d！　must　I　bid　you　farewell　for　ever？　Farewell　to　you；　our　stay　and　support！　Farewell　to　you；　my　dear　master！　And　we；　your　children；for　to　each　of　us　you　gave　the　same　fatherly　love；all　we；　your　children；　have　lost　our　father！〃
  The　widow　flung　herself　upon　the　dead　body　and　clasped　it　in　a　tight　embrace；　as　if　her　kisses　and　the　tears　with　which　she　covered　it　could　give　it　warmth　again；　during　the　pause；　came　the　wail　of　the　servants：
  〃THE　MASTER　IS　DEAD！〃
  〃Yes；〃　the　widow　went　on；　〃he　is　dead！　Our　beloved　who　gave　us　our　bread；　who　sowed　and　reaped　for　us；　who　watched　over　our　happiness；　who　guided　us　through　life；　who　ruled　so　kindly　among　us。　NOW；　I　may　speak　in　his　praise；　and　say　that　he　never　caused　me　the　slightest　sorrow；　he　was　good　and　strong　and　patient。　Even　while　we　were　torturing　him　for　the　sake　of　his　health；　so　precious　to　us；　'Let　it　be；　children；　it　is　all　no　use；'　the　dear　lamb　said；　just　in　the　same　tone　of　voice　with　which　he　had　said；　'Everything　is　all　right；　friends；'　only　a　few　days　before。　Ah！　grand　Dieu！　a　few　days　ago！　A　few　days　have　been　enough　to　take　away　the　gladness　from　our　house　and　to　darken　our　lives；　to　close　the　eyes　of　the　best；　most　upright；　most　revered　of　men。　No　one　could　plow　as　he　could。　Night　or　day；　he　would　go　about　over　the　mountains；　he　feared　nothing；　and　when　he　came　back　he　had　always　a　smile　for　his　wife　and　children。　Ah！　he　was　our　beloved！　It　was　dull　here　by　the　fireside　when　HE　was　away；　and　our　food　lost　all　its　relish。　Oh！　how　will　it　be　now；　when　our　guardian　angel　will　be　laid　away　under　the　earth；　and　we　shall　never　see　him　any　more？　Never　any　more；　dear　kinsfolk　and　friends；　never　any　more；　my　children！　Yes；　my　children　have　lost　their　kind　father；　our　relations　and　friends　have　lost　their　good　kinsman　and　their　trusty　friend；　the　household　has　lost　its　master；　and　I　have　lost　everything！〃
  She　took　the　hand　of　the　dead　again；　and　knelt；　so　that　she　might　press　her　face　close　to　his　as　she　kissed　it。　The　servants'　cry；　〃THE　MASTER　IS　DEAD！〃　was　again　repeated　three　times。
  Just　then　the　eldest　son　came　to　his　mother　to　say；　〃The　people　from　Saint…Laurent　have　just　come；　mother；　we　want　some　wine　for　them。〃
  〃Take　the　keys；〃　she　said　in　a　low　tone；　and　in　a　different　voice　from　that　in　which　she　had　just　expressed　her　grief；　〃you　are　the　master　of　the　house；　my　son；　see　that　they　receive　the　welcome　that　your　father　would　have　given　them；　do　not　let　them　find　any　change。
  〃Let　me　have　one　more　long　look；〃　she　went　on。　〃But　alas！　my　good　husband；　you　do　not　feel　my　presence　now；　I　cannot　bring　back　warmth　to　you！　I　only　wish　that　I　could　comfort　you　still；　could　let　you　know　that　so　long　as　I　live　you　will　dwell　in　the　heart　that　you　made　glad；　could　tell　you　that　I　shall　be　happy　in　the　memory　of　my　happiness　that　the　dear　thought　of　you　will　live　on　in　this　room。　Yes；　as　long　as　God　spares　me；　this　room　shall　be　filled　with　memories　of　you。　Hear　my　vow；　dear　husband！　Your　couch　shall　always　remain　as　it　is　now。　I　will　sleep　in　it　no　more；　since　you　are　dead；　henceforward；　while　I　live；　it　shall　be　cold　and　empty。　With　you；　I　have　lost　all　that　makes　a　woman：　her　master；　husband；　father；　friend；　companion；　and　helpmate：　I　have　lost　all！〃
