sons of the soil-第46章

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saved　the　poor　child　from　the　clutches　of　Rigou？〃



〃Every　young　girl　over　fiften　years　of　age　whom　you　may　protect　at　the

chateau　is　saved　from　that　monster；〃　said　the　abbe。　〃In　trying　to　get

possession　of　La　Pechina　from　her　earliest　years；　the　apostate　sought

to　satisfy　both　his　lust　and　his　vengeance。　When　I　took　Pere　Niseron

as　sexton　I　told　him　what　Rigou's　intentions　were。　That　is　one　of　the

causes　of　the　late　mayor's　rancor　against　me；　his　hatred　grew　out　of

it。　Pere　Niseron　said　to　him　solemnly　that　he　would　kill　him　if　any

harm　came　to　Genevieve；　and　he　made　him　responsible　for　all　attempts

upon　the　poor　child's　honor。　I　can't　help　thinking　that　this　pursuit

of　Nicolas　is　the　result　of　some　infernal　collusion　with　Rigou；　who

thinks　he　can　do　as　he　likes　with　these　people。〃



〃Doesn't　he　fear　the　law？〃



〃In　the　first　place；　he　is　father…in…law　of　the　prosecuting…attorney；〃

said　the　abbe；　pausing　to　listen。　〃And　then；〃　he　resumed；　〃you　have　no

conception　of　the　utter　indifference　of　the　rural　police　to　what　is

done　around　them。　So　long　as　the　peasants　do　not　burn　the　farm…houses

and　buildings；　commit　no　murders；　poison　no　one；　and　pay　their　taxes；

they　let　them　do　as　they　like；　and　as　these　people　are　not　restrained

by　any　religious　principle；　horrible　things　happen　every　day。　On　the

other　side　of　the　Avonne　helpless　old　men　are　afraid　to　stay　in　their

own　homes；　for　they　are　allowed　nothing　to　eat；　they　wander　out　into

the　fields　as　far　as　their　tottering　legs　can　bear　them；　knowing　well

that　if　they　take　to　their　beds　they　will　die　for　want　of　food。

Monsieur　Sarcus；　the　magistrate；　tells　me　that　if　they　arrested　and

tried　all　criminals；　the　costs　would　ruin　the　municipality。〃



〃Then　he　at　least　sees　how　things　are？〃　said　Blondet。



〃Monseigneur　thoroughly　understands　the　condition　of　the　valley；　and

especially　the　state　of　this　district；〃　continued　the　abbe。　〃Religion

alone　can　cure　such　evils；　the　law　seems　to　me　powerless；　modified　as

it　is　now〃



The　words　were　interrupted　by　loud　cries　from　the　woods；　and　the

countess；　preceded　by　Emile　and　the　abbe；　sprang　bravely　into　the

brushwood　in　the　direction　of　the　sounds。







CHAPTER　XI



THE　OARISTYS；　EIGHTEENTH　ECLOGUE　OF　THEOCRITUS；

LITTLE　ADMIRED　ON　THE　POLICE　CALENDAR



The　sagacity　of　a　savage；　which　Michaud's　new　occupation　had　developed

among　his　faculties；　joined　to　an　acquaintance　with　the　passions　and

interests　of　Blangy；　enabled　him　partially　to　understand　a　third　idyll

in　the　Greek　style；　which　poor　villagers　like　Tonsard；　and　middle…aged

rich　men　like　Rigou；　translate　FREELYto　use　the　classic　wordin　the

depths　of　their　country　solitudes。



Nicolas；　Tonsard's　second　son；　had　drawn　an　unlucky　number　at　a　recent

conscription。　Two　years　earlier　his　elder　brother　had　been　pronounced；

through　the　influence　of　Soudry；　Gaubertin；　and　Sarcus　the　rich；　unfit

for　military　service；　on　account　of　a　pretended　weakness　in　the

muscles　of　the　right　arm；　but　as　Jean…Louis　had　since　wielded

instruments　of　husbandry　with　remarkable　force　and　skill；　a　good　deal

of　talk　on　the　subject　had　gone　through　the　district。　Soudry；　Rigou；

and　Gaubertin；　who　were　the　special　protectors　of　the　family；　had

warned　Tonsard　that　he　must　not　expect　to　save　Nicolas；　who　was　tall

and　vigorous；　from　being　recruited　if　he　drew　a　fatal　number。

Nevertheless　Gaubertin　and　Rigou　were　so　well　aware　of　the　importance

of　conciliating　bold　men　able　and　willing　to　do　mischief；　if　properly

directed　against　Les　Aigues；　that　Rigou　held　out　certain　hopes　of

safety　to　Tonsard　and　his　son。　The　late　monk　was　occasionally　visited

by　Catherine　Tonsard　who　was　very　devoted　to　her　brother　Nicolas；　on

one　such　occasion　Rigou　advised　her　to　appeal　to　the　general　and　the

countess。



〃They　may　be　glad　to　do　you　this　service　to　cajole　you；　in　that　case；

it　is　just　so　much　gained　from　the　enemy；〃　he　said。　〃If　the　Shopman

