sons of the soil-第31章

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their　support。



〃You　know　what　that　means；〃　said　the　duchess　to　her　old　friend；　who

complained　of　the　vagueness　of　the　promise。　〃They　cannot　oblige　the

king　to　do　as　they　wish；　they　can　only　influence　him。〃



Montcornet　made　Virginie　de　Troisville　his　heir　in　the　marriage

settlements。　Completely　under　the　control　of　his　wife；　as　Blondet's

letter　has　already　shown；　he　was　still　without　children；　but　Louis

XVIII。　had　received　him；　and　given　him　the　cordon　of　Saint…Louis；

allowing　him　to　quarter　his　ridiculous　arms　with　those　of　the

Troisvilles；　and　promising　him　the　title　of　marquis　as　soon　as　he　had

deserved　the　peerage　by　his　services。



A　few　days　after　the　audience　at　which　this　promise　had　been　given；

the　Duc　de　Barry　was　assassinated；　the　Marsan　clique　carried　the　day；

the　Villele　ministry　came　into　power；　and　all　the　wires　laid　by　the

Troisvilles　were　snapped；　it　became　necessary　to　find　new　ways　of

fastening　them　upon　the　ministry。



〃We　must　bide　our　time；〃　said　the　Troisvilles　to　Montcornet；　who　was

always　overwhelmed　with　politeness　in　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain。



This　will　explain　how　it　was　that　the　general　did　not　return　to　Les

Aigues　until　May；　1820。



The　ineffable　happiness　of　the　son　of　a　shop…keeper　of　the　faubourg

Saint…Antoine　in　possessing　a　young；　elegant；　intelligent；　and　gentle

wife；　a　Troisville；　who　had　given　him　an　entrance　into　all　the　salons

of　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain；　and　the　delight　of　making　her　enjoy　the

pleasures　of　Paris；　had　kept　him　from　Les　Aigues　and　made　him　forget

about　Gaubertin；　even　to　his　very　name。　In　1820　he　took　the　countess

to　Burgundy　to　show　her　the　estate；　and　he　accepted　Sibilet's　accounts

and　leases　without　looking　closely　into　them；　happiness　never　cavils。

The　countess；　well　pleased　to　find　the　steward's　wife　a　charming　young

woman；　made　presents　to　her　and　to　the　children；　with　whom　she

occasionally　amused　herself。　She　ordered　a　few　changes　at　Les　Aigues；

having　sent　to　Paris　for　an　architect；　proposing；　to　the　general's

great　delight；　to　spend　six　months　of　every　year　on　this　magnificent

estate。　Montcornet's　savings　were　soon　spent　on　the　architectural　work

and　the　exquisite　new　furniture　sent　from　Paris。　Les　Aigues　thus

received　the　last　touch　which　made　it　a　choice　example　of　all　the

diverse　elegancies　of　four　centuries。



In　1821　the　general　was　almost　peremptorily　urged　by　Sibilet　to　be　at

Les　Aigues　before　the　month　of　May。　Important　matters　had　to　be

decided。　A　lease　of　nine　years；　to　the　amount　of　thirty　thousand

francs；　granted　by　Gaubertin　in　1812　to　a　wood…merchant；　fell　in　on

the　15th　of　May　of　the　current　year。　Sibilet；　anxious　to　prove　his

rectitude；　was　unwilling　to　be　responsible　for　the　renewal　of　the

lease。　〃You　know；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　he　wrote；　〃that　I　do　not　choose

to　profit　by　such　matters。〃　The　wood…merchant　claimed　an　indemnity；

extorted　from　Madame　Laguerre；　through　her　hatred　of　litigation；　and

shared　by　him　with　Gaubertin。　This　indemnity　was　based　on　the　injury

done　to　the　woods　by　the　peasants；　who　treated　the　forest　of　Les

Aigues　as　if　they　had　a　right　to　cut　the　timber。　Messrs。　Gravelot

Brothers；　wood…merchants　in　Paris；　refused　to　pay　their　last　quarter

dues；　offering　to　prove　by　an　expert　that　the　woods　were　reduced　one…

fifth　in　value；　through；　they　said；　the　injurious　precedent

established　by　Madame　Laguerre。



〃I　have　already；〃　wrote　Sibilet；　〃sued　these　men　in　the　courts　at

Ville…aux…Fayes；　for　they　have　taken　legal　residence　there；　on　account

of　this　lease；　with　my　old　employer；　Maitre　Corbinet。　I　fear　we　shall

lose　the　suit。〃



〃It　is　a　question　of　income；　my　dear；〃　said　the　general；　showing　the

letter　to　his　wife。　〃Will　you　go　down　to　Les　Aigues　a　little　earlier

this　year　than　last？〃



〃Go　yourself；　and　I　will　follow　you　when　the　weather　is　warmer；〃　said

the　countess；　not　sorry　to　remain　in　Paris　alone。



The　general；　who　knew　very　well　the　canker　that　was　eating　into　his

revenues；　departed　without　his　wife；　resolved　to　take　vigorous

measures。　In　so　doing　he　reckoned；　as　we　shall　see；　without　his

Gaubertin。







CHAPTER　VIII



THE　GREAT　REVOLUTIONS　OF　A　LITTLE　VALLEY



〃Well；　Maitre　Sibilet；〃　said　the　general　to　his　steward；　the　morning

after　his　arrival；　giving　him　a　familiar　title　which　showed　how　much

he　appreciated　his　services；　〃so　we　are；　to　use　a　ministerial　phrase；

at　a　crisis？〃



〃Yes；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　Sibilet；　following　the　general。



