Year: 1878

ing stronger and stronger every day, and
would work for her.


"Do not let our misery add to your
Distress" said the peasant when Victor
had asked for an explanation. Suffering
is our lot, and we can better afford to suf
fer wrong than do wrong. You behold
my family in the old home for the last
time. For fifteen years my wife and |
have lived here. We took the place when
we were married, and nave never failed
to pay the rent until now but this year
we were unfortunate. Last season our
crops failed, and every sou that we could
raise has gone tor food. Our rent is not
high, but were it not more than ten frames
l could not pay it. We have sold every
thing we had to sell-nll our trinkets all
our best clothing-have sold them for
bread. All, Nanet:e, weep not; God will
provide in some way. See, our Victor is
not cast down."


"Victor !" cried the convict.


$50 wc call our eldest boy, good sir &.
is II brave name, and brave lad wears
it,"


"My name is Victor, too. Tell me,
sir, how much do you owe for rent ?"


"For the whole year, sir-eighty francs.
So much | pay IN money, and tor the
rest, work at cutting wood. The work |
have done but the money | cannot pay
Our landlord has let us off month after
month, and now he is offered moro rent
than we pay by man who has the mon
ey."


But if you had the money-the eighty
francs-the owner would let you stay p


"Yes, sir. We have been here so long.
He is stern man, bu: just"


Victor Lacour reflected. He could not
bear to see suffering which he had power
to relieve. Hc was fleeing for liberty, but
what would liberty be to him with the
weight Of this poor family's sore distress
upon his conscience ? How could he ever
enjoy freedom which he had secrSed Mt
the expense Of the peace and comfort of
this devoted father and mother and their
helpless little ones ?-for so he put it to
himself. II he had tho opportunity and
exercised it not, the blame would be his.


"My good man." he said "cheer up and
take courage. l am Victor Lacour. l
escaped from the galleys less than week
ago. A reward of one hundred francs has
been offered for my apprehension. will
go with you to Castelane, where you will
deliver me up to the sub project, and he
will have to pay you one hundred francs.
That will he grand. You will have eighty
francs for your landlord, and twenty will
be left to buy you bread. Do you see ?
We will set forth Mt once, for YOU must
be here with the money when the owner
comes"


The peasant and his wife gazed upon
their guest with Il Mortified look.


"Grd'ld Dieu :" cried the husband
"Deliver up Victor. Lacour? | will die
first ! Ask my wife"


mo, no." exclaimed the woman, with
equal warmth "don't ask me. We vii
both die first. We cannot do so base d
thing"


But Victor Lacour was determined.


"See here" he said, with look and
tone that made tho poor people tremblC
-"if you do not take me to the sub pro-
feet, | will go myself. | swear to you
that | will not give up my purpose. 1t
will make me very happy to give you
that hundred francs if you rob me OF the
pleasure, | will let monsieur the sous pre-
feet keep the money, which he will OF
course pocket on his own account. What
will you do 2"


When tho poor peasant saw that his
guest was in downright earnest, and tina,
disobedience would greatly offend him,
he agreed 10 the proposition. 1t was hard
to bring the woman 10 consent, but she
did 1t ut iongih.


" All - erred Victor, when he was
able to get away from the tears and bless
ings OF the mother and her children, "am
| not richly repaid already ?"


SO the poor peasaI t, jean Brignol, and
his son Victor, set out with tho convict,
who had made them bind his arms behind
him with "A piece of rope, and did not
stop until they had reached the village of
Castelane. Several times on the way
Jean tried TO persuade his prisoner TO givo
up his plan, but the man was sternly in
flexible. The sub-prefect wondered much
to see the dowdy peasant and his stripping
boy bringing in as II prisoner man so
physically powerful as was Victor Lacour
but the peasf Mt claimed that he had done
it all by strategy. Tho officer OF tho po.
lice was very glad to get Victor Lacour
back into the hands Of justice, and he
paid to Jean the hundred francs without
hesitation.


And with heavy heart Jean Brignol
went back to his home. lie paid the rent,
and the old home was still for him and
his family but how could he enjoy it
when be thought of the brave, true soul
condemned to the galleys- condemned to
toll and degradation that he and his might
prosper.


That night Jean and his wife talked
the matter over, and on the following
morning, as soon as they could get their
breakfast, they set out tor Toulon, dis
tance Of not quite sixty miles, the wife
riding the mule, while JeaE trudged
along by her side on foot. They were
two days on the journey. At Toulon they
gained access to the minister Of justice, to
whom they told the story OF Victor La
cour. The minister was deeply interest
ed and he promised the peasant that he