sons of the soil-第38章

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him；　but　that's　nothing。　General；　you　remember　the　plan　we　agreed

upon；to　seize　the　cattle　of　those　depredators　against　whom　judgment

was　given？　Well；　we　can't　do　it。　Brunet；　like　his　colleague　Plissoud；

is　not　loyal　in　his　support。　They　both　warn　the　delinquents　when　they

are　about　to　make　a　seizure。　Vermichel；　Brunet's　assistant；　went　to

the　Grand…I…Vert　this　morning；　ostensibly　after　Pere　Fourchon；　and

Marie　Tonsard；　who　is　intimate　with　Bonnebault；　ran　off　at　once　to

give　the　alarm　at　Conches。　The　depredations　have　begun　again。〃



〃A　strong　show　of　authority　is　becoming　daily　more　and　more

necessary；〃　said　Sibilet。



〃What　did　I　tell　you？〃　cried　the　general。　〃We　must　demand　the

enforcement　of　the　judgment　of　the　court；　which　carried　with　it

imprisonment；　we　must　arrest　for　debt　all　those　who　do　not　pay　the

damages　I　have　won　and　the　costs　of　the　suits。〃



〃These　fellows　imagine　the　law　is　powerless；　and　tell　each　other　that

you　dare　not　arrest　them；〃　said　Sibilet。　〃They　think　they　frighten

you！　They　have　confederates　at　Ville…aux…Fayes；　for　even　the

prosecuting　attorney　seems　to　have　ignored　the　verdicts　against　them。〃



〃I　think；〃　said　Michaud；　seeing　that　the　general　looked　thoughtful；

〃that　if　you　are　willing　to　spend　a　good　deal　of　money　you　can　still

protect　the　property。〃



〃It　is　better　to　spend　money　than　to　act　harshly；〃　remarked　Sibilet。



〃What　is　your　plan？〃　asked　the　general　of　his　bailiff。



〃It　is　very　simple；〃　said　Michaud。　〃Inclose　the　whole　forest　with

walls；　like　those　of　the　park；　and　you　will　be　safe；　the　slightest

depredation　then　becomes　a　criminal　offence　and　is　taken　to　the

assizes。〃



〃At　a　franc　and　a　half　the　square　foot　for　the　material　only；　Monsieur

le　comte　would　find　his　wall　would　cost　him　a　third　of　the　whole　value

of　Les　Aigues；〃　said　Sibilet；　with　a　laugh。



〃Well；　well；〃　said　Montcornet；　〃I　shall　go　and　see　the　attorney…

general　at　once。〃



〃The　attorney…general；〃　remarked　Sibilet；　gently；　〃may　perhaps　share

the　opinion　of　his　subordinate；　for　the　negligence　shown　by　the　latter

is　probably　the　result　of　an　agreement　between　them。〃



〃Then　I　wish　to　know　it！〃　cried　Montcornet。　〃If　I　have　to　get　the

whole　of　them　turned　out；　judges；　civil　authorities；　and　the　attorney…

general　to　boot；　I'll　do　it；　I'll　go　the　Keeper　of　the　Seals；　or　to

the　king　himself。〃



At　a　vehement　sign　made　by　Michaud　the　general　stopped　short　and　said

to　Sibilet；　as　he　turned　to　retrace　his　steps；　〃Good　day；　my　dear

fellow；〃words　which　the　steward　understood。



〃Does　Monsieur　le　comte　intend；　as　mayor；　to　enforce　the　necessary

measures　to　repress　the　abuse　of　gleaning？〃　he　said；　respectfully。

〃The　harvest　is　coming　on；　and　if　we　are　to　publish　the　statutes　about

certificates　of　pauperism　and　the　prevention　of　paupers　from　other

districts　gleaning　our　land；　there　is　no　time　to　be　lost。〃



〃Do　it　at　once；　and　arrange　with　Groison；〃　said　the　count。　〃With　such

a　class　of　people；〃　he　added；　〃we　must　follow　out　the　law。〃



So；　without　a　moment's　reflection；　Montcornet　gave　in　to　a　measure

that　Sibilet　had　been　proposing　to　him　for　more　than　a　fortnight；　to

which　he　had　hitherto　refused　to　consent；　but　now；　in　the　violence　of

anger　caused　by　Vatel's　mishap；　he　instantly　adopted　it　as　the　right

thing　to　do。



When　Sibilet　was　at　some　distance　the　general　said　in　a　low　voice　to

his　bailiff：



〃Well；　my　dear　Michaud；　what　is　it；　why　did　you　make　me　that　sign？〃



〃You　have　an　enemy　within　the　walls；　general；　yet　you　tell　him　plans

which　you　ought　not　to　confide　even　to　the　secret　police。〃



〃I　share　your　suspicions；　my　dear　friend；〃　replied　Montcornet；　〃but　I

don't　intend　to　commit　the　same　fault　twice　over。　I　shall　not　part

with　another　steward　till　I'm　sure　of　a　better。　I　am　waiting　to　get

rid　of　Sibilet；　till　you　understand　the　business　of　steward　well

enough　to　take　his　place；　and　till　Vatel　is　fit　to　succeed　you。　And

