sons of the soil-第20章

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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　quite　forgotten　my　little　protegee；〃　said　the　countess；

troubled　at　Sibilet's　remark。　〃Your　arrival；〃　she　added　to　Blondet；

〃has　quite　turned　my　head。　But　after　breakfast　I　will　take　you　to　the

gate　of　the　Avonne　and　show　you　the　living　image　of　those　women　whom

the　painters　of　the　fifteenth　century　delighted　to　perpetuate。〃



The　sound　of　Pere　Fourchon's　broken　sabots　was　now　heard；　after

depositing　them　in　the　antechamber；　he　was　brought　to　the　door　of　the

dining…room　by　Francois。　At　a　sign　from　the　countess；　Francois　allowed

him　to　pass　in；　followed　by　Mouche　with　his　mouth　full　and　carrying

the　otter；　hanging　by　a　string　tied　to　its　yellow　paws；　webbed　like

those　of　a　palmiped。　He　cast　upon　his　four　superiors　sitting　at　table；

and　also　upon　Sibilet；　that　look　of　mingled　distrust　and　servility

which　serves　as　a　veil　to　the　thoughts　of　the　peasantry；　then　he

brandished　his　amphibian　with　a　triumphant　air。



〃Here　it　is！〃　he　cried；　addressing　Blondet。



〃My　otter！〃　returned　the　Parisian；　〃and　well　paid　for。〃



〃Oh；　my　dear　gentleman；〃　replied　Pere　Fourchon；　〃yours　got　away；　she

is　now　in　her　burrow；　and　she　won't　come　out；　for　she's　a　female；

this　is　a　male；　Mouche　saw　him　coming　just　as　you　went　away。　As　true

as　you　live；　as　true　as　that　Monsieur　le　comte　covered　himself　and　his

cuirassiers　with　glory　at　Waterloo；　the　otter　is　mine；　just　as　much　as

Les　Aigues　belongs　to　Monseigneur　the　general。　But　the　otter　is　YOURS

for　twenty　francs；　if　not　I'll　take　it　to　the　sub…prefect。　If　Monsieur

Gourdon　thinks　it　too　dear；　then　I'll　give　you　the　preference；　that's

only　fair；　as　we　hunted　together　this　morning！〃



〃Twenty　francs！〃　said　Blondet。　〃In　good　French　you　can't　call　that

GIVING　the　preference。〃



〃Hey；　my　dear　gentleman；〃　cried　the　old　fellow。　〃Perhaps　I　don't　know

French；　and　I'll　ask　it　in　good　Burgundian；　as　long　as　I　get　the

money；　I　don't　care；　I'll　talk　Latin：　'latinus；　latina；　latinum'！

Besides；　twenty　francs　is　what　you　promised　me　this　morning。　My

children　have　already　stolen　the　silver　you　gave　me；　I　wept　about　it；

coming　along；ask　Charles　if　I　didn't。　Not　that　I'd　arrest　'em　for

the　value　of　ten　francs　and　have　'em　up　before　the　judge；　no！　But　just

as　soon　as　I　earn　a　few　pennies；　they　make　me　drink　and　get　'em　out　of

me。　Ah！　it　is　hard；　hard　to　be　reduced　to　go　and　get　my　wine

elsewhere。　But　just　see　what　children　are　these　days！　That's　what　we

got　by　the　Revolution；　it　is　all　for　the　children　now…a…days；　and

parents　are　suppressed。　I'm　bringing　up　Mouche　on　another　tack；　he

loves　me；　the　little　scamp；〃giving　his　grandson　a　poke。



〃It　seems　to　me　you　are　making　him　a　little　thief；　like　all　the　rest；〃

said　Sibilet；　〃he　never　lies　down　at　night　without　some　sin　on　his

conscience。〃



〃Ha！　Monsieur　Sibilet；　his　conscience　is　as　clean　as　yours　any　day！

Poor　child！　what　can　he　steal？　A　little　grass！　that's　better　than

throttling　a　man！　He　don't　know　mathematics　like　you；　nor　subtraction；

nor　addition；　nor　multiplication；you　are　very　unjust　to　us；　that　you

are！　You　call　us　a　nest　of　brigands；　but　you　are　the　cause　of　the

misunderstandings　between　our　good　landlord　here；　who　is　a　worthy　man；

and　the　rest　of　us；　who　are　all　worthy　men；there　ain't　an　honester

part　of　the　country　than　this。　Come；　what　do　you　mean？　do　I　own

property？　don't　I　go　half…naked；　and　Mouche　too？　Fine　sheets　we　slept

in；　washed　by　the　dew　every　morning！　and　unless　you　want　the　air　we

breathe　and　the　sunshine　we　drink；　I　should　like　to　know　what　we　have

that　you　can　take　away　from　us！　The　rich　folks　rob　as　they　sit　in

their　chimney…corners；and　more　profitably；　too；　than　by　picking　up　a

few　sticks　in　the　woods。　I　don't　see　no　game…keepers　or　patrols　after

Monsieur　Gaubertin；　who　came　here　as　naked　as　a　worm　and　is　now　worth

his　millions。　It's　easy　said；　'Robbers！'　Here's　fifteen　years　that　old

