sons of the soil-第62章

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came　that　evening　to　the　chateau；　thought　it　best　to　collect　all　the

facts　and　await　events。　The　same　opinion　was　expressed　by　the　sergeant

and　the　lieutenant　of　the　gendarmerie。



〃It　is　impossible　that　it　can　be　anything　but　a　planned　attack　on　the

part　of　the　peasants；〃　said　the　sergeant；　〃but　there　are　two

districts；　Conches　and　Blangy；　in　each　of　which　there　are　five　or　six

persons　capable　of　being　concerned　in　the　murder。　The　one　that　I

suspect　most；　Tonsard；　passed　the　night　carousing　in　the　Grand…I…Vert；

but　your　assistant；　general；　the　miller　Langlume；　was　there；　and　he

says　that　Tonsard　did　not　leave　the　tavern。　They　were　all　so　drunk

they　could　not　stand；　they　took　the　bride　home　at　half…past　one；　and

the　return　of　the　horse　proves　that　Michaud　was　murdered　between

eleven　o'clock　and　midnight。　At　a　quarter　past　ten　Groison　saw　the

whole　company　assembled　at　table；　and　Monsieur　Michaud　passed　there　on

his　way　to　Soulanges；　which　he　reached　at　eleven。　His　horse　reared

between　the　two　pavilions　on　the　mail…road；　but　he　may　have　been　shot

before　reaching　Blangy　and　yet　have　stayed　in　the　saddle　for　some

little　time。　We　should　have　to　issue　warrants　for　at　least　twenty

persons　and　arrest　them；　but　I　know　these　peasants；　and　so　do　these

gentlemen；　you　might　keep　them　a　year　in　prison　and　you　would　get

nothing　out　of　them　but　denials。　What　could　you　do　with　all　those　who

were　at　Tonsard's？〃



They　sent　for　Langlume；　the　miller；　and　the　assistant　of　General

Montcornet　as　mayor；　he　related　what　had　taken　place　in　the　tavern；

and　gave　the　names　of　all　present；　none　had　gone　out　except　for　a

minute　or　two　into　the　courtyard。　He　had　left　the　room　for　a　moment

with　Tonsard　about　eleven　o'clock；　they　had　spoken　of　the　moon　and　the

weather；　and　heard　nothing。　At　two　o'clock　the　whole　party　had　taken

the　bride　and　bridegroom　to　their　own　house。



The　general　arranged　with　the　sergeant；　the　lieutenant；　and　the　civil

authorities　to　send　to　Paris　for　the　cleverest　detective　in　the

service　of　the　police；　who　should　come　to　the　chateau　as　a　workman；

and　behave　so　ill　as　to　be　dismissed；　he　should　then　take　to　drinking

and　frequent　the　Grand…I…Vert　and　remain　in　the　neighborhood　in　the

character　of　an　ill…wisher　to　the　general。　The　best　plan　they　could

follow　was　to　watch　and　wait　for　a　momentary　revelation；　and　then　make

the　most　of　it。



〃If　I　have　to　spend　twenty　thousand　francs　I'll　discover　the　murderer

of　my　poor　Michaud；〃　the　general　was　never　weary　of　saying。



He　went　off　with　that　idea　in　his　head；　and　returned　from　Paris　in　the

month　of　January　with　one　of　the　shrewdest　satellites　of　the　chief　of

the　detective　police；　who　was　brought　down　ostensibly　to　do　some　work

to　the　interior　of　the　chateau。　The　man　was　discovered　poaching。　He

was　arrested；　and　turned　off；　and　soon　afterearly　in　Februarythe

general　rejoined　his　wife　in　Paris。







CHAPTER　X



THE　TRIUMPH　OF　THE　VANQUISHED



One　evening　in　the　month　of　May；　when　the　fine　weather　had　come　and

the　Parisians　had　returned　to　Les　Aigues；　Monsieur　de　Troisville；who

had　been　persuaded　to　accompany　his　daughter；Blondet；　the　Abbe

Brossette；　the　general；　and　the　sub…prefect　of　Ville…aux…Fayes；　who

was　on　a　visit　to　the　chateau；　were　all　playing　either　whist　or　chess。

It　was　about　half…past　eleven　o'clock　when　Joseph　entered　and　told　his

master　that　the　worthless　poaching　workman　who　had　been　dismissed

wanted　to　see　him；something　about　a　bill　which　he　said　the　general

still　owed　him。　〃He　is　very　drunk；〃　added　Joseph。



〃Very　good；　I'll　go　and　speak　to　him。〃



The　general　went　out　upon　the　lawn　to　some　distance　from　the　house。



〃Monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　the　detective；　〃nothing　will　ever　be　got　out

