sons of the soil-第19节

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hundred　down　in　the　mud。　Why　are　we　in　the　mud？　Ask　God　and　the

usurers。　The　best　we　can　do　is　to　stay　in　our　own　parts；　where　we　are

penned　like　sheep　by　the　force　of　circumstances；　as　our　fathers　were

by　the　rule　of　the　lords。　As　for　me；　what　do　I　care　what　shackles　they

are　that　keep　me　here？　let　it　be　the　law　of　public　necessity　or　the

tyranny　of　the　old　lords；　it　is　all　the　same；　we　are　condemned　to　dig

the　soil　forever。　There；　where　we　are　born；　there　we　dig　it；　that

earth！　and　spade　it；　and　manure　it；　and　delve　in　it；　for　you　who　are

born　rich　just　as　we　are　born　poor。　The　masses　will　always　be　what

they　are；　and　stay　what　they　are。　The　number　of　us　who　manage　to　rise

is　nothing　like　the　number　of　you　who　topple　down！　We　know　that　well

enough；　if　we　have　no　education！　You　mustn't　be　after　us　with　your

sheriff　all　the　time；not　if　you're　wise。　We　let　you　alone；　and　you

must　let　us　alone。　If　not；　and　things　get　worse；　you'll　have　to　feed

us　in　your　prisons；　where　we'd　be　much　better　off　than　in　our　homes。

You　want　to　remain　our　masters；　and　we　shall　always　be　enemies；　just

as　we　were　thirty　years　ago。　You　have　everything；　we　have　nothing；　you

can't　expect　we　should　ever　be　friends。〃



〃That's　what　I　call　a　declaration　of　war；〃　said　the　general。



〃Monseigneur；〃　retorted　Fourchon；　〃when　Les　Aigues　belonged　to　that

poor　Madame　（God　keep　her　soul　and　forgive　her　the　sins　of　her　youth！）

we　were　happy。　SHE　let　us　get　our　food　from　the　fields　and　our　fuel

from　the　forest；　and　was　she　any　the　poorer　for　it？　And　you；　who　are

at　least　as　rich　as　she；　you　hunt　us　like　wild　beasts；　neither　more

nor　less；　and　drag　the　poor　before　the　courts。　Well；　evil　will　come　of

it！　you'll　be　the　cause　of　some　great　calamity。　Haven't　I　just　seen

your　keeper；　that　shuffling　Vatel；　half　kill　a　poor　old　woman　for　a

stick　of　wood？　It　is　such　fellows　as　that　who　make　you　an　enemy　to　the

poor；　and　the　talk　is　very　bitter　against　you。　They　curse　you　every

bit　as　hard　as　they　used　to　bless　the　late　Madame。　The　curse　of　the

poor；　monseigneur；　is　a　seed　that　grows；grows　taller　than　your　tall

oaks；　and　oak…wood　builds　the　scaffold。　Nobody　here　tells　you　the

truth；　and　here　it　is；　yes；　the　truth！　I　expect　to　die　before　long；

and　I　risk　very　little　in　telling　it　to　you；　the　TRUTH！　I；　who　play

for　the　peasants　to　dance　at　the　great　fetes　at　Soulanges；　I　heed　what

the　people　say。　Well；　they're　all　against　you；　and　they'll　make　it

impossible　for　you　to　stay　here。　If　that　damned　Michaud　of　yours

doesn't　change；　they'll　force　you　to　change　him。　There！　that

information　AND　the　otter　are　worth　twenty　francs；　and　more　too。〃



As　the　old　fellow　uttered　the　last　words　a　man's　step　was　heard；　and

the　individual　just　threatened　by　Fourchon　entered　unannounced。　It　was

easy　to　see　from　the　glance　he　threw　at　the　old　man　that　the　threat

had　reached　his　ears；　and　all　Fourchon's　insolence　sank　in　a　moment。

The　look　produced　precisely　the　same　effect　upon　him　that　the　eye　of　a

policeman　produces　on　a　thief。　Fourchon　knew　he　was　wrong；　and　that

Michaud　might　very　well　accuse　him　of　saying　these　things　merely　to

terrify　the　inhabitants　of　Les　Aigues。



〃This　is　the　minister　of　war；〃　said　the　general　to　Blondet；　nodding　at

Michaud。



〃Pardon　me；　madame；　for　having　entered　without　asking　if　you　were

willing　to　receive　me；〃　said　the　newcomer　to　the　countess；　〃but　I　have

urgent　reasons　for　speaking　to　the　general　at　once。〃



Michaud；　as　he　said　this；　took　notice　of　Sibilet；　whose　expression　of

keen　delight　in　Fourchon's　daring　words　was　not　seen　by　the　four

persons　seated　at　the　table；　because　they　were　so　preoccupied　by　the

old　man；　whereas　Michaud；　who　for　secret　reasons　watched　Sibilet

constantly；　was　struck　with　his　air　and　manner。



〃He　has　earned　his　twenty　francs；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　Sibilet；

