sons of the soil-第9章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Tonsard's　vices　to　get　the　better　of　him。　Loving　comfort　and　good

eating　herself；　she　encouraged　his　idleness　and　gluttony。　In　the　first

place；　she　managed　to　procure　the　good…will　of　the　servants　of　the

chateau；　and　Tonsard；　in　view　of　the　results；　made　no　complaint　as　to

the　means。　He　cared　very　little　what　his　wife　did；　so　long　as　she　did

all　he　wanted　of　her。　That　is　the　secret　agreement　of　many　a

household。　Madame　Tonsard　established　the　wine…shop　of　the　Grand…I…

Vert；　her　first　customers　being　the　servants　of　Les　Aigues　and　the

keepers　and　huntsmen。



Gaubertin；　formerly　steward　to　Mademoiselle　Laguerre；　one　of　La

Tonsard's　chief　patrons；　gave　her　several　puncheons　of　excellent　wine

to　attract　custom。　The　effect　of　these　gifts　（continued　as　long　as

Gaubertin　remained　a　bachelor）　and　the　fame　of　her　rather　lawless

beauty　commended　this　beauty　to　the　Don　Juans　of　the　valley；　and

filled　the　wine…shop　of　the　Grand…I…Vert。　Being　a　lover　of　good

eating；　La　Tonsard　was　naturally　an　excellent　cook；　and　though　her

talents　were　only　exercised　on　the　common　dishes　of　the　country；

jugged　hare；　game　sauce；　stewed　fish　and　omelets；　she　was　considered

in　all　the　country　round　to　be　an　admirable　cook　of　the　sort　of　food

which　is　eaten　at　a　counter　and　spiced　in　a　way　to　excite　a　desire　for

drink。　By　the　end　of　two　years；　she　had　managed　to　rule　Tonsard；　and

turn　him　to　evil　courses；　which；　indeed；　he　asked　no　better　than　to

indulge　in。



The　rascal　was　continually　poaching；　and　with　nothing　to　fear　from　it。

The　intimacies　of　his　wife　with　Gaubertin　and　the　keepers　and　the

rural　authorities；　together　with　the　laxity　of　the　times；　secured　him

impunity。　As　soon　as　his　children　were　large　enough　he　made　them

serviceable　to　his　comfort；　caring　no　more　for　their　morality　than　for

that　of　his　wife。　He　had　two　sons　and　two　daughters。　Tonsard；　who

lived；　as　did　his　wife；　from　hand　to　mouth；　might　have　come　to　an　end

of　this　easy　life　if　he　had　not　maintained　a　sort　of　martial　law　over

his　family；　which　compelled　them　to　work　for　the　preservation　of　it。

When　he　had　brought　up　his　children；　at　the　cost　of　those　from　whom

his　wife　was　able　to　extort　gifts；　the　following　charter　and　budget

were　the　law　at　the　Grand…I…Vert。



Tonsard's　old　mother　and　his　two　daughters；　Catherine　and　Marie；　went

into　the　woods　at　certain　seasons　twice　a…day；　and　came　back　laden

with　fagots　which　overhung　the　crutch　of　their　poles　at　least　two　feet

beyond　their　heads。　Though　dried　sticks　were　placed　on　the　outside　of

the　heap；　the　inside　was　made　of　live　wood　cut　from　young　trees。　In

plain　words；　Tonsard　helped　himself　to　his　winter's　fuel　in　the　woods

of　Les　Aigues。　Besides　this；　father　and　sons　were　constantly　poaching。

From　September　to　March；　hares；　rabbits；　partridges；　deer；　in　short；

all　the　game　that　was　not　eaten　at　the　chateau；　was　sold　at　Blangy　and

at　Soulanges；　where　Tonsard's　two　daughters　peddled　milk　in　the　early

mornings；coming　back　with　the　news　of　the　day；　in　return　for　the

gossip　they　carried　about　Les　Aigues；　and　Cerneux；　and　Conches。　In　the

months　when　the　three　Tonsards　were　unable　to　hunt　with　a　gun；　they

set　traps。　If　the　traps　caught　more　game　than　they　could　eat；　La

Tonsard　made　pies　of　it　and　sent　them　to　Ville…aux…Fayes。　In　harvest…

time　seven　Tonsardsthe　old　mother；　the　two　sons　（until　they　were

seventeen　years　of　age）；　the　two　daughters；　together　with　old　Fourchon

and　Mouchegleaned；　and　generally　brought　in　about　sixteen　bushels　a

day　of　all　grains；　rye；　barley；　wheat；　all　good　to　grind。



