sons of the soil-第76节

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the　pilfering　habits　which　Mademoiselle　Laguerre　allowed　them　to

acquire；　they　will　shoot　you　as　well　as　your　bailiff。　There　is　no　use

in　my　staying　here；　for　they　distrust　me　even　more　than　they　do　the

keepers。〃



The　count　paid　his　spy；　who　left　the　place　the　next　day；　and　his

departure　justified　the　suspicions　entertained　about　him　by　the

accomplices　in　the　death　of　Michaud。



When　the　general　returned　to　the　salon　there　were　such　signs　of

emotion　upon　his　face　that　his　wife　asked　him；　anxiously；　what　news　he

had　just　heard。



〃Dear　wife；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　want　to　frighten　you；　and　yet　it　is

right　you　should　know　that　Michaud's　death　was　intended　as　a　warning

for　us　to　leave　this　part　of　the　country。〃



〃If　I　were　in　your　place；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Troisville；　〃I　would　not

leave　it。　I　myself　have　had　just　such　difficulties　in　Normandy；　only

under　another　form；　I　persisted　in　my　course；　and　now　everything　goes

well。〃



〃Monsieur　le　marquis；〃　said　the　sub…prefect；　〃Normandy　and　Burgundy

are　two　very　different　regions。　The　grape　heats　the　blood　far　more

than　the　apple。　We　know　much　less　of　law　and　legal　proceedings；　we

live　among　the　woods；　the　large　industries　are　unknown　among　us；　we

are　still　savages。　If　I　might　give　my　advice　to　Monsieur　le　comte　it

would　be　to　sell　this　estate　and　put　the　money　in　the　Funds；　he　would

double　his　income　and　have　no　anxieties。　If　he　likes　living　in　the

country　he　could　buy　a　chateau　near　Paris　with　a　park　as　beautiful　as

that　of　Les　Aigues；　surrounded　by　walls；　where　no　one　can　annoy　him；

and　where　he　can　let　all　his　farms　and　receive　the　money　in　good　bank…

bills；　and　have　no　law　suits　from　one　year's　end　to　another。　He　could

come　and　go　in　three　or　four　hours；　and　Monsieur　Blondet　and　Monsieur

le　marquis　would　not　be　so　often　away　from　you；　Madame　la　comtesse。〃



〃I；　retreat　before　the　peasantry　when　I　did　not　recoil　before　the

Danube！〃　cried　the　general。



〃Yes；　but　what　became　of　your　cuirassiers？〃　asked　Blondet。



〃Such　a　fine　estate！〃



〃It　will　sell　to…day　for　over　two　millions。〃



〃The　chateau　alone　must　have　cost　that；〃　remarked　Monsieur　de

Troisville。



〃One　of　the　best　properties　in　a　circumference　of　sixty　miles；〃　said

the　sub…prefect；　〃but　you　can　find　a　better　near　Paris。〃



〃How　much　income　does　one　get　from　two　millions？〃　asked　the　countess。



〃Now…a…days；　about　eighty　thousand　francs；〃　replied　Blondet。



〃Les　Aigues　does　not　bring　in；　all　told；　more　than　thirty　thousand；〃

said　the　countess；　〃and　lately　you　have　been　at　such　immense　expenses；

you　have　surrounded　the　woods　this　year　with　ditches。〃



〃You　could　get；〃　added　Blondet；　〃a　royal　chateau　for　four　hundred

thousand　francs　near　Paris。　In　these　days　people　buy　the　follies　of

others。〃



〃I　thought　you　cared　for　Les　Aigues！〃　said　the　count　to　his　wife。



〃Don't　you　feel　that　I　care　a　thousand　times　more　for　your　life？〃　she

replied。　〃Besides；　ever　since　the　death　of　my　poor　Olympe　and

Michaud's　murder　the　country　is　odious　to　me；　all　the　faces　I　meet

seem　to　wear　a　treacherous　or　threatening　expression。〃



The　next　evening　the　sub…prefect；　having　ended　his　visit　at　the

chateau；　was　welcomed　in　the　salon　of　Monsieur　Gaubertin　at　Ville…aux…

Fayes　in　these　words：



〃Well；　Monsieur　des　Lupeaulx；　so　you　have　returned　from　Les　Aigues？〃



〃Yes；〃　answered　the　sub…prefect　with　a　little　air　of　triumph　and　a

look　of　tender　regard　at　Mademoiselle　Elise；　〃and　I　am　very　much

afraid　to　say　we　may　lose　the　general；　he　talks　of　selling　his

property〃



〃Monsieur　Gaubertin；　I　speak　for　my　pavilion。　I　can　on　longer　endure

the　noise；　the　dust　of　Ville…aux…Fayes；　like　a　poor　imprisoned　bird　I

gasp　for　the　air　of　the　fields；　the　woodland　breezes；〃　said　Madame

Isaure；　in　a　lackadaisical　voice；　with　her　eyes　half…closed　and　her

head　bending　to　her　left　shoulder　as　she　played　carelessly　with　the

long　curls　of　her　blond　hair。



〃Pray　be　prudent；　madame！〃　said　her　husband　in　a　low　voice；　〃your

indiscretions　will　not　help　me　to　buy　the　pavilion。〃　Then；　turning　to

the　sub…prefect；　he　added；　〃Haven't　they　yet　discovered　the　men　who

were　concerned　in　the　murder　of　the　bailiff？〃



〃It　seems　not；〃　replied　the　sub…prefect。



〃That　will　injure　the　sale　of　Les　Aigues；〃　said　Gaubertin　to　the

company　generally；　〃I　know　very　well　that　I　would　not　buy　the　place。

