sons of the soil-第58章

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



Deep　as　a　monk；　silent　as　a　Benedictine　in　the　throes　of　writing

history；　sly　as　a　priest；　deceitful　as　all　misers；　carefully　keeping

within　the　limits　of　the　law；　the　man　might　have　been　Tiberius　in

Rome；　Richelieu　under　Louis　XIII。；　or　Fouche；　had　the　ambition　seized

him　to　go　to　the　Convention；　but；　instead　of　all　that；　Rigou　had　the

common　sense　to　remain　a　Lucullus　without　ostentation；　in　other　words；

a　parsimonious　voluptuary。　To　occupy　his　mind　he　indulged　a　hatred

manufactured　out　of　the　whole　cloth。　He　harassed　the　Comte　de

Montcornet。　He　worked　the　peasants　like　puppets　by　hidden　wires；　the

handling　of　which　amused　him　as　though　it　were　a　game　of　chess　where

the　pawns　were　alive；　the　knights　caracoled；　the　bishops；　like

Fourchon；　gabbled；　the　feudal　castles　shone　in　the　sun；　and　the　queen

maliciously　checkmated　the　king。　Every　day；　when　he　got　out　of　bed　and

saw　from　his　window　the　proud　towers　of　Les　Aigues；　the　chimneys　of

the　pavilions；　and　the　noble　gates；　he　said　to　himself：　〃They　shall

fall！　I'll　dry　up　the　brooks；　I'll　chop　down　the　woods。〃　But　he　had

two　victims　in　mind；　a　chief　one　and　a　lesser　one。　Though　he　meditated

the　dismemberment　of　the　chateau；　the　apostate　also　intended　to　make

an　end　of　the　Abbe　Brossette　by　pin…pricks。



To　complete　the　portrait　of　the　ex…priest　it　will　suffice　to　add　that

he　went　to　mass　regretting　that　his　wife　still　lived；　and　expressed

the　desire　to　be　reconciled　with　the　Church　as　soon　as　he　became　a

widower。　He　bowed　deferentially　to　the　Abbe　Brossette　whenever　he　met

him；　and　spoke　to　him　courteously　and　without　heat。　As　a　general　thing

all　men　who　belong　to　the　Church；　or　who　have　come　out　of　it；　have　the

patience　of　insects；　they　owe　this　to　the　obligation　they　have　been

under；　ecclesiastically；　to　preserve　decorum；a　training　which　has

been　lacking　for　the　last　twenty　years　to　the　vast　majority　of　the

French　nation；　even　those　who　think　themselves　well…bred。　All　the

monks　which　the　Revolution　brought　out　of　their　monasteries　and　forced

into　business；　public　or　private；　showed　in　their　coldness　and　reserve

the　great　advantage　which　ecclesiastical　discipline　gives　to　the　sons

of　the　Church；　even　those　who　desert　her。



Gaubertin　had　understood　Rigou　from　the　days　when　the　Abbe　Niseron

made　his　will　and　the　ex…monk　married　the　heiress；　he　fathomed　the

craft　hidden　behind　the　jaundiced　face　of　that　accomplished　hypocrite；

and　he　made　himself　the　man's　fellow…worshipper　before　the　altar　of

the　Golden　Calf。　When　the　banking…house　of　Leclercq　was　first　started

he　advised　Rigou　to　put　fifty　thousand　francs　into　it；　guaranteeing

their　security　himself。　Rigou　was　all　the　more　desirable　as　an

investor；　or　sleeping　partner；　because　he　drew　no　interest　but　allowed

his　capital　to　accumulate。　At　the　period　of　which　we　write　it　amounted

to　over　a　hundred　thousand　francs；　although　in　1816　he　had　taken　out

one　hundred　and　eighty　thousand　for　investment　in　the　Public　Funds；

from　which　he　derived　an　income　of　seventeen　thousand　francs。　Lupin

the　notary　had　cognizance　of　at　least　one　hundred　thousand　francs

which　Rigou　had　lent　on　small　mortgages　upon　good　estates。　Ostensibly；

Rigou　derived　about　fourteen　thousand　francs　a　year　from　landed

property　actually　owned　by　him。　But　as　to　his　amassed　hoard；　it　was

represented　by　an　〃x〃　which　no　rule　of　equations　could　evolve；　just　as

the　devil　alone　knew　the　secret　schemes　he　plotted　with　Langlume。



This　dangerous　usurer；　who　proposed　to　live　a　score　of　years　longer；

had　established　fixed　rules　to　work　upon。　He　lent　nothing　to　a　peasant

who　bought　less　than　seven　acres；　and　who　could　not　pay　one…half　of

the　purchase…money　down。　Rigou　well　understood　the　defects　of　the　law

of　dispossession　when　applied　to　small　holdings；　and　the　danger　both

to　the　Public　Treasury　and　to　land…owners　of　the　minute　parcelling　out

