sons of the soil-第25章

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

actress　was　pillaged；　so　discreetly　pillaged；　however；　that　those　who

throve　upon　her　kept　their　depredations　within　certain　limits　lest

even　her　eyes　might　be　opened　and　she　should　sell　Les　Aigues　and

return　to　Paris。



This　system　of　〃pickings〃　was；　alas！　the　cause　of　Paul…Louis　Carter's

assassination；　he　committed　the　mistake　of　advertising　the　sale　of　his

estate　and　allowing　it　to　be　known　that　he　should　take　away　his　wife；

on　whom　a　number　of　the　Tonsards　of　Lorraine　were　battening。　Fearing

to　lose　Madame　des　Aigues；　the　marauders　on　the　estate　forbore　to　cut

the　young　trees；　unless　pushed　to　extremities　by　finding　no　branches

within　reach　of　shears　fastened　to　long　poles。　In　the　interests　of

robbery；　they　did　as　little　harm　as　they　could；　although；　during　the

last　years　of　Madame's　life；　the　habit　of　cutting　wood　became　more　and

more　barefaced。　On　certain　clear　nights　not　less　than　two　hundred

bundles　were　taken。　As　to　the　gleaning　of　fields　and　vineyards；　Les

Aigues　lost；　as　Sibilet　had　pointed　out；　not　less　than　one　quarter　of

its　products。



Madame　des　Aigues　had　forbidden　Cochet　to　marry　during　her　lifetime；

with　the　selfishness　often　shown　in　all　countries　by　a　mistress　to　a

maid；　which　is　not　more　irrational　than　the　mania　for　keeping

possession；　until　our　last　gasp；　of　property　that　is　utterly　useless

to　our　material　comfort；　at　the　risk　of　being　poisoned　by　impatient

heirs。　Twenty　days　after　the　old　lady's　burial　Mademoiselle　Cochet

married　the　brigadier　of　the　gendarmerie　of　Soulanges；　named　Soudry；　a

handsome　man；　forty…two　years　of　age；　who；　ever　since　1800　（in　which

year　the　gendarmerie　was　formed）　had　come　every　day　to　Les　Aigues　to

see　the　waiting…maid；　and　dined　with　her　at　least　three　times　a　week

at　the　Gaubertins'。



During　Madame's　lifetime　dinner　was　served　to　her　and　to　her　company

by　themselves。　Neither　Cochet　nor　Gaubertin；　in　spite　of　their　great

familiarity　with　the　mistress；　was　ever　admitted　to　her　table；　the

leading　lady　of　the　Academie　Royale　retained；　to　her　last　hour；　her

sense　of　etiquette；　her　style　of　dress；　her　rouge　and　her　heeled

slippers；　her　carriage；　her　servants；　and　the　majesty　of　her

deportment。　A　divinity　at　the　Opera；　a　divinity　within　her　range　of

Parisian　social　life；　she　continued　a　divinity　in　the　country

solitudes；　where　her　memory　is　still　worshipped；　and　still　holds　its

own　against　that　of　the　old　monarchy　in　the　minds　of　the　〃best

society〃　of　Soulanges。



Soudry；　who　had　paid　his　addresses　to　Mademoiselle　Cochet　from　the

time　he　first　came　into　the　neighborhood；　owned　the　finest　house　in

Soulanges；　an　income　of　six　thousand　francs；　and　the　prospect　of　a

retiring　pension　whenever　he　should　quit　the　service。　As　soon　as

Cochet　became　Madame　Soudry　she　was　treated　with　great　consideration

in　the　town。　Though　she　kept　the　strictest　secrecy　as　to　the　amount　of

her　savings；which　were　intrusted；　like　those　of　Gaubertin；　to　the

commissary　of　wine…merchants　of　the　department　in　Paris；　a　certain

Leclercq；　a　native　of　Soulanges；　to　whom　Gaubertin　supplied　funds　as

sleeping　partner　in　his　business；public　opinion　credited　the　former

waiting…maid　with　one　of　the　largest　fortunes　in　the　little　town　of

twelve　hundred　inhabitants。



To　the　great　astonishment　of　every　one；　Monsieur　and　Madame　Soudry

acknowledged　as　legitimate；　in　their　marriage　contract；　a　natural　son

of　the　gendarme；　to　whom；　in　future；　Madame　Soudry's　fortune　was　to

descend。　At　the　time　when　this　son　was　legally　supplied　with　a　mother；

he　had　just　ended　his　law　studies　in　Paris　and　was　about　to　enter　into

practice；　with　the　intention　of　fitting　himself　for　the　magistracy。



It　is　scarcely　necessary　to　remark　that　a　mutual　understanding　of

twenty　years　had　produced　the　closest　intimacy　between　the　families　of

Gaubertin　and　Soudry。　Both　reciprocally　declared　themselves；　to　the

