sons of the soil-第45章

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know。　She　ought　to　be　educated；　and　she　knows　nothing　of　the　world。

Her　grandfather；　Pere　Niseron；　is　a　man　who　would　let　his　throat　be

cut　sooner　than　tell　a　lie；　he　would　die　of　hunger　in　a　baker's　shop；

he　has　the　strength　of　his　opinions；　and　the　girl　was　brought　up　to

all　such　principles。　La　Pechina　would　consider　herself　your　equal；　for

the　old　man　has　made　her；　as　he　says；　a　republican；just　as　Pere

Fourchon　has　made　Mouche　a　bohemian。　As　for　me；　I　laugh　at　such　ideas；

but　you　might　be　displeased。　She　would　revere　you　as　her　benefactress；

but　never　as　her　superior。　It　can't　be　otherwise；　she　is　wild　and　free

like　the　swallowsher　mother's　blood　counts　for　a　good　deal　in　what

she　is。〃



〃Who　was　her　mother？〃



〃Doesn't　madame　know　the　story？〃　said　Olympe。　〃Well；　the　son　of　the

old　sexton　at　Blangy；　a　splendid　fellow；　so　the　people　about　here　tell

me；　was　drafted　at　the　great　conscription。　In　1809　young　Niseron　was

still　only　an　artilleryman；　in　a　corps　d'armee　stationed　in　Illyria

and　Dalmatia　when　it　received　sudden　orders　to　advance　through　Hungary

and　cut　off　the　retreat　of　the　Austrian　army　in　case　the　Emperor　won

the　battle　of　Wagram。　Michaud　told　me　all　about　Dalmatia；　for　he　was

there。　Niseron；　being　so　handsome　a　man；　captivated　a　Montenegrin　girl

of　Zahara　among　the　mountains；　who　was　not　averse　to　the　French

garrison。　This　lost　her　the　good…will　of　her　compatriots；　and　life　in

her　own　town　became　impossible　after　the　departure　of　the　French。　Zena

Kropoli；　called　in　derision　the　Frenchwoman；　followed　the　artillery；

and　came　to　France　after　the　peace。　Auguste　Niseron　asked　permission

to　marry　her；　but　the　poor　woman　died　at　Vincennes　in　January；　1810；

after　giving　birth　to　a　daughter；　our　Genevieve。　The　papers　necessary

to　make　the　marriage　legal　arrived　a　few　days　later。　Auguste　Niseron

then　wrote　to　his　father　to　come　and　take　the　child；　with　a　wetnurse

he　had　got　from　its　own　country；　and　it　was　lucky　he　did；　for　he　was

killed　soon　after　by　the　bursting　of　a　shell　at　Montereau。　Registered

by　the　name　of　Genevieve　and　baptized　at　Soulanges；　the　little

Dalmatian　was　taken　under　the　protection　of　Mademoiselle　Laguerre；　who

was　touched　by　her　story。　It　seems　as　if　it　were　the　destiny　of　the

child　to　be　taken　care　of　by　the　owners　of　Les　Aigues！　Pere　Niseron

obtained　its　clothes；　and　now　and　then　some　help　in　money　from

Mademoiselle。〃



The　countess　and　Olympe　were　just　then　standing　before　a　window　from

which　they　could　see　Michaud　approaching　the　abbe　and　Blondet；　who

were　walking　up　and　down　the　wide；　semi…circular　gravelled　space　which

repeated　on　the　park　side　of　the　pavilion　the　exterior　half…moon；　they

were　conversing　earnestly。



〃Where　is　she？〃　said　the　countess；　〃you　make　me　anxious　to　see　her。〃



〃She　is　gone　to　carry　milk　to　Mademoiselle　Gaillard　at　the　gate　of

Conches；　she　will　soon　be　back；　for　it　is　more　than　an　hour　since　she

started。〃



〃Well；　I'll　go　and　meet　her　with　those　gentlemen；〃　said　Madame　de

Montcornet；　going　downstairs。



Just　as　the　countess　opened　her　parasol；　Michaud　came　up　and　told　her

that　the　general　had　left　her　a　widow　for　probably　two　days。



〃Monsieur　Michaud；〃　said　the　countess；　eagerly；　〃don't　deceive　me；

there　is　something　serious　going　on。　Your　wife　is　frightened；　and　if

there　are　many　persons　like　Pere　Fourchon；　this　part　of　the　country

will　be　uninhabitable〃



〃If　it　were　so；　madame；〃　answered　Michaud；　laughing；　〃we　should　not　be

in　the　land　of　the　living；　for　nothing　would　be　easier　than　to　make

away　with　us。　The　peasant's　grumble；　that　is　all。　But　as　to　passing

from　growls　to　blows；　from　pilfering　to　crime；　they　care　too　much　for

life　and　the　free　air　of　the　fields。　Olympe　has　been　saying　something

that　frightened　you；　but　you　know　she　is　in　state　to　be　frightened　at

nothing；〃　he　added；　drawing　his　wife's　hand　under　his　arm　and　pressing

