nt," roared the sergeant, and they marched again, but muttering
and cursing.

"Ah the ugly sound," said the civilian, wincing. "Les malheureux!" cried
he ruefully: for where is the single man can hear the sudden agony of
a multitude and not be moved? "Les ingrats! They are going whence
they were de trop to where they will be welcome: from starvation to
plenty--and they object. They even make dismal noises. One would think
we were thrusting them forth from Burgundy."

"Come away," whispered Gerard, trembling; "come away," and the friends
strode forward.

When they passed the head of the column, and saw the men walk with their
eyes bent in bitter gloom upon the ground, and the women, some carrying,
some leading little children, and weeping as they went, and the poor
bairns, some frolicking, some weeping because "their mammies" wept,
Gerard tried hard to say a word of comfort, but choked and could utter
nothing to the mourners; but gasped, "Come on, Denys, I cannot mock such
sorrow with little words of comfort." And now, artist-like, all his aim
was to get swiftly out of the grief he could not soothe. He almost ran
not to hear these sighs and sobs.

"Why, mate," said Denys, "art the colour of a lemon. Man alive, take not
other folk's troubles to heart! not one of those whining milksops there
but would see thee, a stranger, hanged without winking."

Gerard scarce listened to him.

"Decant them?" he groaned; "ay, if blood were no thicker than wine.
Princes, ye are wolves. Poor things! Poor things! Ah, Denys! Denys!
with looking on their grief mine own comes home to me. Well-a-day! ah,
well-a-day!"

"Ay, now you talk reason. That you, poor lad, should be driven all the
way from Holland to Rome is pitiful indeed. But these snivelling curs,
where is their hurt? There is six score of 'em to keep one another
company: besides, they are not going out of Burgundy."

"Better for them if they had never been in it."

"Mechant, va! they are but going from one village to another, a mule's
journey! whilst thou--there, no more. Courage, camarade, le diable est
mort."

Gerard shook his head very doubtfully, but kept silence for about a
mile, and then he said thoughtfully, "Ay, Denys, but then I am sustained
by booklearning. These are simple folk that likely thought their village
was the world: now what is this? more weeping. Oh! 'tis a sweet world
Humph! A little girl that hath broke her pipkin. Now may I hang on one
of your gi