sons of the soil-第14节

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glasses。　Though　quickly　and　lightly　done；　the　old　man　might；　perhaps；

have　felt　the　theft；　if　Vermichel　had　not　happened　to　appear　at　that

moment。



〃Tonsard；　do　you　know　where　you　father　is？〃　called　that　functionary

from　the　foot　of　the　steps。



Vermichel's　shout；　the　theft　of　the　money；　and　the　emptying　of　old

Fourchon's　glass；　were　simultaneous。



〃Present；　captain！〃　cried　Fourchon；　holding　out　a　hand　to　Vermichel　to

help　him　up　the　steps。



Of　all　Burgundian　figures；　Vermichel　would　have　seemed　to　you　the　most

Burgundian。　The　practitioner　was　not　red；　he　was　scarlet。　His　face；

like　certain　tropical　portions　of　the　globe；　was　fissured；　here　and

there；　with　small　extinct　volcanoes；　defined　by　flat　and　greenish

patches　which　Fourchon　called；　not　unpoetically；　the　〃flowers　of

wine。〃　This　fiery　face；　the　features　of　which　were　swelled　out　of

shape　by　continual　drunkenness；　looked　cyclopic；　for　it　was　lighted　on

the　right　side　by　a　gleaming　eye；　and　darkened　on　the　other　by　a

yellow　patch　over　the　left　orb。　Red　hair；　always　tousled；　and　a　beard

like　that　of　Judas；　made　Vermichel　as　formidable　in　appearance　as　he

was　meek　in　reality。　His　prominent　nose　looked　like　an　interrogation…

mark；　to　which　the　wide…slit　mouth　seemed　to　be　always　answering；　even

when　it　did　not　open。　Vermichel；　a　short　man；　wore　hob…nail　shoes；

bottle…green　velveteen　trousers；　an　old　waistcoat　patched　with　diverse

stuffs　which　seemed　to　have　been　originally　made　of　a　counterpane；　a

jacket　of　coarse　blue　cloth　and　a　gray　hat　with　a　broad　brim。　All　this

luxury；　required　by　the　town　of　Soulanges　where　Vermichel　fulfilled

the　combined　functions　of　porter　at　the　town…hall；　drummer；　jailer；

musician；　and　practitioner；　was　taken　care　of　by　Madame　Vermichel；　an

alarming　antagonist　of　Rabelaisian　philosophy。　This　virago　with

moustachios；　about　one　yard　in　width　and　one　hundred　and　twenty

kilograms　in　weight　（but　very　active）；　ruled　Vermichel　with　a　rod　of

iron。　Thrashed　by　her　when　drunk；　he　allowed　her　to　thrash　him　still

when　sober；　which　caused　Pere　Fourchon　to　say；　with　a　sniff　at

Vermichel's　clothes；　〃It　is　the　livery　of　a　slave。〃



〃Talk　of　the　sun　and　you'll　see　its　beams；〃　cried　Fourchon；　repeating

a　well…worn　allusion　to　the　rutilant　face　of　Vermichel；　which　really

did　resemble　those　copper　suns　painted　on　tavern　signs　in　the

provinces。　〃Has　Mam　Vermichel　spied　too　much　dust　on　your　back；　that

you're　running　away　from　your　four…fifths；for　I　can't　call　her　your

better　half；　that　woman！　What　brings　you　here　at　this　hour；　drum…

major？〃



〃Politics；　always　politics；〃　replied　Vermichel；　who　seemed　accustomed

to　such　pleasantries。



〃Ah！　business　is　bad　in　Blangy；　and　there'll　be　notes　to　protest；　and

writs　to　issue；〃　remarked　Pere　Fourchon；　filling　a　glass　for　his

friend。



〃That　APE　of　ours　is　right　behind　me；〃　replied　Vermichel；　with　a

backward　gesture。



