sons of the soil-第29章

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of　a　family　clique；in　short；　the　power　acquired　by　Gaubertin；will

show　this　social　danger　better　than　all　dogmatic　statements　put

together。　Many　oppressed　communities　will　recognize　the　truth　of　this

picture；　many　persons　secretly　and　silently　crushed　by　this　tyranny

will　find　in　these　words　an　obituary；　as　it　were；　which　may　half

console　them　for　their　hidden　woes。



At　the　very　moment　when　the　general　imagined　himself　to　be　renewing　a

warfare　in　which　there　had　really　been　no　truce；　his　former　steward

had　just　completed　the　last　meshes　of　the　net…work　in　which　he　now

held　the　whole　arrondissement　of　Ville…aux…Fayes。　To　avoid　too　many

explanations　it　is　necessary　to　state；　once　for　all；　succinctly；　the

genealogical　ramifications　by　means　of　which　Gaubertin　wound　himself

about　the　country；　as　a　boa…constrictor　winds　around　a　tree；with

such　art　that　a　passing　traveller　thinks　he　beholds　some　natural

effect　of　the　tropical　vegetation。



In　1793　there　were　three　brothers　of　the　name　of　Mouchon　in　the　valley

of　the　Avonne。　After　1793　they　changed　the　name　of　the　valley　to　that

of　the　Valley　des　Aigues；　out　of　hatred　to　the　old　nobility。



The　eldest　brother；　steward　of　the　property　of　the　Ronquerolles

family；　was　elected　deputy　of　the　department　to　the　Convention。　Like

his　friend；　Gaubertin's　father；　the　prosecutor　of　those　days；　who

saved　the　Soulanges　family；　he　saved　the　property　and　the　lives　of　the

Ronquerolles。　He　had　two　daughters；　one　married　to　Gendrin；　the

lawyer；　the　other　to　Gaubertin。　He　died　in　1804。



The　second；　through　the　influence　of　his　elder　brother；　was　made

postmaster　at　Conches。　His　only　child　was　a　daughter；　married　to　a

rich　farmer　named　Guerbet。　He　died　in　1817。



The　last　of　the　Mouchons；　who　was　a　priest；　and　the　curate　of　Ville…

aux…Fayes　before　the　Revolution；　was　again　a　priest　after　the　re…

establishment　of　Catholic　worship；　and　again　the　curate　of　the　same

little　town。　He　was　not　willing　to　take　the　oath；　and　was　hidden　for　a

long　time　in　the　hermitage　of　Les　Aigues；　under　the　protection　of　the

Gaubertins；　father　and　son。　Now　about　sixty…seven　years　of　age；　he　was

treated　with　universal　respect　and　affection；　owing　to　the　harmony　of

his　nature　with　that　of　the　inhabitants。　Parsimonious　to　the　verge　of

avarice；　he　was　thought　to　be　rich；　and　the　credit　of　being　so

increased　the　respect　that　was　shown　to　him。　Monseigneur　the　bishop

paid　the　greatest　attention　to　the　Abbe　Mouchon；　who　was　always　spoken

of　as　the　venerable　curate　of　Ville…aux…Fayes；　and　the　fact　that　he

had　several　times　refused　to　go　and　live　in　a　splendid　parsonage

attached　to　the　Prefecture；　where　Monseigneur　wished　to　settle　him；

made　him　dearer　still　to　his　people。



Gaubertin；　now　mayor　of　Ville…aux…Fayes；　received　steady　support　from

his　brother…in…law　Gendrin；　who　was　judge　of　the　municipal　court。

Gaubertin　the　younger；　the　solicitor　who　had　the　most　practice　before

this　court　and　much　repute　in　the　arrondissement；　was　already　thinking

of　selling　his　practice　after　five　years'　exercise　of　it。　He　wanted　to

succeed　his　Uncle　Gendrin　as　counsellor　whenever　the　latter　should

retire　from　the　profession。　Gendrin's　only　son　was　commissioner　of

