land, and in half an hour they reached the village, where every door was
open, for the people had heard what had happened. Peasants and peasant
women and girls, excited with anger as if every man had been robbed and
every woman violated, wished to see the wretch brought back so that they
might overwhelm him with abuse. They hooted him from the first house in
the village until they reached the Mansion-house, where the Mayor was
waiting for him, being himself avenged on this vagabond and as soon as
he saw him, he cried from far:

"Ah! my fine fellow! here we are!" And he rubbed his hands, more pleased
than he usually was and he continued: "I said so. I said so the moment I
saw him in the road."

And then with increased satisfaction:

"Oh! you blackguard! Oh! you dirty blackguard! You will get your twenty
years, my fine fellow!"




USELESS BEAUTY


I

A very elegant victoria with two beautiful black horses was drawn up in
front of the mansion. It was the end of June at about half past five in
the afternoon, and the sun shone warm and bright into the large
courtyard.