From the age of eight years Cayrol had been a shepherd-boy.

Alone in the quiet and remote country, the child had given way to ambitious dreams.

He was very intelligent, and felt that he was born to another sphere than that of farming.
Thus, at the first opportunity which had occurred to take him into a town, he was found ready.

He went as servant to a banker at Brioude.
There, in the service of this comparatively luxurious house, he got smoothed down a little, and lost some of his clumsy loutishness.

Strong as an ox, he did the work of two men, and at night, when in his garret, fell asleep learning to read.