sons of the soil-第18章

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mother；　against　whom　Tonsard　never　raised　a　finger；he's　too　afraid

she'll　be　off；　hot　foot。　A　woman　who　knows　how　to　hold　her　own　is

mighty　useful。　Besides；　if　it　came　to　fisticuffs　with　Catherine；

Godain；　though　he's　pretty　strong；　wouldn't　give　the　last　blow。〃



〃Well；　thank　you；　Pere　Fourchon；　here's　forty　sous　to　drink　my　health

in　case　I　can't　get　you　the　sherry。〃



Pere　Fourchon　turned　his　head　aside　as　he　pocketed　the　money　lest

Charles　should　see　the　expression　of　amusement　and　sarcasm　which　he

was　unable　to　repress。



〃Catherine；〃　he　resumed；　〃is　a　proud　minx；　she　likes　sherry。　You　had

better　tell　her　to　go　and　get　it　at　Les　Aigues。〃



Charles　looked　at　Pere　Fourchon　with　naive　admiration；　not　suspecting

the　eager　interest　the　general's　enemies　took　in　slipping　one　more　spy

into　the　chateau。



〃The　general　ought　to　feel　happy　now；〃　continued　Fourchon；　〃the

peasants　are　all　quiet。　What　does　he　say？　Is　he　satisfied　with

Sibilet？〃



〃It　is　only　Monsieur　Michaud　who　finds　fault　with　Sibilet。　They　say

he'll　get　him　sent　away。〃



〃Professional　jealousy！〃　exclaimed　Fourchon。　〃I'll　bet　you　would　like

to　get　rid　of　Francois　and　take　his　place。〃



〃Hang　it！　he　has　twelve　hundred　francs　wages；〃　said　Charles；　〃but　they

can't　send　him　off；he　knows　the　general's　secrets。〃



〃Just　as　Madame　Michaud　knows　the　countess's；〃　remarked　Fourchon；

watching　the　other　carefully。　〃Look　here；　my　boy；　do　you　know　whether

Monsieur　and　Madame　have　separate　rooms？〃



〃Of　course；　if　they　didn't；　Monsieur　wouldn't　be　so　fond　of　Madame。〃



〃Is　that　all　you　know？〃　said　Fourchon。



As　they　were　now　before　the　kitchen　windows　nothing　more　was　said。







CHAPTER　V



ENEMIES　FACE　TO　FACE



While　breakfast　was　in　progress　at　the　chateau；　Francois；　the　head

footman；　whispered　to　Blondet；　but　loud　enough　for　the　general　to

overhear　him；



〃Monsieur；　Pere　Fourchon's　boy　is　here；　he　says　they　have　caught　the

otter；　and　wants　to　know　if　you　would　like　it；　or　whether　they　shall

take　it　to　the　sub…prefect　at　Ville…aux…Fayes。〃



Emile　Blondet；　though　himself　a　past…master　of　hoaxing；　could　not　keep

his　cheeks　from　blushing　like　those　of　a　virgin　who　hears　an

indecorous　story　of　which　she　knows　the　meaning。



〃Ha！　ha！　so　you　have　hunted　the　otter　this　morning　with　Pere

Fourchon？〃　cried　the　general；　with　a　roar　of　laughter。



〃What　is　it？〃　asked　the　countess；　uneasy　at　her　husband's　laugh。



〃When　a　man　of　wit　and　intelligence　is　taken　in　by　old　Fourchon；〃

continued　the　general；　〃a　retired　cuirassier　need　not　blush　for　having

hunted　that　otter；　which　bears　an　enormous　resemblance　to　the　third

posthorse　we　are　made　to　pay　for　and　never　see。〃　With　that　he　went　off

into　further　explosions　of　laughter；　in　the　midst　of　which　he

contrived　to　say：　〃I　am　not　surprised　you　had　to　change　your　boots

and　your　trousers；　I　have　no　doubt　you　have　been　wading！　The　joke

didn't　go　as　far　as　that　with　me；I　stayed　on　the　bank；　but　then；　you

know；　you　are　so　much　more　intelligent　than　I〃



〃But　you　forget；〃　interrupted　Madame　de　Montcornet；　〃that　I　do　not


know　what　you　are　talking　of。〃



At　these　words；　said　with　some　pique；　the　general　grew　serious；　and

Blondet　told　the　story　of　his　fishing　for　the　otter。



〃But　if　they　really　have　an　otter；〃　said　the　countess；　〃those　poor

people　are　not　to　blame。〃



〃Oh；　but　it　is　ten　years　since　an　otter　has　been　seen　about　here；〃

said　the　pitiless　general。



〃Monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　Francois；　〃the　boy　swears　by　all　that's

