-" sum of happiness for self ° and X 'hoJ^! f ?»*«»' Po^ible egotism w treating his fellows ar^Jh ?°' ^*<=^ set his oonvmced that the happSess of i^h""! '^'"«° ^^ becomes of all ? If there was ooTt^ntfon h«L™°'' .'?» "'« ^^aPPiness mthepast,itwasbecauM the oldlT**? '''^"'«°' ^'«"sts one o the other, malrin?warfarlfr'*' Paot opposed them But let it be deminstrlt°d that work , ""■^ -'""^ "' so<=ie'y- tion wealth iuatly aad th«f th •'^°'8'"'"e„ K A, '^»' « nation having would thereby gradu^^s/th^'sZ^lh'i?^''^'"?*^^ Md sink wto torpor and catalepsv tI^ . '*'''"'''' *° '''«• always be without a limit there will JltL,"'^'' •^'»°» ^" the Unknown to be conquered P.L T^^' ™"'*"' ™"ot of contented, desire will X bfrih t ''/?" * ?«'^ '''having is of which will exalt m?n and iaLThl^'i; ""' ^'""fac^on and beauty. Desire is infinite ^d i f T. f^ .°* ^'^"''e banaue, resplenJ4fw?tVTora:j'1?orvi^S^^^^^ 486 tVOJiX whole earth, the unboSid^exi^r 1 5" "''"^ft th* pateri^lauB'.thesomSre'Tf tS.mo^life''' ^'"'"'' ""^ ""> repirted"?h!f CS^f^ ^j» 'fT^'^r., towi. he often hanstible harvests of wXeVskn^db^th ^? '•^''Pn ^"e-- very outset he had felt Xat ?f ». brotherhness. At the city by and for winan « it » ? Mcessar^ to found his ev/r desirable^d Wifa Wn *" P'°^« f™"fal and for her due place Tbeautv dLi^ '2 javed-Josine set in that the symbol of the at."^ a lt:n "l'*"''?'^"*''''-^'" ■><>' ensuring Lcial peace! and^fr^^'?' &■?» °^ *he sexc, Then, too, the new system ^ S,, J*" We in common? reared together and MnnSn? f?""**'""- the sexes being broughtthem to. oomplerZer^^ T' ^''T'^'^P' had sincerely desirous of Xtfnrf, 7k °^'°^',.?°^ ""^^e them object wW was rltd rC„ *t* °"f °>T'- "^ ^1^"' **»*' one might be loved War^^tn . • *^ J^**' ^**^ "» order that Jn creating haSss ft waffi.l? *',!'?"'• F™* ^"^"^ hiy happy onfselff'^^Tnow Jo^fc- ' jLT*'°8'?"y ''««^» consent alone, reXted mlrriL™ a **'' ' "° '»'' """tnal girl had knowkoTanothTrS;., ^ y°u""? """' » JOMg through the^^e Zkshorw^f?!' «days, had ^ssed stoweS themselves one ™t?P«nS!?f V t^^ "^^^ they be- like the floresoen^erthSrX •ntimt?'th^'^™^ T^'^ selves to one another for life, lonra^^feit^ ^^^ *''*'"■ dominating; they erew nM w„fu '""hful umons pre- grown up U)»ethfr ^n^ k . *°8?ther, even as they Ld aieir rightsTinK Lu^ th! 7*' "^ ^^^" ^^"^^ heings! liberty remained «entlesetam«r "'"'^ , '"^- '^^^ *hd; those who ceased to agree^'™^°^^^^^ ">""?? P^^siWe for with one or the oth^r S t^t^J^ f offsprmg remained supervened inthe charee of thl '^' °' •''''"° difficulties duel of man and woman all Lfn,, T"""",^?- "^^^ hitter set the sexe. one aZnst the othr ft""' ^^"^ ^'^ «° I""** enemies, came to af Jnd in Zt !^', * ^ '*'*8*' irreconcilable respects woman thfif»^;°?'°''°?-" woman free in all poffon'asSi^qi^ an°^,,r'°" ^f ?''°' ^'""^g he^ of love. Sh7had a ri^hUo^h f '"f "' ^^°' '" ^^^ "nl"" .»an.toplayalan-s?alla1rasthedTs1Tu^;£^^^^^ lyoxx 487 tions. One oontr^Ti ?«<="" ?7 .and gooial oonsMera- the flame, the focus JeLw"tiS*^."* ""^ P*'^'""''' univerBal love, sprin«rin7from th« w!j wxlsspread, general, to the mothei. the^TtLr Th„ \^j*^ ""^P'^' ""^ PMswg world in ev;r.bro^enr« waven »«?„» 7'°'\?'u*''« ^'«>''' bathing the entirTearS. tIJ'^ u *.