refuses；　then　we　shall　see　what　we　shall　see。〃



Rigou　foresaw　that　the　general's　refusal　would　pass　as　one　wrong　the

more　done　by　the　land…owner　to　the　peasantry；　and　would　bind　Tonsard

by　an　additional　motive　of　gratitude　to　the　coalition；　in　case　the

crafty　mind　of　the　innkeeper　could　suggest　to　him　some　plausible　way

of　liberating　Nicolas。



Nicolas；　who　was　soon　to　appear　before　the　examining　board；　had　little

hope　of　the　general's　intervention　because　of　the　harm　done　to　Les

Aigues　by　all　the　members　of　the　Tonsard　family。　His　passion；　or　to

speak　more　correctly；　his　caprice　and　obstinate　pursuit　of　La　Pechina；

were　so　aggravated　by　the　prospect　of　his　immediate　departure；　which

left　him　no　time　to　seduce　her；　that　he　resolved　on　attempting

violence。　The　child's　contempt　for　her　prosecutor；　plainly　shown；

excited　the　Lovelace　of　the　Grand…I…Vert　to　a　hatred　whose　fury　was

equalled　only　by　his　desires。　For　the　last　three　days　he　had　been

watching　La　Pechina；　and　the　poor　child　knew　she　was　watched。　Between

Nicolas　and　his　prey　the　same　sort　of　understanding　existed　which

there　is　between　the　hunter　and　the　game。　When　the　girl　was　at　some

little　distance　from　the　pavilion　she　saw　Nicolas　in　one　of　the　paths

which　ran　parallel　to　the　walls　of　the　park；　leading　to　the　bridge　of

the　Avonne。　She　could　easily　have　escaped　the　man's　pursuit　had　she

appealed　to　her　grandfather；　but　all　young　girls；　even　the　most

unsophisticated；　have　a　strange　fear；　possibly　instinctive；　of

trusting　to　their　natural　protectors　under　the　like　circumstances。



Genevieve　had　heard　Pere　Niseron　take　an　oath　to　kill　any　man；　no

matter　who　he　was；　who　should　dare　to　TOUCH　（that　was　his　word）　his

granddaughter。　The　old　man　thought　the　child　amply　protected　by　the

halo　of　white　hair　and　honor　which　a　spotless　life　of　three…score

years　and　ten　had　laid　upon　his　brow。　The　vision　of　bloody　scenes

terrifies　the　imagination　of　young　girls　so　that　they　need　not　dive　to

the　bottom　of　their　hearts　for　other　numerous　and　inquisitive　reasons

which　seal　their　lips。



When　La　Pechina　started　with　the　milk　which　Madame　Michaud　had　sent　to

the　daughter　of　Gaillard；　the　keeper　of　the　gate　of　Conches；　whose　cow

had　just　calved；　she　looked　about　her　cautiously；　like　a　cat　when　it

ventures　out　onto　the　street。　She　saw　no　signs　of　Nicolas；　she

listened　to　the　silence；　as　the　poet　says；　and　hearing　nothing；　she

concluded　that　the　rascal　had　gone　to　his　day's　work。　The　peasants

were　just　beginning　to　cut　the　rye；　for　they　were　in　the　habit　of

getting　in　their　own　harvests　first；　so　as　to　benefit　by　the　best

strength　of　the　mowers。　But　Nicolas　was　not　a　man　to　mind　losing　a

day's　work；especially　now　that　he　expected　to　leave　the　country

after　the　fair　at　Soulanges　and　begin；　as　the　country　people　say；　the

new　life　of　a　soldier。



When　La　Pechina；　with　the　jug　on　her　head；　was　about　half…way；　Nicolas

slid　like　a　wild…cat　down　the　trunk　of　an　elm；　among　the　branches　of

which　he　was　hiding；　and　fell　like　a　thunderbolt　in　front　of　the　girl；

who　flung　away　her　pitcher　and　trusted　to　her　fleet　legs　to　regain　the

pavilion。　But　a　hundred　feet　farther　on；　Catherine　Tonsard；　who　was　on

the　watch；　rushed　out　of　the　wood　and　knocked　so　violently　against　the

flying　girl　that　she　was　thrown　down。　The　violence　of　the　fall　made

her　unconscious。　Catherine　picked　her　up　and　carried　her　into　the

woods　to　the　middle　of　a　tiny　meadow　where　the　Silver…spring　brook

bubbled　up。



Catherine　Tonsard　was　tall　and　strong；　and　in　every　respect　the　type

of　woman　whom　painters　and　sculptors　take；　as　the　Republic　did　in

former　days；　for　their　figures　of　Liberty。　She　charmed　the　young　men

of　the　valley　of　the　Avonne　with　her　voluminous　bosom；　her　muscular

legs；　and　a　waist　as　robust　as　it　was　flexible；　with　her　plump　arms；

her　eyes　that　could　flash　and　sparkle；　and　her　jaunty　air；　with　the

masses　of　hair　twisted　in　coils　around　her　head；　her　masculine

forehead　and　her　red　lips　curling　with