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nothing　for　a　caste　whom　the　historic　spectacle　of　civilization　has

never　yet　diverted　from　its　one　predominating　thought；a　caste　which

still　wears　proudly　the　broad…brimmed　hat　of　its　masters；　ever　since

an　abandoned　fashion　placed　it　upon　their　heads。　That　all…pervading

thought；　the　roots　of　which　are　in　the　bowels　of　the　people；　and　which

attached　them　so　vehemently　to　Napoleon　（who　was　personally　less　to

them　than　he　thought　he　was）　and　which　explains　the　miracle　of　his

return　in　1815；that　desire　for　land　is　the　sole　motive　power　of　the

peasant's　being。　In　the　eyes　of　the　masses　Napoleon；　ever　one　with

them　through　his　million　of　soldiers；　is　still　the　king　born　of　the

Revolution；　the　man　who　gave　them　possession　of　the　soil　and　sold　to

them　the　national　domains。　His　anointing　was　saturated　with　that

idea。〃



〃An　idea　to　which　1814　dealt　a　blow；　an　idea　which　monarchy　should

hold　sacred；〃　said　Blondet；　quickly；　〃for　the　people　may　some　day　find

on　the　steps　of　the　throne　a　prince　whose　father　bequeathed　to　him　the

head　of　Louis　XVI。　as　an　heirloom。〃



〃Here　is　madame；　don't　say　any　more；〃　said　the　abbe；　in　a　low　voice。

〃Fourchon　has　frightened　her；　and　it　is　very　desirable　to　keep　her

here　in　the　interests　of　religion　and　of　the　throne；　and；　indeed；　in

those　of　the　people　themselves。〃



Michaud；　the　bailiff　of　Les　Aigues；　had　come　to　the　chateau　in

consequence　of　the　assault　on　Vatel's　eyes。　But　before　we　relate　the

consultation　which　then　and　there　took　place；　the　chain　of　events

requires　a　succinct　account　of　the　circumstances　under　which　the

general　purchased　Les　Aigues；　the　serious　causes　which　led　to　the

appointment　of　Sibilet　as　steward　of　that　magnificent　property；　and

the　reasons　why　Michaud　was　made　bailiff；　with　all　the　other

antecedents　to　which　were　due　the　tension　of　the　minds　of　all；　and　the

fears　expressed　by　Sibilet。



This　rapid　summary　will　have　the　merit　of　introducing　some　of　the

principal　actors　in　this　drama；　and　of　exhibiting　their　individual

interests；　we　shall　thus　be　enabled　to　show　the　dangers　which

surrounded　the　General　comte　de　Montcornet　at　the　moment　when　this

history　opens。







CHAPTER　VI



A　TALE　OF　THIEVES



When　Mademoiselle　Laguerre　first　visited　her　estate；　in　1791；　she　took

as　steward　the　son　of　the　ex…bailiff　of　Soulanges；　named　Gaubertin。

The　little　town　of　Soulanges；　at　present　nothing　more　than　the　chief

town　of　a　canton；　was　once　the　capital　of　a　considerable　county；　in

the　days　when　the　House　of　Burgundy　made　war　upon　France。　Ville…aux…

Fayes；　now　the　seat　of　the　sub…prefecture；　then　a　mere　fief；　was　a

dependency　of　Soulanges；　like　Les　Aigues；　Ronquerolles；　Cerneux；

Conches；　and　a　score　of　other　parishes。　The　Soulanges　have　remained

counts；　whereas　the　Ronquerolles　are　now　marquises　by　the　will　of　that

power；　called　the　Court；　which　made　the　son　of　Captain　du　Plessis　duke

over　the　heads　of　the　first　families　of　the　Conquest。　All　of　which

serves　to　prove　that　towns；　like　families；　are　variable　in　their

destiny。



Gaubertin；　a　young　man　without　property　of　any　kind；　succeeded　a

steward　enriched　by　a　management　of　thirty　years；　who　preferred　to

become　a　partner　in　the　famous　firm　of　Minoret　rather　than　continue　to

administer　Les　Aigues。　In　his　own　interests　he　introduced　into　his

place　as　land…steward　Francois　Gaubertin；　his　accountant　for　five

years；　whom　he　now　relied　on　to　cover　his　retreat；　and　who；　out　of

gratitude　for　his　instructions；　promised　to　obtain　for　him　a　release

in　full　of　all　claims　from　Madame　Laguerre；　who　by　this　time　was

terrified　at　the　Revolution。　Gaubertin's　father；　the　attorney…general

of　the　department；　henceforth　protected　the　timid　woman。　This

provincial　Fouquier…Tinville　raised　a　false　alarm　of　danger　in　the

mind　of　the　opera…divinity　on　the　ground　of　her　former　relations　to

the　aristocracy；　so　as　to　give　his　son　the　equally　false　credit　of

saving　her　life；　on　the　strength　of　which　Gaubertin　the　younger

obtained　very　easily　the　release　of　his　predecessor。　Mademoiselle

Laguerre　then　made　Francois　Gaubertin　her　prime　minister；　as　much

through　policy　as　from　gratitude。　The　late　steward　had　not　spoiled

her。　He　sent　her；　every　year；　about　thirty　thousand　francs；　though　Les

Aigues　brought　in　at　that　time　at　least　forty　thousand。　The

unsuspecting　opera…singer　was　therefore　much　delighted　when　the　new

steward　Gaubertin　promised　her　thirty…six　thousand。



