sons of the soil-第20章

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of　those　bitter　hatreds　which　are　literally　a　part　of　existence　in

provincial　life；　the　persistency；　duration；　and　plots　of　which　would

astonish　diplomatists　who　are　trained　to　let　nothing　astonish　them。　A

burning　desire　for　vengeance　led　him　to　settle　at　Ville…aux…Fayes；　and

to　take　a　position　where　he　could　injure　Montcornet　and　stir　up

sufficient　enmity　against　to　force　him　to　sell　Les　Aigues。



The　general　was　deceived　by　appearances；　for　Gaubertin's　external

behavior　was　not　of　a　nature　to　warn　or　to　alarm　him。　The　late　steward

followed　his　old　custom　of　pretending；　not　exactly　poverty；　but

limited　means。　For　years　he　had　talked　of　his　wife　and　three　children；

and　the　heavy　expenses　of　a　large　family。　Mademoiselle　Laguerre；　to

whom　he　had　declared　himself　too　poor　to　educate　his　son　in　Paris；

paid　the　costs　herself；　and　allowed　her　dear　godson　（for　she　was

Claude　Gaubertin's　sponsor）　two　thousand　francs　a　year。



The　day　after　the　quarrel；　Gaubertin　came；　with　a　keeper　named

Courtecuisse；　and　demanded　with　much　insolence　his　release　in　full　of

all　claims；　showing　the　general　the　one　he　had　obtained　from　his　late

mistress　in　such　flattering　terms；　and　asking；　ironically；　that　a

search　should　be　made　for　the　property；　real　and　otherwise；　which　he

was　supposed　to　have　stolen。　If　he　had　received　fees　from　the　wood…

merchants　on　their　purchases　and　from　the　farmers　on　their　leases；

Mademoiselle　Laguerre；　he　said；　had　always　allowed　it；　not　only　did

she　gain　by　the　bargains　he　made；　but　everything　went　on　smoothly

without　troubling　her。　The　country…people　would　have　died；　he

remarked；　for　Mademoiselle；　whereas　the　general　was　laying　up　for

himself　a　store　of　difficulties。



Gaubertinand　this　trait　is　frequently　to　be　seen　in　the　majority　of

those　professions　in　which　the　property　of　others　can　be　taken　by

means　not　foreseen　by　the　Codeconsidered　himself　a　perfectly　honest

man。　In　the　first　place；　he　had　so　long　had　possession　of　the　money

extorted　from　Mademoiselle　Laguerre's　farmers　through　fear；　and　paid

in　assignats；　that　he　regarded　it　as　legitimately　acquired。　It　was　a

mere　matter　of　exchange。　He　thought　that　in　the　end　he　should　have

quite　as　much　risk　with　coin　as　with　paper。　Besides；　legally；

Mademoiselle　had　no　right　to　receive　any　payment　except　in　assignats。

〃Legally〃　is　a　fine；　robust　adverb；　which　bolsters　up　many　a　fortune！

Moreover；　he　reflected　that　ever　since　great　estates　and　land…agents

had　existed；　that　is；　ever　since　the　origin　of　society；　the　said

agents　had　set　up；　for　their　own　use；　an　argument　such　as　we　find　our

cooks　using　in　this　present　day。　Here　it　is；　in　its　simplicity：



〃If　my　mistress；〃　says　the　cook；　〃went　to　market　herself；　she　would

have　to　pay　more　for　her　provisions　than　I　charge　her；　she　is　the

gainer；　and　the　profits　I　make　do　more　good　in　my　hands　than　in　those

of　the　dealers。〃



〃If　Mademoiselle；〃　thought　Gaubertin；　〃were　to　manage　Les　Aigues

herself；　she　would　never　get　thirty　thousand　francs　a　year　out　of　it；

the　peasants；　the　dealers；　the　workmen　would　rob　her　of　the　rest。　It

is　much　better　that　I　should　have　it；　and　so　enable　her　to　live　in

peace。〃



The　Catholic　religion；　and　it　alone；　is　able　to　prevent　these

capitulations　of　conscience。　But；　ever　since　1789　religion　has　no

influence　on　two　thirds　of　the　French　people。　The　peasants；　whose

minds　are　keen　and　whose　poverty　drives　them　to　imitation；　had

reached；　specially　in　the　valley　of　Les　Aigues；　a　frightful　state　of

demoralization。　They　went　to　mass　on　Sundays；　but　only　at　the　outside

