sons of the soil-第65章

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Gourdon　the　elder　a　scientist；　or　his　brother　a　poet。　Nevertheless；

the　leading　society　of　Soulanges　did　not　take　much　notice　of　Vermut；

and　the　second…class　society　took　none　at　all。　The　instinct　of　the

first　may　have　led　them　to　perceive　the　real　superiority　of　this

thinker；　who　said　little　but　smiled　at　their　absurdities　so

satirically　that　they　first　doubted　his　capacity　and　then　whispered

tales　against　it；　as　for　the　other　class　they　took　no　notice　of　him

one　way　or　the　other。



Vermut　was　the　butt　of　Madame　Soudry's　salon。　No　society　is　complete

without　a　victim；without　an　object　to　pity；　ridicule；　despise；　and

protect。　Vermut；　full　of　his　scientific　problems；　often　came　with　his

cravat　untied；　his　waistcoat　unbuttoned；　and　his　little　green　surtout

spotted。



The　little　man；　gifted　with　the　patience　of　a　chemist；　could　not　enjoy

（that　is　the　term　employed　in　the　provinces　to　express　the　abolition

of　domestic　rule）　Madame　Vermut；a　charming　woman；　a　lively　woman；

capital　company　（for　she　could　lose　forty　sous　at　cards　and　say

nothing）；　a　woman　who　railed　at　her　husband；　annoyed　him　with

epigrams；　and　declared　him　to　be　an　imbecile　unable　to　distil　anything

but　dulness。　Madame　Vermut　was　one　of　those　women　who　in　the　society

of　a　small　town　are　the　life　and　soul　of　amusement　and　who　set　things

going。　She　supplied　the　salt　of　her　little　world；　kitchen…salt；　it　is

true；　her　jokes　were　somewhat　broad；　but　society　forgave　them；　though

she　was　capable　of　saying　to　the　cure　Taupin；　a　man　of　seventy　years

of　age；　with　white　hair；　〃Hold　your　tongue；　my　lad。〃



The　miller　of　Soulanges；　possessing　an　income　of　fifty　thousand

francs；　had　an　only　daughter　whom　Lupin　desired　for　his　son　Amaury；

since　he　had　lost　the　hope　of　marrying　him　to　Gaubertin's　daughter。

This　miller；　a　Sarcus…Taupin；　was　the　Nucingen　of　the　little　town。　He

was　supposed　to　be　thrice　a　millionaire；　but　he　never　transacted

business　with　others；　and　thought　only　of　grinding　his　wheat　and

keeping　a　monopoly　of　it；　his　most　noticeable　point　was　a　total

absence　of　politeness　and　good　manners。



The　elder　Guerbet；　brother　of　the　post…master　at　Conches；　possessed　an

income　of　ten　thousand　francs；　besides　his　salary　as　collector。　The

Gourdons　were　rich；　the　doctor　had　married　the　only　daughter　of　old

Monsieur　Gendrin…Vatebled；　keeper　of　the　forests　and　streams；　whom　the

family　were　now　EXPECTING　TO　DIE；　while　the　poet　had　married　the　niece

and　sole　heiress　of　the　Abbe　Taupin；　the　curate　of　Soulanges；　a　stout

priest　who　lived　in　his　cure　like　a　rat　in　his　cheese。



This　clever　ecclesiastic；　devoted　to　the　leading　society；　kind　and

obliging　to　the　second；　apostolic　to　the　poor　and　unfortunate；　made

himself　beloved　by　the　whole　town。　He　was　cousin　of　the　miller　and

cousin　of　the　Sarcuses；　and　belonged　therefore　to　the　neighborhood　and

to　its　mediocracy。　He　always　dined　out　and　saved　expenses；　he　went　to

weddings　but　came　away　before　the　ball；　he　paid　the　costs　of　public

worship；　saying；　〃It　is　my　business。〃　And　the　parish　let　him　do　it；

with　the　remark；　〃We　have　an　excellent　priest。〃　The　bishop；　who　knew

the　Soulanges　people　and　was　not　at　all　misled　as　to　the　true　value　of

the　abbe；　was　glad　enough　to　keep　in　such　a　town　a　man　who　made

religion　acceptable；　and　who　knew　how　to　fill　his　church　and　preach　to

sleepy　heads。



It　is　unnecessary　to　remark　that　not　only　each　of　these　worthy

burghers　possessed　some　one　of　the　special　qualifications　which　are

necessary　to　existence　in　the　provinces；　but　also　that　each　cultivated

his　field　in　the　domain　of　vanity　without　a　rival。　Pere　Guerbet

understood　finance；　Soudry　might　have　been　minister　of　war；　if　Cuvier

had　passed　that　way　incognito；　the　leading　society　of　Soulanges　would

have　proved　to　him　that　he　knew　nothing　in　comparison　with　Monsieur

Gourdon　the　doctor。　〃Adolphe　Nourrit　with　his　thread　of　a　voice；〃