The　two　cows；　led　to　the　roadside　by　the　youngest　girl；　always　managed

to　stray　into　the　meadows　of　Les　Aigues；　but　as；　if　it　ever　chanced

that　some　too　flagrant　trespass　compelled　the　keepers　to　take　notice

of　it；　the　children　were　either　whipped　or　deprived　of　a　coveted

dainty；　they　had　acquired　such　extraordinary　aptitude　in　hearing　the

enemy's　footfall　that　the　bailiff　or　the　park…keeper　of　Les　Aigues　was

very　seldom　able　to　detect　them。　Besides；　the　relations　of　those

estimable　functionaries　with　Tonsard　and　his　wife　tied　a　bandage　over

their　eyes。　The　cows；　held　by　long　ropes；　obeyed　a　mere　twitch　or　a

special　low　call　back　to　the　roadside；　knowing　very　well　that；　the

danger　once　past；　they　could　finish　their　browsing　in　the　next　field。

Old　mother　Tonsard；　who　was　getting　more　and　more　infirm；　succeeded

Mouche　in　his　duties；　after　Fourchon；　under　pretence　of　caring　for　his

natural　grandson's　education；　kept　him　to　himself；　while　Marie　and

Catherine　made　hay　in　the　woods。　These　girls　knew　the　exact　spots

where　the　fine　forest…grass　abounded；　and　there　they　cut　and　spread

and　cocked　and　garnered　it；　supplying　two　thirds；　at　least；　of　the

winter　fodder；　and　leading　the　cows　on　all　fine　days　to　sheltered

nooks　where　they　could　still　find　pasture。　In　certain　parts　of　the

valley　of　Les　Aigues；　as　in　all　places　protected　by　a　chain　of

mountains；　in　Piedmont　and　in　Lombardy　for　instance；　there　are　spots

where　the　grass　keeps　green　all　the　year。　Such　fields；　called　in　Italy

〃marciti；〃　are　of　great　value；　though　in　France　they　are　often　in

danger　of　being　injured　by　snow　and　ice。　This　phenomenon　is　due；　no

doubt；　to　some　favorable　exposure；　and　to　the　infiltration　of　water

which　keeps　the　ground　at　a　warmer　temperature。



The　calves　were　sold　for　about　eighty　francs。　The　milk；　deducting　the

time　when　the　cows　calved　or　went　dry；　brought　in　about　one　hundred

and　sixty　francs　a　year　besides　supplying　the　wants　of　the　family。

Tonsard　himself　managed　to　earn　another　hundred　and　sixty　by　doing　odd

jobs　of　one　kind　or　another。



The　sale　of　food　and　wine　in　the　tavern；　after　all　costs　were　paid；

returned　a　profit　of　about　three　hundred　francs；　for　the　great

drinking…bouts　happened　only　at　certain　times　and　in　certain　seasons；

and　as　the　topers　who　indulged　in　them　gave　Tonsard　and　his　wife　due

notice；　the　latter　bought　in　the　neighboring　town　the　exact　quantity

of　provisions　needed　and　no　more。　The　wine　produced　by　Tonsard's

vineyard　was　sold　in　ordinary　years　for　twenty　francs　a　cask　to　a

wine…dealer　at　Soulanges　with　whom　Tonsard　was　intimate。　In　very

prolific　years　he　got　as　much　as　twelve　casks　from　his　vines；　but

eight　was　the　average；　and　Tonsard　kept　half　for　his　own　traffic。　In

all　wine…growing　districts　the　gleaning　of　the　large　vineyards　gives　a

good　perquisite；　and　out　of　it　the　Tonsard　family　usually　managed　to

obtain　three　casks　more。　But　being；　as　we　have　seen；　sheltered　and

protected　by　the　keepers；　they　showed　no　conscience　in　their

proceedings；entering　vineyards　before　the　harvesters　were　out　of

them；　just　as　they　swarmed　into　the　wheat…fields　before　the　sheaves

were　made。　So；　the　seven　or　eight　casks　of　wine；　as　much　gleaned　as

harvested；　were　sold　for　a　good　price。　However；　out　of　these　various

proceeds　the　Grand…I…Vert　was　mulcted　in　a　good　sum　for　the　personal

consumption　of　Tonsard　and　his　wife；　who　wanted　the　best　of　everything

to　eat；　and　better　wine　than　they　sold；which　they　obtained　from

their　friend　at　Soulanges　in　payment　for　their　own。　In　short；　the

money　scraped　together　by　this　family　amounted　to　about　nine　hundred

francs；　for　they　fattened　two　pigs　a　year；　one　for　themselves　and　the