of　these　people。　All　that　I　have　been　able　to　gather　is　that　if　you

continue　to　stay　in　this　place　and　try　to　make　the　peasants　renounce

the　pilfering　habits　which　Mademoiselle　Laguerre　allowed　them　to

acquire；　they　will　shoot　you　as　well　as　your　bailiff。　There　is　no　use

in　my　staying　here；　for　they　distrust　me　even　more　than　they　do　the

keepers。〃



The　count　paid　his　spy；　who　left　the　place　the　next　day；　and　his

departure　justified　the　suspicions　entertained　about　him　by　the

accomplices　in　the　death　of　Michaud。



When　the　general　returned　to　the　salon　there　were　such　signs　of

emotion　upon　his　face　that　his　wife　asked　him；　anxiously；　what　news　he

had　just　heard。



〃Dear　wife；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　want　to　frighten　you；　and　yet　it　is

right　you　should　know　that　Michaud's　death　was　intended　as　a　warning

for　us　to　leave　this　part　of　the　country。〃



〃If　I　were　in　your　place；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Troisville；　〃I　would　not

leave　it。　I　myself　have　had　just　such　difficulties　in　Normandy；　only

under　another　form；　I　persisted　in　my　course；　and　now　everything　goes

well。〃



〃Monsieur　le　marquis；〃　said　the　sub…prefect；　〃Normandy　and　Burgundy

are　two　very　different　regions。　The　grape　heats　the　blood　far　more

than　the　apple。　We　know　much　less　of　law　and　legal　proceedings；　we

live　among　the　woods；　the　large　industries　are　unknown　among　us；　we

are　still　savages。　If　I　might　give　my　advice　to　Monsieur　le　comte　it

would　be　to　sell　this　estate　and　put　the　money　in　the　Funds；　he　would

double　his　income　and　have　no　anxieties。　If　he　likes　living　in　the

country　he　could　buy　a　chateau　near　Paris　with　a　park　as　beautiful　as

that　of　Les　Aigues；　surrounded　by　walls；　where　no　one　can　annoy　him；

and　where　he　can　let　all　his　farms　and　receive　the　money　in　good　bank…

bills；　and　have　no　law　suits　from　one　year's　end　to　another。　He　could

come　and　go　in　three　or　four　hours；　and　Monsieur　Blondet　and　Monsieur

le　marquis　would　not　be　so　often　away　from　you；　Madame　la　comtesse。〃



〃I；　retreat　before　the　peasantry　when　I　did　not　recoil　before　the

Danube！〃　cried　the　general。



〃Yes；　but　what　became　of　your　cuirassiers？〃　asked　Blondet。



〃Such　a　fine　estate！〃



〃It　will　sell　to…day　for　over　two　millions。〃



〃The　chateau　alone　must　have　cost　that；〃　remarked　Monsieur　de

Troisville。



〃One　of　the　best　properties　in　a　circumference　of　sixty　miles；〃　said

the　sub…prefect；　〃but　you　can　find　a　better　near　Paris。〃



〃How　much　income　does　one　get　from　two　millions？〃　asked　the　countess。



〃Now…a…days；　about　eighty　thousand　francs；〃　replied　Blondet。



〃Les　Aigues　does　not　bring　in；　all　told；　more　than　thirty　thousand；〃

said　the　countess；　〃and　lately　you　have　been　at　such　immense　expenses；

you　have　surrounded　the　woods　this　year　with　ditches。〃



〃You　could　get；〃　added　Blondet；　〃a　royal　chateau　for　four　hundred

thousand　francs　near　Paris。　In　these　days　people　buy　the　follies　of

others。〃



〃I　thought　you　cared　for　Les　Aigues！〃　said　the　count　to　his　wife。



〃Don't　you　feel　that　I　care　a　thousand　times　more　for　your　life？〃　she

replied。　〃Besides；　ever　since　the　death　of　my　poor　Olympe　and

Michaud's　murder　the　country　is　odious　to　me；　all　the　faces　I　meet

seem　to　wear　a　treacherous　or　threatening　expression。〃



The　next　evening　the　sub…prefect；　having　ended　his　visit　at　the

chateau；　was　welcomed　in　the　salon　of　Monsieur　Gaubertin　at　Ville…aux…

Fayes　in　these　words：



〃Well；　Monsieur　des　Lupeaulx；　so　you　have　returned　from　Les　Aigues？〃



〃Yes；〃　answered　the　sub…prefect　with　a　little　air　of　triumph　and　a

