and whispering in his ear. Beauvisage meantime was bowing right and
left to the inhabitants, who gazed at him with the deference which
provincials always testify to the richest man in their locality.

"But there's no use cajoling _him_," continued Pigoult. "Cecile's hand
does not depend on either her father or her mother."

"On whom, then?"

"On my old patron, Monsieur Grevin. Even if Simon is elected deputy,
the town is not won."

Though the sub-prefect and Frederic Marest tried to get an explanation
of these words, Pigoult refused to give the reason of an exclamation
which seemed to them big with meaning and implying a certain knowledge
of the plans of the Beauvisage family.

All Arcis was now in a commotion, not only on account of the fatal
event which had just overtaken the Gondreville family, but because of
the great resolution come to at the Giguet house, where Madame Marion
and her three servants were hurriedly engaged in putting everything in
its usual order, ready to receive her customary guests, whose
curiosity would probably bring them that evening in large numbers.



VI

THE CAMPAIGN OF 1814 FROM THE HOSIERY POINT OF VIEW