sons of the soil-第53节

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quarrel　with　that　son　of　the　people　who　is　ashamed　of　his　own　father；

and　we　follow　our　own　course。　If　my　friend　Gaubertin　feels　the　need　of

using　you；　I　don't；　I　need　no　one；　for　everybody　is　at　my　command。　As

to　the　Keeper　of　the　Seals；　that　functionary　is　often　changed；　whereas

weWE　are　always　here；　and　can　bide　our　time。〃



〃Well；　I've　warned　you；〃　returned　Sibilet；　feeling　like　a　donkey　under

a　pack…saddle。



〃Warned　me　of　what？〃　said　Rigou；　artfully。



〃Of　what　the　Shopman　is　going　to　do；〃　answered　the　steward；　humbly。

〃He　started　for　the　Prefecture　in　a　rage。〃



〃Let　him　go！　If　the　Montcornets　and　their　kind　didn't　use　wheels；　what

would　become　of　the　carriage…makers？〃



〃I　shall　bring　you　three　thousand　francs　to…night；〃　said　Sibilet；　〃but

you　ought　to　make　over　some　of　your　maturing　mortgages　to　me；say；

one　or　two　that　would　secure　to　me　good　lots　of　land。〃



〃Well；　there's　that　of　Courtecuisse。　I　myself　want　to　be　easy　on　him

because　he　is　the　best　shot　in　the　canton；　but　if　I　make　over　his

mortgage　to　you；　you　will　seem　to　be　harassing　him　on　the　Shopman's

account；　and　that　will　be　killing　two　birds　with　one　stone；　when

Courtecuisse　finds　himself　a　beggar；　like　Fourchon；　he'll　be　capable

of　anything。　Courtecuisse　has　ruined　himself　on　the　Bachelerie；　he　has

cultivated　all　the　land；　and　trained　fruit　on　the　walls。　The　little

property　is　now　worth　four　thousand　francs；　and　the　count　will　gladly

pay　you　that　to　get　possession　of　the　three　acres　that　jut　right　into

his　land。　If　Courtecuisse　were　not　such　an　idle　hound　he　could　have

paid　his　interest　with　the　game　he　might　have　killed　there。〃



〃Well；　transfer　the　mortgage　to　me；　and　I'll　make　my　butter　out　of　it；

the　count　shall　buy　the　three　acres；　and　I　shall　get　the　house　and

garden　for　nothing。〃



〃What　are　you　going　to　give　me　out　of　it？〃



〃Good　heavens！　you'd　milk　an　ox！〃　exclaimed　Sibilet；〃when　I　have

just　done　you　such　a　service；　too。　I　have　at　last　got　the　Shopman　to

enforce　the　laws　about　gleaning〃



〃Have　you；　my　dear　fellow？〃　said　Rigou；　who　a　few　days　earlier　had

suggested　this　means　of　exasperating　the　peasantry　to　Sibilet；　telling

him　to　advise　the　general　to　try　it。　〃Then　we've　got　him；　he's　lost！

But　it　isn't　enough　to　hold　him　with　one　string；　we　must　wind　it　round

and　round　him　like　a　roll　of　tobacco。　Slip　the　bolts　of　the　door；　my

lad；　tell　my　wife　to　bring　my　coffee　and　the　liqueurs；　and　tell　Jean

to　harness　up。　I'm　off　to　Soulanges；　will　see　you　to…night！Ah！

Vaudoyer；　good　afternoon；〃　said　the　late　mayor　as　his　former　field…

keeper　entered　the　room。　〃What's　the　news？〃



Vaudoyer　related　the　talk　which　had　just　taken　place　at　the　tavern；

and　asked　Rigou's　opinion　as　to　the　legality　of　the　rules　which　the

general　thought　of　enforcing。



〃He　has　the　law　with　him；〃　said　Rigou；　curtly。　〃We　have　a　hard

landlord；　the　Abbe　Brossette　is　a　malignant　priest；　he　advises　all

