sons of the soil-第74节

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the　door　of　the　Grand…I…Vert。　Mother　Tonsard　was　the　only　person　up。



〃Marie！〃　called　Bonnebault；　〃that　matter　is　settled。〃



〃You　mean　about　the　trees？〃　said　Mother　Tonsard；　〃yes；　it　is　all

settled；　I've　taken　it。〃



〃Nonsense！〃　cried　Mother　Bonnebault；　〃my　son　has　got　the　promise　of　an

acre　of　land　from　Monsieur　Rigou〃



The　two　old　women　squabbled　as　to　which　of　them　should　be　sold　by　her

children。　The　noise　of　the　quarrel　woke　up　the　household。　Tonsard　and

Bonnebault　took　sides　for　their　respective　mothers。



〃Pull　straws；〃　suggested　Tonsard's　wife。



The　short　straw　gave　it　in　favor　of　the　tavern。



Three　days　later；　in　the　forest　of　Ville…aux…Fayes　at　daybreak；　the

gendarmes　arrested　old　Mother　Tonsard　caught　〃in　flagrante　delicto〃　by

the　bailiff；　his　assistants；　and　the　field…keeper；　with　a　rusty　file

which　served　to　tear　the　tree；　and　a　chisel；　used　by　the　delinquent　to

scoop　round　the　bark　just　as　the　insect　bores　its　way。　The　indictment

stated　that　sixty　trees　thus　destroyed　were　found　within　a　radius　of

five　hundred　feet。　The　old　woman　was　sent　to　Auxerre；　the　case　coming

under　the　jurisdiction　of　the　assize…court。



Michaud　could　not　refrain　from　saying　when　he　discovered　Mother

Tonsard　at　the　foot　of　the　tree：　〃These　are　the　persons　on　whom　the

general　and　Madame　la　comtesse　have　showered　benefits！　Faith；　if

Madame　would　only　listen　to　me；　she　wouldn't　give　that　dowry　to　the

Tonsard　girl；　who　is　more　worthless　than　her　grandmother。〃



The　old　woman　raised　her　gray　eyes　and　darted　a　venomous　look　at

Michaud。　When　the　count　learned　who　the　guilty　person　was；　he　forbade

his　wife　to　give　the　money　to　Catherine　Tonsard。



〃Monsieur　le　comte　is　perfectly　right；〃　said　Sibilet。　〃I　know　that

Godain　bought　that　land　three　days　before　Catherine　came　to　speak　to

Madame。　She　is　quite　capable；　that　girl；　of　pretending　she　is　with

child；　to　get　the　money；　very　likely　Godain　has　had　nothing　to　do　with

it。〃



〃What　a　community！〃　said　Blondet；　〃the　scoundrels　of　Paris　are　saints

by　comparison。〃



〃Ah；　monsieur；〃　said　Sibilet；　〃self…interest　makes　people　guilty　of

horrors　everywhere。　Do　you　know　who　betrayed　the　old　woman？〃



〃No。〃



〃Her　granddaughter　Marie；　she　was　jealous　of　her　sister's　marriage；

and　to　get　the　money　for　her　own〃



〃It　is　awful！〃　said　the　count。　〃Why！　they'd　murder！〃



〃Oh　yes；〃　said　Sibilet；　〃for　a　very　small　sum。　They　care　so　little　for

life；　those　people；　they　hate　to　have　to　work　all　their　lives。　Ah

monsieur；　queer　things　happen　in　country　places；　as　queer　as　those　of

Paris；but　you　will　never　believe　it。〃



〃Let　us　be　kind　and　benevolent；〃　said　the　countess。



The　evening　after　the　arrest　Bonnebault　came　to　the　tavern　of　the

Grand…I…Vert；　where　all　the　Tonsard　family　were　in　great　jubilation。

〃Oh　yes；　yes！〃　said　he；　〃make　the　most　of　your　rejoicing；　but　I've

just　heard　from　Vaudoyer　that　the　countess；　to　punish　you；　withdraws

the　thousand　francs　promised　to　Godain；　her　husband　won't　let　her　give

them。〃



〃It's　that　villain　of　a　Michaud　who　has　put　him　up　to　it；〃　said

Tonsard。　〃My　mother　heard　him　say　he　would；　she　told　me　at　Ville…aux…

Fayes　where　I　went　to　carry　her　some　money　and　her　clothes。　Well；　let

that　countess　keep　her　money！　our　five　hundred　francs　shall　help

Godain　buy　the　land；　and　we'll　revenge　ourselves　for　this　thing。　Ha！

Michaud　meddles　with　our　private　matters；　does　he？　it　will　bring　him

more　harm　than　good。　What　business　is　it　of　his；　I'd　like　to　know？　let

him　keep　to　the　woods！　It's　he　who　is　at　the　bottom　of　all　this

troublehe　found　the　clue　that　day　my　mother　cut　the　throat　of　his

dog。　Suppose　I　were　to　meddle　in　the　affairs　of　the　chateau？　Suppose　I

were　to　tell　the　general　that　his　wife　is　off　walking　in　the　woods

before　he　is　up　in　the　morning；　with　a　young　man。〃



〃The　general；　the　general！〃　sneered　Courtecuisse；　〃they　can　do　what

they　like　with　him。　But　it's　Michaud　who　stirs　him　up；　the　mischief…

maker！　a　fellow　who　don't　know　his　business；　in　my　day；　things　went

differently。〃



〃Ah！〃　said　Tonsard；　〃those　were　the　good　days　for　all　of　usweren't

they；　Vaudoyer？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　latter；　〃and　the　fact　is　that　if　Michaud　were　got　rid

