sons of the soil-第57章

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In　1823　Rigou；　perhaps　out　of　a　sense　of　gratitude；　still　blew　the

fire　with　an　air…cane；　and　left　the　bellows　hanging　to　the　screw。



Madame　Niseron；　idolizing　her　daughter；　did　not　long　survive　her。

Mother　and　child　died　in　1794。　The　old　abbe；　too；　was　dead；　and

citizen　Rigou　took　charge　of　Arsene's　affairs　by　marrying　her。　A

former　convert　in　the　monastery；　attached　to　Rigou　as　a　dog　is　to　his

master；　became　the　groom；　gardener；　herdsman；　valet；　and　steward　of

the　sensual　Harpagon。　Arsene　Rigou；　the　daughter；　married　in　1821

without　dowry　to　the　prosecuting…attorney；　inheriting　something　of　her

mother's　rather　vulgar　beauty；　together　with　the　crafty　mind　of　her

father。



Now　about　sixty…seven　years　of　age；　Rigou　had　never　been　ill　in　his

life；　and　nothing　seemed　able　to　lessen　his　aggressively　good　health。

Tall；　lean；　with　brown　circles　round　his　eyes；　the　lids　of　which　were

nearly　black；　any　one　who　saw　him　of　a　morning；　when　as　he　dressed　he

exposed　the　wrinkled；　red；　and　granulated　skin　of　his　neck；　would　have

compared　him　to　a　condor；all　the　more　because　his　long　nose；　sharp

at　the　tip；　increased　the　likeness　by　its　sanguineous　color。　His　head；

partly　bald；　would　have　frightened　phrenologists　by　the　shape　of　its

skull；　which　was　like　an　ass's　backbone；　an　indication　of　despotic

will。　His　grayish　eyes；　half…covered　by　filmy；　red…veined　lids；　were

predestined　to　aid　hypocrisy。　Two　scanty　locks　of　hair　of　an　undecided

color　overhung　the　large　ears；　which　were　long　and　without　rim；　a　sure

sign　of　cruelty；　but　cruelty　of　the　moral　nature　only；　unless　where　it

means　actual　insanity。　The　mouth；　very　broad；　with　thin　lips；

indicated　a　sturdy　eater　and　a　determined　drinker　by　the　drop　of　its

corners；　which　turned　downward　like　two　commas；　from　which　drooled

gravy　when　he　ate　and　saliva　when　he　talked。　Heliogabalus　must　have

been　like　this。



His　dress；　which　never　varied；　consisted　of　a　long　blue　surtout　with　a

military　collar；　a　black　cravat；　with　waistcoat　and　trousers　of　black

cloth。　His　shoes；　very　thick　soled；　had　iron　nails　outside；　and　inside

woollen　linings　knit　by　his　wife　in　the　winter　evenings。　Annette　and

her　mistress　also　knit　the　master's　stockings。　Rigou's　name　was

Gregoire。



Though　this　sketch　gives　some　idea　of　the　man's　character；　no　one　can

imagine　the　point　to　which；　in　his　private　and　unthwarted　life；　the

ex…Benedictine　had　pushed　the　science　of　selfishness；　good　living；　and

sensuality。　In　the　first　place；　he　dined　alone；　waited　upon　by　his

wife　and　Annette；　who　themselves　dined　with　Jean　in　the　kitchen；　while

the　master　digested　his　meal　and　disposed　of　his　wine　as　he　read　〃the

news。〃



In　the　country　the　special　names　of　journals　are　never　mentioned；　they

are　all　called　by　the　general　name　of　〃the　news。〃



Rigou's　dinner；　like　his　breakfast　and　supper；　was　always　of　choice

delicacies；　cooked　with　the　art　which　distinguishes　a　priest's

housekeeper　from　all　other　cooks。　Madame　Rigou　made　the　butter　herself

twice　a　week。　Cream　was　a　concomitant　of　many　sauces。　The　vegetables

came　at　a　jump；　as　it　were；　from　their　frames　to　the　saucepan。

Parisians；　who　are　accustomed　to　eat　the　fruits　of　the　earth　after

they　have　had　a　second　ripening　in　the　sun　of　a　city；　infected　by　the

air　of　the　streets；　fermenting　in　close　shops；　and　watered　from　time

to　time　by　the　market…women　to　give　them　a　deceitful　freshness；　have

little　idea　of　the　exquisite　flavors　of　really　fresh　produce；　to　which

nature　has　lent　fugitive　but　powerful　charms　when　eaten　as　it　were

alive。



The　butcher　of　Soulanges　brought　his　best　meat　under　fear　of　losing

Rigou's　custom。　The　poultry；　raised　on　the　premises；　was　of　the　finest

quality。



This　system　of　secret　pampering　embraced　everything　in　which　Rigou　was

personally　concerned。　Though　the　slippers　of　the　knowing　Thelemist

were　of　stout　leather　they　were　lined　with　lamb's　wool。　Though　his

