PERGAUD Louis. Les Rustiques, nouvelles villageoises. Paris, Mercure de France, 1921; in-8, xix-[1]-241-[2] pp, contemporary binding in brown jansenist morocco, smooth spine, two gilt inner fillets, imitation grey wood paper lining and endpapers, gilt head, cover and spine, slipcase (Creuzevault). Posthumous first edition. The author died for France at Verdun on 7 April 1915. Very fine preface by his friend Lucien Descaves: "When Louis Pergaud arrived at my house on Sundays, I had the impression that a window had been opened. The air entered with him, a salubrious and lively air that smelt of earth and leaves, wet grass and fir trees. He brought his country, Franche-Comté, to the soles of his big shoes". One of 269 numbered copies on Rives laid paper (no. 147). It is embellished with 13 original gouaches by the painter Henri Poey, delightful, very colourful and perfectly suited to the text: 10 full-page gouaches, 3 vignettes pasted on the cover, at the head of the preface and at the foot of the prologue.