sons of the soil-第27节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



of　wine；　wood　in　sufficient　quantity；　oats　and　barley　in　abundance；

and　three　per　cent　on　all　receipts　of　income。　Where　the　latter　in

Mademoiselle　Laguerre's　time　had　amounted　to　forty　thousand　francs；

the　general　now；　in　1818；　in　view　of　the　purchases　of　land　which

Gaubertin　had　made　for　her；　expected　to　receive　at　least　sixty

thousand。　The　new　land…steward　might　therefore　receive　before　long

some　two　thousand　francs　in　money。　Lodged；　fed；　warmed；　relieved　of

taxes；　the　costs　of　a　horse　and　a　poultry…yard　defrayed　for　him；　and

allowed　to　plant　a　kitchen…garden；　with　no　questions　asked　as　to　the

day's　work　of　the　gardener；　certainly　such　advantages　represented　much

more　than　another　two　thousand　francs；　for　a　man　who　was　earning　a

miserable　salary　of　twelve　hundred　francs　in　a　government　office　to

step　into　the　stewardship　of　Les　Aigues　was　a　change　from　poverty　to

opulence。



〃Be　faithful　to　my　interests；〃　said　the　general；　〃and　I　shall　have

more　to　say　to　you。　Doubtless　I　could　get　the　collection　of　the　rents

of　Conches；　Blangy；　and　Cerneux　taken　away　from　the　collection　of

those　of　Soulanges　and　given　to　you。　In　short；　when　you　bring　me　in　a

clear　sixty　thousand　a　year　from　Les　Aigues　you　shall　be　still　further

rewarded。〃



Unfortunately；　the　worthy　justice　and　his　daughter；　in　the　flush　of

their　joy；　told　Madame　Soudry　the　promise　the　general　had　made　about

these　collections；　without　reflecting　that　the　present　collector　of

Soulanges；　a　man　named　Guerbet；　brother　of　the　postmaster　of　Conches；

was　closely　allied；　as　we　shall　see　later；　with　Gaubertin　and　the

Gendrins。



〃It　won't　be　so　easy　to　do　it；　my　dear；〃　said　Madame　Soudry；　〃but

don't　prevent　the　general　from　making　the　attempt；　it　is　wonderful　how

easily　difficult　things　are　done　in　Paris。　I　have　seen　the　Chevalier

Gluck　at　dear　Madame's　feet　to　get　her　to　sing　his　music；　and　she　did；

she　who　so　adored　Piccini；　one　of　the　finest　men　of　his　day；　never

did　HE　come　into　Madame's　room　without　catching　me　round　the　waist　and

calling　me　a　dear　rogue。〃



〃Ha！〃　cried　Soudry；　when　his　wife　reported　this　news；　〃does　he　think

he　is　going　to　lead　the　notary　by　the　nose；　and　upset　everything　to

please　himself　and　make　the　whole　valley　march　in　line；　as　he　did　his

cuirassiers？　These　military　fellows　have　a　habit　of　command！but

let's　have　patience；　Monsieur　de　Soulanges　and　Monsieur　de

Ronquerolles　will　be　on　our　side。　Poor　Guerbet！　he　little　suspects　who

is　trying　to　pluck　the　best　roses　out　of　his　garland！〃



Pere　Guerbet；　the　collector　of　Soulanges；　was　the　wit；　that　is　to　say；

the　jovial　companion　of　the　little　town；　and　a　hero　in　Madame　Soudry's

salon。　Soudry's　speech　gives　a　fair　idea　of　the　opinion　which　now　grew

up　against　the　master　of　Les　Aigues　from　Conches　to　Ville…aux…Fayes；

and　wherever　else　the　public　mind　could　be　reached　and　poisoned　by

Gaubertin。



The　installation　of　Sibilet　took　place　in　the　autumn　of　1817。　The　year

1818　went　by　without　the　general　being　able　to　set　foot　at　Les　Aigues；

for　his　approaching　marriage　with　Mademoiselle　de　Troisville；　which

was　celebrated　in　January；　1819；　kept　him　the　greater　part　of　the

summer　near　Alencon；　in　the　country…house　of　his　prospective　father…

in…law。　General　Montcornet　possessed；　besides　Les　Aigues　and　a

magnificent　house　in　Paris；　some　sixty　thousand　francs　a　year　in　the

Funds　and　the　salary　of　a　retired　lieutenant…general。　Though　Napoleon

had　made　him　a　count　of　the　Empire　and　given　him　the　following　arms；　a

field　quarterly；　the　first；　azure；　bordure　or；　three　pyramids　argent；

the　second；　vert；　three　hunting　horns　argent；　the　third；　gules；　a

cannon　or　on　a　gun…carriage　sable；　and；　in　chief；　a　crescent　or；　the

fourth；　or；　a　crown　vert；　with　the　motto　（eminently　of　the　middle

ages！）；　〃Sound　the　charge；〃Montcornet　knew　very　well　that　he　was　the

son　of　a　cabinet…maker　in　the　faubourg　Saint…Antoine；　though　he　was

quite　ready　to　forget　it。　He　was　eaten　up　with　the　desire　to　be　a　peer

of　France；　and　dreamed　of　his　grand　cordon　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　his

