sons of the soil-第28章

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you　dare　not　arrest　them；〃　said　Sibilet。　〃They　think　they　frighten

you！　They　have　confederates　at　Ville…aux…Fayes；　for　even　the

prosecuting　attorney　seems　to　have　ignored　the　verdicts　against　them。〃



〃I　think；〃　said　Michaud；　seeing　that　the　general　looked　thoughtful；

〃that　if　you　are　willing　to　spend　a　good　deal　of　money　you　can　still

protect　the　property。〃



〃It　is　better　to　spend　money　than　to　act　harshly；〃　remarked　Sibilet。



〃What　is　your　plan？〃　asked　the　general　of　his　bailiff。



〃It　is　very　simple；〃　said　Michaud。　〃Inclose　the　whole　forest　with

walls；　like　those　of　the　park；　and　you　will　be　safe；　the　slightest

depredation　then　becomes　a　criminal　offence　and　is　taken　to　the

assizes。〃



〃At　a　franc　and　a　half　the　square　foot　for　the　material　only；　Monsieur

le　comte　would　find　his　wall　would　cost　him　a　third　of　the　whole　value

of　Les　Aigues；〃　said　Sibilet；　with　a　laugh。



〃Well；　well；〃　said　Montcornet；　〃I　shall　go　and　see　the　attorney…

general　at　once。〃



〃The　attorney…general；〃　remarked　Sibilet；　gently；　〃may　perhaps　share

the　opinion　of　his　subordinate；　for　the　negligence　shown　by　the　latter

is　probably　the　result　of　an　agreement　between　them。〃



〃Then　I　wish　to　know　it！〃　cried　Montcornet。　〃If　I　have　to　get　the

whole　of　them　turned　out；　judges；　civil　authorities；　and　the　attorney…

general　to　boot；　I'll　do　it；　I'll　go　the　Keeper　of　the　Seals；　or　to

the　king　himself。〃



At　a　vehement　sign　made　by　Michaud　the　general　stopped　short　and　said

to　Sibilet；　as　he　turned　to　retrace　his　steps；　〃Good　day；　my　dear

fellow；〃words　which　the　steward　understood。



〃Does　Monsieur　le　comte　intend；　as　mayor；　to　enforce　the　necessary

measures　to　repress　the　abuse　of　gleaning？〃　he　said；　respectfully。

〃The　harvest　is　coming　on；　and　if　we　are　to　publish　the　statutes　about

certificates　of　pauperism　and　the　prevention　of　paupers　from　other

districts　gleaning　our　land；　there　is　no　time　to　be　lost。〃



〃Do　it　at　once；　and　arrange　with　Groison；〃　said　the　count。　〃With　such

a　class　of　people；〃　he　added；　〃we　must　follow　out　the　law。〃



So；　without　a　moment's　reflection；　Montcornet　gave　in　to　a　measure

that　Sibilet　had　been　proposing　to　him　for　more　than　a　fortnight；　to

which　he　had　hitherto　refused　to　consent；　but　now；　in　the　violence　of

anger　caused　by　Vatel's　mishap；　he　instantly　adopted　it　as　the　right

thing　to　do。



When　Sibilet　was　at　some　distance　the　general　said　in　a　low　voice　to

his　bailiff：



〃Well；　my　dear　Michaud；　what　is　it；　why　did　you　make　me　that　sign？〃



〃You　have　an　enemy　within　the　walls；　general；　yet　you　tell　him　plans

which　you　ought　not　to　confide　even　to　the　secret　police。〃



〃I　share　your　suspicions；　my　dear　friend；〃　replied　Montcornet；　〃but　I

don't　intend　to　commit　the　same　fault　twice　over。　I　shall　not　part

with　another　steward　till　I'm　sure　of　a　better。　I　am　waiting　to　get

rid　of　Sibilet；　till　you　understand　the　business　of　steward　well

enough　to　take　his　place；　and　till　Vatel　is　fit　to　succeed　you。　And

yet；　I　have　no　ground　of　complaint　against　Sibilet。　He　is　honest　and

punctual　in　all　his　dealings；　he　hasn't　kept　back　a　hundred　francs　in

all　these　five　years。　He　has　a　perfectly　detestable　nature；　and　that's

all　one　can　say　against　him。　If　it　were　otherwise；　what　would　be　his

plan　in　acting　as　he　does？〃



〃General；〃　said　Michaud；　gravely；　〃I　will　find　out；　for　undoubtedly　he

has　one；　and　if　you　would　only　allow　it；　a　good　bribe　to　that　old

scoundrel　Fourchon　will　enable　me　to　get　at　the　truth；　though　after

what　he　said　just　now　I　suspect　the　old　fellow　of　having　more　secrets

