sons of the soil-第29章

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

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

romance；　old　Lupin；　who　intended　to　marry　his　son　to　Mademoiselle

Elise　Gaubertin；　lost　no　time　in　sending　young　Amaury　Lupin　to　Paris；

to　the　care　of　his　friend　and　correspondent　Crottat；　the　notary；

where；　under　pretext　of　drawing　deeds　and　contracts；　Amaury　committed

a　variety　of　foolish　acts；　and　made　debts；　being　led　thereto　by　a

certain　Georges　Marest；　a　clerk　in　the　same　office；　but　a　rich　young

man；　who　revealed　to　him　the　mysteries　of　Parisian　life。　By　the　time

Lupin　the　elder　went　to　Paris　to　bring　back　his　son；　Adeline　Sarcus

had　become　Madame　Sibilet。　In　fact；　when　the　adoring　Adolphe　offered

himself；　her　father；　the　old　magistrate；　prompted　by　young　Lupin's

father；　hastened　the　marriage；　to　which　Adeline　yielded　in　sheer

despair。



The　situation　of　clerk　in　a　government　registration　office　is　not　a

career。　It　is；　like　other　such　places　which　admit　of　no　rise；　one　of

the　many　holes　of　the　government　sieve。　Those　who　start　in　life　in

these　holes　（the　topographical；　the　professorial；　the　highway…and…

canal　departments）　are　apt　to　discover；　invariably　too　late；　that

cleverer　men　then　they；　seated　beside　them；　are　fed；　as　the　Opposition

writers　say；　on　the　sweat　of　the　people；　every　time　the　sieve　dips

down　into　the　taxation…pot　by　means　of　a　machine　called　the　budget。

Adolphe；　working　early　and　late　and　earning　little；　soon　found　out　the

barren　depths　of　his　hole；　and　his　thoughts　busied　themselves；　as　he

trotted　from　township　to　township；　spending　his　salary　in　shoe…leather

and　costs　of　travelling；　with　how　to　find　a　permanent　and　more

profitable　place。



No　one　can　imagine；　unless　he　happens　to　squint　and　to　have　two

legitimate　children；　what　ambitions　three　years　of　misery　and　love　had

developed　in　this　young　man；　who　squinted　both　in　mind　and　vision；　and

whose　happiness　halted；　as　it　were；　on　one　leg。　The　chief　cause　of

secret　evil　deeds　and　hidden　meanness　is；　perhaps；　an　incompleted

happiness。　Man　can　better　bear　a　state　of　hopeless　misery　than　those

terrible　alternations　of　love　and　sunshine　with　continual　rain。　If　the

body　contracts　disease；　the　mind　contracts　the　leprosy　of　envy。　In

petty　minds　that　leprosy　becomes　a　base　and　brutal　cupidity；　both

insolent　and　shrinking；　in　cultivated　minds　it　fosters　anti…social

doctrines；　which　serve　a　man　as　footholds　by　which　to　rise　above　his

superiors。　May　we　not　dignify　with　the　title　of　proverb　the　pregnant

saying；　〃Tell　me　what　thou　hast；　and　I　will　tell　thee　of　what　thou　art

thinking〃？



Though　Adolphe　loved　his　wife；　his　hourly　thought　was：　〃I　have　made　a

mistake；　I　have　three　balls　and　chains；　but　I　have　only　two　legs。　I

ought　to　have　made　my　fortune　before　I　married。　I　could　have　found　an

Adeline　any　day；　but　Adeline　stands　in　the　way　of　my　getting　a　fortune

now。〃



Adolphe　had　been　to　see　his　relation　Gaubertin　three　times　in　three

years。　A　few　words　exchanged　between　them　let　Gaubertin　see　the　muck

of　a　soul　ready　to　ferment　under　the　hot　temptations　of　legal　robbery。

He　warily　sounded　a　nature　that　could　be　warped　to　the　exigencies　of

any　plan；　provided　it　was　profitable。　At　each　of　the　three　visits

Sibilet　grumbled　at　his　fate。



〃Employ　me；　cousin；〃　he　said；　〃take　me　as　a　clerk　and　make　me　your

successor。　You　shall　see　how　I　work。　I　am　capable　of　overthrowing

mountains　to　give　my　Adeline；　I　won't　say　luxury；　but　a　modest

competence。　You　made　Monsieur　Leclercq's　fortune；　why　won't　you　put　me

in　a　bank　in　Paris？〃



〃Some　day；　later　on；　I'll　find　you　a　place；〃　Gaubertin　would　say；

〃meantime　make　friends　and　acquaintance；　such　things　help。〃



Under　these　circumstances　the　letter　which　Madame　Soudry　hastily

dispatched　brought　Sibilet　to　Soulanges　through　a　region　of　castles　in

the　air。　His　father…in…law；　Sarcus；　whom　the　Soudrys　advised　to　take

