sons of the soil-第53章

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his　glass　on　the　table。



〃Vatel　put　himself　in　the　wrong；〃　he　said。　〃If　I　were　Mother　Tonsard；

I'd　give　myself　a　few　wounds　and　go　to　bed　and　say　I　was　ill；　and　have

that　Shopman　and　his　keeper　up　before　the　assizes　and　get　twenty

crowns　damages。　Monsieur　Sarcus　would　give　them。〃



〃In　any　case　the　Shopman　would　give　them　to　stop　the　talk　it　would

make；〃　said　Godain。



Vaudoyer；　the　former　field…keeper；　a　man　five　feet　six　inches　tall；

with　a　face　pitted　with　the　small…pox　and　furrowed　like　a　nut…cracker；

kept　silence　with　a　hesitating　air。



〃Well；　you　old　ninny；　does　that　ruffle　you？〃　asked　Tonsard；　attracted

by　the　idea　of　damages。　〃If　they　had　broken　twenty　crowns'　worth　of　my

mother's　bones　we　could　turn　it　into　good　account；　we　might　make　a

fine　fuss　for　three　hundred　francs；　Monsieur　Gourdon　would　go　to　Les

Aigues　and　tell　them　that　the　mother　had　got　a　broken　hip〃



〃And　break　it；　too；〃　interrupted　Madame　Tonsard；　〃they　do　that　in

Paris。〃



〃It　would　cost　too　much；〃　remarked　Godain。



〃I　have　been　too　long　among　the　people　who　rule　us　to　believe　that

matters　will　go　as　you　want　them；〃　said　Vaudoyer　at　last；　remembering

his　past　official　intercourse　with　the　courts　and　the　gendarmerie。　〃If

it　were　at　Soulanges；　now；　it　might　be　done；　Monsieur　Soudry

represents　the　government　there；　and　he　doesn't　wish　well　to　the

Shopman；　but　if　you　attack　the　Shopman　and　Vatel　they'll　defend

themselves　viciously；　they'll　say；　'The　woman　was　to　blame；　she　had　a

tree；　otherwise　she　would　have　let　her　bundle　be　examined　on　the

highroad；　she　wouldn't　have　run　away；　if　an　accident　happened　to　her

it　was　through　her　own　fault。'　No；　you　can't　trust　to　that　plan。〃



〃The　Shopman　didn't　resist　when　I　sued　him；〃　said　Courtecuisse；　〃he

paid　me　at　once。〃



〃I'll　go　to　Soulanges；　if　you　like；〃　said　Bonnebault；　〃and　consult

Monsieur　Gourdon；　the　clerk　of　the　court；　and　you　shall　know　to…night

if　THERE'S　MONEY　IN　IT。〃



〃You　are　only　making　an　excuse　to　be　after　that　big　goose　of　a　girl；

Socquard's　daughter；〃　said　Marie　Tonsard；　giving　Bonnebault　a　slap　on

the　shoulder　that　made　his　lungs　hum。



Just　then　a　verse　of　an　old　Burgundian　Christmas　carol　was　heard：



　　〃One　fine　moment　of　his　life

　　Was　at　the　wedding　feast；

　　He　changed　the　water　into　wine；

　　Madeira　of　the　best。〃



Every　one　recognized　the　vinous　voice　of　old　Fourchon；　to　whom　the

verse　must　have　been　peculiarly　agreeable；　Mouche　accompanied　in　his

treble　tones。



〃Ha！　they're　full！〃　cried　old　Mother　Tonsard　to　her　daughter…in…law；

〃your　father　is　as　red　as　a　grid…iron；　and　that　chip　o'　the　block　as

pink　as　vine…shoot。〃



〃Your　healths！〃　cried　the　old　man；　〃and　a　fine　lot　of　scoundrels　you

are！　All　hail！〃　he　said　to　his　granddaughter；　whom　he　spied　kissing

Bonnebault；　〃hail；　Marie；　full　of　vice！　Satan　is　with　three；　cursed

art　thou　among　women；　etcetera。　All　hail；　the　company　present！　you　are

done　for；　every　one　of　you！　you　may　just　say　good…bye　to　your　sheaves。

I　being　news。　I　always　told　you　the　rich　would　crush　us；　well　now；　the

Shopman　is　going　to　have　the　law　of　you！　Ha！　see　what　it　is　to

struggle　against　those　bourgeois　fellows；　who　have　made　so　many　laws

since　they　got　into　power　that　they've　a　law　to　enforce　every　trick

they　play〃



A　violent　hiccough　gave　a　sudden　turn　to　the　ideas　of　the

distinguished　orator。



〃If　Vermichel　were　only　here　I'd　blow　in　his　gullet；　and　he'd　get　an

idea　of　sherry　wine。　Hey！　what　a　wine　it　is！　If　I　wasn't　a　Burgundian

I'd　be　a　Spaniard！　It's　God's　own　wine！　the　pope　says　mass　with　it

Hey！　I'm　young　again！　Say；　Courtecuisse！　if　your　wife　were　only　here

we'd　be　young　together。　Don't　tell　me！　Spanish　wine　is　worth　a　dozen

of　boiled　wine。　Let's　have　a　revolution　if　it's　only　to　empty　the

cellars！〃



〃But　what's　your　news；　papa？〃　said　Tonsard。



〃There'll　be　no　harvest　for　you；　the　Shopman　has　given　orders　to　stop

