sons of the soil-第25章

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All　things　bespoke　a　shameful　want　of　care；the　seal　set　by　mere

life…possessors　on　the　ancient　glories　that　they　possess。　Two　windows

on　the　first　floor　were　stuffed　with　hay。　Through　another；　on　the

ground…floor；　was　seen　a　room　filled　with　tools　and　logs　of　wood；

while　a　cow　pushed　her　muzzle　through　a　fourth；　proving　that

Courtecuisse；　to　avoid　having　to　walk　from　the　pavilion　to　the

pheasantry；　had　turned　the　large　hall　of　the　central　building　into　a

stable；a　hall　with　panelled　ceiling；　and　in　the　centre　of　each　panel

the　arms　of　all　the　various　possessors　of　Les　Aigues！



Black　and　dirty　palings　disgraced　the　approach　to　the　pavilion；　making

square　inclosures　with　plank　roofs　for　pigs；　ducks；　and　hens；　the

manure　of　which　was　taken　away　every　six　months。　A　few　ragged　garments

were　hung　to　dry　on　the　brambles　which　boldly　grew　unchecked　here　and

there。　As　the　general　came　along　the　avenue　from　the　bridge；　Madame

Courtecuisse　was　scouring　a　saucepan　in　which　she　had　just　made　her

coffee。　The　forester；　sitting　on　a　chair　in　the　sun；　considered　his

wife　as　a　savage　considers　his。　When　he　heard　a　horse's　hoofs　he

turned　round；　saw　the　count；　and　seemed　taken　aback。



〃Well；　Courtecuisse；　my　man；〃　said　the　general；　〃I'm　not　surprised

that　the　peasants　cut　my　woods　before　Messrs。　Gravelot　can　do　so。　So

you　consider　your　place　a　sinecure？〃



〃Indeed；　Monsieur　le　comte；　I　have　watched　the　woods　so　many　nights

that　I'm　ill　from　it。　I've　got　a　chill；　and　I　suffer　such　pain　this

morning　that　my　wife　has　just　made　me　a　poultice　in　that　saucepan。〃



〃My　good　fellow；〃　said　the　count；　〃I　don't　know　of　any　pain　that　a

coffee　poultice　cures　except　that　of　hunger。　Listen　to　me；　you　rascal！

I　rode　through　my　forest　yesterday；　and　then　through　those　of　Monsieur

de　Soulanges　and　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles。　Theirs　are　carefully

