sons of the soil-第60节

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〃The　Shopman　has　another　vice；〃　he　said；　〃he　loves　his　wife；　we　might

get　hold　of　him　that　way。〃



〃We　ought　to　find　out　how　far　she　really　influences　him；〃　said　Madame

Soudry。



〃There's　the　rub！〃　said　Lupin。



〃As　for　you；　Lupin；〃　said　Rigou；　in　a　tone　of　authority；　〃be　off　to

the　Prefecture　and　see　the　beautiful　Madame　Sarcus　at　once！　You　must

get　her　to　tell　you　all　the　Shopman　says　and　does　at　the　Prefecture。〃



〃Then　I　shall　have　to　stay　all　night；〃　replied　Lupin。



〃So　much　the　better　for　Sarcus　the　rich；　he'll　be　the　gainer；〃　said

Rigou。　〃She　is　not　yet　out　of　date；　Madame　Sarcus〃



〃Oh！　Monsieur　Rigou；〃　said　Madame　Soudry；　in　a　mincing　tone；　〃are

women　ever　out　of　date？〃



〃You　may　be　right　about　Madame　Sarcus；　she　doesn't　paint　before　the

glass；〃　retorted　Rigou；　who　was　always　disgusted　by　the　exhibition　of

the　Cochet's　ancient　charms。



Madame　Soudry；　who　thought　she　used　only　a　〃suspicion〃　of　rouge；　did

not　perceive　the　sarcasm　and　hastened　to　say：



〃Is　it　possible　that　women　paint？〃



〃Now；　Lupin；〃　said　Rigou；　without　replying　to　this　naivete；　〃go　over

to　Gaubertin's　to…morrow　morning。　Tell　him　that　my　fellow…mayor　and　I〃

（striking　Soudry　on　the　thigh）　〃will　break　bread　with　him　at　breakfast

somewhere　about　midday。　Tell　him　everything；　so　that　we　may　all　have

thought　it　over　before　we　meet；　for　now's　the　time　to　make　an　end　of

that　damned　Shopman。　As　I　drove　over　here　I　came　to　the　conclusion　it

would　be　best　to　get　up　a　quarrel　between　the　courts　and　him；　so　that

the　Keeper　of　the　Seals　would　be　wary　of　making　the　changes　he　may　ask

in　their　members。〃



〃Bravo　for　the　son　of　the　Church！〃　cried　Lupin；　slapping　Rigou　on　the

shoulder。



Madame　Soudry　was　here　struck　by　an　idea　which　could　come　only　to　a

former　waiting…maid　of　an　Opera　divinity。



〃If；〃　she　said；　〃one　could　only　get　the　Shopman　to　the　fete　at

Soulanges；　and　throw　some　fine　girl　in　his　way　who　would　turn　his

head；　we　could　easily　set　his　wife　against　him　by　letting　her　know

that　the　son　of　an　upholsterer　has　gone　back　to　the　style　of　his　early

loves。〃



〃Ah；　my　beauty！〃　said　Soudry；　〃you　have　more　sense　in　your　head　than

the　Prefecture　of　police　in　Paris。〃



〃That's　an　idea　which　proves　that　Madame　reigns　by　mind　as　well　as　by

beauty；〃　said　Lupin；　who　was　rewarded　by　a　grimace　which　the　leading

society　of　Soulanges　were　in　the　habit　of　accepting　without　protest

for　a　smile。



〃One　might　do　better　still；〃　said　Rigou；　after　some　thought；　〃if　we

could　only　turn　it　into　a　downright　scandal。〃



〃Complaint　and　indictment！　affair　in　the　police　court！〃　cried　Lupin。

〃Oh！　that　would　be　grand！〃



〃Glorious！〃　said　Soudry；　candidly。　〃What　happiness　to　see　the　Comte　de

Montcornet；　grand　cross　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　commander　of　the　Order

