sons of the soil-第60章

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head　of　his　greyhound。　He　sighed。



〃The　scoundrels！〃　he　said。　〃Madame　was　right。〃



Michaud　and　Blondet　examined　the　body　and　found；　just　as　the　countess

had　said；　that　some　one　had　cut　the　greyhound's　throat。　To　prevent　his

barking　he　had　been　decoyed　with　a　bit　of　meat；　which　was　still

between　his　tongue　and　his　palate。



〃Poor　brute；　he　died　of　self…indulgence。〃



〃Like　all　princes；〃　said　Blondet。



〃Some　one；　whoever　it　is；　has　just　gone；　fearing　that　we　might　catch

him　or　her；〃　said　Michaud。　〃A　serious　offence　has　been　committed。　But

for　all　that；　I　see　no　branches　about　and　no　lopped　trees。〃



Blondet　and　the　bailiff　began　a　cautious　search；　looking　at　each　spot

where　they　set　their　feet　before　setting　them。　Presently　Blondet

pointed　to　a　tree　beneath　which　the　grass　was　flattened　down　and　two

hollows　made。



〃Some　one　knelt　there；　and　it　must　have　been　a　woman；　for　a　man　would

not　have　left　such　a　quantity　of　flattened　grass　around　the　impression

of　his　two　knees；　yes；　see！　that　is　the　outline　of　a　petticoat。〃



The　bailiff；　after　examining　the　base　of　the　tree；　found　the　beginning

of　a　hole　beneath　the　bark；　but　he　did　not　find　the　worm　with　the

tough　skin；　shiny　and　squamous；　covered　with　brown　specks；　ending　in　a

tail　not　unlike　that　of　a　cockchafer；　and　having　also　the　latter's

head；　antennae；　and　the　two　vigorous　hooks　or　shears　with　which　the

creature　cuts　into　the　wood。



〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　Blondet；　〃now　I　understand　the　enormous　number

of　DEAD　trees　that　I　noticed　this　morning　from　the　terrace　of　the

chateau；　and　which　brought　me　here　to　find　out　the　cause　of　the

phenomenon。　Worms　are　at　work；　but　they　are　no　other　than　your

peasants。〃



The　bailiff　gave　vent　to　an　oath　and　rushed　off；　followed　by　Blondet；

to　rejoin　the　countess；　whom　he　requested　to　take　his　wife　home　with

her。　Then　he　jumped　on　Joseph's　horse；　leaving　the　man　to　return　on

foot；　and　disappeared　with　great　rapidity　to　cut　off　the　retreat　of

the　woman　who　had　killed　his　dog；　hoping　to　catch　her　with　the　bloody

bill…hook　in　her　hand　and　the　tool　used　to　make　the　incisions　in　the

bark　of　the　tree。



〃Let　us　go　and　tell　the　general　at　once；　before　he　breakfasts；〃　cried

the　countess；　〃he　might　die　of　anger。〃



〃I'll　prepare　him；〃　said　Blondet。



〃They　have　killed　the　dog；〃　said　Olympe；　in　tears。



〃You　loved　the　poor　greyhound；　dear；　enough　to　weep　for　him？〃　said　the

countess。



〃I　think　of　Prince　as　a　warning；　I　fear　some　danger　to　my　husband。〃



〃How　they　have　ruined　this　beautiful　morning　for　us；〃　said　the

countess；　with　an　adorable　little　pout。



〃How　they　have　ruined　the　country；〃　said　Olympe；　gravely。



They　met　the　general　near　the　chateau。



〃Where　have　you　been？〃　he　asked。



〃You　shall　know　in　a　minute；〃　said　Blondet；　mysteriously；　as　he　helped

the　countess　and　Madame　Michaud　to　alight。　A　moment　more　and　the　two

gentlemen　were　alone　on　the　terrace　of　the　apartments。



〃You　have　plenty　of　moral　strength；　general；　you　won't　put　yourself　in

a　passion；　will　you？〃



〃No；〃　said　the　general；　〃but　come　to　the　point　or　I　shall　think　you

are　making　fun　of　me。〃



〃Do　you　see　those　trees　with　dead　leaves？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Do　you　see　those　others　that　are　wilting？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Well；　every　one　of　them　has　been　killed　by　the　peasants　you　think　you