watched　and　preserved；　while　mine　is　in　a　shameful　state。〃



〃Ah；　monsieur！　but　they　are　the　old　lords　of　the　neighborhood；

everybody　respects　their　property。　How　can　you　expect　me　to　fight

against　six　districts？　I　care　for　my　life　more　than　for　your　woods。　A

man　who　would　undertake　to　watch　your　woods　as　they　ought　to　be

watched　would　get　a　ball　in　his　head　for　wages　in　some　dark　corner　of

the　forest〃



〃Coward！〃　cried　the　general；　trying　to　control　the　anger　the　man's

insolent　reply　provoked　in　him。　〃Last　night　was　as　clear　as　day；　yet

it　cost　me　three　hundred　francs　in　actual　robbery　and　over　a　thousand

in　future　damages。　You　will　leave　my　service　unless　you　do　better。　All

wrong…doing　deserves　some　mercy；　therefore　these　are　my　conditions：

You　may　have　the　fines；　and　I　will　pay　you　three　francs　for　every

indictment　you　bring　against　these　depredators。　If　I　don't　get　what　I

expect；　you　know　what　you　have　to　expect；　and　no　pension　either。

Whereas；　if　you　serve　me　faithfully　and　contrive　to　stop　these

depredations；　I'll　give　you　an　annuity　of　three　hundred　francs　for

life。　You　can　think　it　over。　Here　are　six　ways；〃　continued　the　count；

pointing　to　the　branching　roads；　〃there's　only　one　for　you　to　take；

as　for　me　also；　who　am　not　afraid　of　balls；　try　and　find　the　right

one。〃



Courtecuisse；　a　small　man　about　forty…six　years　of　age；　with　a　full…

moon　face；　found　his　greatest　happiness　in　doing　nothing。　He　expected

to　live　and　die　in　that　pavilion；　now　considered　by　him　HIS　pavilion。

His　two　cows　were　pastured　in　the　forest；　from　which　he　got　his　wood；

and　he　spent　his　time　in　looking　after　his　garden　instead　of　after　the

delinquents。　Such　neglect　of　duty　suited　Gaubertin；　and　Courtecuisse

knew　it　did。　The　keeper　chased　only　those　depredators　who　were　the

objects　of　his　personal　dislike；young　women　who　would　not　yield　to

his　wishes；　or　persons　against　whom　he　held　a　grudge；　though　for　some

time　past　he　had　really　felt　no　dislikes；　for　every　one　yielded　to　him

on　account　of　his　easy…going　ways　with　them。



Courtecuisse　had　a　place　always　kept　for　him　at　the　table　of　the

Grand…I…Vert；　the　wood…pickers　feared　him　no　longer；　indeed；　his　wife

and　he　received　many　gifts　in　kind　from　them；　his　wood　was　brought　in；

his　vineyard　dug；　in　short；　all　delinquents　at　whom　he　blinked　did　him

service。



Counting　on　Gaubertin　for　the　future；　and　feeling　sure　of　two　acres

whenever　Les　Aigues　should　be　brought　to　the　hammer；　he　was　roughly

awakened　by　the　curt　speech　of　the　general；　who；　after　four　quiescent

years；　was　now　revealing　his　true　character；that　of　a　bourgeois　rich

man　who　was　determined　to　be　no　longer　deceived。　Courtecuisse　took　his

cap；　his　game…bag；　and　his　gun；　put　on　his　gaiters　and　his　belt　（which

bore　the　very　recent　arms　of　Montcornet）；　and　started　for　Ville…aux…

Fayes；　with　the　careless；　indifferent　air　and　manner　under　which

country…people　often　conceal　very　deep　reflections；　while　he　gazed　at

the　woods　and　whistled　to　the　dogs　to　follow　him。



〃What！　you　complain　of　the　Shopman　when　he　proposes　to　make　your

fortune？〃　said　Gaubertin。　〃Doesn't　the　fool　offer　to　give　you　three

francs　for　every　arrest　you　make；　and　the　fines　to　boot？　Have　an

understanding　with　your　friends　and　you　can　bring　as　many　indictments

as　you　please；hundreds　if　you　like！　With　one　thousand　francs　you　can

buy　La　Bachelerie　from　Rigou；　become　a　property　owner；　live　in　your

own　house；　and　work　for　yourself；　or　rather；　make　others　work　for　you；

and　take　your　ease。　Onlynow　listen　to　meyou　must　manage　to　arrest

only　such　as　haven't　a　penny　in　the　world。　You　can't　shear　sheep

unless　the　wool　is　on　their　backs。　Take　the　Shopman's　offer　and　leave

him　to　collect　the　costs；if　he　wants　them；　tastes　differ。　Didn't　old

Mariotte　prefer　losses　to　profits；　in　spite　of　my　advice？〃



Courtecuisse；　filled　with　admiration　for　these　words　of　wisdom；

returned　home　burning　with　the　desire　to　be　a　land…owner　and　a

bourgeois　like　the　rest。



When　the　general　reached　Les　Aigues　he　related　his　expedition　to

Sibilet。



〃Monsieur　le　comte　did　very　right；〃　said　the　steward；　rubbing　his

hands；　〃but　he　must　not　stop　short　half…way。　The　field…keeper　of　the

district　who　allows　the　country…people　to　prey　upon　the　meadows　and

rob　the　harvests　ought　to　be　changed。　Monsieur　le　comte　should　have

himself　chosen　mayor；　and　appoint　one　of　his　old　soldiers；　who　would

have　the　courage　to　carry　out　his　orders；　in　place　of　Vaudoyer。　A

great　land…owner　should　be　master　in　his　own　district。　Just　see　what