The　fortunate　possessor　of　Les　Aigues　was　walking　up　and　down　in　front

of　the　steward's　house；　along　a　little　terrace　where　Madame　Sibilet

grew　flowers；　at　the　end　of　which　was　a　wide　stretch　of　meadow…land

watered　by　the　canal　which　Blondet　has　described。　From　this　point　the

chateau　of　Les　Aigues　was　seen　in　the　distance；　and　in　like　manner　the

profile；　as　it　were；　of　the　steward's　lodge　was　seen　from　Les　Aigues。



〃But；〃　resumed　the　general；　〃what's　the　difficulty？　If　I　do　lose　the

suit　against　the　Gravelots；　a　money　wound　is　not　mortal；　and　I'll　have

the　leasing　of　my　forest　so　well　advertised　that　there　will　be

competition；　and　I　shall　sell　the　timber　at　its　true　value。〃



〃Business　is　not　done　in　that　way；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　Sibilet。

〃Suppose　you　get　no　lessees；　what　will　you　do？〃



〃Cut　the　timber　myself　and　sell　it〃



〃You；　a　wood　merchant？〃　said　Sibilet。　〃Well；　without　looking　at

matters　here；　how　would　it　be　in　Paris？　You　would　have　to　hire　a　wood…

yard；　pay　for　a　license　and　the　taxes；　also　for　the　right　of

navigation；　and　duties；　and　the　costs　of　unloading；　besides　the　salary

of　a　trustworthy　agent〃



〃Yes；　it　is　impracticable；〃　said　the　general　hastily；　alarmed　at　the

prospect。　〃But　why　can't　I　find　persons　to　lease　the　right　of　cutting

timber　as　before？〃



〃Monsieur　le　comte　has　enemies。〃



〃Who　are　they？〃



〃Well；　in　the　first　place；　Monsieur　Gaubertin。〃



〃Do　you　mean　the　scoundrel　whose　place　you　took？〃



〃Not　so　loud；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　Sibilet；　showing　fear；　〃I　beg

of　you；　not　so　loud；my　cook　might　hear　us。〃



〃Do　you　mean　to　tell　me　that　I　am　not　to　speak　on　my　own　estate　of　a

villain　who　robbed　me？〃　cried　the　general。



〃For　the　sake　of　your　own　peace　and　comfort；　come　further　away；

Monsieur　le　comte。　Monsieur　Gaubertin　is　mayor　of　Ville…aux…Fayes。〃



〃Ha！　I　congratulate　Ville…aux…Fayes。　Thunder！　what　a　nobly　governed

town！〃



〃Do　me　the　honor　to　listen；　Monsieur　le　comte；　and　to　believe　that　I

am　talking　of　serious　matters　which　may　affect　your　future　life　in

this　place。〃



〃I　am　listening；　let　us　sit　down　on　this　bench　here。〃



〃Monsieur　le　comte；　when　you　dismissed　Gaubertin；　he　had　to　find　some

employment；　for　he　was　not　rich〃



〃Not　rich！　when　he　stole　twenty　thousand　francs　a　year　from　this

estate？〃



〃Monsieur　le　comte；　I　don't　pretend　to　excuse　him；〃　replied　Sibilet。

〃I　want　to　see　Les　Aigues　prosperous；　if　it　were　only　to　prove

Gaubertin's　dishonest；　but　we　ought　not　to　abuse　him　openly　for　he　is

one　of　the　most　dangerous　scoundrels　to　be　found　in　all　Burgundy；　and

he　is　now　in　a　position　to　injure　you。〃



〃In　what　way？〃　asked　the　general；　sobering　down。



〃Gaubertin　has　control　of　nearly　one　third　of　the　supplies　sent　to

Paris。　As　general　agent　of　the　timber　business；　he　orders　all　the　work

of　the　forests；the　felling；　chopping；　floating；　and　sending　to

market。　Being　in　close　relations　with　the　workmen；　he　is　the　arbiter

of　prices。　It　has　taken　him　three　years　to　create　this　position；　but

he　holds　it　now　like　a　fortress。　He　is　essential　to　all　dealers；　never

favoring　one　more　than　another；　he　regulates　the　whole　business　in

their　interests；　and　their　affairs　are　better　and　more　cheaply　looked

after　by　him　than　they　were　in　the　old　time　by　separate　agents　for

each　firm。　For　instance；　he　has　so　completely　put　a　stop　to

competition　that　he　has　absolute　control　of　the　auction　sales；　the

crow