the village rector-第36节

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Farrabesche　stored　his　provisions。　He　bought　little　except　bread；
salt；　sugar；　and　a　few　such　articles；　for　he　kept　chickens；　ducks；　and
two　pigs。　Neither　he　nor　the　boy　drank　wine。

〃All　that　I　have　heard　of　you　and　all　that　I　now　see；〃　said　Madame
Graslin　at　last；　〃make　me　feel　an　interest　in　your　welfare　which　will
not；　I　hope；　be　a　barren　one。〃

〃I　recognize　Monsieur　Bonnet's　kindness　in　what　you　say；〃　cried
Farrabesche；　in　a　tone　of　feeling。

〃You　are　mistaken；　the　rector　has　not　yet　spoken　of　you　to　me；　chance
or　Godhas　done　it。〃

〃Yes；　madame；　God！　God　alone　can　do　miracles　for　a　miserable　man　like
me。〃

〃If　you　have　been　a　miserable　man；〃　said　Madame　Graslin；　lowering　her
voice　that　the　child　might　not　hear　her　（an　act　of　womanly　delicacy
which　touched　his　heart）；　〃your　repentance；　your　conduct；　and　the
rector's　esteem　have　now　fitted　you　to　become　a　happier　man。　I　have
given　orders　to　finish　the　building　of　the　large　farmhouse　which
Monsieur　Graslin　intended　to　establish　near　the　chateau。　I　shall　make
you　my　farmer；　and　you　will　have　an　opportunity　to　use　all　your
faculties；　and　also　to　employ　your　son。　The　/procureur…general/　in
Limoges　shall　be　informed　about　you；　and　the　humiliating　police…
inspection　you　are　now　subjected　to　shall　be　removed。　I　promise　you。〃

At　these　words　Farrabesche　fell　on　his　knees；　as　if　struck　down　by　the
realization　of　a　hope　he　had　long　considered　vain。　He　kissed　the　hem
of　Madame　Graslin's　habit；　then　her　feet。　Seeing　the　tears　in　his
father's　eyes；　the　boy　wept　too；　without　knowing　why。

〃Rise；　Farrabesche；〃　said　Madame　Graslin；　〃you　do　not　know　how　natural
it　is　that　I　should　do　for　you　what　I　have　promised。　You　planted　those
fine　trees；　did　you　not？〃　she　went　on；　pointing　to　the　groups　of
Northern　pine；　firs；　and　larches　at　the　foot　of　the　dry　and　rocky　hill
directly　opposite。

〃Yes；　madame。〃

〃Is　the　earth　better　there？〃

〃The　water　in　washing　down　among　the　rocks　brings　a　certain　amount　of
soil；　which　it　deposits。　I　have　profited　by　this；　for　the　whole　of　the
level　of　the　valley　belongs　to　you；the　road　is　your　boundary。〃

〃Is　there　much　water　at　the　bottom　of　that　long　valley？〃

〃Oh；　madame；〃　cried　Farrabesche；　〃before　long；　when　the　rains　begin；
you　will　hear　the　torrent　roar　even　at　the　chateau；　but　even　that　is
nothing　to　what　happens　in　spring　when　the　snows　melt。　The　water　then
rushes　down　from　all　parts　of　the　forest　behind　Montegnac；　from　those
great　slopes　which　are　back　of　the　hills　on　which　you　have　your　park。
All　the　water　of　these　mountains　pours　into　this　valley　and　makes　a
deluge。　Luckily　for　you；　the　trees　hold　the　earth；　otherwise　the　land
would　slide　into　the　valley。〃

〃Where　are　the　springs？〃　asked　Madame　Graslin；　giving　her　full
attention　to　what　he　said。

