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Foureau, coming up speedily, questioned him as to how he chanced to be under the beech trees, what his object was in coming back to Chavignolles, and also as to the employment of his time for the past six weeks. "That is no business of yours. I have my liberty." Placquevent searched him to find out whether he had cartridges about him. They were about to imprison him provisionally.
But Bouvard, irritated at the ill-success of his garden, took up the defence of the people. They all began talking at the same time. Foureau extolled the government. Hurel saw nothing in the world but landed property. The Abbé Jeufroy complained of the fact that it did not protect religion. Pécuchet attacked the taxes. Madame Bordin exclaimed at intervals, "As for me, I detest the Republic."
He had just had a visit from Foureau, who was exasperated about his hemorrhoids. Vainly had he contended that they were a safeguard against every disease. Foureau, who would listen to nothing, had threatened him with an action for damages. He lost his head over it. Pécuchet told him the other story, which he considered more serious, and was a little shocked at Bouvard's indifference.
Bouvard was pleased to reply by referring to the rising of mountains, the theory of Elie de Beaumont. "Don't know him," returned the abbé. Foureau hastened to explain: "He is from Caen. I have seen him at the Prefecture." "But if your Deluge," Bouvard broke in again, "had sent shells drifting, they would be found broken on the surface, and not at depths of three hundred metres sometimes."
"You are pushing!" said the captain to Foureau. "Not at all." "Yes, you are!" "Ah! sir." The notary made them keep quiet. By dint of straining their ears they thought they could distinguish cracklings of wood. An illusion! Nothing had budged.
When the days of June came, everyone was in favour of "flying to the relief of Paris"; but Foureau could not leave the mayoral premises, Marescot his office, the doctor his patients, or Girbal his firemen. M. de Faverges was at Cherbourg. Beljambe kept his bed. The captain grumbled: "They did not want me; so much the worse!" and Bouvard had the wisdom to put restraint on Pécuchet.
Beljambe knew nothing about the occurrences, and, furthermore, he laughed at them. In the market-place they stopped Vaucorbeil. The physician had got over all that. "You are very foolish to bother yourselves." Foureau passed them by, remarking with a sly air, "The democrats are swamped." And the captain, with Girbal's arm in his, exclaimed from a distance, "Long live the Emperor!"
"What right have we to go there? That would be to let loose Europe against us. No imprudence!" And everybody approving of this, the two Poles held their tongues. On another occasion, Vaucorbeil spoke in favour of Ledru-Rollin's circulars. Foureau retorted with a reference to the forty-five centimes. "But the government," said Pécuchet, "has suppressed slavery." "What does slavery matter to me?"
And, when he weighed these arguments, the physician regretted his weakness. As soon as he had gone, Heurtaux went to see Placquevent. Between old soldiers there should be mutual courtesy, but the rural guard, devoted though he was to Foureau, flatly refused to help him. The curé demonstrated to M. de Faverges that the hour had not come. It was necessary to give the Republic time to get used up.
They had put blouses on, just as medical students do in the dissecting-rooms; and, by the light of three candles, they were working at their pieces of pasteboard, when a fist knocked at the door. "Open!" It was M. Foureau, followed by the keeper. Germaine's masters were pleased to show him the manikin.
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