the village rector-第33节

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by　an　inward　misery；　she　paid　no　heed　to　external　circumstances。　At
this　moment　her　being　was　actually　growing　and　magnifying　with　the
sublime　impetus　of　Nature　itself。

〃Do　not　stay　here　any　longer；　madame；〃　said　a　man；　whose　voice　made
her　quiver；　〃or　you　will　soon　be　unable　to　return；　you　are　six　miles
from　any　dwelling；　and　the　forest　is　impassable　at　night。　But　that　is
not　your　greatest　danger。　Before　long　the　cold　on　this　summit　will
become　intense；　the　reason　of　this　is　unknown；　but　it　has　caused　the
death　of　many　persons。〃

Madame　Graslin　saw　before　her　a　man's　face；　almost　black　with　sunburn；
in　which　shone　eyes　that　were　like　two　tongues　of　flame。　On　either
side　of　this　face　hung　a　mass　of　brown　hair；　and　below　it　was　a　fan…
shaped　beard。　The　man　was　raising　respectfully　one　of　those　enormous
broad…brimmed　hats　which　are　worn　by　the　peasantry　of　central　France；
and　in　so　doing　displayed　a　bald　but　splendid　forehead　such　as　we
sometimes　see　in　wayside　beggars。　Veronique　did　not　feel　the　slightest
fear；　the　situation　was　one　in　which　all　the　lesser　considerations
that　make　a　woman　timid　had　ceased。

〃Why　are　you　here？〃　she　asked。

〃My　home　is　near　by；〃　he　answered。

〃What　can　you　do　in　such　a　desert？〃　she　said。

〃I　live。〃

〃But　how？　what　means　of　living　are　there？〃

〃I　earn　a　little　something　by　watching　that　part　of　the　forest；〃　he
answered；　pointing　to　the　other　side　of　the　summit　from　the　one　that
overlooked　Montegnac。　Madame　Graslin　then　saw　the　muzzle　of　a　gun　and
also　a　game…bag。　If　she　had　had　any　fears　this　would　have　put　an　end
to　them。

〃Then　you　are　a　keeper？〃　she　said。

〃No；　madame；　in　order　to　be　a　keeper　we　must　take　a　certain　oath；　and
to　take　an　oath　we　must　have　civic　rights。〃

〃Who　are　you；　then？〃

〃I　am　Farrabesche；〃　he　said；　with　deep　humility；　lowering　his　eyes　to
the　ground。

Madame　Graslin；　to　whom　the　name　told　nothing；　looked　at　the　man　and
noticed　in　his　face；　the　expression　of　which　was　now　very　gentle；　the
signs　of　underlying　ferocity；　irregular　teeth　gave　to　the　mouth；　the
lips　blood…red；　an　ironical　expression　full　of　evil　audacity；　the　dark
and　prominent　cheek…bones　had　something　animal　about　them。　The　man　was
of　middle　height；　with　strong　shoulders；　a　thick…set　neck；　and　the
large　hairy　hands　of　violent　men　capable　of　using　their　strength　in　a
brutal　manner。　His　last　words　pointed　to　some　mystery；　to　which　his
bearing；　the　expression　of　his　countenance；　and　his　whole　person；　gave
a　sinister　meaning。

〃You　must　be　in　my　service；　then？〃　said　Veronique　in　a　gentle　voice。

〃Have　I　the　honor　of　speaking　to　Madame　Graslin？〃　asked　Farrabesche。

〃Yes；　my　friend；〃　she　answered。

Farrabesche　instantly　disappeared；　with　the　rapidity　of　a　wild　animal；
after　casting　a　glance　at　his　mistress　that　was　full　of　fear。



XIII

FARRABESCHE

Veronique　hastened　to　mount　her　horse　and　rejoin　the　servants；　who
were　beginning　to　be　uneasy　about　her；　for　the　strange　unhealthiness
of　the　Roche…Vive　was　well　known　throughout　the　neighborhood。　Colorat
begged　his　mistress　to　go　down　into　the　little　valley　which　led　to　the
plain。　It　would　be　dangerous；　he　said；　to　return　by　the　hills；　or　by
the　tangled　paths　they　had　followed　in　the　morning；　where；　even　with
his　knowledge　of　the　country；　they　were　likely　to　be　lost　in　the　dusk。

