sons of the soil-第43章

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

upon　him　simply　because　he　was　rich。　How　could　such　facts　be

understood　unless　we　had　previously　taken　that　rapid　glance　at　the

Mediocracy。　Fourchon　was　right；　the　middle　classes　now　held　the

position　of　the　former　lords。　The　small　land…owners；　of　whom

Courtecuisse　is　a　type；　were　tenants　in　mortmain　of　a　Tiberius　in　the

valley　of　the　Avonne；　just　as；　in　Paris；　traders　without　money　are　the

peasantry　of　the　banking　system。



Soudry　followed　Rigou's　example　from　Soulanges　to　a　distance　of

fifteen　miles　beyond　Ville…aux…Fayes。　These　two　usurers　shared　the

district　between　them。



Gaubertin；　whose　rapacity　was　in　a　higher　sphere；　not　only　did　not

compete　against　that　of　his　associates；　but　he　prevented　all　other

capital　in　Ville…aux…Fayes　from　being　employed　in　the　same　fruitful

manner。　It　is　easy　to　imagine　what　immense　influence　this　triumvirate

Rigou；　Soudry；　and　Gaubertinwielded　in　election　periods　over

electors　whose　fortunes　depended　on　their　good…will。



Hate；　intelligence；　and　means　at　command；　such　were　the　three　sides　of

the　terrible　triangle　which　describes　the　general's　closest　enemy；　the

spy　ever　watching　Les　Aigues；a　shark　having　constant　dealings　with

sixty　to　eighty　small　land…owners；　relations　or　connections　of　the

peasantry；　who　feared　him　as　such　men　always　fear　their　creditor。



Rigou　was　in　his　way　another　Tonsard。　The　one　throve　on　thefts　from

nature；　the　other　waxed　fat　on　legal　plunder。　Both　liked　to　live　well。

It　was　the　same　nature　in　two　species；the　one　natural；　the　other

whetted　by　his　training　in　a　cloister。



It　was　about　four　o'clock　when　Vaudoyer　left　the　tavern　of　the　Grand…

I…Vert　to　consult　the　former　mayor。　Rigou　was　at　dinner。　Finding　the

front　door　locked；　Vaudoyer　looked　above　the　window　blinds　and　called

out：



〃Monsieur　Rigou；　it　is　I；Vaudoyer。〃



Jean　came　round　from　the　porte…cochere　and　said　to　Vaudoyer：



〃Come　into　the　garden；　Monsieur　has　company。〃



The　company　was　Sibilet；　who；　under　pretext　of　discussing　the　verdict

Brunet　had　just　handed　in；　was　talking　to　Rigou　of　quite　other

matters。　He　had　found　the　usurer　finishing　his　dessert。　On　a　square

dinner…table　covered　with　a　dazzling　white　clothfor；　regardless　of

his　wife　and　Annette　who　did　the　washing；　Rigou　exacted　clean　table…

linen　every　daythe　steward　noted　strawberries；　apricots；　peaches；

figs；　and　almonds；　all　the　fruits　of　the　season　in　profusion；　served

in　white　porcelain　dishes　on　vine…leaves　as　daintily　as　at　Les　Aigues。



Seeing　Sibilet；　Rigou　told　him　to　run　the　bolts　of　the　inside　double…

doors；　which　were　added　to　the　other　doors　as　much　to　stifle　sounds　as

to　keep　out　the　cold　air；　and　asked　him　what　pressing　business　brought

him　there　in　broad　daylight　when　it　was　so　much　safer　to　confer

together　at　night。



〃The　Shopman　talks　of　going　to　Paris　to　see　the　Keeper　of　the　Seals；

he　is　capable　of　doing　you　a　great　deal　of　harm；　he　may　ask　for　the

dismissal　of　your　son…in…law；　and　the　removal　of　the　judges　at　Ville…

aux…Fayes；　especially　after　reading　the　verdict　just　rendered　in　your

favor。　He　has　turned　at　bay；　he　is　shrewd；　and　he　has　an　adviser　in

that　abbe；　who　is　quite　able　to　tilt　with　you　and　Gaubertin。　Priests

are　powerful。　Monseigneur　the　bishop　thinks　a　great　deal　of　the　Abbe

Brossette。　Madame　la　comtesse　talks　of　going　herself　to　her　cousin　the

prefect；　the　Comte　de　Casteran；　about　Nicolas。　Michaud　begins　to　see

into　our　game。〃



〃You　are　frightened；〃　said　Rigou；　softly；　casting　a　look　on　Sibilet

which　suspicion　made　less　impassive　than　usual；　and　which　was