°' '°'^ "*"«'" ^^^ed by air on which eve,^'bXtf^Th*«^^°'°^'fJ'''^ ">« P°'« and UndlinesT^hichT^i' iaV"""*""* ^*'^*'' of tendemeai aides ; O tt ^TO^^wf ='^ ""'^S ^o"" "» ftom his entire citv ^»™ 7^ ^ °°^ =° abundantly ; 488 WORK pUnet, in that houaeXnt ,rt,e™ i^« ?1'°''°" "' » ^'^S Sec^njtea with roses, aJ^*": ^hnrC form sheaves of wW f ^it J^^ H" ^" *""• ' They not the peace sprWks fe^m If {^"^T (^'^^^'y- I" "^ and is harvested the^lZh day?- '"''' ''^ *" ''"'" 8™^ jewi^Viftd^aTeSteffi^o^^^ 1 "'*"«''""' had surrounded him with the wbH^fj"^'"'"'"™' '''»'''• women, whose presence filled hk W ^^^o'^"" "^ t»ioM three brilliancy I Thev were fnll n/. v\ ^^^^ "'"> perfume and finitely iSvingtKe'eSf el whl"**'- *^""«ly good, in in life, and gentle Cd«w^th? •'''*/ .•""""e'"' l"™ Joy t:.re8bold of th^ Lv? And tL '''"°*^ ^™ '^ "^e virj white, light and aeffike^aoKke'r IS."'' ""i '"^'^ glowing with youthful etemal n».!;*^'' ^ '^v' P"" ^"""M. they lived on iso, wd werT MkeT, / ^e lived on ; M,d intelligence, healthy and strong »« * '^' ^'^ activity and everything, coming ^dg^'toiiTwhenVr '1/P'^ »' longer move, hke guardi^s honae^vl 5* '"'"self oould no prolonged and broadweThia life 5^1! ' »"A«»"Panions, who At seventy-eight yews of Lt^^''"^ the usual limits. rota, the Evef who hKng Z fc' ^"ff"^ ""« «'»<'- suffering, fiitremelv slim «^ f- ° °*^*'^ *«»" "^r and that hal retard u/ptumnr'O lr> # «»'« gracefulness, her delicate charm In theTriVu'^ ^V- ?"??'« white hair seemed to recover soaS nf if» *^'/'^'■' *"« sovereign gold of youth And T^„ .^ i'f. S°'^*° ^ine. tbe distant day when he h^d t?l„ ^^l"*^ ''e' s'"!!. as oi the forherhis'lovVLthe whoesXti"'' °f' '?« ^ ^" '"^ women; choosing her, Meed a^h ^'°^'*; ^°' ''" '°^»"d most dolorous, in order thatT^'t., I ^* P"'* wretched, the he might Ukc^ise save a hL^- ber-should he save her- shame^and hCer Ze ltehinn?!f!'*i°^ '''^ '°rfd whom days it was reliSv t^t h«Tf \ '^* "'"*'■ *=™n nowa- wound dealt by r^tt Ubot in }t' '°?"'*'«^ ^'^^. "•« system, from which\TrmpS an^^* '^T\ "^ ""« ^age- bim to extricai. the worS H° w^„H''' ^" ^^^J""* ^^e'^ .n his mission of redemp^S an^ttTaStet ^^^ mM^:i§ WORK 489 a deaire for the iafn'tf of lov« wl^^ • P*'f°°' ^- P*!""" »"'J age had not weaZ^ ' ""^"'^ ">e=ttop2.aUle flame women, on hfr f"t bua?fh. t. ?' ?°' '^"™ °^ ">« '^ree aeem^'aa if \A oZd' o'grt ol7e ""^Smiu o'fl '°"« bi»^me a Kfui lit^ '" former timas, iihe hid whose eyes wefe f,m of Lh T""""' " "■'"« ^^"« "O"'*. oriaie of her love for Ln« Xi^.J't"* ^^''i'" ""« "JiBtregsing maining unJoved herlS vl^l, ^' «?"''.'" '°^^8 •°"J "" every hour deUghr/nd V w h»n' '° °^^? ^ ""'''«''" I'iry-^^i'^^^r^^^^ assweet^skveit^f ' P"''""""' '^^"'^^'''P' '!'*<=»' was themrtCioTthfm;sfv"'«''{ri;?J''««'*-'''««M«B'. 3eated near ^^^^^^.^.f^^t^^XXltzl^^, .M-^ iiipai .' 490 Sonreti* i WOXJC the day when her h«frt had «D^ln ,f •?*<'"°''- ^nd on UJ another's arms «nTn^i "P"**"' ">o hero waa alreadv his hearth. sCC be?n\'a7?ri °'//"«"'^ ""»i°^» "°J' "^d had found per?eo"peace in thf /" ^""'••'"""' ^^^ ^-ThiSiJisrS? 7:-MA rhe°! eternal fire. *" ""« "^w » brasier of ioTe, and retained Iti dai",;:,^"5^:7b^;tveTc,'«t^ 'ffVf'y ol5;glorion8, Sauliful H '''^Jr°T"' *'"' "^ 'ailed to bend higloftrfilwrhflr«L?"fl?''^y-^™ye'i™had "vefor that stifTeni^ fTus .»« 'T^k'"',* ''•■? "'^ "'fon?- ^dowlike a happy fpectato, T^^^^"^^ ^P' ''*'" »' hfi H« hair had "ot^fK^m Jb^J,*^' ';^ he '''"l. founded! It had gimply whitened »n^„ j- "'^.'""y. towerinc brow white mane; like thLt of s^r^iS* ^'l^"^ »««" ! S last daye were briRhtened a^ old, resting lion. AnlhS ^th which Jodnef stfretL an^lt"".