,
between two whiffs of his pipe.

"How? Where? When? Why? Is anything going to be done for the poor?"
asked Randolphe and his family, within and without doors.

"I don't know when and how: but I think you need not ask why, if you
live some days of the week upon boiled nettles, as many of your
neighbours do. Those that have looked into the matter say that the
country people (they who really do the work of the land) possess only
one-third of the country, and yet pay three-fourths of the taxes. One
does not see why this should go on, when once they choose that it shall
not: and many think that they won't choose it much longer."

"And then something will be done for the poor?" said the hostess, coming
to the door.

"Certainly; unless the rich do something for the poor first; which would
be their wisest way."

"But if the rich should not choose to do anything for us?" said Robin.

"Then they must look to themselves."

"And what will happen to them? What will happen to the Dauphiness?"

"Oh, poor lady! There is no saying that. She knows little of what the
French people are suffering, and nothing of what they are thinking. How
should she? What notion should she have of poverty and the poor, when
she is now buying, out of her allowance, a pair of ear-rings that cost
360,000 francs?"

[Note: This is fact; but it happened a little later in her history,
immediately after she became queen: 360,000 francs are about 15,000
pounds.]

"You are joking, comrade."

"No, it is true. She thinks there is no harm in it, because she will
pay the whole out of her own allowance, year by year; and the diamonds
are so rare and wonderful that she thinks she has a good bargain. What
should she know of poverty and the poor?"

"God bless her!" said the hostess, "and may she never know what it is to
eat boiled nettles, for want of anything better!"

"I wish she would have done with throwing away our money in diamonds at
that rate," said Randolphe, gloomily. "The people will not love her if
she does. We all know it is what we pay for this cursed salt, and our
poll-tax, and all our grinding taxes, that go to pay for such freaks as
these."

"Well, love," said his wife, "she is young, and may learn. Don't let us
be grudging to her as a stranger."

"Not I, love; I would grudge her nothing, if only I could give my family
food that would make them plump and rosy, as I hope to see this lady
to-morrow, and if I could but app