sons of the soil-第28章

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its　products　are　so　different　in　kind；　that　it　becomes　a　business；

with　all　the　risks　attendant　on　manufacturing。　The　wealthy　owner　is

really　a　merchant；　forced　to　look　for　a　market　for　his　products；　like

the　owner　of　ironworks　or　cotton　factories。　He　does　not　even　escape

competition；　the　peasant；　the　small　proprietor；　is　at　his　heels　with

an　avidity　which　leads　to　transactions　to　which　well…bred　persons

cannot　condescend。



A　land…steward　must　understand　surveying；　the　customs　of　the　locality；

the　methods　of　sale　and　of　labor；　together　with　a　little　quibbling　in

the　interests　of　those　he　serves；　he　must　also　understand　book…keeping

and　commercial　matters；　and　be　in　perfect　health；　with　a　liking　for

active　life　and　horse　exercise。　His　duty　being　to　represent　his　master

and　to　be　always　in　communication　with　him；　the　steward　ought　not　to

be　a　man　of　the　people。　As　the　salary　of　his　office　seldom　exceeds

three　thousand　francs；　the　problem　seems　insoluble。　How　is　it　possible

to　obtain　so　many　qualifications　for　such　a　very　moderate　price；in　a

region；　moreover；　where　the　men　who　are　provided　with　them　are

admissible　to　all　other　employments？　Bring　down　a　stranger　to　fill　the

place；　and　you　will　pay　dear　for　the　experience　he　must　acquire。　Train

a　young　man　on　the　spot；　and　you　are　more　than　likely　to　get　a　thorn

of　ingratitude　in　your　side。　It　therefore　becomes　necessary　to　choose

between　incompetent　honesty；　which　injures　your　property　through　its

blindness　and　inertia；　and　the　cleverness　which　looks　out　for　itself。

Hence　the　social　nomenclature　and　natural　history　of　land…stewards　as

defined　by　a　great　Polish　noble。



〃There　are；〃　he　said；　〃two　kinds　of　stewards：　he　who　thinks　only　of

himself；　and　he　who　thinks　of　himself　and　of　us；　happy　the　land…owner

who　lays　his　hands　on　the　latter！　As　for　the　steward　who　would　think

only　of　us；　he　is　not　to　be　met　with。〃



Elsewhere　can　be　found　a　steward　who　thought　of　this　master's

interests　as　well　as　of　his　own。　（〃Un　Debut　dans　la　vie；〃　〃Scenes　de

la　vie　privee。〃）　Gaubertin　is　the　steward　who　thinks　of　himself　only。

To　represent　the　third　figure　of　the　problem　would　be　to　hold　up　to

public　admiration　a　very　unlikely　personage；　yet　one　that　was　not

unknown　to　the　old　nobility；　though　he　has；　alas！　disappeared　with

them。　（See　〃Le　Cabinet　des　Antiques；〃　〃Scenes　de　la　vie　de　province。〃）

Through　the　endless　subdivision　of　fortunes　aristocratic　habits　and

customs　are　inevitably　changed。　If　there　be　not　now　in　France　twenty

great　fortunes　managed　by　intendants；　in　fifty　years　from　now　there

will　not　be　a　hundred　estates　in　the　hands　of　stewards；　unless　a　great

change　is　made　in　the　law。　Every　land…owner　will　be　brought　by　that

time　to　look　after　his　own　interests。



This　transformation；　already　begun；　suggested　the　following　answer　of

a　clever　woman　when　asked　why；　since　1830；　she　stayed　in　Paris　during

the　summer。　〃Because；〃　she　said；　〃I　do　not　care　to　visit　chateaux

which　are　now　turned　into　farms。〃　What　is　to　be　the　future　of　this

question；　getting　daily　more　and　more　imperative；that　of　man　to　man；

the　poor　man　and　the　rich　man？　This　book　is　written　to　throw　some

light　upon　that　terrible　social　question。



It　is　easy　to　understand　the　perplexities　which　assailed　the　general

after　he　had　dismissed　Gaubertin。　While　saying　to　himself；　vaguely；

like　other　persons　free　to　do　or　not　to　do　a　thing；　〃I'll　dismiss　that

scamp〃；　he　had　overlooked　the　risk　and　forgotten　the　explosion　of　his

boiling　anger；the　anger　of　a　choleric　fire…eater　at　the　moment　when

a　flagrant　imposition　forced　him　to　raise　the　lids　of　his　wilfully

blind　eyes。



Montcornet；　a　land…owner　for　the　first　time　and　a　denizen　of　Paris；

had　not　provided　himself　with　a　steward　before　coming　to　Les　Aigues；

but　after　studying　the　neighborhood　carefully　he　saw　it　was

indispensable　to　a　man　like　himself　to　have　an　intermediary　to　manage

