sons of the soil-第70节

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underclothing　for　the　very　poor。　The　general　began　improvements　which

needed　many　laborers；　and　he　employed　none　but　those　in　the　adjoining

districts。　Sibilet　was　in　charge　of　the　works　and　the　Abbe　Brossette

gave　the　countess　lists　of　the　most　needy；　and　often　brought　them　to

her　himself。　Madame　de　Montcornet　attended　to　these　matters　personally

in　the　great　antechamber　which　opened　upon　the　portico。　It　was　a

beautiful　waiting…room；　floored　with　squares　of　white　and　red　marble；

warmed　by　a　porcelain　stove；　and　furnished　with　benches　covered　with

red　plush。



It　was　there　that　one　morning；　just　before　harvest；　old　Mother　Tonsard

brought　her　granddaughter　Catherine；　who　had　to　make；　she　said；　a

dreadful　confession；dreadful　for　the　honor　of　a　poor　but　honest

family。　While　the　old　woman　addressed　the　countess　Catherine　stood　in

an　attitude　of　conscious　guilt。　Then　she　related　on　her　own　account

the　unfortunate　〃situation〃　in　which　she　was　placed；　which　she　had

confided　to　none　but　her　grandmother；　for　her　mother；　she　knew；　would

turn　her　out；　and　her　father；　an　honorable　man；　might　kill　her。　If　she

only　had　a　thousand　francs　she　could　be　married　to　a　poor　laborer

named　Godain；　who　KNEW　ALL；　and　who　loved　her　like　a　brother；　he　could

buy　a　poor　bit　of　ground　and　build　a　cottage　if　she　had　that　sum。　It

was　very　touching。　The　countess　promised　the　money；　resolving　to

devote　the　price　of　some　fancy　to　this　marriage。　The　happy　marriages

of　Michaud　and　Groison　encouraged　her。　Besides；　such　a　wedding　would

be　a　good　example　to　the　people　of　the　neighborhood　and　stimulate　to

virtuous　conduct。　The　marriage　of　Catherine　Tonsard　and　Godain　was

accordingly　arranged　by　means　of　the　countess's　thousand　francs。



Another　time　a　horrible　old　woman；　Mother　Bonnebault；　who　lived　in　a

hut　between　the　gate　of　Conches　and　the　village；　brought　back　a　great

bundle　of　skeins　of　linen　thread。



〃Madame　la　comtesse　has　done　wonders；〃　said　the　abbe；　full　of　hope　as

to　the　moral　progress　of　his　savages。　〃That　old　woman　did　immense

damage　to　your　woods；　but　now　she　has　no　time　for　it；　she　stays　at

home　and　spins　from　morning　till　night；　her　time　is　all　taken　up　and

well　paid　for。〃



Peace　reigned　everywhere。　Groison　made　very　satisfactory　reports；

depredations　seemed　to　have　ceased；　and　it　is　even　possible　that　the

state　of　the　neighborhood　and　the　feeling　of　the　inhabitants　might

really　have　changed　if　it　had　not　been　for　the　revengeful　eagerness　of

Gaubertin；　the　cabals　of　the　leading　society　of　Soulanges；　and　the

intrigues　of　Rigou；　who　one　and　all；　with　〃the　affair〃　in　view；　blew

the　embers　of　hatred　and　crime　in　the　hearts　of　the　peasantry　of　the

valley　des　Aigues。



The　keepers　still　complained　of　finding　a　great　many　branches　cut　with

shears　in　the　deeper　parts　of　the　wood　and　left　to　dry；　evidently　as　a

provision　for　winter。　They　watched　for　the　delinquents　without　ever

being　able　to　catch　them。　The　count；　assisted　by　Groison；　had　given

certificates　of　pauperism　to　only　thirty　or　forty　of　the　real　poor　of

the　district；　but　the　other　two　mayors　had　been　less　strict。　The　more

clement　the　count　showed　himself　in　the　affair　at　Conches　the　more

determined　he　was　to　enforce　the　laws　about　gleaning；　which　had　now

degenerated　into　theft。　He　did　not　interfere　with　the　management　of

three　of　his　farms　which　were　leased　to　tenants；　nor　with　those　whose

tenants　worked　for　his　profit；　of　which　he　had　a　number；　but　he

managed　six　farms　himself；　each　of　about　two　hundred　acres；　and　he　now

published　a　notice　that　it　was　forbidden；　under　pain　of　being　arrested

and　made　to　pay　the　fine　imposed　by　the　courts；　to　enter　those　fields

before　the　crop　was　carried　away。　The　order　concerned　only　his　own

immediate　property。　Rigou；　who　knew　the　country　well；　had　let　his

farm…lands　in　portions　and　on　short　leases　to　men　who　knew　how　to　get

in　their　own　crops；　and　who　paid　him　in　grain；　therefore　gleaning　did

not　affect　him。　The　other　proprietors　were　peasants；　and　no　nefarious

gleaning　was　attempted　on　their　land。



When　the　harvest　began　the　count　went　himself　to　Michaud　to　see　how

things　were　going　on。　Groison；　who　advised　him　to　do　this；　was　to　be

present　himself　at　the　gleaning　of　each　particular　field。　The

inhabitants　of　cities　can　have　no　idea　what　gleaning　is　to　the

inhabitants　of　the　country；　the　passion　of　these　sons　of　the　soil　for

it　seems　inexplicable；　there　are　women　who　will　give　up　well…paid

employments　to　glean。　The　wheat　they　pick　up　seems　to　them　sweeter

than　any　other；　and　the　provision　they　thus　make　for　their　chief　and

most　substantial　food　has　to　them　an　extraordinary　attraction。　Mothers

take　their　babes　and　their　little　girls　and　boys；　the　feeblest　old　men

drag　themselves　into　the　wheat…fields；　and　even　those　who　own　property

are　paupers　for　the　nonce。　All　gleaners　appear　in　rags。



The　count　and　Michaud　were　present　on　horseback　when　the　first

tattered　batch　entered　the　first　fields　from　which　the　wheat　had　been

carried。　It　was　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning。　August　had　been　a　hot