of　Saint　Louis；　and　lieutenant…general；　accused　of　having　attempted；

in　a　public　resort；　the　virtuejust　think　of　it！〃



〃He　loves　his　wife　too　well；〃　said　Lupin；　reflectively。　〃He　couldn't

be　got　to　that。〃



〃That's　no　obstacle；〃　remarked　Rigou；　〃but　I　don't　know　a　single　girl

in　the　whole　arrondissement　who　is　capable　of　making　a　sinner　of　a

saint。　I　have　been　looking　out　for　one　for　the　abbe。〃



〃What　do　you　say　to　that　handsome　Gatienne　Giboulard；　of　Auxerre；　whom

Sarcus；　junior；　is　mad　after？〃　asked　Lupin。



〃That's　the　only　one；〃　answered　Rigou；　〃but　she　is　not　suitable；　she

thinks　she　has　only　to　be　seen　to　be　admired；　she's　not　complying

enough；　we　want　a　witch　and　a　sly…boots；　too。　Never　mind；　the　right

one　will　turn　up　sooner　or　later。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Lupin；　〃the　more　pretty　girls　he　sees　the　greater　the

chances　are。〃



〃But　perhaps　you　can't　get　the　Shopman　to　the　fair；〃　said　the　ex…

gendarme。　〃And　if　he　does　come；　will　he　go　to　the　Tivoli　ball？〃



〃The　reason　that　has　always　kept　him　away　from　the　fair　doesn't　exist

this　year；　my　love；〃　said　Madame　Soudry。



〃What　reason；　dearest？〃　asked　Soudry。



〃The　Shopman　wanted　to　marry　Mademoiselle　de　Soulanges；〃　said　the

notary。　〃The　family　replied　that　she　was　too　young；　and　that　mortified

him。　That　is　why　Monsieur　de　Soulanges　and　Monsieur　de　Montcornet；　two

old　friends　who　both　served　in　the　Imperial　Guard；　are　so　cool　to　each

other　that　they　never　speak。　The　Shopman　doesn't　want　to　meet　the

Soulanges　at　the　fair；　but　this　year　the　family　are　not　coming。〃



Usually　the　Soulanges　party　stayed　at　the　chateau　from　July　to

October；　but　the　general　was　then　in　command　of　the　artillery　in

Spain；　under　the　Duc　d'Angouleme；　and　the　countess　had　accompanied

him。　At　the　siege　of　Cadiz　the　Comte　de　Soulanges　obtained；　as　every

one　knows；　the　marshal's　baton；　which　he　kept　till　1826。



〃Very　true；〃　cried　Lupin。　〃Well；　it　is　for　you；　papa；〃　he　added；

addressing　Rigou；　〃to　manoeuvre　the　matter　so　that　we　can　get　him　to

the　fair；　once　there；　we　ought　to　be　able　to　entrap　him。〃



The　fair　of　Soulanges；　which　takes　place　on　the　15th　of　August；　is　one

of　the　features　of　the　town；　and　carries　the　palm　over　all　other　fairs

in　a　circuit　of　sixty　miles；　even　those　of　the　capital　of　the

department。　Ville…aux…Fayes　has　no　fair；　for　its　fete…day；　the　Saint…

Sylvestre；　happens　in　winter。



From　the　12th　to　the　15th　of　August　all　sorts　of　merchants　abounded　at

Soulanges；　and　set　up　their　booths　in　two　parallel　lines；　two　rows　of

the　well…known　gray　linen　huts；　which　gave　a　lively　appearance　to　the

usually　deserted　streets。　The　two　weeks　of　the　fair　brought　in　a　sort

of　harvest　to　the　little　town；　for　the　festival　has　the　authority　and

prestige　of　tradition。　The　peasants；　as　old　Fourchon　said；　flocked　in

from　the　districts　to　which　labor　bound　them　for　the　rest　of　the　year。

The　wonderful　show　on　the　counters　of　the　improvised　shops；　the

collection　of　all　sorts　of　merchandise；　the　coveted　objects　of　the

