few　joys　to　share；　and　now；　like　captives　grown　accustomed　to　their　prison；　they　seemed　to　be　too　familiar　with　wretchedness　to　heed　it；　and　to　take　everything　as　it　came。　Yet　a　certain　frank　light…heartedness　was　not　lacking　in　their　faces；　and　on　a　closer　view；　their　monotonous　life；　the　lot　of　so　many　a　poor　creature；　well…nigh　seemed　an　enviable　one。　Trouble　had　set　its　unmistakable　mark　on　them；　but　petty　cares　had　left　no　traces　there。
  〃Well；　my　good　Father　Moreau；　I　suppose　there　is　no　help　for　it；　and　you　must　always　be　working？〃
  〃Yes；　M。　Benassis；　there　are　one　or　two　more　bits　of　waste　that　I　mean　to　clear　for　you　before　I　knock　off　work；〃　the　old　man　answered　cheerfully；　and　light　shone　in　his　little　black　eyes。
  〃Is　that　wine　that　your　wife　is　carrying？　If　you　will　not　take　a　rest　now；　you　ought　at　any　rate　to　take　wine。〃
  〃I　take　a　rest？　I　should　not　know　what　to　do　with　myself。　The　sun　and　the　fresh　air　put　life　into　me　when　I　am　out　of　doors　and　busy　grubbing　up　the　land。　As　to　the　wine；　sir；　yes；　that　is　wine　sure　enough；　and　it　is　all　through　your　contriving　I　know　that　the　Mayor　at　Courteil　lets　us　have　it　for　next　to　nothing。　Ah；　you　managed　it　very　cleverly；　but；　all　the　same；　I　know　you　had　a　hand　in　it。〃
  〃Oh！　come；　come！　Good…day；　mother。　You　are　going　to　work　on　that　bit　of　land　of　Champferlu's　to…day　of　course？〃
  〃Yes；　sir；　I　made　a　beginning　there　yesterday　evening。〃
  〃Capital！〃　said　Benassis。　〃It　must　be　a　satisfaction　to　you；　at　times；　to　see　this　hillside。　You　two　have　broken　up　almost　the　whole　of　the　land　on　it　yourselves。〃
  〃Lord！　yes；　sir；〃　answered　the　old　woman；　〃it　has　been　our　doing！　We　have　fairly　earned　our　bread。〃
  〃Work；　you　see；　and　land　to　cultivate　are　the　poor　man's　consols。　That　good　man　would　think　himself　disgraced　if　he　went　into　the　poorhouse　or　begged　for　his　bread；　he　would　choose　to　die　pickaxe　in　hand；　out　in　the　open；　in　the　sunlight。　Faith；　he　bears　a　proud　heart　in　him。　He　has　worked　until　work　has　become　his　very　life；　and　yet　death　has　no　terrors　for　him！　He　is　a　profound　philosopher；　little　as　he　suspects　it。　Old　Moreau's　case　suggested　the　idea　to　me　of　founding　an　almshouse　for　the　country　people　of　the　district；　a　refuge　for　those　who；　after　working　hard　all　their　lives；　have　reached　an　honorable　old　age　of　poverty。
  〃I　had　by　no　means　expected　to　make　the　fortune　which　I　have　acquired　here；　indeed；　I　myself　have　no　use　for　it；　for　a　man　who　has　fallen　from　the　pinnacle　of　his　hopes　needs　very　little。　It　costs　but　little　to　live；　the　idler's　life　alone　is　a　costly　one；　and　I　am　not　sure　that　the　unproductive　consumer　is　not　robbing　the　community　at　large。　There　was　some　discussion　about　Napoleon's　pension　after　his　fall；　it　came　to　his　ears；　and　he　said　that　five　francs　a　day　and　a　horse　to　ride　was　all　that　he　needed。　I　meant　to　have　no　more　to　do　with　money　when　I　came　here；　but　after　a　time　I　saw　that　money　means　power；　and　that　it　is　in　fact　a　necessity；　if　any　good　is　to　be　done。　So　I　have　made　arrangements　in　my　will　for　turning　my　house　into　an　almshouse；　in　which　old　people　who　have　not　Moreau's　fierce　independence　can　end　their　days。　Part　of　the　income　of　nine　thousand　francs　brought　in　by　the　mill　and　the　rest　of　my　property　will　be　devoted　to　giving　outdoor　relief　in　hard　winters　to　those　who　really　stand　in　need　of　it。