Farrabesche　pointed　to　a　narrow　gorge　which　seemed　to　end　the　valley
just　below　his　house。　〃They　are　mostly　on　a　clay　plateau　lying　between
the　Limousin　and　the　Correze；　they　are　mere　green　pools　during　the
summer；　and　lose　themselves　in　the　soil。　No　one　lives　in　that
unhealthy　region。　The　cattle　will　not　eat　the　grass　or　reeds　that　grow
near　the　brackish　water。　That　vast　tract；　which　has　more　than　three
thousand　acres　in　it；　is　an　open　common　for　three　districts；　but；　like
the　plains　of　Montegnac；　no　use　can　be　made　of　it。　This　side　on　your
property；　as　I　showed　you；　there　is　a　little　earth　among　the　stones；
but　over　there　is　nothing　but　sandy　rock。〃

〃Send　your　boy　for　the　horses；　I　will　ride　over　and　see　it　for
myself。〃

Benjamin　departed；　after　Madame　Graslin　had　shown　him　the　direction　in
which　he　would　find　Maurice　and　the　horses。

〃You　who　know；　so　they　tell　me；　every　peculiarity　of　the　country
thoroughly；〃　continued　Madame　Graslin；　〃explain　to　me　how　it　is　that
the　streams　of　my　forest　which　are　on　the　side　of　the　mountain　toward
Montegnac；　and　ought　therefore　to　send　their　waters　down　there；　do　not
do　so；　neither　in　regular　water…courses　nor　in　sudden　torrents　after
rains　and　the　melting　of　the　snows。〃

〃Ah；　madame；〃　said　Farrabesche；　〃the　rector；　who　thinks　all　the　time
about　the　welfare　of　Montegnac；　has　guessed　the　reason；　but　he　can't
find　any　proof　of　it。　Since　your　arrival；　he　has　made　me　trace　the
path　of　the　water　from　point　to　point　through　each　ravine　and　valley。
I　was　returning　yesterday；　when　I　had　the　honor　of　meeting　you；　from
the　base　of　the　Roche…Vive；　where　I　carefully　examined　the　lay　of　the
land。　Hearing　the　horses'　feet；　I　came　up　to　see　who　was　there。
Monsieur　Bonnet　is　not　only　a　saint；　madame；　he　is　a　man　of　great
knowledge。　'Farrabesche；'　he　said　to　me　（I　was　then　working　on　the
road　the　village　has　just　built　to　the　chateau；　and　the　rector　came　to
me　and　pointed　to　that　chain　of　hills　from　Montegnac　to　Roche…Vive）；
'Farrabesche；'　he　said；　'there　must　be　some　reason　why　that　water…shed
does　not　send　any　of　its　water　to　the　plain；　Nature　must　have　made
some　sluiceway　which　carries　it　elsewhere。'　Well；　madame；　that　idea　is
so　simple　you　would　suppose　any　child　might　have　thought　it；　yet　no
one　since　Montegnac　existed；　neither　the　great　lords；　nor　their
bailiffs；　nor　their　foresters；　nor　the　poor；　nor　the　rich；　none　of
those　who　saw　that　plain　barren　for　want　of　water；　ever　asked
themselves　why　the　streams　which　now　feed　the　Gabou　do　not　come　there。
The　three　districts　above；　which　have　constantly　been　afflicted　with
fevers　in　consequence　of　stagnant　water；　never　looked　for　the　remedy；
I　myself；　who　live　in　the　wilds；　never　dreamed　of　it；　it　needed　a　man
of　God。〃

The　tears　filled　his　eyes　as　he　said　the　word。

〃All　that　men　of　genius　discover；〃　said　Madame　Graslin；　〃seems　so
simple　that　every　one　thinks　they　might　have　discovered　it　themselves。
But；〃　she　added；　as　if　to　herself；　〃genius　has　this　fine　thing　about
it；it　resembles　all　the　world；　but　no　one　resembles　it。〃

