sons of the soil-第42章

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housekeeper　from　all　other　cooks。　Madame　Rigou　made　the　butter　herself

twice　a　week。　Cream　was　a　concomitant　of　many　sauces。　The　vegetables

came　at　a　jump；　as　it　were；　from　their　frames　to　the　saucepan。

Parisians；　who　are　accustomed　to　eat　the　fruits　of　the　earth　after

they　have　had　a　second　ripening　in　the　sun　of　a　city；　infected　by　the

air　of　the　streets；　fermenting　in　close　shops；　and　watered　from　time

to　time　by　the　market…women　to　give　them　a　deceitful　freshness；　have

little　idea　of　the　exquisite　flavors　of　really　fresh　produce；　to　which

nature　has　lent　fugitive　but　powerful　charms　when　eaten　as　it　were

alive。



The　butcher　of　Soulanges　brought　his　best　meat　under　fear　of　losing

Rigou's　custom。　The　poultry；　raised　on　the　premises；　was　of　the　finest

quality。



This　system　of　secret　pampering　embraced　everything　in　which　Rigou　was

personally　concerned。　Though　the　slippers　of　the　knowing　Thelemist

were　of　stout　leather　they　were　lined　with　lamb's　wool。　Though　his

coat　was　of　rough　cloth　it　did　not　touch　his　skin；　for　his　shirt；

washed　and　ironed　at　home；　was　of　the　finest　Frisian　linen。　His　wife；

Annette；　and　Jean　drank　the　common　wine　of　the　country；　the　wine　he

reserved　from　his　own　vineyards；　but　in　his　private　cellar；　as　well

stocked　as　the　cellars　of　Belgium；　the　finest　vintages　of　Burgundy

rubbed　sides　with　those　of　Bordeaux；　Champagne；　Roussillon；　not　to

speak　of　Spanish　and　Rhine　wines；　all　bought　ten　years　in　advance　of

use　and　bottled　by　Brother　Jean。　The　liqueurs　in　that　cellar　were

those　of　the　Isles；　and　came　originally　from　Madame　Amphoux。　Rigou　had

laid　in　a　supply　to　last　him　the　rest　of　his　days；　at　the　national

sale　of　a　chateau　in　Burgundy。



The　ex…monk　ate　and　drank　like　Louis　XIV。　（one　of　the　greatest

consumers　of　food　and　drink　ever　known）；　which　reveals　the　costs　of　a

life　that　was　more　than　voluptuous。　Careful　and　very　shrewd　in

managing　his　secret　prodigalities；　he　disputed　all　purchases　as　only

churchmen　can　dispute。　Instead　of　taking　infinite　precautions　against

being　cheated；　the　sly　monk　kept　patterns　and　samples；　had　the

agreements　reduced　to　writing；　and　warned　those　who　forwarded　his

wines　or　his　provisions　that　if　they　fell　short　of　the　mark　in　any　way

he　should　refuse　to　accept　their　consignments。



Jean；　who　had　charge　of　the　fruit…room；　was　trained　to　keep　fresh　the

finest　fruits　grown　in　the　department；　so　that　Rigou　ate　pears　and

apples　and　sometimes　grapes；　at　Easter。



No　prophet　regarded　as　a　God　was　ever　more　blindly　obeyed　than　was

Rigou　in　his　own　home。　A　mere　motion　of　his　black　eyelashes　could

plunge　his　wife；　Annette；　and　Jean　into　the　deepest　anxiety。　He　held

his　three　slaves　by　the　multiplicity　of　their　many　duties；　which　were

like　a　chain　in　his　hands。　These　poor　creatures　were　under　the

perpetual　yoke　of　some　ordered　duty；　with　an　eye　always　on　them；　but

they　had　come　to　take　a　sort　of　pleasure　in　accomplishing　these　tasks；

and　did　not　suffer　under　them。　All　three　had　the　comfort　and　well…

being　of　that　one　man　before　their　minds　as　the　sole　end　and　object　of

all　their　thoughts。



Annette　was　（since　1795）　the　tenth　pretty　girl　in　Rigou's　service；　and

he　expected　to　go　down　to　his　grave　with　relays　of　such　servants。

Brought　to　him　at　sixteen；　she　would　be　sent　away　at　nineteen。　All

these　girls；　carefully　chosen　at　Auxerre；　Clamecy；　or　in　the　Morvan；

were　enticed　by　the　promise　of　future　prosperity；　but　Madame　Rigou

persisted　in　living。　So　at　the　end　of　every　three　years　some　quarrel；

usually　brought　about　by　the　insolence　of　the　servant　to　the　poor

