THE FATE OF 1C 10 DO RUM. 193 



outside, a big, burly fellow, with a sledge-hammer 

 fist and an unpleasant look in his eye. The mayor 

 took one glance at him, and saw that he was not 

 to be trifled with. Moreover, this one case was 

 not to end the difficulty. The road from Clermont 

 and the road across the mountains to Aurillac, the 

 chief town of the next department, Cantal, were 

 black with the advancing hosts of workmen coming 

 to share the privileges which Issoire held out to 

 the oppressed of every city. Through the win- 

 dows of the Hotel de Ville the mayor could see 

 them coming, and he knew that the demand of 

 each one of them would be " boots." It was not 

 one pair of boots to be paid for, it was a thousand ! 

 There were boots enough in Issoire. The factories 

 were never so prosperous, and the money they re- 

 ceived from the city was kept in rapid circulation. 

 The grocers got some, the butchers some, a good 

 deal went to the landlady of the Golden Lion, and 

 the wives of the factory-owners and the council- 

 men bought diamond necklaces and bracelets to 

 match the ear-rings which they had before. 



But this could not go on unless the city treasury 

 could meet the demands upon it. In the words of 

 a celebrated economist, " The mill can never grind 

 again with the water that is past," and, unless new 

 water could be procured, grinding was over at 

 Issoire. The town must have money, or else the 

 factories would be closed, the supply of boots 

 cease, and each citizen of Issoire would have to 

 keep the wolf from the door by his own unaided 

 exertions. 



It was a great crisis ; but such crises, " God's 

 13 