wants　or　the　vanities　of　these　sons　of　the　soil；　who　have　no　other

shows　or　exhibitions　to　enjoy　exercise　a　periodical　seduction　over　the

minds　of　all；　especially　the　women　and　children。　So；　after　the　first

of　August　the　authorities　posted　advertisements　signed　by　Soudry；

throughout　the　whole　arrondissement；　offering　protection　to　merchants；

jugglers；　mountebanks；　prodigies　of　all　kinds；　and　stating　how　long

the　fair　would　last；　and　what　would　be　its　principal　attractions。



On　these　posters；　about　which　it　will　be　remembered　Madame　Tonsard

inquired　of　Vermichel；　there　was　always；　on　the　last　line；　the

following　announcement：



〃Tivoli　will　be　illuminated　with　colored…glass　lamps。〃



The　town　had　adopted　as　the　place　for　public　a　dance…ground　created　by

Socquard　out　of　a　stony　garden　（stony；　like　the　rest　of　the　hill　on

which　Soulanges　is　built；　where　the　gardens　are　of　made　land）；　and

called　by　him　a　Tivoli。　This　character　of　the　soil　explains　the

peculiar　flavor　of　the　Soulanges　wine；a　white　wine；　dry　and

spirituous；　very　like　Madeira　or　the　Vouvray　wine；　or　Johannisberger；

three　vintages　which　resemble　one　another。



The　powerful　effect　produced　by　the　Socquard　ball　upon　the

imaginations　of　the　whole　country…side　made　the　inhabitants　thereof

very　proud　of　their　Tivoli。　Such　as　had　ventured　as　far　as　Paris

declared　that　the　Parisian　Tivoli　was　superior　to　that　of　Soulanges

only　in　size。　Gaubertin　boldly　declared　that；　for　his　part；　he

preferred　the　Socquard　ball　to　the　Parisian　ball。



〃Well；　we'll　think　it　all　over；〃　continued　Rigou。　〃That　Parisian

fellow；　the　editor　of　a　newspaper；　will　soon　get　tired　of　his　present

amusement　and　be　glad　of　a　change；　perhaps　we　could　through　the

servants　give　him　the　idea　of　coming　to　the　fair；　and　he'd　bring　the

others；　I'll　consider　it。　Sibilet　mightalthough；　to　be　sure；　his

influence　is　devilishly　decreased　of　latebut　he　might　get　the

general　to　think　he　could　curry　popularity　by　coming。〃



〃Find　out　if　the　beautiful　countess　keeps　the　general　at　arm's

length；〃　said　Lupin；　〃that's　the　point　if　you　want　him　to　fall　into

the　farce　at　Tivoli。〃



〃That　little　woman；〃　cried　Madame　Soudry；　〃is　too　much　of　a　Parisian

not　to　know　how　to　run　with　the　hare　and　hold　with　the　hounds。〃



〃Fourchon　has　got　his　granddaughter　Catherine　on　good　terms；　he　tells

me；　with　Charles；　the　Shopman's　groom。　That　gives　us　one　ear　more　in

Les　AiguesAre　you　sure　of　the　Abbe　Taupin；〃　he　added；　as　the　priest

entered　the　room　from　the　terrace。



〃We　hold　him　and　the　Abbe　Mouchon；　too；　just　as　I　hold　Soudry；〃　said

the　queen；　stroking　her　husband's　chin；　〃you　are　not　unhappy；　dearest；

are　you？〃　she　said　to　Soudry。



〃If　I　can　plan　a　scandal　against　that　Tartufe　of　a　Brossette　we　can

win；〃　said　Rigou；　in　a　low　voice。　〃But　I　am　not　sure　if　the　local

spirit　can　succeed　against　the　Church　spirit。　You　don't　realize　what

that　is。　I；　myself；　who　am　no　fool；　I　can't　say　what　I'll　do　when　I

fall　ill。　I　believe　I　shall　try　to　be　reconciled　with　the　Church。〃



〃Suffer　me　to　hope　it；〃　said　the　Abbe　Taupin；