sons of the soil-第40章

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the　man　of　the　world　of　the　family；　the　shrewd　head。　We　shall

presently　see　that　in　making　love　to　Rigou's　servant…girl；　Jean…Louis

deserved　his　reputation　for　shrewdness。



〃Well；　what　have　you　to　say；　prophet？〃　said　the　innkeeper　to　his　son。



〃I　say　that　you　are　playing　into　the　hands　of　the　rich　folk；〃　replied

Jean…Louis。　〃Frighten　the　Aigues　people　to　maintain　your　rights　if　you

choose；　but　if　you　drive　them　out　of　the　place　and　make　them　sell　the

estate；　you　are　doing　just　what　the　bourgeois　of　the　valley　want；　and

it's　against　your　own　interest。　If　you　help　the　bourgeois　to　divide

the　great　estates　among　them；　where's　the　national　domain　to　be　bought

for　nothing　at　the　next　Revolution？　Wait　till　then；　and　you'll　get

your　land　without　paying　for　it；　as　Rigou　got　his；　whereas　if　you　go

and　thrust　this　estate　into　the　jaws　of　the　rich　folk　of　the　valley；

the　rich　folk　will　dribble　it　back　to　you　impoverished　and　at　twice

the　price　they　paid　for　it。　You　are　working　for　their　interests；　I

tell　you；　so　does　everybody　who　works　for　Rigou；look　at

Courtecuisse。〃



The　policy　contained　in　this　allocution　was　too　deep　for　the　drunken

heads　of　those　present；　who　were　all；　except　Courtecuisse；　laying　by

their　money　to　buy　a　slice　of　the　Aigues　cake。　So　they　let　Jean…Louis

harangue；　and　continued；　as　in　the　Chamber　of　Deputies；　their　private

confabs　with　one　another。



〃Yes；　that's　so；　you'll　be　Rigou's　cats…paw！〃　cried　Fourchon；　who

alone　understood　his　grandson。



Just　then　Langlume；　the　miller　of　Les　Aigues；　passed　the　tavern。

Madame　Tonsard　hailed　him。



〃Is　it　true；〃　she　said；　〃that　gleaning　is　to　be　forbidden？〃



Langlume；　a　jovial　white　man；　white　with　flour　and　dressed　in　grayish…

white　clothes；　came　up　the　steps　and　looked　in。　Instantly　all　the

peasants　became　as　sober　as　judges。



〃Well；　my　children；　I　am　forced　to　answer　yes；　and　no。　None　but　the

poor　are　to　glean；　but　the　measures　they　are　going　to　take　will　turn

out　to　your　advantage。〃



〃How　so？〃　asked　Godain。



〃Why；　they　can　prevent　any　but　paupers　from　gleaning　here；〃　said　the

miller；　winking　in　true　Norman　fashion；　〃but　that　doesn't　prevent　you

from　gleaning　elsewhere；unless　all　the　mayors　do　as　the　Blangy　mayor

is　doing。〃



〃Then　it　is　true；〃　said　Tonsard；　in　a　threatening　voice。



〃As　for　me；〃　said　Bonnebault；　putting　his　foraging…cap　over　one　ear

and　making　his　hazel　stick　whiz　in　the　air；　〃I'm　off　to　Conches　to

warn　the　friends。〃



And　the　Lovelace　of　the　valley　departed；　whistling　the　tune　of　the

martial　song；



　　〃You　who　know　the　hussars　of　the　Guard；

　　Don't　you　know　the　trombone　of　the　regiment？〃



〃I　say；　Marie！　he's　going　a　queer　way　to　get　to　Conches；　that　friend

of　yours；〃　cried　old　Mother　Tonsard　to　her　granddaughter。



〃He's　after　Aglae！〃　said　Marie；　who　made　one　bound　to　the　door。　〃I'll

have　to　thrash　her　once　for　all；　that　baggage！〃　she　cried；　viciously。



〃Come；　Vaudoyer；〃　said　Tonsard；　〃go　and　see　Rigou；　and　then　we　shall

know　what　to　do；　he's　our　oracle；　and　his　spittle　doesn't　cost

anything。〃



〃Another　folly！〃　said　Jean…Louis；　in　a　low　voice；　〃Rigou　betrays

everybody；　Annette　tells　me　so；　she　says　he's　more　dangerous　when　he

listens　to　you　than　other　folks　are　when　they　bluster。〃



〃I　advise　you　to　be　cautious；〃　said　Langlume。　〃The　general　has　gone　to

the　prefecture　about　your　misdeeds；　and　Sibilet　tells　me　he　has　sworn

an　oath　to　go　to　Paris　and　see　the　Chancellor　of　France　and　the　King

himself；　and　the　whole　pack　of　them　if　necessary；　to　get　the　better　of

his　peasantry。〃