such　measures　because　you　don't　go　to　mass；　you　miserable　unbelievers。

I　go；　there's　a　God；　I　tell　you。　You　peasants　will　have　to　bear

everything；　for　the　Shopman　will　always　get　the　better　of　you〃



〃We　shall　glean；〃　said　Vaudoyer；　in　that　determined　tone　which

characterizes　Burgundians。



〃Without　a　certificate　of　pauperism？〃　asked　the　usurer。　〃They　say　the

Shopman　has　gone　to　the　Prefecture　to　ask　for　troops　so　as　to　force

you　to　keep　the　law。〃



〃We　shall　glean　as　we　have　always　gleaned；〃　repeated　Vaudoyer。



〃Well；　glean　then！　Monsieur　Sarcus　will　decide　whether　you　have　the

right　to；〃　said　Rigou；　seeming　to　promise　the　help　of　the　justice　of

the　peace。



〃We　shall　glean；　and　we　shall　do　it　in　force；　or　Burgundy　won't　be

Burgundy　any　longer；〃　said　Vaudoyer。　〃If　the　gendarmes　have　sabres　we

have　scythes；　and　we'll　see　what　comes　of　it！〃



At　half…past　four　o'clock　the　great　green　gate　of　the　former　parsonage

turned　on　its　hinges；　and　the　bay　horse；　led　by　Jean；　was　brought

round　to　the　front　door。　Madame　Rigou　and　Annette　came　out　on　the

steps　and　looked　at　the　little　wicker　carriage；　painted　green；　with　a

leathern　hood；　where　their　lord　and　master　was　comfortably　seated　on

good　cushions。



〃Don't　be　late　home；　monsieur；〃　said　Annette；　with　a　little　pout。



The　village　folk；　already　informed　of　the　measures　the　general

proposed　to　take；　were　at　their　doors　or　standing　in　the　main　street

as　Rigou　drove　by；　believing　that　he　was　going　to　Soulanges　in　their

defence。



〃Well；　Madame　Courtecuisse；　so　our　mayor　is　on　his　way　to　protect　us；〃

remarked　an　old　woman　as　she　knitted；　the　question　of　depredating　in

the　forest　was　of　great　interest　to　her；　for　her　husband　sold　the

stolen　wood　at　Soulanges。



〃Ah！　the　good　man；　his　heart　bleeds　to　see　the　way　we　are　treated；　he

is　as　unhappy　as　we　are　about　it；〃　replied　the　poor　woman；　who

trembled　at　the　very　name　of　her　husband's　creditor；　and　praised　him

out　of　fear。



〃And　he　himself；　too；they've　shamefully　ill…used　him！　Good…day；

Monsieur　Rigou；〃　said　the　old　knitter　to　the　usurer；　who　bowed　to　her

and　to　his　debtor's　wife。



As　Rigou　crossed　the　Thune；　fordable　at　all　seasons；　Tonsard　came　out

of　the　tavern　and　met　him　on　the　high…road。



〃Well；　Pere　Rigou；〃　he　said；　〃so　the　Shopman　means　to　make　dogs　of

us？〃



〃We'll　see　about　that；〃　said　the　usurer；　whipping　up　his　horse。



〃He'll　protect　us；〃　said　Tonsard；　turning　to　a　group　of　women　and

children　who　were　near　him。



〃Rigou　is　thinking　as　much　about　you　as　a　cook　thinks　of　the　gudgeons

he　is　frying　in　his　pan；〃　called　out　Fourchon。



〃Take　the　clapper　out　of　your　throat　when　you　are　drunk；〃　said　Mouche；

pulling　his　grandfather　by　the　blouse；　and　tumbling　him　down　on　a　bank

under　a　poplar　tree。　〃If　that　hound　of　a　mayor　heard　you　say　that；

he'd　never　buy　any　more　of　your　tales。〃



The　truth　was　that　Rigou　was　hurrying　to　Soulanges　in　consequence　of

the　warning　given　him　by　the　steward　of　Les　Aigues；　which；　in　his

