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第49章

sons of the soil-第49章

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〃Here are those Aigues people!〃 exclaimed Catherine; helping Genevieve

to rise。



〃Do you want to live?〃 hissed Nicolas in the child's ear。



〃What then?〃 she asked。



〃Tell them we were all playing; and I'll forgive you;〃 said Nicolas;

in a threatening voice。



〃Little wretch; mind you say it!〃 repeated Catherine; whose glance was

more terrifying than her brother's murderous threat。



〃Yes; I will; if you let me alone;〃 replied the child。 〃But anyhow I

will never go out again without my scissors。〃



〃You are to hold your tongue; or I'll drown you in the Avonne;〃 said

Catherine; ferociously。



〃You are monsters;〃 cried the abbe; coming up; 〃you ought to be

arrested and taken to the assizes。〃



〃Ha! and pray what do you do in your drawing…rooms?〃 said Nicolas;

looking full at the countess and Blondet。 〃You play and amuse

yourselves; don't you? Well; so do we; in the fields which are ours。

We can't always work; we must play sometimes;ask my sister and La

Pechina。〃



〃How do you fight if you call that playing?〃 cried Blondet。



Nicolas gave him a murderous look。



〃Speak!〃 said Catherine; gripping La Pechina by the forearm and

leaving a blue bracelet on the flesh。 〃Were not we amusing ourselves?〃



〃Yes; madame; we were amusing ourselves;〃 said the child; exhausted by

her display of strength; and now breaking down as though she were

about to faint。



〃You hear what she says; madame;〃 said Catherine; boldly; giving the

countess one of those looks which women give each other like dagger

thrusts。



She took her brother's arm; and the pair walked off; not mistaking the

opinion they left behind them in the minds of the three persons who

had interrupted the scene。 Nicolas twice looked back; and twice

encountered Blondet's gaze。 The journalist continued to watch the tall

scoundrel; who was broad in the shoulders; healthy and vigorous in

complexion; with black hair curling tightly; and whose rather soft

face showed upon its lips and around the mouth certain lines which

reveal the peculiar cruelty that characterizes sluggards and

voluptaries。 Catherine swung her petticoat; striped blue and white;

with an air of insolent coquetry。



〃Cain and his wife!〃 said Blondet to the abbe。



〃You are nearer the truth than you know;〃 replied the priest。



〃Ah! Monsieur le cure; what will they do to me?〃 said La Pechina; when

the brother and sister were out of sight。



The countess; as white as her handkerchief; was so overcome that she

heard neither Blondet nor the abbe nor La Pechina。



〃It is enough to drive one from this terrestrial paradise;〃 she said

at last。 〃But the first thing of all is to save that child from their

claws。〃



〃You are right;〃 said Blondet in a low voice。 〃That child is a poem; a

living poem。〃



Just then the Montenegrin girl was in a state where soul and body

smoke; as it were; after the conflagration of an anger which has

driven all forces; physical and intellectual; to their utmost tension。

It is an unspeakable and supreme splendor; which reveals itself only

under the pressure of some frenzy; be it resistance or victory; love

or martyrdom。 She had left home in a dress with alternate lines of

brown and yellow; and a collarette which she pleated herself by rising

before daylight; and she had not yet noticed the condition of her gown

soiled by her struggle on the grass; and her collar torn in

Catherine's grasp。 Feeling her hair hanging loose; she looked about

her for a comb。 At this moment Michaud; also attracted by the screams;

came upon the scene。 Seeing her god; La Pechina recovered her full

strength。 〃Monsieur Michaud;〃 she cried; 〃he did not even touch me!〃



The cry; the look; the action of the girl were an eloquent commentary;

and told more to Blondet and the abbe than Madame Michaud had told the

countess about the passion of that strange nature for the bailiff; who

was utterly unconscious of it。



〃The scoundrel!〃 cried Michaud。



Then; with an involuntary and impotent gesture; such as mad men and

wise men can both be forced into giving; he shook his fist in the

direction in which he had caught sight of Nicolas disappearing with

his sister。



〃Then you were not playing?〃 said the abbe with a searching look at La

Pechina。



〃Don't fret her;〃 interposed the countess; 〃let us return to the

pavilion。〃



Genevieve; though quite exhausted; found strength under Michaud's eyes

to walk。 The countess followed the bailiff through one of the by…paths

known to keepers and poachers where only two can go abreast; and which

led to the gate of the Avonne。



〃Michaud;〃 said the countess when they reached the depth of the wood;

〃We must find some way of ridding the neighborhood of such vile

people; that child is actually in danger of death。〃



〃In the first place;〃 replied Michaud; 〃Genevieve shall not leave the

pavilion。 My wife will be glad to take the nephew of Vatel; who has

the care of the park roads; into the house。 With Gounod (that is his

name) and old Cornevin; my wife's foster…father; always at hand; La

Pechina need never go out without a protector。〃



〃I will tell Monsieur to make up this extra expense to you;〃 said the

countess。 〃But this does not rid us of that Nicolas。 How can we manage

that?〃



〃The means are easy and right at hand;〃 answered Michaud。 〃Nicolas is

to appear very soon before the court of appeals on the draft。 The

general; instead of asking for his release; as the Tonsards expect;

has only to advise his being sent to the army〃



〃If necessary; I will go myself;〃 said the countess; 〃and see my

cousin; de Casteran; the prefect。 But until then; I tremble for that

child〃



The words were said at the end of the path close to the open space by

the bridge。 As they reached the edge of the bank the countess gave a

cry; Michaud advanced to help her; thinking she had struck her foot

against a stone; but he shuddered at the sight that met his eyes。



Marie Tonsard and Bonnebault; seated below the bank; seemed to be

conversing; but were no doubt hiding there to hear what passed。

Evidently they had left the wood as the party advanced towards them。



Bonnebault; a tall; wiry fellow; had lately returned to Conches after

six years' service in the cavalry; with a permanent discharge due to

his evil conduct;his example being likely to ruin better men。 He

wore moustachios and a small chin…tuft; a peculiarity which; joined to

his military carriage; made him the reigning fancy of all the girls in

the valley。 His hair; in common with that of other soldiers; was cut

very short behind; but he frizzed it on the top of his head; brushing

up the ends with a dandy air; on it his foraging cap was jauntily

tilted to one side。 Compared to the peasants; who were mostly in rags;

like Mouche and Fourchon; he seemed gorgeous in his linen trousers;

boots; and short waistcoat。 These articles; bought at the time of his

liberation; were; it is true; somewhat the worse for a life in the

fields; but this village cock…of…the…walk had others in reserve for

balls and holidays。 He lived; it must be said; on the gifts of his

female friends; which; liberal as they were; hardly sufficed for the

libations; the dissipations; and the squanderings of all kinds which

resulted from his intimacy with the Cafe de la Paix。



Cowardice is like courage; of both there are various kinds。 Bonnebault

would have fought like a brave soldier; but he was weak in presence of

his vices and his desires。 Lazy as a lizard; that is to say; active

only when it suited him; without the slightest decency; arrogant and

base; able for much but neglectful of all; the sole pleasure of this

〃breaker of hearts and plates;〃 to use a barrack term; was to do evil

or inflict damage。 Such a nature does as much harm in rural

communities as it does in a regiment。 Bonnebault; like Tonsard and

like Fourchon; desired to live well and do nothing; and h

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