the　gleaning。〃



〃Stop　the　gleaning！〃　cried　the　whole　tavern；　with　one　voice；　in　which

the　shrill　tones　of　the　four　women　predominated。



〃Yes；〃　said　Mouche；　〃he　is　going　to　issue　an　order；　and　Groison　is　to

take　it　round；　and　post　it　up　all　over　the　canton。　No　one　is　to　glean

except　those　who　have　pauper　certificates。〃



〃And　what's　more；〃　said　Fourchon；　〃the　folks　from　the　other　districts

won't　be　allowed　here　at　all。〃



〃What's　that？〃　cried　Bonnebault；　〃do　you　mean　to　tell　me　that　neither

my　grandmother　nor　I；　nor　your　mother；　Godain；　can　come　here　and

glean？　Here's　tomfoolery　for　you；　a　pretty　show　of　authority！　Why；　the

fellow　is　a　devil　let　loose　from　hell；that　scoundrel　of　a　mayor！〃



〃Shall　you　glean　whether　or　no；　Godain？〃　said　Tonsard　to　the

journeyman　wheelwright；　who　was　saying　a　few　words　to　Catherine。



〃I？　I've　no　property；　I'm　a　pauper；〃　he　replied；　〃I　shall　ask　for　a

certificate。〃



〃What　did　they　give　my　father　for　his　otter；　bibi？〃　said　Madame

Tonsard　to　Mouche。



Though　nearly　at　his　last　gasp　from　an　over…taxed　digestion　and　two

bottles　of　wine；　Mouche；　sitting　on　Madame　Tonsard's　lap；　laid　his

head　on　his　aunt's　neck　and　whispered　slyly　in　her　ear：



〃I　don't　know；　but　he　has　got　gold。　If　you'll　feed　me　high　for　a

month；　perhaps　I　can　find　out　his　hiding…place；　he　has　one；　I　know

that。〃



〃Father's　got　gold！〃　whispered　La　Tonsard　to　her　husband；　whose　voice

was　loudest　in　the　uproar　of　the　excited　discussion；　in　which　all

present　took　part。



〃Hush！　here's　Groison；〃　cried　the　old　sentinel。



Perfect　silence　reigned　in　the　tavern。　When　Groison　had　got　to　a　safe

distance；　Mother　Tonsard　made　a　sign；　and　the　discussion　began　again

on　the　question　as　to　whether　they　should　persist　in　gleaning；　as

before；　without　a　certificate。



〃You'll　have　to　give　in；〃　said　Pere　Fourchon；　〃for　the　Shopman　has

gone　to　see　the　prefect　and　get　troops　to　enforce　the　order。　They'll

shoot　you　like　dogs；and　that's　what　we　are！〃　cried　the　old　man；

trying　to　conquer　the　thickening　of　his　speech　produced　by　his

potations　of　sherry。



This　fresh　announcement；　absurd　as　it　was；　made　all　the　drinkers

thoughtful；　they　really　believed　the　government　capable　of

slaughtering　them　without　pity。



〃I　remember　just　such　troubles　near　Toulouse；　when　I　was　stationed

there；〃　said　Bonnebault。　〃We　were　marched　out；　and　the　peasants　were

cut　and　slashed　and　arrested。　Everybody　laughed　to　see　them　try　to

resist　cavalry。　Ten　were　sent　to　the　galleys；　and　eleven　put　in

prison；　the　whole　thing　was　crushed。　Hey！　what？　why；　soldiers　are

soldiers；　and　you　are　nothing　but　civilian　beggars；　they've　a　right；

they　think；　to　sabre　peasants；　the　devil　take　you！〃



〃Well；　well；〃　said　Tonsard；　〃what　is　there　in　all　that　to　frighten　you

like　kids？　What　can　they　get　out　of　my　mother　and　daughters？　Put　'em

in　prison？　well；　then　they　must　feed　them；　and　the　Shopman　can't

imprison　the　whole　country。　Besides；　prisoners　are　better　fed　at　the

king's　expense　than　they　are　at　their　own；　and　they're　kept　warmer；

too。〃



〃You　are　a　pack　of　fools！〃　roared　Fourchon。　〃Better　gnaw　at　the

bourgeois　than　attack　him　in　front；　otherwise；　you'll　get　your　backs

broke。　If　you　like　the　galleys；　so　be　it；that's　another　thing！　You

don't　work　as　hard　there　as　you　do　in　the　fields；　true　enough；　but　you

don't　have　your　liberty。〃



〃Perhaps　it　would　be　well；〃　said　Vaudoyer；　who　was　among　the　more

valiant　in　counsel；　〃if　some　of　us　risked　our　skins　to　deliver　the

neighborhood　of　that　Languedoc　fellow　who　has　planted　himself　at　the

gate　of　the　Avonne。〃



〃Do　Michaud's　business　for　him？〃　said　Nicolas；　〃I'm　good　for　that。〃



〃Things　are　not　ripe　for　it；〃　said　old　Fourchon。　〃We　should　risk　too

much；　my　children。　The　best　way　is　to　make　ourselves　look　miserable

and　cry　famine；　then　the　Shopman　and　his　wife　will　want　to　help　us；

and　you'll　get　more　out　of　them　that　way　than　you　will　by　gleaning。〃



〃You　are　all　blind　moles；〃　shouted　Tonsard；　〃le