*^ ^^ «"« "^"^^ He had loved all three n?*L™ ^V^^anne surrounded him that vast love of UrwhU™ A*"^.,''*'" '"^^^ them wiTh anohbrotherlinessa^'d WnXs Tut "" '""•"' ^'"■'"^» wiUi Jordan, no doubt, the wMk beinlT' "y^^^- As to die. Somnolence caine owr h.vf^? ^°°?' ^^ ^"^ «>on weU-eamed repose who^e adv^Tl' ^''^ "foretaste of the seremty It ^ ^Si go^T„ J« f'^f^ with joyous approaching, for he knew ?t7nS ""*' ''« saw death heU no nied of any S^dJ^'j^''* "^'^^ and gentle, and to accept it with a brave he-rt*^ SLl °^\''*"'°'°~der set upon the earth whwl t»,«T * ?®*'*" henceforth was •nd justice realised the deal th?«Sf='P°fiW« "mm of tr^tt Each being remained i^ortann\hi^°'^"°"^ happiness. him, the torrent of love^ts in.r» % ^!"'™''°°» hi>™ of tyoxK ^„ ^ TZJ"^ "" innumerable men whoee livei he h.d .le- Anxioug though they felt at seeing him thus Rentlv ■ink tog. Joaine, SoBuretto, and Suzanne did not wish to L,^ They opened the windows every mominRin order th!ti^.' 3.™?we« t.^'^ ""^y deco'ratedTd'piri' th'e'^m' Irema oT^ou^ AnT/' P9»»«f "8 »" 'be brightness an^ ohiH«n%^f "1 knowmg how attached Luo was to UaZ^A 1 '^ '»"°""»ded him with a joyous party of litUe lads and la«Bies, whose fair and dark Uds wer"Lke otheJ nosegays-the flowery to-morrow, the strenXand Wv of the years to come. And when all tho» Uttle fnlt SL^i S*A'^'°? ana playing aroLd Ws am^ohdr, Luo Bmiled at them tenderly and watched their play with in iSS dMned ,^ approach by the expre^ssion in the c ear^ °;,fte Su«n„l *?"• T^ '"',]''« ereat-grandohildren. the vew Wtle ones, those who would set the most childhood the mort fa ure promise around him in his last moments And these li?^Me^".«d al '„r;.P''^'''*''»?^«° ^-'"- BO-neof Zm .W i i?3' ^^ ,^ "^^^ descendants of the workers bv fT,uX 1-r*' '"^ J"-^ °° ^ C'«''''«"« tad forSy been of cWU;«n » T " '''"'™:»8 sPSotMle. that sunlit room f^S or children and roses, and the hero, the old lion with thewMt. lUron" ''^"^""^ and lovingly' taking an intre Un the A tall lad of eighteen, Francois, the son of HinnolvtB ^erkXt ^r ^''"'"'"'' ='™'« '^ "atrain^hisTK said W^ t^? "'""''^ hands w;th me, my handsome Fraa^ois,' Mod Lne. ' \ou must not be sad. you see how cheerful we ail «e. And be a good man. You have grown taller latelrvon wiU rt. :e a superb sweetheart for some charming gJri''^' ^ Blmonne, the d»aBht«r , • aVckT %'T«n"n« Bourroo, and Wand it i. right tLtvouZ5?^'if'''''*ii'"'°»''' »'ment^ lud sprung from Jrd^^vSTl^l cT'^'t «')*»«>• "h" the unmarried grandchild™^ hi ^ C^ine Lenfant. Only could not haveWld the ^arri^ been invited, for the room fcmiliea And Lao hTughed "t? TL T\ ^'^' "''"' *"^ Ahce and Biohard to him < ffy f^° ah^".''*' ? »' '«' <«"ed of an age to marry now run^ , T*' ""^ he, 'you are heaIthylil " ^<^i^J Md •bout to begin your «Sn.^nL t^*^' "' •>'» '«!'ow, you Me •»d you als^o haCa St ZriJS. ?^/ '~'?""''''«"' ^^«^ Md smg. and be a geSius | ■ ^ °° '°' "'■'"■ ^ell, work S!}r4.""^~ -aTg^raTon-' \''"- "' ^r^e^^ one^of the a^aSSrs-^f^^d^^rolh^-dVut! my\?o^'^Urs-'^,«K. 'bedear litUe grandson of o^tauZVsriir-^^^^ ^^Oeorges, -rat^oVn^^^C 1^.^^/ g five'JZTd' ' HeTas^'th/'fr fT."'"' ''"' -' barely H^'^ne.olUvet;^hrt^i?g-^^^ WORK 493 ham tihealway. plenty of nice thing, in herhand.1^ Anil of memones arose, for ho waa the eon of P«nl p^! ii 1 T.,„'^??