The　lid　of　the　soup…tureen　drew　a　momentary　glance　from　Genestas；　he　noticed　that　it　was　surmounted　by　a　group　of　vegetables　in　high　relief；　skilfully　colored　after　the　manner　of　Bernard　Palissy；　the　celebrated　sixteenth　century　craftsman。
  There　was　no　lack　of　character　about　the　group　of　men　thus　assembled。　The　powerful　heads　of　Genestas　and　Benassis　contrasted　admirably　with　M。　Janvier's　apostolic　countenance；　and　in　the　same　fashion　the　elderly　faces　of　the　justice　of　the　peace　and　the　deputy…mayor　brought　out　the　youthfulness　of　the　notary。　Society　seemed　to　be　represented　by　these　various　types。　The　expression　of　each　one　indicated　contentment　with　himself　and　with　the　present；　and　a　faith　in　the　future。　M。　Tonnelet　and　M。　Janvier；　who　were　still　young；　loved　to　make　forecasts　of　coming　events；　for　they　felt　that　the　future　was　theirs；　while　the　other　guests　were　fain　rather　to　turn　their　talk　upon　the　past。　All　of　them　faced　the　things　of　life　seriously；　and　their　opinions　seemed　to　reflect　a　double　tinge　of　soberness；　on　the　one　hand；　from　the　twilight　hues　of　well…nigh　forgotten　joys　that　could　never　more　be　revived　for　them；　and；　on　the　other；　from　the　gray　dawn　which　gave　promise　of　a　glorious　day。
  〃You　must　have　had　a　very　tiring　day；　sir？〃　said　M。　Cambon；　addressing　the　cure。
  〃Yes；　sir；〃　answered　M。　Janvier；　〃the　poor　cretin　and　Pere　Pelletier　were　buried　at　different　hours。〃
  〃Now　we　can　pull　down　all　the　hovels　of　the　old　village；〃　Benassis　remarked　to　his　deputy。　〃When　the　space　on　which　the　houses　stand　has　been　grubbed　up；　it　will　mean　at　least　another　acre　of　meadow　land　for　us；　and　furthermore；　there　will　be　a　clear　saving　to　the　Commune　of　the　hundred　francs　that　it　used　to　cost　to　keep　Chautard　the　cretin。〃
  〃For　the　next　three　years　we　ought　to　lay　out　the　hundred　francs　in　making　a　single…span　bridge　to　carry　the　lower　road　over　the　main　stream；〃　said　M。　Cambon。　〃The　townsfolk　and　the　people　down　the　valley　have　fallen　into　the　way　of　taking　a　short　cut　across　that　patch　of　land　of　Jean　Francois　Pastoureau's；　before　they　have　done　they　will　cut　it　up　in　a　way　that　will　do　a　lot　of　harm　to　that　poor　fellow。〃
  〃I　am　sure　that　the　money　could　not　be　put　to　a　better　use；〃　said　the　justice　of　peace。　〃In　my　opinion　the　abuse　of　the　right　of　way　is　one　of　the　worst　nuisances　in　a　country　district。　One…tenth　of　the　cases　that　come　before　the　court　are　caused　by　unfair　easement。　The　rights　of　property　are　infringed　in　this　way　almost　with　impunity　in　many　and　many　a　commune。　A　respect　for　the　law　and　a　respect　for　property　are　ideas　too　often　disregarded　in　France；　and　it　is　most　important　that　they　should　be　inculcated。　Many　people　think　that　there　is　something　dishonorable　in　assisting　the　law　to　take　its　course。　'Go　and　be　hanged　somewhere　else；'　is　a　saying　which　seems　to　be　dictated　by　an　unpraiseworthy　generosity　of　feeling；　but　at　the　bottom　it　is　nothing　but　a　hypocritical　formulaa　sort　of　veil　which　we　throw　over　our　own　selfishness。　Let　us　own　to　it；　we　lack　patriotism！　The　true　patriot　is　the　citizen　who　is　so　deeply　impressed　with　a　sense　of　the　importance　of　the　laws　that　he　will　see　them　carried　out　even　at　his　own　cost　and　inconvenience。　If　you　let　the　criminal　go　in　peace；　are　you　not　making　yourself　answerable　for　the　crimes　he　will　commit？〃