Once　on　the　plain　Veronique　rode　slowly。

〃Who　is　this　Farrabesche　whom　you　employ？〃　she　asked　her　forester。

〃Has　madame　met　him？〃　cried　Colorat。

〃Yes；　but　he　ran　away　from　me。〃

〃Poor　man！　perhaps　he　does　not　know　how　kind　madame　is。〃

〃But　what　has　he　done？〃

〃Ah！　madame；　Farrabesche　is　a　murderer；〃　replied　Champion；　simply。

〃Then　they　pardoned　him！〃　said　Veronique；　in　a　trembling　voice。

〃No；　madame；〃　replied　Colorat；　〃Farrabesche　was　tried　and　condemned　to
ten　years　at　the　galleys；　he　served　half　his　time；　and　then　he　was
released　on　parole　and　came　here　in　1827。　He　owes　his　life　to　the
rector；　who　persuaded　him　to　give　himself　up　to　justice。　He　had　been
condemned　to　death　by　default；　and　sooner　or　later　he　must　have　been
taken　and　executed。　Monsieur　Bonnet　went　to　find　him　in　the　woods；　all
alone；　at　the　risk　of　being　killed。　No　one　knows　what　he　said　to
Farrabesche。　They　were　alone　together　two　days；　on　the　third　day　the
rector　brought　Farrabesche　to　Tulle；　where　he　gave　himself　up。
Monsieur　Bonnet　went　to　see　a　good　lawyer　and　begged　him　to　do　his
best　for　the　man。　Farrabesche　escaped　with　ten　years　in　irons。　The
rector　went　to　visit　him　in　prison；　and　that　dangerous　fellow；　who
used　to　be　the　terror　of　the　whole　country；　became　as　gentle　as　a
girl；　he　even　let　them　take　him　to　the　galleys　without　a　struggle。　On
his　return　he　settled　here　by　the　rector's　advice；　no　one　says　a　word
against　him；　he　goes　to　mass　every　Sunday　and　all　the　feast…days。
Though　his　place　is　among　us　he　slips　in　beside　the　wall　and　sits
alone。　He　goes　to　the　altar　sometimes　and　prays；　but　when　he　takes　the
holy　sacrament　he　always　kneels　apart。〃

〃And　you　say　that　man　killed　another　man？〃

〃One！〃　exclaimed　Colorat；　〃he　killed　several！　But　he　is　a　good　man　all
the　same。〃

〃Is　that　possible？〃　exclaimed　Veronique；　letting　the　bridle　fall　on
the　neck　of　her　horse。