mortgages。



Soudry's　son；　who　for　the　last　two　years　had　been　prosecuting…attorney

at　the　prefecture；　was　Gaubertin's　henchman。　The　clever　Madame　Soudry

had　secured　the　future　of　her　husband's　son　by　marrying　him　to　Rigou's

only　daughter。　The　united　fortunes　of　the　Soudrys　and　the　ex…monk；

which　would　come　eventually　to　the　attorney；　made　that　young　man　one

of　the　most　important　personages　of　the　department。



The　sub…prefect　of　Ville…aux…Fayes；　Monsieur　des　Lupeaulx；　nephew　of

the　general…secretary　of　one　of　the　most　important　ministries　in

Paris；　was　the　prospective　husband　of　Mademoiselle　Elise　Gaubertin；

the　mayor's　youngest　daughter；　whose　dowry；　like　that　of　her　elder

sister；　was　two　hundred　thousand　francs；　not　to　speak　of

〃expectations。〃　This　functionary　showed　much　sense；　though　not　aware

of　it；　in　falling　in　love　with　Mademoiselle　Elise　when　he　first

arrived　at　Ville…aux…Fayes；　in　1819。　If　it　had　not　been　for　his　social

position；　which　made　him　〃eligible；〃　he　would　long　ago　have　been

forced　to　ask　for　his　exchange。　But　Gaubertin　in　marrying　him　to　his

daughter　thought　much　more　of　the　uncle；　the　general…secretary；　than

of　the　nephew；　and　in　return；　the　uncle；　for　the　sake　of　his　nephew；

gave　all　his　influence　to　Gaubertin。



Thus　the　Church；　the　magistracy　both　removable　and　irremovable；　the

municipality；　and　the　prefecture；　the　four　feet　of　power；　walked　as

the　mayor　pleased。　Let　us　now　see　how　that　functionary　strengthened

himself　in　the　spheres　above　and　below　that　in　which　he　worked。



The　department　to　which　Ville…aux…Fayes　belongs　is　one　the　number　of

whose　population　gives　it　the　right　to　elect　six　deputies。　Ever　since

the　creation　of　the　Left　Centre　of　the　Chamber；　the　arrondissement　of

Ville…aux…Fayes　had　sent　a　deputy　named　Leclercq；　formerly　banking

agent　of　the　wine　department　of　the　custom…house；　a　son…in…law　of

Gaubertin；　and　now　a　governor　of　the　Bank　of　France。　The　number　of

electors　which　this　rich　valley　sent　to　the　electoral　college　was

sufficient　to　insure；　if　only　through　private　dealing；　the　constant

appointment　of　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles；　the　patron　of　the　Mouchon

family。　The　voters　of　Ville…aux…Fayes　lent　their　support　to　the

prefect；　on　condition　that　the　Marquis　de　Ronquerolles　was　maintained

in　the　college。　Thus　Gaubertin；　who　was　the　first　to　broach　the　idea

of　this　arrangement；　was　favorably　received　at　the　Prefecture；　which

he　often；　in　return；　saved　from　petty　annoyances。　The　prefect　always

selected　three　firm　ministerialists；　and　two　deputies　of　the　Left

Centre。　The　latter；　one　of　them　being　the　Marquis　de　Ronquerolles；

brother…in…law　of　the　Comte　de　Serisy；　and　the　other　a　governor　of　the

Bank　of　France；　gave　little　or　no　alarm　to　the　cabinet；　and　the

elections　in　this　department　were　rated　excellent　at　the　ministry　of

the　interior。



The　Comte　de　Soulanges；　peer　of　France；　selected　to　be　the　next

marshal；　and　faithful　to　the　Bourbons；　knew　that　his　forests　and　other

property　were　all　well…managed　by　the　notary　Lupin；　and　well…watched

by　Soudry。　He　was　a　patron　of　Gendrin's；　having　obtained　his

appointment　as　judge　partly　by　the　help　of　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles。



