human
Oh! I beg your pardon, citizen, said the new-comer,
gpt
I did not know it was forbidden to touch your horse.
human
It is not forbidden, said the traveller;
gpt
The deuce! I cannot distinguish what is advisable from what is not. You seemed unable to find your way; I saw it, and I said to myself, as I am a good fellow, 'Here is a Christian who does not seem to know his way about, so I will direct him.' You called to me to come to you, and here I am. You do not need me; good-by!
human
Your pardon, friend, said the other, restraining him with a gesture,
gpt
What is it? Tell me. Oh! I bear no malice.
human
Do you belong to this region?
gpt
I come from Saint-Rémy, near by. You can see the church from here.
human
Then you know the neighborhood?
gpt
I should think so. I am a fisherman by trade. There is not a run of water for thirty miles around into which I have not cast my lines.
human
Then you must know the abbey of Seillon?
gpt
Do I know the abbey of Seillon! I should think so. But I can't say as much for the monks.
human
And why can't you say as much for the monks?
gpt
Why, because they have been driven out since 1797, of course.
human
Then to whom does the Chartreuse belong?
gpt
To no one.
human
What? A farm, a convent, a forest of ten thousand acres, and three thousand acres of land besides, here in France, which belongs to no one?
gpt
They belong to the Republic, which amounts to the same thing.
human
Then the Republic does not cultivate the land which it confiscates?
gpt
As if it had the time! It has plenty of other things to do, has this Republic.
human
What has it to do?
gpt
It has to make a new skin.
human
True--it is putting on its third. Do you bother your head with such things?
gpt
Oh! a little in my spare time. Our neighbors of the Jura have sent the Republic General Pichegru, just the same.
human
Yes.
gpt
They can't have liked that very well over yonder. But here I am chattering and wasting your time. After all, though, if you are going to Seillon, you need not hurry.
human
Why not?
gpt
Why, because there is no one there.
human
No one?
gpt
The deuce, not unless it be the ghosts of the old monks, and they don't appear until midnight, so you will have to wait.
human
Are you sure, my friend, persisted the traveller,
gpt
I passed there yesterday, when I was carrying some fish to Madame de Montrevel at the Château des Noires-Fontaines; there was not even a cat there. Then he added emphatically:
human
They were all priests of Baal, so there is not much harm done.
gpt
Yes, and unless you come from a certain king of Israel whose name I have forgotten--
human
From King Jehu, you mean, do you not?
gpt
I am not sure; it was a king who was consecrated by a prophet--named--named--What was the name of the prophet who consecrated King Jehu?
human
Elisha,
gpt
That is it. But he consecrated him on one condition. What was that condition? Help me to remember.
human
That he punish the crimes of the house of Ahab and Jezebel.
gpt
The deuce! Tell me about it at once;