〃Well；　you　see；　madame；〃　said　the　forester；　who　asked　no　better　than
to　tell　the　tale；　〃Farrabesche　may　have　had　good　reason　for　what　he
did。　He　was　the　last　of　the　Farrabesches；an　old　family　of　the
Correze；　don't　you　know！　His　elder　brother；　Captain　Farrabesche；　died
ten　years　earlier　in　Italy；　at　Montenotte；　a　captain　when　he　was　only
twenty…two　years　old。　Wasn't　that　ill…luck？　and　such　a　lad；　too！　knew
how　to　read　and　write；　and　bid　fair　to　be　a　general。　The　family
grieved　terribly；　and　good　reason；　too。　As　for　me；　I　heard　all　about
his　death；　for　I　was　serving　at　that　time　under　L'AUTRE。　Oh！　he　made　a
fine　death；　did　Captain　Farrabesche；　he　saved　the　army　and　the　Little
Corporal。　I　was　then　in　the　division　of　General　Steingel；　a　German；
that　is；　an　Alsacian；a　famous　good　general　but　rather　short…sighted；
and　that　was　the　reason　why　he　was　killed　soon　after　Captain
Farrabesche。　The　younger　brotherthat's　this　onewas　only　six　years
old　when　he　heard　of　his　brother's　death。　The　second　brother　served
too；　but　only　as　a　private　soldier；　he　died　a　sergeant　in　the　first
regiment　of　the　Guard；　at　the　battle　of　Austerlitz；　where；　d'ye　see；
madame；　they　manoeuvred　just　as　quietly　as　they　might　in　the　Carrousel。
I　was　there！　oh！　I　had　the　luck　of　it！　went　through　it　all　without　a
scratch！　Now　this　Farrabesche　of　ours；　though　he's　a　brave　fellow；
took　it　into　his　head　he　wouldn't　go　to　the　wars；　in　fact；　the　army
wasn't　a　healthy　place　for　one　of　his　family。　So　when　the　conscription
caught　him　in　1811　he　ran　away；a　refractory；　that's　what　they　called
them。　And　then　it　was　he　went　and　joined　a　party　of　/chauffeurs/；　or
maybe　he　was　forced　to；　at　any　rate　he　/chauffed/！　Nobody　but　the
rector　knows　what　he　really　did　with　those　brigandsall　due　respect
to　them！　Many　a　fight　he　had　with　the　gendarmes　and　the　soldiers　too；
I'm　told　he　was　in　seven　regular　battles〃

〃They　say　he　killed　two　soldiers　and　three　gendarmes；〃　put　in
Champion。

〃Who　knows　how　many？he　never　told；〃　went　on　Colorat。　〃At　last；
madame；　they　caught　nearly　all　his　comrades；　but　they　never　could
catch　him；　hang　him！　he　was　so　young　and　active；　and　knew　the　country
so　well；　he　always　escaped。　The　/chauffeurs/　he　consorted　with　kept
themselves　mostly　in　the　neighborhood　of　Brives　and　Tulle；　sometimes
they　came　down　this　way；　because　Farrabesche　knew　such　good　hiding…
places　about　here。　In　1814　the　conscription　took　no　further　notice　of
him；　because　it　was　abolished；　but　for　all　that；　he　was　obliged　to
live　in　the　woods　in　1815；　because；　don't　you　see？　as　he　hadn't　enough
to　live　on；　he　helped　to　stop　a　mail…coach　over　there；　down　that
gorge；　and　then　it　was　they　condemned　him。　But；　as　I　told　you　just
now；　the　rector　persuaded　him　to　give　himself　up。　It　wasn't　easy　to
convict　him；　for　nobody　dared　testify　against　him；　and　his　lawyer　and
Monsieur　Bonnet　worked　so　hard　they　got　him　sentenced　for　ten　years
only；　which　was　pretty　good　luck　after　being　a　/chauffeur/for　he　did
/chauffe/。〃

〃Will　you　tell　me　what　/chauffeur/　means？〃

〃If　you　wish　it；　madame；　I　will　tell　you　what　they　did；　as　far　as　I
know　about　it　from　others；　for　I　never　was　/chauffed/　myself。　It
wasn't　a　good　thing　to　do；　but　necessity　knows　no　law。　Well；　this　is
how　it　was：　seven　or　eight　would　go　to　some　farmer　or　land…owner　who
was　thought　to　have　money；　the　farmer　would　build　a　good　fire　and　give
them　a　supper；　lasting　half　through　the　night；　and　then；　when　the
feast　was　over；　if　the　master　of　the　house　wouldn't　give　them　the　sum
demanded；　they　just　fastened　his　feet　to　the　spit；　and　didn't　unfasten
them　till　they　got　it。　That's　how　it　was。　They　always　went　masked。
Among　all　their　expeditions　they　sometimes　made　unlucky　ones。　Hang　it；
there'll　always　be　obstinate；　miserly　old　fellows　in　the　world！　One　of
them；　a　farmer；　old　Cochegrue；　so　mean　he'd　shave　an　egg；　held　out；　he
let　them　roast　his　feet。　Well；　he　died　of　it。　The　wife　of　Monsieur
David；　near　Brives；　die