heart；　he　regarded　as　threatening　the　secret　coalition　of　the　valley。









PART　II







CHAPTER　I



THE　LEADING　SOCIETY　OF　SOULANGES



About　six　kilometres　（speaking　legally）　from　Blangy；　and　at　the　same

distance　from　Ville…aux…Fayes；　on　an　elevation　radiating　from　the　long

hillside　at　the　foot　of　which　flows　the　Avonne；　stands　the　little　town

of　Soulanges；　surnamed　La　Jolie；　with；　perhaps；　more　right　to　that

title　than　Mantes。



At　the　foot　of　the　hill；　the　Thune　broadens　over　a　clay　bottom　to　a

space　of　some　seventy　acres；　at　the　end　of　which　the　Soulanges　mills；

placed　on　numerous　little　islets；　present　as　graceful　a　group　of

buildings　as　any　landscape　architect　could　devise。　After　watering　the

park　of　Soulanges；　where　it　feeds　various　other　streams　and　artificial

lakes；　the　Thune　falls　into　the　Avonne　through　a　fine　broad　channel。



The　chateau　of　Soulanges；　rebuilt　under　Louis　XIV。　from　designs　of

Jules　Mansart；　and　one　of　the　finest　in　Burgundy；　stands　facing　the

town；　so　that　Soulanges　and　its　chateau　mutually　present　to　each　other

a　charming　and　even　elegant　vista。　The　main　road　winds　between　the

town　and　the　pond；　called　by　the　country　people；　rather　pompously；　the

lake　of　Soulanges。



The　little　town　is　one　of　those　natural　compositions　which　are

extremely　rare　in　France；　where　PRETTINESS　of　its　own　kind　is

absolutely　wanting。　Here　you　would　indeed　find；　as　Blondet　said　in　his

letter；　the　charm　of　Switzerland；　the　prettiness　of　the　environs　of

Neuf…chatel；　while　the　bright　vineyards　which　encircle　Soulanges

complete　the　resemblance；leaving　out；　be　it　said；　the　Alps　and　the

Jura。　The　streets；　placed　one　above　another　on　the　slope　of　the　hill；

have　but　few　houses；　for　each　house　stands　in　its　own　garden；　which

produces　a　mass　of　greenery　rarely　seen　in　a　town。　The　roofs；　red　or

blue；　rising　among　flower…gardens；　trees；　and　trellised　terraces；

present　an　harmonious　variety　of　aspects。



The　church；　an　old　Middle…Age　structure；　built　of　stone；　thanks　to　the

munificence　of　the　lords　of　Soulanges；　who　reserved　for　themselves

first　a　chapel　near　the　chancel；　then　a　crypt　as　their　necropolis；

has；　by　way　of　portal；　an　immense　arcade；　like　that　of　the　church　at

Lonjumeau；　and　is　bordered　by　flower…beds　adorned　with　statues；　and

flanked　on　either　side　by　columns　with　niches；　which　terminate　in

spires。　This　portal；　often　seen　in　churches　of　the　same　period　when

chance　has　saved　them　from　the　ravages　of　Calvinism；　is　surmounted　by

a　triglyph；　above　which　stands　a　statue　of　the　Virgin　holding　the

infant　Jesus。　The　sides　of　the　structure　are　externally　of　five

arches；　defined　by　stone　ribs　and　lighted　by　windows　with　small　panes。

The　apse　rests　on　arched　abutments　that　are　worthy　of　a　cathedral。　The

clock…tower；　placed　in　a　transept　of　the　cross；　is　square　and

surmounted　by　a　belfry。　The　church　can　be　seen　from　a　great　distance；

for　it　stands　at　the　top　of　the　great　square；　at　the　l