sons of the soil-第60章

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round　to　the　front　door。　Madame　Rigou　and　Annette　came　out　on　the

steps　and　looked　at　the　little　wicker　carriage；　painted　green；　with　a

leathern　hood；　where　their　lord　and　master　was　comfortably　seated　on

good　cushions。



〃Don't　be　late　home；　monsieur；〃　said　Annette；　with　a　little　pout。



The　village　folk；　already　informed　of　the　measures　the　general

proposed　to　take；　were　at　their　doors　or　standing　in　the　main　street

as　Rigou　drove　by；　believing　that　he　was　going　to　Soulanges　in　their

defence。



〃Well；　Madame　Courtecuisse；　so　our　mayor　is　on　his　way　to　protect　us；〃

remarked　an　old　woman　as　she　knitted；　the　question　of　depredating　in

the　forest　was　of　great　interest　to　her；　for　her　husband　sold　the

stolen　wood　at　Soulanges。



〃Ah！　the　good　man；　his　heart　bleeds　to　see　the　way　we　are　treated；　he

is　as　unhappy　as　we　are　about　it；〃　replied　the　poor　woman；　who

trembled　at　the　very　name　of　her　husband's　creditor；　and　praised　him

out　of　fear。



〃And　he　himself；　too；they've　shamefully　ill…used　him！　Good…day；

Monsieur　Rigou；〃　said　the　old　knitter　to　the　usurer；　who　bowed　to　her

and　to　his　debtor's　wife。



As　Rigou　crossed　the　Thune；　fordable　at　all　seasons；　Tonsard　came　out

of　the　tavern　and　met　him　on　the　high…road。



〃Well；　Pere　Rigou；〃　he　said；　〃so　the　Shopman　means　to　make　dogs　of

us？〃



〃We'll　see　about　that；〃　said　the　usurer；　whipping　up　his　horse。



〃He'll　protect　us；〃　said　Tonsard；　turning　to　a　group　of　women　and

children　who　were　near　him。



〃Rigou　is　thinking　as　much　about　you　as　a　cook　thinks　of　the　gudgeons

he　is　frying　in　his　pan；〃　called　out　Fourchon。



〃Take　the　clapper　out　of　your　throat　when　you　are　drunk；〃　said　Mouche；

pulling　his　grandfather　by　the　blouse；　and　tumbling　him　down　on　a　bank

under　a　poplar　tree。　〃If　that　hound　of　a　mayor　heard　you　say　that；

he'd　never　buy　any　more　of　your　tales。〃



The　truth　was　that　Rigou　was　hurrying　to　Soulanges　in　consequence　of

the　warning　given　him　by　the　steward　of　Les　Aigues；　which；　in　his

heart；　he　regarded　as　threatening　the　secret　coalition　of　the　valley。









PART　II







CHAPTER　I



THE　LEADING　SOCIETY　OF　SOULANGES



About　six　kilometres　（speaking　legally）　from　Blangy；　and　at　the　same

distance　from　Ville…aux…Fayes；　on　an　elevation　radiating　from　the　long

hillside　at　the　foot　of　which　flows　the　Avonne；　stands　the　little　town

of　Soulanges；　surnamed　La　Jolie；　with；　perhaps；　more　right　to　that

title　than　Mantes。



At　the　foot　of　the　hill；　the　Thune　broadens　over　a　clay　bottom　to　a

space　of　some　seventy　acres；　at　the　end　of　which　the　Soulanges　mills；

placed　on　numerous　little　islets；　present　as　graceful　a　group　of

buildings　as　any　landscape　architect　could　devise。　After　watering　the

park　of　Soulanges；　where　it　feeds　various　other　streams　and　artificial

lakes；　the　Thune　falls　into　the　Avonne　through　a　fine　broad　channel。



The　chateau　of　Soulanges；　rebuilt　under　Louis　XIV。　from　designs　of

Jules　Mansart；　and　one　of　the　finest　in　Burgundy；　stands　facing　the

town；　so　that　Soulanges　and　its　chateau　mutually　present　to　each　other

a　charming　and　even　elegant　vista。　The　main　road　winds　between　the

town　and　the　pond；　called　by　the　country　people；　rather　pompously；　the

lake　of　Soulanges。



The　little　town　is　one　of　those　natural　compositions　which　are

extremely　rare　in　France；　where　PRETTINESS　of　its　own　kind　is

absolutely　wanting。　Here　you　would　indeed　find；　as　Blondet　said　in　his

letter；　the　charm　of　Switzerland；　the　prettiness　of　the　environs　of

Neuf…chatel；　while　the　bright　vineyards　which　encircle　Soulanges

complete　the　resemblance；leaving　out；　be　it　said；　the　Alps　and　the

Jura。　The　streets；　placed　one　above　another　on　the　slope　of　the　hill；

have　but　few　houses；　for　each　house　stands　in　its　own　garden；　which

produces　a　mass　of　greenery　rarely　seen　in　a　town。　The　roofs；　red　or

blue；　rising　among　flower…gardens；　trees；　and　trellised　terraces；

present　an　harmonious　variety　of　aspects。