  〃This　foundation　will　be　under　the　control　of　the　Municipal　Council；　with　the　addition　of　the　cure；　who　is　to　be　president；　and　in　this　way　the　money　made　in　the　district　will　be　returned　to　it。　In　my　will　I　have　laid　down　the　lines　on　which　this　institution　is　to　be　conducted；　it　would　be　tedious　to　go　over　them；　it　is　enough　to　say　that　I　have　a　fund　which　will　some　day　enable　the　Commune　to　award　several　scholarships　for　children　who　show　signs　of　promise　in　art　or　science。　So；　even　after　I　am　gone；　my　work　of　civilization　will　continue。　When　you　have　set　yourself　to　do　anything；　Captain　Bluteau；　something　within　you　urges　you　on；　you　see；　and　you　cannot　bear　to　leave　it　unfinished。　This　craving　within　us　for　order　and　for　perfection　is　one　of　the　signs　that　point　most　surely　to　a　future　existence。　Now；　let　us　quicken　our　pace；　I　have　my　round　to　finish；　and　there　are　five　or　six　more　patients　still　to　be　visited。〃
  They　cantered　on　for　some　time　in　silence；　till　Benassis　said　laughingly　to　his　companion；　〃Come　now；　Captain　Bluteau；　you　have　drawn　me　out　and　made　me　chatter　like　a　magpie；　and　you　have　not　said　a　syllable　about　your　own　history；　which　must　be　an　interesting　one。　When　a　soldier　has　come　to　your　time　of　life；　he　has　seen　so　much　that　he　must　have　more　than　one　adventure　to　tell　about。〃
  〃Why；　my　history　has　been　simply　the　history　of　the　army；〃　answered　Genestas。　〃Soldiers　are　all　after　one　pattern。　Never　in　command；　always　giving　and　taking　sabre…cuts　in　my　place；　I　have　lived　just　like　anybody　else。　I　have　been　wherever　Napoleon　led　us；　and　have　borne　a　part　in　every　battle　in　which　the　Imperial　Guard　has　struck　a　blow；　but　everybody　knows　all　about　these　events。　A　soldier　has　to　look　after　his　horse；　to　endure　hunger　and　thirst　at　times；　to　fight　whenever　there　is　fighting　to　be　done；　and　there　you　have　the　whole　history　of　his　life。　As　simple　as　saying　good…day；　is　it　not？　Then　there　are　battles　in　which　your　horse　casts　a　shoe　at　the　outset；　and　lands　you　in　a　quandary；　and　as　far　as　you　are　concerned；　that　is　the　whole　of　it。　In　short；　I　have　seen　so　many　countries；　that　seeing　them　has　come　to　be　a　matter　of　course；　and　I　have　seen　so　many　men　die；　that　I　have　come　to　value　my　own　life　at　nothing。〃
  〃But　you　yourself　must　have　been　in　danger　at　times；　and　it　would　be　interesting　to　hear　you　tell　of　your　personal　adventures。〃
  〃Perhaps；〃　answered　the　commandant。
  〃Well；　then；　tell　me　about　the　adventure　that　made　the　deepest　impression　upon　you。　Come！　do　not　hesitate。　I　shall　not　think　that　you　are　wanting　in　modesty　even　if　you　should　tell　me　of　some　piece　of　heroism　on　your　part；　and　when　a　man　is　quite　sure　that　he　will　not　be　misunderstood；　ought　he　not　to　find　a　kind　of　pleasure　in　saying；　'I　did　thus'？〃
