"Fortunately you know the proverb, grandfather--_The scalded cat_--enough said. The lesson will have been a good one. But to return to our Gauls. They did as you say--resorted to Revolution. She never leaves her children in the lurch. The latter, by dint of perseverance, of energy and of their own blood copiously poured out, succeeded in re-conquering a portion of their former freedom from the mailed hand of the Romans, who, moreover, had not un-christened Gaul, but only called her 'Roman' Gaul." "Just as we to-day speak of French Algeria, I suppose?" "Exactly so, grandfather." "Well, thanks to God, our brave Gauls did, with the help of Insurrection, get back a little into the saddle! That soothes my blood somewhat." "Oh, grandfather, wait, only wait!" "Why?" "What our fathers suffered was as nothing to what they were still to suffer." "Think of it! And I thought they were out of the woods. What's it that happened to them?" "Figure to yourself a horde of barbarians, semi-savages, named _Franks_. Thirteen or fourteen hundred years ago they emerged from the recesses of the forests of Germany. Genuine Cossacks they were, in their way. They fell upon the Roman armies. These, enervated by their conquest of Gaul, were rolled in the dust and driven out, and then the Frankish conquerors, in turn, took possession of our poor country. They stripped her even of her name. They called her _France_, after themselves, in token of possession." "The brigands!" cried the old man. "I like the Romans better, by my faith! At least they left us our name." "That's so. Besides, the Romans were, at least, the most civilized people then living, except for the barbarity of their system of slavery. They covered Gaul with magnificent structures, and will ye nil ye, they restored to our ancestors a part of their pristine freedom. The Franks, on the contrary, were, as I said, genuine Cossacks. Under their domination the Gauls had to start all over again." "Good God! Good God!" "Those hordes of Frankish bandits--" "Call them Cossacks! Give their true name!" "They were even worse, if possible, grandfather! Those Frankish bandits, those Cossacks, if you prefer, called their chiefs _Kings_. The kingly leaven perpetuated itself in our country, whence it happens that for so many years we have tasted the sweets of Kings of Frankish origin, whom the royalists call _Kings by divine right_." "Say by _Cossack right_! A fine present!" "The chiefs of lower category were called _dukes_, and _counts_. Their seed likewise perpetuated itself upon our soil, whence it happens that for so long a time we have enjoyed the luxury of a nobility of Frankish origin, who treated us as a conquered race."