cliffs。　　The　sun；　which　was　still　far　from　setting；　sent　a　drift　of
  misty　gold　across　the　hill…tops；　but　the　valleys　were　already
  plunged　in　a　profound　and　quiet　shadow。
  A　very　old　shepherd；　hobbling　on　a　pair　of　sticks；　and　wearing　a
  black　cap　of　liberty；　as　if　in　honour　of　his　nearness　to　the　grave；
  directed　me　to　the　road　for　St。　Germain　de　Calberte。　　There　was
  something　solemn　in　the　isolation　of　this　infirm　and　ancient
  creature。　　Where　he　dwelt；　how　he　got　upon　this　high　ridge；　or　how
  he　proposed　to　get　down　again；　were　more　than　I　could　fancy。　　Not
  far　off　upon　my　right　was　the　famous　Plan　de　Font　Morte；　where　Poul
  with　his　Armenian　sabre　slashed　down　the　Camisards　of　Seguier。
  This；　methought；　might　be　some　Rip　van　Winkle　of　the　war；　who　had
  lost　his　comrades；　fleeing　before　Poul；　and　wandered　ever　since
  upon　the　mountains。　　It　might　be　news　to　him　that　Cavalier　had
  surrendered；　or　Roland　had　fallen　fighting　with　his　back　against　an
  olive。　　And　while　I　was　thus　working　on　my　fancy；　I　heard　him
  hailing　in　broken　tones；　and　saw　him　waving　me　to　come　back　with
  one　of　his　two　sticks。　　I　had　already　got　some　way　past　him；　but；
  leaving　Modestine　once　more；　retraced　my　steps。
  Alas；　it　was　a　very　commonplace　affair。　　The　old　gentleman　had
  forgot　to　ask　the　pedlar　what　he　sold；　and　wished　to　remedy　this
  neglect。
  I　told　him　sternly；　'Nothing。'
  'Nothing？'　cried　he。
  I　repeated　'Nothing；'　and　made　off。
  It's　odd　to　think　of；　but　perhaps　I　thus　became　as　inexplicable　to
  the　old　man　as　he　had　been　to　me。
  The　road　lay　under　chestnuts；　and　though　I　saw　a　hamlet　or　two
  below　me　in　the　vale；　and　many　lone　houses　of　the　chestnut　farmers；
  it　was　a　very　solitary　march　all　afternoon；　and　the　evening　began
  early　underneath　the　trees。　　But　I　heard　the　voice　of　a　woman
  singing　some　sad；　old；　endless　ballad　not　far　off。　　It　seemed　to　be
  about　love　and　a　BEL　AMOUREUX；　her　handsome　sweetheart；　and　I
  wished　I　could　have　taken　up　the　strain　and　answered　her；　as　I　went
  on　upon　my　invisible　woodland　way；　weaving；　like　Pippa　in　the　poem；
  my　own　thoughts　with　hers。　　What　could　I　have　told　her？　　Little
  enough；　and　yet　all　the　heart　requires。　　How　the　world　gives　and
  takes　away；　and　brings　sweethearts　near　only　to　separate　them　again
  into　distant　and　strange　lands；　but　to　love　is　the　great　amulet
  which　makes　the　world　a　garden；　and　'hope；　which　comes　to　all；'
  outwears　the　accidents　of　life；　and　reaches　with　tremulous　hand
  beyond　the　grave　and　death。　　Easy　to　say：　　yea；　but　also；　by　God's
  mercy；　both　easy　and　grateful　to　believe！
  We　struck　at　last　into　a　wide　white　high…road　carpeted　with
  noiseless　dust。　　The　night　had　come；　the　moon　had　been　shining　for
  a　long　while　upon　the　opposite　mountain；　when　on　turning　a　corner
  my　donkey　and　I　issued　ourselves　into　her　light。　　I　had　emptied　out
  my　brandy　at　Florac；　for　I　could　bear　the　stuff　no　longer；　and