  〃THE　MASTER　IS　DEAD！〃　the　servants　wailed。　Others　raised　the　cry；　and　the　lament　became　general。　The　widow　took　a　pair　of　scissors　that　hung　at　her　waist；　cut　off　her　hair；　and　laid　the　locks　in　her　husband's　hand。　Deep　silence　fell　on　them　all。
  〃That　act　means　that　she　will　not　marry　again；〃　said　Benassis；　〃this　determination　was　expected　by　many　of　the　relatives。〃
  〃Take　it；　dear　lord！〃　she　said；　her　emotion　brought　a　tremor　to　her　voice　that　went　to　the　hearts　of　all　who　heard　her。　〃I　have　sworn　to　be　faithful；　I　give　this　pledge　to　you　to　keep　in　the　grave。　We　shall　thus　be　united　for　ever；　and　through　love　of　your　children　I　will　live　on　among　the　family　in　whom　you　used　to　feel　yourself　young　again。　Oh！　that　you　could　hear　me；　my　husband！　the　pride　and　joy　of　my　heart！　Oh！　that　you　could　know　that　all　my　power　to　live；　now　you　are　dead；　will　yet　come　from　you；　for　I　shall　live　to　carry　out　your　sacred　wishes　and　to　honor　your　memory。〃
  Benassis　pressed　Genestas'　hand　as　an　invitation　to　follow　him；　and　they　went　out。　By　this　time　the　first　room　was　full　of　people　who　had　come　from　another　mountain　commune；　all　of　them　waited　in　meditative　silence；　as　if　the　sorrow　and　grief　that　brooded　over　the　house　had　already　taken　possession　of　them。　As　Benassis　and　the　commandant　crossed　the　threshold；　they　overheard　a　few　words　that　passed　between　one　of　the　newcomers　and　the　eldest　son　of　the　late　owner。
  〃Then　when　did　he　die？〃
  〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　the　eldest　son；　a　man　of　five…and…twenty　years　of　age；　〃I　did　not　see　him　die。　He　asked　for　me；　and　I　was　not　there！〃　His　voice　was　broken　with　sobs；　but　he　went　on：　〃He　said　to　me　the　night　before；　'You　must　go　over　to　the　town；　my　boy；　and　pay　our　taxes；　my　funeral　will　put　that　out　of　your　minds；　and　we　shall　be　behindhand；　a　thing　that　has　never　happened　before。'　It　seemed　the　best　thing　to　do；　so　I　went；　and　while　I　was　gone；　he　died；　and　I　never　received　his　last　embrace。　I　have　always　been　at　his　side；　but　he　did　not　see　me　near　him　at　the　last　in　my　place　where　I　had　always　been。〃
  〃THE　MASTER　IS　DEAD！〃
  〃Alas！　he　is　dead；　and　I　was　not　there　to　receive　his　last　words　and　his　latest　sigh。　And　what　did　the　taxes　matter？　Would　it　not　have　been　better　to　lose　all　our　money　than　to　leave　home　just　then？　Could　all　that　we　have　make　up　to　me　for　the　loss　of　his　last　farewell。　No。　MON　DIEU！　If　YOUR　father　falls　ill；　Jean；　do　not　go　away　and　leave　him；　or　you　will　lay　up　a　lifelong　regret　for　yourself。〃
  〃My　friend；〃　said　Genestas；　〃I　have　seen　thousands　of　men　die　on　the　battlefield；　death　did　not　wait　to　let　their　children　bid　them　farewell；　take　comfort；　you　are　not　the　only　one。〃
  〃But　a　father　who　was　such　a　good　man！〃　he　replied；　bursting　into　fresh　tears。
  Benassis　took　Genestas　in　the　direction　of　the　farm　buildings。