yet；　I　have　no　ground　of　complaint　against　Sibilet。　He　is　honest　and

punctual　in　all　his　dealings；　he　hasn't　kept　back　a　hundred　francs　in

all　these　five　years。　He　has　a　perfectly　detestable　nature；　and　that's

all　one　can　say　against　him。　If　it　were　otherwise；　what　would　be　his

plan　in　acting　as　he　does？〃



〃General；〃　said　Michaud；　gravely；　〃I　will　find　out；　for　undoubtedly　he

has　one；　and　if　you　would　only　allow　it；　a　good　bribe　to　that　old

scoundrel　Fourchon　will　enable　me　to　get　at　the　truth；　though　after

what　he　said　just　now　I　suspect　the　old　fellow　of　having　more　secrets

than　one　in　his　pouch。　That　swindling　old　cordwainer　told　me　himself

they　want　to　drive　you　from　Les　Aigues。　And　let　me　tell　you；　for　you

ought　to　know　it；　that　from　Conches　to　Ville…aux…Fayes　there　is　not　a

peasant；　a　petty　tradesman；　a　farmer；　a　tavern…keeper　who　isn't　laying

by　his　money　to　buy　a　bit　of　the　estate。　Fourchon　confided　to　me　that

Tonsard　has　already　put　in　his　claim。　The　idea　that　you　can　be　forced

to　sell　Les　Aigues　has　gone　from　end　to　end　of　the　valley　like　an

infection　in　the　air。　It　may　be　that　the　steward's　present　house；　with

some　adjoining　land；　will　be　the　price　paid　for　Sibilet's　spying。

Nothing　is　ever　said　among　us　that　is　not　immediately　known　at　Ville…

aux…Fayes。　Sibilet　is　a　relative　of　your　enemy　Gaubertin。　What　you

have　just　said　about　the　attorney…general　and　the　others　will　probably

be　reported　before　you　have　reached　the　Prefecture。　You　don't　know

what　the　inhabitants　of　this　district　are。〃



〃Don't　I　know　them？　I　know　they　are　the　scum　of　the　earth！　Do　you

suppose　I　am　going　to　yield　to　such　blackguards？〃　cried　the　general。

〃Good　heavens；　I'd　rather　burn　Les　Aigues　myself！〃



〃No　need　to　burn　it；　let　us　adopt　a　line　of　conduct　which　will　baffle

the　schemes　of　these　Lilliputians。　Judging　by　threats；　general；　they

are　resolved　on　war　to　the　knife　against　you；　and　therefore　since　you

mention　incendiarism；　let　me　beg　of　you　to　insure　all　your　buildings；

and　all　your　farmhouses。〃



〃Michaud；　do　you　know　whom　they　mean　by　'Shopman'？　Yesterday；　as　I　was

riding　along　by　the　Thune；　I　heard　some　little　rascals　cry　out；　'The

Shopman！　here's　the　Shopman！'　and　then　they　ran　away。〃



〃Ask　Sibilet；　the　answer　is　in　his　line；　he　likes　to　make　you　angry；〃

said　Michaud；　with　a　pained　look。　〃Butif　you　will　have　an　answer

well；　that's　a　nickname　these　brigands　have　given　you；　general。〃



〃What　does　it　mean？〃



〃It　means；　generalwell；　it　refers　to　your　father。〃



〃Ha！　the　curs！〃　cried　the　count；　turning　livid。　〃Yes；　Michaud；　my

father　was　a　shopkeeper；　an　upholsterer；　the　countess　doesn't　know　it。

Oh！　that　I　should　everwell！　after　all；　I　have　waltzed　with　queens

and　empresses。　I'll　tell　her　this　very　night；〃　he　cried；　after　a

pause。



〃They　also　call　you　a　coward；〃　continued　Michaud。



〃Ha！〃



〃They　ask　how　you　managed　to　save　yourself　at　Essling　when　nearly　all

your　comrades　perished。〃



The　accusation　brought　a　smile　to　the　general's　lips。　〃Michaud；　I

shall　go　at　once　to　the　Prefecture！〃　he　cried；　with　a　sort　of　fury；

〃if　it　is　only　to　get　the　policies　of　insurance　you　ask　for。　Let

Madame　la　comtesse　know　that　I　have　gone。　Ha；　ha！　they　want　war；　do

they？　Well；　they　shall　have　it；　I'll　take　my　pleasure　in　thwarting

them；every　one　of　them；　those　bourgeois　of　Soulanges；　and　their

peasantry！　We　are　in　the　enemy's　country；　therefore　prudence！　Tell　the

foresters　to　keep　within　the　limits　of　the　law。　Poor　Vatel；　take　care

of　him。　The　countess　is　inclined　to　be　timid；　she　must　know　nothing　of

all　this；　otherwise　I　could　never　get　her　to　come　back　here。〃



Neither　the　general　nor　Michaud　understood　their　real　peril。　Michaud

had　been　too　short　a　time　in　this　Burgundian　valley　to　realize　the

enemy's　power；　though　he　saw　its　action。　The　general；　for　his　part；

believed　in　the　supremacy　of　the　law。



The　law；　such　as　the　legislature　of　these　days　manufactures　it；　has

not　the　virtue　we　attribute　to