CHAPTER LXVI 



EARTHQUAKES 



EARLY in the morning all the neighbors were 

 talking, from door to door, on the same subject. 

 It seemed they had had a narrow escape during the 

 night. Jacques said that about two o'clock he had 

 been awakened by the bellowing of his cattle, re- 

 peated two or three times. Even Azor himself, the 

 good Azor, so peaceful in his stall when there was 

 nothing serious to disturb him, had bellowed mourn- 

 fully. Jacques had risen and lighted his lantern, 

 but had been unable to discover what caused the 

 trouble with the animals. 



Mother Ambroisine, who slept with one eye open, 

 told a longer tale. She had heard the dishes rat- 

 tling on the kitchen dresser; some plates had even 

 rolled off and broken in falling to the ground. 

 Mother Ambroisine was thinking it was perhaps 

 some misdeed of the cat's, when it seemed to her 

 that strong arms seized the bed and shook it twice 

 from head to foot and from foot to head. It was 

 over in the twinkling of an eye. The worthy 

 woman was so frightened that, throwing the covers 

 over her head, she commended her soul to God. 



Mathieu and his son were away at the time : they 

 were returning home from the fair, and were mak- 

 ing the journey by night. The weather was fine no 



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