so　many　persons　of　low　degree。



Gaubertin；　who　discovered　during　the　excitement　of　the　scene　（which

lasted　more　than　two　hours）　the　difficulties　in　which　the　general

would　soon　be　involved；　jumped　on　his　pony　after　leaving　the　room

where　the　quarrel　took　place；　and　galloped　to　Soulanges　to　consult　the

Soudrys。　At　his　first　words；　〃The　general　and　I　have　parted；　whom　can

we　put　in　my　place　without　his　suspecting　it？〃　the　Soudrys　understood

their　friend's　wishes。　Do　not　forget　that　Soudry；　for　the　last

seventeen　years　chief　of　police　of　the　canton；　was　doubly　shrewd

through　his　wife；　an　adept　in　the　particular　wiliness　of　a　waiting…

maid　of　an　Opera　divinity。



〃We　may　go　far；〃　said　Madame　Soudry；　〃before　we　find　any　one　to　suit

the　place　as　well　as　our　poor　Sibilet。〃



〃Made　to　order！〃　exclaimed　Gaubertin；　still　scarlet　with

mortification。　〃Lupin；〃　he　added；　turning　to　the　notary；　who　was

present；　〃go　to　Ville…aux…Fayes　and　whisper　it　to　Marechal；　in　case

that　big　fire…eater　asks　his　advice。〃



Marechal　was　the　lawyer　whom　his　former　patron；　when　buying　Les　Aigues

for　the　general；　had　recommended　to　Monsieur　de　Montcornet　as　legal

adviser。



Sibilet；　eldest　son　of　the　clerk　of　the　court　at　Ville…aux…Fayes；　a

notary's　clerk；　without　a　penny　of　his　own；　and　twenty…five　years　old；

had　fallen　in　love　with　the　daughter　of　the　chief…magistrate　of

Soulanges。　The　latter；　named　Sarcus；　had　a　salary　of　fifteen　hundred

francs；　and　was　married　to　a　woman　without　fortune；　the　eldest　sister

of　Monsieur　Vermut；　the　apothecary　of　Soulanges。　Though　an　only

daughter；　Mademoiselle　Sarcus；　whose　beauty　was　her　only　dowry；　could

scarcely　have　lived　on　the　salary　paid　to　a　notary's　clerk　in　the

provinces。　Young　Sibilet；　a　relative　of　Gaubertin；　by　a　connection

rather　difficult　to　trace　through　family　ramifications　which　make

members　of　the　middle　classes　in　all　the　smaller　towns　cousins　to　each

other；　owed　a　modest　position　in　a　government　office　to　the　assistance

of　his　father　and　Gaubertin。　The　unlucky　fellow　had　the　terrible

happiness　of　being　the　father　of　two　children　in　three　years。　His　own

father；　blessed　with　five；　was　unable　to　assist　him。　His　wife's　father

owned　nothing　beside　his　house　at　Soulanges　and　an　income　of　two

thousand　francs。　Madame　Sibilet　the　younger　spent　most　of　her　time　at

her　father's　home　with　her　two　children；　where　Adolphe　Sibilet；　whose

official　duty　obliged　him　to　travel　through　the　department；　came　to

see　her　from　time　to　time。



Gaubertin's　exclamation；　though　easy　to　understand　from　this　summary

of　young　Sibilet's　life；　needs　a　few　more　explanatory　details。



Adolphe　Sibilet；　supremely　unlucky；　as　we　have　shown　by　the　foregoing

sketch　of　him；　was　one　of　those　men　who　cannot　reach　the　heart　of　a

woman　except　by　way　of　the　altar　and　the　mayor's　office。　Endowed　with

the　suppleness　of　a　steel…spring；　he　yielded　to　pressure；　certain　to

revert　to　his　first　thought。　This　treacherous　habit　is　prompted　by

cowardice；　but　the　business　training　which　Sibilet　underwent　in　the

office　of　a　provincial　notary　had　taught　him　the　art　of　concealing

this　defect　under　a　gruff　manner　which　simulated　a　strength　he　did　not

possess。　Many　false　natures　mask　their　hollowness　in　this　way；　be

rough　with　them　in　return　and　the　effect　produced　is　that　of　a　balloon

collapsed　by　a　prick。　Such　was　Sibilet。　But　as　most　men　are　not

observers；　and　as　among　observers　three　fourths　observe　only　after　a

thing　has　taken　place；　Adolphe　Sibilet's　grumbling　manner　was

considered　the　result　of　an　honest　frankness；　of　a　capacity　much

praised　by　his　master；　and　of　a　stubborn　uprightness　which　no

temptation　could　shake。　Some　men　are　as　much　benefited　by　their

defects　as　others　by　their　good　qualities。



Adeline　Sarcus；　a　pretty　young　woman；　brought　up　by　a　mother　（who　died

three　years　before　her　marriage）　as　well　as　a　mother　can　educate　an

only　daughter　in　a　remote　country　town；　was　in　love　with　the　handsome

son　of　Lupin；　the　Soulanges　notary。　At　the　first　signs