She was interrupted by the entrance of Corporal Deschwanden, her husband, a tall, grave soldier, with a face as corrugated and brown as that of Percenez; his moustaches and the hair of the head were iron grey, his eyes large and blue, like his son’s, and lighted with the same expression of frank simplicity. The corporal saluted Percenez and Gabrielle, as his wife introduced them with many flourishes of the arms and flowers of eloquence. ‘You are heartily welcome, sir,’ said the soldier in broken French; ‘and you, fraulein, the same.’ Then seating himself at the table he rapped the board with his knuckles and said, ‘Dinner!’ Madame Deschwanden and her daughter speedily served a cold repast in the lower room, the mother making many apologies for having nothing hot to offer, as she had been distracted by the Réveillon riot, and now her head was racked with pain, and she prayed Heaven would speedily terminate her sufferings with death. The old soldier during the meal looked over several times at Gabrielle in a kindly manner, and treated her with courtesy. The girl raised her timid eyes to his, and saw them beaming with benevolence. A frightened smile fluttered to her lips, and he smiled back at her. ‘You have come a long way,’ he said; ‘and you must be tired, poor child! Ah! if you had our mountains to climb’--he looked at his son Nicholas--‘they would tire your little feet. Do you remember the scramble we had up the Rhigi, Klaus? And the lake--the deep blue lake--Ach es war herrlich! And the clouds brushing across the silver Roth and Engelberger hörner.’ The old man rose, brushed up his hair on either side of his ears; his blue eyes flashed, and he sat down again. ‘Now this is against all rule,’ said Madame Deschwanden; ‘here we are back at that pottering little Switzerland, and the mountains, and the lake, before dinner is over; we shall have the glaciers next, and the chamois, and the cowbells, and the gentians, and of course wind up with the Bruder Klaus.’ ‘Relaxation,’ said the soldier, rapping the table with his knuckles, after consulting his watch. ‘Meal-time up; relaxation begins.’ ‘Then you are going to have the lakes and the cowbells and the Bruder Klaus!’ said Madame Deschwanden. ‘It is their time,’ answered the corporal. ‘Then Madeleine and I are off.’ ‘I will rap for prayers,’ said the corporal. CHAPTER XX. Madeleine and her mother retired to the window, and beckoned Gabrielle to join them. The corporal and the colporteur lit their pipes, and Klaus with his knife began to cut a head out of a bit of box-wood he extracted from his pocket. ‘So, Master Percenez, you have come to witness the great struggle?’ said the soldier, fixing his blue eyes on the little man. ‘Yes, corporal, I have. I am interested in it,--but who is not? It seems to me that we must fight now, or give in for ever.’