sons of the soil-第75节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

and　every　one　seemed　to　them；　as　before；　in　his　place。



While　this　orgy　was　going　on　Michaud's　household　was　in　a　scene　of

mortal　anxiety。　Olympe　had　felt　false　pains；　and　her　husband；　thinking

she　was　about　to　be　delivered；　rode　off　instantly　in　haste　for　the

doctor。　But　the　poor　woman's　pains　ceased　as　soon　as　she　realized　that

Michaud　was　gone；　for　her　mind　was　so　preoccupied　by　the　danger　her

husband　ran　at　that　hour　of　the　night；　in　a　lawless　region　filled　with

determined　foes；　that　the　anguish　of　her　soul　was　powerful　enough　to

deaden　and　momentarily　subdue　those　of　the　body。　In　vain　her　servant…

woman　declared　her　fears　were　imaginary；　she　seemed　not　to　comprehend

a　word　that　was　said　to　her；　and　sat　by　the　fire　in　her　bed…chamber

listening　to　every　sound。　In　her　terror；　which　increased　every　moment；

she　had　the　man　wakened；　meaning　to　give　him　some　order　which　still

she　did　not　give。　At　last；　the　poor　woman　wandered　up　and　down；　coming

and　going　in　feverish　agitation；　she　looked　out　of　all　the　windows　and

opened　them　in　spite　of　the　cold；　then　she　went　downstairs　and　opened

the　door　into　the　courtyard；　looking　out　and　listening。　〃Nothing！

nothing！〃　she　said。　Then　she　went　up　again　in　despair。　About　a　quarter

past　twelve；　she　cried　out：　〃Here　he　is！　I　hear　the　horse！〃　Again　she

went　down；　followed　by　the　man　who　went　to　open　the　iron　gate　of　the

courtyard。　〃It　is　strange；〃　she　said；　〃that　he　should　return　by　the

Conches　woods！〃



As　she　spoke　she　stood　still；　horrorstruck；　motionless；　voiceless。　The

man　shared　her　terror；　for；　in　the　furious　gallop　of　the　horse；　the

clang　of　the　empty　stirrups；　the　neigh　of　the　frightened　animal；　there

was　something；　they　scarcely　knew　what；　of　unspeakable　warning。　Soon；

too　soon　for　the　unhappy　wife；　the　horse　reached　the　gate；　panting　and

sweating；　but　alone；　he　had　broken　the　bridle；　no　doubt　by　entangling

it。　Olympe　gazed　with　haggard　eyes　at　the　servant　as　he　opened　the


gate；　she　saw　the　horse；　and　then；　without　a　word；　she　ran　to　the

chateau　like　a　madwoman；　when　she　reached　it　she　fell　to　the　ground

beneath　the　general's　windows　crying　out：　〃Monsieur；　they　have

murdered　him！〃



The　cry　was　so　terrible　it　awoke　the　count；　he　rang　violently；

bringing　the　whole　household　to　their　feet；　and　the　groans　of　Madame

Michaud；　who　as　she　lay　on　the　ground；　gave　birth　to　a　child　that　died

in　being　born；　brought　the　general　and　all　the　servants　about　her。

They　raised　the　poor　dying　woman；　who　expired；　saying　to　the　general：

〃They　have　murdered　him！〃



〃Joseph！〃　cried　the　count　to　his　valet；　〃go　for　the　doctor；　there　may

yet　be　time　to　save　her。　No；　better　bring　the　curate；　the　poor　woman

is　dead；　and　her　child　too。　My　God！　my　God！　how　thankful　I　am　that　my

wife　is　not　here。　And　you；〃　he　said　to　the　gardener；　〃go　and　find　out

what　has　happened。〃



〃I　can　tell　you；〃　said　the　pavilion　servant；　coming　up；　〃Monsieur

Michaud's　horse　has　come　back　alone；　the　reins　broke；　his　legs　bloody；

and　there's　a　spot　of　blood　on　the　saddle。〃



〃What　can　be　done　at　this　time　of　night？〃　cried　the　count。　〃Call　up

Groison；　send　for　the　keepers；　saddle　the　horses；　we'll　beat　the

country。〃



By　daybreak；　eight　personsthe　count；　Groison；　the　three　keepers；　and

two　gendarmes　sent　from　Soulanges　with　their　sergeantsearched　the

country。　It　was　not　till　the　middle　of　the　morning　that　they　found　the

body　of　the　bailiff　in　a　copse　between　the　mail…road　and　the　smaller

road　leading　to　Ville…aux…Fayes；　at　the　end　of　the　park　of　Les　Aigues；

not　far　from　Conches。　Two　gendarmes　started；　one　to　Ville…aux…Fayes

for　the　prosecuting　attorney；　the　other　to　Soulanges　for　the　justice

of　the　peace。　Meantime　the　general；　assisted　by　the　sergeant；　noted

down　the　facts。　They　found　on　the　road；　just　above　the　two　pavilions；

the　print　of　the　stamping　of　the　horse's　feet　as　he　roared；　and　the

traces　of　his　frightened　gallop　from　there　to　the　first　opening　in　the

woods　above　the　hedge。　The　horse；　no　longer　guided；　turned　into　the

wood…path。　Michaud's　hat　was　found　there。　The　animal　evidently　took

the　nearest　way　to　reach　his　stable。　The　bailiff　had　a　ball　though　his

back　which　broke　the　spine。



Groison　and　the　sergeant　studied　the　ground　around　the　spot　where　the

horse　reared　（which　might　be　called；　in　judicial　language；　the　theatre

of　the　crime）　with　remarkable　sagacity；　but　without　obtaining　any