of　the　church；　where　it　was　their　custom　to　meet　and　transact　business

and　make　their　weekly　bargains。



We　can　now　estimate　the　extent　of　the　evil　done　by　the　careless

indifference　of　the　great　singer　to　the　management　of　her　property。

Mademoiselle　Laguerre　betrayed；　through　mere　selfishness；　the

interests　of　those　who　owned　property；　who　are　held　in　perpetual

hatred　by　those　who　own　none。　Since　1792　the　land…owners　of　Paris　have

become　of　necessity　a　combined　body。　If；　alas；　the　feudal　families；

less　numerous　than　the　middle…class　families；　did　not　perceive　the

necessity　of　combining　in　1400　under　Louis　XI。；　nor　in　1600　under

Richelieu；　can　we　expect　that　in　this　nineteenth　century　of　progress

the　middle　classes　will　prove　to　be　more　permanently　and　solidly

combined　that　the　old　nobility？　An　oligarchy　of　a　hundred　thousand

rich　men　presents　all　the　dangers　of　a　democracy　with　none　of　its

advantages。　The　principle　of　〃every　man　for　himself　and　for　his　own；〃

the　selfishness　of　individual　interests；　will　kill　the　oligarchical

selfishness　so　necessary　to　the　existence　of　modern　society；　and　which

England　has　practised　with　such　success　for　the　last　three　centuries。

Whatever　may　be　said　or　done；　land…owners　will　never　understand　the

necessity　of　the　sort　of　internal　discipline　which　made　the　Church

such　an　admirable　model　of　government；　until；　too　late；　they　find

themselves　in　danger　from　one　another。　The　audacity　with　which

communism；　that　living　and　acting　logic　of　democracy；　attacks　society

from　the　moral　side；　shows　plainly　that　the　Samson　of　to…day；　grown

prudent；　is　undermining　the　foundations　of　the　cellar；　instead　of

shaking　the　pillars　of　the　hall。







CHAPTER　VII



CERTAIN　LOST　SOCIAL　SPECIES



The　estate　of　Les　Aigues　could　not　do　without　a　steward；　for　the

general　had　no　intention　of　renouncing　his　winter　pleasures　in　Paris；

where　he　owned　a　fine　house　in　the　rue　Neuve…des…Mathurines。　He

therefore　looked　about　for　a　successor　to　Gaubertin；　but　it　is　very

certain　that　his　search　was　not　as　eager　as　that　of　Gaubertin　himself；

who　was　seeking　for　the　right　person　to　put　in　his　way。



Of　all　confidential　positions　there　is　none　that　requires　more　trained

knowledge　of　its　kind；　or　more　activity；　than　that　of　land…steward　to

a　great　estate。　The　difficulty　of　finding　the　right　man　is　only　fully

known　to　those　wealthy　landlords　whose　property　lies　beyond　a　certain

circle　around　Paris；　beginning　at　a　distance　of　about　one　hundred　and

fifty　miles。　At　that　point　agricultural　productions　for　the　markets　of

Paris；　which　warrant　rentals　on　long　leases　（collected　often　by　other

tenants　who　are　rich　themselves）；　cease　to　be　cultivated。　The　farmers

who　raise　them　drive　to　the　city　in　their　own　cabriolets　to　pay　their

rents　in　good　bank…bills；　unless　they　send　the　money　through　their

agents　in　the　markets。　For　this　reason；　the　farms　of　the　Seine…et…

Oise；　Seine…et…Marne；　the　Oise；　the　Eure…et…Loir；　the　Lower　Seine；　and

the　Loiret　are　so　desirable　that　capital　cannot　always　be　invested

there　at　one　and　a　half　per　cent。　Compared　to　the　returns　on　estates

in　Holland；　England；　and　Belgium；　this　result　is　enormous。　But　at　one

hundred　miles　from　Paris　an　estate　requires　such　variety　of　working；

its　products　are　so　different　in　kind；　that　it　becomes　a　business；

with　all　the　risks　attendant　on　manufacturing。　The　wealthy　owner　is

really　a　merchant；　forced　to　look　for　a　market　for　his　products；　like

the　owner　of　ironworks　or　cotton　factories。　He　does　not　even　escape

competition；　the　peasant；　the　small　proprietor；　is　at　his　heels　with

an　avidity　which　leads　to　transactions　to　which　well…bred　persons

