Page:Cerise, a tale of the last century (IA cerisetaleoflast00whytrich).pdf/437

 England, a man may exist; were it not for the climate he might even vegetate; but it is only in Paris that he can be said to live. Florian, it is a glorious prospect, and the road to fortune lies straight before us."

"Through an enemy's country," replied the other, gravely. "Nothing shall persuade me but that the mass of the people are staunch to the Government."

"The mass of the people!" repeated Malletort, contemptuously; "the mass of the people neither make revolutions nor oppose them. In point of fact they are the women and children who sit quietly at home. It is the highest and the lowest who are the discontented classes, and if you set these in motion, the one to lead in front, the other to push behind, why, the mass of the people, as you call them, may be driven whichever way you please, like a flock of sheep into a pen. Listen to those peasants singing over their liqour, and tell me if their barbarian ditties do not teach you which way the tide of feeling acts at present amongst the rabble?"

They stopped in their walk, and through the open window of the tap-room could hear Captain Bold's treble quavering out a Jacobite ballad of the day, no less popular than nonsensical, as was attested by the stentorian chorus and wild jingling of glasses that accompanied it.

"We are done with sodden kale, Are we not? Are we not? We are done with sodden kale,            Are we not? And the reptile in his mail, Though he tore with tooth and nail, We have got him by the tail,            Have we not?

"We will bring the Stuart back, Will we not? Will we not? We will bring the Stuart back,            Will we not? With a whip to curl and crack Round the Hanoverian pack, And 'twill lend King George a smack,            Will it not?

"We are done with rebel rigs, Are we not? Are we not? We are done with rebel rigs,            Are we not?