sons of the soil-第50章

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like　Fourchon；　desired　to　live　well　and　do　nothing；　and　he　had　his

plans　laid。　Making　the　most　of　his　gallant　appearance　with　increasing

success；　and　of　his　talents　for　billiards　with　alternate　loss　and

gain；　he　flattered　himself　that　the　day　would　come　when　he　could　marry

Mademoiselle　Aglae　Socquard；　only　daughter　of　the　proprietor　of　the

Cafe　de　la　Paix；　a　resort　which　was　to　Soulanges　what；　relatively

speaking；　Ranelagh　is　to　the　Bois　de　Boulogne。　To　get　into　the

business　of　tavern…keeping；　to　manage　the　public　balls；　what　a　fine

career　for　the　marshal's　baton　of　a　ne'er…do…well！　These　morals；　this

life；　this　nature；　were　so　plainly　stamped　upon　the　face　of　the　low…

lived　profligate　that　the　countess　was　betrayed　into　an　exclamation

when　she　beheld　the　pair；　for　they　gave　her　the　sensation　of　beholding

snakes。



Marie；　desperately　in　love　with　Bonnebault；　would　have　robbed　for　his

benefit。　Those　moustachios；　the　swaggering　gait　of　a　trooper；　the

fellow's　smart　clothes；　all　went　to　her　heart　as　the　manners　and

charms　of　a　de　Marsay　touch　that　of　a　pretty　Parisian。　Each　social

sphere　has　its　own　standard　of　distinction。　The　jealous　Marie　rebuffed

Amaury　Lupin；　the　other　dandy　of　the　little　town；　her　mind　being　made

up　to　become　Madame　Bonnebault。



〃Hey！　you　there；　hi！　come　on！〃　cried　Nicolas　and　Catherine　from　afar；

catching　sight　of　Marie　and　Bonnebault。



The　sharp　call　echoed　through　the　woods　like　the　cry　of　savages。



Seeing　the　pair　at　his　feet；　Michaud　shuddered　and　deeply　repented

having　spoken。　If　Bonnebault　and　Marie　Tonsard　had　overheard　the

conversation；　nothing　but　harm　could　come　of　it。　This　event；

insignificant　as　it　seems；　was　destined；　in　the　irritated　state　of

feeling　then　existing　between　Les　Aigues　and　the　peasantry；　to　have　a

decisive　influence　on　the　fate　of　all；just　as　victory　or　defeat　in

battle　sometimes　depends　upon　a　brook　which　shepherds　jump　while

cannon　are　unable　to　pass　it。



Gallantly　bowing　to　the　countess；　Bonnebault　passed　Marie's　arm

through　his　own　with　a　conquering　air　and　took　himself　off

triumphantly。



〃The　King　of　Hearts　of　the　valley；〃　muttered　Michaud　to　the　countess。

〃A　dangerous　man。　When　he　loses　twenty　francs　at　billiards　he　would

murder　Rigou　to　get　them　back。　He　loves　a　crime　as　he　does　a

pleasure。〃



〃I　have　seen　enough　for　to…day；　take　me　home；　gentlemen；〃　murmured　the

countess；　putting　her　hand　on　Emile's　arm。



She　bowed　sadly　to　Madame　Michaud；　after　watching　La　Pechina　safely

back　to　the　pavilion。　Olympe's　depression　was　transferred　to　her

mistress。



〃Ah；　madame；〃　said　the　abbe；　as　they　continued　their　way；　〃can　it　be

that　the　difficulty　of　doing　good　is　about　to　deter　you？　For　the　last

five　years　I　have　slept　on　a　pallet　in　a　parsonage　which　has　no

furniture；　I　say　mass　in　a　church　without　believers；　I　preach　to　no

hearers；　I　minister　without　fees　or　salary；　I　live　on　the　six　hundred

francs　the　law　allows　me；　asking　nothing　of　my　bishop；　and　I　give　the

third　of　that　in　charity。　Still；　I　am　not　hopeless。　If　you　knew　what

my　winters　are　in　this　place　you　would　understand　the　strength　of

those　words；I　am　not　hopeless。　I　keep　myself　warm　with　the　belief

that　we　can　save　this　valley　and　bring　it　back　to　God。　No　matter　for

ourselves；　madame；　think　of　the　future！　If　it　is　our　duty　to　say　to

the　poor；　'Learn　how　to　be　poor；　that　is；　how　to　work；　to　endure；　to

strive；'　it　is　equally　our　duty　to　say　to　the　rich；　'Learn　your　duty

as　prosperous　men；'that　is　to　say；　'Be　wise；　be　intelligent　in　your

benevolence；　pious　and　virtuous　in　the　place　to　which　God　has　called

you。'　Ah！　madame；　you　are　only　the　steward　of　Him　who　grants　you

wealth；　if　you　do　not　obey　His　behests　you　will　never　transmit　to　your

children　the　prosperity　He　gives　you。　You　will　rob　your　posterity。　If

you　follow　in　the　steps　of　that　poor　singer's　selfishness；　which

caused　the　evils　that　now　terrify　us；　you　will　bring　back　the

