sons of the soil-第37章

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caused　the　evils　that　now　terrify　us；　you　will　bring　back　the

scaffolds　on　which　your　fathers　died　for　the　faults　of　their　fathers。

To　do　good　humbly；　in　obscurity；　in　country　solitudes；　as　Rigou　now

does　evil；ah！　that　indeed　is　prayer　in　action　and　dear　to　God。　If　in

every　district　three　souls　only　would　work　for　good；　France；　our

country；　might　be　saved　from　the　abyss　that　yawns；　into　which　we　are

rushing　headlong；　through　spiritual　indifference　to　all　that　is　not

our　own　self…interest。　Change！　you　must　change　your　morals；　change

your　ethics；　and　that　will　change　your　laws。〃



Though　deeply　moved　as　she　listened　to　this　grand　utterance　of　true

catholic　charity；　the　countess　answered　in　the　fatal　words；　〃We　will

consider　it；〃words　of　the　rich；　which　contain　that　promise　to　the

ear　which　saves　their　purses　and　enables　them　to　stand　with　arms

crossed　in　presence　of　all　disaster；　under　pretext　that　they　were

powerless。



Hearing　those　words；　the　abbe　bowed　to　Madame　de　Montcornet　and　turned

off　into　a　path　which　led　him　direct　to　the　gate　of　Blangy。



〃Belshazzar's　feast　is　the　everlasting　symbol　of　the　dying　days　of　a

caste；　of　an　oligarchy；　of　a　power！〃　he　thought　as　he　walked　away。　〃My

God！　if　it　be　Thy　will　to　loose　the　poor　like　a　torrent　to　reform

society；　I　know；　I　comprehend；　why　it　is　that　Thou　hast　abandoned　the

wealthy　to　their　blindness！〃







CHAPTER　XII



SHOWETH　HOW　THE　TAVERN　IS　THE　PEOPLE'S　PARLIAMENT



Old　Mother　Tonsard's　screams　brought　a　number　of　people　from　Blangy　to

know　what　was　happening　at　the　Grand…I…Vert；　the　distance　from　the

village　to　the　inn　not　being　greater　than　that　from　the　inn　to　the

gate　of　Blangy。　One　of　these　inquiring　visitors　was　old　Niseron；　La

Pechina's　grandfather；　who　was　on　his　way；　after　ringing　the　second

Angelus；　to　dig　the　vine…rows　in　his　last　little　bit　of　ground。



Bent　by　toil；　with　pallid　face　and　silvery　hair；　the　old　vinedresser；

now　the　sole　representative　of　civic　virtue　in　the　community；　had

been；　during　the　Revolution；　president　of　the　Jacobin　club　at　Ville…

aux…Fayes；　and　a　juror　in　the　revolutionary　tribunal　of　the　district。

Jean…Francois　Niseron；　carved　out　of　the　wood　that　the　apostles　were

made　of；　was　of　the　type　of　Saint　Peter；　whom　painters　and　sculptors

have　united　in　representing　with　the　square　brow　of　the　people；　the

thick；　naturally　curling　hair　of　the　laborer；　the　muscles　of　the　man

of　toil；　the　complexion　of　a　fisherman；　with　the　large　nose；　the

shrewd；　half…mocking　lips　that　scoff　at　fate；　the　neck　and　shoulders

of　the　strong　man　who　cuts　his　wood　to　cook　his　dinner　while　the

doctrinaires　of　his　opinions　talk。



Such；　at　forty　years　of　age　on　the　breaking　out　of　the　Revolution；　was

this　man；　strong　as　iron；　pure　as　gold。　Advocate　of　the　people；　he

believed　in　a　republic　through　the　very　roll　of　that　name；　more

formidable　in　sound　perhaps　than　in　reality。　He　believed　in　the

republic　of　Jean…Jacques　Rousseau；　in　the　brotherhood　of　man；　in　the

exchange　of　noble　sentiments；　in　the　proclamation　of　virtue；　in　the

choice　of　merit　without　intrigue；in　short；　in　all　that　the　narrow

limits　of　one　arrondissement　like　Sparta　made　possible；　and　which　the

vast　proportions　of　an　empire　make　chimerical。　He　signed　his　beliefs

with　his　blood；his　only　son　went　to　war；　he　did　more；　he　signed　them

with　the　prosperity　of　his　life；last　sacrifice　of　self。　Nephew　and

sole　heir　of　the　curate　of　Blangy；　the　then　all…powerful　tribune　might

have　enforced　his　rights　and　recovered　the　property　left　by　the　priest