it　to　warn　her　to　say　no　more。



〃Cornevin！　Juliette！〃　cried　Madame　Michaud；　who　soon　saw　the　head　of

her　old　cook　at　the　window。　〃I　am　going　for　a　little　walk；　take　care

of　the　premises。〃



Two　enormous　dogs；　who　began　to　bark；　proved　that　the　effectiveness　of

the　garrison　at　the　gate　of　the　Avonne　was　not　to　be　despised。　Hearing

the　dogs；　Cornevin；　an　old　Percheron；　Olympe's　foster…father；　came

from　behind　the　trees；　showing　a　head　such　as　no　other　region　than　La

Perche　can　manufacture。　Cornevin　was　undoubtedly　a　Chouan　in　1794　and

1799。



The　whole　party　accompanied　the　countess　along　that　one　of　the　six

forest　avenues　which　led　directly　to　the　gate　of　Conches；　crossing　the

Silver…spring　rivulet。　Madame　de　Montcornet　walked　in　front　with

Blondet。　The　abbe　and　Michaud　and　his　wife　talked　in　a　low　voice　of

the　revelation　that　had　just　been　made　to　the　countess　of　the　state　of

the　country。



〃Perhaps　it　is　providential；〃　said　the　abbe；　〃for　if　madame　is

willing；　we　might；　perhaps；　by　dint　of　benefits　and　constant

consideration　of　their　wants；　change　the　hearts　of　these　people。〃



At　about　six　hundred　feet　from　the　pavilion　and　below　the　brooke；　the

countess　caught　sight　of　a　broken　red　jug　and　some　spilt　milk。



〃Something　has　happened　to　the　poor　child！〃　she　cried；　calling　to

Michaud　and　his　wife；　who　were　returning　to　the　pavilion。



〃A　misfortune　like　Perrette's；〃　said　Blondet；　laughing。



〃No；　the　poor　child　has　been　surprised　and　pursued；　for　the　jug　was

thrown　outside　the　path；〃　said　the　abbe；　examining　the　ground。



〃Yes；　that　is　certainly　La　Pechina's　step；〃　said　Michaud；　〃the　print

of　the　feet；　which　have　turned；　you　see；　quickly；　shows　sudden　terror。

The　child　must　have　darted　in　the　direction　of　the　pavilion；　trying　to

get　back　there。〃



Every　one　followed　the　traces　which　the　bailiff　pointed　out　as　he

walked　along　examining　them。　Presently　he　stopped　in　the　middle　of　the

path　about　a　hundred　feet　from　the　broken　jug；　where　the　girl's　foot…

prints　ceased。



〃Here；〃　he　said；　〃she　turned　towards　the　Avonne；　perhaps　she　was

headed　off　from　the　direction　of　the　pavilion。〃



〃But　she　has　been　gone　more　than　an　hour；〃　cried　Madame　Michaud。



Alarm　was　in　all　faces。　The　abbe　ran　towards　the　pavilion；　examining

the　state　of　the　road；　while　Michaud；　impelled　by　the　same　thought；

went　up　the　path　towards　Conches。



〃Good　God！　she　fell　here；〃　said　Michaud；　returning　from　a　place　where

the　footsteps　stopped　near　the　brook；　to　that　where　they　had　turned　in

the　road；　and　pointing　to　the　ground；　he　added；　〃See！〃



The　marks　were　plainly　seen　of　a　body　lying　at　full　length　on　the

sandy　path。



〃The　footprints　which　have　entered　the　wood　are　those　of　some　one　who

wore　knitted　soles；〃　said　the　abbe。



〃A　woman；　then；〃　said　the　countess。



〃Down　there；　by　the　broken　pitcher；　are　the　footsteps　of　a　man；〃　added

Michaud。



〃I　don't　see　traces　of　any　other　foot；〃　said　the　abbe；　who　was

tracking　into　the　wood　the　prints　of　the　woman's　feet。



〃She　must　have　been　lifted　and　carried　into　the　wood；〃　cried　Michaud。



〃That　can't　be；　if　it　is　really　a　woman's　foot；〃　said　Blondet。



〃It　must　be　some　trick　of　that　wretch；　Nicolas；〃　said　Michaud。　〃He　has

been　watching　La　Pechina　for　some　time。　Only　this　morning　I　stood　two

hours　under　the　bridge　of　the　Avonne　to　see　what　he　was　about。　A　woman

may　have　helped　him。〃



〃It　is　dreadful！〃　said　the　countess。



〃They　call　it　amusing　themselves；〃　added　the　priest；　in　a　sad　and

grieved　tone。



〃Oh！　La　Pechina　would　never　let　them　keep　her；〃　said　the　bailiff；　〃she

is　quite　able　to　swim　across　the　river。　I　shall　look　along　the　banks。

Go　home；　my　dear　Olympe；　and　you　gentlemen　and　madame；　please　to

follow　the　avenue　towards　Conches。〃



〃What　a　country！〃　exclaimed　the　countess。



〃There　are　scoundrels　everywhere；〃　replied　Blondet。



〃Is　it　true；　Monsieur　l'abbe；〃　asked　Madame　de　Montcornet；　〃that　I

saved　the　poor　child　from　the　clutches　of　Rigou？〃



〃Every　young　girl　ove