sons of the soil-第67章

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looking　at　Lupin　and　at　Madame　Soudry。



〃Let　us　return　to　the　salon；〃　replied　the　queen。



〃What　has　the　Shopman　done　now？〃　asked　Soudry；　sitting　down　beside　his

wife　and　putting　his　arm　about　her　waist。



Madame　Soudry；　like　other　old　women；　forgave　a　great　deal　in　return

for　such　public　marks　of　tenderness。



〃Why；〃　said　Rigou；　in　a　low　voice；　to　set　an　example　of　caution；　〃he

has　gone　to　the　Prefecture　to　demand　the　enforcement　of　the　penalties；

he　wants　the　help　of　the　authorities。〃



〃Then　he's　lost；〃　said　Lupin；　rubbing　his　hands；　〃the　peasants　will

fight。〃



〃Fight！〃　cried　Soudry；　〃that　depends。　If　the　prefect　and　the　general；

who　are　friends；　send　a　squadron　of　cavalry　the　peasants　can't　fight。

They　might　at　a　pinch　get　the　better　of　the　gendarmes；　but　as　for

resisting　a　charge　of　cavalry！〃



〃Sibilet　heard　him　say　something　much　more　dangerous　than　that；〃　said

Rigou；　〃and　that's　what　brings　me　here。〃



〃Oh；　my　poor　Sophie！〃　cried　Madame　Soudry；　sentimentally；　alluding　to

her　FRIEND；　Mademoiselle　Laguerre；　〃into　what　hands　Les　Aigues　has

fallen！　This　is　what　we　have　gained　by　the　Revolution！a　parcel　of

swaggering　epaulets！　We　might　have　foreseen　that　whenever　the　bottle

was　turned　upside　down　the　dregs　would　spoil　the　wine！〃



〃He　means　to　go　to　Paris　and　cabal　with　the　Keeper　of　the　Seals　and

others　to　get　the　whole　judiciary　changed　down　here；〃　said　Rigou。



〃Ha！〃　cried　Lupin；　〃then　he　sees　his　danger。〃



〃If　they　appoint　my　son…in…law　attorney…general　we　can't　help

ourselves；　the　general　will　get　him　replaced　by　some　Parisian　devoted

to　his　interests；〃　continued　Rigou。　〃If　he　gets　a　place　in　Paris　for

Gendrin　and　makes　Guerbet　chief…justice　of　the　court　at　Auxerre；　he'll

knock　down　our　skittles！　The　gendarmerie　is　on　his　side　now；　and　if　he

gets　the　courts　as　well；　and　keeps　such　advisers　as　the　abbe　and

Michaud　we　sha'n't　dance　at　the　wedding；　he'll　play　us　some　scurvy

trick　or　other。〃



〃How　is　it　that　in　all　these　five　years　you　have　never　managed　to　get

rid　of　that　abbe？〃　said　Lupin。



〃You　don't　know　him；　he's　as　suspicious　as　a　blackbird；〃　replied

Rigou。　〃He　is　not　a　man　at　all；　that　priest；　he　doesn't　care　for

women；　I　can't　find　out　that　he　has　any　passion；　there's　no　point　at

which　one　can　attack　him。　The　general　lays　himself　open　by　his　temper。

A　man　with　a　vice　is　the　servant　of　his　enemies　if　they　know　how　to

pull　its　string。　There　are　no　strong　men　but　those　who　lead　their

vices　instead　of　being　led　by　them。　The　peasants　are　all　right；　their

hatred　against　the　abbe　keeps　up；　but　we　can　do　nothing　as　yet。　He's

like　Michaud；　in　his　way；　such　men　are　too　good　for　this　world；God

ought　to　call　them　to　himself。〃



〃It　would　be　a　good　plan　to　find　some　pretty　servant…girl　to　scrub　his

staircase；〃　remarked　Madame　Soudry。　The　words　caused　Rigou　to　give　the

little　jump　with　which　crafty　natures　recognize　the　craft　of　others。



〃The　Shopman　has　another　vice；〃　he　said；　〃he　loves　his　wife；　we　might

get　hold　of　him　that　way。〃



〃We　ought　to　find　out　how　far　she　really　influences　him；〃　said　Madame

Soudry。



〃There's　the　rub！〃　said　Lupin。



〃As　for　you；　Lupin；〃　said　Rigou；　in　a　tone　of　authority；　〃be　off　to

the　Prefecture　and　see　the　beautiful　Madame　Sarcus　at　once！　You　must

get　her　to　tell　you　all　the　Shopman　says　and　does　at　the　Prefecture。〃



〃Then　I　shall　have　to　stay　all　night；〃　replied　Lupin。



〃So　much　the　better　for　Sarcus　the　rich；　he'll　be　the　gainer；〃　said

Rigou。　〃She　is　not　yet　out　of　date；　Madame　Sarcus〃



〃Oh！　Monsieur　Rigou；〃　said　Madame　Soudry；　in　a　mincing　tone；　〃are

women　ever　out　of　date？〃



〃You　may　be　right　about　Madame　Sarcus；　she　doesn't　paint　before　the

glass；〃　retorted　Rigou；　who　was　always　disgusted　by　the　exhibition　of

the　Cochet's　ancient　charms。



Madame　Soudry；　who　thought　she　used　only　a　〃suspicion〃　of　rouge；　did

not　perceive　the　sarcasm　and　hastened　to　say：



〃Is　it　possible　that　women　paint？〃



