eyes.

"I don't like that!" said Marescot. "They are making a great outcry, and
getting too excited."

"Oh, bless my soul!" replied Coulon; "young people must amuse
themselves."

Foureau heaved a sigh. "Queer amusement! and then the guillotine at the
end of it!" He had visions of the scaffold, and was anticipating
horrors.

Chavignolles felt the rebound of the agitation in Paris. The villagers
subscribed to the newspapers. Every morning people crowded to the
post-office, and the postmistress would not have been able to get
herself free from them had it not been for the captain, who sometimes
assisted her. Then would follow a chat on the green.

The first violent discussion was on the subject of Poland.

Heurtaux and Bouvard called for its liberation.

M. de Faverges took a different view.

"What right have we to go there? That would be to let loose Europe
against us. No imprudence!"

And everybody approving of this, the two Poles held their tongues.

On another occasion, Vaucorbeil spoke in favour of Ledru-Rollin's
circulars.

Foureau retorted with a reference to the forty-five centimes.

"But the government," said Pecuchet, "has suppressed slavery."

"What does slavery matter to me?"

"Well, what about the abolition of the death-penalty in political
cases?"

"Faith," replied Foureau, "they would like to abolish everything.
However, who knows? the tenants are already showing themselves very
exacting."

"So much the better! The proprietors," according to Pecuchet, "had been
too much favoured. He that owns an estate----"

Foureau and Marescot interrupted him, exclaiming that he was a
communist.

"I--a communist!"

And all kept talking at the same time. When Pecuchet proposed to
establish a club, Foureau had the hardihood to reply that they would
never see such a thing at Chavignolles.

After this, Gorju demanded guns for the National Guard, the general
opinion having fixed on him as instructor. The only guns in the place
were those of the firemen. Girbal had possession of them. Foureau did
not care to deliver them up.

Gorju looked at him.

"You will find, however, that I know how to use them."

For he added to his other occupations that of poaching, and the
innkeeper often bought from him a hare or a rabbit.

"Faith! take them!" said Foureau.

The same evening they began drilling. It was under the lawn, in front of
the church. Gorju, in a blue smock-frock, with a neckcloth around his
l