of these words, Pigoult refused to give the reason of an exclamation
which seemed to them big with meaning and implying a certain knowledge
of the plans of the Beauvisage family.

All Arcis was now in a commotion, not only on account of the fatal event
which had just overtaken the Gondreville family, but because of the
great resolution come to at the Giguet house, where Madame Marion and
her three servants were hurriedly engaged in putting everything in its
usual order, ready to receive her customary guests, whose curiosity
would probably bring them that evening in large numbers.

VI. THE CAMPAIGN OF 1814 FROM THE HOSIERY POINT OF VIEW

Champagne has all the appearance of a poor region, and it is a poor
region. Its general aspect is sad; the land is flat. Passing through
the villages, and even the towns, you will see nothing but miserable
buildings of wood or half-baked clay; the best are built of brick.
Stone is scarcely used at all except on public buildings. At Arcis the
chateau, the law courts, and the church are the only stone buildings.
Nevertheless, Champagne, or, if you prefer to say so, the departments of
the Aube, Marne, and Haut-Marne, richly endowed with vineyards, the fame
of which is world-wide, are otherwise full of flourishing industries.

Without speaking of the manufactures of Reims, nearly all the hosiery
of France--a very considerable trade--is manufactured about Troyes. The
surrounding country, over a circuit of thirty miles, is covered with
workmen, whose looms can be seen through the open doors as we pass
through the villages. These workmen are employed by agents, who
themselves are in the service of speculators called manufacturers. The
agents negotiate with the large Parisian houses, often with the retail
hosiers, all of whom put out the sign, "Manufacturers of Hosiery." None
of them have ever made a pair of stockings, nor a cap, nor a sock;
all their hosiery comes chiefly from Champagne, though there are a few
skilled workmen in Paris who can rival the Champenois.

This intermediate agency between the producer and the consumer is
an evil not confined to hosiery. It exists in almost all trades, and
increases the cost of merchandise by the amount of the profit exacted
by the middlemen. To break down these costly partitions, that injure
the sale of products, would be a magnificent enterprise, which, in its
results, would attain to the height of statesmanship. In fact, industry
of all ki