sons of the soil-第15章

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〃What　a　shame　it　is　that　you　have　been　fifteen　years　playing　for

people　to　dance　at　Tivoli　and　you　have　never　yet　found　out　how

Socquard　cooks　his　wine；you　who　are　so　shrewd！〃　said　his　daughter；

〃and　yet　you　know　very　well　that　if　we　had　the　secret　we　should　soon

get　as　rich　as　Rigou。〃



Throughout　the　Morvan；　and　in　that　region　of　Burgundy　which　lies　at

its　feet　on　the　side　toward　Paris；　this　boiled　wine　with　which　Mam

Tonsard　reproached　her　father　is　a　rather　costly　beverage　which　plays

a　great　part　in　the　life　of　the　peasantry；　and　is　made　by　all　grocers

and　wine…dealers；　and　wherever　a　drinking…shop　exists。　This　precious

liquor；　made　of　choice　wine；　sugar；　and　cinnamon　and　other　spices；　is

preferable　to　all　those　disguises　or　mixtures　of　brandy　called

ratafia；　one…hundred…and…seven；　brave　man's　cordial；　black　currant

wine；　vespetro；　spirit…of…sun；　etc。　Boiled　wine　is　found　throughout

France　and　Switzerland。　Among　the　Jura；　and　in　the　wild　districts

trodden　only　by　a　few　special　tourists；　the　innkeepers　call　it；　on　the

word　of　commercial　travellers；　the　wine　of　Syracuse。　Excellent　it　is；

however；　and　their　guests；　hungry　as　hounds　after　ascending　the

surrounding　peaks；　very　gladly　pay　three　and　four　francs　a　bottle　for

it。　In　the　homes　of　the　Morvan　and　in　Burgundy　the　least　illness　or

the　slightest　agitation　of　the　nerves　is　an　excuse　for　boiled　wine。

Before　and　after　childbirth　the　women　take　it　with　the　addition　of

burnt　sugar。　Boiled　wine　has　soaked　up　the　property　of　many　a　peasant；

and　more　than　once　the　seductive　liquid　has　been　the　cause　of　marital

chastisement。



〃Ha！　there's　no　chance　of　grabbing　that　secret；〃　replied　Fourchon；

〃Socquard　always　locks　himself　in　when　he　boils　his　wine；　he　never

told　how　he　does　it　to　his　late　wife。　He　sends　to　Paris　for　his

materials。〃



〃Don't　plague　your　father；〃　cried　Tonsard；　〃doesn't　he　know？　well；

then；　he　doesn't　know！　People　can't　know　everything！〃



Fourchon　grew　very　uneasy　on　seeing　how　his　son…in…law's　countenance

softened　as　well　as　his　words。



〃What　do　you　want　to　rob　me　of　now？〃　he　asked；　candidly。



〃I？〃　said　Tonsard；　〃I　take　none　but　my　legitimate　dues；　if　I　get

anything　from　you　it　is　in　payment　of　your　daughter's　portion；　which

you　promised　me　and　never　paid。〃



Fourchon；　reassured　by　the　harshness　of　this　remark；　dropped　his　head

on　his　breast　as　though　vanquished　and　convinced。



〃Look　at　that　pretty　snare；〃　resumed　Tonsard；　coming　up　to　his　father…

in…law　and　laying　the　trap　upon　his　knee。　〃Some　of　these　days　they'll

want　game　at　Les　Aigues；　and　we　shall　sell　them　their　own；　or　there

will　be　no　good　God　for　the　poor　folks。〃



〃A　fine　piece　of　work；〃　said　the　old　man；　examining　the　mischievous

machine。



〃It　is　very　well　to　pick　up　the　sous　now；　papa；〃　said　Mam　Tonsard；

〃but　you　know　we　are　to　have　our　share　in　the　cake　of　Les　Aigues。〃



〃Oh；　what　chatterers　women　are！〃　cried　Tonsard。　〃If　I　am　hanged　it

won't　be　for　a　shot　from　my　gun；　but　for　the　gabble　of　your　tongue。〃



〃And　do　you　really　suppose　that　Les　Aigues　will　be　cut　up　and　sold　in

lots　for　your　pitiful　benefit？〃　asked　Fourchon。　〃Pshaw！　haven't　you

discovered　in　the　last　thirty　years　that　old　Rigou　has　been　sucking

the　marrow　out　of　your　bones　that　the　middle…class　folks　are　worse

than　the　lords？　Mark　my　words；　when　that　affair　happens；　my　children；

the　Soudrys；　the　Gaubertins；　the　Rigous；　will　make　you　kick　your　heels

in　the　air。　'I've　the　good　tobacco；　it　never　shall　be　thine；'　that's

the　national　air　of　the　rich　man；　hey？　The　peasant　will　always　be　the

peasant。　Don't　you　see　（but　you　never　did　understand　anything　of

politics！）　that　government　puts　such　heavy　taxes　on　wine　only　to

hinder　our　profits　and　keep　us　poor？　The　middle　classes　and　the

government；　they　are　all　one。　What　would　become　of　them　if　everybody

was　rich？　Could　they　till　their　fields？　Would　they　gather　the　harvest？