other　to　sell。



The　idlers　and　scapegraces　and　also　the　laborers　took　a　fancy　to　the

tavern　of　the　Grand…I…Vert；　partly　because　of　La　Tonsard's　merits；　and

partly　on　account　of　the　hail…fellow…well…met　relation　existing

between　this　family　and　the　lower　classes　of　the　valley。　The　two

daughters；　both　remarkably　handsome；　followed　the　example　of　their

mother　as　to　morals。　Moreover；　the　long　established　fame　of　the　Grand…

I…Vert；　dating　from　1795；　made　it　a　venerable　spot　in　the　eyes　of　the

common　people。　From　Conches　to　Ville…aux…Fayes；　workmen　came　there　to

meet　and　make　their　bargains　and　hear　the　news　collected　by　the

Tonsard　women　and　by　Mouche　and　old　Fourchon；　or　supplied　by　Vermichel

and　Brunet；　that　renowned　official；　when　he　came　to　the　tavern　in

search　of　his　practitioner。　There　the　price　of　hay　and　of　wine　was

settled；　also　that　of　a　day's　work　and　of　piece…work。　Tonsard；　a

sovereign　judge　in　such　matters；　gave　his　advice　and　opinion　while

drinking　with　his　guests。　Soulanges；　according　to　a　saying　in　these

parts；　was　a　town　for　society　and　amusement　only；　while　Blangy　was　a

business　borough；　crushed；　however；　by　the　great　commercial　centre　of

Ville…aux…Fayes；　which　had　become　in　the　last　twenty…five　years　the

capital　of　this　flourishing　valley。　The　cattle　and　grain　market　was

held　at　Blangy；　in　the　public　square；　and　the　prices　there　obtained

served　as　a　tariff　for　the　whole　arrondissement。



By　staying　in　the　house　and　doing　no　out…door　work；　La　Tonsard

continued　fresh　and　fair　and　dimpled；　in　comparison　with　the　women　who

worked　in　the　fields　and　faded　as　rapidly　as　the　flowers；　becoming　old

and　haggard　before　they　were　thirty。　She　liked　to　be　well…dressed。　In

point　of　fact；　she　was　only　clean；　but　in　a　village　cleanliness　is　a

luxury。　The　daughters；　better　dressed　than　their　means　warranted；

followed　their　mother's　example。　Beneath　their　outer　garment；　which

was　relatively　handsome；　they　wore　linen　much　finer　than　that　of　the

richest　peasant　women。　On　fete…days　they　appeared　in　dresses　that　were

really　pretty；　obtained；　Heaven　knows　how！　For　one　thing；　the　men…

servants　at　Les　Aigues　sold　to　them；　at　prices　that　were　easily　paid；

the　cast…off　clothing　of　the　lady's…maids；　which；　after　sweeping　the

streets　of　Paris　and　being　made　over　to　fit　Marie　and　Catherine；

appeared　triumphantly　in　the　precincts　of　the　Grand…I…Vert。　These

girls；　bohemians　of　the　valley；　received　not　one　penny　in　money　from

their　parents；　who　gave　them　food　only；　and　the　wretched　pallets　on

which　they　slept　with　their　grandmother　in　the　barn；　where　their

brothers　also　slept；　curled　up　in　the　hay　like　animals。　Neither　father

nor　mother　paid　any　heed　to　this　propinquity。



The　iron　age　and　the　age　of　gold　are　more　alike　than　we　think　for。　In

the　one　nothing　aroused　vigilance；　in　the　other；　everything　rouses　it；

the　result　to　society　is；　perhaps；　very　much　the　same。　The　presence　of

old　Mother　Tonsard；　which　was　more　a　necessity　than　a　precaution；　was

simply　one　immorality　the　more。　And　thus　it　was　that　the　Abbe

Brossette；　after　studying　the　morals　of　his　parishioners；　made　this

pregnant　remark　to　his　bishop：



〃Monseigneur；　when　I　observe　the　stress　that　the　peasantry　lay　on

their　poverty；　I　realize　how　they　fear　to　lose　that　excuse　for　their

immorality。〃



Though　everybody　knew　that　the　family　had　no　principles　and　no

scruples；　nothing　was　ever　said　against　the　morals　of　the　Grand…I…

Vert。　At　the　beginning　of　this　book　it　is　necessary　to　explain；　once

for　all；　to　persons　accustomed　to　the　decencies　of　middle…class　life；

that　the　peasants　have　no　decency　in　their　domestic　habits　and

cu