sons of the soil-第36章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





At　the　moment；　Montcornet　was　considering　another　difficulty；　which

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

the　mayor's　office　during　the　months　he　lived　in　Paris。　Obliged　to

find　some　man　who　knew　how　to　read　and　write　for　the　position　of

assistant　mayor；　he　knew　of　none　and　could　hear　of　none　throughout　the

district　but　Langlume；　the　tenant　of　his　own　flour…mill。　The　choice

was　disastrous。　Not　only　were　the　interests　of　mayor　and　miller

diametrically　opposed；　but　Langlume　had　long　hatched　swindling

projects　with　Rigou；　who　lent　him　money　to　carry　on　his　business；　or

to　acquire　property。　The　miller　had　bought　the　right　to　the　hay　of

certain　fields　for　his　horses；　and　Sibilet　could　not　sell　it　except　to

him。　The　hay　of　all　the　fields　in　the　district　was　sold　at　better

prices　than　that　of　Les　Aigues；　though　the　yield　of　the　latter　was　the

best。



Langlume；　then；　became　the　provisional　mayor；　but　in　France　the

provisional　is　eternal；though　Frenchmen　are　suspected　of　loving

change。　Acting　by　Rigou's　advice；　he　played　a　part　of　great　devotion

to　the　general；　and　he　was　still　assistant…mayor　at　the　moment　when；

by　the　omnipotence　of　the　historian；　this　drama　begins。



In　the　absence　of　the　mayor；　Rigou；　necessarily　a　member　of　the

district　council；　reigned　supreme；　and　brought　forward　resolutions　all

injuriously　affecting　the　general。　At　one　time　he　caused　money　to　be

spent　for　purposes　that　were　profitable　to　the　peasants　only；the

greater　part　of　the　expenses　falling　upon　Les　Aigues；　which；　by　reason

of　its　great　extent；　paid　two　thirds　of　the　taxes；　at　other　times　the

council　refused；　under　his　influence；　certain　useful　and　necessary

allowances；　such　as　an　increase　in　salary　for　the　abbe；　repairs　or

improvements　to　the　parsonage；　or　〃wages〃　to　the　school…master。



〃If　the　peasants　once　know　how　to　read　and　write；　what　will　become　of

us？〃　said　Langlume；　naively；　to　the　general；　to　excuse　this　anti…

liberal　action　taken　against　a　brother　of　the　Christian　Doctrine　whom

the　Abbe　Brossette　wished　to　establish　as　a　public　school…master　in

Blangy。



The　general；　delighted　with　his　old　Groison；　returned　to　Paris　and

immediately　looked　about　him　for　other　old　soldiers　of　the　late

imperial　guard；　with　whom　to　organize　the　defence　of　Les　Aigues　on　a

formidable　footing。　By　dint　of　searching　out　and　questioning　his

friends　and　many　officers　on　half…pay；　he　unearthed　Michaud；　a　former

quartermaster　at　headquarters　of　the　cuirassiers　of　the　guard；　one　of

those　men　whom　troopers　call　〃hard…to…cook；〃　a　nickname　derived　from

the　mess　kitchen　where　refractory　beans　are　not　uncommon。　Michaud

picked　out　from　among　his　friends　and　acquaintances；　three　other　men

fit　to　be　his　helpers；　and　able　to　guard　the　estate　without　fear　and

without　reproach。



The　first；　named　Steingel；　a　pure…blooded　Alsacian；　was　a　natural　son

of　the　general　of　that　name；　who　fell　in　one　of　Bonaparte's　first

victories　with　the　army　of　Italy。　Tall　and　strong；　he　belonged　to　the

class　of　soldiers　accustomed；　like　the　Russians；　to　obey；　passively

and　absolutely。　Nothing　hindered　him　in　the　performance　of　his　duty；

he　would　have　collared　an　emperor　or　a　pope　if　such　were　his　orders。

He　ignored　danger。　Perfectly　fearless；　he　had　never　received　the

smallest　scratch　during　his　sixteen　years'　campaigning。　He　slept　in

the　open　air　or　in　his　bed　with　stoical　indifference。　At　any　increased

labor　or　discomfort；　he　merely　remarked；　〃It　seems　to　be　the　order　of

the　day。〃



The　second　man；　Vatel；　son　of　the　regiment；　corporal　of　voltigeurs；

gay　as　a　lark；　rather　free　and　easy　with　the　fair　sex；　brave　to

foolhardiness；　was　capable　of　shooting　a　comrade　with　a　laugh　if

ordered　to　execute　him。　With　no　future　before　him　and　not　knowing　how

to　employ　himself；　the　prospect　of　finding　an　amusing　little　war　in

the　functions　of　keeper；　attracted　him；　and　as　the　grand　army　and　the

