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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 

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