〃Now；　Lupin；〃　said　Rigou；　without　replying　to　this　naivete；　〃go　over

to　Gaubertin's　to…morrow　morning。　Tell　him　that　my　fellow…mayor　and　I〃

（striking　Soudry　on　the　thigh）　〃will　break　bread　with　him　at　breakfast

somewhere　about　midday。　Tell　him　everything；　so　that　we　may　all　have

thought　it　over　before　we　meet；　for　now's　the　time　to　make　an　end　of

that　damned　Shopman。　As　I　drove　over　here　I　came　to　the　conclusion　it

would　be　best　to　get　up　a　quarrel　between　the　courts　and　him；　so　that

the　Keeper　of　the　Seals　would　be　wary　of　making　the　changes　he　may　ask

in　their　members。〃



〃Bravo　for　the　son　of　the　Church！〃　cried　Lupin；　slapping　Rigou　on　the

shoulder。



Madame　Soudry　was　here　struck　by　an　idea　which　could　come　only　to　a

former　waiting…maid　of　an　Opera　divinity。



〃If；〃　she　said；　〃one　could　only　get　the　Shopman　to　the　fete　at

Soulanges；　and　throw　some　fine　girl　in　his　way　who　would　turn　his

head；　we　could　easily　set　his　wife　against　him　by　letting　her　know

that　the　son　of　an　upholsterer　has　gone　back　to　the　style　of　his　early

loves。〃



〃Ah；　my　beauty！〃　said　Soudry；　〃you　have　more　sense　in　your　head　than

the　Prefecture　of　police　in　Paris。〃



〃That's　an　idea　which　proves　that　Madame　reigns　by　mind　as　well　as　by

beauty；〃　said　Lupin；　who　was　rewarded　by　a　grimace　which　the　leading

society　of　Soulanges　were　in　the　habit　of　accepting　without　protest

for　a　smile。



〃One　might　do　better　still；〃　said　Rigou；　after　some　thought；　〃if　we

could　only　turn　it　into　a　downright　scandal。〃



〃Complaint　and　indictment！　affair　in　the　police　court！〃　cried　Lupin。

〃Oh！　that　would　be　grand！〃



〃Glorious！〃　said　Soudry；　candidly。　〃What　happiness　to　see　the　Comte　de

Montcornet；　grand　cross　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　commander　of　the　Order

of　Saint　Louis；　and　lieutenant…general；　accused　of　having　attempted；

in　a　public　resort；　the　virtuejust　think　of　it！〃



〃He　loves　his　wife　too　well；〃　said　Lupin；　reflectively。　〃He　couldn't

be　got　to　that。〃



〃That's　no　obstacle；〃　remarked　Rigou；　〃but　I　don't　know　a　single　girl

in　the　whole　arrondissement　who　is　capable　of　making　a　sinner　of　a

saint。　I　have　been　looking　out　for　one　for　the　abbe。〃



〃What　do　you　say　to　that　handsome　Gatienne　Giboulard；　of　Auxerre；　whom

Sarcus；　junior；　is　mad　after？〃　asked　Lupin。



〃That's　the　only　one；〃　answered　Rigou；　〃but　she　is　not　suitable；　she

thinks　she　has　only　to　be　seen　to　be　admired；　she's　not　complying

enough；　we　want　a　witch　and　a　sly…boots；　too。　Never　mind；　the　right

one　will　turn　up　sooner　or　later。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Lupin；　〃the　more　pretty　girls　he　sees　the　greater　the

chances　are。〃



〃But　perhaps　you　can't　get　the　Shopman　to　the　fair；〃　said　the　ex…

gendarme。　〃And　if　he　does　come；　will　he　go　to　the　Tivoli　ball？〃



〃The　reason　that　has　always　kept　him　away　from　the　fair　doesn't　exist

this　year；　my　love；〃　said　Madame　Soudry。



〃What　reason；　dearest？〃　asked　Soudry。



〃The　Shopman　wanted　to　marry　Mademoiselle　de　Soulanges；〃　said　the

notary。　〃The　family　replied　that　she　was　too　young；　and　that　mortified

him。　That　is　why　Monsieur　de　Soulanges　and　Monsieur　de　Montcornet；　two

old　friends　who　both　served　in　the　Imperial　Guard；　are　so　cool　to　each

other　that　they　never　speak。　The　Shopman　doesn't　want　to　meet　the

Soulanges　at　the　fair；　but　this　year　the　family　are　not　coming。〃



Usually　the　Soulanges　party　stayed　at　the　chateau　from　July　to

October；　but　the　general　was　then　in　command　of　the　artillery　in

Spain；　under　the　Duc　d'Angouleme；　and　the　countess　had　accompanied

him。　At　the　siege　of　Cadiz　the　Comte　de　Soulanges　obtained；　as　every

one　knows；　the　marshal's　baton；　which　he　kept　till　1826。



〃Very　true；〃　cried　Lupin。　〃Well；　it　is　for　you；　papa；〃　he　added；

addressing　Rigou；　〃to　manoeuvre　the　matter　so　that　we　can　get　him　to

the　fair；　once　there；　we　ought　to　be　able　to　entrap　him。〃



The　fair　of　Soulanges；　which　takes　place　on　the　15th　of　August；　is　one

of　the　features　of　the　town；　and　c