clue。　The　earth　was　too　frozen　to　show　the　footprints　of　the　murderer；

and　all　they　found　was　the　paper　of　a　cartridge。　When　the　attorney　and

the　judge　and　Monsieur　Gourdon；　the　doctor；　arrived　and　raised　the

body　to　make　the　autopsy；　it　was　found　that　the　ball；　which

corresponded　with　the　fragments　of　the　wad；　was　an　ammunition　ball；

evidently　from　a　military　musket；　and　no　such　musket　existed　in　the

district　of　Blangy。　The　judge　and　Monsieur　Soudry　the　attorney；　who

came　that　evening　to　the　chateau；　thought　it　best　to　collect　all　the

facts　and　await　events。　The　same　opinion　was　expressed　by　the　sergeant

and　the　lieutenant　of　the　gendarmerie。



〃It　is　impossible　that　it　can　be　anything　but　a　planned　attack　on　the

part　of　the　peasants；〃　said　the　sergeant；　〃but　there　are　two

districts；　Conches　and　Blangy；　in　each　of　which　there　are　five　or　six

persons　capable　of　being　concerned　in　the　murder。　The　one　that　I

suspect　most；　Tonsard；　passed　the　night　carousing　in　the　Grand…I…Vert；

but　your　assistant；　general；　the　miller　Langlume；　was　there；　and　he

says　that　Tonsard　did　not　leave　the　tavern。　They　were　all　so　drunk

they　could　not　stand；　they　took　the　bride　home　at　half…past　one；　and

the　return　of　the　horse　proves　that　Michaud　was　murdered　between

eleven　o'clock　and　midnight。　At　a　quarter　past　ten　Groison　saw　the

whole　company　assembled　at　table；　and　Monsieur　Michaud　passed　there　on

his　way　to　Soulanges；　which　he　reached　at　eleven。　His　horse　reared

between　the　two　pavilions　on　the　mail…road；　but　he　may　have　been　shot

before　reaching　Blangy　and　yet　have　stayed　in　the　saddle　for　some

little　time。　We　should　have　to　issue　warrants　for　at　least　twenty

persons　and　arrest　them；　but　I　know　these　peasants；　and　so　do　these

gentlemen；　you　might　keep　them　a　year　in　prison　and　you　would　get

nothing　out　of　them　but　denials。　What　could　you　do　with　all　those　who

were　at　Tonsard's？〃



They　sent　for　Langlume；　the　miller；　and　the　assistant　of　General

Montcornet　as　mayor；　he　related　what　had　taken　place　in　the　tavern；

and　gave　the　names　of　all　present；　none　had　gone　out　except　for　a

minute　or　two　into　the　courtyard。　He　had　left　the　room　for　a　moment

with　Tonsard　about　eleven　o'clock；　they　had　spoken　of　the　moon　and　the

weather；　and　heard　nothing。　At　two　o'clock　the　whole　party　had　taken

the　bride　and　bridegroom　to　their　own　house。



The　general　arranged　with　the　sergeant；　the　lieutenant；　and　the　civil

authorities　to　send　to　Paris　for　the　cleverest　detective　in　the

service　of　the　police；　who　should　come　to　the　chateau　as　a　workman；

and　behave　so　ill　as　to　be　dismissed；　he　should　then　take　to　drinking

and　frequent　the　Grand…I…Vert　and　remain　in　the　neighborhood　in　the

character　of　an　ill…wisher　to　the　general。　The　best　plan　they　could

follow　was　to　watch　and　wait　for　a　momentary　revelation；　and　then　make

the　most　of　it。



〃If　I　have　to　spend　twenty　thousand　francs　I'll　discover　the　murderer

of　my　poor　Michaud；〃　the　general　was　never　weary　of　saying。



He　went　off　with　that　idea　in　his　head；　and　returned　from　Paris　in　the

month　of　January　with　one　of　the　shrewdest　satellites　of　the　chief　of

the　detective　police；　who　was　brought　down　ostensibly　to　do　some　work

to　the　interior　of　the　chateau。　The　man　was　discovered　poaching。　He

was　arrested；　and　turned　off；　and　soon　afterearly　in　Februarythe

general　rejoined　his　wife　in　Paris。







CHAPTER　X



THE　TRIUMPH　OF　THE　VANQUISHED



One　evening　in　the　month　of　May；　when　the　fine　weather　had　come　and

the　Parisians　had　returned　to　Les　Aigues；　Monsieur　de　Troisville；who

had　been　persuaded　to　accompany　his　daughter；Blondet；　the　Abbe

Brossette；　the　general；　and　the　sub…prefect　of　Ville…aux…Fayes；　who

was　on　a　visit　to　the　chateau；　were　all　playing　either　whist　or　chess。

It　was　about　half…past　eleven　o'clock　when　Joseph　entered　and　told　his

master　that　the　worthless　poaching　workman　who　had　been　dismissed

wanted　to　see　him；something　about　a　bill　which　he　said　the　general

still　owed　him。　〃He　is　very　drunk；〃　added　Joseph。



〃Very　good；　I'll　go　and　speak　to　him。〃



The　general　went　out　upon　the　lawn　to　some　distance　from　the　house。



〃Monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　the　detective；　〃nothing　will　ever　be　got　out

of　these　people。　All　that　I　have　been　able　to　gather　is　that　if　you

continue　to　stay　in　this　place　and　try　to　make　the　peasants　renounce

the　pilfering　habits　which　Mademoiselle　Laguerre　allowed　them　to

acquire；　they　will　shoot　you　as　wel