Emperor　had　hitherto　stood　him　in　place　of　a　religion；　so　now　he　swore

to　serve　the　brave　Montcornet　against　and　through　all　and　everything。

His　nature　was　of　that　essentially　wrangling　quality　to　which　a　life

without　enemies　seems　dull　and　objectless；the　nature；　in　short；　of　a

litigant；　or　a　policeman。　If　it　had　not　been　for　the　presence　of　the

sheriff's　officer；　he　would　have　seized　Tonsard　and　the　bundle　of　wood

at　the　Grand…I…Vert；　snapping　his　fingers　at　the　law　on　the

inviolability　of　a　man's　domicile。



The　third　man；　Gaillard；　also　an　old　soldier；　risen　to　the　rank　of

sub…lieutenant；　and　covered　with　wounds；　belonged　to　the　class　of

mechanical　soldiers。　The　fate　of　the　Emperor　never　left　his　mind　and

he　became　indifferent　to　everything　else。　With　the　care　of　a　natural

daughter　on　his　hands；　he　accepted　the　place　that　was　now　offered　to

him　as　a　means　of　subsistence；　taking　it　as　he　would　have　taken

service　in　a　regiment。



When　the　general　reached　Les　Aigues；　whither　he　had　gone　in　advance　of

his　troopers；　intending　to　send　away　Courtecuisse；　he　was　amazed　at

discovering　the　impudent　audacity　with　which　the　keeper　had　fulfilled

his　commands。　There　is　a　method　of　obeying　which　makes　the　obedience

of　the　servant　a　cutting　sarcasm　on　the　master's　order。　But　all　things

in　this　world　can　be　reduced　to　absurdity；　and　Courtecuisse　in　this

instance　went　beyond　its　limits。



One　hundred　and　twenty…six　indictments　against　depredators　（most　of

whom　were　in　collusion　with　Courtecuisse）　and　sworn　to　before　the

justice　court　of　Soulanges；　had　resulted　in　sixty…nine　commitments　for

trial；　in　virtue　of　which　Brunet；　the　sheriff's　officer；　delighted　at

such　a　windfall　of　fees；　had　rigorously　enforced　the　warrants　in　such

a　way　as　to　bring　about　what　is　called；　in　legal　language；　a

declaration　of　insolvency；　a　condition　of　pauperism　where　the　law

becomes　of　course　powerless。　By　this　declaration　the　sheriff　proves

that　the　defendant　possesses　no　property　of　any　kind；　and　is　therefore

a　pauper。　Where　there　is　absolutely　nothing；　the　creditor；　like　the

king；　loses　his　right　to　sue。　The　paupers　in　this　case；　carefully

selected　by　Courtecuisse；　were　scattered　through　five　neighboring

districts；　whither　Brunet　betook　himself　duly　attended　by　his

satellites；　Vermichel　and　Fourchon；　to　serve　the　writs。　Later　he

transmitted　the　papers　to　Sibilet　with　a　bill　of　costs　for　five

thousand　francs；　requesting　him　to　obtain　the　further　orders　of

Monsieur　le　comte　de　Montcornet。



Just　as　Sibilet；　armed　with　these　papers；　was　calmly　explaining　to　the

count　the　result　of　the　rash　orders　he　had　given　to　Courtecuisse；　and

witnessing；　as　calmly；　a　burst　of　the　most　violent　anger　a　general　of

the　French　cavalry　was　ever　known　to　indulge　in；　Courtecuisse　entered

to　pay　his　respects　to　his　master　and　to　bring　his　own　account　of

eleven　hundred　francs；　the　sum　to　which　his　promised　commission　now

amounted。　The　natural　man　took　the　bit　in　his　teeth　and　ran　off　with

the　general；　who　totally　forgot　his　coronet　and　his　field　rank；　he　was

a　trooper　once　more；　vomiting　curses　of　which　he　probably　was　ashamed

when　he　thought　of　them　later。



〃Ha！　eleven　hundred　francs！〃　he　shouted；　〃eleven　hundred　slaps　in　your

face！　eleven　hundred　kicks！Do　you　think　I　can't　see　straight　through

your　lies？　Out　of　my　sight；　or　I'll　strike　you　flat！〃



At　the　mere　look　of　the　general's　purple　face　and　before　that　warrior

could　get　out　the　last　words；　Courtecuisse　was　off　like　a　swallow。



〃Monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　Sibilet；　gently；　〃you　are　wrong。〃



〃Wrong！　I；　wrong？〃



〃Yes；　Monsieur　le　comte；　take　care；　you　will　have　trouble　with　that

rascal；　he　will　sue　you。〃



〃What　do　I　care　for　that？　Tell　the　scoundrel　to　leave　the　place

instantly！　See　that　he　takes　nothing　of　mine；　and　pay　him　his　wages。〃



Four　hours　later　the　whole　country…side　was　gossiping　about　this

scene。　The　general；　they　said；　had　assaulted　the　unfortunate

Courtecuisse；　and　refused　to　pay　his　wages　a