sons of the soil-第38章

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last　day　for　the　final　payment　was　approaching；　and　not　a　penny　in

hand　with　which　to　meet　it。　Madame　Courtecuisse；　who　in　former　times

occasionally　allowed　herself　a　bottle　of　boiled　wine　or　a　bit　of　roast

meat；　now　drank　nothing　but　water。　Courtecuisse　was　afraid　to　go　to

the　Grand…I…Vert　lest　he　should　have　to　leave　three　sous　behind　him。

Deprived　of　power；　he　had　lost　his　privilege　of　free　drinks；　and　he

bitterly　complained；　like　all　other　fools；　of　man's　ingratitude。　In

short；　he　found；　according　to　the　experience　of　all　peasants　bitten

with　the　demon　of　proprietorship；　that　toil　had　increased　and　food

decreased。



〃Courtecuisse　has　done　too　much　to　the　property；〃　the　people　said；

secretly　envying　his　position。　〃He　ought　to　have　waited　till　he　had

paid　the　money　down　and　was　master　before　he　put　up　those　fruit

palings。〃



With　the　help　of　his　wife　he　had　managed　to　manure　and　cultivate　the

three　acres　of　land　sold　to　him　by　Rigou；　together　with　the　garden

adjoining　the　house；　which　was　beginning　to　be　productive；　and　he　was

in　danger　of　being　turned　out　of　it　all。　Clothed　in　rags　like

Fourchon；　poor　Courtecuisse；　who　lately　wore　the　boots　and　gaiters　of

a　huntsman；　now　thrust　his　feet　into　sabots　and　accused　〃the　rich〃　of

Les　Aigues　of　having　caused　his　destitution。　These　wearing　anxieties

had　given　to　the　fat　little　man　and　his　once　smiling　and　rosy　face　a

gloomy　and　dazed　expression；　as　though　he　were　ill　from　the　effects　of

poison　or　with　some　chronic　malady。



〃What's　the　matter　with　you；　Monsieur　Courtecuisse；　is　your　tongue

tied？〃　asked　Tonsard；　as　the　man　continued　silent　after　he　had　told

him　about　the　battle　which　had　just　taken　place。



〃No；　no！〃　cried　Madame　Tonsard；　〃he　needn't　complain　of　the　midwife

who　cut　his　string；she　made　a　good　job　of　it。〃



〃It　is　enough　to　make　a　man　dumb；　thinking　from　morning　till　night　of

some　way　to　escape　Rigou；〃　said　the　premature　old　man；　gloomily。



〃Bah！〃　said　old　Mother　Tonsard；　〃you've　got　a　pretty　daughter；

seventeen　years　old。　If　she's　a　good　girl　you　can　easily　manage

matters　with　that　old　jail　bird〃



〃We　sent　her　to　Auxerre　two　years　ago　to　Madame　Mariotte　the　elder；　to

keep　her　out　of　harm's　way；　I'd　rather　die　than〃



〃What　a　fool　you　are！〃　said　Tonsard；　〃look　at　my　girls；are　they　any

the　worse？　He　who　dares　to　say　they　are　not　as　virtuous　as　marble

images　will　have　to　do　with　my　gun。〃



〃It'll　be　hard　to　have　to　come　to　that；〃　said　Courtecuisse；　shaking

his　head。　〃I'd　rather　earn　the　money　by　shooting　one　of　those

Arminacs。〃



〃Well；　I　call　it　better　for　a　girl　to　save　a　father　than　to　wrap　up

her　virtue　and　let　it　mildew；〃　retorted　the　innkeeper。



Tonsard　felt　a　sharp　tap　on　his　shoulder；　delivered　by　Pere　Niseron。



〃That　is　not　a　right　thing　to　say！〃　cried　the　old　man。　〃A　father　is

the　guardian　of　the　honor　of　his　family。　It　is　by　behaving　as　you　do

that　scorn　and　contempt　are　brought　upon　us；　it　is　because　of　such

conduct　that　the　People　are　accused　of　being　unfit　for　liberty。　The

People　should　set　an　example　of　civic　virtue　and　honor　to　the　rich。

You　all　sell　yourselves　to　Rigou　for　gold；　and　if　you　don't　sell　him

your　daughters；　at　any　rate　you　sell　him　your　honor；and　it's　wrong。〃



〃Just　see　what　a　position　Courtecuisse　is　in；〃　said　Tonsard。



〃See　what　a　position　I　am　in；〃　replied　Pere　Niseron；　〃but　I　sleep　in

peace；　there　are　no　thorns　in　my　pillow。〃



〃Let　him　talk；　Tonsard；〃　whispered　his　wife；　〃you　know　they're　just

HIS　NOTIONS；　poor　dear　man。〃



Bonnebault　and　Marie；　Catherine　and　her　brother　came　in　at　this　moment

