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attach　themselves　to　power；　no　matter　in　whose　hands　it　is；　and　who

make　themselves　invaluable　by　such　devotion。　Having　owed　his　elevation

in　the　first　place　to　his　fanaticism　for　the　Emperor；　he　now　owed　the

retention　of　his　official　rank　to　his　inflexible　character　and　the

conscientiousness　with　which　he　fulfilled　his　duties。　He　who　once

implacably　prosecuted　the　remnant　of　the　Chouans　now　prosecuted　the

Bonapartists　as　implacably。　But　years　and　turmoils　had　somewhat

subdued　his　energy　and　he　had　now　become；　like　other　old　devils

incarnate；　perfectly　charming　in　manner　and　ways。



The　general　explained　his　position　and　the　fears　of　his　bailiff；　and

spoke　of　the　necessity　of　making　an　example　and　enforcing　the　rights

of　property。



The　high　functionaries　listened　gravely；　making；　however；　no　reply

beyond　mere　platitudes；　such　as；　〃Undoubtedly；　the　laws　must　be

upheld〃；　〃Your　cause　is　that　of　all　land…owners〃；　〃We　will　consider

it；　but；　situated　as　we　are；　prudence　is　very　necessary〃；　〃A　monarchy

could　certainly　do　more　for　the　people　than　the　people　would　do　for

itself；　even　if　it　were；　as　in　1793；　the　sovereign　people〃；　〃The

masses　suffer；　and　we　are　bound　to　do　as　much　for　them　as　for

ourselves。〃



The　relentless　attorney…general　expressed　such　kindly　and　benevolent

views　respecting　the　condition　of　the　lower　classes　that　our　future

Utopians；　had　they　heard　him；　might　have　thought　that　the　higher　grade

of　government　officials　were　already　aware　of　the　difficulties　of　that

problem　which　modern　society　will　be　forced　to　solve。



It　may　be　well　to　say　here　that　at　this　period　of　the　Restoration；

various　bloody　encounters　had　taken　place　in　remote　parts　of　the

kingdom；　caused　by　this　very　question　of　the　pillage　of　woods；　and　the

marauding　rights　which　the　peasants　were　everywhere　arrogating　to

themselves。　Neither　the　government　nor　the　court　liked　these

outbreaks；　nor　the　shedding　of　blood　which　resulted　from　repression。

Though　they　felt　the　necessity　of　rigorous　measures；　they　nevertheless

treated　as　blunderers　the　officials　who　were　compelled　to　employ　them；

and　dismissed　them　on　the　first　pretence。　The　prefects　were　therefore

anxious　to　shuffle　out　of　such　difficulties　whenever　possible。



At　the　very　beginning　of　the　conversation　Sarcus　（the　rich）　had　made　a

sign　to　the　prefect　and　the　attorney…general　which　Montcornet　did　not

see；　but　which　set　the　tone　of　the　discussion。　The　attorney…general

was　well　aware　of　the　state　of　mind　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　valley