of　the　soil。　How　can　you　sue　a　peasant　for　the　value　of　one　row　of

vines　when　he　owns　only　five？　The　bird's…eye　view　of　self…interest　is

always　twenty…five　years　ahead　of　the　perceptions　of　a　legislative

body。　What　a　lesson　for　a　nation！　Law　will　ever　emanate　from　one

brain；　that　of　a　man　of　genius；　and　not　from　the　nine　hundred

legislative　heads；　which；　great　as　they　may　be　in　themselves；　are

belittled　and　lost　in　a　crowd。　Rigou's　law　contains　the　essential

element　which　has　yet　to　be　found　and　introduced　into　public　law　to

put　an　end　to　the　absurd　spectacle　of　landed　property　reduced　to

halves；　quarters；　tenths；　hundredths；as　in　the　district　of

Argenteuil；　where　there　are　thirty　thousand　plots　of　land。



Such　operations　as　those　Rigou　was　concerned　in　require　extensive

collusion；　like　those　we　have　seen　existing　in　this　arrondissement。

Lupin；　the　notary；　whom　Rigou　employed　to　draw　at　least　one　third　of

the　deeds　annually　entrusted　to　his　notarial　office；　was　devoted　to

him。　This　shark　could　thus　include　in　the　mortgage　note　（signed　always

in　presence　of　the　wife；　when　the　borrower　was　married）　the　amount　of

the　illegal　interest。　The　peasant；　delighted　to　feel　he　had　to　pay

only　his　five　per　cent　interest　annually；　always　imagined　he　should　be

able　to　meet　the　payment　by　working　doubly　hard　or　by　improving　the

land　and　getting　double　returns　upon　it。



Hence　the　deceitful　hopes　excited　by　what　imbecile　economists　call

〃small　farming；〃a　political　blunder　to　which　we　owe　such　mistakes　as

sending　French　money　to　Germany　to　buy　horses　which　our　own　land　had

ceased　to　breed；　a　blunder　which　before　long　will　reduce　the　raising

of　cattle　until　meat　will　be　unattainable　not　only　by　the　people；　but

by　the　lower　middle　classes　（see　〃Le　Cure　de　Village。〃）



So；　not　a　little　sweat　bedewed　men's　brows　between　Conches　and　Ville…

aux…Fayes　to　Rigou's　profit；　all　being　willing　to　give　it；　whereas　the

labor　dearly　paid　for　by　the　general；　the　only　man　who　did　spend　money

in　the　district；　brought　him　curses　and　hatred；　which　were　showered

upon　him　simply　because　he　was　rich。　How　could　such　facts　be

understood　unless　we　had　previously　taken　that　rapid　glance　at　the

Mediocracy。　Fourchon　was　right；　the　middle　classes　now　held　the

position　of　the　former　lords。　The　small　land…owners；　of　whom

Courtecuisse　is　a　type；　were　tenants　in　mortmain　of　a　Tiberius　in　the

valley　of　the　Avonne；　just　as；　in　Paris；　traders　without　money　are　the

peasantry　of　the　banking　system。



Soudry　followed　Rigou's　example　from　Soulanges　to　a　distance　of

fifteen　miles　beyond　Ville…aux…Fayes。　These　two　usurers　shared　the

district　between　them。



Gaubertin；　whose　rapacity　was　in　a　higher　sphere；　not　only　did　not

compete　against　that　of　his　associates；　but　he　prevented　all　other

capital　in　Ville…aux…Fayes　from　being　employed　in　the　same　fruitful

manner。　It　is　easy　to　imagine　what　immense　influence　this　triumvirate

Rigou；　Soudry；　and　Gaubertinwielded　in　election　periods　over

electors　whose　fortunes　depended　on　their　good…will。



Hate；　intelligence；　and　means　at　command；　such　were　the　three　sides　of

the　terrible　triangle　which　describes　the　general's　closest　enemy；　the

spy　ever　watching　Les　Aigues；a　shark　having　constant　dealings　with

sixty　to　eighty　small　land…owners；　relations　or　connections　of　the

peasantry；　who　feared　him　as　such　men　always　fear　their　creditor。



Rigou　was　in　his　way　another　Tonsard。　The　one　throve　on　thefts　from

nature；　the　other　waxed　fat　on　legal　plunder。　Both　liked　to　live　well。

It　was　the　same　nature　in　two　species；the　one　natural；　the　other

whetted　by　his　training　in　a　cloister。



It　was　about　four　o'clock　when　Vaudoyer　left　the　tavern　of　the　Grand…

I…Vert　to　consult　the　former　mayor。　Rigou　was　at　dinner。　Finding　the

front　door　locked；　Vaudoyer　looked　above　the　window　blinds　and　called

out：



〃Monsieur　Rigou；　it　is　I；Vaudoyer。〃



Jean　came　round　from　the　porte…cochere　and　said　to　Vaudoyer：



〃Come　into　the　garden；　Monsieur　has　company。〃