sons of the soil-第18章

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she　allowed　all　the　worst；　and；　as　it　proved；　fatal　precedents　to　be

established。　To　avoid　a　lawsuit；　she　allowed　the　neighbors　to　encroach

upon　her　land。　Knowing　that　the　park　walls　were　sufficient　protection；

she　did　not　fear　any　interruption　of　her　personal　comfort；　and　cared

for　nothing　but　her　peaceful　existence；　true　philosopher　that　she　was！

A　few　thousand　a　year　more　or　less；　the　indemnities　exacted　by　the

wood…merchants　for　the　damages　committed　by　the　peasants；what　were

they　to　a　careless　and　extravagant　Opera…girl；　who　had　gained　her

hundred　thousand　francs　a　year　at　the　cost　of　pleasure　only；　and　who

had　just　submitted；　without　a　word　of　remonstrance；　to　a　reduction　of

two　thirds　of　an　income　of　sixty　thousand　francs？



〃Dear　me！〃　she　said；　in　the　easy　tone　of　the　wantons　of　the　old　time；

〃people　must　live；　even　if　they　are　republicans。〃



The　terrible　Mademoiselle　Cochet；　her　maid　and　female　vizier；　had

tried　to　enlighten　her　mistress　when　she　saw　the　ascendency　Gaubertin

was　obtaining　over　one　whom　he　began　by　calling　〃Madame〃　in　defiance

of　the　revolutionary　laws　about　equality；　but　Gaubertin；　in　his　turn；

enlightened　Mademoiselle　Cochet　by　showing　her　a　so…called

denunciation　sent　to　his　father；　the　prosecuting　attorney；　in　which

she　was　vehemently　accused　of　corresponding　with　Pitt　and　Coburg。　From

that　time　forward　the　two　powers　went　on　sharesshares　a　la

Montgomery。　Cochet　praised　Gaubertin　to　Madame；　and　Gaubertin　praised

Cochet。　The　waiting…maid　had　already　made　her　own　bed；　and　knew　she

was　down　for　sixty　thousand　francs　in　the　will。　Madame　could　not　do

without　Cochet；　to　whom　she　was　accustomed。　The　woman　knew　the　secrets

of　dear　mistress's　toilet；　she　alone　could　put　dear　mistress　to　sleep

at　night　with　her　gossip；　and　get　her　up　in　the　morning　with　her

flattery；　to　the　day　of　dear　mistress's　death　the　maid　never　could　see

the　slightest　change　in　her；　and　when　dear　mistress　lay　in　her　coffin；

she　doubtless　thought　she　had　never　seen　her　looking　so　well。



The　annual　pickings　of　Gaubertin　and　Mademoiselle　Cochet；　their　wages

and　perquisites；　became　so　large　that　the　most　affectionate　relative

could　not　possibly　have　been　more　devoted　than　they　to　their　kindly

mistress。　There　is　really　no　describing　how　a　swindler　cossets　his

dupe。　A　mother　is　not　so　tender　nor　so　solicitous　for　a　beloved

daughter　as　the　practitioner　of　tartuferie　for　his　milch　cow。　What

brilliant　success　attends　the　performance　of　Tartufe　behind　the　closed

doors　of　a　home！　It　is　worth　more　than　friendship。　Moliere　died　too

soon；　he　would　otherwise　have　shown　us　the　misery　of　Orgon；　wearied　by

his　family；　harassed　by　his　children；　regretting　the　blandishments　of

Tartufe；　and　thinking　to　himself；　〃Ah；　those　were　the　good　times！〃



During　the　last　eight　years　of　her　life　the　mistress　of　Les　Aigues

received　only　thirty　thousand　francs　of　the　fifty　thousand　really

yielded　by　the　estate。　Gaubertin　had　reached　the　same　administrative

results　as　his　predecessor；　though　farm　rents　and　territorial　products

were　notably　increased　between　1791　and　1815；not　to　speak　of

Madame's　continual　purchases。　But　Gaubertin's　fixed　idea　of　acquiring

Les　Aigues　at　the　old　lady's　death　led　him　to　depreciate　the　value　of

the　magnificent　estate　in　the　matter　of　its　ostensible　revenues。

Mademoiselle　Cochet；　a　sharer　in　the　scheme；　was　also　to　share　the

profits。　As　the　ex…divinity　in　her　declining　years　received　an　income

of　twenty　thousand　francs　from　the　Funds　called　consolidated　（how

readily　the　tongue　of　politics　can　jest！）；　and　with　difficulty　spent

