ìItis you,Monseigneur!Monseigneur, a petition.îWithanexclamationofimpatience,butwithhisunchangeableface,Monseigneurlookedout.ìHow, then!Whatis it?Alwayspetitions!îìMonseigneur. FortheloveofthegreatGod!Myhusband,theforester.îìWhatofyourhusband,theforester?Alwaysthesamewithyoupeople.Hecannotpaysomething?îìHehaspaidall,Monseigneur. Heis dead.îìWell!Heis quiet.CanI restorehimtoyou?îìAlas,no,Monseigneur!Butheliesyonder, undera littleheapofpoorgrass.îìWell?îìMonseigneur, therearesomanylittleheapsofpoorgrass?îìAgain,well?îShelookedanoldwoman,butwasyoung.Hermannerwasoneofpassionategrief;byturnssheclaspedherveinousandknottedhandstogetherwithwildenergy, andlaidoneofthemonthecarriage-doorótenderly, caressingly, asif it hadbeena humanbreast,andcouldbeexpectedtofeeltheappealingtouch.ìMonseigneur, hearme!Monseigneur, hearmypetition!Myhus-banddiedofwant;somanydieofwant;somanymorewilldieofwant.îìAgain,well?CanI feedthem?îìMonseigneur, thegoodGodknows;butI don't askit.Mypetitionis,thata morselofstoneorwood,withmyhusband's name,maybeplacedoverhimtoshowwherehelies.Otherwise,theplacewillbequicklyforgotten,it willneverbefoundwhenI amdeadofthesamemalady, I shallbelaidundersomeotherheapofpoorgrass.Mon-seigneur, theyaresomany, theyincreasesofast,thereis somuchwant.Monseigneur!Monseigneur!

accursedwasalreadyunderthecarriagewithsomehalf-dozenparticularfriends,pointingoutthechainwithhisbluecap.Somehalf-dozenotherparticularfriendspromptlyhauledhimout,andpresentedhimbreathlesstoMonsieurtheMarquis.

misery-wornfaceandgure

Fewchildrenweretobeseen,andnodogs.Astothemenandwomen,theirchoiceonearthwasstatedintheprospectóLifeonthelowesttermsthatcouldsustainit,downinthelittlevillageunderthemill;orcaptivityandDeathin thedominantprisononthecrag

Thevillagehaditsonepoorstreet,withitspoorbrewery, poortan-nery, poortavern,poorstable-yardforrelaysofpost-horses,poorfoun-tain,allusualpoorappointments.It haditspoorpeopletoo.Allitspeo-plewerepoor, andmanyofthemweresittingattheirdoors,shreddingspareonionsandthelikeforsupper, whilemanywereatthefountain,washingleaves,andgrasses,andanysuchsmallyieldingsoftheearththatcouldbeeaten.

brokencountry, boldandopen,a littlevillageatthebottomofthehill,a broadsweepandrisebeyondit,a church-tower, a windmill,a forestforthechase,anda cragwitha fortressonit usedasa prison.Rounduponallthesedarkeningobjectsasthenightdrewon

Thesunsetstrucksobrilliantlyintothetravellingcarriagewhenitgainedthehill-top,thatitsoccupantwassteepedincrimson.ìItwilldieout,îsaidMonsieurtheMarquis,glancingat hishands,ìdirectly.îIneffect,thesunwassolowthatit dippedat themoment.Whentheheavydraghadbeenadjustedtothewheel,andthecarriagesliddownhill,witha cinderoussmell,ina cloudofdust,theredglowdepartedquickly;thesunandtheMarquisgoingdowntogether, therewasnoglowleftwhenthedragwastakenoff.

Marquisinhistravellingcarriage(whichmighthavebeenlighter),conductedbyfourpost-horsesandtwopostilions,faggedupa steephill.

Abeautifullandscape,withthecornbrightinit,butnotabundant.Patchesofpoorryewherecornshouldhavebeen,patchesofpoorpeasandbeans,patchesofmostcoarsevegetablesubstitutesforwheat.