scaffolds　on　which　your　fathers　died　for　the　faults　of　their　fathers。

To　do　good　humbly；　in　obscurity；　in　country　solitudes；　as　Rigou　now

does　evil；ah！　that　indeed　is　prayer　in　action　and　dear　to　God。　If　in

every　district　three　souls　only　would　work　for　good；　France；　our

country；　might　be　saved　from　the　abyss　that　yawns；　into　which　we　are

rushing　headlong；　through　spiritual　indifference　to　all　that　is　not

our　own　self…interest。　Change！　you　must　change　your　morals；　change

your　ethics；　and　that　will　change　your　laws。〃



Though　deeply　moved　as　she　listened　to　this　grand　utterance　of　true

catholic　charity；　the　countess　answered　in　the　fatal　words；　〃We　will

consider　it；〃words　of　the　rich；　which　contain　that　promise　to　the

ear　which　saves　their　purses　and　enables　them　to　stand　with　arms

crossed　in　presence　of　all　disaster；　under　pretext　that　they　were

powerless。



Hearing　those　words；　the　abbe　bowed　to　Madame　de　Montcornet　and　turned

off　into　a　path　which　led　him　direct　to　the　gate　of　Blangy。



〃Belshazzar's　feast　is　the　everlasting　symbol　of　the　dying　days　of　a

caste；　of　an　oligarchy；　of　a　power！〃　he　thought　as　he　walked　away。　〃My

God！　if　it　be　Thy　will　to　loose　the　poor　like　a　torrent　to　reform

society；　I　know；　I　comprehend；　why　it　is　that　Thou　hast　abandoned　the

wealthy　to　their　blindness！〃







CHAPTER　XII



SHOWETH　HOW　THE　TAVERN　IS　THE　PEOPLE'S　PARLIAMENT



Old　Mother　Tonsard's　screams　brought　a　number　of　people　from　Blangy　to

know　what　was　happening　at　the　Grand…I…Vert；　the　distance　from　the

village　to　the　inn　not　being　greater　than　that　from　the　inn　to　the

gate　of　Blangy。　One　of　these　inquiring　visitors　was　old　Niseron；　La

Pechina's　grandfather；　who　was　on　his　way；　after　ringing　the　second

Angelus；　to　dig　the　vine…rows　in　his　last　little　bit　of　ground。



Bent　by　toil；　with　pallid　face　and　silvery　hair；　the　old　vinedresser；

now　the　sole　representative　of　civic　virtue　in　the　community；　had

been；　during　the　Revolution；　president　of　the　Jacobin　club　at　Ville…

aux…Fayes；　and　a　juror　in　the　revolutionary　tribunal　of　the　district。

Jean…Francois　Niseron；　carved　out　of　the　wood　that　the　apostles　were

made　of；　was　of　the　type　of　Saint　Peter；　whom　painters　and　sculptors

have　united　in　representing　with　the　square　brow　of　the　people；　the

thick；　naturally　curling　hair　of　the　laborer；　the　muscles　of　the　man

of　toil；　the　complexion　of　a　fisherman；　with　the　large　nose；　the

shrewd；　half…mocking　lips　that　scoff　at　fate；　the　neck　and　shoulders

of　the　strong　man　who　cuts　his　wood　to　cook　his　dinner　while　the

doctrinaires　of　his　opinions　talk。



Such；　at　forty　years　of　age　on　the　breaking　out　of　the　Revolution；　was

this　man；　strong　as　iron；　pure　as　gold。　Advocate　of　the　people；　he

believed　in　a　republic　through　the　very　roll　of　that　name；　more

formidable　in　sound　perhaps　than　in　reality。　He　believed　in　the

republic　of　Jean…Jacques　Rousseau；　in　the　brotherhood　of　man；　in　the

exchange　of　noble　sentiments；　in　the　proclamation　of　virtue；　in　the

choice　of　merit　without　intrigue；in　short；　in　all　that　the　narrow

limits　of　one　arrondissement　like　Sparta　made　possible；　and　which　the

vast　proportions　of　an　empire　make　chimerical。　He　signed　his　beliefs

with　his　blood；his　only　son　went　to　war；　he　did　more；　he　signed　them

with　the　prosperity　of　his　life；last　sacrifice　of　self。　Nephew　and

sole　heir　of　the　curate　of　Blangy；　the　then　all…powerful　tribune　might

have　enforced　his　rights　and　recovered　the　property　left　by　the　priest

to　his　pretty　servant…girl；　Arsene；　but　he　respected　his　uncle's

wishes　and　accepted　poverty；　which　came　upon　him　as　rapidly　as　the

fall　of　his　cherished　republic　came　upon　France。



Never　a　farthing's　worth；　never　so　much　as　the　branch　of　a　tree

belonging　to　another　passed　into　the　hands　of　this　notable　republican；

who　would　have　made　the　republic　acceptable　to　the　world　if　he　and

such　as　he　could　have　guided　it。　He　refused　to　buy　the　national

domains；　he　denied　the　right　of　the　Republic　to　confiscat