〃His　peasantry！〃　shouted　every　one。



〃Ha；　ha！　so　we　don't　belong　to　ourselves　any　longer？〃



As　Tonsard　asked　the　question；　Vaudoyer　left　the　house　to　see　Rigou。



Langlume；　who　had　already　gone　out；　turned　on　the　door…step；　and

answered：



〃Crowd　of　do…nothings！　are　you　so　rich　that　you　think　you　are　your　own

masters？〃



Though　said　with　a　laugh；　the　meaning　contained　in　those　words　was

understood　by　all　present；　as　horses　understand　the　cut　of　a　whip。



〃Ran　tan　plan！　masters　indeed！〃　shouted　old　Fourchon。　〃I　say；　my　lad；〃

he　added　to　Nicolas；　〃after　your　performance　this　morning　it's　not　my

clarionet　that　you'll　get　between　your　thumb　and　four　fingers！〃



〃Don't　plague　him；　or　he'll　make　you　throw　up　your　wine　by　a　punch　in

the　stomach；〃　said　Catherine；　roughly。







CHAPTER　XIII



A　TYPE　OF　THE　COUNTRY　USURER



Strategically；　Rigou's　position　at　Blangy　was　that　of　a　picket

sentinel。　He　watched　Les　Aigues；　and　watched　it　well。　The　police　have

no　spies　comparable　to　those　that　serve　hatred。



When　the　general　first　came　to　Les　Aigues　Rigou　apparently　formed　some

plans　about　him　which　Montcornet's　marriage　with　a　Troisville　put　an

end　to；　he　seemed　to　have　wished　to　patronize　the　new　land…owner。　In

fact　his　intentions　were　so　patent　that　Gaubertin　thought　best　to　let

him　into　the　secrets　of　the　coalition　against　Les　Aigues。　Before

accepting　any　part　in　the　affair；　Rigou　determined；　as　he　said；　to　put

the　general　between　two　stools。



One　day；　after　the　countess　was　fairly　installed；　a　little　wicker

carriage　painted　green　entered　the　grand　courtyard　of　the　chateau。　The

mayor；　who　was　flanked　by　his　mayoress；　got　out　and　came　round　to　the

portico　on　the　garden　side。　As　he　did　so　Rigou　saw　Madame　le　comtesse

at　a　window。　She；　however；　devoted　to　the　bishop　and　to　religion　and

to　the　Abbe　Brossette；　sent　word　by　Francois　that　〃Madame　was　out。〃



This　act　of　incivility；　worthy　of　a　woman　born　in　Russia；　turned　the

face　of　the　ex…Benedictine　yellow。　If　the　countess　had　seen　the　man

whom　the　abbe　told　her　was　〃a　soul　in　hell　who　plunged　into　iniquity

as　into　a　bath　in　his　efforts　to　cool　himself；〃　if　she　had　seen　his

face　then　she　might　have　refrained　from　exciting　the　cold；　deliberate

hatred　felt　by　the　liberals　against　the　royalists；　increased　as　it　was

in　country…places　by　the　jealousies　of　neighborhood；　where　the

recollections　of　wounded　vanity　are　kept　constantly　alive。



A　few　details　about　this　man　and　his　morals　will　not　only　throw　light

on　his　share　of　the　plot；　called　〃the　great　affair〃　by　his　two

associates；　but　it　will　have　the　merit　of　picturing　an　extremely

curious　type　of　man；one　of　those　rural　existences　which　are　peculiar

to　France；　and　which　no　writer　has　hitherto　sought　to　depict。　Nothing

about　this　man　is　without　significance；neither　his　house；　nor　his

manner　of　blowing　the　fire；　nor　his　ways　of　eating；　his　habits；

morals；　and　opinions　will　vividly　illustrate　the　history　of　the

valley。　This　renegade　serves　to　show　the　utility　of　democracy；　he　is

at　once　its　theory　and　its　practice；　its　alpha　and　its　omega；　in

short；　its　〃summum。〃



Perhaps　you　will　remember　certain　masters　of　avarice　pictured　in

former　scenes　of　this　comedy　of　human　life：　in　the　first　place　the

provincial　minister；　Pere　Grandet　of　Saumur；　miserly　as　a　tiger　is

cruel；　next　Gobseck；　the　usurer；　that　Jesuit　of　gold；　delighting　only

in　its　power；　and　relishing　the　tears　of　the　unfortunate　because　gold

produced　them；　then　Baron　Nucingen；　lifting　base　and　fraudulent　money

transactions　to　the　level　of　State　policy。　Then；　too；　you　may　remember

that　portrait　of　domestic　parsimony；　old　Hochon　of　Issoudun；　and　that

