e was sufficient to upset you and make you tremble. He said not a
word; his eyes were closed and the tears ran down his nose and his long
mustaches. I was looking on with all my eyes, as you can imagine, when
Father Goulden got down from his chair and pulled me by the arm,
saying: "Joseph, let us go, it is time."

Behind us the hall was already empty. Everybody had hurried out by the
brewer Klein's alley for fear of being mixed up in a disagreeable
affair, and we went that way also.

As we crossed the square, Father Goulden said, "There is danger that
matters will take a bad turn. To-morrow the gendarmerie may commence
to act, the Commandant Margarot and the others have not the air of men
who will allow themselves to be arrested. The soldiers of the third
battalion will take their part, if they have not already. The city is
in their power."

He was talking to himself, and I thought as he did.

When we reached home, Catherine was waiting anxiously for us in the
workshop. We told her all that had happened. The table was set, but
nobody was inclined to eat. Mr. Goulden drank a glass of wine, and
then as he took off his shoes he said to us:

"My children, after what we have just heard we may be sure that the
Emperor will reach Paris; the soldiers wish it, and the peasants desire
it, and if he has considered well since he has been on his island and
will give up his ideas about war, and will respect the treaties, the
bourgeoise will ask nothing better, especially if we have a good
Constitution that will guarantee to everyone his liberty, which is the
best of all good things. Let us wish it for ourselves and for him.
Good-night."

XI

The next day was Friday and market day, and there was nothing talked of
in the whole town but the great news. Great numbers of peasants from
Alsace and Lorraine came filing into town on their carts, some in
blouses, some in their waistcoats, some in three-cornered hats, and
some in their cotton caps, under pretence of selling their grain, their
barley and oats, but in reality to find out what was going on.

You could hear nothing but "Get up, Fox! gee ho, Gray!" and the rolling
of the wheels and the cracking of the whips. And the women were not
behindhand, they arrived from the Houpe, from Dagsberg, Ercheviller,
and Baraques, with their scanty skirts and with great baskets on their
heads, striding and hurrying along. Everybody passed under our
windows, and Mr. Goulden