Saint…Louis　cross；　and　his　income　of　one　hundred　and　forty　thousand

francs。　Bitten　by　the　demon　of　aristocracy；　the　sight　of　the　blue

ribbon　put　him　beside　himself。　The　gallant　cuirassier　of　Essling　would

have　licked　up　the　mud　on　the　Pont…Royal　to　be　invited　to　the　house　of

a　Navarreins；　a　Lenoncourt；　a　Grandlieu；　a　Maufrigneuse；　a　d'Espard；　a

Vandenesse；　a　Verneuil；　a　Herouville；　or　a　Chaulieu。



From　1818；　when　the　impossibility　of　a　change　in　favor　of　the

Bonaparte　family　was　made　clear　to　him；　Montcornet　had　himself

trumpeted　in　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain　by　the　wives　of　some　of　his

friends；　who　offered　his　hand　and　heart；　his　mansion　and　his　fortune

in　return　for　an　alliance　with　some　great　family。



After　several　attempts；　the　Duchesse　de　Carigliano　found　a　match　for

the　general　in　one　of　the　three　branches　of　the　Troisville　family；

that　of　the　viscount　in　the　service　of　Russia　ever　since　1789；　who　had

returned　to　France　in　1815。　The　viscount；　poor　as　a　younger　son；　had

married　a　Princess　Scherbellof；　worth　about　a　million；　but　the　arrival

of　two　sons　and　three　daughters　kept　him　poor。　His　family；　ancient　and

formerly　powerful；　now　consisted　of　the　Marquis　de　Troisville；　peer　of

France；　head　of　the　house　and　scutcheon；　and　two　deputies；　with

numerous　offspring；　who　were　busy；　for　their　part；　with　the　budget　and

the　ministries　and　the　court；　like　fishes　round　bits　of　bread。

Therefore；　when　Montcornet　was　presented　by　Madame　de　Carigliano；the

Napoleonic　duchess；　who　was　now　a　most　devoted　adherent　of　the

Bourbons；　he　was　favorably　received。　The　general　asked；　in　return　for

his　fortune　and　tender　indulgence　to　his　wife；　to　be　appointed　to　the

Royal　Guard；　with　the　rank　of　marquis　and　peer　of　France；　but　the

branches　of　the　Troisville　family　would　do　no　more　than　promise　him

their　support。



〃You　know　what　that　means；〃　said　the　duchess　to　her　old　friend；　who

complained　of　the　vagueness　of　the　promise。　〃They　cannot　oblige　the

king　to　do　as　they　wish；　they　can　only　influence　him。〃



Montcornet　made　Virginie　de　Troisville　his　heir　in　the　marriage

settlements。　Completely　under　the　control　of　his　wife；　as　Blondet's

letter　has　already　shown；　he　was　still　without　children；　but　Louis

XVIII。　had　received　him；　and　given　him　the　cordon　of　Saint…Louis；

allowing　him　to　quarter　his　ridiculous　arms　with　those　of　the

Troisvilles；　and　promising　him　the　title　of　marquis　as　soon　as　he　had

deserved　the　peerage　by　his　services。



A　few　days　after　the　audience　at　which　this　promise　had　been　given；

the　Duc　de　Barry　was　assassinated；　the　Marsan　clique　carried　the　day；

the　Villele　ministry　came　into　power；　and　all　the　wires　laid　by　the

Troisvilles　were　snapped；　it　became　necessary　to　find　new　ways　of

fastening　them　upon　the　ministry。



〃We　must　bide　our　time；〃　said　the　Troisvilles　to　Montcornet；　who　was

always　overwhelmed　with　politeness　in　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain。



This　will　explain　how　it　was　that　the　general　did　not　return　to　Les

Aigues　until　May；　1820。



The　ineffable　happiness　of　the　son　of　a　shop…keeper　of　the　faubourg

Saint…Antoine　in　possessing　a　young；　elegant；　intelligent；　and　gentle

wife；　a　Troisville；　who　had　given　him　an　entrance　into　all　the　salons

of　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain；　and　the　delight　of　making　her　enjoy　the

pleasures　of　Paris；　had　kept　him　from　Les　Aigues　and　made　him　forget

about　Gaubertin；　even　to　his　very　name。　In　1820　he　took　the　countess

to　Burgundy　to　show　her　the　estate；　and　he　accepted　Sibilet's　accounts

and　leases　without　looking　closely　into　them；　happiness　never　cavils。

The　countess；　well　pleased　to　find　the　steward's　wife　a　charming　young

woman；　made　presents　to　her　and　to　the　children；　with　whom　she

occasionally　amused　herself。　She　ordered　a　few　changes　at　Les　Aigues；

having　sent　to　Paris　for　an　architect；　proposing；　to　the　general's

great　delight；　to　spend　six　months　of　every　year　on　this　magnificent

estate。　Montcornet's　savings　were　soon　spent　on　the　architectural　work

and　the　exquisite　new　furniture　sent　from　Paris。　Les　Aigues　thus

received　the　last　touch　which　made　it　a　choice　example　of　all　the

diverse　elegancies　of　four　centuries。



In　1821　the　general　was　almost　peremptorily　urged　by　Sibilet　to　be　at

Les　Aigues　before　the　month　of　May。　Important　matters　had　to　be

decided。　A　lease　of　nine　years；　to　the　amount　of　thirty　thousand

francs；　granted　by　Gaubertin　in　1812　to　a　wood…merchant；　fell　in　on

the　15th　of　May　of　the　current　year。　Sibilet；　anxious　to　prove　his

rectitude；　was　unwilling　to　be　responsible　for　the　renewal　of　the

lease。　〃You　know；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　he　wrote；　〃that　I　do　not　choose

to　profit　by　such　matters。〃　The　wood…merchant　claimed　an　indemnity；

extorted　from　Madame　Laguerre；　through　her　hatred　of　litigation；　and

shared　by　him　with　Gaubertin。　This　indemnity　was　based　on　the　injury

done　to　the　woods　by　the　peasan