the village rector-第34节

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let　them　roast　his　feet。　Well；　he　died　of　it。　The　wife　of　Monsieur
David；　near　Brives；　died　of　terror　at　merely　seeing　those　fellows　tie
her　husband's　feet。　She　died　saying　to　David：　'Give　them　all　you
have。'　He　wouldn't；　and　so　she　just　pointed　out　the　hiding…place。　The
/chauffeurs/　（that's　why　they　call　them　/chauffeurs/；warmers）　were
the　terror　of　the　whole　country　for　over　five　years。　But　you　must　get
it　well　into　your　head；oh；　excuse　me；　madame；　but　you　must　know　that
more　than　one　young　man　of　good　family　belonged　to　them；　though
somehow　they　were　never　the　ones　to　be　caught。〃

Madame　Graslin　listened　without　interrupting　or　replying。　There　was
silence　for　a　few　moments；　and　then　little　Champion；　jealous　of　the
right　to　amuse　his　mistress；　wanted　to　tell　her　what　he　knew　of　the
late　galley…slave。

〃Madame　ought　to　know　more　about　Farrabesche；　he　hasn't　his　equal　at
running；　or　at　riding　a　horse。　He　can　kill　an　ox　with　a　blow　of　his
fist；　nobody　can　shoot　like　him；　he　can　carry　seven　hundred　feet　as
straight　as　a　die；there！　One　day　they　surprised　him　with　three　of
his　comrades；　two　were　wounded；　one　was　killed；good！　Farrabesche　was
all　but　taken。　Bah！　he　just　sprang　on　the　horse　of　one　of　the
gendarmes　behind　the　man；　pricked　the　horse　with　his　knife；　made　it
run　with　all　its　might；　and　so　disappeared；　holding　the　gendarme　tight
round　the　body。　But　he　held　him　so　tight　that　after　a　time　he　threw
the　body　on　the　ground　and　rode　away　alone　on　the　horse　and　master　of
the　horse；　and　he　had　the　cheek　to　go　and　sell　it　not　thirty　miles
from　Limoges！　After　that　affair　he　hid　himself　for　three　months　and
was　never　seen。　The　authorities　offered　a　hundred　golden　louis　to
whoever　would　deliver　him　up。〃

〃Another　time；〃　added　Colorat；　〃when　the　prefect　of　Tulle　offered　a
hundred　louis　for　him；　he　made　one　of　his　own　cousins；　Giriex　of
Vizay；　earn　them。　His　cousin　denounced　him；　and　appeared　to　deliver
him　up。　Oh；　yes；　he　delivered　him　sure　enough！　The　gendarmes　were
delighted；　and　took　him　to　Tulle；　there　they　put　him　in　the　prison　of
Lubersac；　from　which　he　escaped　that　very　night；　profiting　by　a　hole
already　begun　by　one　of　his　accomplices　who　had　been　executed。　All
these　adventures　gave　Farrabesche　a　fine　reputation。　The　/chauffeurs/
had　lots　of　outside　friends；　people　really　loved　them。　They　were　not
skinflints　like　those　of　to…day；　they　spent　their　money　royally；　those
fellows！　Just　fancy；　madame；　one　evening　Farrabesche　was　chased　by
gendarmes；　well；　he　escaped　them　by　staying　twenty　minutes　under　water
in　the　pond　of　a　farm…yard。　He　breathed　air　through　a　straw　which　he
kept　above　the　surface　of　the　pool；　which　was　half　muck。　But；
goodness！　what　was　that　little　disagreeableness　to　a　man　who　spends
his　nights　in　the　tree…tops；　where　the　sparrows　can　hardly　hold
themselves；　watching　the　soldiers　going　to　and　fro　in　search　of　him
below？　Farrabesche　was　one　of　the　half…dozen　/chauffeurs/　whom　the
officers　of　justice　could　never　lay　hands　on。　But　as　he　belonged　to
the　region　and　was　brought　up　with　them；　and　had；　as　they　said；　only
fled　the　conscription；　all　the　women　were　on　his　side；and　that's　a
great　deal；　you　know。〃

