the village rector-第39章

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〃Not　rightly　until　to…day；　madame。　You　are　doing　miracles；〃　he
answered　in　a　whisper。　〃And　yet；　look　at　his　brow；　how　noble　in　shape！
Isn't　it　like　the　classic　or　traditional　brow　given　by　sculptors　to
Lycurgus　and　the　Greek　sages？　The　revolution　of　July　has　an　evidently
retrograde　tendency；〃　said　the　doctor　（who　might　in　his　student　days
have　made　a　barricade　himself）；　after　carefully　considering
Grossetete's　calculation。

〃These　ideas　are　threefold；〃　continued　Clousier。　〃You　have　talked　of
law　and　finance；　but　how　is　it　with　the　government　itself？　The　royal
power；　weakened　by　the　doctrine　of　national　sovereignty；　in　virtue　of
which　the　election　of　August　9；　1830；　has　just　been　made；　will
endeavor　to　counteract　that　rival　principle　which　gives　to　the　people
the　right　to　saddle　the　nation　with　a　new　dynasty　every　time　it　does
not　fully　comprehend　the　ideas　of　its　king。　You　will　see　that　we　shall
then　have　internal　struggles　which　will　arrest　for　long　periods
together　the　progress　of　France。〃

〃All　these　reefs　have　been　wisely　evaded　by　England；〃　remarked　Gerard。
〃I　have　been　there；　I　admire　that　beehive；　which　sends　its　swarms　over
the　universe　and　civilizes　mankind；a　people　among　whom　discussion　is
a　political　comedy；　which　satisfies　the　masses　and　hides　the　action　of
power；　which　then　works　freely　in　its　upper　sphere；　a　country　where
elections　are　not　in　the　hands　of　a　stupid　bourgeoisie；　as　they　are　in
France。　If　England　were　parcelled　out　into　small　holdings　the　nation
would　no　longer　exist。　The　land…owning　class；　the　lords；　guide　the
social　mechanism。　Their　merchant…service；　under　the　nose　of　Europe；
takes　possession　of　whole　regions　of　the　globe　to　meet　the　needs　of
their　commerce　and　to　get　rid　of　their　paupers　and　malcontents。
Instead　of　fighting　capacities；　as　we　do；　thwarting　them；　nullifying
them；　the　English　aristocratic　class　seeks　out　young　talent；　rewards
it；　and　is　constantly　assimilating　it。　Everything　which　concerns　the
action　of　the　government；　in　the　choice　of　men　and　things；　is　prompt
in　England；　whereas　with　us　all　is　slow；　and　yet　the　English　are　slow
by　nature；　while　we　are　impatient。　With　them　money　is　bold　and
actively　employed；　with　us　it　is　timid　and　suspicious。　What　Monsieur
Grossetete　has　said　of　the　industrial　losses　which　the　hoarding
peasantry　inflict　on　France　has　its　proof　in　a　fact　I　will　show　to　you
in　two　words：　English　capital；　by　its　perpetual　turning　over；　has
created　ten　thousand　millions　of　manufacturing　and　interest…bearing
property；　whereas　French　capital；　which　is　far　more　abundant；　has　not
created　one　tenth　of　that　amount。〃

〃And　that　is　all　the　more　extraordinary；〃　said　Roubaud；　〃because　they
are　lymphatic；　and　we；　as　a　general　thing；　are　sanguine　and
energetic。〃

〃Ah！　monsieur；〃　said　Clousier；　〃there　you　touch　a　great　question；
which　ought　to　be　studied：　How　to　find　institutions　properly　adapted
to　repress　the　temperament　of　a　people！　Assuredly　Cromwell　was　a　great
legislator。　He　alone　made　the　England　of　to…day；　by　inventing　the
'Navigation　Act；'　which　has　made　the　English　enemies　of　all　the　world；
and　infused　into　them　a　ferocious　pride　and　self…conceit；　which　is
their　mainstay。　But；　in　spite　of　their　Malta　citadel；　if　France　and
Russia　will　only　comprehend　the　part　the　Mediterranean　and　the　Black
Sea　ought　to　be　made　to　play　in　the　future；　the　road　to　Asia　through
Egypt　or　by　the　Euphrates；　made　feasible　by　recent　discoveries；　will
kill　England；　as　in　former　times　the　discovery　of　the　Cape　of　Good
Hope　killed　Venice。〃

〃Not　one　word　of　God's　providence　in　all　this！〃　cried　the　rector。
〃Monsieur　Clousier　and　Monsieur　Roubaud　are　oblivious　of　religion。　How
is　it　with　you；　monsieur？〃　he　added；　turning　to　Gerard。