the　said　sum　yearly；　she　was　much　surprised　at　the　annual　purchases

made　by　her　steward　to　use　up　the　accumulating　revenues；　remembering

how　in　former　times　she　had　always　drawn　them　in　advance。　The　result

of　having　few　wants　in　her　old　age　seemed；　to　her　mind；　a　proof　of　the

honesty　and　uprightness　of　Gaubertin　and　Mademoiselle　Cochet。



〃Two　pearls！〃　she　said　to　the　persons　who　came　to　see　her。



Gaubertin　kept　his　accounts　with　apparent　honesty。　He　entered　all

rentals　duly。　Everything　that　could　strike　the　feeble　mind　of　the　late

singer；　so　far　as　arithmetic　went；　was　clear　and　precise。　The　steward

took　his　commission　on　all　disbursements；on　the　costs　of　working　the

estate；　on　rentals　made；　on　suits　brought；　on　work　done；　on　repairs　of

every　kind；details　which　Madame　never　dreamed　of　verifying；　and　for

which　he　sometimes　charged　twice　over　by　collusion　with　the

contractors；　whose　silence　was　bought　by　permission　to　charge　the

highest　prices。　These　methods　of　dealing　conciliated　public　opinion　in

favor　of　Gaubertin；　while　Madame's　praise　was　on　every　lip；　for

besides　the　payments　she　disbursed　for　work；　she　gave　away　large　sums

of　money　in　alms。



〃May　God　preserve　her；　the　dear　lady！〃　was　heard　on　all　sides。



The　truth　was；　everybody　got　something　out　of　her；　either　indirectly

or　as　a　downright　gift。　In　reprisals；　as　it　were；　of　her　youth　the　old

actress　was　pillaged；　so　discreetly　pillaged；　however；　that　those　who

throve　upon　her　kept　their　depredations　within　certain　limits　lest

even　her　eyes　might　be　opened　and　she　should　sell　Les　Aigues　and

return　to　Paris。



This　system　of　〃pickings〃　was；　alas！　the　cause　of　Paul…Louis　Carter's

assassination；　he　committed　the　mistake　of　advertising　the　sale　of　his

estate　and　allowing　it　to　be　known　that　he　should　take　away　his　wife；

on　whom　a　number　of　the　Tonsards　of　Lorraine　were　battening。　Fearing

to　lose　Madame　des　Aigues；　the　marauders　on　the　estate　forbore　to　cut

the　young　trees；　unless　pushed　to　extremities　by　finding　no　branches

within　reach　of　shears　fastened　to　long　poles。　In　the　interests　of

robbery；　they　did　as　little　harm　as　they　could；　although；　during　the

last　years　of　Madame's　life；　the　habit　of　cutting　wood　became　more　and

more　barefaced。　On　certain　clear　nights　not　less　than　two　hundred

bundles　were　taken。　As　to　the　gleaning　of　fields　and　vineyards；　Les

Aigues　lost；　as　Sibilet　had　pointed　out；　not　less　than　one　quarter　of

its　products。



Madame　des　Aigues　had　forbidden　Cochet　to　marry　during　her　lifetime；

with　the　selfishness　often　shown　in　all　countries　by　a　mistress　to　a

maid；　which　is　not　more　irrational　than　the　mania　for　keeping

possession；　until　our　last　gasp；　of　property　that　is　utterly　useless

to　our　material　comfort；　at　the　risk　of　being　poisoned　by　impatient

heirs。　Twenty　days　after　the　old　lady's　burial　Mademoiselle　Cochet

married　the　brigadier　of　the　gendarmerie　of　Soulanges；　named　Soudry；　a

handsome　man；　forty…two　years　of　age；　who；　ever　since　1800　（in　which

year　the　gendarmerie　was　formed）　had　come　every　day　to　Les　Aigues　to

see　the　waiting…maid；　and　dined　with　her　at　least　three　times　a　week

at　the　Gaubertins'。



During　Madame's　lifetime　dinner　was　served　to　her　and　to　her　company

by　themselves。　Neither　Cochet　nor　Gaubertin；　in　spite　of　their　great

familiarity　with　the　mistress；　was　ever　admitted　to　her　table；　the

leading　lady　of　the　Academie　Royale　retained；　to　her　last　hour；　her

sense　of　etiquette；　her　style　of　dress；　her　rouge　and　her　heeled

slippers；　her　carriage；　her　servants；　and　the　majesty　of　her

deportment。　A　divinity　at　the　Opera；　a　divinity　within　her　range　of