mistress；　caused　their　dismissal。



Annette；　who　was　a　picture　of　delicate　beauty；　ingenuous　and

sparkling；　deserved　to　be　a　duchess。　Rigou　knew　nothing　of　the　love

affair　between　her　and　Jean…Louis　Tonsard；　which　proves　that　he　had

let　himself　be　fooled　by　the　girl；the　only　one　of　his　many　servants

whose　ambition　had　taught　her　to　flatter　the　lynx　as　the　only　way　to

blind　him。



This　uncrowned　Louis　XV。　did　not　keep　himself　wholly　to　his　pretty

Annette。　Being　the　mortgagee　of　lands　bought　by　peasants　who　were

unable　to　pay　for　them；　he　kept　a　harem　in　the　valley；　from　Soulanges

to　five　miles　beyond　Conches　on　the　road　to　La　Brie；　without　making

other　payments　than　〃extension　of　time；〃　for　those　fugitive　pleasures

which　eat　into　the　fortunes　of　so　many　old　men。



This　luxurious　life；　a　life　like　that　of　Bouret；　cost　Rigou　almost

nothing。　Thanks　to　his　white　slaves；　he　could　cut　and　mow　down　and

gather　in　his　wood；　hay；　and　grain。　To　the　peasant　manual　labor　is　a

small　matter；　especially　if　it　serves　to　postpone　the　payment　of

interest　due。　And　so　Rigou；　while　requiring　little　premiums　on　each

month's　delay；　squeezed　a　great　deal　of　manual　labor　out　of　his

debtors；positive　drudgery；　to　which　they　submitted　thinking　they

gave　little　because　nothing　left　their　pockets。　Rigou　sometimes

obtained　in　this　way　more　than　the　principal　of　a　debt。



Deep　as　a　monk；　silent　as　a　Benedictine　in　the　throes　of　writing

history；　sly　as　a　priest；　deceitful　as　all　misers；　carefully　keeping

within　the　limits　of　the　law；　the　man　might　have　been　Tiberius　in

Rome；　Richelieu　under　Louis　XIII。；　or　Fouche；　had　the　ambition　seized

him　to　go　to　the　Convention；　but；　instead　of　all　that；　Rigou　had　the

common　sense　to　remain　a　Lucullus　without　ostentation；　in　other　words；

a　parsimonious　voluptuary。　To　occupy　his　mind　he　indulged　a　hatred

manufactured　out　of　the　whole　cloth。　He　harassed　the　Comte　de

Montcornet。　He　worked　the　peasants　like　puppets　by　hidden　wires；　the

handling　of　which　amused　him　as　though　it　were　a　game　of　chess　where

the　pawns　were　alive；　the　knights　caracoled；　the　bishops；　like

Fourchon；　gabbled；　the　feudal　castles　shone　in　the　sun；　and　the　queen

maliciously　checkmated　the　king。　Every　day；　when　he　got　out　of　bed　and

saw　from　his　window　the　proud　towers　of　Les　Aigues；　the　chimneys　of

the　pavilions；　and　the　noble　gates；　he　said　to　himself：　〃They　shall

fall！　I'll　dry　up　the　brooks；　I'll　chop　down　the　woods。〃　But　he　had

two　victims　in　mind；　a　chief　one　and　a　lesser　one。　Though　he　meditated

the　dismemberment　of　the　chateau；　the　apostate　also　intended　to　make

an　end　of　the　Abbe　Brossette　by　pin…pricks。



To　complete　the　portrait　of　the　ex…priest　it　will　suffice　to　add　that

he　went　to　mass　regretting　that　his　wife　still　lived；　and　expressed

the　desire　to　be　reconciled　with　the　Church　as　soon　as　he　became　a

widower。　He　bowed　deferentially　to　the　Abbe　Brossette　whenever　he　met

him；　and　spoke　to　him　courteously　and　without　heat。　As　a　general　thing

all　men　who　belong　to　the　Church；　or　who　have　come　out　of　it；　have　the

patience　of　insects；　they　owe　this　to　the　obligation　they　have　been

under；　ecclesiastically；　to　preserve　decorum；a　training　which　has

been　lacking　for　the　last　twenty　years　to　the　vast　majority　of　the

French　nation；　even　those　who　think　themselves　well…bred。　All　the

monks　which　the　Revolution　brought　out　of　their　monasteries　and　forced

into　business；　public　or　private；　showed　in　their　coldness　and　reserve

the　great　advantage　which　ecclesiastical　discipline　gives　to　the　sons

of　the　Church；　even　those　who　desert　her。



Gaubertin　had　understood　Rigou　from　the　days　when　the　Abbe　Niseron

