then at those on the table.

"Have you no mother?" asked Madame de Montcornet, unable otherwise to
explain the child's nakedness.

"No, ma'am; m'ma died of grief for losing p'pa, who went to the army
in 1812 without marrying her with papers, and got frozen, saving your
presence. But I've my Grandpa Fourchon, who is a good man,--though he
does beat me bad sometimes."

"How is it, my dear, that such wretched people can be found on your
estate?" said the countess, looking at the general.

"Madame la comtesse," said the abbe, "in this district we have none
but voluntary paupers. Monsieur le comte does all he can; but we have
to do with a class of persons who are without religion and who have
but one idea, that of living at your expense."

"But, my dear abbe," said Blondet, "you are here to improve their
morals."

"Monsieur," replied the abbe, "my bishop sent me here as if on a
mission to savages; but, as I had the honor of telling him, the
savages of France cannot be reached. They make it a law unto
themselves not to listen to us; whereas the church does get some hold
on the savages of America."

"M'sieur le cure, they do help me a bit now," remarked Mouche; "but if
I went to your church they _wouldn't_, and the other folks would make
game of my breeches."