  〃It　is　all　of　a　piece；〃　said　Benassis。　〃If　the　mayors　kept　their　roads　in　better　order；　there　would　not　be　so　many　footpaths。　And　if　the　members　of　Municipal　Councils　knew　a　little　better；　they　would　uphold　the　small　landowner　and　the　mayor　when　the　two　combine　to　oppose　the　establishment　of　unfair　easements。　The　fact　that　chateau；　cottage；　field；　and　tree　are　all　equally　sacred　would　then　be　brought　home　in　every　way　to　the　ignorant；　they　would　be　made　to　understand　that　Right　is　just　the　same　in　all　cases；　whether　the　value　of　the　property　in　question　be　large　or　small。　But　such　salutary　changes　cannot　be　brought　about　all　at　once。　They　depend　almost　entirely　on　the　moral　condition　of　the　population；　which　we　can　never　completely　reform　without　the　potent　aid　of　the　cures。　This　remark　does　not　apply　to　you　in　any　way；　M。　Janvier。〃
  〃Nor　do　I　take　it　to　myself；〃　laughed　the　cure。　〃Is　not　my　heart　set　on　bringing　the　teaching　of　the　Catholic　religion　to　co…operate　with　your　plans　of　administration？　For　instance；　I　have　often　tried；　in　my　pulpit　discourses　on　theft；　to　imbue　the　folk　of　this　parish　with　the　very　ideas　of　Right　to　which　you　have　just　given　utterance。　For　truly；　God　does　not　estimate　theft　by　the　value　of　the　thing　stolen；　He　looks　at　the　thief。　That　has　been　the　gist　of　the　parables　which　I　have　tried　to　adapt　to　the　comprehension　of　my　parishioners。〃
  〃You　have　succeeded；　sir；〃　said　Cambon。　〃I　know　the　change　you　have　brought　about　in　people's　ways　of　looking　at　things；　for　I　can　compare　the　Commune　as　it　is　now　with　the　Commune　as　it　used　to　be。　There　are　certainly　very　few　places　where　the　laborers　are　as　careful　as　ours　are　about　keeping　the　time　in　their　working　hours。　The　cattle　are　well　looked　after；　any　damage　that　they　do　is　done　by　accident。　There　is　no　pilfering　in　the　woods；　and　finally　you　have　made　our　peasants　clearly　understand　that　the　leisure　of　the　rich　is　the　reward　of　a　thrifty　and　hard…working　life。〃
  〃Well；　then；〃　said　Genestas；　〃you　ought　to　be　pretty　well　pleased　with　your　infantry；　M。　le　Cure。〃
  〃We　cannot　expect　to　find　angels　anywhere　here　below；　captain；〃　answered　the　priest。　〃Wherever　there　is　poverty；　there　is　suffering　too；　and　suffering　and　poverty　are　strong　compelling　forces　which　have　their　abuses；　just　as　power　has。　When　the　peasants　have　a　couple　of　leagues　to　walk　to　their　work；　and　have　to　tramp　back　wearily　in　the　evening；　they　perhaps　see　sportsmen　taking　short　cuts　over　ploughed　land　and　pasture　so　as　to　be　back　to　dinner　a　little　sooner；　and　is　it　to　be　supposed　that　they　will　hesitate　to　follow　the　example？　And　of　those　who　in　this　way　beat　out　a　footpath　such　as　these　gentlemen　have　just　been　complaining　about；　which　are　the　real　offenders；　the　workers　or　the　people　who　are　simply　amusing　themselves？　Both　the　rich　and　the　poor　give　us　a　great　deal　of　trouble　these　days。　