Page:The Rebellion in the Cevennes (Volume 1).djvu/84

65 rank, profession, and way of life; then there are tailors' and bakers' legs, which it is impossible not to recognise, foot and cavalry soldiers' legs, weavers' and joiners' legs, and so on."

"These are very interesting observations," said the Counsellor, "would you, for instance, venture to declare the former manner of life of my Frantz by his legs?"

"By my legs?" exclaimed the old servant, who was still busied in clearing away. "Here they are, reverend sir."

"Stoop a little—now go yonder—come back again—stand perfectly upright—my Lord Counsellor, I could swear that your Frantz has been in his youth, nay at a later period of life, a mariner."

The servant looked at the priest astounded, and the Lord of Beauvais said: "You have hit it, my reverend friend; but from what do you draw your conclusion?"

"No mariner," said the priest "ever loses entirely the straggling and somewhat stooping gait which he has acquired on ship