cannot　condescend。



A　land…steward　must　understand　surveying；　the　customs　of　the　locality；

the　methods　of　sale　and　of　labor；　together　with　a　little　quibbling　in

the　interests　of　those　he　serves；　he　must　also　understand　book…keeping

and　commercial　matters；　and　be　in　perfect　health；　with　a　liking　for

active　life　and　horse　exercise。　His　duty　being　to　represent　his　master

and　to　be　always　in　communication　with　him；　the　steward　ought　not　to

be　a　man　of　the　people。　As　the　salary　of　his　office　seldom　exceeds

three　thousand　francs；　the　problem　seems　insoluble。　How　is　it　possible

to　obtain　so　many　qualifications　for　such　a　very　moderate　price；in　a

region；　moreover；　where　the　men　who　are　provided　with　them　are

admissible　to　all　other　employments？　Bring　down　a　stranger　to　fill　the

place；　and　you　will　pay　dear　for　the　experience　he　must　acquire。　Train

a　young　man　on　the　spot；　and　you　are　more　than　likely　to　get　a　thorn

of　ingratitude　in　your　side。　It　therefore　becomes　necessary　to　choose

between　incompetent　honesty；　which　injures　your　property　through　its

blindness　and　inertia；　and　the　cleverness　which　looks　out　for　itself。

Hence　the　social　nomenclature　and　natural　history　of　land…stewards　as

defined　by　a　great　Polish　noble。



〃There　are；〃　he　said；　〃two　kinds　of　stewards：　he　who　thinks　only　of

himself；　and　he　who　thinks　of　himself　and　of　us；　happy　the　land…owner

who　lays　his　hands　on　the　latter！　As　for　the　steward　who　would　think

only　of　us；　he　is　not　to　be　met　with。〃



Elsewhere　can　be　found　a　steward　who　thought　of　this　master's

interests　as　well　as　of　his　own。　（〃Un　Debut　dans　la　vie；〃　〃Scenes　de

la　vie　privee。〃）　Gaubertin　is　the　steward　who　thinks　of　himself　only。

To　represent　the　third　figure　of　the　problem　would　be　to　hold　up　to

public　admiration　a　very　unlikely　personage；　yet　one　that　was　not

unknown　to　the　old　nobility；　though　he　has；　alas！　disappeared　with

them。　（See　〃Le　Cabinet　des　Antiques；〃　〃Scenes　de　la　vie　de　province。〃）

Through　the　endless　subdivision　of　fortunes　aristocratic　habits　and

customs　are　inevitably　changed。　If　there　be　not　now　in　France　twenty

great　fortunes　managed　by　intendants；　in　fifty　years　from　now　there

will　not　be　a　hundred　estates　in　the　hands　of　stewards；　unless　a　great

change　is　made　in　the　law。　Every　land…owner　will　be　brought　by　that

time　to　look　after　his　own　interests。



This　transformation；　already　begun；　suggested　the　following　answer　of

a　clever　woman　when　asked　why；　since　1830；　she　stayed　in　Paris　during

the　summer。　〃Because；〃　she　said；　〃I　do　not　care　to　visit　chateaux

which　are　now　turned　into　farms。〃　What　is　to　be　the　future　of　this

question；　getting　daily　more　and　more　imperative；that　of　man　to　man；

the　poor　man　and　the　rich　man？　This　book　is　written　to　throw　some

light　upon　that　terrible　social　question。



It　is　easy　to　understand　the　perplexities　which　assailed　the　general

after　he　had　dismissed　Gaubertin。　While　saying　to　himself；　vaguely；

like　other　persons　free　to　do　or　not　to　do　a　thing；　〃I'll　dismiss　that

scamp〃；　he　had　overlooked　the　risk　and　forgotten　the　explosion　of　his

boiling　anger；the　anger　of　a　choleric　fire…eater　at　the　moment　when

a　flagrant　imposition　forced　him　to　raise　the　lids　of　his　wilfully

blind　eyes。



Montcornet；　a　land…owner　for　the　first　time　and　a　denizen　of　Paris；

had　not　provided　himself　with　a　steward　before　coming　to　Les　Aigues；

but　after　studying　the　neighborhood　carefully　he　saw　it　was

indispensable　to　a　man　like　himself　to　have　an　intermediary　to　manage

so　many　persons　of　low　degree。



Gaubertin；　who　discovered　during　the　excitement　of　the　scene　（which

lasted　more　than　two　hours）　the　dif