  〃The　funeral　oration　will　only　cease　when　the　body　has　been　laid　in　its　coffin；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃and　the　weeping　woman's　language　will　grow　more　vivid　and　impassioned　all　the　while。　But　a　woman　only　acquires　the　right　to　speak　in　such　a　strain　before　so　imposing　an　audience　by　a　blameless　life。　If　the　widow　could　reproach　herself　with　the　smallest　of　shortcomings；　she　would　not　dare　to　utter　a　word；　for　if　she　did；　she　would　pronounce　her　own　condemnation；　she　would　be　at　the　same　time　her　own　accuser　and　judge。　Is　there　not　something　sublime　in　this　custom　which　thus　judges　the　living　and　the　dead？　They　only　begin　to　wear　mourning　after　a　week　has　elapsed；　when　it　is　publicly　worn　at　a　meeting　of　all　the　family。　Their　near　relations　spend　the　week　with　the　widow　and　children；　to　help　them　to　set　their　affairs　in　order　and　to　console　them。　A　family　gathering　at　such　a　time　produces　a　great　effect　on　the　minds　of　the　mourners；　the　consideration　for　others　which　possesses　men　when　they　are　brought　into　close　contact　acts　as　a　restraint　on　violent　grief。　On　the　last　day；　when　the　mourning　garb　has　been　assumed；　a　solemn　banquet　is　given；　and　their　relations　take　leave　of　them。　All　this　is　taken　very　seriously。　Any　one　who　was　slack　in　fulfilling　his　duties　after　the　death　of　the　head　of　a　family　would　have　no　one　at　his　own　funeral。〃
  The　doctor　had　reached　the　cowhouse　as　he　spoke；　he　opened　the　door　and　made　the　commandant　enter；　that　he　might　show　it　to　him。
  〃All　our　cowhouses　have　been　rebuilt　after　this　pattern；　captain。　Look！　Is　it　not　magnificent？〃
  Genestas　could　not　help　admiring　the　huge　place。　The　cows　and　oxen　stood　in　two　rows；　with　their　tails　towards　the　side　walls；　and　their　heads　in　the　middle　of　the　shed。　Access　to　the　stalls　was　afforded　by　a　fairly　wide　space　between　them　and　the　wall；　you　could　see　their　horned　heads　and　shining　eyes　through　the　lattice　work；　so　that　it　was　easy　for　the　master　to　run　his　eyes　over　the　cattle。　The　fodder　was　placed　on　some　staging　erected　above　the　stalls；　so　that　it　fell　into　the　racks　below　without　waste　of　labor　or　material。　There　was　a　wide…　paved　space　down　the　centre；　which　was　kept　clean；　and　ventilated　by　a　thorough　draught　of　air。
  〃In　the　winter　time；〃　Benassis　said；　as　he　walked　with　Genestas　down　the　middle　of　the　cowhouse；　〃both　men　and　women　do　their　work　here　together　in　the　evenings。　The　tables　are　set　out　here；　and　in　this　way　the　people　keep　themselves　warm　without　going　to　any　expense。　The　sheep　are　housed　in　the　same　way。　You　would　not　believe　how　quickly　the　beasts　fall　into　orderly　ways。　I　have　often　wondered　to　see　them　come　in；　each　knows　her　proper　place；　and　allows　those　who　take　precedence　to　pass　in　before　her。　Look！　there　is　just　room　enough　in　each　stall　to　do　the　milking　and　to　rub　the　cattle　down；　and　the　floor　slopes　a　little　to　facilitate　drainage。〃
  〃One　can　judge　of　everything　else　from　the　sight　of　this　cowhouse；〃　said　Genestas；　〃without　flattery；　these　are　great　results　indeed！〃
  〃We　have　had　some　trouble　to　bring　them　about；〃　Benassis　answered；　〃but　then；　see　what　fine　cattle　they　are！〃
  〃They　are　splendid　beasts　certainly；　you　had　g