sons of the soil-第43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！



him　utterly。　From　the　time　they　took　up　their　abode　in　the　pavilion；

this　happy　home　was　the　scene　of　a　long　honey…moon　in　harmony　with

Nature　and　with　the　art　whose　creations　surrounded　them；a

circumstance　rare　indeed！　The　things　about　us　are　seldom　in　keeping

with　the　condition　of　our　souls！



The　picture　was　so　pretty　that　the　countess　stopped　short　and　pointed

it　out　to　Blondet　and　the　abbe；　for　they　could　see　Madame　Michaud　from

where　they　stood；　without　her　seeing　them。



〃I　always　come　this　way　when　I　walk　in　the　park；〃　said　the　countess；

softly。　〃I　delight　in　looking　at　the　pavilion　and　its　two　turtle…

doves；　as　much　as　I　delight　in　a　fine　view。〃



She　leaned　significantly　on　Blondet's　arm；　as　if　to　make　him　share

sentiments　too　delicate　for　words　but　which　all　women　feel。



〃I　wish　I　were　a　gate…keeper　at　Les　Aigues；〃　said　Blondet；　smiling。

〃Why！　what　troubles　you？〃　he　added；　noticing　an　expression　of　sadness

on　the　countess's　face。



〃Nothing；〃　she　replied。



Women　are　always　hiding　some　important　thought　when　they　say；

hypocritically；　〃It　is　nothing。〃



〃A　woman　may　be　the　victim　of　ideas　which　would　seem　very　flimsy　to

you；〃　she　added；　〃but　which；　to　us；　are　terrible。　As　for　me；　I　envy

Olympe's　lot。〃



〃God　hears　you；〃　said　the　abbe；　smiling　as　though　to　soften　the

sternness　of　his　remark。



Madame　de　Montcornet　grew　seriously　uneasy　when　she　noticed　an

expression　of　fear　and　anxiety　in　Olympe's　face　and　attitude。　By　the

way　a　woman　draws　out　her　needle　or　sets　her　stitches　another　woman

understands　her　thoughts。　In　fact；　though　wearing　a　rose…colored

dress；　with　her　hair　carefully　braided　about　her　head；　the　bailiff's

wife　was　thinking　of　matters　that　were　out　of　keeping　with　her　pretty

dress；　the　glorious　day；　and　the　work　her　hands　were　engaged　on。　Her

beautiful　brow；　and　the　glance　she　turned　sometimes　on　the　ground　at

her　feet；　sometimes　on　the　foliage　around；　evidently　seeing　nothing；

betrayed　some　deep　anxiety；all　the　more　unconsciously　because　she

supposed　herself　alone。



〃Just　as　I　was　envying　her！　What　can　have　saddened　her？〃　whispered　the

countess　to　the　abbe。



〃Madame；〃　he　replied　in　the　same　tone；　〃tell　me　why　man　is　often

seized　with　vague　and　unaccountable　presentiments　of　evil　in　the　very

midst　of　some　perfect　happiness？〃



〃Abbe！〃　said　Blondet；　smiling；　〃you　talk　like　a　bishop。　Napoleon　said；

'Nothing　is　stolen；　all　is　bought！'〃



〃Such　a　maxim；　uttered　by　those　imperial　lips；　takes　the　proportions

of　society　itself；〃　replied　the　priest。



〃Well；　Olympe；　my　dear　girl；　what　is　the　matter？〃　said　the　countess

going　up　to　her　former　maid。　〃You　seem　sad　and　thoughtful；　is　it　a

lover's　quarrel？〃



Madame　Michaud's　face；　as　she　rose；　changed　completely。



〃My　dear；〃　said　Emile　Blondet；　in　a　fatherly　tone；　〃I　should　like　to

know　what　clouds　that　brow　of　yours；　in　this　pavilion　where　you　are

almost　as　well　lodged　as　the　Comte　d'Artois　at　the　Tuileries。　It　is

like　a　nest　of　nightingales　in　a　grove！　And　what　a　husband　we　have！

the　bravest　fellow　of　the　young　garde；　and　a　handsome　one；　who　loves

us　to　distraction！　If　I　had　known　the　advantages　Montcornet　has　given

you　here　I　should　have　left　my　diatribing　business　and　made　myself　a

bailiff。〃



〃It　is　not　the　place　for　a　man　of　your　talent；　monsieur；〃　replied

Olympe；　smiling　at　Blondet　as　an　old　acquaintance。



〃But　what　troubles　you；　dear？〃　said　the　countess。



〃Madame；　I'm　afraid〃



〃Afraid！　of　what？〃　said　the　countess；　eagerly；　for　the　word　reminded

her　of　Mouche　and　Fourchon。



〃Afraid　of　the　wolves；　is　that　it？〃　said　Emile；　making　Madame　Michaud

a　sign；　which　she　did　not　understand。



〃No；　monsieur；afraid　of　the　peasants。　I　was　born　in　Le　Perche；　where

of　course　there　are　some　bad　people；　but　I　had　no　idea　how　wicked

people　could　be　until　I　came　here。　I　try　not　to　meddle　in　Michaud's

affairs；　but　I　do　know　that　he　distrusts　the　peasants　so　much　that　he