/' '''*>« CJtoent, come little Luce, my nets' said Jh^WtiVof/o^ul^'S^Jt'^^^^^^ ".d st^rong. ifttle EnH^now uTell foT^L:S?,8,r^ Hilaire has told me, and is wrll nk-^ 1 t^' hf K^^o'^'her ,^pr^,rtS.7st'^'t^h7ooroh\h'nu^^^^^^^^^^ fc*?ha^V^^;XdTsl^-r^ would ever enlarge t. He had always relied on th" chiUrLn td tdf:?:?S: irffiuxr.-f Ss ^n^r*^'^'^"^''"' ""^ 'i'l^whatintenr^eaonhia^: pomted them the executors of his wiU, his dreaTof humliri^ freed rDor» and more, and dweUing together in happSr ^ Go, go, my dear children I Be good, very goSS,^! Very 494 WORK jnst with one another I Bemember thaf ««,. .11 1_- , day ; and always love me toII and invpT.v.'^u^*^ ">« ^• You wiU Imow eveiYthiDKl^me div l^-,,°i^"''«" «'«" done, and it will b^foryou^ children T^^ ^° '^^ '"'^« there be plenty of work nientv nfi.f^ ^°/^yoa do. Let Meantime, my dear Zldr^neo L} \ ""^ Pl«f 'y of love I health and gaiety" ' *° ^""^ P'*?' a°d keep full of joyott^dt!1rfar'oTno^.t'^"TJ'''«^ '<> «-<> »»■« Luo was growing S and weakV BuT S°"^'' T. *"' consent to this-he desired tw «! J'-i, "' '^'' ^°"W not near him, in order thThemirtf"H''^/° '"'«''' «">»« joyous soinds of their lathTer It™ ^^If^"* '""'^»' '^-^ they should play in the garden .^i 'h?n arranged that couW hea'r aL seeXrand\eU wellXref ""^ ^'^ toJtprie^rwtreadT ^^^^fi^'"^^ -■"<"« gUded the room as withTXrv ^^^ *^^ honzon. It chair amidst that'lpTeXf ?KmaK-/''l ^ ^'? «»'- while far away. Josine and sl^tf*? •,^''*°'' e^^i^S *•!« came and leant one on his riitthntt; =''«»' ^i^e himself, Suzamie, Mated cCbT^^apleLd to &^ ''^* At last, in a voice which seemed tn^» '^*"°« ^'« ^"«"- distant, he slowly laid : 'C our townT' "f* """^ """^ rated Beauolair scintil ates nThe nure If^'^T ^*«*"«- know that the neighbouring townsifilf^'P^^ff' ™^ ^ merie,and Saint-Cron-have foUow^f"*'' ^''«°°"«l' ^^■ example to the cause of aU poCfurhlppLTr T\ \ T^ becoming of the world bevnnd H,! {, -^^ ^'- ■^"' ''na* "a of the Blfuse MourKd Cnd trSir.-'^' f'l'*' "-^"^ Eoumagne-what point hl™^ *?,„ '"* ^f ^' ''™ Pl»m of La reached in the longTuggle the diZ:^r"!f .?°'*. "'""""^ towards the happy city ?"' """^ *"* "°o^y ffl»wh Again he became silent, full nf thn..»i,t n that the evolution was in progress evf^l.,^* ''»' "'""^ each hour- with increasing^sS S ^r\'"P'*'^8 movement had gained the nrS^o *?"..'''* *<"'''s the and then the nefghbour ng Sr^'n^'d^^dre """"'^ '""'•"' frontiers, no mo?e insuriountaWe 'm^rJ • ""'*^* "° """"^ deUverance flew from coStto ooXe^»w?^-°'^'^'- govemments and religions and nr^h-nS *' ™«epjn8 away things did not on aU saXs teke Z^^ ''^^- ^°''«^"' the evolution, in the ior^ ^^^ Z,°'X.Z^;,,Z'Z 495 trary paths that the liujona were toT«t f^l * • ''°°" nlfl ^J!™"! feU again. Josine, Soeurette, and Suzanne very old, very beautiful, and very good, were like himToU !!^i'^ dreaming, with their glances wfnderilglr '"' '"^' It was at last Josine who beean • 'Ihavn hoawi ««*i,- atraveUer told them me,' she laid.' -L one ^t &~ ttv w'"""'^'^ ^r^"^ '^« wasters of powe?F«C: they had waged the most desperate of political battle?^ m»t Af/ ^°r'^°'°" "^ the^egislature and he goveri S!S V^^ "' ''"y. "^'^ ""*'''« '° ^° «o in legal f!S they had recourse to a coup d'itat when they felt^™.; enough for one, and certain of substantial suppo^^^^^ atonf b^, all Aarwoalth^tlr the'^Sr^^^^^^ aU the instruments of work reverted to the woXrS Nn a.d capiLust and empl^r.