sons of the soil-第24章

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saving　her　life；　on　the　strength　of　which　Gaubertin　the　younger

obtained　very　easily　the　release　of　his　predecessor。　Mademoiselle

Laguerre　then　made　Francois　Gaubertin　her　prime　minister；　as　much

through　policy　as　from　gratitude。　The　late　steward　had　not　spoiled

her。　He　sent　her；　every　year；　about　thirty　thousand　francs；　though　Les

Aigues　brought　in　at　that　time　at　least　forty　thousand。　The

unsuspecting　opera…singer　was　therefore　much　delighted　when　the　new

steward　Gaubertin　promised　her　thirty…six　thousand。



To　explain　the　present　fortune　of　the　land…steward　of　Les　Aigues

before　the　judgment…seat　of　probability；　it　is　necessary　to　state　its

beginnings。　Pushed　by　his　father's　influence；　he　became　mayor　of

Blangy。　Thus　he　was　able；　contrary　to　law；　to　make　the　debtors　pay　in

coin；　by　〃terrorizing〃　（a　phrase　of　the　day）　such　of　them　as　might；　in

his　opinion；　be　subjected　to　the　crushing　demands　of　the　Republic。　He

himself　paid　the　citizens　in　assignats　as　long　as　the　system　of　paper

money　lasted；a　system　which；　if　it　did　not　make　the　nation

prosperous；　at　least　made　the　fortunes　of　private　individuals。　From

1793　to　1795；　that　is；　for　three　years；　Francois　Gaubertin　wrung　one

hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs　out　of　Les　Aigues；　with　which　he

speculated　on　the　stock…market　in　Paris。　With　her　purse　full　of

assignats　Mademoiselle　was　actually　obliged　to　obtain　ready　money　from

her　diamonds；　now　useless　to　her。　She　gave　them　to　Gaubertin；　who　sold

them；　and　faithfully　returned　to　her　their　full　price。　This　proof　of

honesty　touched　her　heart；　henceforth　she　believed　in　Gaubertin　as　she

did　in　Piccini。



In　1796；　at　the　time　of　his　marriage　with　the　citoyenne　Isaure

Mouchon；　daughter　of　an　old　〃conventional；〃　a　friend　of　his　father；

Gaubertin　possessed　about　three　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs　in

