sons of the soil-第35章

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anti…religion　jokes　of　the　liberal　sheet　formed　the　public　opinion　of

the　valley　des　Aigues。　Rigou；　like　the　VENERABLE　Abbe　Gregoire；　became

a　hero。　For　him；　as　for　certain　Parisian　bankers；　politics　spread　a

mantle　of　popularity　over　his　shameful　dishonesty。



At　this　particular　time　the　perjured　monk；　like　Francois　Keller　the

great　orator；　was　looked　upon　as　a　defender　of　the　rights　of　the

people；he　who；　not　so　very　long　before；　dared　not　walk　in　the　fields

after　dark；　lest　he　should　stumble　into　pitfalls　where　he　would　seem

to　have　been　killed　by　accident！　Persecute　a　man　politically　and　you

not　only　magnify　him；　but　you　redeem　his　past　and　make　it　innocent。

The　liberal　party　was　a　great　worker　of　miracles　in　this　respect。　Its

dangerous　journal；　which　had　the　wit　to　make　itself　as　commonplace；　as

calumniating；　as　credulous；　and　as　sillily　perfidious　as　every

audience　made　up　the　general　masses；　did　in　all　probability　as　much

injury　to　private　interests　as　it　did　to　those　of　the　Church。



Rigou　flattered　himself　that　he　should　find　in　a　Bonapartist　general

now　laid　on　the　shelf；　in　a　son　of　the　people　raised　from　nothing　by

the　Revolution；　a　sound　enemy　to　the　Bourbons　and　the　priests。　But　the

general；　bearing　in　mind　his　private　ambitions；　so　arranged　matters　as

to　evade　the　visit　of　Monsieur　and　Madame　Rigou　when　he　first　came　to

Les　Aigues。



When　you　have　become　better　acquainted　with　the　terrible　character　of

Rigou；　the　lynx　of　the　valley；　you　will　understand　the　full　extent　of

the　second　capital　blunder　which　the　general's　aristocratic　ambitions

led　him　to　commit；　and　which　the　countess　made　all　the　greater　by　an

offence　which　will　be　described　in　the　further　history　of　Rigou。



If　Montcornet　had　courted　the　mayor's　good…will；　if　he　had　sought　his

friendship；　perhaps　the　influence　of　the　renegade　might　have

neutralized　that　of　Gaubertin。　Far　from　that；　three　suits　were　now

pending　in　the　courts　of　Ville…aux…Fayes　between　the　general　and　the

ex…monk。　Until　the　present　time　the　general　had　been　so　absorbed　in

his　personal　interests　and　in　his　marriage　that　he　had　never

remembered　Rigou；　but　when　Sibilet　advised　him　to　get　himself　made

mayor　in　Rigou's　place；　he　took　post…horses　and　went　to　see　the

prefect。



The　prefect；　Comte　Martial　de　la　Roche…Hugon；　had　been　a　friend　of　the

general　since　1804；　and　it　was　a　word　from　him　said　to　Montcornet　in　a

conversation　in　Paris；　which　brought　about　the　purchase　of　Les　Aigues。

Comte　Martial；　a　prefect　under　Napoleon；　remained　a　prefect　under　the

Bourbons；　and　courted　the　bishop　to　retain　his　place。　Now　it　happened

that　Monseigneur　had　several　times　requested　him　to　get　rid　of　Rigou。

Martial；　to　whom　the　condition　of　the　district　was　perfectly　well

known；　was　delighted　with　the　general's　request；　so　that　in　less　than

a　month　the　Comte　de　Montcornet　was　mayor　of　Blangy。



By　one　of　those　accidents　which　come　about　naturally；　the　general　met；

while　at　the　prefecture　where　his　friend　put　him　up；　a　non…

commissioned　officer　of　the　ex…Imperial　guard；　who　had　been　cheated

out　of　his　retiring　pension。　The　general　had　already；　under　other

circumstances；　done　a　service　to　the　brave　cavalryman；　whose　name　was

Groison；　the　man；　remembering　it；　now　told　him　his　troubles；　admitting

that　he　was　penniless。　The　general　promised　to　get　him　his　pension；

and　proposed　that　he　should　take　the　place　of　field…keeper　to　the

district　of　Blangy；　as　a　way　of　paying　off　his　score　of　gratitude　by

devotion　to　the　new　mayor's　interests。　The　appointments　of　master　and

man　were　made　simultaneously；　and　the　general　gave；　as　may　be

supposed；　very　firm　instructions　to　his　subordinate。



Vaudoyer；　the　displaced　keeper；　a　peasant　on　the　Ronquerolles　estate；

was　only　fit；　like　most　field…keepers；　to　stalk　about；　and　gossip；　and

let　himself　be　petted　by　the　poor　of　the　district；　who　asked　nothing

better　than　to　corrupt　at　subaltern　authority；the　advanced　guard；　as