in　a　state　of　exasperation；　which　had　begun　with　Nicolas's　failure；

and　was　raised　to　the　highest　pitch　by　Michaud's　advice　to　the

countess　about　Bonnebault。　As　Nicolas　entered　the　tavern　he　was

uttering　frightful　threats　against　the　Michaud　family　and　Les　Aigues。



〃The　harvest's　coming；　well；　I　vow　I'll　not　go　before　I've　lighted　my

pipe　at　their　wheat…stacks；〃　he　cried；　striking　his　fist　on　the　table

as　he　sat　down。



〃Mustn't　yelp　like　that　before　people；〃　said　Godain；　showing　him　Pere

Niseron。



〃If　the　old　fellow　tells；　I'll　wring　his　neck；〃　said　Catherine。　〃He's

had　his　day；　that　old　peddler　of　foolish　reasons！　They　call　him

virtuous；　it's　his　temperament　that　keeps　him　so；　that's　all。〃



Strange　and　noteworthy　sight！that　of　those　lifted　heads；　that　group

of　persons　gathered　in　the　reeking　hovel；　while　old　Mother　Tonsard

stood　sentinel　at　the　door　as　security　for　the　secret　words　of　the

drinkers。



Of　all　those　faces；　that　of　Godain；　Catherine's　suitor；　was　perhaps

the　most　alarming；　though　the　least　pronounced。　Godain；a　miser

without　money；the　cruelest　of　misers；　for　he　who　seeks　money　surely

takes　precedence　of　him　who　hoards　it；　one　turning　his　eagerness

within　himself；　the　other　looking　outside　with　terrible　intentness；

Godain　represented　the　type　of　the　majority　of　peasant　faces。



He　was　a　journeyman；　small　in　frame；　and　saved　from　the　draft　by　not

attaining　the　required　military　height；　naturally　lean　and　made　more

so　by　hard　work　and　the　enforced　sobriety　under　which　reluctant

workers　like　Courtecuisse　succumb。　His　face　was　no　bigger　than　a　man's

fist；　and　was　lighted　by　a　pair　of　yellow　eyes　with　greenish　strips

and　brown　spots；　in　which　a　thirst　for　the　possession　of　property　was

mingled　with　a　concupiscence　which　had　no　heat；for　desire；　once　at

the　boiling…point；　had　now　stiffened　like　lava。　His　skin；　brown　as

that　of　a　mummy；　was　glued　to　his　temples。　His　scanty　beard　bristled

among　his　wrinkles　like　stubble　in　the　furrows。　Godain　never

perspired；　he　reabsorbed　his　substance。　His　hairy　hands；　formed　like

claws；　nervous；　never　still；　seemed　to　be　made　of　old　wood。　Though

scarcely　twenty…seven　years　of　age；　white　lines　were　beginning　to　show

in　his　rusty　black　hair。　He　wore　a　blouse；　through　the　breast　opening

of　which　could　be　seen　a　shirt　of　coarse　linen；　so　black　that　he　must

have　worn　it　a　month　and　washed　it　himself　in　the　Thune。　His　sabots

were　mended　with　old　iron。　The　original　stuff　of　his　trousers　was

unrecognizable　from　the　darns　and　the　infinite　number　of　patches。　On

his　head　was　a　horrible　cap；　evidently　cast　off　and　picked　up　in　the

doorway　of　some　bourgeois　house　in　Ville…aux…Fayes。



Clear…sighted　enough　to　estimate　the　elements　of　good　fortune　that

centred　in　Catherine　Tonsard；　his　ambition　was　to　succeed　her　father

at　the　Grand…I…Vert。　He　made　use　of　all　his　craftiness　and　all　his

actual　powers　to　capture　her；　he　promised　her　wealth；　he　also　promised

her　the　license　her　mother　had　enjoyed；　besides　this；　he　offered　his

prospective　father…in…law　an　enormous　rental；　five　hundred　francs　a

year；　for　his　inn；　until　he　could　buy　him　out；　trusting　to　an

agreement　he　had　made　with　Monsieur　Brunet　to　pay　these　costs　by　notes

on　stamped　paper。　By　trade　a　journeyman　tool…maker；　this　gnome　worked

for　the　wheelwrights　when　work　was　plentiful；　but　he　also　hired

himself　out　for　any　extra　labor　which　was　well　paid。　Though　he

possessed；　unknown　to　the　whole　neighborhood；　eighteen　hundred　francs

now　in　Gaubertin's　hands；　he　lived　like　a　beggar；　slept　in　a　barn；　and

gleaned　at　the　harvests。　He　wore　Gaubertin's　receipt　for　his　money