The　peasantry　over　there　are　such　a　bad　set　of　people；　even　in　the

days　of　Mademoiselle　Laguerre　I　had　trouble　with　them；　and　God　knows

she　let　them　do　as　they　liked。〃



At　the　end　of　the　month　of　May　the　general　still　gave　no　sign　that　he

intended　to　sell　Les　Aigues；　in　fact；　he　was　undecided。　One　night；

about　ten　o'clock；　he　was　returning　from　the　forest　through　one　of　the

six　avenues　that　led　to　the　pavilion　of　the　Rendezvous。　He　dismissed

the　keeper　who　accompanied　him；　as　he　was　then　so　near　the　chateau。　At

a　turn　of　the　road　a　man　armed　with　a　gun　came　from　behind　a　bush。



〃General；〃　he　said；　〃this　is　the　third　time　I　have　had　you　at　the　end

of　my　barrel；　and　the　third　time　that　I　give　you　your　life。〃



〃Why　do　you　want　to　kill　me；　Bonnebault？〃　said　the　general；　without

showing　the　least　emotion。



〃Faith；　if　I　don't；　somebody　else　will；　but　I；　you　see；　I　like　the　men

who　served　the　Emperor；　and　I　can't　make　up　my　mind　to　shoot　you　like

a　partridge。　Don't　question　me；　for　I'll　tell　you　nothing；　but　you've

got　enemies；　powerful　enemies；　cleverer　than　you；　and　they'll　end　by

crushing　you。　I　am　to　have　a　thousand　crowns　if　I　kill　you；　and　then　I

can　marry　Marie　Tonsard。　Well；　give　me　enough　to　buy　a　few　acres　of

land　and　a　bit　of　a　cottage；　and　I'll　keep　on　saying；　as　I　have　done；

that　I've　found　no　chances。　That　will　give　you　time　to　sell　your

property　and　get　away；　but　make　haste。　I'm　an　honest　lad　still；　scamp

as　I　am；　but　another　fellow　won't　spare　you。〃



〃If　I　give　you　what　you　ask；　will　you　tell　me　who　offered　you　those

three　thousand　francs？〃　said　the　general。



〃I　don't　know　myself；　and　the　person　who　is　urging　me　to　do　the　thing

is　some　one　I　love　too　well　to　tell　of。　Besides；　even　if　you　did　know

it　was　Marie　Tonsard；　that　wouldn't　help　you；　Marie　Tonsard　would　be

as　silent　as　that　wall；　and　I　should　deny　every　word　I've　said。〃



〃Come　and　see　me　to…morrow；〃　said　the　general。



〃Enough；〃　replied　Bonnebault；　〃and　if　they　begin　to　say　I'm　too

dilatory；　I'll　let　you　know　in　time。〃



A　week　after　that　singular　conversation　the　whole　arrondissement；

indeed　the　whole　department；　was　covered　with　posters；　advertising　the

sale　of　Les　Aigues　at　the　office　of　Maitre　Corbineau；　the　notary　of

Soulanges。　All　the　lots　were　knocked　down　to　Rigou；　and　the　price　paid

amounted　to　two　millions　five　hundred　thousand　francs。　The　next　day

Rigou　had　the　names　changed；　Monsieur　Gaubertin　took　the　woods；　Rigou

and　Soudry　the　vineyards　and　the　farms。　The　chateau　and　the　park　were

sold　over　again　in　small　lots　among　the　sons　of　the　soil；　the

peasantry；excepting　the　pavilion；　its　dependencies；　and　fifty

surrounding　acres；　which　Monsieur　Gaubertin　retained　as　a　gift　to　his

poetic　and　sentimental　spouse。



*



Many　years　after　these　events；　during　the　year　1837；　one　of　the　most

remarkable　political　writers　of　the　day；　Emile　Blondet；　reached　the

last　stages　of　a　poverty　which　he　had　so　far　hidden　beneath　an　outward

appearance　of　ease　and　elegance。　He　was　thinking　of　taking　some

desperate　step；　realizing；　as　he　did；　that　his　writings；　his　mind；　his

knowledge；　his　ability　for　the　direction　of　affairs；　had　made　him

nothing　better　than　a　mere　functionary；　mechanically　serving　the　ends

of　others；　seeing　that　every　avenue　was　closed　to　him　and　all　places

taken；　feeling　that　he　had　reached　middle…life　without　fame　and

without　fortune；　that　fools　and　middle…class　men　of　no　training　had

taken　the　places　of　the　courtiers　and　incapables　of　the　Restoration；

and　that　the　government　was　reconstituted　such　as　it　was　before　1830。

One　evening；　when　he　had　come　very　near　committing　suicide　（a　folly　he

had　so　often　laughed　at）；　while　his　mind　travelled　back　over　his

miserable　existence　calumniated　and　worn　down　with　toil　far　more　than

with　the　dissipations　charged　against　him；　the　noble　and　beautiful

face　of　a　woman　rose　before　his　eyes；　like　a　statue　rising　pure　and

unbroken　amid　the　saddest　ruins。　Just　then　the　porter　brought　him　a

letter　sealed　with　black　from　the　Comtesse　de　Montcornet；　telling　him

of　the　death　of　her　husband；　who　had　again　taken　service　in　the　army

and　commanded　a　division。　The　count　had　left　her　his　property；　and　she

had　no　children。　The　letter；　though　dignified；　showed　Blondet　very

plainly　that　the　woman　of　forty　whom　he　had　loved　in　his　youth　offered

him　a　friendly　hand　and　a　large　fortune。



A　few　days　ago　the　marriage　of　the　Comtesse　de　Montcornet　with

Monsieur　Blondet；　appointed　prefect　in　one　of　the　departments；　was

celebrated　in　P