Mr．and Mrs．Follenvie dined at the end of the table．The man，rattling like a crackled locomotive，had too much trouble in breathing to talk while eating，but his wife was never silent．She told all her impressions at the arrival of the Prussians，what they did，what they said，reviling them because they cost her some money，and because she had two sons in the army．She ad-dressed herself especially to the Countess，flattered by being able to talk with a lady of quality．

When she lowered her voice to say some delicate thing；her husband would interrupt，from time to time，with：“You had better keep silent，Madame Follenvie．”But she paid no attention，continuing in this fashion：

“Yes，Madame，those people there not only eat our potatoes and pork，but our pork and potatoes．And it must not be believed that they are at all proper-oh，no！such filthy things they do，saving the respect I owe to you！And if you could see them exercise for hours in the day！they are all there in the field，marching ahead，then marching back，turning here and turning there．They might be cultivating the land，or at least working on the roads of their own country！But no，Madame，these military men are profitable to no one．Poor people have to feed them，or perhaps be murdered！I am only an old woman without education，it is true，but when I see some endangering their constitutions by raging from morning to night，I say：“When there are so many people found to be useless，how unnecessary it is for others to take so much trouble to be nuisances！Truly，is it not an abomination to kill people，whether they be Prussian，or English，or Polish，or French？If one man revenges himself upon another who has done him some in-jury，it is wicked and he is punished；but when they ex-terminate our boys，as if they were game，with guns，they give decorations，indeed，to the one who destroys the most！Now，you see，I can never understand that，never！”

Cornudet raised his voice：“War is a barbarity when one attacks a peaceable neighbor，but a sacred duty when one defends his country．”

The old woman lowered her head：

“Yes，when one defends himself，it is another thing；but why not make it a duty to kill all the kings who make these wars for their pleasure？”

Cornudet's eyes flashed．“Bravo，my country－woman！”said he．

Mr．Carré－Lamadon reflected profoundly．Al－though he was prejudiced as a Captain of Industry，the good sense of this peasant woman made him think of the opulence that would be brought into the country were the idle and consequently mischievous hands，and the troops which were now maintained in unproductiveness，employed in some great industrial work that it would require centuries to achieve．

Loiseau，leaving his place，went to speak with the innkeeper in a low tone of voice．The great man laughed，shook，and squeaked，his corpulence quivered with joy at the jokes of his neighbor，and he bought of him six cases of wine for spring，after the Prussians had gone．

As soon as supper was finished，as they were worn out with fatigue，they retired．

However，Loiseau，who had observed things，after getting his wife to bed，glued his eye and then his ear to a hole in the wall，to try and discover what are known as“the mysteries of the corridor．”

At the end of about an hour，he heard a groping，and，looking quickly，he perceived Ball－of－Fat，who appeared still more plump in a blue cashmere negligee trimmed with white lace．She had a candle in her hand and was directing her steps toward the great door at the end of the corridor．But a door a............