  〃Very　well；　then；　I　will　tell　you　about　something　that　gives　me　a　pang　of　remorse　from　time　to　time。　During　fifteen　years　of　warfare　it　never　once　happened　that　I　killed　a　man；　save　in　legitimate　defence　of　self。　We　are　drawn　up　in　a　line；　and　we　charge；　and　if　we　do　not　strike　down　those　before　us；　they　will　begin　to　draw　blood　without　asking　leave；　so　you　have　to　kill　if　you　do　not　mean　to　be　killed；　and　your　conscience　is　quite　easy。　But　once　I　broke　a　comrade's　back；　it　happened　in　a　singular　way；　and　it　has　been　a　painful　thing　to　me　to　think　of　afterwardsthe　man's　dying　grimace　haunts　me　at　times。　But　you　shall　judge　for　yourself。
  〃It　was　during　the　retreat　from　Moscow；〃　the　commandant　went　on。　〃The　Grand　Army　had　ceased　to　be　itself；　we　were　more　like　a　herd　of　over…　driven　cattle。　Good…bye　to　discipline！　The　regiments　had　lost　sight　of　their　colors；　every　one　was　his　own　master；　and　the　Emperor　（one　need　not　scruple　to　say　it）　knew　that　it　was　useless　to　attempt　to　exert　his　authority　when　things　had　gone　so　far。　When　we　reached　Studzianka；　a　little　place　on　the　other　side　of　the　Beresina；　we　came　upon　human　dwellings　for　the　first　time　after　several　days。　There　were　barns　and　peasants'　cabins　to　destroy；　and　pits　full　of　potatoes　and　beetroot；　the　army　had　been　without　vitual；　and　now　it　fairly　ran　riot；　the　first　comers；　as　you　might　expect；　making　a　clean　sweep　of　everything。
  〃I　was　one　of　the　last　to　come　up。　Luckily　for　me；　sleep　was　the　one　thing　that　I　longed　for　just　then。　I　caught　sight　of　a　barn　and　went　into　it。　I　looked　round　and　saw　a　score　of　generals　and　officers　of　high　rank；　all　of　them　men　who；　without　flattery；　might　be　called　great。　Junot　was　there；　and　Narbonne；　the　Emperor's　aide…de…camp；　and　all　the　chiefs　of　the　army。　There　were　common　soldiers　there　as　well；　not　one　of　whom　would　have　given　up　his　bed　of　straw　to　a　marshal　of　France。　Some　who　were　leaning　their　backs　against　the　wall　had　dropped　off　to　sleep　where　they　stood；　because　there　was　no　room　to　lie　down；　others　lay　stretched　out　on　the　floorit　was　a　mass　of　men　packed　together　so　closely　for　the　sake　of　warmth；　that　I　looked　about　in　vain　for　a　nook　to　lie　down　in。　I　walked　over　this　flooring　of　human　bodies；　some　of　the　men　growled；　the　others　said　nothing；　but　no　one　budged。　They　would　not　have　moved　out　of　the　way　of　a　cannon　ball　just　then；　but　under　the　circumstances；　one　was　not　obliged　to　practise　the　maxims　laid　down　by　the　Child's　Guide　to　Manners。　Groping　about；　I　saw　at　the　end　of　the　barn　a　sort　of　ledge　up　above　in　the　roof；　no　one　had　thought　of　scrambling　up　to　it；　possibly　no　one　had　felt　equal　to　the　effort。　I　clambered　up　and　ensconced　myself　upon　it；　and　as　I　lay　there　at　full　length；　I　looked　down　at　the　men　huddled　together　like　sheep　below。　It　was　a　pitiful　sight；　yet　it　almost　made　me　laugh。　A　man　here　and　there　was　gnawing　a　frozen　carrot；　with　a　kind　of　animal　satisfaction　expressed　in　his　face；　and　thunderous　snores　came　from　generals　who　lay　muffled　up　in　ragged　cloaks。　The　whole　barn　was　lighted　by　a　blazing　pine　log；　it　might　have　set　the　place　on　fire；　and