like England; but the law of primogeniture applied to the transmission of land is absolutely necessary; when that law is suppressed the system of legislative representation becomes absurd.  England owes her existence to the quasi-feudal law which entails landed property and family mansions on the eldest son.  Russia is based on the feudal right of autocracy.  Consequently those two nations are to-day on the high-road of startling progress.  Austria could only resist our invasions and renew the way against Napoleon by virtue of that law of primogeniture which preserves in the family the active forces of a nation, and supplies the great productions necessary to the State.  The house of Bourbon, feeling that it was slipping to the third rank in Europe, by reason of liberalism, wanted to regain its rightful place and there maintain itself, and the nation has thrown it over at the very time it was about to save the nation.  I am sure I don’t know how low down the present system will drop us.”

“If we have a war, France will be without horses, as Napoleon was in 1813, when, being reduced to those of France only, he could not profit by his two victories of Lutzen and Botzen, and so was crushed at Leipzig,” cried Grossetete.  “If peace continues, the evil will only increase.  Twenty-five years from now the race of cattle and horses will have diminished in France by one half.”

“Monsieur Grossetete is right,” remarked Gerard.  “So that the work you are undertaking here, madame,” he added, addressing Veronique, “is really a service done to the country.”

“Yes,” said the juge de paix, “because Madame has but one son, and the inheritance will not be divided up; but how long will that condition last?  For a certain length of time the magnificent culture which you are about to introduce will, let us hope, belong to only one proprietor, who will continue to breed horned beasts and horses; but sooner or later the day must come when these forests and fields will be divided up and sold in small parcels.  Divided and redivided, the six thousand acres of that plain will have a thousand or twelve hundred owners, and thenceforth—­no more horses and cattle!”

“Oh! as for those days”—­began the mayor.

“There! don’t you hear the What is that to me? Monsieur Clousier talked of?” cried Monsieur Grossetete.  “Taken in the act!  But, monsieur,” resumed the banker, gravely addressing the dumfounded mayor, “those days have really come.  In a radius of thirty miles round Paris the land is so divided up into small holdings that milch cows are no longer seen.  The Commune of Argenteuil contains thirty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-five parcels of land, many of which do not return a farthing of revenue.  If it were not for the rich refuse of Paris, which produces a fodder of strong quality, I don’t know how dairymen would get along.  As it is, this over-stimulating food and confinement in close stables produce inflammatory