sons of the soil-第19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！



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

army；　that　she　did！　My　name　ain't　no　more　Mouche　than　nothing　at　all。

Grandpa　keeps　telling　me　all　my　advantages。　I'm　not　on　the　register；

and　when　I'm　old　enough　to　be　drafted　I　can　go　all　over　France　and

they　can't　take　me。〃



〃Are　you　fond　of　your　grandfather？〃　said　the　countess；　trying　to　look

into　the　child's　heart。



〃My！　doesn't　he　box　my　ears　when　he　feels　like　it！　but　then；　after

all；　he's　such　fun；　he's　such　good　company！　He　says　he　pays　himself

that　way　for　having　taught　me　to　read　and　write。〃



〃Can　you　read？〃　asked　the　count。



〃Yah；　I　should　think　so；　Monsieur　le　comte；　and　fine　writing　toojust

as　true　as　we've　got　that　otter。〃



〃Read　that；〃　said　the　count；　giving　him　a　newspaper。



〃The　Qu…o…ti…dienne；〃　read　Mouche；　hesitating　only　three　times。



Every　one；　even　the　abbe；　laughed。



〃Why　do　you　make　me　read　that　newspaper？〃　cried　Mouche；　angrily。　〃My

grandpa　says　it　is　made　up　to　please　the　rich；　and　everybody　knows

later　just　what's　in　it。〃



〃The　child　is　right；　general；〃　said　Blondet；　〃and　he　makes　me　long　to

see　my　hoaxing　friend　again。〃



Mouche　understood　perfectly　that　he　was　posing　for　the　amusement　of

the　company；　the　pupil　of　Pere　Fourchon　was　worthy　of　his　master；　and

he　forthwith　began　to　cry。



〃How　can　you　tease　a　child　with　bare　feet？〃　said　the　countess。



〃And　who　thinks　it　quite　natural　that　his　grandfather　should　recoup

himself　for　his　education　by　boxing　his　ears；〃　said　Blondet。



〃Tell　me；　my　poor　little　fellow；　have　you　really　caught　an　otter？〃



〃Yes；　madame；　as　true　as　that　you　are　the　prettiest　lady　I　have　seen；

or　ever　shall　see；〃　said　the　child；　wiping　his　eyes。



〃Then　show　me　the　otter；〃　said　the　general。



〃Oh　M'sieur　le　comte；　my　grandpa　has　hidden　it；　but　it　was　kicking

still　when　we　were　at　work　at　the　rope…walk。　Send　for　my　grandpa；

please；　he　wants　to　sell　it　to　you　himself。〃



〃Take　him　into　the　kitchen；〃　said　the　countess　to　Francois；　〃and　give

him　his　breakfast；　and　send　Charles　to　fetch　Pere　Fourchon。　Find　some

shoes；　and　a　pair　of　trousers　and　a　waistcoat　for　the　poor　child；

those　who　come　here　naked　must　go　away　clothed。〃



〃May　God　bless　you；　my　beautiful　lady；〃　said　Mouche；　departing。

〃M'sieur　le　cure　may　feel　quite　sure　that　I'll　keep　the　things　and

wear　'em　fete…days；　because　you　give　'em　to　me。〃



Emile　and　Madame　Montcornet　looked　at　each　other　with　some　surprise；

and　seemed　to　say　to　the　abbe；　〃The　boy　is　not　a　fool！〃



〃It　is　quite　true；　madame；〃　said　the　abbe　after　the　child　had　gone；

〃that　we　cannot　reckon　with　Poverty。　I　believe　it　has　hidden　excuses

of　which　God　alone　can　judge；physical　excuses；　often　congenital；

moral　excuses；　born　in　the　character；　produced　by　an　order　of　things

that　are　often　the　result　of　qualities　which；　unhappily　for　society；

have　no　vent。　Deeds　of　heroism　performed　upon　the　battle…field　ought

to　teach　us　that　the　worst　scoundrels　may　become　heroes。　But　here　in

this　place　you　are　living　under　exceptional　circumstances；　and　if　your

benevolence　is　not　controlled　by　reflection　and　judgment　you　run　the

risk　of　supporting　your　enemies。〃



〃Our　enemies？〃　exclaimed　the　countess。



〃Cruel　enemies；〃　said　the　general；　gravely。



〃Pere　Fourchon　and　his　son…in…law　Tonsard；〃　said　the　abbe；　〃are　the

strength　and　the　intelligence　of　the　lower　classes　of　this　valley；　who

consult　them　on　all　occasions。　The　Machiavelism　of　these　people　is

beyond　belief。　Ten　peasants　meeting　in　a　tavern　are　the　small　change

of　great　political　questions。〃



Just　then　Francois　announced　Monsieur　Sibilet。



〃He　is　my　minister　of　finance；〃　said　the　general；　smiling；　〃ask　him

in。　He　will　explain　to　you　the　gravity　of　the　situation；〃　he　added；

looking　at　his　wife　and　Blondet。



〃Because　he　has　reasons　of　his　own　for　not　concealing　it；〃　said　the

cure；　in　a　low　tone。



Blondet　then　beheld　a　personage　of　whom　he　had　heard　much　ever　since