In　workmen's　slang　〃ape〃　meant　master。　The　word　belonged　to　the

dictionary　of　the　worthy　pair。



〃What's　Monsieur　Brunet　coming　bothering　about　here？〃　asked　Tonsard。



〃Hey；　by　the　powers；　you　folks！〃　said　Vermichel；　〃you've　brought　him

in　for　the　last　three　years　more　than　you　are　worth。　Ha！　that　master

at　Les　Aigues；　he　has　his　eye　upon　you；　he'll　punch　you　in　the　ribs；

he's　after　you；　the　Shopman！　Brunet　says；　if　there　were　three　such

landlords　in　the　valley　his　fortune　would　be　made。〃



〃What　new　harm　are　they　going　to　do　to　the　poor？〃　asked　Marie。



〃A　pretty　wise　thing　for　themselves；〃　replied　Vermichel。　〃Faith！

you'll　have　to　give　in；　in　the　end。　How　can　you　help　it？　They've　got

the　power。　For　the　last　two　years　haven't　they　had　three　foresters　and

a　horse…patrol；　all　as　active　as　ants；　and　a　field…keeper　who　is　a

terror？　Besides；　the　gendarmerie　is　ready　to　do　their　dirty　work　at

any　time。　They'll　crush　you〃



〃Bah！〃　said　Tonsard；　〃we　are　too　flat。　That　which　can't　be　crushed

isn't　the　trees；　it's　ground。〃



〃Don't　you　trust　to　that；〃　said　Fourchon　to　his　son…in…law；　〃you　own

property。〃



〃Those　rich　folks　must　love　you；〃　continued　Vermichel；　〃for　they　think

of　nothing　else　from　morning　till　night！　They　are　saying　to　themselves

now　like　this：　'Their　cattle　eat　up　our　pastures；　we'll　seize　their

cattle；　they　can't　eat　grass　themselves。'　You've　all　been　condemned；

the　warrants　are　out；　and　they　have　told　our　ape　to　take　your　cows。　We

are　to　begin　this　morning　at　Conches　by　seizing　old　mother

Bonnebault's　cow　and　Godin's　cow　and　Mitant's　cow。〃



The　moment　the　name　of　Bonnebault　was　mentioned；　Marie；　who　was　in

love　with　the　old　woman's　grandson；　sprang　into　the　vineyard　with　a

nod　to　her　father　and　mother。　She　slipped　like　an　eel　through　a　break

in　the　hedge；　and　was　off　on　the　way　to　Conches　with　the　speed　of　a

hunted　hare。



〃They'll　do　so　much；〃　remarked　Tonsard；　tranquilly；　〃that　they'll　get

their　bones　broken；　and　that　will　be　a　pity；　for　their　mothers　can't

make　them　any　new　ones。〃



〃Well；　perhaps　so；〃　said　old　Fourchon；　〃but　see　here；　Vermichel；　I

can't　go　with　you　for　an　hour　or　more；　for　I　have　important　business

at　the　chateau。〃



〃More　important　than　serving　three　warrants　at　five　sous　each？　'You

shouldn't　spit　into　the　vintage；'　as　Father　Noah　says。〃



〃I　tell　you；　Vermichel；　that　my　business　requires　me　to　go　to　the

chateau　des　Aigues；〃　repeated　the　old　man；　with　an　air　of　laughable

self…importance。



〃And　anyhow；〃　said　Mam　Tonsard；　〃my　father　had　better　keep　out　of　the

way。　Do　you　really　mean　to　find　the　cows？〃



〃Monsieur　Brunet；　who　is　a　very　good　fellow；　would　much　rather　find

nothing　but　their　dung；〃　answered　Vermichel。　〃A　man　who　is　obliged　to

be　out　and　about　day　and　night　had　better　be　careful。〃



〃If　he　is；　he　has　good　reason　to　be；〃　said　Tonsard；　sententiously。



〃So；〃　continued　Vermichel；　〃he　said　to　Monsieur　Michaud；　'I'll　go　as

soon　as　the　court　is　up。'　If　he　had　wanted　to　find　the　cows　he'd　have

