sons of the soil-第40章

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sister；　was　two　hundred　thousand　francs；　not　to　speak　of

〃expectations。〃　This　functionary　showed　much　sense；　though　not　aware

of　it；　in　falling　in　love　with　Mademoiselle　Elise　when　he　first

arrived　at　Ville…aux…Fayes；　in　1819。　If　it　had　not　been　for　his　social

position；　which　made　him　〃eligible；〃　he　would　long　ago　have　been

forced　to　ask　for　his　exchange。　But　Gaubertin　in　marrying　him　to　his

daughter　thought　much　more　of　the　uncle；　the　general…secretary；　than

of　the　nephew；　and　in　return；　the　uncle；　for　the　sake　of　his　nephew；

gave　all　his　influence　to　Gaubertin。



Thus　the　Church；　the　magistracy　both　removable　and　irremovable；　the

municipality；　and　the　prefecture；　the　four　feet　of　power；　walked　as

the　mayor　pleased。　Let　us　now　see　how　that　functionary　strengthened

himself　in　the　spheres　above　and　below　that　in　which　he　worked。



The　department　to　which　Ville…aux…Fayes　belongs　is　one　the　number　of

whose　population　gives　it　the　right　to　elect　six　deputies。　Ever　since

the　creation　of　the　Left　Centre　of　the　Chamber；　the　arrondissement　of

Ville…aux…Fayes　had　sent　a　deputy　named　Leclercq；　formerly　banking

agent　of　the　wine　department　of　the　custom…house；　a　son…in…law　of

Gaubertin；　and　now　a　governor　of　the　Bank　of　France。　The　number　of

electors　which　this　rich　valley　sent　to　the　electoral　college　was

sufficient　to　insure；　if　only　through　private　dealing；　the　constant

appointment　of　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles；　the　patron　of　the　Mouchon

family。　The　voters　of　Ville…aux…Fayes　lent　their　support　to　the

prefect；　on　condition　that　the　Marquis　de　Ronquerolles　was　maintained

in　the　college。　Thus　Gaubertin；　who　was　the　first　to　broach　the　idea

of　this　arrangement；　was　favorably　received　at　the　Prefecture；　which

he　often；　in　return；　saved　from　petty　annoyances。　The　prefect　always

selected　three　firm　ministerialists；　and　two　deputies　of　the　Left

Centre。　The　latter；　one　of　them　being　the　Marquis　de　Ronquerolles；

brother…in…law　of　the　Comte　de　Serisy；　and　the　other　a　governor　of　the

Bank　of　France；　gave　little　or　no　alarm　to　the　cabinet；　and　the

elections　in　this　department　were　rated　excellent　at　the　ministry　of

the　interior。



The　Comte　de　Soulanges；　peer　of　France；　selected　to　be　the　next

marshal；　and　faithful　to　the　Bourbons；　knew　that　his　forests　and　other

property　were　all　well…managed　by　the　notary　Lupin；　and　well…watched

by　Soudry。　He　was　a　patron　of　Gendrin's；　having　obtained　his

appointment　as　judge　partly　by　the　help　of　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles。