have　won　over　by　your　benefits。〃



And　Blondet　related　the　events　of　the　morning。



The　general　was　so　pale　that　Blondet　was　frightened。



〃Come；　curse；　swear；　be　furious！　your　self…control　may　hurt　you　more

than　anger！〃



〃I'll　go　and　smoke；〃　said　the　general；　turning　toward　the　kiosk。



During　breakfast　Michaud　came　in；　he　had　found　no　one。　Sibilet；　whom

the　count　had　sent　for；　came　also。



〃Monsieur　Sibilet；　and　you；　Monsieur　Michaud；　are　to　make　it　known；

cautiously；　that　I　will　pay　a　thousand　francs　to　whoever　will　arrest

IN　THE　ACT　the　person　or　persons　who　are　killing　my　trees；　they　must

also　discover　the　instrument　with　which　the　work　is　done；　and　where　it

was　bought。　I　have　settled　upon　a　plan。〃



〃Those　people　never　betray　one　another；〃　said　Sibilet；　〃if　the　crime

done　is　for　their　benefit　and　premeditated。　There　is　no　denying　that

this　diabolical　business　has　been　planned；　carefully　planned　and

contrived。〃



〃Yes；　but　a　thousand　francs　means　a　couple　of　acres　of　land。〃



〃We　can　try；〃　said　Sibilet；　〃fifteen　hundred　francs　might　buy　you　a

traitor；　especially　if　you　promise　secrecy。〃



〃Very　good；　but　let　us　act　as　if　we　suspected　nothing；　I　especially；

if　not；　we　shall　be　the　victims　of　some　collusion；　one　has　to　be　as

wary　with　these　brigands　as　with　the　enemy　in　war。〃



〃But　the　enemy　is　here；〃　said　Blondet。



Sibilet　threw　him　the　furtive　glance　of　a　man　who　understood　the

meaning　of　the　words；　and　then　he　withdrew。



〃I　don't　like　your　Sibilet；〃　said　Blondet；　when　he　had　seen　the

steward　leave　the　house。　〃That　man　is　playing　false。〃



〃Up　to　this　time　he　has　done　nothing　I　could　complain　of；〃　said　the

general。



Blondet　went　off　to　write　letters。　He　had　lost　the　careless　gayety　of

his　first　arrival；　and　was　now　uneasy　and　preoccupied；　but　he　had　no

vague　presentiments　like　those　of　Madame　Michaud；　he　was；　rather；　in

full　expectation　of　certain　foreseen　misfortunes。　He　said　to　himself；

〃This　affair　will　come　to　some　bad　end；　and　if　the　general　does　not

take　decisive　action　and　will　not　abandon　a　battle…field　where　he　is

overwhelmed　by　numbers　there　must　be　a　catastrophe；　and　who　knows　who

will　come　out　safe　and　sound；perhaps　neither　he　nor　his　wife。　Good

God！　that　adorable　little　creature！　so　devoted；　so　perfect！　how　can　he

expose　her　thus！　He　thinks　he　loves　her！　Well；　I'll　share　their

danger；　and　if　I　can't　save　them　I'll　suffer　with　them。〃







CHAPTER　VIII



RURAL　VIRTUE



That　night　Marie　Tonsard　was　stationed　on　the　road　to　Soulanges；

sitting　on　the　rail　of　a　culvert　waiting　for　Bonnebault；　who　had　spent

the　day；　as　usual；　at　the　Cafe　de　la　Paix。　She　heard　him　coming　at

some　distance；　and　his　step　told　her　that　he　was　drunk；　and　she　knew

also　that　he　had　lost　money；　for　he　always　sang　if　he　won。



〃Is　that　you；　Bonnebault？〃



〃Yes；　my　girl。〃



〃What's　the　matter？〃



〃I　owe　twenty…five　francs；　and　they　may　wring　my　neck　twenty…five

times　before　I　can　pay　them。〃



〃Well；　I　know　how　you　can　get　five　hundred；〃　she　said　in　his　ear。



〃Oh！　by　killing　a　man；　but　I　prefer　to　live。〃



〃Hold　your　tongue。　Vaudoyer　will　give　us　five　hundred　francs　if　you

will　let　him　catch　your　mother　at　a　tree。〃



〃I'd　rather　kill　a　man　than　sell　my　mother。　There's　your　old

grandmother；　why　don't　you　sell　her？〃



〃If　I　tried　to；　my　father　would　get　angry　and　stop　the　trick。〃



〃That's　true。　Well；　anyhow；　my　mother　sha'n't　go　to　prison；　poor　old

thing！　She　cooks　my　food　and　keeps　me　in　clothes；　I'm　sure　I　don't

know　how。　Go　to　prison；and　through　me！　I　shouldn't　have　any　bowels

within　me；　no；　no！　And　for　fear　any　one　else　should　sell　her；　I'll

tell　her　this　very　night　not　to　kill　any　more　trees。〃



