the village rector-第45节

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of　simple　friendship。　The　brow；　the　bearing；　above　all；　the　glance　of
Veronique's　eye　had　a　sort　of　eloquence　that　men　invariably
understand；　it　said　as　plainly　that　she　was　dead　to　love　as　other
women　say　the　contrary　by　a　reversal　of　the　same　eloquence。　The　doctor
suddenly　vowed　to　her；　in　his　heart；　a　chivalrous　worship。

He　exchanged　a　rapid　glance　with　the　rector；　who　thought　to　himself；
〃Here's　the　thunderbolt　which　will　convert　my　poor　unbeliever；　Madame
Graslin　will　have　more　eloquence　than　I。〃

The　mayor；　an　old　countryman；　amazed　at　the　luxury　of　this　dining…room
and　surprised　to　find　himself　dining　with　one　of　the　richest　men　in
the　department；　had　put　on　his　best　clothes；　which　rather　hampered
him；　and　this　increased　his　mental　awkwardness。　Moreover；　Madame
Graslin　in　her　mourning　garments　seemed　to　him　very　imposing；　he　was
therefore　mute。　After　living　all　his　life　as　a　farmer　at　Saint…
Leonard；　he　had　bought　the　only　habitable　house　in　Montegnac　and
cultivated　with　his　own　hands　the　land　belonging　to　it。　Though　he　knew
how　to　read　and　write；　he　would　have　been　incapable　of　fulfilling　his
functions　were　it　not　for　the　help　of　his　clerk　and　the　/juge　de
paix/；　who　prepared　his　work　for　him。　He　was　very　anxious　to　have　a
notary　established　in　Montegnac；　in　order　that　he　might　shift　the
burden　of　his　responsibility　on　to　that　officer's　shoulders。　But　the
poverty　of　the　village　and　its　outlying　districts　made　such　a
functionary　almost　useless；　and　the　inhabitants　had　recourse　when
necessary　to　the　notaries　of　the　chief　town　of　the　arrondissement。

The　/juge　de　paix/；　named　Clousier；　was　formerly　a　lawyer　in　Limoges；
where　cases　had　deserted　him　because　he　insisted　on　putting　into
practice　that　fine　axiom　that　the　lawyer　is　the　best　judge　of　the
client　and　the　case。　In　1809　he　obtained　his　present　post；　the　meagre
salary　of　which　just　enabled　him　to　live。　He　had　now　reached　a　stage
of　honorable　but　absolute　poverty。　After　a　residence　of　twenty…one
years　in　this　poor　village　the　worthy　man；　thoroughly　countrified；
looked；　top…coat　and　all；　exactly　like　the　farmers　about　him。

Under　this　coarse　exterior　Clousier　hid　a　clear…sighted　mind；　given　to
lofty　meditation　on　public　policy；　though　he　himself　had　fallen　into　a
state　of　complete　indifference；　derived　from　his　intimate　knowledge　of
men　and　their　interests。　This　man；　who　baffled　for　a　long　time　the
rector's　perspicacity　and　who　might　in　a　higher　sphere　have　proved
another　l'Hopital；　incapable　of　intrigue　like　all　really　profound
persons；　was　by　this　time　living　in　the　contemplative　state　of　an
ancient　hermit。　Independent　through　privation；　no　personal
consideration　acted　on　his　mind；　he　knew　the　laws　and　judged
impartially。　His　life；　reduced　to　the　merest　necessaries；　was　pure　and
regular。　The　peasants　loved　Monsieur　Clousier　and　respected　him　for
the　disinterested　fatherly　care　with　which　he　settled　their
differences　and　gave　them　advice　in　their　daily　affairs。　The　〃goodman
Clousier〃　as　all　Montegnac　called　him；　had　a　nephew　with　him　as　clerk；
an　intelligent　young　man；　who　afterwards　contributed　much　to　the
prosperity　of　the　district。

Old　Clousier's　personal　appearance　was　remarkable　for　a　broad；　high
forehead　and　two　bushes　of　white　hair　which　stood　out　from　his　head　on
either　side　of　it。　His　highly　colored　complexion　and　well…developed
corpulence　might　have　made　persons　think；　in　spite　of　his　actual
sobriety；　that　he　cultivated　Bacchus　as　well　as　Troplong　and　Toullier。
His　half…extinct　voice　was　the　sign　of　an　oppressive　asthma。　Perhaps
the　dry　air　of　Montegnac　had　contributed　to　fix　him　there。　He　lived　in
a　house　arranged　for　him　by　a　well…to…do　cobbler　to　whom　it　belonged。
Clousier　had　already　seen　Veronique　at　church；　and　he　had　formed　his
opinion　of　her　without　communicating　it　to　any　one；　not　even　to
Monsieur　Bonnet；　with　whom　he　was　beginning　to　be　intimate。　For　the
first　time　in　his　life　the　/juge　de　paix/　was　to　be　thrown　in　with
persons　able　to　appreciate　him。

When　the　company　were　seated　round　a　table　handsomely　appointed　（for
Veronique　had　sent　all　her　household　belongings　from　Limoges　to
Montegnac）　the　six　guests　felt　a　momentary　embarrassment。　The　doctor；
the　mayor　and　the　/juge　de　paix/　knew　nothing　of　Grossetete　and
Gerard。　But　during　the　first　course；　old　Grossetete's　hearty　good…
humor　broke　the　ice　of　a　first　meeting。　In　addition　to　this；　Madame
Graslin's　cordiality　led　on　Gerard；　and　encouraged　Roubaud。　Under　her
touch　these　souls　full　of　fine　qualities　recognized　their　relation；
and　felt　they　had　entered　a　sympathetic　circle。　So；　by　the　time　the
dessert　appeared　on　the　table；　when　the　glass　and　china　with　gilded
edges　sparkled；　and　the　choicer　wines　were　served　by　Aline　and
Champion　and　Grossetete's　valet；　the　conversation　became　sufficiently
confidential　to　allow　these　four　choice　minds；　thus　meeting　by　chance；
to　express　their　real　thoughts　on　matters　of　importance；　such　as　men
like　to　discuss　when　they　can　do　so　and　be　sure　of　the　discretion　of
their　companions。