than　one　in　his　pouch。　That　swindling　old　cordwainer　told　me　himself

they　want　to　drive　you　from　Les　Aigues。　And　let　me　tell　you；　for　you

ought　to　know　it；　that　from　Conches　to　Ville…aux…Fayes　there　is　not　a

peasant；　a　petty　tradesman；　a　farmer；　a　tavern…keeper　who　isn't　laying

by　his　money　to　buy　a　bit　of　the　estate。　Fourchon　confided　to　me　that

Tonsard　has　already　put　in　his　claim。　The　idea　that　you　can　be　forced

to　sell　Les　Aigues　has　gone　from　end　to　end　of　the　valley　like　an

infection　in　the　air。　It　may　be　that　the　steward's　present　house；　with

some　adjoining　land；　will　be　the　price　paid　for　Sibilet's　spying。

Nothing　is　ever　said　among　us　that　is　not　immediately　known　at　Ville…

aux…Fayes。　Sibilet　is　a　relative　of　your　enemy　Gaubertin。　What　you

have　just　said　about　the　attorney…general　and　the　others　will　probably

be　reported　before　you　have　reached　the　Prefecture。　You　don't　know

what　the　inhabitants　of　this　district　are。〃



〃Don't　I　know　them？　I　know　they　are　the　scum　of　the　earth！　Do　you

suppose　I　am　going　to　yield　to　such　blackguards？〃　cried　the　general。

〃Good　heavens；　I'd　rather　burn　Les　Aigues　myself！〃



〃No　need　to　burn　it；　let　us　adopt　a　line　of　conduct　which　will　baffle

the　schemes　of　these　Lilliputians。　Judging　by　threats；　general；　they

are　resolved　on　war　to　the　knife　against　you；　and　therefore　since　you

mention　incendiarism；　let　me　beg　of　you　to　insure　all　your　buildings；

and　all　your　farmhouses。〃



〃Michaud；　do　you　know　whom　they　mean　by　'Shopman'？　Yesterday；　as　I　was

riding　along　by　the　Thune；　I　heard　some　little　rascals　cry　out；　'The

Shopman！　here's　the　Shopman！'　and　then　they　ran　away。〃



〃Ask　Sibilet；　the　answer　is　in　his　line；　he　likes　to　make　you　angry；〃

said　Michaud；　with　a　pained　look。　〃Butif　you　will　have　an　answer

well；　that's　a　nickname　these　brigands　have　given　you；　general。〃



〃What　does　it　mean？〃



〃It　means；　generalwell；　it　refers　to　your　father。〃



〃Ha！　the　curs！〃　cried　the　count；　turning　livid。　〃Yes；　Michaud；　my

father　was　a　shopkeeper；　an　upholsterer；　the　countess　doesn't　know　it。

Oh！　that　I　should　everwell！　after　all；　I　have　waltzed　with　queens

and　empresses。　I'll　tell　her　this　very　night；〃　he　cried；　after　a

pause。



〃They　also　call　you　a　coward；〃　continued　Michaud。



〃Ha！〃



〃They　ask　how　you　managed　to　save　yourself　at　Essling　when　nearly　all

your　comrades　perished。〃



The　accusation　brought　a　smile　to　the　general's　lips。　〃Michaud；　I

shall　go　at　once　to　the　Prefecture！〃　he　cried；　with　a　sort　of　fury；

〃if　it　is　only　to　get　the　policies　of　insurance　you　ask　for。　Let

Madame　la　comtesse　know　that　I　have　gone。　Ha；　ha！　they　want　war；　do

they？　Well；　they　shall　have　it；　I'll　take　my　pleasure　in　thwarting

them；every　one　of　them；　those　bourgeois　of　Soulanges；　and　their

peasantry！　We　are　in　the　enemy's　country；　therefore　prudence！　Tell　the

foresters　to　keep　within　the　limits　of　the　law。　Poor　Vatel；　take　care

of　him。　The　countess　is　inclined　to　be　timid；　she　must　know　nothing　of

all　this；　otherwise　I　could　never　get　her　to　come　back　here。〃



Neither　the　general　nor　Michaud　understood　their　real　peril。　Michaud

had　been　too　short　a　time　in　this　Burgundian　valley　to　realize　the

enemy's　power；　though　he　saw　its　action。　The　general；　for　his　part；

believed　in　the　supremacy　of　the　law。



The　law；　such　as　the　legislature　of　these　days　manufactures　it；　has

not　the　virtue　we　attribute　to　it。　It　strikes　unequally；　it　is　so

modified　in　many　of　its　modes　of　application　that　it　virtually　refutes

its　own　principles。　This　fact　may　be　noted　more　or　less　distinctly

throughout　all　ages。　Is　there　any　historian　ignorant　enough　to　assert