remarked　the　notary　with　patronizing　indulgence；　〃was　scarcely　worthy

to　accompany　the　nightingale　of　Soulanges。〃　As　to　the　author　of　the

〃Cup…and…Ball〃　（which　was　then　being　printed　at　Bournier's）；　society

was　satisfied　that　a　poet　of　his　force　could　not　be　met　with　in　Paris；

for　Delille　was　now　dead。



This　provincial　bourgeoisie；　so　comfortably　satisfied　with　itself；

took　the　lead　through　the　various　superiorities　of　its　members。

Therefore　the　imagination　of　those　who　ever　resided；　even　for　a　short

time；　in　a　little　town　of　this　kind　can　conceive　the　air　of　profound

satisfaction　upon　the　faces　of　these　people；　who　believed　themselves

the　solar　plexus　of　France；　all　of　them　armed　with　incredible

dexterity　and　shrewdness　to　do　mischief；all；　in　their　wisdom；

declaring　that　the　hero　of　Essling　was　a　coward；　Madame　de　Montcornet

a　manoeuvring　Parisian；　and　the　Abbe　Brossette　an　ambitious　little

priest。



If　Rigou；　Soudry；　and　Gaubertin　had　lived　at　Ville…aux…Fayes；　they

would　have　quarrelled；　their　various　pretensions　would　have　clashed；

but　fate　ordained　that　the　Lucullus　of　Blangy　felt　too　strongly　the

need　of　solitude；　in　which　to　wallow　at　his　ease　in　usury　and

sensuality；　to　live　anywhere　but　at　Blangy；　that　Madame　Soudry　had

sense　enough　to　see　that　she　could　reign　nowhere　else　except　at

Soulanges；　and　that　Ville…aux…Fayes　was　Gaubertin's　place　of　business。

Those　who　enjoy　studying　social　nature　will　admit　that　General

Montcornet　was　pursued　by　special　ill…luck　in　this　accidental

separation　of　his　dangerous　enemies；　who　thus　accomplished　the

evolutions　of　their　individual　power　and　vanity　at　such　distances　from

each　other　that　neither　star　interfered　with　the　orbit　of　the　other；

a　fact　which　doubled　and　trebled　their　powers　of　mischief。



Nevertheless；　though　all　these　worthy　bourgeois；　proud　of　their

accomplishments；　considered　their　society　as　far　superior　in

attractions　to　that　of　Ville…aux…Fayes；　and　repeated　with　comic

pomposity　the　local　dictum；　〃Soulanges　is　a　town　of　society　and　social

pleasures；〃　it　must　not　be　supposed　that　Ville…aux…Fayes　accepted　this

supremacy。　The　Gaubertin　salon　ridiculed　（〃in　petto〃）　the　salon

Soudry。　By　the　manner　in　which　Gaubertin　remarked；　〃We　are　a　financial

community；　engaged　in　actual　business；　we　have　the　folly　to　fatigue

ourselves　in　making　fortunes；〃　it　was　easy　to　perceive　a　latent

antagonism　between　the　earth　and　the　moon。　The　moon　believed　herself

useful　to　the　earth；　and　the　earth　governed　the　moon。　Earth　and　moon；

however；　lived　in　the　closest　intimacy。　At　the　carnival　the　leading

society　of　Soulanges　went　in　a　body　to　four　balls　given　by　Gaubertin；

Gendrin；　Leclercq；　and　Soudry；　junior。　Every　Sunday　the　latter；　his

wife；　Monsieur；　Madame；　and　Mademoiselle　Elise　Gaubertin　dined　with

the　Soudrys　at　Soulanges。　When　the　sub…prefect　was　invited；　and　when

the　postmaster　of　Conches　arrived　to　take　pot…luck；　Soulanges　enjoyed

the　sight　of　four　official　equipages　drawn　up　at　the　door　of　the

Soudry　mansion。







CHAPTER　II



THE　CONSPIRATORS　IN　THE　QUEEN'S　SALON



Reaching　Soulanges　about　half…past　five　o'clock；　Rigou　was　sure　of

finding　the　usual　party　assembled　at　the　Soudrys'。　There；　as

everywhere　else　in　town；　the　dinner…hour　was　three　o'clock；　according

to　the　custom　of　the　last　century。　From　five　to　nine　the　notables　of

Soulanges　met　in　Madame　Soudry's　salon　to　exchange　the　news；　make

their　political　speeches；　comment　upon　the　private　lives　of　every　one

in　the　valley；　and　talk　about　Les　Aigues；　which　latter　topic　kept　the

conversation　going　for　at　least　an　hour　every　day。　It　was　everybody's

business　to　learn　at　least　something　of　what　was　going　on；　and　also　to

pay　their　court　to　the　mistress　of　the　house。



After　this　preliminary　talk　they　played　at　boston；　the　only　game　the

queen　understood。　When　the　fat　old　Guerbet　had　mimicked　Madame　Isaure；

Gaubertin's　wife；　laughed　at　her　languishing　airs；　imitated　her　thin

voice；　her　pinched　mouth；　and　her　juvenile　ways；　when　the　Abbe　Taupin

had　related　o