to　his　pretty　servant…girl；　Arsene；　but　he　respected　his　uncle's

wishes　and　accepted　poverty；　which　came　upon　him　as　rapidly　as　the

fall　of　his　cherished　republic　came　upon　France。



Never　a　farthing's　worth；　never　so　much　as　the　branch　of　a　tree

belonging　to　another　passed　into　the　hands　of　this　notable　republican；

who　would　have　made　the　republic　acceptable　to　the　world　if　he　and

such　as　he　could　have　guided　it。　He　refused　to　buy　the　national

domains；　he　denied　the　right　of　the　Republic　to　confiscate　property。

In　reply　to　all　demands　of　the　committee　of　public　safety　he　asserted

that　the　virtue　of　citizens　would　do　for　their　sacred　country　what　low

political　intriguers　did　for　money。　This　patriot　of　antiquity　publicly

reproved　Gaubertin's　father　for　his　secret　treachery；　his　underhand

bargaining；　his　malversations。　He　reprimanded　the　virtuous　Mouchon；

that　representative　of　the　people　whose　virtue　was　nothing　more　nor

less　than　incapacity；as　it　is　with　so　many　other　legislators　who；

gorged　with　the　greatest　political　resources　that　any　nation　ever

gave；　armed　with　the　whole　force　of　a　people；　are　still　unable　to

bring　forth　from　them　the　grandeur　which　Richelieu　wrung　for　France

out　of　the　weakness　of　a　king。　Consequently；　citizen　Niseron　became　a

living　reproach　to　the　people　about　him。　They　endeavored　to　put　him

out　of　sight　and　mind　with　the　reproachful　remark；　〃Nothing　satisfies

that　man。〃



The　patriot　peasant　returned　to　his　cot　at　Blangy　and　watched　the

destruction；　one　by　one；　of　his　illusions；　he　saw　his　republic　come　to

an　end　at　the　heels　of　an　emperor；　while　he　himself　fell　into　utter

poverty；　to　which　Rigou　stealthily　managed　to　reduce　him。　And　why？

Because　Niseron　had　never　been　willing　to　accept　anything　from　him。

Reiterated　refusals　showed　the　ex…priest　in　what　profound　contempt　the

nephew　of　the　curate　held　him；　and　now　that　icy　scorn　was　revenged　by

the　terrible　threat　as　to　his　little　granddaughter；　about　which　the

Abbe　Brossette　spoke　to　the　countess。



The　old　man　had　composed　in　his　own　mind　a　history　of　the　French

republic；　filled　with　the　glorious　features　which　gave　immortality　to

that　heroic　period　to　the　exclusion　of　all　else。　The　infamous　deeds；

the　massacres；　the　spoliations；　his　virtuous　soul　ignored；　he　admired；

with　a　single　mind；　the　devotedness　of　the　people；　the　〃Vengeur；〃　the

gifts　to　the　nation；　the　uprising　of　the　country　to　defend　its

frontier；　and　he　still　pursued　his　dream　that　he　might　sleep　in　peace。



The　Revolution　produced　many　poets　like　old　Niseron；　who　sang　their

poems　in　the　country　solitudes；　in　the　army；　openly　or　secretly；　by

deeds　buried　beneath　the　whirlwind　of　that　storm；　just　as　the　wounded

left　behind　to　die　in　the　great　wars　of　the　empire　cried　out；　〃Long

live　the　Emperor！〃　This　sublimity　of　soul　belongs　especially　to

France。　The　Abbe　Brossette　respected　the　convictions　of　the　old　man；

who　became　simply　but　deeply　attached　to　the　priest　from　hearing　him

say；　〃The　true　republic　is　in　the　Gospel。〃　The　stanch　republican

carried　the　cross；　and　wore　the　sexton's　robe；　half…red；　half…black；

and　was　grave　and　dignified　in　church；supporting　himself　by　the

triple　functions　with　which　he　was　invested　by　the　abbe；　who　was　able

to　give　the　fine　old　man；　not；　to　be　sure；　enough　to　live　on；　but

enough　to　keep　him　from　dying　of　hunger。



Niseron；　the　Aristides　of　Blangy；　spoke　little；　like　all　noble　dupes

who　wrap　themselves　in　the　mantle　of　resignation；　but　he　was　never

silent　against　evil；　and　the　peasants　feared　him　as　thieves　fear　the

police。　He　seldom　came　more　than　six　times　a　year　to　the　Grand…I…Vert；

though　he　was　always　warmly　welcomed　there。　The　old　man　cursed　the

