sold in such great quantities? What other people would, like the
Penguins, give a hundred golden crowns for a wave of our hands, a sound
from our mouths, a movement of our lips? For my part, I gain a thousand
times more, in this pleasant, faithful, and docile Penguinia, by
extracting the essence from a bundle of thyme, than I could make
by tiring my lungs with preaching the remission of sins in the most
populous states of Europe and America. Honestly, would Penguinia be
better off if a police officer came to take me away from here and put me
on a steamboat bound for the Islands of Night?"

Having thus spoken, the monk of Conils got up and led his guest into
a huge shed where hundreds of orphans clothed in blue were packing
bottles, nailing up cases, and gumming tickets. The ear was deafened
by the noise of hammers mingled with the dull rumbling of bales being
placed upon the rails.

"It is from here that consignments are forwarded," said Cornemuse.
"I have obtained from the government a railway through the Wood and
a station at my door. Every three days I fill a truck with my own
products. You see that the Republic has not killed all beliefs."

Agaric made a last effort to engage the wise distiller in his
enterprise. He pointed him to a prompt, certain, dazzling success.

"Don't you wish to share in it?" he added. "Don't you wish to bring back
your king from exile?"

"Exile is pleasant to men of good will," answered the monk of Conils.
"If you are guided by me, my dear Brother Agaric, you will give up your
project for the present. For my own part I have no illusions. Whether or
not I belong to your party, if you lose, I shall have to pay like you."

Father Agaric took leave of his friend and went back satisfied to his
school. "Cornemuse," thought he, "not being able to prevent the plot,
would like to make it succeed and he will give money." Agaric was not
deceived. Such, indeed, was the solidarity among priests and monks that
the acts of a single one bound them all. That was at once both their
strength and their weakness.

II. PRINCE CRUCHO

Agaric resolved to proceed without delay to Prince Crucho, who honoured
him with his familiarity. In the dusk of the evening he went out of his
school by the side door, disguised as a cattle merchant and took passage
on board the St. Mael.

The next day he landed in Porpoisea, for it was at Chitterlings Castle
on this hospitable soil that Crucho ate the bitter bread