Monsieur le Sous-prefet with his secretary Gerard, with his pen stuck behind his ear, were seated there: the secretary began to mend his pen; and Monsieur le Sous-prefet asked me what was going on in my part of the country? "In our country, Monsieur le Sous-prefet? why, nothing at all. There is a great drought; no rain has fallen for six weeks; the potatoes are very small, and..." "I don't mean that, Monsieur le Maire: what do they think of the Prince Hohenzollern and the Crown of Spain?" On hearing this I scratched my head, saying to myself, "What will you answer to that now? What must you say?" Then Monsieur le Sous-prefet asked: "What is the spirit of your population?" The spirit of our population? How could I get out of that? "You see, Monsieur le Sous-prefet, in our villages the people are no scholars; they don't read the papers." "But tell me, what do they think of the war?" "What war?" "If, now, we should have war with Germany, would those people be satisfied?" Then I began to catch a glimpse of his meaning, and I said: "You know, Monsieur le Sous-prefet, that we have voted in the Plebiscite to have peace, because everybody likes trade and business and quietness at home; we only want to have work and..." "Of course, of course, that is plain enough; we all want peace: his Majesty the Emperor, and her Majesty the Empress, and everybody love peace! But if we are attacked: if Count Bismarck and the King of Prussia attack us?" "Then, Monsieur le Sous-prefet, we shall be obliged to defend ourselves in the best way we can; by all sorts of means, with pitchforks, with sticks..." "Put that down, Monsieur Gerard, write down those words. You are right, Monsieur le Maire: I felt sure of you beforehand," said Monsieur le Sous-prefet, shaking hands with me: "You are a worthy man." Tears came into my eyes. He came with me to the door, saying: "The determination of your people is admirable; tell them so: tell them that we wish for peace; that our only thought is for peace; that his Majesty and their excellencies the Ministers want nothing but peace; but that France cannot endure the insults of an ambitious power. Communicate your own ardor to the village of Rothalp. Good, very good. _Au revoir_, Monsieur le Maire, farewell." Then I went out, much astonished; another mayor took my place, and I thought, "What! does that Bismarck mean to attack us! Oh, the villain!" But as yet I could tell neither why nor how.