〃Protestant；〃　put　in　Grossetete。

〃You　guessed　it；〃　cried　Veronique；　looking　at　the　rector　as　she　took
Clousier's　arm　to　return　to　the　salon。

The　prejudice　Gerard's　appearance　excited　against　him　had　been　quickly
dispelled；　and　the　three　notables　congratulated　themselves　on　so　good
an　acquisition。

〃Unfortunately；〃　said　Monsieur　Bonnet；　〃there　is　a　cause　of　antagonism
between　Russia　and　the　Catholic　countries　which　border　the
Mediterranean；　in　the　very　unimportant　schism　which　separates　the
Greek　religion　from　the　Latin　religion；　and　it　is　a　great　misfortune
for　humanity。〃

〃We　all　preach　our　own　saint；〃　said　Madame　Graslin。　〃Monsieur
Grossetete　thinks　of　the　lost　millions；　Monsieur　Clousier；　of　the
overthrow　of　rights；　the　doctor　here　regards　legislation　as　a　question
of　temperaments；　and　the　rector　sees　an　obstacle　to　the　good
understanding　of　France　and　Russia　in　religion。〃

〃Add　to　that；　madame；〃　said　Gerard；　〃that　I　see；　in　the　hoarding　of
capital　by　the　peasant　and　the　small　burgher；　the　postponement　of　the
building　of　railroads　in　France。〃

〃Then　what　is　it　you　all　want？〃　she　asked。

〃We　want　the　wise　State　councillors　who；　under　the　Emperor；　reflected
on　the　laws；　and　a　legislative　body　elected　by　the　intelligence　of　the
country　as　well　as　by　the　land…owners；　whose　only　function　would　be　to
oppose　bad　legislation　and　capricious　wars。　The　Chamber；　as
constituted　to…day；　will　proceed；　as　you　will　soon　see；　to　govern；　and
that　is　the　first　step　to　legal　anarchy。〃

〃Good　God！〃　cried　the　rector；　in　a　flush　of　sacred　patriotism；　〃how
can　such　enlightened　minds　as　these；〃　and　he　motioned　to　Clousier；
Roubaud；　and　Gerard；　〃how　can　they　see　evil　so　clearly　and　suggest
remedies　without　first　looking　within　and　applying　a　remedy　to
themselves？　All　of　you；　who　represent　the　attacked　classes；　recognize
the　necessity　of　the　passive　obedience　of　the　masses　of　the　State；
like　that　of　soldiers　during　a　war；　you　want　the　unity　of　power；　and
you　desire　that　it　shall　never　be　brought　into　question。　What　England
has　obtained　by　the　development　of　her　pride　and　self…interest　（a　part
of　her　creed）　cannot　be　obtained　in　France　but　through　sentiments　due
to　Catholicism；　and　none　of　you　are　Catholics！　Here　am　I；　a　priest；
obliged　to　leave　my　own　ground　and　argue　with　arguers。　How　can　you
expect　the　masses　to　become　religious　and　obedient　when　they　see
irreligion　and　want　of　discipline　above　them？　All　peoples　united　by
any　faith　whatever　will　inevitably　get　the　better　of　peoples　without
any　faith　at　all。　The　law　of　public　interest；　which　gives　birth　to
patriotism；　is　destroyed　by　the　law　of　private　interest；　which　it
sanctions；　but　which　gives　birth　to　selfishness。　There　is　nothing
solid　and　durable　but　that　which　is　natural；　and　the　natural　thing　in
human　policy　is　the　Family。　The　family　must　be　the　point　of　departure
for　all　institutions。　A　universal　effect　proves　a　universal　cause；　and
what　you　have　just　been　setting　forth　as　evident　on　all　sides　comes
from　the　social　principle　itself；　which　is　now　without　force　because
it　has　taken　for　its　basis　independence　of　thought　and　will；　and　such
freedom　is　the　parent　of　individualism。　To　make　happiness　depend　on
the　stability；　intelligence；　and　capacity　of　all　is　not　as　wise　as　to
make　happiness　depend　on　the　stability　and　intelligence　of
institutions　and　the　capacity　of　a　single　head。　It　is　easier　to　find
wisdom　in　one　man　than　in　a　whole　nation。　Peoples　have　heart　and　no
eyes；　they　feel；　and　see　not。　Governments　ought　to　see；　and　not
determine　anything　through　sentiment。　There　is；　therefore；　an　evident
contradiction　between　the　impulses　of　the　multitude　and　the　action　of
power　whose　function　it　is　to　direct　and　unify　those　impulses。　To　meet
with　a　great　prince　is　certainly　a　rare　chance　（to　use　your　term）；　but
to　trust　to　a　whole　assembly；　even　though　it　is　composed　of　honest　men
only；　is　folly。　France　is　committing　that　folly　at　this　moment。　Alas！
you　are　just　as　much　convinced　of　that　as　I　am。　If　all　right…minded
men；　like　yourselves；　would　only　set　an　example　around　them；　if　all
intelligent　hands　would　raise；　in　the　great　republic　of　souls；　the
altars　of　the　one　Church　which　has　set　the　interests　of　humanity
before　her；　we　might　again　behold　in　France　the　miracles　our　fathers
did　here。〃

