agreed not to touch it, and the "Baleine" returned to
Coqueville at the same moment as the "Zephir," in its turn, anchored in
the little harbor. Not one inquisitive had left the beach. Cries of joy
greeted that unexpected catch of three casks. The _gamins_ hurled their
caps into the air, while the women had at once gone on the run to
look for glasses. It was decided to taste the liquid on the spot. The
wreckage belonged to the village. Not one protest arose. Only they
formed into two groups, the Mahes surrounded Rouget, the Floches would
not let go of La Queue.

"Emperor, the first glass for you!" cried Rouget. "Tell us what it is."

The liquor was of a beautiful golden yellow. The _garde champetre_
raised his glass, looked at it, smelt it, then decided to drink.

"That comes from Holland," said he, after a long silence.

He did not give any other information. All the Mahes drank with
deference. It was rather thick, and they stood surprised, for it tasted
of flowers. The women found it very good. As for the men, they would
have preferred less sugar. Nevertheless, at the bottom it ended by being
strong at the third or fourth glass. The more they drank, the better
they liked it. The men became jolly, the women grew funny.

But the Emperor, in spite of his recent quarrels with the Mayor, had
gone to hang about the group of Floches.

The biggest cask gave out a dark-red liquor, while they drew from the
smallest a liquid white as water from the rock; and it was this latter
that was the stiff est, a regular pepper, something that skinned the
tongue.

Not one of the Floches recognized it, neither the red nor the white.

There were, however, some wags there. It annoyed them to be regaling
themselves without knowing over what.

"I say, Emperor, taste that for me!" said La Queue, thus taking the
first step.

The Emperor, who had been waiting for the invitation, posed once more as
connoisseur.

"As for the red," he said, "there is orange in that! And for the white,"
he declared, "that--that is excellent!"

They had to content themselves with these replies, for he shook his
head with a knowing air, with the happy look of a man who has given
satisfaction to the world.

The Abbe Radiguet, alone, did not seem convinced. As for him, he had the
names on the tip of his tongue; and to thoroughly reassure himself, he
drank small glasses, one after the other, repeating: "Wait, wait, I know
what it is. In a moment I will tel