of　we　should　be　left　in　peace。〃



〃Enough　said；〃　replied　Tonsard。　〃We'll　talk　of　this　laterby

moonlightin　the　open　field。〃



Towards　the　end　of　October　the　countess　returned　to　Paris；　leaving　the

general　at　Les　Aigues。　He　was　not　to　rejoin　her　till　some　time　later；

but　she　did　not　wish　to　lose　the　first　night　of　the　Italian　Opera；　and

moreover　she　was　lonely　and　bored；　she　missed　Emile；　who　was　recalled

by　his　avocations；　for　he　had　helped　her　to　pass　the　hours　when　the

general　was　scouring　the　country　or　attending　to　business。



November　was　a　true　winter　month；　gray　and　gloomy；　a　mixture　of　snow

and　rain；　frost　and　thaw。　The　trial　of　Mother　Tonsard　had　required

witnesses　at　Auxerre；　and　Michaud　had　given　his　testimony。　Monsieur

Rigou　had　interested　himself　for　the　old　woman；　and　employed　a　lawyer

on　her　behalf　who　relied　in　his　defence　on　the　absence　of

disinterested　witnesses；　but　the　testimony　of　Michaud　and　his

assistants　and　the　field…keeper　was　found　to　outweigh　this　objection。

Tonsard's　mother　was　sentenced　to　five　years'　imprisonment；　and　the

lawyer　said　to　her　son：



〃It　was　Michaud's　testimony　which　got　her　that。〃







CHAPTER　IX



THE　CATASTROPHE



One　Saturday　evening；　Courtecuisse；　Bonnebault；　Godain；　Tonsard；　his

daughters；　wife；　and　Pere　Fourchon；　also　Vaudoyer　and　several

mechanics　were　supping　at　the　tavern。　The　moon　was　at　half…full；　the

first　snow　had　melted；　and　frost　had　just　stiffened　the　ground　so　that

a　man's　step　left　no　traces。　They　were　eating　a　stew　of　hare　caught　in

a　trap；　all　were　drinking　and　laughing。　It　was　the　day　after　the

wedding　of　Catherine　and　Godain；　and　the　wedded　pair　were　to　be

conducted　to　their　new　home；　which　was　not　far　from　that　of

Courtecuisse；　for　when　Rigou　sold　an　acre　of　land　it　was　sure　to　be

isolated　and　close　to　the　woods。　Courtecuisse　and　Vaudoyer　had　brought

their　guns　to　accompany　the　bride。　The　neighborhood　was　otherwise　fast

asleep；　not　a　light　was　to　be　seen；　none　but　the　wedding　party　were

awake；　but　they　made　noise　enough。　In　the　midst　of　it　the　old

Bonnebault　woman　entered；　and　every　one　looked　at　her。



〃I　think　she　is　going　to　lie…in；〃　she　whispered　in　Tonsard's　ear。　〃HE

has　saddled　his　horse　and　is　going　for　the　doctor　at　Soulanges。〃



〃Sit　down；〃　said　Tonsard；　giving　her　his　place　at　the　table；　and　going

himself　to　lie　on　a　bench。



