sons of the soil-第15章

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French；　and　I'll　ask　it　in　good　Burgundian；　as　long　as　I　get　the

money；　I　don't　care；　I'll　talk　Latin：　'latinus；　latina；　latinum'！

Besides；　twenty　francs　is　what　you　promised　me　this　morning。　My

children　have　already　stolen　the　silver　you　gave　me；　I　wept　about　it；

coming　along；ask　Charles　if　I　didn't。　Not　that　I'd　arrest　'em　for

the　value　of　ten　francs　and　have　'em　up　before　the　judge；　no！　But　just

as　soon　as　I　earn　a　few　pennies；　they　make　me　drink　and　get　'em　out　of

me。　Ah！　it　is　hard；　hard　to　be　reduced　to　go　and　get　my　wine

elsewhere。　But　just　see　what　children　are　these　days！　That's　what　we

got　by　the　Revolution；　it　is　all　for　the　children　now…a…days；　and

parents　are　suppressed。　I'm　bringing　up　Mouche　on　another　tack；　he

loves　me；　the　little　scamp；〃giving　his　grandson　a　poke。



〃It　seems　to　me　you　are　making　him　a　little　thief；　like　all　the　rest；〃

said　Sibilet；　〃he　never　lies　down　at　night　without　some　sin　on　his

conscience。〃



〃Ha！　Monsieur　Sibilet；　his　conscience　is　as　clean　as　yours　any　day！

Poor　child！　what　can　he　steal？　A　little　grass！　that's　better　than

throttling　a　man！　He　don't　know　mathematics　like　you；　nor　subtraction；

nor　addition；　nor　multiplication；you　are　very　unjust　to　us；　that　you

are！　You　call　us　a　nest　of　brigands；　but　you　are　the　cause　of　the

misunderstandings　between　our　good　landlord　here；　who　is　a　worthy　man；

and　the　rest　of　us；　who　are　all　worthy　men；there　ain't　an　honester

part　of　the　country　than　this。　Come；　what　do　you　mean？　do　I　own

property？　don't　I　go　half…naked；　and　Mouche　too？　Fine　sheets　we　slept

in；　washed　by　the　dew　every　morning！　and　unless　you　want　the　air　we

breathe　and　the　sunshine　we　drink；　I　should　like　to　know　what　we　have

that　you　can　take　away　from　us！　The　rich　folks　rob　as　they　sit　in

their　chimney…corners；and　more　profitably；　too；　than　by　picking　up　a

few　sticks　in　the　woods。　I　don't　see　no　game…keepers　or　patrols　after

Monsieur　Gaubertin；　who　came　here　as　naked　as　a　worm　and　is　now　worth

his　millions。　It's　easy　said；　'Robbers！'　Here's　fifteen　years　that　old

Guerbet；　the　tax…gatherer　at　Soulanges；　carries　his　money　along　the

roads　by　the　dead　of　night；　and　nobody　ever　took　a　farthing　from　him；

is　that　like　a　land　of　robbers？　has　robbery　made　us　rich？　Show　me

which　of　us　two；　your　class　or　mine；　live　the　idlest　lives　and　have

the　most　to　live　on　without　earning　it。〃



〃If　you　were　to　work；〃　said　the　abbe；　〃you　would　have　property。　God

blesses　labor。〃



〃I　don't　want　to　contradict　you；　M'sieur　l'abbe；　for　you　are　wiser

than　I；　and　perhaps　you'll　know　how　to　explain　something　that　puzzles

me。　Now　see；　here　I　am；　ain't　I？that　drunken；　lazy；　idle；　good…for…

nothing　old　Fourchon；　who　had　an　education　and　was　a　farmer；　and　got

down　in　the　mud　and　never　got　up　again；well；　what　difference　is

there　between　me　and　that　honest　and　worthy　old　Niseron；　seventy　years

old　（and　that's　my　age）　who　has　dug　the　soil　for　sixty　years　and　got

up　every　day　before　it　was　light　to　go　to　his　work；　and　has　made

himself　an　iron　body　and　a　fine　soul？　Well；　isn't　he　as　bad　off　as　I

am？　His　little　granddaughter；　Pechina；　is　at　service　with　Madame

Michaud；　whereas　my　little　Mouche　is　as　free　as　air。　So　that　poor　good

man　gets　rewarded　for　his　virtues　in　exactly　the　same　way　that　I　get

punished　for　my　vices。　He　don't　know　what　a　glass　of　good　wine　is；

he's　as　sober　as　an　apostle；　he　buries　the　dead；　and　II　play　for　the

living　to　dance。　He　is　always　in　a　peck　o'　troubles；　while　I　slip

along　in　a　devil…may…care　way。　We　have　come　along　about　even　in　life；