it　were；　of　the　land…owners。　He　knew　Soudry；　the　brigadier　at

Soulanges；　for　brigadiers　of　gendarmerie；　performing　functions　that

are　semi…judicial　in　drawing　up　criminal　indictments；　have　much　to　do

with　the　rural　keepers；　who　are；　in　fact；　their　natural　spies。　Soudry；

being　appealed　to；　sent　Vaudoyer　to　Gaubertin；　who　received　his　old

acquaintance　very　cordially；　and　invited　him　to　drink　while　listening

to　the　recital　of　his　troubles。



〃My　dear　friend；〃　said　the　mayor　of　Ville…aux…Fayes；　who　could　talk　to

every　man　in　his　own　language；　〃what　has　happened　to　you　is　likely　to

happen　to　us　all。　The　nobles　are　back　upon　us。　The　men　to　whom　the

Emperor　gave　titles　make　common　cause　with　the　old　nobility。　They　all

want　to　crush　the　people；　re…establish　their　former　rights　and　take

our　property　from　us。　But　we　are　Burgundians；　we　must　resist；　and

drive　those　Arminacs　back　to　Paris。　Return　to　Blangy；　you　shall　be

agent　for　Monsieur　Polissard；　the　wood…merchant；　who　is　contractor　for

the　forest　of　Ronquerolles。　Don't　be　uneasy；　my　lad；　I'll　find　you

enough　to　do　for　the　whole　of　the　coming　year。　But　remember　one　thing；

the　wood　is　for　ourselves！　Not　a　single　depredation；　or　the　thing　is

at　an　end。　Send　all　interlopers　to　Les　Aigues。　If　there's　brush　or

fagots　to　sell　make　people　buy　ours；　don't　let　them　buy　of　Les　Aigues。

You'll　get　back　to　your　place　as　field…keeper　before　long；　this　thing

can't　last。　The　general　will　get　sick　of　living　among　thieves。　Did　you

know　that　that　Shopman　called　me　a　thief；　me！son　of　the　stanchest

and　most　incorruptible　of　republicans；　me！the　son　in　law　of　Mouchon；

that　famous　representative　of　the　people；　who　died　without　leaving　me

enough　to　bury　him？〃



The　general　raised　the　salary　of　the　new　field…keeper　to　three　hundred

francs；　and　built　a　town…hall；　in　which　he　gave　him　a　residence。　Then

he　married　him　to　a　daughter　of　one　of　his　tenant…farmers；　who　had

lately　died；　leaving　her　an　orphan　with　three　acres　of　vineyard。

Groison　attached　himself　to　the　general　as　a　dog　to　his　master。　This

legitimate　fidelity　was　admitted　by　the　whole　community。　The　keeper

was　feared　and　respected；　but　like　the　captain　of　a　vessel　whose

ship's　company　hate　him；　the　peasantry　shunned　him　as　they　would　a

leper。　Met　either　in　silence　or　with　sarcasms　veiled　under　a　show　of

good…humor；　the　new　keeper　was　a　sentinel　watched　by　other　sentinels。

He　could　do　nothing　against　such　numbers。　The　delinquents　took　delight

in　plotting　depredations　which　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　prove；　and

the　old　soldier　grew　furious　at　his　helplessness。　Groison　found　the

excitement　of　a　war　of　factions　in　his　duties；　and　all　the　pleasures

of　the　chase；a　chase　after　petty　delinquents。　Trained　in　real　war　to

a　loyalty　which　consists　in　part　of　playing　a　fair　game；　this　enemy　of

traitors　came　at　last　to　hate　these　people；　so　treacherous　in　their

conspiracies；　and　so　clever　in　their　thefts　that　they　mortified　his

self…esteem。　He　soon　observed　that　the　depredations　were　committed

only　at　Les　Aigues；　all　the　other　estates　were　respected。　At　first　he

despised　a　peasantry　ungrateful　enough　to　pillage　a　general　of　the

Empire；　an　essentially　kind　and　generous　man；　presently；　however；　he

added　hatred　to　contempt。　But　multiply　himself　as　he　would；　he　could

not　be　everywhere；　and　the　enemy　pillaged　everywhere　that　he　was　not。

Groison　made　the　general　understand　that　it　was　necessary　to　organize

the　defence　on　a　war　footing；　and　proved　to　him　the　insufficiency　of

his　own　devoted　efforts　and　the　evil　disposition　of　the　inhabitants　of

the　valley。



〃There　is　something　behind　it　all；　general；〃　he　said；　〃these　people

are　so　bold　they　fear　nothing；　they　seem　to　rely　on　the　favor　of　the

good　God。〃



〃We　shall　see；〃　replied　the　count。



Fatal　word！　The　verb　〃to　see〃　has　no　future　tense　for　politicians。



At　the　moment；　Montcornet　was　considering　another　difficulty；　which

seemed　to　him　more　pressing。　he　needed　an　alter　ego　to　do