therefore　terrific。　〃You　are　debating　whether　it　would　not　be　better

on　the　whole　to　side　with　the　Comte　de　Montcornet。〃



〃I　don't　see　where　I　am　to　get　the　four　thousand　francs　I　save

honestly　and　invest　every　year；　after　you　have　cut　up　and　sold　Les

Aigues；〃　said　Sibilet；　shortly。　〃Monsieur　Gaubertin　has　made　me　many

fine　promises；　but　the　crisis　is　coming　on；　there　will　be　fighting；

surely。　Promising　before　victory　and　keeping　a　promise　after　it　are

two　very　different　things。〃



〃I　will　talk　to　him　about　it；〃　replied　Rigou；　imperturbably。　〃Meantime

this　is　what　I　should　say　to　you　if　I　were　in　his　place：　'For　the　last

five　years　you　have　taken　Monsieur　Rigou　four　thousand　francs　a　year；

and　that　worthy　man　gives　you　seven　and　a　half　per　cent；　which　makes

your　property　in　his　hands　at　this　moment　over　twenty…seven　thousand

francs；　as　you　have　not　drawn　the　interest。　But　there　exists　a　private

signed　agreement　between　you　and　Rigou；　and　the　Shopman　will　dismiss

his　steward　whenever　the　Abbe　Brossette　lays　that　document　before　his

eyes；　the　abbe　will　be　able　to　do　so　after　receiving　an　anonymous

letter　which　will　inform　him　of　your　double…dealing。　You　would

therefore　do　better　for　yourself　by　keeping　well　with　us　instead　of

clamoring　for　your　pay　in　advance；all　the　more　because　Monsieur

Rigou；　who　is　not　legally　bound　to　give　you　seven　and　a　half　per　cent

and　the　interest　on　your　interest；　will　make　you　in　court　a　legal

tender　of　your　twenty　thousand　francs；　and　you　will　not　be　able　to

touch　that　money　until　your　suit；　prolonged　by　legal　trickery；　shall

be　decided　by　the　court　at　Ville…aux…Fayes。　But　if　you　act　wisely　you

will　find　that　when　Monsieur　Rigou　gets　possession　of　your　pavilion　at

Les　Aigues；　you　will　have　very　nearly　thirty　thousand　francs　in　his

hands　and　thirty　thousand　more　which　the　said　Rigou　may　entrust　to

you；which　will　be　all　the　more　advantageous　to　you　then　because　the

peasantry　will　have　flung　them　themselves　upon　the　estate　of　Les

Aigues；　divided　into　small　lots　like　the　poverty　of　the　world。'　That's

what　Monsieur　Gaubertin　might　say　to　you。　As　for　me；　I　have　nothing　to

say；　for　it　is　none　of　my　business。　Gaubertin　and　I　have　our　own

quarrel　with　that　son　of　the　people　who　is　ashamed　of　his　own　father；

and　we　follow　our　own　course。　If　my　friend　Gaubertin　feels　the　need　of

using　you；　I　don't；　I　need　no　one；　for　everybody　is　at　my　command。　As

to　the　Keeper　of　the　Seals；　that　functionary　is　often　changed；　whereas

weWE　are　always　here；　and　can　bide　our　time。〃



〃Well；　I've　warned　you；〃　returned　Sibilet；　feeling　like　a　donkey　under

a　pack…saddle。



〃Warned　me　of　what？〃　said　Rigou；　artfully。



〃Of　what　the　Shopman　is　going　to　do；〃　answered　the　steward；　humbly。

〃He　started　for　the　Prefecture　in　a　rage。〃



〃Let　him　go！　If　the　Montcornets　and　their　kind　didn't　use　wheels；　what

would　become　of　the　carriage…makers？〃



〃I　shall　bring　you　three　thousand　francs　to…night；〃　said　Sibilet；　〃but

you　ought　to　make　over　some　of　your　maturing　mortgages　to　me；say；

one　or　two　that　would　secure　to　me　good　lots　of　land。〃



〃Well；　there's　that　of　Courtecuisse。　I　myself　want　to　be　easy　on　him

because　he　is　the　best　shot　in　the　canton；　but　if　I　make　over　his

mortgage　to　you；　you　will　seem　to　be　harassing　him　on　the　Shopman's

account；　and　that　will　be　killing　two　birds　with　one　stone；　when

Courtecuisse　finds　himself　a　beggar；　like　Fourchon；　he'll　be　capable

of　anything。　Courtecuisse　has　ruined　himself　on　the　Bachelerie；　he　has

cultivated　all　the　land；　and　trained　fruit　on　the　walls。　The　little