end　of　their　days；　〃urbi　et　orbi；〃　to　be　the　most　upright　and

honorable　persons　in　all　France。　Such　community　of　interests；　based　on

the　mutual　knowledge　of　the　secret　spots　on　the　white　garment　of

conscience；　is　one　of　the　ties　least　recognized　and　hardest　to　untie

in　this　low　world。　You　who　read　this　social　drama；　have　you　never　felt

a　conviction　as　to　two　persons　which　has　led　you　to　say　to　yourself；

in　order　to　explain　the　continuance　of　a　faithful　devotion　which　made

your　own　egotism　blush；　〃They　must　surely　have　committed　some　crime

together〃？



After　an　administration　of　twenty…five　years；　Gaubertin；　the　land…

steward；　found　himself　in　possession　of　six　hundred　thousand　francs　in

money；　and　Cochet　had　accumulated　nearly　two　hundred　and　fifty

thousand。　The　rapid　and　constant　turning　over　and　over　of　their　funds

in　the　hands　of　Leclercq　and　Company　（on　the　quai　Bethume；　Ile　Saint

Louis；　rivals　of　the　famous　house　of　Grandet）　was　a　great　assistance

to　the　fortunes　of　all　parties。　On　the　death　of　Mademoiselle　Laguerre；

Jenny；　the　steward's　eldest　daughter　was　asked　in　marriage　by

Leclercq。　Gaubertin　expected　at　that　time　to　become　owner　of　Les

Aigues　by　means　of　a　plot　laid　in　the　private　office　of　Lupin；　the

notary；　whom　the　steward　had　set　up　and　maintained　in　business　within

the　last　twelve　years。



Lupin；　a　son　of　the　former　steward　of　the　estate　of　Soulanges；　had

lent　himself　to　various　slight　peculations；investments　at　fifty　per

cent　below　par；　notices　published　surreptitiously；　and　all　the　other

manoeuvres；　unhappily　common　in　the　provinces；　to　wrap　a　mantle；　as

the　saying　is；　over　the　clandestine　manipulations　of　property。　Lately

a　company　has　been　formed　in　Paris；　so　they　say；　to　levy　contributions

upon　such　plotters　under　a　threat　of　outbidding　them。　But　in　1816

France　was　not；　as　it　is　now；　lighted　by　a　flaming　publicity；　the

accomplices　might　safely　count　on　dividing　Les　Aigues　among　them；　that

is；　between　Cochet；　the　notary；　and　Gaubertin；　the　latter　of　whom

reserved　to　himself；　〃in　petto；〃　the　intention　of　buying　the　others

out　for　a　sum　down；　as　soon　as　the　property　fairly　stood　in　his　own

name。　The　lawyer　employed　by　the　notary　to　manage　the　sale　of　the

estate　was　under　personal　obligations　to　Gaubertin；　so　that　he　favored

the　spoliation　of　the　heirs；　unless　any　of　the　eleven　farmers　of

Picardy　should　take　it　into　their　heads　to　think　they　were　cheated；

and　inquire　into　the　real　value　of　the　property。



Just　as　those　interested　expected　to　find　their　fortunes　made；　a

lawyer　came　from　Paris　on　the　evening　before　the　final　settlement；　and

employed　a　notary　at　Ville…aux…Fayes；　who　happened　to　be　one　of　his

former　clerks；　to　buy　the　estate　of　Les　Aigues；　which　he　did　for

eleven　hundred　thousand　francs。　None　of　the　conspirators　dared　outbid

an　offer　of　eleven　hundred　thousand　francs。　Gaubertin　suspected　some

treachery　on　Soudry's　part；　and　Soudry　and　Lupin　thought　they　were

tricked　by　Gaubertin。　But　a　statement　on　the　part　of　the　purchasing

agent；　the　notary　of　Ville…aux…Fayes；　disabused　them　of　these

suspicions。　The　latter；　though　suspecting　the　plan　formed　by

Gaubertin；　Lupin；　and　Soudry；　refrained　from　informing　the　lawyer　in

Paris；　for　the　reason　that　if　the　new　owners　indiscreetly　repeated　his

words；　he　would　have　too　many　enemies　at　his　heels　to　be　able　to　stay

where　he　was。　This　reticence；　peculiar　to　provincials；　was　in　this

particular　case　amply　justified　by　succeeding　events。　If　the　dwellers

in　the　provinces　are　dissemblers；　they　are　forced　to　be　so；　their

excuse　lies　in　the　danger　expressed　in　the　old　proverb；　〃We　must　howl

with　the　wolves；〃　a　meaning　which　underlies　the　character　of

Phillinte。



When　General　Montcornet　took　possession　of　Les　Aigues；　Gaubertin　was

no　longer　rich　enough　to　give　up　his　place。　In　order　to　marry　his

daughter　to　a　rich　banker　he　was　obliged　to　give　her　a　dowry　of　two

hundred　thousand　francs；　he　had　to　pay　thirty　thousand　for　his　son's

practice；　and　all