made　his　will　and　the　ex…monk　married　the　heiress；　he　fathomed　the

craft　hidden　behind　the　jaundiced　face　of　that　accomplished　hypocrite；

and　he　made　himself　the　man's　fellow…worshipper　before　the　altar　of

the　Golden　Calf。　When　the　banking…house　of　Leclercq　was　first　started

he　advised　Rigou　to　put　fifty　thousand　francs　into　it；　guaranteeing

their　security　himself。　Rigou　was　all　the　more　desirable　as　an

investor；　or　sleeping　partner；　because　he　drew　no　interest　but　allowed

his　capital　to　accumulate。　At　the　period　of　which　we　write　it　amounted

to　over　a　hundred　thousand　francs；　although　in　1816　he　had　taken　out

one　hundred　and　eighty　thousand　for　investment　in　the　Public　Funds；

from　which　he　derived　an　income　of　seventeen　thousand　francs。　Lupin

the　notary　had　cognizance　of　at　least　one　hundred　thousand　francs

which　Rigou　had　lent　on　small　mortgages　upon　good　estates。　Ostensibly；

Rigou　derived　about　fourteen　thousand　francs　a　year　from　landed

property　actually　owned　by　him。　But　as　to　his　amassed　hoard；　it　was

represented　by　an　〃x〃　which　no　rule　of　equations　could　evolve；　just　as

the　devil　alone　knew　the　secret　schemes　he　plotted　with　Langlume。



This　dangerous　usurer；　who　proposed　to　live　a　score　of　years　longer；

had　established　fixed　rules　to　work　upon。　He　lent　nothing　to　a　peasant

who　bought　less　than　seven　acres；　and　who　could　not　pay　one…half　of

the　purchase…money　down。　Rigou　well　understood　the　defects　of　the　law

of　dispossession　when　applied　to　small　holdings；　and　the　danger　both

to　the　Public　Treasury　and　to　land…owners　of　the　minute　parcelling　out

of　the　soil。　How　can　you　sue　a　peasant　for　the　value　of　one　row　of

vines　when　he　owns　only　five？　The　bird's…eye　view　of　self…interest　is

always　twenty…five　years　ahead　of　the　perceptions　of　a　legislative

body。　What　a　lesson　for　a　nation！　Law　will　ever　emanate　from　one

brain；　that　of　a　man　of　genius；　and　not　from　the　nine　hundred

legislative　heads；　which；　great　as　they　may　be　in　themselves；　are

belittled　and　lost　in　a　crowd。　Rigou's　law　contains　the　essential

element　which　has　yet　to　be　found　and　introduced　into　public　law　to

put　an　end　to　the　absurd　spectacle　of　landed　property　reduced　to

halves；　quarters；　tenths；　hundredths；as　in　the　district　of

Argenteuil；　where　there　are　thirty　thousand　plots　of　land。



Such　operations　as　those　Rigou　was　concerned　in　require　extensive

collusion；　like　those　we　have　seen　existing　in　this　arrondissement。

Lupin；　the　notary；　whom　Rigou　employed　to　draw　at　least　one　third　of

the　deeds　annually　entrusted　to　his　notarial　office；　was　devoted　to

him。　This　shark　could　thus　include　in　the　mortgage　note　（signed　always

in　presence　of　the　wife；　when　the　borrower　was　married）　the　amount　of

the　illegal　interest。　The　peasant；　delighted　to　feel　he　had　to　pay

only　his　five　per　cent　interest　annually；　always　imagined　he　should　be

able　to　meet　the　payment　by　working　doubly　hard　or　by　improving　the

land　and　getting　double　returns　upon　it。



Hence　the　deceitful　hopes　excited　by　what　imbecile　economists　call

〃small　farming；〃a　political　blunder　to　which　we　owe　such　mistakes　as

sending　French　money　to　Germany　to　buy　horses　which　our　own　land　had

ceased　to　breed；　a　blunder　which　before　long　will　reduce　the　raising

of　cattle　until　meat　will　be　unattainable　not　only　by　the　people；　but

by　the　lower　middle　classes　（see　〃Le　Cure　de　Village。〃）



So；　not　a　little　sweat　bedewed　men's　brows　between　Conches　and　Ville…

aux…Fayes　to　Rigou's　profit；　all　being　willing　to　give　it；　whereas　the

labor　dearly　paid　for　by　the　general；　the　only　man　who　did　spend　money

in　the　district；　brought　him　curses　and　hatred；　which　were