sewn　into　the　waist…belt　of　his　trousers；having　it　renewed　every

year　with　its　own　added　interest　and　the　amount　of　his　savings。



〃Hey！　what　do　I　care；〃　cried　Nicolas；　replying　to　Godain's　prudent

advice　not　to　talk　before　Niseron。　〃If　I'm　doomed　to　be　a　soldier　I'd

rather　the　sawdust　of　the　basket　sucked　up　my　blood　than　have　it

dribbled　out　drop　by　drop　in　the　battles。　I'll　deliver　this　country　of

at　least　one　of　those　Arminacs　that　the　devil　has　launched　upon　us。〃



And　he　related　what　he　called　Michaud's　plot　against　him；　which　Marie

and　Bonnebault　had　overheard。



〃Where　do　you　expect　France　to　find　soldiers？〃　said　the　white…haired

old　man；　rising　and　standing　before　Nicolas　during　the　silence　which

followed　the　utterance　of　this　threat。



〃We　serve　our　time　and　come　home　again；〃　remarked　Bonnebault；　twirling

his　moustache。



Observing　that　all　the　worst　characters　of　the　neighborhood　were

collecting；　Pere　Niseron　shook　his　head　and　left　the　tavern；　after

offering　a　farthing　to　Madame　Tonsard　in　payment　for　his　glass　of

wine。　When　the　worthy　man　had　gone　down　the　steps　a　movement　of　relief

and　satisfaction　passed　through　the　assembled　drinkers　which　would

have　told　whoever　watched　them　that　each　man　in　that　company　felt　he

was　rid　of　the　living　image　of　his　own　conscience。



〃Well；　what　do　you　say　to　all　that；　hey；　Courtecuisse？〃　asked

Vaudoyer；　who　had　just　come　in；　and　to　whom　Tonsard　had　related

Vatel's　attempt。



Courtecuisse　clacked　his　tongue　against　the　roof　of　his　mouth；　and　set

his　glass　on　the　table。



〃Vatel　put　himself　in　the　wrong；〃　he　said。　〃If　I　were　Mother　Tonsard；

I'd　give　myself　a　few　wounds　and　go　to　bed　and　say　I　was　ill；　and　have

that　Shopman　and　his　keeper　up　before　the　assizes　and　get　twenty

crowns　damages。　Monsieur　Sarcus　would　give　them。〃



〃In　any　case　the　Shopman　would　give　them　to　stop　the　talk　it　would

make；〃　said　Godain。



Vaudoyer；　the　former　field…keeper；　a　man　five　feet　six　inches　tall；

with　a　face　pitted　with　the　small…pox　and　furrowed　like　a　nut…cracker；

kept　silence　with　a　hesitating　air。



〃Well；　you　old　ninny；　does　that　ruffle　you？〃　asked　Tonsard；　attracted

by　the　idea　of　damages。　〃If　they　had　broken　twenty　crowns'　worth　of　my

mother's　bones　we　could　turn　it　into　good　account；　we　might　make　a

fine　fuss　for　three　hundred　francs；　Monsieur　Gourdon　would　go　to　Les

Aigues　and　tell　them　that　the　mother　had　got　a　broken　hip〃



〃And　break　it；　too；〃　interrupted　Madame　Tonsard；　〃they　do　that　in

Paris。〃



〃It　would　cost　too　much；〃　remarked　Godain。



〃I　have　been　too　long　among　the　people　who　rule　us　to　believe　that

matters　will　go　as　you　want　them；〃　said　Vaudoyer　at　last；　remembering

his　past　official　intercourse　with　the　courts　and　the　gendarmerie。　〃If

it　were　at　Soulanges；　now；　it　might　be　done；　Monsieur　Soudry

represents　the　government　there；　and　he　doesn't　wish　well　to　the

Shopman；　but　if　you　attack　the　Shopman　and　Vatel　they'll　defend

themselves　viciously；　they'll　say；　'The　woman　was　to　blame；　she　had　a

tree；　otherwise　she　would　have　let　her　bundle　be　examined　on　the

highroad；　she　wouldn't　have　run　away；　if　an　accident　happened　to　her

it　was　through　her　own　fault。'　No；　you　can't　trust　to　that　plan。〃



〃The　Shopman　didn't　resist　when　I　sued　him；〃　said　Courtecuisse；　〃he

paid　me　at　once。〃



〃I'll　go　to　Soulanges；　if　you　like；〃　said　Bonnebault；　〃and　consult

Monsieur　Gourdon；　the　clerk　of　the　court；　and　you　shall　know　to…night

if　THERE'S　MONEY　IN　IT。〃



〃You　are　only　making　an　excuse　to　be　after　that　big　goose　of　a　girl；

Socquard's　daughter；〃　said　Marie　Tonsard；　giving　Bonnebault　a　slap　on

the