Many women made wine from the native
grapes and from the sweeter and richer fruit of imported vines.
Madame Roussillon and Alice stained their hands a deep purple
during the pressing season, and Beverley found himself engaged in
helping them handle the juicy crop, while around the overflowing
earthen pots the wild bees, wasps and hornets hummed with an
incessant, jarring monotony.
Jean, the hunchback, gathered ample stores of hickory nuts,
walnuts, hazel-nuts and pin-oak acorns. Indeed, the whole
population of the village made a great spurt of industry just
before the falling of winter; and presently, when every
preparation had been completed for the dreaded cold season, M.
Roussillon carried out his long-cherished plan, and gave a great
party at the river house. After the most successful trading
experience of all his life he felt irrepressibly liberal.
"Let's have one more roaring good time," he said, "that's what
life is for."
CHAPTER VII
THE MAYOR'S PARTY
Beverley was so surprised and confused in his mind by the ease
with which he had been mastered at swordplay by a mere girl, that
he felt as if just coming out of a dream. In fact the whole affair
seemed unreal, yet so vivid and impressive in all its main
features, that he could not emerge from it and look it calmly over
from without.
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