140 STORIES FROM DAUDET

grain pouring out on the ground on
every side... .

Gaffer Cornille stared with round
eyes. He took some corn in the
hollow of his old hand, and he said,
laughing and weeping at the same
time:

‘Why, it iscorn! GreatGod!...
good corn. Let me alone, let me look
at it.’

Then turning to us, ‘Ah, I was sure
you would come back to me, All the
exporters are thieves.’

We wanted to chair him through
the village.

‘No, no, my children. First I must

go and feed my mill. . . . Just think
she has gone hungry for a mouthful so
long,’

And we all had tears in our eyes
as we saw the poor old man flinging
himself from right to left, emptying the
sacks, filling the hopper; whilst the corn
was being ground and the fine wheat-
flour dust was rising towards the rafters.