Page:Georges Eekhoud - Escal Vigor, a novel.djvu/88

64 someone expressing surprise that a certain Ariaan, nicknamed the King of Winnowers, long in the service of a farmer of the parish was not of the party, one of the absent man's comrades informed the company that the young fellow had turned out rather badly since their last festival, so badly indeed, that his employer had not thought fit to wait for St. Peter's day to dispense with his services. In spite of all his talents, the King of Winnowers had been dismissed in a hurry for entering into competition with martlets, weasels, polecats and other fanciers of poultry. Not having found a master to whom he could hire his stout arms he had doubtless taken shelter for the time in one or other of those refuges which the generosity of the State opens to dusty feet.

For the sake of form, but not without yawning and stretching, the table uttered a few words of pity for the bad luck of an old companion, such a lively spark too, a good trencher-man, and the rest! But as one of the boys, lighting his pipe, pointed out, it was not the moment to foster black ideas, and so taking his advice, the company made haste to change the subject of conversation.