Guerbet；　the　tax…gatherer　at　Soulanges；　carries　his　money　along　the

roads　by　the　dead　of　night；　and　nobody　ever　took　a　farthing　from　him；

is　that　like　a　land　of　robbers？　has　robbery　made　us　rich？　Show　me

which　of　us　two；　your　class　or　mine；　live　the　idlest　lives　and　have

the　most　to　live　on　without　earning　it。〃



〃If　you　were　to　work；〃　said　the　abbe；　〃you　would　have　property。　God

blesses　labor。〃



〃I　don't　want　to　contradict　you；　M'sieur　l'abbe；　for　you　are　wiser

than　I；　and　perhaps　you'll　know　how　to　explain　something　that　puzzles

me。　Now　see；　here　I　am；　ain't　I？that　drunken；　lazy；　idle；　good…for…

nothing　old　Fourchon；　who　had　an　education　and　was　a　farmer；　and　got

down　in　the　mud　and　never　got　up　again；well；　what　difference　is

there　between　me　and　that　honest　and　worthy　old　Niseron；　seventy　years

old　（and　that's　my　age）　who　has　dug　the　soil　for　sixty　years　and　got

up　every　day　before　it　was　light　to　go　to　his　work；　and　has　made

himself　an　iron　body　and　a　fine　soul？　Well；　isn't　he　as　bad　off　as　I

am？　His　little　granddaughter；　Pechina；　is　at　service　with　Madame

Michaud；　whereas　my　little　Mouche　is　as　free　as　air。　So　that　poor　good

man　gets　rewarded　for　his　virtues　in　exactly　the　same　way　that　I　get

punished　for　my　vices。　He　don't　know　what　a　glass　of　good　wine　is；

he's　as　sober　as　an　apostle；　he　buries　the　dead；　and　II　play　for　the

living　to　dance。　He　is　always　in　a　peck　o'　troubles；　while　I　slip

along　in　a　devil…may…care　way。　We　have　come　along　about　even　in　life；

we've　got　the　same　snow　on　our　heads；　the　same　funds　in　our　pockets；

and　I　supply　him　with　rope　to　ring　his　bell。　He's　a　republican　and　I'm

not　even　a　publican；that's　all　the　difference　as　far　as　I　can　see。　A

peasant　may　do　good　or　do　evil　（according　to　your　ideas）　and　he'll　go

out　of　the　world　just　as　he　came　into　it；　in　rags；　while　you　wear　the

fine　clothes。〃



No　one　interrupted　Pere　Fourchon；　who　seemed　to　owe　his　eloquence　to

his　potations。　At　first　Sibilet　tried　to　cut　him　short；　but　desisted

at　a　sign　from　Blondet。　The　abbe；　the　general；　and　the　countess；　all

understood　from　the　expression　of　the　writer's　eye　that　he　wanted　to

study　the　question　of　pauperism　from　life；　and　perhaps　take　his

revenge　on　Pere　Fourchon。



〃What　sort　of　education　are　you　giving　Mouche？〃　asked　Blondet。　〃Do　you

expect　to　make　him　any　better　than　your　daughters？〃



〃Does　he　ever　speak　to　him　of　God？〃　said　the　priest。



〃Oh；　no；　no！　Monsieur　le　cure；　I　don't　tell　him　to　fear　God；　but　men。

God　is　good；　he　has　promised　us　poor　folks；　so　you　say；　the　kingdom　of

heaven；　because　the　rich　people　keep　the　earth　to　themselves。　I　tell

him：　'Mouche！　fear　the　prison；　and　keep　out　of　it；for　that's　the　way

to　the　scaffold。　Don't　steal　anything；　make　people　give　it　to　you。

Theft　leads　to　murder；　and　murder　brings　down　the　justice　of　men。　The

razor　of　justice；THAT'S　what　you've　got　to　fear；　it　lets　the　rich

sleep　easy　and　keeps　the　poor　awake。　Learn　to　read。　Education　will

teach　you　ways　to　grab　money　under　cover　of　the　law；　like　that　fine

Monsieur　Gaubertin；　why；　you　can　even　be　a　land…steward　like　Monsieur

Sibilet　here；　who　gets　his　rations　out　of　Monsieur　le　comte。　The　thing

to　do　is　to　keep　well　with　the　rich；　and　pick　up　the　crumbs　that　fall

from　their　tables。'　That's　what　I　call　giving　him　a　good；　solid

education；　and　you'll　always　find　the　little　rascal　on　the　side　of　the

law；he'll　be　a　good　citizen　and　take　care　of　me。〃



〃What　do　you　mean　to　make　of　him？〃　asked　Blondet。



〃A　servant；　to　begin　with；〃　returned　Fourchon；　〃because　then　he'll　see

his　masters　close　by；　and　learn　something；　he'll　complete　his

education；　I'll　warrant　you。　Good　example　will　be　a　fortune　to　him；

with　the　law　on　his　side　like　the　rest　of　you。　If　M'sieur　le　comte

would　only　take　him　in　his　stables　and　let　him　learn　to　groom　the

horses；　the　boy　will　be　mighty　pleased；　for　though　I've　taught　him　to

fear　men；　he　don't　fear　animal