〃Your　furlough　came　just　in　time　to　let　you　witness　the　revolution　of
July；〃　said　Grossetete　to　Gerard；　with　an　air　as　if　he　asked　an
opinion　of　him。

〃Yes；〃　replied　the　engineer。　〃I　was　in　Paris　during　the　three　famous
days。　I　saw　all；　and　I　came　to　sad　conclusions。〃

〃What　were　they？〃　said　the　rector；　eagerly。

〃There　is　no　longer　any　patriotism　except　under　dirty　shirts；〃　replied
Gerard。　〃In　that　lies　the　ruin　of　France！　July　was　the　voluntary
defeat　of　all　superiorities；name；　fortune；　talent。　The　ardent；
devoted　masses　carried　the　day　against　the　rich　and　the　intelligent；
to　whom　ardor　and　devotion　are　repugnant。〃

〃To　judge　by　what　has　happened　during　the　past　year；〃　said　Monsieur
Clousier；　〃this　change　of　government　is　simply　a　premium　given　to　an
evil　that　is　sapping　us；individualism。　Fifteen　years　hence　all
questions　of　a　generous　nature　will　be　met　by；　/What　is　that　to　me？/
the　great　cry　of　Freedom　of　Will　descending　from　the　religious　heights
where　Luther；　Calvin；　Zwinglius；　and　Knox　introduced　it；　into　even
political　economy。　/Every　one　for　himself/；　/every　man　his　own
master/；those　two　terrible　axioms　form；　with　the　/What　is　that　to
me？/　a　trinity　of　wisdom　to　the　burgher　and　the　small　land…owner。　This
egotism　results　from　the　vices　of　our　present　civil　legislation　（too
hastily　made）；　to　which　the　revolution　of　July　has　just　given　a
terrible　confirmation。〃

The　/juge　de　paix/　fell　back　into　his　usual　silence　after　thus
expressing　himself；　but　the　topics　he　suggested　must　have　occupied　the
minds　of　those　present。　Emboldened　by　Clousier's　words；　and　moved　by
the　look　which　Gerard　exchanged　with　Grossetete；　Monsieur　Bonnet
ventured　to　go　further。

〃The　good　King　Charles　X。；〃　he　said；　〃has　just　failed　in　the　most　far…
sighted　and　salutary　enterprise　a　monarch　ever　planned　for　the　welfare
of　the　people　confided　to　him；　and　the　Church　ought　to　feel　proud　of
the　part　she　took　in　his　councils。　But　the　upper　classes　deserted　him
in　heart　and　mind；　just　as　they　had　already　deserted　him　on　the　great
question　of　the　law　of　primogeniture；the　lasting　honor　of　the　only
bold　statesman　the　Restoration　has　produced；　namely；　the　Comte　de
Peyronnet。　To　reconstitute　the　nation　through　the　family；　to　take　from
the　press　its　venomous　action　and　confine　it　to　its　real　usefulness；
to　recall　the　elective　Chamber　to　its　true　functions；　and　to　restore
to　religion　its　power　over　the　people；such　were　the　four　cardinal
points　of　the　internal　policy　of　the　house　of　Bourbon。　Well；　twenty
years　from　now　all　France　will　have　recognized　the　necessity　of　that
grand　and　sound　policy。　Charles　X。　was　in　greater　peril　in　the
situation　he　chose　to　leave　than　in　that　in　which　his　paternal　power
has　been　defeated。　The　future　of　our　noble　countrywhere　all　things
will　henceforth　be　brought　periodically　into　question；　where　our
rulers　will　discuss　incessantly　instead　of　acting；　where　the　press；
become　a　sovereign　power；　will　be　the　instrument　of　base　ambitions
this　future　will　only　prove　the　wisdom　of　the　king　who　has　just
carried　away　with　him　the　true　principles　of　government；　and　history
will　bear　in　mind　the　courage　with　which　he　resisted　his　best　friends
after　having　probed　the　wound　and　seen　the　necessity　of　curative
measures；　which　were　not　sustained　by　those　for　whose　sake　he　put
himself　into　the　breach。〃

〃Ah！　monsieur；〃　cried　Gerard；　〃you　are　frank；　you　go　straight　to　your
thought　without　disguise；　and　I　won't　contradict　you。　Napoleon　in　his
Russian　campaign　was　forty　years　in　advance　of　the　spirit　of　his　age；
he　was　never　understood。　The　Russia　and　England　of　1830　explains　the
campaign　of　1812。　Charles　X。　has　been　misunderstood　in　the　same　way。
It　is　quite　possible　that　in　twenty…five　years　from　now　his　ordinances
may　become　the　laws　of　the　land。〃

〃France；　too　eloquent　not　to　gabble；　too　full　of　vanity　to　bow　down
before　real　talent；　is；　in　spite　of　the　sublime　good　sense　of　its
language　and　the　mass　of　its　people；　the　very　last　nation　in　which　two
deliberative　chambers　should　have　been　attempted；〃　said　the　/juge　de
paix/。　〃Or；　at　any　rate；　the　weaknesses　of　our