^Sr^d'ttnttrrf social life. But, of coarse, that tremendous shock tL»f sadden radical changes, could not take pC without terrib! troubles ansmg. The classes would not aUow theSs to be dispossessed even of property thev had JS!.? i there were frightful outbreaks WaHdes S^J^^ preferred to get killed on the threshold of thei?"este?es S?W pe^le destroyed their property, flooded S, fie up^' ro.^, anmhifat^ factories and goods, whilst cipiteUsts bS™t Tt^^- ^^^J**?^.', ^^"^^ ^"^^ ^^ to be taken bTaSt That oightftU civa war lasted for years, and the paveS 496 WORK ever earned corpses to the ocean. Then the sovereim 8^i« of ™Tni L,^ '"»°°'"7- An hour's work became the standarf At fi™t' rl"?r ^""8 ^"^'itated by a system of vouchers, ov.r nrli statistical commission was established to watch Lh ™™n '°° '"^'''"'"bute products in accordance with 6Mh person s amount of work. Then other controlling officM 1 were found necessary, and little by little an intricate omrd! ' sation grew up, impeding the working of the mw S lT'°l; J.'"?^^*" '"'I" "^-iof "gimfntation and baS i K 1; * ^^ y«t.e^?lnt"on was taking place, even this was a step towards justice; for work rose to hinonr once M?h»'?n^''"^"' r' T^ % divided with morl eqdty! At the end, assuredly, there lay the disappearance of the Zf„^'r/T°t °* fPiW-the suppression of trade *nd ^^^h t ^ ^^"^ ''T *°'i"'»* this CoUectivist Stated viJ^i^L "t"^ catastrophes, deluged with so much blood, IS to-day entering the sphere of peace, coming at last to the fraternal soUdarity of the free, working nations.' Josine censed speaking, and again relapsed into a mute contemplation of the great horizon!* But Luc gen?ly repuS Yes tha was one of the bloody paths, one of those wh ch I kdl«r ^f^"- ^"'■f°'^' ''•'''' ""^""^ it, s°nce it has thn wfw n-'^f-.u"". 8*="°8 ^" a™?' as if exploring the world behind the gigantic promontories of the B1™m Mountams, m her turn took up the tale: 'I also hS story-some eye-witnesses told me these frightful twW They happened m a vast neighbouring empire wherVtoe blorn^'" t "^^T °•^'?"'''^ ''"^ sh^rapnersucS i^ blowing up the old social framework. The people had su? ^'?*K i° ^^^^^}^y that they ended by leaguing themselves with tha Anarchists in order to complete t^luferatZ woA world pr^ r^ T'P .r^y- '^' '»'' ''""'hs of the^ro'ten T- i^r -j'.^i™? *'^* 'he cities flared like torches in the XlTff ♦""' ^°'''^"« "^'"^^ °1^ ''°*°hers of the people! «„t i°«W i""" T'! ?.°.^ •'"'°e slaughtered, and who did wlTl ^^*f, ^""^ ^'^ ''^^ the prophesied deluge of blood, the totful necessity of which h£d long been foretcM bl^' ^Tl!^"^' °^ *°'^"''y- Afterwards the new times began. The cry was no longer: 'To each according tohia WOMK ^57 work,' but: 'To each according to big needs.' Man had a right to life, lodging, clothing, and daUy bread. So all the w»lth was heaped together and divided, people only beinc rationed when there was a lack of abundance. But with aU "Tuj- S* ^f^' ^""^ "*'"" exploited soientiflcally and methodicaUy, there must come incalculable produce, an immenBe fortune, sufficient to satisfy the appetites of all. When the thieving and parasitic society of olden time had disappeared, together with morgy, the source of all crimes, and the