property　is　now　worth　four　thousand　francs；　and　the　count　will　gladly

pay　you　that　to　get　possession　of　the　three　acres　that　jut　right　into

his　land。　If　Courtecuisse　were　not　such　an　idle　hound　he　could　have

paid　his　interest　with　the　game　he　might　have　killed　there。〃



〃Well；　transfer　the　mortgage　to　me；　and　I'll　make　my　butter　out　of　it；

the　count　shall　buy　the　three　acres；　and　I　shall　get　the　house　and

garden　for　nothing。〃



〃What　are　you　going　to　give　me　out　of　it？〃



〃Good　heavens！　you'd　milk　an　ox！〃　exclaimed　Sibilet；〃when　I　have

just　done　you　such　a　service；　too。　I　have　at　last　got　the　Shopman　to

enforce　the　laws　about　gleaning〃



〃Have　you；　my　dear　fellow？〃　said　Rigou；　who　a　few　days　earlier　had

suggested　this　means　of　exasperating　the　peasantry　to　Sibilet；　telling

him　to　advise　the　general　to　try　it。　〃Then　we've　got　him；　he's　lost！

But　it　isn't　enough　to　hold　him　with　one　string；　we　must　wind　it　round

and　round　him　like　a　roll　of　tobacco。　Slip　the　bolts　of　the　door；　my

lad；　tell　my　wife　to　bring　my　coffee　and　the　liqueurs；　and　tell　Jean

to　harness　up。　I'm　off　to　Soulanges；　will　see　you　to…night！Ah！

Vaudoyer；　good　afternoon；〃　said　the　late　mayor　as　his　former　field…

keeper　entered　the　room。　〃What's　the　news？〃



Vaudoyer　related　the　talk　which　had　just　taken　place　at　the　tavern；

and　asked　Rigou's　opinion　as　to　the　legality　of　the　rules　which　the

general　thought　of　enforcing。



〃He　has　the　law　with　him；〃　said　Rigou；　curtly。　〃We　have　a　hard

landlord；　the　Abbe　Brossette　is　a　malignant　priest；　he　advises　all

such　measures　because　you　don't　go　to　mass；　you　miserable　unbelievers。

I　go；　there's　a　God；　I　tell　you。　You　peasants　will　have　to　bear

everything；　for　the　Shopman　will　always　get　the　better　of　you〃



〃We　shall　glean；〃　said　Vaudoyer；　in　that　determined　tone　which

characterizes　Burgundians。



〃Without　a　certificate　of　pauperism？〃　asked　the　usurer。　〃They　say　the

Shopman　has　gone　to　the　Prefecture　to　ask　for　troops　so　as　to　force

you　to　keep　the　law。〃



〃We　shall　glean　as　we　have　always　gleaned；〃　repeated　Vaudoyer。



〃Well；　glean　then！　Monsieur　Sarcus　will　decide　whether　you　have　the

right　to；〃　said　Rigou；　seeming　to　promise　the　help　of　the　justice　of

the　peace。



〃We　shall　glean；　and　we　shall　do　it　in　force；　or　Burgundy　won't　be

Burgundy　any　longer；〃　said　Vaudoyer。　〃If　the　gendarmes　have　sabres　we

have　scythes；　and　we'll　see　what　comes　of　it！〃



At　half…past　four　o'clock　the　great　green　gate　of　the　former　parsonage

turned　on　its　hinges；　and　the　bay　horse；　led　by　Jean；　was　brought

round　to　the　front　door。　Madame　Rigou　and　Annette　came　out　on　the

steps　and　looked　at　the　little　wicker　carriage；　painted　green；　with　a

leathern　hood；　where　their　lord　and　master　was　comfortably　seated　on

good　cushions。



〃Don't　be　late　home；　monsieur；〃　said　Annette；　with　a　little　pout。



The　village　folk；　already　informed　of　the　measures　the　general

proposed　to　take；　were　at　their　doors　or　standing　in　the　main　street

as　Rigou　drove　by；　believing　that　he　was　going　to　Soulanges　in　their

defence。



〃Well；　Madame　Courtecuisse；　so　our　mayor　is　on　his　way　to　protect　us；〃

remarked　an　old　woman　as　she　knitted；　the　question　of　depredating　in

the　forest　was　of　great　interest　to　her；　for　her　husband　sold　the

stolen　wood　at　Soulanges。



〃Ah！　the　good　man；　his　heart　bleeds　to　see　the　way　we　are　treated；　he

is　as　unhappy　as　we　are　about　it；〃　replied　the　poor　woman；　who

trembled　at　the　very　name　of　her　husband's　creditor；　and　praised　him

out　of　fear。



〃And　he　himself；　too；they've　shamefully　ill…used　him！　Good…day；

Monsieur　Rigou；〃　said　the　old　knitter　to　the　usurer；　who　bowe