France and common sense; for her motto is always to avoid extremes, if you would be wise; sometimes, it is true, one falls between two stools. All at once we heard a great banging of doors and heavy steps on the stairs, mingled with portentous puffings and appeals to all the saints in the calendar, and Mistress Louisa, the vicar's housekeeper, made her appearance, wiping her fat red face with a corner of her apron. "Oh! Master, you are wanted at once! Come and help us."
"Come where, you old fool?" said her master with pardonable irritation.
"Oh! save us, they will be here in a jiffy!"
"Who? the caterpillars?—let them spread over the fields. Now I won't hear another word about those brutes of farmers."
"But they are threatening the most dreadful things!"
"Pooh! what do I care for them? Do they threaten to bring me before the Tribunal? Let them come on, I am ready for them."
"Ah, dear Master! a suit is nothing to what they threaten to do."
"For the love of Heaven, woman, speak out!"
"They are all at big Picq's house down in the village, and what do you think? They are making charms and exorcisms to drive all the mice and