difficulties　we　have　with　the　present　mayor！〃



The　mayor　of　the　district　of　Blangy；　formerly　a　Benedictine；　named

Rigou；　had　married；　in　the　first　year　of　the　Republic；　the　servant…

woman　of　the　late　priest　of　Blangy。　In　spite　of　the　repugnance　which　a

married　monk　excited　at　the　Prefecture；　he　had　continued　to　be　mayor

after　1815；　for　the　reason　that　there　was　no…one　else　at　Blangy　who

was　capable　of　filling　the　post。　But　in　1817；　when　the　bishop　sent　the

Abbe　Brossette　to　the　parish　of　Blangy　（which　had　then　been　vacant

over　twenty…five　years）；　a　violent　opposition　not　unnaturally　broke

out　between　the　old　apostate　and　the　young　ecclesiastic；　whose

character　is　already　known　to　us。　The　war　which　was　then　and　there

declared　between　the　mayor's　office　and　the　parsonage　increased　the

popularity　of　the　magistrate；　who　had　hitherto　been　more　or　less

despised。　Rigou；　whom　the　peasants　had　disliked　for　usurious　dealings；

now　suddenly　represented　their　political　and　financial　interests；

supposed　to　be　threatened　by　the　Restoration；　and　more　especially　by

the　clergy。



A　copy　of　the　〃Constitutionnel；〃　that　great　organ　of　liberalism；　after

making　the　rounds　of　the　Cafe　de　la　Paix；　came　back　to　Rigou　on　the

seventh　day；the　subscription；　standing　in　the　name　of　old　Socquard

the　keeper　of　the　coffee…house；　being　shared　by　twenty　persons。　Rigou

passed　the　paper　on　to　Langlume　the　miller；　who；　in　turn；　gave　it　in

shreds　to　any　one　who　knew　how　to　read。　The　〃Paris　items；〃　and　the

anti…religion　jokes　of　the　liberal　sheet　formed　the　public　opinion　of

the　valley　des　Aigues。　Rigou；　like　the　VENERABLE　Abbe　Gregoire；　became

a　hero。　For　him；　as　for　certain　Parisian　bankers；　politics　spread　a

mantle　of　popularity　over　his　shameful　dishonesty。



At　this　particular　time　the　perjured　monk；　like　Francois　Keller　the

great　orator；　was　looked　upon　as　a　defender　of　the　rights　of　the

people；he　who；　not　so　very　long　before；　dared　not　walk　in　the　fields

after　dark；　lest　he　should　stumble　into　pitfalls　where　he　would　seem

to　have　been　killed　by　accident！　Persecute　a　man　politically　and　you

not　only　magnify　him；　but　you　redeem　his　past　and　make　it　innocent。

The　liberal　party　was　a　great　worker　of　miracles　in　this　respect。　Its

dangerous　journal；　which　had　the　wit　to　make　itself　as　commonplace；　as

calumniating；　as　credulous；　and　as　sillily　perfidious　as　every

audience　made　up　the　general　masses；　did　in　all　probability　as　much

injury　to　private　interests　as　it　did　to　those　of　the　Church。



Rigou　flattered　himself　that　he　should　find　in　a　Bonapartist　general

now　laid　on　the　shelf；　in　a　son　of　the　people　raised　from　nothing　by

the　Revolution；　a　sound　enemy　to　the　Bourbons　and　the　priests。　But　the

general；　bearing　in　mind　his　private　ambitions；　so　arranged　matters　as

to　evade　the　visit　of　Monsieur　and　Madame　Rigou　when　he　first　came　to

Les　Aigues。



When　you　have　become　better　acquainted　with　the　terrible　character　of

Rigou；　the　lynx　of　the　valley；　you　will　understand　the　full　extent　of

the　second　capital　blunder　which　the　general's　aristocratic　ambitions

led　him　to　commit；　and　which　the　countess　made　all　the　greater　by　an

offence　which　will　be　described　in　the　further　history　of　Rigou。



If　Montcornet　had　courted　the　mayor's　good…will；　if　he　had　sought　his

friendship；　perhaps　the　influence　of　the　renegade　might　have

neutralized　that　of　Gaubertin。　Far　from　that；　three　suits　were　now

pending　in　the　courts　of　Ville…aux…Fayes　between　the　general　and　the

ex…monk。　Until　the　present　time　the　general　had　been　so　absorbed　in

his　personal　interests　and　in　his　marriage　that　he　had　never

remembered　Rigou；　but　when　Sibilet　advised　him　to　get　himself　made

mayor　in　Rigou's　place；　he　took　post…horses　and　went　to　see　the

prefect。



The　prefect；　Comte　Martial　de　la　Roche…Hugon；　had　been　a　friend　of　the

general　since　1804；　and　it　was　a　word　from　him　said　to　Montcornet　in　a

conversation　in　Paris；　which　brought　about　the　purchase　of　Les　Aigues。

Comte　Martial；　a　prefect　under　Napoleon；　remained　a　prefect　under　the

Bourbons；　and　courted　the　bishop　to　retain　his　place。　Now　it　happened

that　Monseigneur　had　several　times　requested　him　to　get　rid　of　Rigou。

Martial；　to　whom　the　condition　of　the　district　was　perfectly　well

known；　was　delighted　with　the　general's　request；　so　that　in　less　than

a　month　the　Comte　de　Montcornet　was　mayor　of　Blangy。



By　one　of　those　accidents　which　come　about　naturally；　the　general　met；

while　at　the　prefecture　where　his