his　arrival；　and　whom　he　desired　to　know；　the　land…steward　of　Les

Aigues。　He　saw　a　man　of　medium　height；　about　thirty　years　of　age；　with

a　sulky　look　and　a　discontented　face；　on　which　a　smile　sat　ill。

Beneath　an　anxious　brow　a　pair　of　greenish　eyes　evaded　the　eyes　of

others；　and　so　disguised　their　thought。　Sibilet　was　dressed　in　a　brown

surtout　coat；　black　trousers　and　waistcoat；　and　wore　his　hair　long　and

flat　to　the　head；　which　gave　him　a　clerical　look。　His　trousers　barely

concealed　that　he　was　knock…kneed。　Though　his　pallid　complexion　and

flabby　flesh　gave　the　impression　of　an　unhealthy　constitution；　Sibilet

was　really　robust。　The　tones　of　his　voice；　which　were　a　little　thick；

harmonized　with　this　unflattering　exterior。



Blondet　gave　a　hasty　look　at　the　abbe；　and　the　glance　with　which　the

young　priest　answered　it　showed　the　journalist　that　his　own　suspicions

about　the　steward　were　certainties　to　the　curate。



〃Did　you　not　tell　me；　my　dear　Sibilet；〃　said　the　general；　〃that　you

estimate　the　value　of　what　the　peasants　steal　from　us　at　a　quarter　of

the　whole　revenue？〃



〃Much　more　than　that；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　replied　the　steward。　〃The

poor　about　here　get　more　from　your　property　than　the　State　exacts　in

taxes。　A　little　scamp　like　Mouche　can　glean　his　two　bushels　a　day。　Old

women；　whom　you　would　really　think　at　their　last　gasp；　become　at　the

harvest　and　vintage　times　as　active　and　healthy　as　girls。　You　can

witness　that　phenomenon　very　soon；〃　said　Sibilet；　addressing　Blondet；

〃for　the　harvest；　which　was　put　back　by　the　rains　in　July　will　begin

next　week；　when　they　cut　the　rye。　The　gleaners　must　have　a　certificate

of　pauperism　from　the　mayor　of　the　district；　and　no　district　should

allow　any　one　to　glean　except　the　paupers；　but　the　districts　of　one

canton　do　glean　in　those　of　another　without　certificate。　If　we　have

sixty　real　paupers　in　our　district；　there　are　at　least　forty　others

who　could　support　themselves　if　they　were　not　so　idle。　Even　persons

who　have　a　business　leave　it　to　glean　in　the　fields　and　in　the

vineyards。　All　these　people；　taken　together；　gather　in　this

neighborhood　something　like　three　hundred　bushels　a　day；　the　harvest

lasts　two　weeks；　and　that　makes　four　thousand　five　hundred　bushels　in

this　district　alone。　The　gleaning　takes　more　from　an　estate　than　the

taxes。　As　to　the　abuse　of　pasturage；　it　robs　us　of　fully　one…sixth　the

produce　of　the　meadows；　and　as　to　that　of　the　woods；　it　is

incalculable；they　have　actually　come　to　cutting　down　six…year…old

trees。　The　loss　to　you；　Monsieur　le　comte；　amounts　to　fully　twenty…odd

thousand　francs　a　year。〃



〃Do　you　hear　that；　madame？〃　said　the　general　to　his　wife。



〃Is　it　not　exaggerated？〃　asked　Madame　de　Montcornet。



〃No；　madame；　unfortunately　not；〃　said　the　abbe。　〃Poor　Niseron；　that

old　fellow　with　the　white　head；　who　combines　the　functions　of　bell…

ringer；　beadle；　grave…digger；　sexton；　and　clerk；　in　defiance　of　his

republican　opinions；I　mean　the　grandfather　of　the　little　Genevieve

whom　you　placed　with　Madame　Michaud〃



〃La　Pechina；〃　said　Sibilet；　interrupting　the　abbe。



〃Pechina！〃　said　the　countess；　〃whom　do　you　mean？〃



〃Madame　la　comtesse；　when　you　met　little　Genevieve　on　the　road　in　a

miserable　condition；　you　cried　out　in　Italian；　'Piccina！'　The　word

became　a　nickname；　and　is　now　corrupted　all　through　the　district　into

Pechina；〃　said　the　abbe。　〃The　poor　girl　comes　to　church　with　Madame

Michaud　and　Madame　Sibilet。〃



〃And　she　is　none　the　better　for　it；〃　said　Sibilet；　〃for　the　others

ill…treat　her　on　account　of　her　religion。〃



〃Well；　that　poor　old　man　of　seventy　gleans；　honestly；　about　a　bushel

and　a　half　a　day；〃　continued　the　priest；　〃but　his　natural　uprightness

prevents　him　from　selling　his　gleanings　as　others　do；he　keeps　them

for　his　own　consumption。　Monsieur　Langlume；　your　miller；　grinds　his

flour　gratis　at　my　request；　and　my　servant　bakes　his　bread　with　mine。〃



〃I　had　qui