〃the　otter　is　fully　worth　it。〃



〃Give　him　twenty　francs；〃　said　the　general　to　the　footman。



〃Do　you　mean　to　take　my　otter　away　from　me？〃　said　Blondet　to　the

general。



〃I　shall　have　it　stuffed；〃　replied　the　latter。



〃Ah！　but　that　good　gentleman　said　I　might　keep　the　skin；〃　cried

Fourchon。



〃Well；　then；〃　exclaimed　the　countess；　hastily；　〃you　shall　have　five

francs　more　for　the　skin；　but　go　away　now。〃



The　powerful　odor　emitted　by　the　pair　made　the　dining…room　so　horribly

offensive　that　Madame　de　Montcornet；　whose　senses　were　very　delicate；

would　have　been　forced　to　leave　the　room　if　Fourchon　and　Mouche　had

remained。　To　this　circumstance　the　old　man　was　indebted　for　his

twenty…five　francs。　He　left　the　room　with　a　timid　glance　at　Michaud；

making　him　an　interminable　series　of　bows。



〃What　I　was　saying　to　monseigneur；　Monsieur　Michaud；〃　he　added；　〃was

really　for　your　good。〃



〃Or　for　that　of　those　who　pay　you；〃　replied　Michaud；　with　a　searching

look。



〃When　you　have　served　the　coffee；　leave　the　room；〃　said　the　general　to

the　servants；　〃and　see　that　the　doors　are　shut。〃



Blondet；　who　had　not　yet　seen　the　bailiff　of　Les　Aigues；　was

conscious；　as　he　now　saw　him；　of　a　totally　different　impression　from

that　conveyed　by　Sibilet。　Just　as　the　steward　inspired　distrust　and

repulsion；　so　Michaud　commanded　respect　and　confidence。　The　first

attraction　of　his　presence　was　a　happy　face；　of　a　fine　oval；　pure　in

outline；　in　which　the　nose　bore　part；a　regularity　which　is　lacking

in　the　majority　of　French　faces。　Though　the　features　were　correct　in

drawing；　they　were　not　without　expression；　due；　perhaps；　to　the

harmonious　coloring　of　the　warm　brown　and　ochre　tints；　indicative　of

physical　health　and　strength。　The　clear　brown　eyes；　which　were　bright

and　piercing；　kept　no　reserves　in　the　expression　of　his　thought；　they

looked　straight　into　the　eyes　of　others。　The　broad　white　forehead　was

thrown　still　further　into　relief　by　his　abundant　black　hair。　Honesty；

decision；　and　a　saintly　serenity　were　the　animating　points　of　this

noble　face；　where　a　few　deep　lines　upon　the　brow　were　the　result　of

the　man's　military　career。　Doubt　and　suspicion　could　there　be　read　the

moment　they　had　entered　his　mind。　His　figure；　like　that　of　all　men

selected　for　the　elite　of　the　cavalry　service；　though　shapely　and

elegant；　was　vigorously　built。　Michaud；　who　wore　moustachios；

whiskers；　and　a　chin　beard；　recalled　that　martial　type　of　face　which　a

deluge　of　patriotic　paintings　and　engravings　came　very　near　to　making

ridiculous。　This　type　had　the　defect　of　being　common　in　the　French

army；　perhaps　the　continuance　of　the　same　emotions；　the　same　camp

sufferings　from　which　none　were　exempt；　neither　high　nor　low；　and　more

especially　the　same　efforts　of　officers　and　men　upon　the　battle…

fields；　may　have　contributed　to　produce　this　uniformity　of

countenance。　Michaud；　who　was　dressed　in　dark　blue　cloth；　still　wore

the　black　satin　stock　and　high　boots　of　a　soldier；　which　increased　the

slight　stiffness　and　rigidity　of　his　bearing。　The　shoulders　sloped；

the　chest　expanded；　as　though　the　man　were　still　under　arms。　The　red

ribbon　of　the　Legion　of　honor　was　in　his　buttonhole。　In　short；　to　give

a　last　touch　in　one　word　about　the　moral　qualities　beneath　this　purely

physical　presentment；　it　may　be　said　that　while　the　steward；　from　the

time　he　first　entered　upon　his　functions；　never　failed　to　call　his

master　〃Monsieur　le　comte；〃　Michaud　never　addressed　him　otherwise　than

as　〃General。〃



Blondet　exchanged　another　look　with　the　Abbe　Brossette；　which　meant；

〃What　a　contrast！〃　as　he　signed　to　him　to　observe　the　two　men。　Then；

as　if　to　know　whether　the　character　and　mind　and　speech　of　the　bailiff

harmonized　with　his　form　and　countenance；　he　turned　to　Michaud　and

said：



〃I　was　out　early　this　morning；　and　found　your　under…keepers　still

sleeping。〃



〃At　what　hour？〃　said　the　late　soldier；　anxiously。



〃Half…past　seven。〃



Michaud　gave　a　half…roguish　glance　at　the　general。



〃By　what　gate　did　monsieur　leave　the　park？〃　he　asked。



〃By　the　gate　of　Conches。　The　keeper；　in　his　night…shirt；　looked　at　me

through　the　window；〃　replied　Blondet。



〃Gaillard　had　probably　just　gone　to　bed；〃　answered　Michaud。　〃You　said

you　were　out　early；　and　I　thought　you　meant　day…break。　If　my　man　were

at　home　at　that　time；　he　must　have　been　ill；　but　at　half…past　seven　he

was　sure　to　be　in　bed。　We　are　up　all　night；〃　added　Michaud；　after　a

slight　pause；　replying　to　a　surprised　look　on　the　countess's　face；

〃but　our　watchfulness　is　often　wasted。　You　have　just　given　twenty…five

francs　to　a　man　who；　not　an　hour　ago；　was　quietly　helping　to　hide　the

traces　of　a　robbery　committed　upon　you　this　very　morning。　I　came　to

speak　to　you　about　it；　general；　when　you　have　finished　breakfast；　for

something　will　have　to　be　done。〃



〃You　are　always　for　maintaining　the　right；　my　dear　Michaud；　and

'summum　jus；　summum　injuria。'　If　you　are　not　more　tolerant；　you　will

get　into　trouble；　so　Sibilet　here　tells　me。　I　wish　you　could　have

heard　Pere　Fourchon　jus