that　the　decrees　of　the　most　vigilant　of　powers　were　ever　enforced

throughout　France？for　instance；　that　the　requisitions　of　the

Convention　for　men；　commodities；　and　money　were　obeyed　in　Provence；　in

the　depths　of　Normandy；　on　the　borders　of　Brittany；　as　they　were　at

the　great　centres　of　social　life？　What　philosopher　dares　deny　that　a

head　falls　to…day　in　such　or　such　department；　while　in　a　neighboring

department　another　head　stays　on　its　shoulders　though　guilty　of　a

crime　identically　the　same；　and　often　more　horrible？　We　ask　for

equality　in　life；　and　inequality　reigns　in　law　and　in　the　death

penalty！



When　the　population　of　a　town　falls　below　a　certain　figure　the

administrative　system　is　no　longer　the　same。　There　are　perhaps　a

hundred　cities　in　France　where　the　laws　are　vigorously　enforced；　and

there　the　intelligence　of　the　citizens　rises　to　the　conception　of　the

problem　of　public　welfare　and　future　security　which　the　law　seeks　to

solve；　but　throughout　the　rest　of　France　nothing　is　comprehended

beyond　immediate　gratification；　people　rebel　against　all　that　lessens

it。　Therefore　in　nearly　one　half　of　France　we　find　a　power　of　inertia

which　defeats　all　legal　action；　both　municipal　and　governmental。　This

resistance；　be　it　understood；　does　not　affect　the　essential　things　of

public　polity。　The　collection　of　taxes；　recruiting；　punishment　of

great　crimes；　as　a　general　thing　do　systematically　go　on；　but　outside

of　such　recognized　necessities；　all　legislative　decrees　which　affect

customs；　morals；　private　interests；　and　certain　abuses；　are　a　dead

letter；　owing　to　the　sullen　opposition　of　the　people。　At　the　very

moment　when　this　book　is　going　to　press；　this　dumb　resistance；　which

opposed　Louis　XIV。　in　Brittany；　may　still　be　seen　and　felt。　See　the

unfortunate　results　of　the　game…laws；　to　which　we　are　now　sacrificing

yearly　the　lives　of　some　twenty　or　thirty　men　for　the　sake　of

preserving　a　few　animals。



In　France　the　law　is；　to　at　least　twenty　million　of　inhabitants；

nothing　more　than　a　bit　of　white　paper　posted　on　the　doors　of　the

church　and　the　town…hall。　That　gives　rise　to　the　term　〃papers；〃　which

Mouche　used　to　express　legality。　Many　mayors　of　cantons　（not　to　speak

of　the　district　mayors）　put　up　their　bundles　of　seeds　and　herbs　with

the　printed　statutes。　As　for　the　district　mayors；　the　number　of　those

who　do　not　know　how　to　read　and　write　is　really　alarming；　and　the

manner　in　which　the　civil　records　are　kept　is　even　more　so。　The　danger

of　this　state　of　things；　well…known　to　the　governing　powers；　is

doubtless　diminishing；　but　what　centralization　（against　which　every

one　declaims；　as　it　is　the　fashion　in　France　to　declaim　against　all

things　good　and　useful　and　strong）；what　centralization　cannot　touch；

the　Power　against　which　it　will　forever　fling　itself　in　vain；　is　that

which　the　general　was　now　about　to　attack；　and　which　we　shall　take

leave　to　call　the　Mediocracy。



A　great　outcry　was　made　against　the　tyranny　of　the　nobles；　in　these

days　the　cry　is　against　that　of　capitalists；　against　abuses　of　power；

which　may　be　merely　the　inevitable　galling　of　the　social　yoke；　called

Compact　by　Rousseau；　Constitution　by　some；　Charter　by　others；　Czar

here；　King　there；　Parliament　in　Great　Britain；　while　in　France　the

general　levelling　begun　in　1789　and　continued　in　1830　has　paved　the

way　for　the　juggling　dominion　of　the　middle　classes；　and　delivered　the

nation　into　their　hands　without　escape。　The　portrayal　of　one　fact

alone；　unfortunately　only　too　common　in　these　days；　namely；　the

subjection　of　a　canton；　a　little　town；　a　sub…prefecture；　to　the　will

of　a　family　clique；in　short；　the　power　acquired