Messieurs　Leclercq　and　de　Ronquerolles　sat　in　the　Left　Centre；　but

nearer　to　the　left　than　to　the　centre；a　political　position　which

offers　great　advantages　to　those　who　regard　their　political　conscience

as　a　garment。



The　brother　of　Monsieur　Leclercq　had　obtained　the　situation　of

collector　at　Ville…aux…Fayes；　and　Leclercq　himself；　Gaubertin's　son…

in…law；　had　lately　bought　a　fine　estate　beyond　the　valley　of　the

Avonne；　which　brought　him　in　a　rental　of　thirty　thousand　francs；　with

park　and　chateau　and　a　controlling　influence　in　its　own　canton。



Thus；　in　the　upper　regions　of　the　State；　in　both　Chambers；　and　in　the

chief　ministerial　department；　Gaubertin　could　rely　on　an　influence

that　was　powerful　and　also　active；　and　which　he　was　careful　not　to

weary　with　unimportant　requests。



The　counsellor　Gendrin；　appointed　judge　by　the　Chamber；　was　the

leading　spirit　of　the　Supreme　Court；　for　the　chief　justice；　one　of　the

three　ministerial　deputies；　left　the　management　of　it　to　Gendrin

during　half　the　year。　The　counsel　for　the　Prefecture；　a　cousin　of

Sarcus；　called　〃Sarcus　the　rich；〃　was　the　right…hand　man　of　the

prefect；　himself　a　deputy。　Even　without　the　family　reasons　which

allied　Gaubertin　and　young　des　Lupeaulx；　a　brother　of　Madame　Sarcus

would　still　have　been　desirable　as　sub…prefect　to　the　arrondissement

of　Ville…aux…Fayes。　Madame　Sarcus；　the　counsellor's　wife；　was　a　Vallat

of　Soulanges；　a　family　connected　with　the　Gaubertins；　and　she　was　said

to　have　〃distinguished〃　the　notary　Lupin　in　her　youth。　Though　she　was

now　forty…five　years　old；　with　a　son　in　the　school　of　engineers；　Lupin

never　went　to　the　Prefecture　without　paying　his　respects　and　dining

with　her。



The　nephew　of　Guerbet；　the　postmaster；　whose　father　was；　as　we　have

seen；　collector　of　Soulanges；　held　the　important　situation　of

examining　judge　in　the　municipal　court　of　Ville…aux…Fayes。　The　third

judge；　son　of　Corbinet；　the　notary；　belonged　body　and　soul　to　the　all…

powerful　mayor；　and；　finally；　young　Vigor；　son　of　the　lieutenant　of

the　gendarmerie；　was　the　substitute　judge。



Sibilet's　father；　sheriff　of　the　court；　had　married　his　sister　to

Monsieur　Vigor　the　lieutenant；　and　that　individual；　father　of　six

children；　was　cousin　of　the　father　of　Gaubertin　through　his　wife；　a

Gaubertin…Vallat。　Eighteen　months　previously　the　united　efforts　of　the

two　deputies；　Monsieur　de　Soulanges　and　Gaubertin；　had　created　the

place　of　commissary　of　police　for　the　sheriff's　second　son。



Sibilet's　eldest　daughter　married　Monsieur　Herve；　a　school…master；

whose　school　was　transformed　into　a　college　as　a　result　of　this

marriage；　so　that　for　the　past　year　Soulanges　had　rejoiced　in　the

presence　of　a　professor。



The　sheriff's　youngest　son　was　employed　on　the　government　domains；

with　the　promise　of　succeeding　the　clerk　of　registrations　so　soon　as

that　officer　had　completed　the　term　of　service　which　enabled　him　to

retire　on　a　pension。



The　youngest　Sibilet　girl；　now　sixteen　years　old；　was　betrothed　to

Corbinet；　brother　of　the　notary。　And　an　old　maid；　Mademoiselle

Gaubertin…Vallat；　sister　of　Madame　Sibilet；　the　sheriff's　wife；　held

the　office　for　the　sale　of　stamped　paper。



Thus；　wherever　we　turn　in　Ville…aux…Fayes　we　meet　some　member　of　the

invisible　coalition；　whose　avowed　chief；　recognized　as　such　by　every

one；　great　and　small；　was　the　mayor　of　the　town；　the　general　agent　for

the　entire　timber　business；　Gaubertin！



If　we　turn　to　the　other　end　of　the　valley　of　the　Avonne　we　shall　see

that　Gaubertin　ruled　at　Soulanges　through　the　Soudrys；　through　Lupin

the　assistant　mayor　and　steward　of　the　Soulanges　estate；　who　was

necessarily　in　constant　communication　with　the　Comte　de　Soulanges；

through　Sarcus；　justice　of　the　peace；　through　Guerbet；　the　collector；

through　Gourdon；　the　doctor；　who　had　married　a　Gendrin…Vatebled。　He

governed　Blangy　through　Rigou；　Conches　through　the　post…master；　the

despotic　ruler　of　his　own　district。



Gaubertin's　influence　was　so　great　and　powerful　that　even　the

investments　and　the　savings　of　Rigou；　Soudry；　Gendrin；　Guerbet；　Lupin；

even　Sarcus　the　rich　himself；　were　managed　by　his　advice。　The　town　of

Ville…aux…Fayes　believed　implicitly　in　its　mayor。　Gaubertin's　ability

was　not　less　extolled　than　his　honesty　and　his　kindness；　he　was　the

servant　of　his　relatives　and　constituents　（always　with　an　eye　to　a

return　of　benefits）；　and　the　whole　municipality　adored　him。　The　town

never　ceased　to　blame　Monsieur　Mariotte；　of　Auxerre；　for　having

opposed　and　thwarted　that　worthy　Monsieur　Gaubertin。



Not　aware　of　their　strength；　no　occasion　for　displaying　it　having

arisen；　the　bourgeoisie　of　Ville…aux…Fayes　contented　themselves　with

boasting　that　no　strangers　intermeddled　in　their　affairs　and　they

believed　themselves　excellent　citizens　and　faithful　public　servants。

Nothing；　however；　escaped　their　despotic　rule；　which　in　itself　was　not

perceived；　the　result　being　considered　a　triumph　of　the　locality。



The　only　stranger　in　this　family　community　was　the　government　engineer

in　the　highway　department；　and　his　dismissal　in　favor　of　the　son　of

Sarcus　the　rich　was　now　being　pressed；　with　a　fair　chance　that　this

one　weak　thread　in　the　net　would　soon　be　strengthened。　And　yet　this

powerful　league；　which　monopolized　all　duties　both　public　and　private；

sucked　the　resources　of　the　region；　and　fastened　on　power　like　limpets

to　a　ship；　escaped　all　notice　so　completely　that　General　Mo