goes　armed；　even　in　broad　daylight；　when　he　enters　the　forest。　He

warns　his　men　to　be　always　on　the　alert。　Every　now　and　then　things

happen　about　here　that　bode　no　good。　The　other　day　I　was　walking　along

the　wall；　near　the　source　of　that　little　sandy　rivulet　which　comes

from　the　forest　and　enters　the　park　through　a　culvert　about　five

hundred　feet　from　here；you　know　it；　madame？　it　is　called　Silver

Spring；　because　of　the　star…flowers　Bouret　is　said　to　have　sown　there。

Well；　I　overheard　the　talk　of　two　women　who　were　washing　their　linen

just　where　the　path　to　Conches　crosses　the　brook；　they　did　not　know　I

was　there。　Our　house　can　be　seen　from　that　point；　and　one　old　woman

pointed　it　out　to　the　other；　saying：　'See　what　a　lot　of　money　they

have　spent　on　the　man　who　turned　out　Courtecuisse。'　'They　ought　to　pay

a　man　well　when　they　set　him　to　harass　poor　people　as　that　man　does；'

answered　the　other。　'Well；　it　won't　be　for　long；'　said　the　first　one；

'the　thing　is　going　to　end　soon。　We　have　a　right　to　our　wood。　The　late

Madame　allowed　us　to　take　it。　That's　thirty　years　ago；　so　the　right　is

ours。'　'We'll　see　what　we　shall　see　next　winter；'　replied　the　second。

'My　man　has　sworn　the　great　oath　that　all　the　gendarmerie　in　the　world

sha'n't　keep　us　from　getting　our　wood；　he　says　he　means　to　get　it

himself；　and　if　the　worst　happens　so　much　the　worse　for　them！'　'Good

God！'　cried　the　other；　'we　can't　die　of　cold；　and　we　must　bake　bread

to　eat！　They　want　for　nothing；　THOSE　OTHERS！　the　wife　of　that

scoundrel　of　a　Michaud　will　be　taken　care　of；　I　warrant　you！'　And

then；　Madame；　they　said　such　horrible　things　of　me　and　of　you　and　of

Monsieur　le　comte；　and　they　finally　declared　that　the　farms　would　all

be　burned；　and　then　the　chateau。〃



〃Bah！〃　said　Emile；　〃idle　talk！　They　have　been　robbing　the　general；　and

they　will　not　be　allowed　to　rob　him　any　longer。　These　people　are

furious；　that's　the　whole　of　it。　You　must　remember　that　the　law　and

the　government　are　always　strongest　everywhere；　even　in　Burgundy。　In

case　of　an　outbreak　the　general　could　bring　a　regiment　of　cavalry

here；　if　necessary。〃



The　abbe　made　a　sign　to　Madame　Michaud　from　behind　the　countess；

telling　her　to　say　no　more　about　her　fears；　which　were　doubtless　the

effect　of　that　second　sight　which　true　passion　bestows。　The　soul；

dwelling　exclusively　on　one　only　being；　grasps　in　the　end　the　moral

elements　that　surround　it；　and　sees　in　them　the　makings　of　the　future。

The　woman　who　loves　feels　the　same　presentiments　that　later　illuminate

her　motherhood。　Hence　a　certain　melancholy；　a　certain　inexplicable

sadness　which　surprises　men；　who　are　one　and　all　distracted　from　any

such　concentration　of　their　souls　by　the　cares　of　life　and　the

continual　necessity　for　action。　All　true　love　becomes　to　a　woman　an

active　contemplation；　which　is　more　or　less　lucid；　more　or　less

profound；　according　to　her　nature。



〃Come；　my　dear；　show　your　home　to　Monsieur　Emile；〃　said　the　countess；

whose　mind　was　so　pre…occupied　that　she　forgot　La　Pechina；　who　was　the

ostensible　object　of　her　visit。



The　interior　of　the　restored　pavilion　was　in　keeping　with　its

exterior。　On　the　ground…floor　the　old　divisions　had　been　replaced；　and

the　architect；　sent　from　Paris　with　his　own　workmen　（a　cause　of　bitter

complaint　in　the　neighborhood　against　the　master　of　Les　Aigues）；　had

made　four　rooms　out　of　the　space。　First；　an　ante…chamber；　at　the

farther　end　of　which　was　a　winding　wooden　staircase；　behind　which　came

the　kitchen；　on　either　side　of　the　antechamber　was　a　dining…room　and　a

parlor　panelled　in　oak　now　nearly　black；　with　armorial　bearings　in　the

divisions　of　the　ceilings。　The　architect　chosen　by　Madame　de

Montcornet　for　the　restoration　of　Les　Aigues　had　taken　care　to　put　the

furniture　of　this　room　in　keeping　with　its　original　decoration。



At　the　time　of　which　we　write　fashion　had　not　yet　given　an　exaggerated

value　to　the　relics　of　past　ages。　The　carved　settee；　the　high…backed

chair