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

done　to　the　woods　by　the　peasants；　who　treated　the　forest　of　Les

Aigues　as　if　they　had　a　right　to　cut　the　timber。　Messrs。　Gravelot

Brothers；　wood…merchants　in　Paris；　refused　to　pay　their　last　quarter

dues；　offering　to　prove　by　an　expert　that　the　woods　were　reduced　one…

fifth　in　value；　through；　they　said；　the　injurious　precedent

established　by　Madame　Laguerre。



〃I　have　already；〃　wrote　Sibilet；　〃sued　these　men　in　the　courts　at

Ville…aux…Fayes；　for　they　have　taken　legal　residence　there；　on　account

of　this　lease；　with　my　old　employer；　Maitre　Corbinet。　I　fear　we　shall

lose　the　suit。〃



〃It　is　a　question　of　income；　my　dear；〃　said　the　general；　showing　the

letter　to　his　wife。　〃Will　you　go　down　to　Les　Aigues　a　little　earlier

this　year　than　last？〃



〃Go　yourself；　and　I　will　follow　you　when　the　weather　is　warmer；〃　said

the　countess；　not　sorry　to　remain　in　Paris　alone。



The　general；　who　knew　very　well　the　canker　that　was　eating　into　his

revenues；　departed　without　his　wife；　resolved　to　take　vigorous

measures。　In　so　doing　he　reckoned；　as　we　shall　see；　without　his

Gaubertin。







CHAPTER　VIII



THE　GREAT　REVOLUTIONS　OF　A　LITTLE　VALLEY



〃Well；　Maitre　Sibilet；〃　said　the　general　to　his　steward；　the　morning

after　his　arrival；　giving　him　a　familiar　title　which　showed　how　much

he　appreciated　his　services；　〃so　we　are；　to　use　a　ministerial　phrase；

at　a　crisis？〃



〃Yes；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　Sibilet；　following　the　general。



The　fortunate　possessor　of　Les　Aigues　was　walking　up　and　down　in　front

of　the　steward's　house；　along　a　little　terrace　where　Madame　Sibilet

grew　flowers；　at　the　end　of　which　was　a　wide　stretch　of　meadow…land

watered　by　the　canal　which　Blondet　has　described。　From　this　point　the

chateau　of　Les　Aigues　was　seen　in　the　distance；　and　in　like　manner　the

profile；　as　it　were；　of　the　steward's　lodge　was　seen　from　Les　Aigues。



〃But；〃　resumed　the　general；　〃what's　the　difficulty？　If　I　do　lose　the

suit　against　the　Gravelots；　a　money　wound　is　not　mortal；　and　I'll　have

the　leasing　of　my　forest　so　well　advertised　that　there　will　be

competition；　and　I　shall　sell　the　timber　at　its　true　value。〃



〃Business　is　not　done　in　that　way；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　Sibilet。

〃Suppose　you　get　no　lessees；　what　will　you　do？〃



〃Cut　the　timber　myself　and　sell　it〃



〃You；　a　wood　merchant？〃　said　Sibilet。　〃Well；　without　looking　at

matters　here；　how　would　it　be　in　Paris？　You　would　have　to　hire　a　wood…

yard；　pay　for　a　license　and　the　taxes；　also　for　the　right　of

navigation；　and　duties；　and　the　costs　of　unloading；　besides　the　salary

of　a　trustworthy　agent〃



〃Yes；　it　is　impracticable；〃　said　the　general　hastily；　alarmed　at　the

prospect。　〃But　why　can't　I　find　persons　to　lease　the　right　of　cutting

timber　as　before？〃



〃Monsieur　le　comte　has　enemies。〃



〃Who　are　they？〃



〃Well；　in　the　first　place；　Monsieur　Gaubertin。〃



〃Do　you　mean　the　scoundrel　whose　place　you　took？〃



〃Not　so　loud；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　Sibilet；　showing　fear；　〃I　beg