coat　was　of　rough　cloth　it　did　not　touch　his　skin；　for　his　shirt；

washed　and　ironed　at　home；　was　of　the　finest　Frisian　linen。　His　wife；

Annette；　and　Jean　drank　the　common　wine　of　the　country；　the　wine　he

reserved　from　his　own　vineyards；　but　in　his　private　cellar；　as　well

stocked　as　the　cellars　of　Belgium；　the　finest　vintages　of　Burgundy

rubbed　sides　with　those　of　Bordeaux；　Champagne；　Roussillon；　not　to

speak　of　Spanish　and　Rhine　wines；　all　bought　ten　years　in　advance　of

use　and　bottled　by　Brother　Jean。　The　liqueurs　in　that　cellar　were

those　of　the　Isles；　and　came　originally　from　Madame　Amphoux。　Rigou　had

laid　in　a　supply　to　last　him　the　rest　of　his　days；　at　the　national

sale　of　a　chateau　in　Burgundy。



The　ex…monk　ate　and　drank　like　Louis　XIV。　（one　of　the　greatest

consumers　of　food　and　drink　ever　known）；　which　reveals　the　costs　of　a

life　that　was　more　than　voluptuous。　Careful　and　very　shrewd　in

managing　his　secret　prodigalities；　he　disputed　all　purchases　as　only

churchmen　can　dispute。　Instead　of　taking　infinite　precautions　against

being　cheated；　the　sly　monk　kept　patterns　and　samples；　had　the

agreements　reduced　to　writing；　and　warned　those　who　forwarded　his

wines　or　his　provisions　that　if　they　fell　short　of　the　mark　in　any　way

he　should　refuse　to　accept　their　consignments。



Jean；　who　had　charge　of　the　fruit…room；　was　trained　to　keep　fresh　the

finest　fruits　grown　in　the　department；　so　that　Rigou　ate　pears　and

apples　and　sometimes　grapes；　at　Easter。



No　prophet　regarded　as　a　God　was　ever　more　blindly　obeyed　than　was

Rigou　in　his　own　home。　A　mere　motion　of　his　black　eyelashes　could

plunge　his　wife；　Annette；　and　Jean　into　the　deepest　anxiety。　He　held

his　three　slaves　by　the　multiplicity　of　their　many　duties；　which　were

like　a　chain　in　his　hands。　These　poor　creatures　were　under　the

perpetual　yoke　of　some　ordered　duty；　with　an　eye　always　on　them；　but

they　had　come　to　take　a　sort　of　pleasure　in　accomplishing　these　tasks；

and　did　not　suffer　under　them。　All　three　had　the　comfort　and　well…

being　of　that　one　man　before　their　minds　as　the　sole　end　and　object　of

all　their　thoughts。



Annette　was　（since　1795）　the　tenth　pretty　girl　in　Rigou's　service；　and

he　expected　to　go　down　to　his　grave　with　relays　of　such　servants。

Brought　to　him　at　sixteen；　she　would　be　sent　away　at　nineteen。　All

these　girls；　carefully　chosen　at　Auxerre；　Clamecy；　or　in　the　Morvan；

were　enticed　by　the　promise　of　future　prosperity；　but　Madame　Rigou

persisted　in　living。　So　at　the　end　of　every　three　years　some　quarrel；

usually　brought　about　by　the　insolence　of　the　servant　to　the　poor

mistress；　caused　their　dismissal。



Annette；　who　was　a　picture　of　delicate　beauty；　ingenuous　and

sparkling；　deserved　to　be　a　duchess。　Rigou　knew　nothing　of　the　love

affair　between　her　and　Jean…Louis　Tonsard；　which　proves　that　he　had

let　himself　be　fooled　by　the　girl；the　only　one　of　his　many　servants

whose　ambition　had　taught　her　to　flatter　the　lynx　as　the　only　way　to

blind　him。



This　uncrowned　Louis　XV。　did　not　keep　himself　wholly　to　his　pretty

Annette。　Being　the　mortgagee　of　lands　bought　by　peasants　who　were

unable　to　pay　for　them；　he　kept　a　harem　in　the　valley；　from　Soulanges

to　five　miles　beyond　Conches　on　the　road　to　La　Brie；　without　making

other　payments　than　〃extension　of　time；〃　for　those　fugitive　pleasures

which　eat　into　the　fortunes　of　so　many　old　men。



This　luxurious　life；　a　life　like　that　of　Bouret；　cost　Rigou　almost

nothing。　Thanks　to　his　white　slaves；　he　could　cut　and　mow　down　and

gather　in　his　wood；　hay；　and　grain。　To　the　peasant　manual　labor　is　a

small　matter；　especially　if　it　serves　to　postpone　the　payment　of

interest　due。　And　so　Rigou；　while　requiring　little　premiums　on　each

month's　delay；　squeezed　a　great　deal　of　manual　labor　out　of　his

debtors；positive　drudgery；　to　which　they　submitted　thinking　they

gave　little　because　nothing　left　their　pockets。　Rigou　sometimes

obtained　in　this　way　more　than　the　principal　of　a　debt。



Deep　as　a　monk；　silent　as　a　Benedictine　in　the