in which Jouse had spurned his wife's offer: *Z6u/
he remarked, 'very well then, so be it. As for me, I
am done with the whole ugly business. When a man
has no money wherewith to buy food and yet plenty of
money to drink himself silly — yes, and when in
addition he insults my wife, he cannot expect my
consideration. It is time that he paid for the bread
I provide; I am poor and so greatly in need of his
riches!5

And now everywhere Hermitte went he complained
to those who were nursing a similar grievance; and they
listened eagerly, nodding and shrugging as who should
say: 'We have done what we could, we are free from
all blame, the fault lies with J6usŁ.' And since human
nature is at times only human, they were greatly
relieved to find an excuse for ridding themselves of
that uneasy feeling. Even the Cure and Goundran
shrugged; the one going back to his books and his
pupil, the other to those boats that were so spick and
span, and that brought in the fishes that brought in
the money which, in its turn, was spent on Elise and
Aurano.

'What will you?' said Goundran, fondling his wife,
*I cannot support more than one family, and since
Jouse sees fit to ignore my suggestion, . . .' Then
he lifted Aurano high into the air: *Ah, bon!9 he
shouted, 'We go up ... we go down . . . with the
breeze in our sails, with the breeze in our hearts.
Up . . . down. Up . . . down. O! lou brave ven-
toulet!5

Although the Cure urged Jan to study almost
ruthlessly because of a love which was fast bidding
fair to become an obsession; although he talked much
of the Master's work, of those plentiful harvests
316