〃But　the　difficulty　is；　monsieur；〃　said　Gerard；〃if　I　may　speak　to
you　with　the　freedom　of　the　confessional；I　look　upon　faith　as　a　lie
we　tell　to　ourselves；　on　hope　as　a　lie　we　tell　about　the　future；　and
on　charity　as　a　trick　for　children　to　keep　them　good　by　the　promise　of
sugar…plums。〃

〃Still；　we　sleep　better　for　being　rocked　by　hope；　monsieur；〃　said
Madame　Graslin。

This　speech　stopped　Roubaud；　who　was　about　to　reply；　its　effect　was
strengthened　by　a　look　from　Grossetete　and　the　rector。

〃Is　it　our　fault；〃　said　Clousier；　〃that　Jesus　Christ　had　not　the　time
to　formulate　a　government　in　accordance　with　his　moral　teaching；　as
did　Moses　and　Confucius；　the　two　greatest　human　law…givers？witness
the　existence；　as　a　nation；　of　the　Jews　and　Chinese；　the　former　in
spite　of　their　dispersion　over　the　whole　earth；　and　the　latter　in
spite　of　their　isolation。〃

〃Ah！　dear　me！　what　work　you　are　cutting　out　for　me！〃　cried　the　rector
naively。　〃But　I　shall　triumph；　I　shall　convert　you　all！　You　are　much
nearer　to　the　true　faith　than　you　think　you　are。　Truth　always　lurks
behind　falsehood；　go　on　a　step；　turn　round；　and　then　you'll　see　it。〃

This　little　outburst　of　the　good　rector　had　the　effect　of　changing　the
conversation。



XVIII

CATHERINE　CURIEUX

Before　taking　his　departure　the　next　day；　Monsieur　Grossetete　promised
Veronique　to　associate　himself　in　all　her　plans；　as　soon　as　the
realization　of　them　was　a　practicable　thing。　Madame　Graslin　and　Gerard
accompanied　his　carriage　on　horseback；　and　did　not　leave　him　till　they
reached　the　junction　of　the　high…road　of　Montegnac　with　that　from
Bordeaux　to　Lyon。　The　engineer　was　so　impatient　to　see　the　land　he　was
to　reclaim；　and　Veronique　was　so　impatient　to　show　it　to　him；　that
they　had　planned　this　expedition　the　evening　before。

After　bidding　adieu　to　the　kind　old　man；　they　turned　off　the　road
across　the　vast　plain；　and　skirted　the　mountain　chain　from　the　foot　of
the　rise　which　led　to　the　chateau　to　the　steep　face　of　the　Roche…Vive。
The　engineer　then　saw　plainly　the　shelf　or　barricade　of　rock　mentioned
by　Farrabesche；　which　forms；　as　it　were；　the　lowest　foundation　of　the
hills。　By　so　directing　the　water　that　it　should　not　overflow　the
indestructible　canal　which　Nature　had　built；　and　by　clearing　out　the
accumulation　of　earth　which　choked　it　up；　irrigation　would　be　helped
rather　than　hindered　by　this　natural　sluice…way；　which　was　raised；　on
an　average；　ten　feet　above　the　plain。　The　first　important　point　was　to
estimate　the　amount　of　water　flowing　through　the　Gabou；　and　to　make
sure　whether　or　not　the　slopes　of　the　valley　allowed　any　to　escape　in
other　directions。

Veronique　gave　Farrabesche　a　horse；　and　directed　him　to　accompany　the
engineer　and　to　explain　to　him　everything　he　had　himself　noticed。
After　several　days'　careful　exploration；　Gerard　found　that　the　base　of
the　two　parallel　slopes　was　sufficiently　solid；　though　different　in
composition；　to　hold　the　water；　allowing　none　to　escape。　During　the
month　of　January；　which　was　rainy；　he　estimated　the　quantity　of　water
flowing　through　the　Gabou。　This　quantity；　added　to　that　of　three
streams　which