Parisian　social　life；　she　continued　a　divinity　in　the　country

solitudes；　where　her　memory　is　still　worshipped；　and　still　holds　its

own　against　that　of　the　old　monarchy　in　the　minds　of　the　〃best

society〃　of　Soulanges。



Soudry；　who　had　paid　his　addresses　to　Mademoiselle　Cochet　from　the

time　he　first　came　into　the　neighborhood；　owned　the　finest　house　in

Soulanges；　an　income　of　six　thousand　francs；　and　the　prospect　of　a

retiring　pension　whenever　he　should　quit　the　service。　As　soon　as

Cochet　became　Madame　Soudry　she　was　treated　with　great　consideration

in　the　town。　Though　she　kept　the　strictest　secrecy　as　to　the　amount　of

her　savings；which　were　intrusted；　like　those　of　Gaubertin；　to　the

commissary　of　wine…merchants　of　the　department　in　Paris；　a　certain

Leclercq；　a　native　of　Soulanges；　to　whom　Gaubertin　supplied　funds　as

sleeping　partner　in　his　business；public　opinion　credited　the　former

waiting…maid　with　one　of　the　largest　fortunes　in　the　little　town　of

twelve　hundred　inhabitants。



To　the　great　astonishment　of　every　one；　Monsieur　and　Madame　Soudry

acknowledged　as　legitimate；　in　their　marriage　contract；　a　natural　son

of　the　gendarme；　to　whom；　in　future；　Madame　Soudry's　fortune　was　to

descend。　At　the　time　when　this　son　was　legally　supplied　with　a　mother；

he　had　just　ended　his　law　studies　in　Paris　and　was　about　to　enter　into

practice；　with　the　intention　of　fitting　himself　for　the　magistracy。



It　is　scarcely　necessary　to　remark　that　a　mutual　understanding　of

twenty　years　had　produced　the　closest　intimacy　between　the　families　of

Gaubertin　and　Soudry。　Both　reciprocally　declared　themselves；　to　the

end　of　their　days；　〃urbi　et　orbi；〃　to　be　the　most　upright　and

honorable　persons　in　all　France。　Such　community　of　interests；　based　on

the　mutual　knowledge　of　the　secret　spots　on　the　white　garment　of

conscience；　is　one　of　the　ties　least　recognized　and　hardest　to　untie

in　this　low　world。　You　who　read　this　social　drama；　have　you　never　felt

a　conviction　as　to　two　persons　which　has　led　you　to　say　to　yourself；

in　order　to　explain　the　continuance　of　a　faithful　devotion　which　made

your　own　egotism　blush；　〃They　must　surely　have　committed　some　crime

together〃？



After　an　administration　of　twenty…five　years；　Gaubertin；　the　land…

steward；　found　himself　in　possession　of　six　hundred　thousand　francs　in

money；　and　Cochet　had　accumulated　nearly　two　hundred　and　fifty

thousand。　The　rapid　and　constant　turning　over　and　over　of　their　funds

in　the　hands　of　Leclercq　and　Company　（on　the　quai　Bethume；　Ile　Saint

Louis；　rivals　of　the　famous　house　of　Grandet）　was　a　great　assistance

to　the　fortunes　of　all　parties。　On　the　death　of　Mademoiselle　Laguerre；

Jenny；　the　steward's　eldest　daughter　was　asked　in　marriage　by

Leclercq。　Gaubertin　expected　at　that　time　to　become　owner　of　Les

Aigues　by　means　of　a　plot　laid　in　the　private　office　of　Lupin；　the

notary；　whom　the　steward　had　set　up　and　maintained　in　business　within

the　last　twelve　years。



Lupin；　a　son　of　the　former　steward　of　the　estate　of　Soulanges；　had

lent　himself　to　various　slight　peculations；investments　at　fifty　per

cent　below　par；　notices　published　surreptitiously；　and　all　the　other

manoeuvres；　unhappily　common　in　the　provinces；　to　wrap　a　mantle；　as

the　saying　is；　over　the　clandestine　manipulations　of　property。　Lately

a　company　has　been　formed　in　Paris；　so　they　say；　to　levy　contributions

upon　such　plotters　under　a　threat　of　outbidding　them。　But　in　1816

France　was　not；　as　it　is　now；　lighted　by　a　flaming　publicity；　the

accomplices　might　safely　count　on　dividing　Les　Aigues　among　them；　that

is；　between　Cochet；　the　notary；　and　Gaubertin；　the　latter　of　whom

reserved　to　himself；