understood from the expression of the writer's eye that he wanted to
study the question of pauperism from life, and perhaps take his revenge
on Pere Fourchon.

"What sort of education are you giving Mouche?" asked Blondet. "Do you
expect to make him any better than your daughters?"

"Does he ever speak to him of God?" said the priest.

"Oh, no, no! Monsieur le cure, I don't tell him to fear God, but men.
God is good; he has promised us poor folks, so you say, the kingdom of
heaven, because the rich people keep the earth to themselves. I tell
him: 'Mouche! fear the prison, and keep out of it,--for that's the way
to the scaffold. Don't steal anything, make people give it to you. Theft
leads to murder, and murder brings down the justice of men. The razor of
justice,--_that's_ what you've got to fear; it lets the rich sleep easy
and keeps the poor awake. Learn to read. Education will teach you ways
to grab money under cover of the law, like that fine Monsieur Gaubertin;
why, you can even be a land-steward like Monsieur Sibilet here, who gets
his rations out of Monsieur le comte. The thing to do is to keep well
with the rich, and pick up the crumbs that fall from their tables.'
That's what I call giving him a good, solid education; and you'll always
find the little rascal on the side of the law,--he'll be a good citizen
and take care of me."

"What do you mean to make of him?" asked Blondet.

"A servant, to begin with," returned Fourchon, "because then he'll see
his masters close by, and learn something; he'll complete his education,
I'll warrant you. Good example will be a fortune to him, with the law on
his side like the rest of you. If M'sieur le comte would only take him
in his stables and let him learn to groom the horses, the boy will be
mighty pleased, for though I've taught him to fear men, he don't fear
animals."

"You are a clever fellow, Pere Fourchon," said Blondet; "you know what
you are talking about, and there's sense in what you say."

"Oh, sense? no; I left my sense at the Grand-I-Vert when I lost those
silver pieces."

"How is it that a man of your capacity should have dropped so low? As
things are now, a peasant can only blame himself for his poverty; he is
a free man, and he can become a rich one. It is not as it used to be. If
a peasant lays by his money, he can always buy a bit of land and become
his own master."

"I've seen the olden time and I've seen the new, my dear wise
gentleman," said