sacred　that　he　has　got　one。〃



〃If　they　have　one　I'll　buy　it；〃　said　the　general。



〃I　don't　suppose；〃　remarked　the　Abbe　Brossette；　〃that　God　has

condemned　Les　Aigues　to　never　have　otters。〃



〃Ah；　Monsieur　le　cure！〃　cried　Blondet；　〃if　you　bring　the　Almighty

against　me〃



〃But　what　is　all　this？　Who　is　here？〃　said　the　countess；　hastily。



〃Mouche；　madame；the　boy　who　goes　about　with　old　Fourchon；〃　said　the

footman。



〃Bring　him　inthat　is；　if　Madame　will　allow　it？〃　said　the　general；

〃he　may　amuse　you。〃



Mouche　presently　appeared；　in　his　usual　state　of　comparative　nudity。

Beholding　this　personification　of　poverty　in　the　middle　of　this

luxurious　dining…room；　the　cost　of　one　panel　of　which　would　have　been

a　fortune　to　the　bare…legged；　bare…breasted；　and　bare…headed　child；　it

was　impossible　not　to　be　moved　by　an　impulse　of　charity。　The　boy's

eyes；　like　blazing　coals；　gazed　first　at　the　luxuries　of　the　room；　and

then　at　those　on　the　table。



〃Have　you　no　mother？〃　asked　Madame　de　Montcornet；　unable　otherwise　to

explain　the　child's　nakedness。



〃No；　ma'am；　m'ma　died　of　grief　for　losing　p'pa；　who　went　to　the　army

in　1812　without　marrying　her　with　papers；　and　got　frozen；　saving　your

presence。　But　I've　my　Grandpa　Fourchon；　who　is　a　good　man；though　he

does　beat　me　bad　sometimes。〃



〃How　is　it；　my　dear；　that　such　wretched　people　can　be　found　on　your

estate？〃　said　the　countess；　looking　at　the　general。



〃Madame　la　comtesse；〃　said　the　abbe；　〃in　this　district　we　have　none

but　voluntary　paupers。　Monsieur　le　comte　does　all　he　can；　but　we　have

to　do　with　a　class　of　persons　who　are　without　religion　and　who　have

but　one　idea；　that　of　living　at　your　expense。〃



〃But；　my　dear　abbe；〃　said　Blondet；　〃you　are　here　to　improve　their

morals。〃



〃Monsieur；〃　replied　the　abbe；　〃my　bishop　sent　me　here　as　if　on　a

mission　to　savages；　but；　as　I　had　the　honor　of　telling　him；　the

savages　of　France　cannot　be　reached。　They　make　it　a　law　unto

themselves　not　to　listen　to　us；　whereas　the　church　does　get　some　hold

on　the　savages　of　America。〃



〃M'sieur　le　cure；　they　do　help　me　a　bit　now；〃　remarked　Mouche；　〃but　if

I　went　to　your　church　they　WOULDN'T；　and　the　other　folks　would　make

game　of　my　breeches。〃



〃Religion　ought　to　begin　by　giving　him　trousers；　my　dear　abbe；〃　said

Blondet。　〃In　your　foreign　missions　don't　you　begin　by　coaxing　the

savages？〃



〃He　would　soon　sell　them；〃　answered　the　abbe；　in　a　low　tone；　〃besides；

my　salary　does　not　enable　me　to　begin　on　that　line。〃



〃Monsieur　le　cure　is　right；〃　said　the　general；　looking　at　Mouche。



The　policy　of　the　little　scamp　was　to　appear　not　to　hear　what　they

were　saying　when　it　was　against　himself。



〃The　boy　is　intelligent　enough　to　know　good　from　evil；〃　continued　the

count；　〃and　he　is　old　enough　to　work；　yet　he　thinks　of　nothing　but　how

to　commit　evil　without　being　found　out。　All　the　keepers　know　him。　He

is　very　well　aware　that　the　master　of　an　estate　may　witness　a　trespass

on　his　property　and　yet　have　no　right　to　arrest　the　trespasser。　I　have

known　him　keep　his　cows　boldly　in　my　meadows；　though　he　knew　I　saw

him；　but　now；　ever　since　I　have　been　mayor；　he　runs　away　fast　enough。〃



〃Oh；　that　is　very　wrong；〃　said　the　countess；　〃you　should　not　take

other　people's　things；　my　little　man。〃



〃Madame；　we　must　eat。　My　grandpa　gives　me　more　slaps　than　food；　and

they　don't　fill　my　stomach；　slaps　don't。　When　the　cows　come　in　I　milk

'em　just　a　little　and　I　live　on　that。　Monseigneur　isn't　so　poor　but

what　he'll　let　me　drink　a　drop　o'　milk　the　cows　get　from　his　grass？〃



〃Perhaps　he　hasn't　eaten　anything　to…day；〃　said　the　countess；　touched

by　his　misery。　〃Give　him　some　bread　and　the　rest　of　that　chicken；　let

him　have　his　breakfast；〃　she　added；　looking　at　the　footman。　〃Where　do

you　sleep；　my　child？〃



〃Anywhere；　madame；　under　the　stars　in　summer；　and　wherever　they'll　let

us　in　winter。〃



〃How　old　are　you？〃



〃Twelve。〃



〃There　is　still　time　to　bring　him　up　to　better　ways；〃　said　the

countess　to　her　husband。



〃He　will　make　a　good　soldier；〃　said　the　general；　gruffly；　〃he　is　well

toughened。　I　went　through　that　kind　of　thing　myself；　and　here　I　am。〃



〃Excuse　me；　general；　I　don't　belong　to　nobody；〃　said　the　boy。　〃I　can't

be　drafted。　My　poor　mother　wasn't　married；　and　I　was　born　in　a　field。

I'm　a　son　of　the　'airth；'　as　grandpa　says。　M'ma　saved　me