Just　then　the　gallop　of　a　horse　passing　rapidly　along　the　road　was

heard。　Tonsard；　Courtecuisse；　and　Vaudoyer　went　out　hurriedly；　and　saw

Michaud　on　his　way　to　the　village。



〃He　knows　what　he's　about；〃　said　Courtecuisse；　〃he　came　down　by　the

terrace　and　he　means　to　go　by　Blangy　and　the　road；it's　the　safest

way。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Tonsard；　〃but　he　will　bring　the　doctor　back　with　him。〃



〃He　won't　find　him；〃　said　Courtecuisse；　〃the　doctor　has　been　sent　for

to　Conches　for　the　postmistress。〃



〃Then　he'll　go　from　Soulanges　to　Conches　by　the　mail…road；　that's

shortest。〃



〃And　safest　too；　for　us；〃　said　Courtecuisse；　〃there's　a　fine　moon；　and

there　are　no　keepers　on　the　roads　as　there　are　in　the　woods；　one　can

hear　much　farther；　and　down　there；　by　the　pavilions；　behind　the

hedges；　just　where　they　join　the　little　wood；　one　can　aim　at　a　man

from　behind；　like　a　rabbit；　at　five　hundred　feet。〃



〃It　will　be　half…past　eleven　before　he　comes　past　there；〃　said

Tonsard；　〃it　will　take　him　half　an　hour　to　go　to　Soulanges　and　as　much

more　to　get　back；but　look　here！　suppose　Monsieur　Gourdon　were　on　the

road？〃



〃Don't　trouble　about　that；〃　said　Courtecuisse；　〃I'll　stand　ten　minutes

away　from　you　to　the　right　on　the　road　towards　Blangy；　and　Vaudoyer

will　be　ten　minutes　away　on　your　left　towards　Conches；　if　anything

comes　along；　the　mail；　or　the　gendarmes；　or　whatever　it　is；　we'll　fire

a　shot　into　the　ground；a　muffled　sound；　you'll　know　it。〃



〃But　suppose　I　miss　him？〃　said　Tonsard。



〃He's　right；〃　said　Courtecuisse；　〃I'm　the　best　shot；　Vaudoyer；　I'll　go

with　you；　Bonnebault　may　watch　in　my　place；　he　can　give　a　cry；　that's

easier　heard　and　less　suspicious。〃



All　three　returned　to　the　tavern　and　the　wedding　festivities　went　on；

but　about　eleven　o'clock　Vaudoyer；　Courtecuisse；　Tonsard；　and

Bonnebault　went　out；　carrying　their　guns；　though　none　of　the　women

took　any　notice　of　them。　They　came　back　in　about　three…quarters　of　an

hour；　and　sat　drinking　till　past　one　o'clock。　Tonsard's　girls　and

their　mother　and　the　old　Bonnebault　woman　had　plied　the　miller；　the

mechanics；　and　the　two　peasants；　as　well　as　Fourchon；　with　so　much

drink　that　they　were　all　on　the　ground　and　snoring　when　the　four　men

left　the　tavern；　on　their　return；　the　sleepers　were　shaken　and　roused；

and　every　one