want　of　charity　of　the　rich；their　selfishness　disgusted　him；　and

through　this　fiber　of　his　mind　he　seemed　to　the　peasants　to　belong　to

them；　they　were　in　the　habit　of　saying；　〃Pere　Niseron　doesn't　like　the

rich；　he's　one　of　us。〃



The　civic　crown　won　by　this　noble　life　throughout　the　valley　lay　in

these　words：　〃That　good　old　Niseron！　there's　not　a　more　honest　man。〃

Often　taken　as　umpire　in　certain　kinds　of　disputes；　he　embodied　the

meaning　of　that　archaic　term；the　village　elder。　Always　extremely

clean；　though　threadbare；　he　wore　breeches；　coarse　woollen　stockings；

hob…nailed　shoes；　the　distinctively　French　coat　with　large　buttons　and

the　broad…brimmed　felt　hat　to　which　all　old　peasants　cling；　but　for

daily　wear　he　kept　a　blue　jacket　so　patched　and　darned　that　it　looked

like　a　bit　of　tapestry。　The　pride　of　a　man　who　feels　he　is　free；　and

knows　he　is　worthy　of　freedom；　gave　to　his　countenance　and　his　whole

bearing　a　SOMETHING　that　was　inexpressibly　noble；　you　would　have　felt

he　wore　a　robe；　not　rags。



〃Hey！　what's　happening　so　unusual？〃　he　said；　〃I　heard　the　noise　down

here　from　the　belfry。〃



They　told　him　of　Vatel's　attack　on　the　old　woman；　talking　all　at　once

after　the　fashion　of　country…people。



〃If　she　didn't　cut　the　tree；　Vatel　was　wrong；　but　if　she　did　cut　it；

you　have　done　two　bad　actions；〃　said　Pere　Niseron。



〃Take　some　wine；〃　said　Tonsard；　offering　a　full　glass　to　the　old　man。



〃Shall　we　start？〃　said　Vermichel　to　the　sheriff's　officer。



〃Yes；〃　replied　Brunet；　〃we　must　do　without　Pere　Fourchon　and　take　the

assistant　at　Conches。　Go　on　before　me；　I　have　a　paper　to　carry　to　the

chateau。　Rigou　has　gained　his　second　suit；　and　I've　got　to　deliver　the

verdict。〃



So　saying；　Monsieur　Brunet；　all　the　livelier　for　a　couple　of　glasses

of　brandy；　mounted　his　gray　mare　after　saying　good…bye　to　Pere

Niseron；　for　the　whole　valley　were　desirous　in　their　hearts　of　the

good　man's　esteem。



No　science；　not　even　that　of　statistics；　can　explain　the　rapidity　with

which　news　flies　in　the　country；　nor　how　it　spreads　over　those

ignorant　and　untaught　regions　which　are；　in　France；　a　standing

reproach　to　the　government　and　to　capitalists。　Contemporaneous　history

can　show　that　a　famous　banker；　after　driving　post…horses　to　death

between　Waterloo　and　Paris　（everybody　knows　whyhe　gained　what　the

Emperor　had　lost；　a　commission！）　carried　the　fatal　news　only　three

hours　in　advance　of　rumor。　So；　not　an　hour　after　the　encounter　between

old　mother　Tonsard　and　Vatel；　a　number　of　the　customers　of　the　Grand…

I…Vert　assembled　there　to　hear　the　tale。



The　first　to　come　was　Courtecuisse；　in　whom　you　would　scarcely　have

recognized　the　once　jovial　forester；　the　rubicund　do…nothing；　whose

wife　made　his　morning　coffee　as　we　have　before　seen。　Aged；　and　thin；

and　haggard；　he　presented　to　all　eyes　a　lesson　that　no　one　learned。

〃He　tried　to　climb　higher　than　the　ladder；〃　was　what　his　neighbors

said　when　others　pitied　him　and　blamed　Rigou。　〃He　wanted　to　be　a

bourgeois　himself。〃



In　fact；　Courtecuisse　did　intend　to　pass　for　a　bourgeois　in　buying　the

Bachelerie；　and　he　even　boasted　of　it；　though　his　wife　went　about　the

roads　gathering　up　the　horse…droppings。　She　and　Courtecuisse　got　up

before　daylight；　dug　their　garden；　which　was　richly　manured；　and

obtained　several　yearly　crops　from　it；　without　being　able　to　do　more

than　pay　the　interest　due　to　Rigou　for　the　rest　of　the　purchase…money。

Their　daughter；　who　was　living　at　service　in　Auxerre；　sent　them　her

wages；　but　in　spite　of　all　their　efforts；　in　spite　of　this　help；　the

last　day　for　the　final　payment　was　approaching；　and