sons of the soil-第26章

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

practice；　and　all　that　remained　of　his　accumulations　was　three　hundred

and　seventy　thousand；　out　of　which　he　would　be　forced；　sooner　or

later；　to　pay　the　dowry　of　his　remaining　daughter；　Elise；　for　whom　he

hoped　to　arrange　a　marriage　at　least　as　good　as　that　of　her　sister。

The　steward　determined　to　study　the　general；　in　order　to　find　out　if

he　could　disgust　him　with　the　place；hoping　still　to　be　able　to　carry

out　his　defeated　plan　in　his　own　interests。



With　the　peculiar　instinct　which　characterizes　those　who　make　their

fortunes　by　craft；　Gaubertin　believed　in　a　resemblance　of　nature

（which　was　not　improbable）　between　an　old　soldier　and　an　Opera…singer。

An　actress；　and　a　general　of　the　Empire；surely　they　would　have　the

same　extravagant　habits；　the　same　careless　prodigality？　To　the　one　as

to　the　other；　riches　came　capriciously　and　by　lucky　chances。　If　some

soldiers　are　wily　and　astute　and　clever　politicians；　they　are

exceptions；　a　soldier　is；　usually；　especially　an　accomplished　cavalry

officer　like　Montcornet；　guileless；　confident；　a　novice　in　business；

and　little　fitted　to　understand　details　in　the　management　of　an

estate。　Gaubertin　flattered　himself　that　he　could　catch　and　hold　the

general　with　the　same　net　in　which　Mademoiselle　Laguerre　had　finished

her　days。　But　it　so　happened　that　the　Emperor　had　once；　intentionally；

allowed　Montcornet　to　play　the　same　game　in　Pomerania　that　Gaubertin

was　playing　at　Les　Aigues；　consequently；　the　general　fully　understood

a　system　of　plundering。



In　planting　cabbages；　to　use　the　expression　of　the　first　Duc　de　Biron；

the　old　cuirassier　sought　to　divert　his　mind；　by　occupation；　from

dwelling　on　his　fall。　Though　he　had　yielded　his　〃corps　d'armee〃　to　the

Bourbons；　that　duty　（performed　by　other　generals　and　termed　the

disbanding　of　the　army　of　the　Loire）　could　not　atone　for　the　crime　of

having　followed　the　man　of　the　Hundred…Days　to　his　last　battle…field。

In　presence　of　the　allied　army　it　was　impossible　for　the　peer　of　1815

to　remain　in　the　service；　still　less　at　the　Luxembourg。　Accordingly；

Montcornet　betook　himself　to　the　country　by　advice　of　a　dismissed

marshal；　to　plunder　Nature　herself。　The　general　was　not　deficient　in

the　special　cunning　of　an　old　military　fox；　and　after　he　had　spent　a

few　days　in　examining　his　new　property；　he　saw　that　Gaubertin　was　a

steward　of　the　old　system；a　swindler；　such　as　the　dukes　and　marshals

of　the　Empire；　those　mushrooms　bred　from　the　common　earth；　were　well

acquainted　with。



The　wily　general；　soon　aware　of　Gaubertin's　great　experience　in　rural

administration；　felt　it　was　politic　to　keep　well　with　him　until　he　had

himself　learned　the　secrets　of　it；　accordingly；　he　passed　himself　off

as　another　Mademoiselle　Laguerre；　a　course　which　lulled　the　steward

into　false　security。　This　apparent　simple…mindedness　lasted　all　the

time　it　took　the　general　to　learn　the　strength　and　weakness　of　Les

Aigues；　to　master　the　details　of　its　revenues　and　the　manner　of

collecting　them；　and　to　ascertain　how　and　where　the　robberies

occurred；　together　with　the　betterments　and　economies　which　ought　to

be　undertaken。　Then；　one　fine　morning；　having　caught　Gaubertin　with

his　hand　in　the　bag；　as　the　saying　is；　the　general　flew　into　one　of

those　rages　peculiar　to　the　imperial　conquerors　of　many　lands。　In

doing　so　he　committed　a　capital　blunder；one　that　would　have　ruined

the　whole　life　of　a　man　of　less　wealth　and　less　consistency　than

himself；　and　from　which　came　the　evils；　both　small　and　great；　with

which　the　present　history　teems。　Brought　up　in　the　imperial　school；

accustomed　to　deal　with　men　as　a　dictator；　and　full　of　contempt　for

〃civilians；〃　Montcornet　did　not　trouble　himself　to　wear　gloves　when　it

came　to　putting　a　rascal　of　a　land…steward　out　of　doors。　Civil　life

and　its　precautions　were　things　unknown　to　the　soldier　already

embittered　by　his　loss　of　rank。　He　humiliated　Gaubertin　ruthlessly；