savage laws of restriction and repression which had been the sources of every iniquity, peace would reign in the Liber- tarian community, in which the happiness of each would be derived from the happiness of all. And there was to be no more authority of any kind, no more laws, no more govern- ment. If the Anarchists had accepted iron and fire as their in- struments, behoving in the sanguinary necessity of extermina- tion as a brst step, it was because they were convinced that they could not utterly destroy monarchical andreUgious atavism, and forever crush the last surviving germs of authority, unless the ancient sore should be thus brutally cauterised. In order that one might not be caught in the toUs again it was neces- sary to sever every living link with a past of error and despotism. All poUtics were evU and poisonous, because they were fetaUy compounded of compromises and bargains, in which the disinherited were duped. And the loftyrpure dr^m of Anarchy had sought reaUsation when the old world had been mned and swept away. That dream was the broadest and the most ideal conception of a just and peaceful human race, man free in a free state of society, and eSiman delivered from every hindrance and shackle, living in the full enjoyment of all his senses and faculties, fully exercising his right to hve and to be happy through his share in the pos- sesion of all the wealth of the earth. But then, Anarchy had gradually become merged into the Communist evolution, for !i°J^'l.'' '^"^ °^^7 * ^°™ °^ political negation, and simply differed from other hnds of sociaUsm by its determination to throw everything down before building up afresh. It accepted association, the constitution of free groups Uving by ex- changes oonstanUy circulating, expending their strength and reconstitutrng themselves, Kke the very blood of the human Body; and thus the great empire where it triumphed amidst massacre and conflagration, has now joined the other freed nations m the universal federation.' XX 498 WORK flr«,r^^v.^'"*^,u^'™? »"^ remained motionless and dr^my, with her elbow resting on the back of Lao's arm- ohair. He, whoso voice was thickening, slowly said- 'Yes fteWchists, after (he Collectivists, were bo^d to folbw ♦W»Wf..,°' ^'""^". ,°° *« 1»" d^y on reaching X threshold of the prpimsed land. If the roLds were dSfrent! the goal remainel identical.' And after thinking a ^iU he resumed : • Yet, how many tears, how much bloSf, how many abominable wars there have been in order to ZtH fratema pea^ie which all equally desired I HowmZ cen tur.es of fratricidal slaughter have foUowed one S the oth^rwhen the question was simply whether one ought to SklyV"^^' " ''" *° °'^«' *° """I' happiness more wl,I?!.L®"f*Ti Z^" '''*«'*° ^^ remained silent, and wTnoTin '°^?^'Tu"".^='^8 "-^y""^ ^^^ horizon, at Sl 7?=? i !'k''T*.T^"','' «"'^«™'1 "'"» compassion : < Ah ! the last war. the last battle I It was so frightfil that when it ^s U S 5' *T -^^^'^y*^ their ^swords and tteir guns. It took place durmg the earlier stage of the ereat onf bTm Jwh "T^" "r''?i*?« world?andI was^ ofd that «nLm "u*"*^ r" '".8'' '°=' '»■«' se°«68 amidst tbat supreme shook of the nations. In that crisis which ^^tl TFk "^"*«d upon the other half, and other con- Jm^°7'^ ''?'"• *"^^««'= °^ sJ^PS battled on aU the oceans for dommion over water and earth. Not a sinrfe Tl^Z ""' *" T^"^ "!""'