des　Aigues　through　his　subordinate；　Soudry　the　young　attorney。



〃I　foresee　a　terrible　struggle；〃　the　latter　had　said　to　him。　〃They

mean　to　kill　the　gendarmes；　my　spies　tell　me　so。　It　will　be　very　hard

to　convict　them　for　it。　The　instant　the　jury　feel　they　are　incurring

the　hatred　of　the　friends　of　the　twenty　or　thirty　prisoners；　they　will

not　sustain　us；we　could　not　get　them　to　convict　for　death；　nor　even

for　the　galleys。　Possibly　by　prosecuting　in　person　you　might　get　a　few

years'　imprisonment　for　the　actual　murderers。　Better　shut　our　eyes

than　open　them；　if　by　opening　them　we　bring　on　a　collision　which　costs

bloodshed　and　several　thousand　francs　to　the　State；not　to　speak　of

the　cost　of　keeping　the　guilty　in　prison。　It　is　too　high　a　price　to

pay　for　a　victory　which　will　only　reveal　our　judicial　weakness　to　the

eyes　of　all。〃



Montcornet；　who　was　wholly　without　suspicion　of　the　strength　and

influence　of　the　Mediocracy　in　his　happy　valley；　did　not　even　mention

Gaubertin；　whose　hand　kept　these　embers　of　opposition　always　alive；

though　smouldering。　After　breakfast　the　attorney…general　took

Montcornet　by　the　arm　and　led　him　to　the　Prefect's　study。　When　the

general　left　that　room　after　their　conference；　he　wrote　to　his　wife

that　he　was　starting　for　Paris　and　should　be　absent　a　week。　We　shall

see；　after　the　execution　of　certain　measures　suggested　by　Baron

Bourlac；　the　attorney…general；　whether　the　secret　advice　he　gave　to

Montcornet　was　wise；　and　whether　in　conforming　to　it　the　count　and　Les

Aigues　were　enabled　to　escape　the　〃Evil　grudge。〃



Some　minds；　eager　for　mere　amusement；　will　complain　that　these　various

explanations　are　far　too　long；　but　we　once　more　call　attention　to　the

fact　that　the　historian　of　the　manners；　customs；　and　morals　of　his

time　must　obey　a　law　far　more　stringent　than　that　imposed　on　the

historian　of　mere　facts。　He　must　show　the　probability　of　everything；

even　the　truth；　whereas；　in　the　domain　of　history；　properly　so…called；

the　impossible　must　be　accepted　for　the　sole　reason　that　it　did

happen。　The　vicissitudes　of　social　or　private　life　are　brought　about

by　a　crowd　of　little　causes　derived　from　a　thousand　conditions。　The

man　of　science　is　forced　to　clear　away　the　avalanche　under　which　whole

villages　lie　buried；　to　show　you　the　pebbles　brought　down　from　the

summit　which　alone　can　determine　the　formation　of　the　mountain。　If　the

historian　of　human　life　were　simply　telling　you　of　a　suicide；　five

hundred　of　which　occur　yearly　in　Paris；　the　melodrama　is　so

commonplace　that　brief　reasons　and　explanations　are　all　that　need　be

given；　but　how　shall　he　make　you　see　that　the　self…destruction　of　an

estate　could　happen　in　these　days　when　property　is　reckoned　of　more

value　than　life？　〃De　re　vestra　agitur；〃　said　a　maker　of　fables；　this

tale　concerns　the　affairs　and　interests　of　all　those；　no　matter　who

they　be；　who　possess　anything。



Remember　that　this　coalition　of　a　whole　canton　and　of　a　little　town

against　a　general；　who；　in　spite　of　his　rash　courage；　had　escaped　the

dangers　of　actual　war；　is　going　on　in　other　districts　against　other

men　who　seek　only　to　do　what　is　right　by　those　districts。　It　is　a

coalition　which　to…day　threatens　every　man；　the　man　of　genius；　the

statesman；　the　modern　agriculturalist；in　short；　all　innovators。



This　last　explanation　not　only　gives　a　true　presentation　of　the

personages　of　this　drama；　and　a　serious　meaning　even　to　its　petty

details；　but　it　also　throws　a　vivid　light　upon　the　scene　where　so　many

social　interests　are　now　marshalling。







CHAPTER　X



THE　SADNESS　OF　A　HAPPY　WOMAN



At　the　moment　when　the　general　was　getting　into　his　caleche　to　go　to

the　Prefecture；　the　countess　and　the　two　gentlemen　reached　the　gate　of

the　Avonne；　where；　for　the　last　eighteen　months；　Michaud　and　his　wife

Olympe　had　made　their　home。



Whose　remembered　the　pavilion　in　the　state　in　which　we　lately

described　it　would　have　supposed　it　had　been　rebuilt。　The　bricks

fallen　or　broken　by　time；　and　the　cement　lacking　to　their　edges；　were

replaced；　the　slate　roof　had　been　cleaned；　and　the　effect　of　the　white

balustrade　against　its　bluish　background　restored　the　gay　character　of

the　architecture。　The　approaches　to　the　building；　formerly　choked　up

and　sandy；　were　now　cared　for　by　the　man　whose　duty　it　was　to　keep　the

park　roadways　in　order。　The　poultry…yard；　stables；　and　cow…shed；

relegated　to　the　buildings　near　the　pheasantry　and　hidden　by　clumps　of

trees；　instead　of　afflicting　the　eye　with　their　foul　details；　now

blended　those　soft　murmurs　and　cooings　and　the　sound　of　flapping

wings；　which　are　among　the　most　delightful　accompaniments　of　Nature's

eternal　harmony；　with　the　peculiar　rustling　sounds　of　the　forest。　The

whole　scene　possessed　the　double　charm　of　a　natural；　untouched　forest

and　the　elegance　of　an　English　park。　The　surroundings　of　the　pavilion；

in　keeping　with　its　own　exterior；　presented　a　certain　noble；

dignified；　and　cordial　effect；　while　the　hand　of　a　young　and　happy

woman　gave　to　its　interior　a　very　different　look　from　what　it　wore

under　the　coarse　neglect　of　Courtecuisse。



Just　now　the　rich　season　of　the　year　was　putting　forth　its　natural

splendors。　The　perfume　of　the　flowerbeds　blended　with　the　wild　odor　of

the　woods；　and　the　meadows　near　by；　where　the　grass　had　been　lately

cut；　sent　up　the　fragrance　of　new…mown　hay。



When　the　countess　and　her　guests　reached　the　end　of　one　of　the　winding

paths　which　led　to　the　pavilion；　they　saw　Madame　Michaud；　sitting　in

the　open　air　before　the　door；　employed　in　making　a　baby's　garment。　The

young　woman　thus　placed；　thus　employed；　added　the　human　charm　that　was

needed　to　complete　the　scene；a　charm　so　touching　in　its　actuality

that　painters　have　committed　the　error　of　endeavoring　to　convey　it　in

their　pictures。　Such　artists　forget　that　the　SOUL　of　a　landscape；　if

they　represent　it　truly；　is　so　grand　that　the　human　element　is　crushed

by　it；　whereas　such　a　scene　added　to　Nature　limits　her　to　the

proportions　of　the　personality；　like　a　frame　to　which　the　mind　of　the

spectator　confines　it。　When　Poussin；　the　Raffaelle　of　France；　made　a

landscape　accessory　to　his　Shepherds　of　Arcadia　he　perceived　plainly

enough　that　man　becomes　diminutive　and　abject　when　Nature　is　made　the

principal　feature　on　a　canvas。　In　that　picture　August　is　in　its　glory；

the　harvest　is　ready；　all　simple　and　strong　human　i