The　church；　an　old　Middle…Age　structure；　built　of　stone；　thanks　to　the

munificence　of　the　lords　of　Soulanges；　who　reserved　for　themselves

first　a　chapel　near　the　chancel；　then　a　crypt　as　their　necropolis；

has；　by　way　of　portal；　an　immense　arcade；　like　that　of　the　church　at

Lonjumeau；　and　is　bordered　by　flower…beds　adorned　with　statues；　and

flanked　on　either　side　by　columns　with　niches；　which　terminate　in

spires。　This　portal；　often　seen　in　churches　of　the　same　period　when

chance　has　saved　them　from　the　ravages　of　Calvinism；　is　surmounted　by

a　triglyph；　above　which　stands　a　statue　of　the　Virgin　holding　the

infant　Jesus。　The　sides　of　the　structure　are　externally　of　five

arches；　defined　by　stone　ribs　and　lighted　by　windows　with　small　panes。

The　apse　rests　on　arched　abutments　that　are　worthy　of　a　cathedral。　The

clock…tower；　placed　in　a　transept　of　the　cross；　is　square　and

surmounted　by　a　belfry。　The　church　can　be　seen　from　a　great　distance；

for　it　stands　at　the　top　of　the　great　square；　at　the　lower　end　of

which　the　high…road　passes　through　the　town。



This　square；　large　for　the　size　of　the　town；　is　surrounded　by　very

original　buildings；　all　of　different　epochs。　Many；　half…wood；　half…

brick；　with　their　timbers　faced　with　slate；　date　back　to　the　Middle

Ages。　Others；　of　stone；　with　balconies；　show　the　form　of　gable　so　dear

to　our　ancestors；　which　belongs　to　the　twelfth　century。　Several　charm

the　eye　with　those　old　projecting　beams；　carved　with　grotesque　faces；

which　form　the　roof　of　a　sort　of　shed；　and　recall　the　days　when　the

middle　classes　were　exclusively　commercial。　The　finest　house　among

them　was　that　of　the　chief　magistrate　of　former　days；a　house　with　a

sculptured　front　on　a　line　with　the　church；　to　which　it　forms　a　fine

accompaniment。　Sold　as　national　property；　it　was　bought　in　by　the

commune；　which　turned　it　into　a　town…hall　and　court…house；　where

Monsieur　Sarcus　had　presided　ever　since　the　establishment　of　municipal

judges。



This　slight　sketch　will　give　an　idea　of　the　square　of　Soulanges；

adorned　in　the　centre　with　a　charming　fountain　brought　from　Italy　in

1520　by　the　Marechal　de　Soulanges；　which　was　not　unworthy　of　a　great

capital。　An　unfailing　jet　of　water；　coming　from　a　spring　higher　up　the

hill；　was　shed　by　four　Cupids　in　white　marble；　bearing　shells　in　their

arms　and　baskets　of　grapes　upon　their　heads。



Literary　travellers　who　may　pass　this　way　（should　any　such　follow

Emile　Blondet）　might　imagine　the　spot　to　have　inspired　Moliere　and　the

Spanish　drama；　which　held　its　footing　so　long　on　French　boards；

showing　that　comedy　is　native　to　warm　countries　where　so　much　of　life

is　passed　in　the　public　streets。　The　square　of　Soulanges　is　all　the

more　a　reminder　of　that　classic　stage　because　the　two　principal

streets；　opening　just　on　a　line　with　the　fountain；　afford　the　exit　and

entrances　so　necessary　for　the　dramatic　masters　and　valets　whose

business　it　is　either　to　meet　or　to　avoid　each　other。　At　the　corner　of

one　of　these　streets；　called　the　rue　de　la　Fontaine；　shone　the

notarial　escutcheon　of　Maitre　Lupin。　The　houses　of　Messieurs　Sarcus；

Guerbet　the　collector；　Brunet；　Gourdon；　clerk　of　the　court；　and　that

of　his　brother　the　doctor；　also　that　of　old　Monsieur　Gendrin…Vatebled；

the　keeper　of　the　forests　and　streams；all　these　houses；　kept　with

extreme　neatness　by　their　owners；　who　held　firmly　to　the　flattering

surname　of　their　native　town；　stand　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　square

and　form　the　aristocratic　quarter　of　Soulanges。



The　house　of　Madame　Soudryfor　the　powerful　individuality　of

Mademoiselle　Laguerre's　former　waiting…maid　took　the　lead　of　her

husband　in　the　communitywas　modern；　having　been　built　by　a　rich

wine…merchant；　born　in　Soulanges；　who；　after　making　his　money　in

Paris；　returned　there　in　1793　to　buy　wheat　for　his　native　town。　He　was

slain　as　an　〃accapareur；〃　a　monopolist；　by　the　populace；　instigated　by

a　mason；　the　uncle　of　Godain；　with　whom　he　had　had　some　quarrel　ab