〃Is　it　really　certain　that　Farrabesche　did　kill　several　persons？〃
asked　Madame　Graslin。

〃Yes；　certain；〃　replied　Colorat；　〃it　is　even　said　that　it　was　he　who
killed　the　traveller　by　the　mail…coach　in　1812；　but　the　courier　and
the　postilion；　the　only　witnesses　who　could　have　identified　him；　were
dead　before　he　was　tried。〃

〃Tried　for　the　robbery？〃　asked　Madame　Graslin。

〃Yes；　they　took　everything；　amongst　it　twenty…five　thousand　francs
belonging　to　the　government。〃

Madame　Graslin　rode　silently　after　that　for　two　or　three　miles。　The
sun　had　now　set；　the　moon　was　lighting　the　gray　plain；　which　looked
like　an　open　sea。　Champion　and　Colorat　began　to　wonder　at　Madame
Graslin；　whose　silence　seemed　strange　to　them；　and　they　were　greatly
astonished　to　see　the　shining　track　of　tears　upon　her　cheeks；　her　eyes
were　red　and　full　of　tears；　which　were　falling　drop　by　drop　as　she
rode　along。

〃Oh；　madame；〃　said　Colorat；　〃don't　pity　him！　The　lad　has　had　his　day。
He　had　pretty　girls　in　love　with　him；　and　now；　though　to　be　sure　he　is
closely　watched　by　the　police；　he　is　protected　by　the　respect　and
good…will　of　the　rector；　for　he　has　really　repented。　His　conduct　at
the　galleys　was　exemplary。　Everybody　knows　he　is　as　honest　as　the　most
honest　man　among　us。　Only　he　is　proud；　he　doesn't　choose　to　expose
himself　to　rebuff；　so　he　lives　quietly　by　himself　and　does　good　in　his
own　way。　He　has　made　a　nursery　of　about　ten　acres　for　you　on　the　other
side　of　the　Roche…Vive；　he　plants　in　the　forests　wherever　he　thinks
there's　a　chance　of　making　a　tree　grow；　he　trims　the　tree　and　cuts　out
the　dead　wood；　and　ties　it　up　into　bundles　for　the　poor。　All　the　poor
people　know　they　can　get　their　wood　from　him　all　cut　and　ready　to
burn；　so　they　go　and　ask　him　for　it；　instead　of　taking　it　themselves
and　injuring　your　forest。　He　is　another　kind　of　/chauffeur/　now；　and
warms　his　poor　neighbors　to　their　comfort　and　not　to　their　harm。　Oh；
Farrabesche　loves　your　forest！　He　takes　care　of　it　as　if　it　were　his
own　property。〃

〃And　he　livesall　alone？〃　exclaimed　Madame　Graslin；　adding　the　two
last　words　hastily。

〃Excuse　me；　not　quite　alone；　madame；　he　takes　care　of　a　boy　about
fifteen　years　old；〃　said　Maurice　Champion。

〃Yes；　that's　so；〃　said　Colorat；　〃La　Curieux　gave　birth　to　the　child
some　little　time　before　Farrabesche　was　condemned。〃

〃Is　it　his　child？〃　asked　Madame　Graslin。

〃People　think　so。〃

〃Why　didn't　he　marry　her？〃

〃How　could　he？　They　would　certainly　have　arrested　him。　As　it　was；　when
La　Curieux　heard　he　was　sentenced　to　the　galleys　the　poor　girl　left
this　part　of　the　country。〃

〃Was　she　a　pretty　girl？〃

〃Oh！〃　said　Maurice；　〃my　mother　says　she　was　very　like　another　girl　who
has　also　left　Montegnac　for　something　the　same　reason；Denise
Tascheron。〃