steps　in　the　interest　of　his　daughter；　had　gone　in　the　morning　to　see

the　general　and　to　propose　Adolphe　for　the　vacant　post。　By　advice　of

Madame　Soudry；　who　was　the　oracle　of　the　little　town；　the　worthy　man

had　taken　his　daughter　with　him；　and　the　sight　of　her　had　had　a

favorable　effect　upon　the　Comte　de　Montcornet。



〃I　shall　not　decide；〃　he　answered；　〃without　thoroughly　informing

myself　about　all　applicants；　but　I　will　not　look　elsewhere　until　I

have　examined　whether　or　not　your　son…in…law　possesses　the

requirements　for　the　place。〃　Then；　turning　to　Madame　Sibilet　he　added；

〃The　satisfaction　of　settling　so　charming　a　person　at　Les　Aigues〃



〃The　mother　of　two　children；　general；〃　said　Adeline；　adroitly；　to

evade　the　gallantry　of　the　old　cuirassier。



All　the　general's　inquiries　were　cleverly　anticipated　by　the　Soudrys；

Gaubertin；　and　Lupin；　who　quietly　obtained　for　their　candidate　the

influence　of　the　leading　lawyers　in　the　capital　of　the　department；

where　a　royal　court　held　sessions；such　as　Counsellor　Gendrin；　a

distant　relative　of　the　judge　at　Ville…aux…Fayes；　Baron　Bourlac；

attorney…general；　and　another　counsellor　named　Sarcus；　a　cousin　thrice

removed　of　the　candidate。　The　verdict　of　every　one　to　whom　the　general

applies　was　favorable　to　the　poor　clerk；〃so　interesting；〃　as　they

called　him。　His　marriage　had　made　Sibilet　as　irreproachable　as　a　novel

of　Miss　Edgeworth's；　and　presented　him；　moreover；　in　the　light　of　a

disinterested　man。



The　time　which　the　dismissed　steward　remained　at　Les　Aigues　until　his

successor　could　be　appointed　was　employed　in　creating　troubles　and

annoyances　for　his　late　master；　one　of　the　little　scenes　which　he　thus

played　off　will　give　an　idea　of　several　others。



The　morning　of　his　final　departure　he　contrived　to　meet；　as　it　were

accidentally；　Courtecuisse；　the　only　keeper　then　employed　at　Les

Aigues；　the　great　extent　of　which　really　needed　at　least　three。



〃Well；　Monsieur　Gaubertin；〃　said　Courtecuisse；　〃so　you　have　had

trouble　with　the　count？〃



〃Who　told　you　that？〃　answered　Gaubertin。　〃Well；　yes；　the　general

expected　to　order　us　about　as　he　did　his　cavalry；　he　didn't　know

Burgundians。　The　count　is　not　satisfied　with　my　services；　and　as　I　am

not　satisfied　with　his　ways；　we　have　dismissed　each　other；　almost　with

fisticuffs；　for　he　raged　like　a　whirlwind。　Take　care　of　yourself；

Courtecuisse！　Ah！　my　dear　fellow；　I　expected　to　give　you　a　better

master。〃



〃I　know　that；〃　said　the　keeper；　〃and　I'd　have　served　you　well。　Hang

it；　when　friends　have　known　each　other　for　twenty　years；　you　know！　You

put　me　here　in　the　days　of　the　poor　dear　sainted　Madame。　Ah；　what　a

good　woman　she　was！　none　like　her　now！　The　place　has　lost　a　mother。〃



〃Look　here；　Courtecuisse；　if　you　are　willing；　you　might　help　us　to　a

fine　stroke。〃



〃Then　you　are　going　to　stay　here？　I　heard　you　were　off　to　Paris。〃



〃No；　I　shall　wait　to　see　how　things　turn　out；　meantime　I　shall　do

business　at　Ville…aux…Fayes。　The　general　doesn't　know　what　he　is

dealing　with　in　these　parts；　he'll　make　himself　hated；　don't　you　see？

I　shall　wait　for　what　turns　up。　Do　your　work　here　gently；　he'll　tell

you　to　manage　the　people　with　a　high　hand；　for　he　begins　to　see　where

his　crops　and　his　woods　are　running　to；　but　you'll　not　be　such　a　fool

as　to　let　the　country…folk　maul　you；　and　perhaps　worse；　for　the　sake

of　his　timber。〃



〃But　he　would　send　me　away；　dear　Monsieur　Gaubertin；　he　would　get　rid

of　me！　and　you　know　how　happy　I　am　living　there　at　the　gate　of　the

Avonne。〃



〃The　general　will　soon　get　sick　of　the　whole　place；〃　replied

Gaubertin；　〃you　wouldn't　be　long　out　even　if　he　did　happen　to　send　you

away。　Besides；　you　know　those　woods；〃　he　added；　waving　his　hand　at　the

landscape；　〃I　am　stronger　there　than　the　masters。〃



This　conversation　took　place　in　an　open　field。



〃Those　'Arminac'　Parisian　fellows　ought　to　stay　in　their　own　mud；〃

said　the　keeper。



Ever　since　the　quarrels　of　the　fifteenth　century　the　word　'Armina