  replaced　it　with　some　generous　and　scented　Volnay；　and　now　I　drank
  to　the　moon's　sacred　majesty　upon　the　road。　　It　was　but　a　couple　of
  mouthfuls；　yet　I　became　thenceforth　unconscious　of　my　limbs；　and　my
  blood　flowed　with　luxury。　　Even　Modestine　was　inspired　by　this
  purified　nocturnal　sunshine；　and　bestirred　her　little　hoofs　as　to　a
  livelier　measure。　　The　road　wound　and　descended　swiftly　among
  masses　of　chestnuts。　　Hot　dust　rose　from　our　feet　and　flowed　away。
  Our　two　shadows　…　mine　deformed　with　the　knapsack；　hers　comically
  bestridden　by　the　pack　…　now　lay　before　us　clearly　outlined　on　the
  road；　and　now；　as　we　turned　a　corner；　went　off　into　the　ghostly
  distance；　and　sailed　along　the　mountain　like　clouds。　　From　time　to
  time　a　warm　wind　rustled　down　the　valley；　and　set　all　the　chestnuts
  dangling　their　bunches　of　foliage　and　fruit；　the　ear　was　filled
  with　whispering　music；　and　the　shadows　danced　in　tune。　　And　next
  moment　the　breeze　had　gone　by；　and　in　all　the　valley　nothing　moved
  except　our　travelling　feet。　　On　the　opposite　slope；　the　monstrous
  ribs　and　gullies　of　the　mountain　were　faintly　designed　in　the
  moonshine；　and　high　overhead；　in　some　lone　house；　there　burned　one
  lighted　window；　one　square　spark　of　red　in　the　huge　field　of　sad
  nocturnal　colouring。
  At　a　certain　point；　as　I　went　downward；　turning　many　acute　angles；
  the　moon　disappeared　behind　the　hill；　and　I　pursued　my　way　in　great
  darkness；　until　another　turning　shot　me　without　preparation　into
  St。　Germain　de　Calberte。　　The　place　was　asleep　and　silent；　and
  buried　in　opaque　night。　　Only　from　a　single　open　door；　some
  lamplight　escaped　upon　the　road　to　show　me　that　I　was　come　among
  men's　habitations。　　The　two　last　gossips　of　the　evening；　still
  talking　by　a　garden　wall；　directed　me　to　the　inn。　　The　landlady　was
  getting　her　chicks　to　bed；　the　fire　was　already　out；　and　had；　not
  without　grumbling；　to　be　rekindled；　half　an　hour　later；　and　I　must
  have　gone　supperless　to　roost。
  THE　LAST　DAY
  WHEN　I　awoke　（Thursday；　2nd　October）；　and；　hearing　a　great
  flourishing　of　cocks　and　chuckling　of　contented　hens；　betook　me　to
  the　window　of　the　clean　and　comfortable　room　where　I　had　slept　the
  night；　I　looked　forth　on　a　sunshiny　morning　in　a　deep　vale　of
  chestnut　gardens。　　It　was　still　early；　and　the　cockcrows；　and　the
  slanting　lights；　and　the　long　shadows　encouraged　me　to　be　out　and
  look　round　me。
  St。　Germain　de　Calberte　is　a　great　parish　nine　leagues　round　about。
  At　the　period　of　the　wars；　and　immediately　before　the　devastation；
  it　was　inhabited　by　two　hundred　and　seventy…five　families；　of　which
  only　nine　were　Catholic；　and　it　took　the　CURE　seventeen　September
  days　to　go　from　house　to　house　on　horseback　for　a　census。　　But　the
  place　itself；　although　capital　of　a　canton；　is　scarce　larger　than　a
  hamlet。　　It　lies　terraced　across　a　steep　slope　in　the　midst　of
  mighty　chestnuts。　　The　Protestant　chapel　stands　below　upon　a
