THE MILLER’S SECRET 131

Unfortunately some Parisians were
struck with the‘idea of building steam
flour mills on the Tarascon road, all
fine and new. Folks grew accustomed
to send their corn to these exporters,
and the poor windmills were stopped
for lack of work. For some time they
tried to make a good fight, but the
steam-mills were the stronger, and one
by one, worse luck ! they had to stand
idle. There were no more strings of
donkeys coming up the roads. The
millers’ pretty wives sold their golden
crosses. . . . No more Muscat wine,
no more gay dances. . . . The mistral
might blow but the mill-sails were un-
moved. At last, one fine day the parish
had them all pulled down and vines and
olive-trees planted: in their place.

Still, in the midst of this destruction,
one mill held out and went on bravely
turning, on its knoll, in the teeth of
the steam-mills, That was Gaffer
Cornille’s mill, the very one that we are
sitting in this evening.