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Avonne；　which　brought　him　in　a　rental　of　thirty　thousand　francs；　with

park　and　chateau　and　a　controlling　influence　in　its　own　canton。



Thus；　in　the　upper　regions　of　the　State；　in　both　Chambers；　and　in　the

chief　ministerial　department；　Gaubertin　could　rely　on　an　influence

that　was　powerful　and　also　active；　and　which　he　was　careful　not　to

weary　with　unimportant　requests。



The　counsellor　Gendrin；　appointed　judge　by　the　Chamber；　was　the

leading　spirit　of　the　Supreme　Court；　for　the　chief　justice；　one　of　the

three　ministerial　deputies；　left　the　management　of　it　to　Gendrin

during　half　the　year。　The　counsel　for　the　Prefecture；　a　cousin　of

Sarcus；　called　〃Sarcus　the　rich；〃　was　the　right…hand　man　of　the

prefect；　himself　a　deputy。　Even　without　the　family　reasons　which

allied　Gaubertin　and　young　des　Lupeaulx；　a　brother　of　Madame　Sarcus

would　still　have　been　desirable　as　sub…prefect　to　the　arrondissement

of　Ville…aux…Fayes。　Madame　Sarcus；　the　counsellor's　wife；　was　a　Vallat

of　Soulanges；　a　family　connected　with　the　Gaubertins；　and　she　was　said

to　have　〃distinguished〃　the　notary　Lupin　in　her　youth。　Though　she　was

now　forty…five　years　old；　with　a　son　in　the　school　of　engineers；　Lupin

never　went　to　the　Prefecture　without　paying　his　respects　and　dining

with　her。



The　nephew　of　Guerbet；　the　postmaster；　whose　father　was；　as　we　have

seen；　collector　of　Soulanges；　held　the　important　situation　of

examining　judge　in　the　municipal　court　of　Ville…aux…Fayes。　The　third

judge；　son　of　Corbinet；　the　notary；　belonged　body　and　soul　to　the　all…

powerful　mayor；　and；　finally；　young　Vigor；　son　of　the　lieutenant　of

the　gendarmerie；　was　the　substitute　judge。



Sibilet's　father；　sheriff　of　the　court；　had　married　his　sister　to

Monsieur　Vigor　the　lieutenant；　and　that　individual；　father　of　six

children；　was　cousin　of　the　father　of　Gaubertin　through　his　wife；　a

Gaubertin…Vallat。　Eighteen　months　previously　the　united　efforts　of　the

two　deputies；　Monsieur　de　Soulanges　and　Gaubertin；　had　created　the

place　of　commissary　of　police　for　the　sheriff's　second　son。



Sibilet's　eldest　daughter　married　Monsieur　Herve；　a　school…master；

whose　school　was　transformed　into　a　college　as　a　result　of　this

marriage；　so　that　for　the　past　year　Soulanges　had　rejoiced　in　the

presence　of　a　professor。



The　sheriff's　youngest　son　was　employed　on　the　government　domains；

with　the　promise　of　succeeding　the　clerk　of　registrations　so　soon　as

that　officer　had　completed　the　term　of　service　which　enabled　him　to

retire　on　a　pension。



The　youngest　Sibilet　girl；　now　sixteen　years　old；　was　betrothed　to

Corbinet；　brother　of　the　notary。　And　an　old　maid；　Mademoiselle

Gaubertin…Vallat；　sister　of　Madame　Sibilet；　the　sheriff's　wife；　held

the　office　for　the　sale　of　stamped　paper。



Thus；　wherever　we　turn　in　Ville…aux…Fayes　we　meet　some　member　of　the

invisible　coalition；　whose　avowed　chief；　recognized　as　such　by　every

one；　great　and　small；　was　the　mayor　of　the　town；　the　general　agent　for

the　entire　timber　business；　Gaubertin！



If　we　turn　to　the　other　end　of　the　valley　of　the　Avonne　we　shall　see

that　Gaubertin　ruled　at　Soulanges　through　the　Soudrys；　through　Lupin

the　assistant　mayor　and　steward　of　the　Soulanges　estate；　who　was

necessarily　in　constant　communication　with　the　Comte　de　Soulanges；

through　Sarcus；　justice　of　the　peace；　through　Guerbet；　the　collector；

through　Gourdon；　the　doctor；　who　had　married　a　Gendrin…Vatebled。　He

governed　Blangy　through　Rigou；　Conches　through　the　post…master；　the

despotic　ruler　of　his　own　district。



Gaubertin's　influence　was　so　great　and　powerful　that　even　the

investments　and　the　savings　of　Rigou；　Soudry；　Gendrin；　Guerbet；　Lupin；

even　Sarcus　the　rich　himself；　were　managed　by　his　advice。　The　town　of

Ville…aux…Fayes　believed　implicitly　in　its　mayor。　Gaubertin's　ability

was　not　less　extolled　than　his　honesty　and　his　kindness；　he　was　the

servant　of　his　relatives　and　constituents　（always　with　an　eye　to　a

return　of　benefits）；　and　the　whole　municipality　adored　him。　The　town

never　ceased　to　blame　Monsieur　Mariotte；　of　Auxerre；　for　having

opposed　and　thwarted　that　worthy　Monsieur　Gaubertin。



Not　aware　of　their　strength；　no　occasion　for　displaying　it　having

arisen；　the　bourgeoisie　of　Ville…aux…Fayes　contented　themselves　with

boasting　that　no　strangers　intermeddled　in　their　affairs　and　they

believed　themselves　excellent　citizens　and　faithful　public　servants。