month；　the　sky　was　cloudless；　blue　as　a　periwinkle；　the　earth　was

baked；　the　wheat　flamed；　the　harvestmen　worked　with　their　faces

scorched　by　the　reflection　of　the　sun…rays　on　the　hard　and　arid　earth。

All　were　silent；　their　shirts　wet　with　perspiration；　while　from　time

to　time；　they　slaked　their　thirst　with　water　from　round；　earthenware

jugs；　furnished　with　two　handles　and　a　mouth…piece　stoppered　with　a

willow　stick。



At　the　father　end　of　the　stubble…field　stood　the　carts　which　contained

the　sheaves；　and　near　them　a　group　of　at　least　a　hundred　beings　who

far　exceeded　the　hideous　conceptions　of　Murillo　and　Teniers；　the

boldest　painters　of　such　scenes；　or　of　Callot；　that　poet　of　the

fantastic　in　poverty。　The　pictured　bronze　legs；　the　bare　heads；　the

ragged　garments　so　curiously　faded；　so　damp　with　grease；　so　darned　and

spotted　and　discolored；　in　short；　the　painters'　ideal　of　the　material

of　abject　poverty　was　far　surpassed　by　this　scene；　while　the

expression　on　those　faces；　greedy；　anxious；　doltish；　idiotic；　savage；

showed　the　everlasting　advantage　which　nature　possesses　over　art　by

its　comparison　with　the　immortal　compositions　of　those　princes　of

color。　There　were　old　women　with　necks　like　turkeys；　and　hairless；

scarlet　eyelids；　who　stretched　their　heads　forward　like　setters　before

a　partridge；　there　were　children；　silent　as　soldiers　under　arms；

little　girls　who　stamped　like　animals　waiting　for　their　food；　the

natures　of　childhood　and　old　age　were　crushed　beneath　the　fierceness

of　a　savage　greed；greed　for　the　property　of　others　now　their　own　by

long　abuse。　All　eyes　were　savage；　all　gestures　menacing；　but　every　one

kept　silence　in　presence　of　the　count；　the　field…keeper；　and　the

bailiff。　At　this　moment　all　classes　were　represented；the　great　land…

owners；　the　farmers；　the　working　men；　the　paupers；　the　social　question

was　defined　to　the　eye；　hunger　had　convoked　the　actors　in　the　scene。

The　sun　threw　into　relief　the　hard　and　hollow　features　of　those　faces；

it　burned　the　bare　feet　dusty　with　the　soil；　children　were　present

with　no　clothing　but　a　torn　blouse；　their　blond　hair　tangled　with

straw　and　chips；　some　women　brought　their　babes　just　able　to　walk；　and

left　them　rolling　in　the　furrows。



The　gloomy　scene　was　harrowing　to　the　old　soldier；　whose　heart　was

kind；　and　he　said　to　Michaud：　〃It　pains　me　to　see　it。　One　must　know

the　importance　of　these　measures　to　be　able　to　insist　upon　them。〃



〃If　every　land…owner　followed　your　example；　lived　on　his　property；　and

did　the　good　that　you　and　yours　are　doing；　general；　there　would　be；　I

won't　say　no　poor；　for　they　are　always　with　us；　but　no　poor　man　who

could　not　live　by　his　labor。〃



〃The　mayors　of　Conches；　Cerneux；　and　Soulanges　have　sent　us　all　their

paupers；〃　said　Groison；　who　had　now　looked　at　the　certificates；　〃they

had　no　right　to　do　so。〃



〃No；　but　our　people　will　go　to　their　districts；〃　said　the　general。

〃For　the　time　being　we　have　done　enough　by　preventing　the　gleaning

before　the　sheaves　were　taken　away；　we　had　better　go　step　by　step；〃　he

added；　turning　to　leave　the　field。



〃Did　you　hear　him？〃　said　Mother　Tonsard　to　the　old　Bonnebault　woman；

for　the　general's　last　words　were　said　in　a　rather　louder　tone　than

the　rest；　and　reached　the　ears　of　the　two　old　women　who　were　posted　in

the　road　which　led　beside　the　field。



〃Yes；　yes！　we　haven't　got　to　the　end　yet；a　tooth　to…day　and　to…

morrow　an　ear；　if　they　could　find　a　sauce　for　our　livers　they'd　eat

'em　as　they　do　a　calf's！〃　said　old　Bonnebault；　whose　threatening　face

was　turned　in　profile　to　the　general　as　he　passed　her；　though　in　the

twinkling　of　an　eye　she　changed　its　expression　to　one　of　hypocritical

softness　and　submission　as　she　hastened　to　make　him　a　profound

curtsey。



〃So　you　are　gleaning；　are　you；　though　my　wife　helps　you　to　earn　so

much　money？〃



〃H