〃Well；　my　father　may　say　and　do　what　he　likes；　but　I　shall　tell　him

there　are　five　hundred　francs　to　be　had；　and　perhaps　he'll　ask　my

grandmother　if　she'll　earn　them。　They'll　never　put　an　old　woman

seventy…eight　years　of　age　in　prison；though；　to　be　sure；　she'd　be

better　off　there　than　in　her　garret。〃



〃Five　hundred　francs！　well；　yes；　I'll　speak　to　my　mother；〃　said

Bonnebault；　〃and　if　it　suits　her　to　give　'em　to　me；　I'll　let　her　have

part　to　take　to　prison。　She　could　knit；　and　amuse　herself；　and　she'd

be　well　fed　and　lodged；　and　have　less　trouble　than　she　has　at　Conches。

Well；　to…morrow；　my　girl；　I'll　see　you　about　it；　I　haven't　time　to

stop　now。〃



The　next　morning　at　daybreak　Bonnebault　and　his　old　mother　knocked　at

the　door　of　the　Grand…I…Vert。　Mother　Tonsard　was　the　only　person　up。



〃Marie！〃　called　Bonnebault；　〃that　matter　is　settled。〃



〃You　mean　about　the　trees？〃　said　Mother　Tonsard；　〃yes；　it　is　all

settled；　I've　taken　it。〃



〃Nonsense！〃　cried　Mother　Bonnebault；　〃my　son　has　got　the　promise　of　an

acre　of　land　from　Monsieur　Rigou〃



The　two　old　women　squabbled　as　to　which　of　them　should　be　sold　by　her

children。　The　noise　of　the　quarrel　woke　up　the　household。　Tonsard　and

Bonnebault　took　sides　for　their　respective　mothers。



〃Pull　straws；〃　suggested　Tonsard's　wife。



The　short　straw　gave　it　in　favor　of　the　tavern。



Three　days　later；　in　the　forest　of　Ville…aux…Fayes　at　daybreak；　the

gendarmes　arrested　old　Mother　Tonsard　caught　〃in　flagrante　delicto〃　by

the　bailiff；　his　assistants；　and　the　field…keeper；　with　a　rusty　file

which　served　to　tear　the　tree；　and　a　chisel；　used　by　the　delinquent　to

scoop　round　the　bark　just　as　the　insect　bores　its　way。　The　indictment

stated　that　sixty　trees　thus　destroyed　were　found　within　a　radius　of

five　hundred　feet。　The　old　woman　was　sent　to　Auxerre；　the　case　coming

under　the　jurisdiction　of　the　assize…court。



Michaud　could　not　refrain　from　saying　when　he　discovered　Mother

Tonsard　at　the　foot　of　the　tree：　〃These　are　the　persons　on　whom　the

general　and　Madame　la　comtesse　have　showered　benefits！　Faith；　if

Madame　would　only　listen　to　me；　she　wouldn't　give　that　dowry　to　the

Tonsard　girl；　who　is　more　worthless　than　her　grandmother。〃



The　old　woman　raised　her　gray　eyes　and　darted　a　venomous　look　at

Michaud。　When　the　count　learned　who　the　guilty　person　was；　he　forbade

his　wife　to　give　the　money　to　Catherine　Tonsard。



〃Monsieur　le　comte　is　perfectly　right；〃　said　Sibilet。　〃I　know　that

Godain　bought　that　land　three　days　before　Catherine　came　to　speak　to

Madame。　She　is　quite　capable；　that　girl；　of　pretending　she　is　with

child；　to　get　the　money；　very　likely　Godain　has　had　nothing　to　do　with

it。〃



〃What　a　community！〃　said　Blondet；　〃the　scoundrels　of　Paris　are　saints

by　comparison。〃



〃Ah；　monsieur；〃　said　Sibilet；　〃self…interest　makes　people　guilty　of

horrors　everywhere。　Do　you　know　who　betrayed　the　old　woman？〃



〃No。〃



〃Her　granddaughter　Marie；　she　was　jealous　of　her　sister's　marriage；

and　to　get　the　money　for　her　own〃



〃It　is　awful！〃　said　the　count。　〃Why！　they'd　murder！〃



〃Oh　yes；〃　said　Sibilet；　〃for　a　very　small　sum。　They　care　so　little　for

life；　those　people；　they　hate　to　have　to　work　all　their　lives。　Ah

monsieur；　queer　things　happen　in　country　places；　as　queer　as　those　of

Paris；but　you　will　never　believe　it。〃



〃Let　us　be　kind　and　benevolent；〃　said　the　countess。



The　evening　after　the　arrest　Bonnebault　came　to　the　tavern　of　the

Grand…I…Vert；　where　all　the　Tonsard　family　were　in　great　jubilation。

〃Oh　yes；　yes！〃　said　he；　〃make　the　most　of　your　rejoicing；　but　I've

just　heard　from　Vaudoyer　that　the　countess；　to　punish　you；　withdraws

the　thousand　francs　promised　to　Godain；　her　husband　won't　let　her　give

them。〃