〃I　understood　Monsieur　Bonnet　at　once；〃　continued　Farrabesche；　〃it　did
not　take　him　many　words　to　tell　me　what　I　had　to　do。　Madame；　this　fact
I　tell　you　of　is　all　the　more　singular　because　there　are；　toward　the
plain；　great　rents　and　fissures　in　the　mountain；　gorges　and　ravines
down　which　the　water　flows；　but；　strange　to　say；　these　clefts　and
ravines　and　gorges　all　send　their　streams　into　a　little　valley　which
is　several　feet　below　the　level　of　your　plain。　To…day　I　have
discovered　the　reason　of　this　phenomenon：　from　the　Roche…Vive　to
Montegnac；　at　the　foot　of　the　mountains；　runs　a　shelf　or　barricade　of
rock；　varying　in　height　from　twenty　to　thirty　feet；　there　is　not　a
break　in　it　from　end　to　end；　and　it　is　formed　of　a　species　of　rock
which　Monsieur　Bonnet　calls　schist。　The　soil　above　it；　which　is　of
course　softer　than　rock；　has　been　hollowed　out　by　the　action　of　the
water；　which　is　turned　at　right　angles　by　the　barricade　of　rock；　and
thus　flows　naturally　into　the　Gabou。　The　trees　and　underbrush　of　the
forest　conceal　this　formation　and　the　hollowing　out　of　the　soil。　But
after　following　the　course　of　the　water；　as　I　have　done　by　the　traces
left　of　its　passage；　it　is　easy　to　convince　any　one　of　the　fact。　The
Gabou　thus　receives　the　water…shed　of　both　mountains；that　which
ought　to　go　down　the　mountain　face　on　which　your　park　and　garden　are
to　the　plain；　and　that　which　comes　down　the　rocky　slopes　before　us。
According　to　Monsieur　Bonnet　the　present　state　of　things　will　crease
when　the　water…shed　toward　the　plain　gains　a　natural　outlet；　and　is
dammed　toward　the　Gabou　by　the　earth　and　rocks　which　the　mountain
torrents　bring　down　with　them。　It　will　take　a　hundred　years　to　do
that；　however；　and　besides；　it　isn't　desirable。　If　your　soil　will　not
take　up　more　water　than　the　great　common　you　are　now　going　to　see；
Montegnac　would　be　full　of　stagnant　pools；　breeding　fever　in　the
community。〃

〃I　suppose　that　the　places　Monsieur　Bonnet　showed　me　the　other　day
where　the　foliage　of　the　trees　is　still　green　mark　the　present
conduits　by　which　the　water　falls　into　the　Gabou？〃

〃Yes；　madame。　Between　Roche…Vive　and　Montegnac　there　are　three
distinct　mountains　with　three　hollows　between　them；　down　which　the
waters；　stopped　by　the　schist　barrier；　turn　off　into　the　Gabou。　The
belt　of　trees　still　green　at　the　foot　of　the　hill　above　the　barrier；
which　looks；　at　a　distance；　like　a　part　of　the　plain；　is　really　the
water…sluice　the　rector　supposed；　very　justly；　that　Nature　had　made
for　herself。〃

〃Well；　what　has　been　to　the　injury　of　Montegnac　shall　soon　be　its
prosperity；〃　said　Madame　Graslin；　in　a　tone　of　deep　intention。　〃And
inasmuch　as　you　have　been　the　first　instrument　employed　on　the　work；
you　shall　share　in　it；　you　shall　find　me　faithful；　industrious
workmen；　lack　of　money　can　always　be　made　up　by　devotion　and　good
work。〃

Benjamin　and　Maurice　came　up　as　Veronique　ended　these　words；　she
mounted　her　horse　and　signed　to　Farrabesche　to　mount　the　other。

〃Guide　me；〃　she　said；　〃to　the　place　where　the　waters　spread　out　in
pools　over　that　waste　land。〃

〃There　is　all　the　more　reason　why　madame　should　go　there；〃　said
Farrabesche；　〃because　the　late　Monsieur　Graslin；　under　the　rector's
advice；　bought　three　hundred　acres　at　the　opening　of　that　gorge；　on
which　the　waters　have　left　sediment　enoug