we've　got　the　same　snow　on　our　heads；　the　same　funds　in　our　pockets；

and　I　supply　him　with　rope　to　ring　his　bell。　He's　a　republican　and　I'm

not　even　a　publican；that's　all　the　difference　as　far　as　I　can　see。　A

peasant　may　do　good　or　do　evil　（according　to　your　ideas）　and　he'll　go

out　of　the　world　just　as　he　came　into　it；　in　rags；　while　you　wear　the

fine　clothes。〃



No　one　interrupted　Pere　Fourchon；　who　seemed　to　owe　his　eloquence　to

his　potations。　At　first　Sibilet　tried　to　cut　him　short；　but　desisted

at　a　sign　from　Blondet。　The　abbe；　the　general；　and　the　countess；　all

understood　from　the　expression　of　the　writer's　eye　that　he　wanted　to

study　the　question　of　pauperism　from　life；　and　perhaps　take　his

revenge　on　Pere　Fourchon。



〃What　sort　of　education　are　you　giving　Mouche？〃　asked　Blondet。　〃Do　you

expect　to　make　him　any　better　than　your　daughters？〃



〃Does　he　ever　speak　to　him　of　God？〃　said　the　priest。



〃Oh；　no；　no！　Monsieur　le　cure；　I　don't　tell　him　to　fear　God；　but　men。

God　is　good；　he　has　promised　us　poor　folks；　so　you　say；　the　kingdom　of

heaven；　because　the　rich　people　keep　the　earth　to　themselves。　I　tell

him：　'Mouche！　fear　the　prison；　and　keep　out　of　it；for　that's　the　way

to　the　scaffold。　Don't　steal　anything；　make　people　give　it　to　you。

Theft　leads　to　murder；　and　murder　brings　down　the　justice　of　men。　The

razor　of　justice；THAT'S　what　you've　got　to　fear；　it　lets　the　rich

sleep　easy　and　keeps　the　poor　awake。　Learn　to　read。　Education　will

teach　you　ways　to　grab　money　under　cover　of　the　law；　like　that　fine

Monsieur　Gaubertin；　why；　you　can　even　be　a　land…steward　like　Monsieur

Sibilet　here；　who　gets　his　rations　out　of　Monsieur　le　comte。　The　thing

to　do　is　to　keep　well　with　the　rich；　and　pick　up　the　crumbs　that　fall

from　their　tables。'　That's　what　I　call　giving　him　a　good；　solid

education；　and　you'll　always　find　the　little　rascal　on　the　side　of　the

law；he'll　be　a　good　citizen　and　take　care　of　me。〃



〃What　do　you　mean　to　make　of　him？〃　asked　Blondet。



〃A　servant；　to　begin　with；〃　returned　Fourchon；　〃because　then　he'll　see

his　masters　close　by；　and　learn　something；　he'll　complete　his

education；　I'll　warrant　you。　Good　example　will　be　a　fortune　to　him；

with　the　law　on　his　side　like　the　rest　of　you。　If　M'sieur　le　comte

would　only　take　him　in　his　stables　and　let　him　learn　to　groom　the

horses；　the　boy　will　be　mighty　pleased；　for　though　I've　taught　him　to

fear　men；　he　don't　fear　animals。〃



〃You　are　a　clever　fellow；　Pere　Fourchon；〃　said　Blondet；　〃you　know　what

you　are　talking　about；　and　there's　sense　in　what　you　say。〃



〃Oh；　sense？　no；　I　left　my　sense　at　the　Grand…I…Vert　when　I　lost　those

silver　pieces。〃



〃How　is　it　that　a　man　of　your　capacity　should　have　dropped　so　low？　As

things　are　now；　a　peasant　can　only　blame　himself　for　his　poverty；　he

is　a　free　man；　and　he　can　become　a　rich　one。　It　is　not　as　it　used　to

be。　If　a　peasant　lays　by　his　money；　he　can　always　buy　a　bit　of　land

and　become　his　own　master。〃



〃I've　seen　the　olden　time　and　I've　seen　the　new；　my　dear　wise

gentleman；〃　said　Fourchon；　〃the　sign　over　the　door　has　changed；　that's

true；　but　the　wine　is　the　same；to…day　is　the　younger　brother　of

yesterday；　that's　all。　Put　that　in　your　newspaper！　Are　we　poor　folks

free？　We　still　belong　to　the　same　parish；　and　its　lord　is　always

there；I　call　him　Toil。　The　hoe；　our　sole　property；　has　never　left

our　hands。　Let　it　be　the　old　lords　or　the　present　taxes　which　take　the

best　of　our　earnings；　the　fact　remains　that　we　sweat　our　lives　out　in

toil。〃



〃But　you　could　undertake　a　business；　and　try　to　make　your　fortune；〃

said　Blondet。



〃Try　to　make　my　fortune！　And　where　shall　I　try？　If　I　wish　to　leave　my