〃She　loved　him？〃　said　Madame　Graslin。

〃Ha；　yes！　because　he　/chauffed/；　women　do　like　things　that　are　out　of
the　way。　However；　nothing　ever　did　surprise　the　community　more　than
that　love　affair。　Catherine　Curieux　lived　as　virtuous　a　life　as　a　holy
virgin；　she　passed　for　a　pearl　of　purity　in　her　village　of　Vizay；
which　is　really　a　small　town　in　the　Correze　on　the　line　between　the
two　departments。　Her　father　and　mother　are　farmers　to　the　Messieurs
Brezac。　Catherine　Curieux　was　about　seventeen　when　Farrabesche　was
sent　to　the　galleys。　The　Farrabesches　were　an　old　family　from　the　same
region；　who　settled　in　the　commune　of　Montegnac；　they　hired　their　farm
from　the　village。　The　father　and　mother　Farrabesche　are　dead；　but
Catherine's　three　sisters　are　married；　one　in　Aubusson；　another　in
Limoges；　and　a　third　in　Saint…Leonard。〃

〃Do　you　think　Farrabesche　knows　where　Catherine　Curieux　is？〃　asked
Madame　Graslin。

〃If　he　did　know　he'd　break　his　parole。　Oh！　he'd　go　to　her。　As　soon　as
he　came　back　from　the　galleys　he　got　Monsieur　Bonnet　to　ask　for　the
little　boy　whom　the　grandfather　and　grandmother　were　taking　care　of；
and　Monsieur　Bonnet　obtained　the　child。〃

〃Does　no　one　know　what　became　of　the　mother？〃

〃No　one；〃　said　Colorat。　〃The　girl　felt　that　she　was　ruined；　she　was
afraid　to　stay　in　her　own　village。　She　went　to　Paris。　What　is　she
doing　there？　Well；　that's　the　question；　but　you　might　as　well　hunt　for
a　marble　among　the　stones　on　that　plain　as　look　for　her　there。〃

They　were　now　riding　up　the　ascent　to　the　chateau　as　Colorat　pointed
to　the　plain　below。　Madame　Sauviat；　evidently　uneasy；　Aline　and　the
other　servants　were　waiting　at　the　gate；　not　knowing　what　to　think　of
this　long　absence。

〃My　dear；〃　said　Madame　Sauviat；　helping　her　daughter　to　dismount；　〃you
must　be　very　tired。〃

〃No；　mother；〃　replied　Madame　Graslin；　in　so　changed　a　voice　that
Madame　Sauviat　looked　closely　at　her　and　then　saw　the　mark　of　tears。

Madame　Graslin　went　to　her　own　rooms　with　Aline；　who　took　her　orders
for　all　that　concerned　her　personal　life。　She　now　shut　herself　up　and
would　not　even　admit　her　mother；　when　Madame　Sauviat　asked　to　enter；
Aline　stopped　her；　saying；　〃Madame　has　gone　to　sleep。〃

The　next　day　Veronique　rode　out　attended　by　Maurice　only。　In　order　to
reach　the　Roche…Vive　as　quickly　as　possible　she　took　the　road　by　which
she　had　returned　the　night　before。　As　they　rode　up　the　gorge　which
lies　between　the　mountain　peak　and　the　last　hill　of　the　forest　（for；
seen　from　the　plain；　the　Roche…Vive　looks　isolated）　Veronique
requested　Maurice　to　show　her　the　house　in　which　Farrabesche　lived　and
then　to　hold　the　horses　and　wait　for　her；　she　wished　to　go　alone。
Maurice　took　her　to　a　path　which　led　down　on　the　other　side　of　the
Roche…Vive　and　showed　her　the　thatched　roof　of　a　dwelling　half　buried
in　the　mountain；　below　which　lay　the　nursery　grounds。　It　was　then
about　mid…day。　A　light　smoke　issued　from　the　chimney。　Veronique
reached　the　cottage　in　a　few　moments；　but　she　did　not　make　her
presence　known　at　once。　She　stood　a　few　moments　lost　in　thoughts　known
only　to　herself　as　she　gazed　on　the　modest　dwelling　which　stood　in　the
middle　of　a　garden　enclosed　with　a　hedge　of　thorns。

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