• ^ " «'"'« of neutrluty S ^tfr^fn? r ' ""f •"*•' ^°"^'?^ = '^'^ *™ immense aUiea entered into line, glowing with hereditary fury, and resolv^ iSf LT °°* *°° """^y, ^ '^9 ^^Pty- barren fields. And P,?ril "^* ''"°'*' .°* ?■!''"« •'™'''«" "^et M tbe centred «S ' °° T* '"'" P "°= ''•^9™ ""^ions of beings had space to murder one another. Over leagues and leagues^ the troops deploy foUowed by reinforcements ; such /to«Mt ^«11„ -^h ''k stiU remiuned human flesh for bullets and ff ^P^ T'"''-'?'*"'". ^'^ °°' *'^ "o time to remove ^^^t^' '?* P^^^^ °* ''o'Pses formed waUs, behind which new re^ments ever advanced in order to get killed. And ?hfl^lf,°°*'*&y'?^'"""«' ■"«» murdered%ne another in the darkness. Each time that the sun arose it illumined yS WORK 499 larger pools of blood, a field of carnage where deatb in his horrible harvesting piled the corpses of the soldiers in loftier and loftier ricks. And on all sides there was lightning, entire army corps disappeared amidst a clap of thunder. It was not necessary that the combatants should draw near or even see each other, their guns carried long miles, and threw shells which in exploding swept acres of ground bare, and asphyxiated and poisoned all around. Balloons also threw bombs from the very heavens, setting towns ablaze as they passefl. Science had mvented explosives and murderous engines which carried death over prodigious distances, and annihilated a whole com- munity as suddenly as an earthquake might have done. And what a monstrous massacre showed forth on the last evening of that gigantic battle! Never bei. - had such a huge human sacrifice smoked beneath the hen, one I More than a million men lay there in the great ravaged fields, alongside the watercourses, across the meadows. One could walk for hours and hours, and one ever met a yet larger harvest of slaughtered soldiers, who lay there with their eyes wide open, and their black moutho agape, as if to cry aloud that man- kind was mad I And that was the last battle, to such a degree did horror freeze every heart when men awakened from that frightful intoxication, bom of greed for dominion, lust for power ; whilst the conviction came to all that war was no longer possible, since science in its almightiness was destined to be the sove'eign creator of life, and not the artisan of destruction.' Then Suzanne in her turn relapsed into silence, quivering the while, but with bright eyes, radiant indeed with Qie peace of the future. And Luc, whose voice was becoming a mere breath, concluded : ' Yes, war is dead, the supreme itape has been reached, the brotherly kiss comes after the long rough, dolorous journey. And my day is over, I can now ao to sleep.' "* He spoke no more. That last minute was august and sweet. Josine, Soeurette, and Suzanne did not stir, but waited, exempt from sadness, full indeed of tender fervour in that calm room, gay with flowers and sunshine. Under the window the joyous children were still playing— one could hear the shrill ones of the very little ones, and the laughter of their elders, all the mirth of the future on the march to broader and broader joys. And then there was the friendly sun resplendent on the horizon, the sun, the fertiliser, the father 'mjiiL.i|p!fe-> Soo IVOJiJC THE END. PRINTBD BY •MTTWW00D8 AXD CO. LTD^ HIT^TBWT njUARI tiOHDON of Doe the lag