To　explain　the　present　fortune　of　the　land…steward　of　Les　Aigues

before　the　judgment…seat　of　probability；　it　is　necessary　to　state　its

beginnings。　Pushed　by　his　father's　influence；　he　became　mayor　of

Blangy。　Thus　he　was　able；　contrary　to　law；　to　make　the　debtors　pay　in

coin；　by　〃terrorizing〃　（a　phrase　of　the　day）　such　of　them　as　might；　in

his　opinion；　be　subjected　to　the　crushing　demands　of　the　Republic。　He

himself　paid　the　citizens　in　assignats　as　long　as　the　system　of　paper

money　lasted；a　system　which；　if　it　did　not　make　the　nation

prosperous；　at　least　made　the　fortunes　of　private　individuals。　From

1793　to　1795；　that　is；　for　three　years；　Francois　Gaubertin　wrung　one

hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs　out　of　Les　Aigues；　with　which　he

speculated　on　the　stock…market　in　Paris。　With　her　purse　full　of

assignats　Mademoiselle　was　actually　obliged　to　obtain　ready　money　from

her　diamonds；　now　useless　to　her。　She　gave　them　to　Gaubertin；　who　sold

them；　and　faithfully　returned　to　her　their　full　price。　This　proof　of

honesty　touched　her　heart；　henceforth　she　believed　in　Gaubertin　as　she

did　in　Piccini。



In　1796；　at　the　time　of　his　marriage　with　the　citoyenne　Isaure

Mouchon；　daughter　of　an　old　〃conventional；〃　a　friend　of　his　father；

Gaubertin　possessed　about　three　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs　in

money。　As　the　Directory　seemed　to　him　likely　to　last；　he　determined；

before　marrying；　to　have　the　accounts　of　his　five　years'　stewardship

ratified　by　Mademoiselle；　under　pretext　of　a　new　departure。



〃I　am　to　be　the　head　of　a　family；〃　he　said　to　her；　〃you　know　the

reputation　of　land…stewards；　my　father…in…law　is　a　republican　of　Roman

austerity；　and　a　man　of　influence　as　well；　I　want　to　prove　to　him　that

I　am　as　upright　as　he。〃



Mademoiselle　Laguerre　accepted　his　accounts　at　once　in　very　flattering

terms。



In　those　earlier　days　the　steward　had　endeavored；　in　order　to　win　the

confidence　of　Madame　des　Aigues　（as　Mademoiselle　was　then　called）　to

repress　the　depredations　of　the　peasantry；　fearing；　and　not　without

reason；　that　the　revenues　would　suffer　too　severely；　and　that　his

private　bonus　from　the　buyers　of　the　timber　would　sensibly　diminish。

But　in　those　days　the　sovereign　people　felt　the　soil　was　their　own

everywhere；　Madame　was　afraid　of　the　surrounding　kings　and　told　her

Richelieu　that　the　first　desire　of　her　soul　was　to　die　in　peace。　The

revenues　of　the　late　singer　were　so　far　in　excess　of　her　expenses　that

she　allowed　all　the　worst；　and；　as　it　proved；　fatal　precedents　to　be

established。　To　avoid　a　lawsuit；　she　allowed　the　neighbors　to　encroach

upon　her　land。　Knowing　that　the　park　walls　were　sufficient　protection；

she　did　not　fear　any　interruption　of　her　personal　comfort；　and　cared

for　nothing　but　her　peaceful　existence；　true　philosopher　that　she　was！

A　few　thousand　a　year　more　or　less；　the　indemnities　exacted　by　the

wood…merchants　for　the　damages　committed　by　the　peasants；what　were

they　to　a　careless　and　extravagant　Opera…girl；　who　had　gained　her

hundred　thousand　francs　a　year　at　the　cost　of　pleasure　only；　and　who

had　just　submitted；　without　a　word　of　remonstrance；　to　a　reduction　of

two　thirds　of　an　income　of　sixty　thousand　francs？



〃Dear　me！〃　she　said；　in　the　easy　tone　of　the　wantons　of　the　old　time；

〃people　must　live；　even　if　they　are　republicans。〃



The　terrible　Mademoiselle　Cochet；　her　maid　and　female　vizier；　had

tried　to　enlighten　her　mistress　when　she　saw　the　ascendency　Gaubertin

was　obtaining　over　one　whom　he　began　by　calling　〃Madame〃　in　defiance

of　the　revolutionary　laws　about　equality；　but　Gaubertin；　in　his　turn；

enlightened　Mademoiselle　Cochet　by　showing　her　a　so…called

denunciation　sent　to　his　father；　the　prosecuting　attorney；　in　which

she　was　vehemently　accused　of　corresponding　with　Pitt　and　Coburg。　From

that　time　forward　the　two　powers　went　on　sharesshares　a　la

Montgomery。　Cochet　praised　Gaubertin　to　Madame；　and　Gaubertin　praised

Cochet。　The　waiting…maid　had　already　made　her　own　bed；　and　knew　she

was　down　for　sixty　thousand　francs　in　the　will。　Madame　could　not　do

without　Cochet；　to　whom　she　was　accustomed。　The　woman　knew　the　secrets

of　dear　mistress's　toilet；　she　alone　could　put　dear　mistress　to　sleep

at　night　with　her　gossip；　and　get　her　up　in　the　morning　with　her

flattery；　to　the　day　of　dear　mistress's　death　the　maid　never　could　see

the　slightest　change　in　her；　and　when　dear　mistress　lay　in　her　coffin；

she　doubtless　thought　she　had　never　seen　her　looking　so　well。



The　a