No；　they　WANT　the　poor！　I　was　rich　for　ten　years　and　I　know　what　I

thought　of　paupers。〃



〃Must　hunt　with　them；　though；〃　replied　Tonsard；　〃because　they　mean　to

cut　up　the　great　estates；　after　that's　done；　we　can　turn　against　them。

If　I'd　been　Courtecuisse；　whom　that　scoundrel　Rigou　is　ruining；　I'd

have　long　ago　paid　his　bill　with　other　balls　than　the　poor　fellow

gives　him。〃



〃Right　enough；　too；〃　replied　Fourchon。　〃As　Pere　Niseron　says　（and　he

stayed　republican　long　after　everybody　else）；　'The　people　are　tough；

they　don't　die；　they　have　time　before　them。'〃



Fourchon　fell　into　a　sort　of　reverie；　Tonsard　profited　by　his

inattention　to　take　back　the　trap；　and　as　he　took　it　up　he　cut　a　slip

below　the　coin　in　his　father…in…law's　pocket　at　the　moment　when　the

old　man　raised　his　glass　to　his　lips；　then　he　set　his　foot　on　the

five…franc　piece　as　it　dropped　on　the　earthen　floor　just　where　it　was

always　kept　damp　by　the　heel…taps　which　the　customers　flung　from　their

glasses。　Though　quickly　and　lightly　done；　the　old　man　might；　perhaps；

have　felt　the　theft；　if　Vermichel　had　not　happened　to　appear　at　that

moment。



〃Tonsard；　do　you　know　where　you　father　is？〃　called　that　functionary

from　the　foot　of　the　steps。



Vermichel's　shout；　the　theft　of　the　money；　and　the　emptying　of　old

Fourchon's　glass；　were　simultaneous。



〃Present；　captain！〃　cried　Fourchon；　holding　out　a　hand　to　Vermichel　to

help　him　up　the　steps。



Of　all　Burgundian　figures；　Vermichel　would　have　seemed　to　you　the　most

Burgundian。　The　practitioner　was　not　red；　he　was　scarlet。　His　face；

like　certain　tropical　portions　of　the　globe；　was　fissured；　here　and

there；　with　small　extinct　volcanoes；　defined　by　flat　and　greenish

patches　which　Fourchon　called；　not　unpoetically；　the　〃flowers　of

wine。〃　This　fiery　face；　the　features　of　which　were　swelled　out　of

shape　by　continual　drunkenness；　looked　cyclopic；　for　it　was　lighted　on

the　right　side　by　a　gleaming　eye；　and　darkened　on　the　other　by　a

yellow　patch　over　the　left　orb。　Red　hair；　always　tousled；　and　a　beard

like　that　of　Judas；　made　Vermichel　as　formidable　in　appearance　as　he

was　meek　in　reality。　His　prominent　nose　looked　like　an　interrogation…

mark；　to　which　the　wide…slit　mouth　seemed　to　be　always　answering；　even

when　it　did　not　open。　Vermichel；　a　short　man；　wore　hob…nail　shoes；

bottle…green　velveteen　trousers；　an　old　waistcoat　patched　with　diverse

stuffs　which　seemed　to　have　been　originally　made　of　a　counterpane；　a

jacket　of　coarse　blue　cloth　and　a　gray　hat　with　a　broad　brim。　All　this

luxury；　required　by　the　town　of　Soulanges　where　Vermichel　fulfilled

the　combined　functions　of　porter　at　the　town…hall；　drummer；　jailer；

musician；　and　practitioner；　was　taken　care　of　by　Madame　Vermichel；　an

alarming　antagonist　of　Rabelaisian　philosophy。　This　virago　with

moustachios；　about　one　yard　in　width　and　one　hundred　and　twenty

kilograms　in　weight　（but　very　active）；　ruled　Vermichel　with　a　rod　of

iron。　Thrashed　by　her　when　drunk；　he　allowed　her　to　thrash　him　still

when　sober；　which　caused　Pere　Fourchon　to　say；　with　a　sniff　at

Vermichel's　clothes；　〃It　is　the　livery　of　a　slave。〃



〃Talk　of　the　sun　and　you'll　see　its　beams；〃　cried　Fourchon；　repeating

a　well…worn　allusion　to　the　rutilant　face　of　Vermichel；　which　really

did　resemble　those　copper　suns　painted　on　tavern　signs　in　the

provinces。　〃Has　Mam　Vermichel　spied　too　much　dust　on　your　back；　that

you're　running　away　from　your　four…fifths；for　I　can't　call　her　your

better　half；　that　woman！　What　brings　you　here　at　this　hour；　drum…

major？〃



〃Politics；　always　politics；〃　replied　Vermichel；　who　seemed　accustomed

to　such　pleasantries。



〃Ah！　business　is　bad　in　Blangy；　and　there'll　be　notes　to　protest；　and

writs　to　issue；〃　remarked　Pere　Fourchon；　filling　a　glass　for　his

friend。



〃That　APE　of　ours　is　right　behind　me；〃　replied　Vermichel；　with　a

backward　gesture。



In　workmen's　slang　〃ape〃　meant　master。　The　word　belonged　to　the

dictionary　of　the　worthy　pair。



〃What's　Monsieur　Brunet　comi