Nothing；　however；　escaped　their　despotic　rule；　which　in　itself　was　not

perceived；　the　result　being　considered　a　triumph　of　the　locality。



The　only　stranger　in　this　family　community　was　the　government　engineer

in　the　highway　department；　and　his　dismissal　in　favor　of　the　son　of

Sarcus　the　rich　was　now　being　pressed；　with　a　fair　chance　that　this

one　weak　thread　in　the　net　would　soon　be　strengthened。　And　yet　this

powerful　league；　which　monopolized　all　duties　both　public　and　private；

sucked　the　resources　of　the　region；　and　fastened　on　power　like　limpets

to　a　ship；　escaped　all　notice　so　completely　that　General　Montcornet

had　no　suspicion　of　it。　The　prefect　boasted　of　the　prosperity　of

Ville…aux…Fayes　and　its　arrondissement；　even　the　minister　of　the

interior　was　heard　to　remark：　〃There's　a　model　sub…prefecture；　which

runs　on　wheels；　we　should　be　lucky　indeed　if　all　were　like　it。〃　Family

designs　were　so　involved　with　local　interests　that　here；　as　in　many

other　little　towns　and　even　prefectures；　a　functionary　who　did　not

belong　to　the　place　would　have　been　forced　to　resign　within　a　year。



When　this　despotic　middle…class　cousinry　seizes　a　victim；　he　is　so

carefully　gagged　and　bound　that　complaint　is　impossible；　he　is　smeared

with　slime　and　wax　like　a　snail　in　a　beehive。　This　invisible；

imperceptible　tyranny　is　upheld　by　powerful　reasons；such　as　the　wish

to　be　surrounded　by　their　own　family；　to　keep　property　in　their　own

hands；　the　mutual　help　they　ought　to　lend　each　other；　the　guarantees

given　to　the　administration　by　the　fact　that　their　agent　is　under　the

eyes　of　his　fellow…citizens　and　neighbors。　What　does　all　this　lead　to？

To　the　fact　that　local　interests　supersede　all　questions　of　public

interest；　the　centralized　will　of　Paris　is　frequently　overthrown　in

the　provinces；　the　truth　of　things　is　disguised；　and　country

communities　snap　their　fingers　at　government。　In　short；　after　the　main

public　necessities　have　been　attended　to；　it　will　be　seen　that　the

laws；　instead　of　acting　upon　the　masses；　receive　their　impulse　from

them；　the　populations　adapt　the　law　to　themselves　and　not　themselves

to　the　law。



Whoever　has　travelled　in　the　south　or　west　of　France；　or　in　Alsace；　in

any　other　way　than　from　inn　to　inn　to　see　buildings　and　landscapes；

will　surely　admit　the　truth　of　these　remarks。　The　results　of　middle…

class　nepotism　may　be；　at　present；　merely　isolated　evils；　but　the

tendency　of　existing　laws　is　to　increase　them。　This　low…level

despotism　can　and　will　cause　great　disasters；　and　the　events　of　the

drama　about　to　be　played　in　the　valley　of　Les　Aigues　will　prove　it。



The　monarchical　and　imperial　systems；　more　rashly　overthrown　than

people　realize；　remedied　these　abuses　by　means　of　certain　consecrated

lives；　by　classifications　and　categories　and　by　those　particular

counterpoises　since　so　absurdly　defined　as　〃privileges。〃　There　are　no

privileges　now；　when　every　human　being　is　free　to　climb　the　greased

pole　of　power。　But　surely　it　would　be　safer　to　allow　open　and　avowed

privileges　than　those　which　are　underhand；　based　on　trickery；

subversive　of　what　should　be　public　spirit；　and　continuing　the　work　of

despotism　to　a　lower　and　baser　level　than　heretofore。　May　we　not　have

overthrown　noble　tyrants　devoted　to　their　country's　good；　to　create

the　tyranny　of　selfish　interests？　Shall　power　lurk　in　secret　places；

instead　of　radiating　from　its　natural　source？　This　is　worth　thinking

about。　The　spirit　of　local　sectionalism；　such　as　we　have　now　depicted；

will　soon　be　seen　to　invade　the　Chamber。



Montcornet's　friend；　the　late　prefect；　Comte　de　la　Roche…Hugon；　had

lost　his　position　just　before　the　last　arrival　of　the　general　at　Les

Aigues。　This　dismissal　drove　him　into　the　ranks　of　the　Liberal

opposition；　where　he　became　one　of　the　chorus　of　the　Left；　a　position

he　soon　after　abandoned　for　an　embassy。　His　successor；　luckily　for

Montcornet；　was　a　son…in…law　of　the　Marquis　de　Troisville；　uncle　of

the　countess；　the　Comte　de　Casteran。　He　welcomed　Montcornet　as　a

relation　and　begged　him　to　continue　his　intimacy　at　the　Prefecture。

After　listening　to　the　general's　complaints　the　Comte　de　Casteran

invited　the　bishop；　the　attorney…general；　the　colonel　of　the

gendarmerie；　counsellor　Sarcus；　and　the　general　commanding　the

division　to　meet　him　the　next　day　at　breakfast。



The　attorney…general；　Baron　Bourlac　（so　famous　in　the　Chanterie　and

Rifael　suits）；　was　one　of　those　men　well…known　to　all　governments；　who

attach　themselves　to　power；　no　matter　in　w