own　province；　I　must　get　a　passport；　and　that　costs　forty　sous。　Here's

forty　years　that　I've　never　had　a　slut　of　a　forty…sous　piece　jingling

against　another　in　my　pocket。　If　you　want　to　travel　you　need　as　many

crowns　as　there　are　villages；　and　there　are　mighty　few　Fourchons　who

have　enough　to　get　to　six　of　'em。　It　is　only　the　draft　that　gives　us　a

chance　to　get　away。　And　what　good　does　the　army　do　us？　The　colonels

live　by　the　solider；　just　as　the　rich　folks　live　by　the　peasant；　and

out　of　every　hundred　of　'em　you　won't　find　more　than　one　of　our　breed。

It　is　just　as　it　is　the　world　over；　one　rolling　in　riches；　for　a

hundred　down　in　the　mud。　Why　are　we　in　the　mud？　Ask　God　and　the

usurers。　The　best　we　can　do　is　to　stay　in　our　own　parts；　where　we　are

penned　like　sheep　by　the　force　of　circumstances；　as　our　fathers　were

by　the　rule　of　the　lords。　As　for　me；　what　do　I　care　what　shackles　they

are　that　keep　me　here？　let　it　be　the　law　of　public　necessity　or　the

tyranny　of　the　old　lords；　it　is　all　the　same；　we　are　condemned　to　dig

the　soil　forever。　There；　where　we　are　born；　there　we　dig　it；　that

earth！　and　spade　it；　and　manure　it；　and　delve　in　it；　for　you　who　are

born　rich　just　as　we　are　born　poor。　The　masses　will　always　be　what

they　are；　and　stay　what　they　are。　The　number　of　us　who　manage　to　rise

is　nothing　like　the　number　of　you　who　topple　down！　We　know　that　well

enough；　if　we　have　no　education！　You　mustn't　be　after　us　with　your

sheriff　all　the　time；not　if　you're　wise。　We　let　you　alone；　and　you

must　let　us　alone。　If　not；　and　things　get　worse；　you'll　have　to　feed

us　in　your　prisons；　where　we'd　be　much　better　off　than　in　our　homes。

You　want　to　remain　our　masters；　and　we　shall　always　be　enemies；　just

as　we　were　thirty　years　ago。　You　have　everything；　we　have　nothing；　you

can't　expect　we　should　ever　be　friends。〃



〃That's　what　I　call　a　declaration　of　war；〃　said　the　general。



〃Monseigneur；〃　retorted　Fourchon；　〃when　Les　Aigues　belonged　to　that

poor　Madame　（God　keep　her　soul　and　forgive　her　the　sins　of　her　youth！）

we　were　happy。　SHE　let　us　get　our　food　from　the　fields　and　our　fuel

from　the　forest；　and　was　she　any　the　poorer　for　it？　And　you；　who　are

at　least　as　rich　as　she；　you　hunt　us　like　wild　beasts；　neither　more

nor　less；　and　drag　the　poor　before　the　courts。　Well；　evil　will　come　of

it！　you'll　be　the　cause　of　some　great　calamity。　Haven't　I　just　seen

your　keeper；　that　shuffling　Vatel；　half　kill　a　poor　old　woman　for　a

stick　of　wood？　It　is　such　fellows　as　that　who　make　you　an　enemy　to　the

poor；　and　the　talk　is　very　bitter　against　you。　They　curse　you　every

bit　as　hard　as　they　used　to　bless　the　late　Madame。　The　curse　of　the

poor；　monseigneur；　is　a　seed　that　grows；grows　taller　than　your　tall

oaks；　and　oak…wood　builds　the　scaffold。　Nobody　here　tells　you　the

truth；　and　here　it　is；　yes；　the　truth！　I　expect　to　die　before　long；

and　I　risk　very　little　in　telling　it　to　you；　the　TRUTH！　I；　who　play

for　the　peasants　to　dance　at　the　great　fetes　at　Soulanges；　I　heed　what

the　people　say。　Well；　they're　all　against　you；　and　they'll　make　it

impossible　for　you　to　stay　here。　If　that　damned　Michaud　of　yours

doesn't　change；　they'll　force　you　to　change　him。　There！　that

information　AND　the　otter　are　worth　twenty　francs；　and　more　too。〃



As　the　old　fellow　uttered　the　last　words　a　man's　step　was　heard；　and

the　individual　just　threatened　by　Fourchon　entered　unannounced。　It　was

easy　to　see　from　the　glance　he　threw　at　the　old　man　that　the　threat

had　reached　his　ears；　and　all　Fourchon's　insolence　sank　in　a　moment。

The　look　produced　precisely　the　same　effect　upon　him　that　the　eye　of　a

policeman　produces　on　a　thief。　Fourchon　kne