Messieurs　Leclercq　and　de　Ronquerolles　sat　in　the　Left　Centre；　but

nearer　to　the　left　than　to　the　centre；a　political　position　which

offers　great　advantages　to　those　who　regard　their　political　conscience

as　a　garment。



The　brother　of　Monsieur　Leclercq　had　obtained　the　situation　of

collector　at　Ville…aux…Fayes；　and　Leclercq　himself；　Gaubertin's　son…

in…law；　had　lately　bought　a　fine　estate　beyond　the　valley　of　the

Avonne；　which　brought　him　in　a　rental　of　thirty　thousand　francs；　with

park　and　chateau　and　a　controlling　influence　in　its　own　canton。



Thus；　in　the　upper　regions　of　the　State；　in　both　Chambers；　and　in　the

chief　ministerial　department；　Gaubertin　could　rely　on　an　influence

that　was　powerful　and　also　active；　and　which　he　was　careful　not　to

weary　with　unimportant　requests。



The　counsellor　Gendrin；　appointed　judge　by　the　Chamber；　was　the

leading　spirit　of　the　Supreme　Court；　for　the　chief　justice；　one　of　the

three　ministerial　deputies；　left　the　management　of　it　to　Gendrin

during　half　the　year。　The　counsel　for　the　Prefecture；　a　cousin　of

Sarcus；　called　〃Sarcus　the　rich；〃　was　the　right…hand　man　of　the

prefect；　himself　a　deputy。　Even　without　the　family　reasons　which

allied　Gaubertin　and　young　des　Lupeaulx；　a　brother　of　Madame　Sarcus

would　still　have　been　desirable　as　sub…prefect　to　the　arrondissement

of　Ville…aux…Fayes。　Madame　Sarcus；　the　counsellor's　wife；　was　a　Vallat

of　Soulanges；　a　family　connected　with　the　Gaubertins；　and　she　was　said

to　have　〃distinguished〃　the　notary　Lupin　in　her　youth。　Though　she　was

now　forty…five　years　old；　with　a　son　in　the　school　of　engineers；　Lupin

never　went　to　the　Prefecture　without　paying　his　respects　and　dining

with　her。



The　nephew　of　Guerbet；　the　postmaster；　whose　father　was；　as　we　have

seen；　collector　of　Soulanges；　held　the　important　situation　of

examining　judge　in　the　municipal　court　of　Ville…aux…Fayes。　The　third

judge；　son　of　Corbinet；　the　notary；　belonged　body　and　soul　to　the　all…

powerful　mayor；　and；　finally；　young　Vigor；　son　of　the　lieutenant　of

the　gendarmerie；　was　the　substitute　judge。



Sibilet's　father；　sheriff　of　the　court；　had　married　his　sister　to

Monsieur　Vigor　the　lieutenant；　and　that　individual；　father　of　six

children；　was　cousin　of　the　father　of　Gaubertin　through　his　wife；　a

Gaubertin…Vallat。　Eighteen　months　previously　the　united　efforts　of　the

two　deputies；　Monsieur　de　Soulanges　and　Gaubertin；　had　created　the

place　of　commissary　of　police　for　the　sheriff's　second　son。



Sibilet's　eldest　daughter　married　Monsieur　Herve；　a　school…master；

whose　school　was　transformed　into　a　college　as　a　result　of　this

marriage；　so　that　for　the　past　year　Soulanges　had　rejoiced　in　the

presence　of　a　professor。



The　sheriff's　youngest　son　was　employed　on　the　government　domains；

with　the　promise　of　succeeding　the　clerk　of　registrations　so　soon　as

that　officer　had　completed　the　term　of　service　which　enabled　him　to

retire　on　a　pension。



The　youngest　Sibilet　girl；　now　sixteen　years　old；　was　betrothed　to

Corbinet；　brother　of　the　notary。　And　an　old　maid；　Mademoiselle

Gaubertin…Vallat；　sister　of　Madame　Sibilet；　the　sheriff's　wife；　held

the　office　for　the　sale　of　stamped　paper。



Thus；　wherever　we　turn　in　Ville…aux…Fayes　we　meet　some　member　of　the

invisible　coalition；　whose　avowed　chief；　recognized　as　such　by　every

one；　great　and　small；　was　the　mayor　of　the　town；　the　general　agent　for

the　entire　timber　business；　Gaubertin！



If　we　turn　to　the　other　end　of　the　valley　of　the　Avonne　we　shall　see

that　Gaubertin　ruled　at　Soulanges　through　the　Soudrys；　through　Lupin

the　assistant　mayor　and　steward　of　the　Soulanges　estate；　who　was

necessarily　in　constant　communication　with　the　Comte　de　Soulanges；

through　Sarcus；　justice　of　the　peace；　through　Guerbet；　the　collector；

through　Gourdon；　the　doctor；　who　had　married　a　Gendrin…Vatebled。　He

governed　Blangy　through　Rigou；　Conches　through　the　post…master；　the

despotic　ruler　of　his　own　district。



Gaubertin's　influence　was　so　great　and　powerful　that　even　the

investments　and　the　savings　of　Rigou；　Soudry；　Gendrin；　Guerbet；　Lupin；

even　Sarcus　the　rich　himself；　were　managed　by　his　advice。　The　town　of

Ville…aux…Fayes　believed　implicitly　in　its　mayor。　Gaubertin's　ability

was　not　less　extolled　than　his　honesty　and　his　kindness；　he　was　the

servant　of　his　relatives　and　constituents　（always　with　an　eye　to　a

return　of　benefits）；　and　the　whole　municipality　adored　him。　The　town

never　ceased　to　blame　Monsieur　Mariotte；　of　Aux