Faith；　like　power；　ought　always　to　descend　from　the　heights　above　us；　in　heaven　or　on　earth；　and　certainly　in　our　times　the　upper　classes　have　less　faith　in　them　than　the　mass　of　the　people；　who　have　God's　promise　of　heaven　hereafter　as　a　reward　for　evils　patiently　endured。　With　due　submission　to　ecclesiastical　discipline；　and　deference　to　the　views　of　my　superiors；　I　think　that　for　some　time　to　come　we　should　be　less　exacting　as　to　questions　of　doctrine；　and　rather　endeavor　to　revive　the　sentiment　of　religion　in　the　hearts　of　the　intermediary　classes；　who　debate　over　the　maxims　of　Christianity　instead　of　putting　them　in　practice。　The　philosophism　of　the　rich　has　set　a　fatal　example　to　the　poor；　and　has　brought　about　intervals　of　too　long　duration　when　men　have　faltered　in　their　allegiance　to　God。　Such　ascendency　as　we　have　over　our　flocks　to…day　depends　entirely　on　our　personal　influence　with　them；　is　it　not　deplorable　that　the　existence　of　religious　belief　in　a　commune　should　be　dependent　on　the　esteem　in　which　a　single　man　is　held？　When　the　preservative　force　of　Christianity　permeating　all　classes　of　society　shall　have　put　life　into　the　new　order　of　things；　there　will　be　an　end　of　sterile　disputes　about　doctrine。　The　cult　of　a　religion　is　its　form；　societies　only　exist　by　forms。　You　have　your　standard；　we　have　the　cross〃
  〃I　should　very　much　like　to　know；　sir；〃　said　Genestas；　breaking　in　upon　M。　Janvier；　〃why　you　forbid　these　poor　folk　to　dance　on　Sunday？〃
  〃We　do　not　quarrel　with　dancing　in　itself；　captain；　it　is　forbidden　because　it　leads　to　immorality；　which　troubles　the　peace　of　the　countryside　and　corrupts　its　manners。　Does　not　the　attempt　to　purify　the　spirit　of　the　family　and　to　maintain　the　sanctity　of　family　ties　strike　at　the　root　of　the　evil？〃
  〃Some　irregularities　are　always　to　be　found　in　every　district；　I　know；〃　said　M。　Tonnelet；　〃but　they　very　seldom　occur　among　us。　Perhaps　there　are　peasants　who　remove　their　neighbor's　landmark　without　much　scruple；　or　they　may　cut　a　few　osiers　that　belong　to　some　one　else；　if　they　happen　to　want　some；　but　these　are　mere　peccadilloes　compared　with　the　wrongdoing　that　goes　on　among　a　town　population。　Moreover；　the　people　in　this　valley　seem　to　me　to　be　devoutly　religious。〃
  〃Devout？〃　queried　the　cure　with　a　smile；　〃there　is　no　fear　of　fanaticism　here。〃
  〃But；〃　objected　Cambon；　〃if　the　people　all　went　to　mass　every　morning；　sir；　and　to　confession　every　week；　how　would　the　fields　be　cultivated？　And　three　priests　would　hardly　be　enough。〃
  〃Work　is　prayer；〃　said　the　cure。　〃Doing　one's　duty　brings　a　knowledge　of　the　religious　principles　which　are　a　vital　necessity　to　society。〃
  〃How　about　patriotism？〃　asked　Genestas。
  〃Patriotism　can　only　inspire　a　short…lived　enthusiasm；〃　the　curate　answered　gravely；　〃religion　gives　it　permanence。　Patriotism　consists　in　a　brief　impulse　of　forgetfulness　of　self　and　self…interest；　while　Christianity　is　a　complete　system　of　opposition　to　the　depraved　tendencies　of　mankind。〃
  〃And　yet；　during　the　wars　undertaken　by　the　Revo