other　miser　in　behalf　of　family　interests；　little　la　Baudraye　of

Sancerre。　Well；　human　emotionsabove　all；　those　of　avaricetake　on

so　many　and　diverse　shades　in　the　diverse　centres　of　social　existence

that　there　still　remains　upon　the　stage　of　our　comedy　another　miser　to

be　studied；　namely；　Rigou；Rigou；　the　miser…egoist；　full　of

tenderness　for　his　own　gratifications；　cold　and　hard　to　others；　the

ecclesiastical　miser；　the　monk　still　a　monk　so　far　as　he　can　squeeze

the　juice　of　the　fruit　called　good…living；　and　becoming　secular　only

to　put　a　paw　upon　the　public　money。　In　the　first　place；　let　us　explain

the　continual　pleasure　that　he　took　in　sleeping　under　his　own　roof。



Blangyby　that　we　mean　the　sixty　houses　described　by　Blondet　in　his

letter　to　Nathanstands　on　a　rise　of　land　to　the　left　of　the　Thune。

As　all　the　houses　are　surrounded　by　gardens；　the　village　is　a　very

pretty　one。　Some　houses　are　built　on　the　banks　of　the　stream。　At　the

upper　end　of　the　long　rise　stands　the　church；　formerly　flanked　by　a

parsonage；　its　apse　surrounded；　as　in　many　other　villages；　by　a

graveyard。　The　sacrilegious　old　Rigou　had　bought　the　parsonage；　which

was　originally　built　by　an　excellent　Catholic；　Mademoiselle　Choin；　on

land　which　she　had　bought　for　the　purpose。　A　terraced　garden；　from

which　the　eye　looked　down　upon　Blangy；　Cerneux；　and　Soulanges　standing

between　the　two　great　seignorial　parks；　separated　the　late　parsonage

from　the　church。　On　its　opposite　side　lay　a　meadow；　bought　by　the　last

curate　of　the　parish　not　long　before　his　death；　which　the　distrustful

Rigou　had　since　surrounded　with　a　wall。



The　ex…monk　and　mayor　having　refused　to　sell　back　the　parsonage　for

its　original　purpose；　the　parish　was　obliged　to　buy　a　house　belonging

to　a　peasant；　which　adjoined　the　church。　It　was　necessary　to　spend

five　thousand　francs　to　repair　and　enlarge　it　and　to　enclose　it　in　a

little　garden；　one　wall　of　which　was　that　of　the　sacristy；　so　that

communication　between　the　parsonage　and　the　church　was　still　as　close

as　it　ever　was。



These　two　houses；　built　on　a　line　with　the　church；　and　seeming　to

belong　to　it　by　their　gardens；　faced　a　piece　of　open　ground　planted　by

trees；　which　might　be　called　the　square　of　Blangy；all　the　more

because　the　count　had　lately　built；　directly　opposite　to　the　new

parsonage；　a　communal　building　intended　for　the　mayor's　office；　the

home　of　the　field…keeper；　and　the　quarters　of　that　school　of　the

Brothers　of　the　Christian　Doctrine；　for　which　the　Abbe　Brossette　had

hitherto　begged　in　vain。　Thus；　not　only　were　the　houses　of　the　ex…monk

and　the　young　priest　connected　and　yet　separated　by　the　church；　but

they　were　in　a　position　to　watch　each　other。　Indeed；　the　whole　village

spied　upon　the　abbe。　The　main　street；　which　began　at　the　Thune；　crept

tortuously　up　the　hill　to　the　church。　Vineyards；　the　cottages　of　the

peasantry；　and　a　small　grove　crowned　the　heights。



Rigou's　house；　the　handsomest　in　the　village；　was　built　of　the　large

rubble…stone　peculiar　to　Burgundy；　imbedded　in　yellow　mortar　smoothed

by　the　trowel；　which　produced　an　uneven　surface；　still　further　broken

here　and　there　by　projecting　points　of　the　stone；　which　was　mostly

black。　A　band　of　cement；　in　which　no　stones　were　allowed　to　show；

surrounded　each　window　with　a　sort　of　frame；　where　time　had　made　some

slight；　capricious　cracks；　such　as　appear　on　plastered　ceilings。　The

outer　blinds；　of　a　clumsy　pattern；　were　noticeable　for　their　color；

which　was　dragon…green。　A　few　mosses　grew　among　the　slates　of　the

roof。　The　type　is　that　of　Burgundian　homesteads；　the　traveller　wil