of　you；　not　so　loud；my　cook　might　hear　us。〃



〃Do　you　mean　to　tell　me　that　I　am　not　to　speak　on　my　own　estate　of　a

villain　who　robbed　me？〃　cried　the　general。



〃For　the　sake　of　your　own　peace　and　comfort；　come　further　away；

Monsieur　le　comte。　Monsieur　Gaubertin　is　mayor　of　Ville…aux…Fayes。〃



〃Ha！　I　congratulate　Ville…aux…Fayes。　Thunder！　what　a　nobly　governed

town！〃



〃Do　me　the　honor　to　listen；　Monsieur　le　comte；　and　to　believe　that　I

am　talking　of　serious　matters　which　may　affect　your　future　life　in

this　place。〃



〃I　am　listening；　let　us　sit　down　on　this　bench　here。〃



〃Monsieur　le　comte；　when　you　dismissed　Gaubertin；　he　had　to　find　some

employment；　for　he　was　not　rich〃



〃Not　rich！　when　he　stole　twenty　thousand　francs　a　year　from　this

estate？〃



〃Monsieur　le　comte；　I　don't　pretend　to　excuse　him；〃　replied　Sibilet。

〃I　want　to　see　Les　Aigues　prosperous；　if　it　were　only　to　prove

Gaubertin's　dishonest；　but　we　ought　not　to　abuse　him　openly　for　he　is

one　of　the　most　dangerous　scoundrels　to　be　found　in　all　Burgundy；　and

he　is　now　in　a　position　to　injure　you。〃



〃In　what　way？〃　asked　the　general；　sobering　down。



〃Gaubertin　has　control　of　nearly　one　third　of　the　supplies　sent　to

Paris。　As　general　agent　of　the　timber　business；　he　orders　all　the　work

of　the　forests；the　felling；　chopping；　floating；　and　sending　to

market。　Being　in　close　relations　with　the　workmen；　he　is　the　arbiter

of　prices。　It　has　taken　him　three　years　to　create　this　position；　but

he　holds　it　now　like　a　fortress。　He　is　essential　to　all　dealers；　never

favoring　one　more　than　another；　he　regulates　the　whole　business　in

their　interests；　and　their　affairs　are　better　and　more　cheaply　looked

after　by　him　than　they　were　in　the　old　time　by　separate　agents　for

each　firm。　For　instance；　he　has　so　completely　put　a　stop　to

competition　that　he　has　absolute　control　of　the　auction　sales；　the

crown　and　the　State　are　both　dependent　on　him。　Their　timber　is　sold

under　the　hammer　and　falls　invariably　to　Gaubertin's　dealers；　in　fact；

no　others　attempt　now　to　bid　against　them。　Last　year　Monsieur

Mariotte；　of　Auxerre；　urged　by　the　commissioner　of　domains；　did

attempt　to　compete　with　Gaubertin。　At　first；　Gaubertin　let　him　buy　the

standing　wood　at　the　usual　prices；　but　when　it　came　to　cutting　it；　the

Avonnais　workmen　asked　such　enormous　prices　that　Monsieur　Mariotte　was

obliged　to　bring　laborers　from　Auxerre；　whom　the　Ville…aux…Fayes

workmen　attacked　and　drove　away。　The　head　of　the　coalition；　and　the

ringleader　of　the　brawl　were　brought　before　the　police　court；　and　the

suits　cost　Monsieur　Mariotte　a　great　deal　of　money；　for；　besides　the

odium　of　having　convicted　and　punished　poor　men；　he　was　forced　to　pay

all　costs；　because　the　losing　side　had　not　a　farthing　to　do　it　with。　A

suit　against　laboring　men　is　sure　to　result　in　hatred　to　those　who

live　among　them。　Let　me　warn　you　of　this；　for　if　you　follow　the　course

you　propose；　you　will　have　to　fight　against　the　poor　of　this　district

at　least。　But　that's　not　all。　Counting　it　over；　Monsieur　Mariotte；　a

worthy　man；　found　he　was　the　loser　by　his　original　lease。　Forced　to

pay　ready　money；　he　was　nevertheless　obliged　to　sell　on　time；

Gaubertin　delivered　his　timber　at　long　credits　for　the　purpose　of

ruining　his　competitor。　He　undersold　him　by　at　least　five　per　cent；

and　the　end　of　it　is　that　poor　Mariotte's　credit　is　badly　shaken。

Gaubertin　is　now　pressing　and　harassing　the　poor　man　so　that　he　is

driven；　they　tell　me；　to　leave　not　only　Auxerre；　but　even　Burgundy

itself；　and　he　is　right。　In　this　way　land…owners　have　long　been

sacrificed　to　dealers　who　now　set　the　market…prices；　just　as　the

furniture…dealers　in　Paris　dictate　values　to　appraisers。　But　Gaubertin

saves　the　owners　so　much　trouble　and　worry　that　they　are　really

gainers。〃



〃How　so？〃　asked　the　general。



〃In　the　first　place；　because　the　less　complicated　a　business　is；　the

greater　the　profits　to　the　owners；〃　answered　Sibilet。　〃Besides　which；

their　income　is　more　secure；　and　in　all　matters　of　rural　improvement

and　development　that　is　the　main　thing；　as　you　will　find　out。　Then；

too；　Monsieur　Gaubertin　is　the　friend　and　patron　of　working…men；　he

pays　them　well　and　keeps　them　always　at　work；　therefore；　though　their

families　live　on　the　estates；　the　woods　leased　to　dealers　and

belonging　to　the　land…owners　who　trust　the　care　of　their　property　to

Gaubertin　（such　as　MM。　de　Soulanges　and　de　Ronquerolles）　are　not

devastated。　The　dead　wood　is　gathered　up；　but　that　is　all〃



〃That　rascal　Gaubertin　has　lost　no　time！〃　cried　the　general。



〃He　is　a　bold　man；〃　said　Sibilet。　〃He　really　is；　as　he　calls　himself；

the　steward　of　the　best　half　of　the　department；　instead　of　being

merely　the　steward　of　Les　Aigues。　He　makes　a　little　out　of　everybody；

and　that　little　on　every　two　millions　brings　him　in　forty　to　fifty

thousand　francs　a　year。　He　says　himself；　'The　fires　on　the　Parisian

hearths　pay　it　all。'　He　is　your　enemy；　Monsieur　le　comte。　My　advice　to

you　is　to　capitulate　and　be　reconciled　with　him。　He　is　intimate；　as

you　know；　with　Soudry；　the　head　of　the　gendarmerie　at　Soulanges；　with

Monsieur　Rigou；　our　mayor　at　Blangy；　the　patrols　are　under　his

influence；　therefore　you　will　find　it　impossible　to　repress　the

pilferings　which　are　eating　into　your　estate。　During　the　last　two

years　your　woods　have　been　devastated。　Consequently　the　Gravelots　are

more　than　likely　to　win　their　suit。　They　say；　very　truly：　'According

to　the　terms　of　the　lease；　the　care　of　the　woods　is　left　to　the　owner；

he　does　not　protect　them；　and　we　are　injured；　the　owner　is　bound　to

pay　us　damages。'　That's　fair　enough；　but　it　doesn't　follow　that　they

should　win　their　case。〃



〃We　must　be　ready　to　defend　this　suit　at　all　costs；〃　said　the　general；

〃and　then　we　shall　have　no　more　of　them。〃



〃You　shall　grati