gone　at　seven　o'clock　in　the　morning。　But　that　didn't　suit　Michaud；

and　Brunet　has　had　to　be　off。　You　can't　take　in　Michaud；　he's　a

trained　hound！　Ha；　the　brigand！〃



〃Ought　to　have　stayed　in　the　army；　a　swaggerer　like　that；〃　said

Tonsard；　〃he　is　only　fit　to　deal　with　enemies。　I　wish　he　would　come

and　ask　me　my　name。　He　may　call　himself　a　veteran　of　the　young　guard；

but　I　know　very　well　that　if　I　measured　spurs　with　him；　I'd　keep　my

feathers　up　longest。〃



〃Look　here！〃　said　Mam　Tonsard　to　Vermichel；　〃when　are　the　notices　for

the　ball　at　Soulanges　coming　out？　Here　it　is　the　eighth　of　August。〃



〃I　took　them　yesterday　to　Monsieur　Bournier　at　Ville…aux…Fayes；　to　be

printed；〃　replied　Vermichel；　〃they　do　talk　of　fireworks　on　the　lake。〃



〃What　crowds　of　people　we　shall　have！〃　cried　Fourchon。



〃Profits　for　Socquard！〃　said　Tonsard；　spitefully。



〃If　it　doesn't　rain；〃　said　his　wife；　by　way　of　comfort。



At　this　moment　the　trot　of　a　horse　coming　from　the　direction　of

Soulanges　was　heard；　and　five　minutes　later　the　sheriff's　officer

fastened　his　horse　to　a　post　placed　for　the　purpose　near　the　wicket

gate　through　which　the　cows　were　driven。　Then　he　showed　his　head　at

the　door　of　the　Grand…I…Vert。



〃Come；　my　boys；　let's　lose　no　time；〃　he　said；　pretending　to　be　in　a

hurry。



〃Hey！〃　said　Vermichel。　〃Here's　a　refractory；　Monsieur　Brunet；　Pere

Fourchon　wants　to　drop　off。〃



〃He　has　had　too　many　drops　already；〃　said　the　sheriff；　〃but　the　law　in

this　case　does　not　require　that　he　shall　be　sober。〃



〃Please　excuse　me；　Monsieur　Brunet；〃　said　Fourchon；　〃I　am　expected　at

Les　Aigues　on　business；　they　are　in　treaty　for　an　otter。〃



Brunet；　a　withered　little　man　dressed　from　head　to　foot　in　black

cloth；　with　a　bilious　skin；　a　furtive　eye；　curly　hair；　lips　tight…

drawn；　pinched　nose；　anxious　expression；　and　gruff　in　speech；

exhibited　the　phenomenon　of　a　character　and　bearing　in　perfect　harmony

with　his　profession。　He　was　so　well…informed　as　to　the　law；　or；　to

speak　more　correctly；　the　quibbles　of　the　law；　that　he　had　come　to　be

both　the　terror　and　the　counsellor　of　the　whole　canton。　He　was　not

without　a　certain　popularity　among　the　peasantry；　from　whom　he　usually

took　his　pay　in　kind。　The　compound　of　his　active　and　negative

qualities　and　his　knowledge　of　how　to　manage　matters　got　him　the

custom　of　the　canton；　to　the　exclusion　of　his　coadjutor　Plissoud；

about　whom　we　shall　have　something　to　say　later。　This　chance

combination　of　a　sheriff's　officer　who　does　everything　and　a　sheriff's

officer　who　does　nothing　is　not　at　all　uncommon　in　the　country　justice

courts。



〃So　matters　are　getting　warm；　are　they？〃　said　Tonsard　to　little

Brunet。



〃What　can　you　expect？　you　pilfer　the　man　too　much；　and　he's　going　to

protect　himself；〃　replied　the　officer。　〃It　will　be　a　bad　business　for

you　in　the　end；　government　will　interfere。〃



〃Then　we；　poor　unfortunates；　must　give　up　the　ghost！〃　said　Mam

Tonsard；　offering　him　a　glass