  shoulder；　in　the　midst　of　the　town　is　the　quaint　old　Catholic
  church。
  It　was　here　that　poor　Du　Chayla；　the　Christian　martyr；　kept　his
  library　and　held　a　court　of　missionaries；　here　he　had　built　his
  tomb；　thinking　to　lie　among　a　grateful　population　whom　he　had
  redeemed　from　error；　and　hither　on　the　morrow　of　his　death　they
  brought　the　body；　pierced　with　two…and…fifty　wounds；　to　be
  interred。　　Clad　in　his　priestly　robes；　he　was　laid　out　in　state　in
  the　church。　　The　CURE；　taking　his　text　from　Second　Samuel；
  twentieth　chapter　and　twelfth　verse；　'And　Amasa　wallowed　in　his
  blood　in　the　highway；'　preached　a　rousing　sermon；　and　exhorted　his
  brethren　to　die　each　at　his　post；　like　their　unhappy　and
  illustrious　superior。　　In　the　midst　of　this　eloquence　there　came　a
  breeze　that　Spirit　Seguier　was　near　at　hand；　and　behold！　all　the
  assembly　took　to　their　horses'　heels；　some　east；　some　west；　and　the
  CURE　himself　as　far　as　Alais。
  Strange　was　the　position　of　this　little　Catholic　metropolis；　a
  thimbleful　of　Rome；　in　such　a　wild　and　contrary　neighbourhood。　　On
  the　one　hand；　the　legion　of　Salomon　overlooked　it　from　Cassagnas；
  on　the　other；　it　was　cut　off　from　assistance　by　the　legion　of
  Roland　at　Mialet。　　The　CURE；　Louvrelenil；　although　he　took　a　panic
  at　the　arch…priest's　funeral；　and　so　hurriedly　decamped　to　Alais；
  stood　well　by　his　isolated　pulpit；　and　thence　uttered　fulminations
  against　the　crimes　of　the　Protestants。　　Salomon　besieged　the
  village　for　an　hour　and　a　half；　but　was　beaten　back。　　The
  militiamen；　on　guard　before　the　CURE'S　door；　could　be　heard；　in　the
  black　hours；　singing　Protestant　psalms　and　holding　friendly　talk
  with　the　insurgents。　　And　in　the　morning；　although　not　a　shot　had
  been　fired；　there　would　not　be　a　round　of　powder　in　their　flasks。
  Where　was　it　gone？　　All　handed　over　to　the　Camisards　for　a
  consideration。　　Untrusty　guardians　for　an　isolated　priest！
  That　these　continual　stirs　were　once　busy　in　St。　Germain　de
  Calberte；　the　imagination　with　difficulty　receives；　all　is　now　so
  quiet；　the　pulse　of　human　life　now　beats　so　low　and　still　in　this
  hamlet　of　the　mountains。　　Boys　followed　me　a　great　way　off；　like　a
  timid　sort　of　lion…hunters；　and　people　turned　round　to　have　a
  second　look；　or　came　out　of　their　houses；　as　I　went　by。　　My　passage
  was　the　first　event；　you　would　have　fancied；　since　the　Camisards。
  There　was　nothing　rude　or　forward　in　this　observation；　it　was　but　a
  pleased　and　wondering　scrutiny；　like　that　of　oxen　or　the　human
  infant；　yet　it　wearied　my　spirits；　and　soon　drove　me　from　the
  street。
  I　took　refuge　on　the　terraces；　which　are　here　greenly　carpeted　with
  sward；　and　tried　to　imitate　with　a　pencil　the　inimitable　attitudes
  of　the　chestnuts　as　they　bear　up　their　canopy　of　leaves。　　Ever　and
  again　a　little　wind　went　by；　and　the　nuts　dropped　all　around　me；
  with　a　light　and　dull　sound；　upon　the　sward。　　The　noise　was　as　of　a
  thin　fall　of　great　hailstones；　but