though　the　latter　drew　the　harsh　treatment　upon　himself　by　a　cynical

reply　which　roused　Montcornet's　anger。



〃You　are　living　off　my　land；〃　said　the　general；　with　jesting　severity。



〃Do　you　think　I　can　live　off　the　sky？〃　returned　Gaubertin；　with　a

sneer。



〃Out　of　my　sight；　blackguard！　I　dismiss　you！〃　cried　the　general；

striking　him　with　his　whip；blows　which　the　steward　always　denied

having　received；　for　they　were　given　behind　closed　doors。



〃I　shall　not　go　without　my　release　in　full；〃　said　Gaubertin；　coldly；

keeping　at　a　distance　from　the　enraged　soldier。



〃We　will　see　what　is　thought　of　you　in　a　police　court；〃　replied

Montcornet；　shrugging　his　shoulders。



Hearing　the　threat；　Gaubertin　looked　at　the　general　and　smiled。　The

smile　had　the　effect　of　relaxing　Montcornet's　arms　as　though　the

sinews　had　been　cut。　We　must　explain　that　smile。



For　the　last　two　years；　Gaubertin's　brother…in…law；　a　man　named

Gendrin；　long　a　justice　of　the　municipal　court　of　Ville…aux…Fayes；　had

become　the　president　of　that　court　through　the　influence　of　the　Comte

de　Soulanges。　The　latter　was　made　peer　of　France　in　1814；　and　remained

faithful　to　the　Bourbons　during　the　Hundred…Days；　therefore　the　Keeper

of　the　Seals　readily　granted　an　appointment　at　his　request。　This

relationship　gave　Gaubertin　a　certain　importance　in　the　country。　The

president　of　the　court　of　a　little　town　is；　relatively；　a　greater

personage　than　the　president　of　one　of　the　royal　courts　of　a　great

city；　who　has　various　equals；　such　as　generals；　bishops；　and　prefects；

whereas　the　judge　of　the　court　of　a　small　town　has　none；the

attorney…general　and　the　sub…prefect　being　removable　at　will。　Young

Soudry；　a　companion　of　Gaubertin's　son　in　Paris　as　well　as　at　Les

Aigues；　had　just　been　appointed　assistant　attorney　in　the　capital　of

the　department。　Before　the　elder　Soudry；　a　quartermaster　in　the

artillery；　became　a　brigadier　of　gendarmes；　he　had　been　wounded　in　a

skirmish　while　defending　Monsieur　de　Soulanges；　then　adjutant…general。

At　the　time　of　the　creation　of　the　gendarmerie；　the　Comte　de

Soulanges；　who　by　that　time　had　become　a　colonel；　asked　for　a　brigade

for　his　former　protector；　and　later　still　he　solicited　the　post　we

have　named　for　the　younger　Soudry。　Besides　all　these　influences；　the

marriage　of　Mademoiselle　Gaubertin　with　a　wealthy　banker　of　the　quai

Bethume　made　the　unjust　steward　feel　that　he　was　far　stronger　in　the

community　than　a　lieutenant…general　driven　into　retirement。



If　this　history　provided　no　other　instruction　that　that　offered　by　the

quarrel　between　the　general　and　his　steward；　it　would　still　be　useful

to　many　persons　as　a　lesson　for　their　conduct　in　life。　He　who　reads

Machiavelli　profitably；　knows　that　human　prudence　consists　in　never

threatening；　in　doing　but　not　saying；　in　promoting　the　retreat　of　an

enemy　and　never　stepping；　as　the　saying　is；　on　the　tail　of　the

serpent；　and　in　avoiding；　as　one　would　murder；　the　infliction　of　a

blow　to　the　self…love　of　any　one　lower　than　one's　self。　An　injury　done

to　a　person's　interest；　no　matter　how　great　it　may　be　at　the　time；　is

forgiven　or　explained　in　the　long　run；　but　self…love；　vanity；　never

ceases　to　bleed　from　a　wound　given；　and　never　forgives　it。　The　moral

being　is　actually　more　sensitive；　more　living　as　it　were；　than　the

physical　being。　The　heart　and　the　blood　are　less　impressible　than　the

nerves。　In　short；　our　inward　being　rules　us；　no　matter　what　we　do。　You

may　reconcile　two　families　who　have　half…killed　each　other；　as　in

Brittany　and　in　La　Vendee　during　the　civil　wars；　but　you　can　no　more

reconcile　the　calumniators　and　the　calumniated　than　you　can　the

spoilers　and　the　despoiled。　It　is　only　in　epic　poems　that　men　curse

each　other　before　they　kill。　The　savage；　and　the　peasant　who　is　much

like　a　savage；　seldom　speak　unless　to　deceive　an　enemy。　Ever　since

1789　France　has　been　trying　to　make　man　believe；　against　all　evidence；

that　they　are　equal。　To　sa