look　of　tender　regard　at　Mademoiselle　Elise；　〃and　I　am　very　much

afraid　to　say　we　may　lose　the　general；　he　talks　of　selling　his

property〃



〃Monsieur　Gaubertin；　I　speak　for　my　pavilion。　I　can　on　longer　endure

the　noise；　the　dust　of　Ville…aux…Fayes；　like　a　poor　imprisoned　bird　I

gasp　for　the　air　of　the　fields；　the　woodland　breezes；〃　said　Madame

Isaure；　in　a　lackadaisical　voice；　with　her　eyes　half…closed　and　her

head　bending　to　her　left　shoulder　as　she　played　carelessly　with　the

long　curls　of　her　blond　hair。



〃Pray　be　prudent；　madame！〃　said　her　husband　in　a　low　voice；　〃your

indiscretions　will　not　help　me　to　buy　the　pavilion。〃　Then；　turning　to

the　sub…prefect；　he　added；　〃Haven't　they　yet　discovered　the　men　who

were　concerned　in　the　murder　of　the　bailiff？〃



〃It　seems　not；〃　replied　the　sub…prefect。



〃That　will　injure　the　sale　of　Les　Aigues；〃　said　Gaubertin　to　the

company　generally；　〃I　know　very　well　that　I　would　not　buy　the　place。

The　peasantry　over　there　are　such　a　bad　set　of　people；　even　in　the

days　of　Mademoiselle　Laguerre　I　had　trouble　with　them；　and　God　knows

she　let　them　do　as　they　liked。〃



At　the　end　of　the　month　of　May　the　general　still　gave　no　sign　that　he

intended　to　sell　Les　Aigues；　in　fact；　he　was　undecided。　One　night；

about　ten　o'clock；　he　was　returning　from　the　forest　through　one　of　the

six　avenues　that　led　to　the　pavilion　of　the　Rendezvous。　He　dismissed

the　keeper　who　accompanied　him；　as　he　was　then　so　near　the　chateau。　At

a　turn　of　the　road　a　man　armed　with　a　gun　came　from　behind　a　bush。



〃General；〃　he　said；　〃this　is　the　third　time　I　have　had　you　at　the　end

of　my　barrel；　and　the　third　time　that　I　give　you　your　life。〃



〃Why　do　you　want　to　kill　me；　Bonnebault？〃　said　the　general；　without

showing　the　least　emotion。



〃Faith；　if　I　don't；　somebody　else　will；　but　I；　you　see；　I　like　the　men

who　served　the　Emperor；　and　I　can't　make　up　my　mind　to　shoot　you　like

a　partridge。　Don't　question　me；　for　I'll　tell　you　nothing；　but　you've

got　enemies；　powerful　enemies；　cleverer　than　you；　and　they'll　end　by

crushing　you。　I　am　to　have　a　thousand　crowns　if　I　kill　you；　and　then　I

can　marry　Marie　Tonsard。　Well；　give　me　enough　to　buy　a　few　acres　of

land　and　a　bit　of　a　cottage；　and　I'll　keep　on　saying；　as　I　have　done；

that　I've　found　no　chances。　That　will　give　you　time　to　sell　your

property　and　get　away；　but　make　haste。　I'm　an　honest　lad　still；　scamp

as　I　am；　but　another　fellow　won't　spare　you。〃



〃If　I　give　you　what　you　ask；　will　you　tell　me　who　offered　you　those

three　thousand　francs？〃　said　the　general。



〃I　don't　know　myself；　and　the　person　who　is　urging　me　to　do　the　thing

is　some　one　I　love　too　well　to　tell　of。　Besides；　even　if　you　did　know

it　was　Marie　Tonsard；　that　wouldn't　help　you；　Marie　Tonsard　would　be

as　silent　as　that　wall；　and　I　should　deny　every　word　I've　said。〃



〃Come　and　see　me　to…morrow；〃　said　the　general。



〃Enough；〃　replied　Bonnebault；　〃and　if　they　begin　to　say　I'm　too

dilatory；　I'll　let　you　know　in　time。〃



A　week　after　that　singular　conversation　the　whole　arrondissement；

indeed　the　whole　department；　was　covered　with　posters；　advertising　the

sale　of　Les　Aigues　at　the　office　of　Maitre　Corbineau；　the　notary　of

Soulanges。　All　the　lots　were　knocked　down　to　Rigou；　and　the　price　paid

amounted　to　two　millions　five　hundred　thousand　francs。　The　next　day

Rigou　had　the　names　changed；　Monsieur　Gaubertin　took　the　woods；　Rigou

and　Soudry　the　vineyards　and　the　farms。　The　chateau　and　the　park　were

sold　over　again　in　small　lots　among　the　sons　of　the　soil；　the

peasantry；excepting　t