money。　As　the　Directory　seemed　to　him　likely　to　last；　he　determined；

before　marrying；　to　have　the　accounts　of　his　five　years'　stewardship

ratified　by　Mademoiselle；　under　pretext　of　a　new　departure。



〃I　am　to　be　the　head　of　a　family；〃　he　said　to　her；　〃you　know　the

reputation　of　land…stewards；　my　father…in…law　is　a　republican　of　Roman

austerity；　and　a　man　of　influence　as　well；　I　want　to　prove　to　him　that

I　am　as　upright　as　he。〃



Mademoiselle　Laguerre　accepted　his　accounts　at　once　in　very　flattering

terms。



In　those　earlier　days　the　steward　had　endeavored；　in　order　to　win　the

confidence　of　Madame　des　Aigues　（as　Mademoiselle　was　then　called）　to

repress　the　depredations　of　the　peasantry；　fearing；　and　not　without

reason；　that　the　revenues　would　suffer　too　severely；　and　that　his

private　bonus　from　the　buyers　of　the　timber　would　sensibly　diminish。

But　in　those　days　the　sovereign　people　felt　the　soil　was　their　own

everywhere；　Madame　was　afraid　of　the　surrounding　kings　and　told　her

Richelieu　that　the　first　desire　of　her　soul　was　to　die　in　peace。　The

revenues　of　the　late　singer　were　so　far　in　excess　of　her　expenses　that

she　allowed　all　the　worst；　and；　as　it　proved；　fatal　precedents　to　be

established。　To　avoid　a　lawsuit；　she　allowed　the　neighbors　to　encroach

upon　her　land。　Knowing　that　the　park　walls　were　sufficient　protection；

she　did　not　fear　any　interruption　of　her　personal　comfort；　and　cared

for　nothing　but　her　peaceful　existence；　true　philosopher　that　she　was！

A　few　thousand　a　year　more　or　less；　the　indemnities　exacted　by　the

wood…merchants　for　the　damages　committed　by　the　peasants；what　were

they　to　a　careless　and　extravagant　Opera…girl；　who　had　gained　her

hundred　thousand　francs　a　year　at　the　cost　of　pleasure　only；　and　who

had　just　submitted；　without　a　word　of　remonstrance；　to　a　reduction　of

two　thirds　of　an　income　of　sixty　thousand　francs？



〃Dear　me！〃　she　said；　in　the　easy　tone　of　the　wantons　of　the　old　time；

〃people　must　live；　even　if　they　are　republicans。〃



The　terrible　Mademoiselle　Cochet；　her　maid　and　female　vizier；　had

tried　to　enlighten　her　mistress　when　she　saw　the　ascendency　Gaubertin

was　obtaining　over　one　whom　he　began　by　calling　〃Madame〃　in　defiance

of　the　revolutionary　laws　about　equality；　but　Gaubertin；　in　his　turn；

enlightened　Mademoiselle　Cochet　by　showing　her　a　so…called

denunciation　sent　to　his　father；　the　prosecuting　attorney；　in　which

she　was　vehemently　accused　of　corresponding　with　Pitt　and　Coburg。　From

that　time　forward　the　two　powers　went　on　sharesshares　a　la

Montgomery。　Cochet　praised　Gaubertin　to　Madame；　and　Gaubertin　praised

Cochet。　The　waiting…maid　had　already　made　her　own　bed；　and　knew　she

was　down　for　sixty　thousand　francs　in　the　will。　Madame　could　not　do

without　Cochet；　to　whom　she　was　accustomed。　The　woman　knew　the　secrets

of　dear　mistress's　toilet；　she　alone　could　put　dear　mistress　to　sleep

at　night　with　her　gossip；　and　get　her　up　in　the　morning　with　her

flattery；　to　the　day　of　dear　mistress's　death　the　maid　never　could　see

the　slightest　change　in　her；　and　when　dear　mistress　lay　in　her　coffin；

she　doubtless　thought　she　had　never　seen　her　looking　so　well。



The　annual　pickings　of　Gaubertin　and　Mademoiselle　Cochet；　their　wages

and　perquisites；　became　so　large　that　the　most　affectionate　relative

could　not　possibly　have　been　more　devoted　than　they　to　their　kindly

mistress。　There　is　really　no　describing　how　a　swindler　cossets　his

dupe。　A　mother　is　not　so　tender　nor　so　solicitous　for　a　beloved

daughter　as　the　practitioner　of　tartuferie　for　his　milch　cow。　What

brilliant　success　attends　the　performance　of　Tartufe　behind　the　closed

doors　of　a　home！　It　is　worth　more　than　friendship。　Moliere　died　too

soon；　he　would　otherwise　have　shown　us　the　misery　of　Orgon；　wearied　by

his　family；　harassed　by　his　children；　regretting　the　blandishments　of

Tartufe；　and　thinking　to　himself；　〃Ah；　those　were　the　good　times！〃



During　the　last　eight　years　of　her　life　the　mistress　of　Les　Aigues

received　only　thirty　thousand　francs　of　the　fifty　thousand　really

yielded　by　the　estate。　Gaubertin　had　reached　the　same　administrative

results　as　his　predecessor；　though　farm　rents　and　territorial　products

were　notably　increased　between　1791　and　1815；not　to　speak　of

Madame's　continual　purchases。　But　Gaubertin's　fixed　idea　of　acquiring

Les　Aigues　at　the　old　lady's　death　led　him　to　depreciate　the　value　of

the　magnificent　estate　in　the　matter　of　its　ostensible　revenues。

Mademoiselle　Cochet；　a　sharer　in　the　scheme；　was　also　to　share　the

profits。　As　the　ex…divinity　in　her　declining　years　received　an　income

of　twenty　thousand　francs　from　the　Funds　called　consolidated　（how

readily　the　tongue　of　politics　can　jest！）；　and　with　difficulty　spent

the　said　sum　yearly；　she　was　much　surprised　at　the　annual　purchases

made　by　her　steward　to　use　up　the　accumulating　revenues；　remembering

how　in　former　times　she　had　always　drawn　them　in　advance。　The　result

of　having　few　wants　in　her　old　age　seemed；　to　her　mind；　a　proof　of　the

honesty　and　uprightness　of　Gaubertin　and　Mademoiselle　Cochet。



〃Two　pearls！〃　she　said　to　the　persons　who　came　to　see　her。



Gaubertin　kept　his　accounts　with　apparent　honesty。　He　entered　all

rentals　duly。　Everything　that　could　strike　the　feeble　mind　of　the　late

singer；　so　far　as　arithmetic　went；　was　clear　and　precise。　The　steward

took　his　commission　on　all　disbursements；on　the　costs　of　working　the

estate；　on　rentals　made；　on　suits　brought；　on　work　done；　on　repairs　of

every　kind；details　which　Madame　never　dreamed　of　verifying；　and　for

which　he　sometimes　charged　twice　over　by　collusion　with　the

contractors；　whose　silence　was　bought　by　permission　to　charge　the

highest　prices。　These　methods　of　dealing　conciliated　public　opinion　in

favor　of　Gaubertin；　while　Madame's　praise　was　on　every　lip；　for

besides　the　payments　she　disbursed　for　work；　she　gave　away　large　sums

of　money　in　alms。



〃May　God　preserve　her；　the　dear　lady！〃　was　heard　on　all　sides。



The　truth　was；　everybody　got　something　out　of　her；　either　indirectly

or　as　a　downright　gift。　In　reprisals；　as　it　were；　of　her　youth　the　old