sons of the soil-第69章
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fly at the Revolution。 Popular revolutions have no more bitter enemies
than those they have trained themselves。
〃Pere Rigou's visits are pretty short；〃 said Gourdon the poet to
Madame Soudry。
〃They are pleasant； if they are short；〃 she answered。
〃Like his own life；〃 said the doctor； 〃his abuse of pleasures will cut
that short。〃
〃So much the better；〃 remarked Soudry； 〃my son will step into the
property。〃
〃Did he bring you any news about Les Aigues？〃 asked the Abbe Taupin。
〃Yes； my dear abbe；〃 said Madame Soudry。 〃Those people are the scourge
of the neighborhood。 I can't comprehend how it is that Madame de
Montcornet； who is certainly a well…bred woman； doesn't understand
their interests better。〃
〃And yet she has a model before her eyes；〃 said the abbe。
〃Who is that？〃 asked Madame Soudry； smirking。
〃The Soulanges。〃
〃Ah； yes！〃 replied the queen after a pause。
〃Here I am！〃 cried Madame Vermut； coming into the room； 〃and without
my re…active；for Vermut is so inactive in all that concerns me that
I can't call him an active of any kind。〃
〃What the devil is that cursed old Rigou doing there？〃 said Soudry to
Guerbet； as they saw the green chaise stop before the gate of the
Tivoli。 〃He is one of those tiger…cats whose every step has an
object。〃
〃You may well say cursed；〃 replied the fat little collector。
〃He has gone into the Cafe de la Paix；〃 remarked Gourdon； the doctor。
〃And there's some trouble there；〃 added Gourdon the poet； 〃I can hear
them yelping from here。〃
〃That cafe；〃 said the abbe； 〃is like the temple of Janus； it was
called the Cafe de la Guerre under the Empire； and then it was peace
itself； the most respectable of the bourgeoisie met there for
conversation〃
〃Conversation！〃 interrupted the justice of the peace。 〃What kind of
conversation was it which produced all the little Bourniers？〃
〃but ever since it has been called； in honor of the Bourbons； the
Cafe de la Paix； fights take place there every day；〃 said Abbe Taupin；
finishing the sentence which the magistrate had taken the liberty of
interrupting。
This idea of the abbe was； like the quotations from 〃The Cup…and…
Ball；〃 of frequent recurrence。
〃Do you mean that Burgundy will always be the land of fisticuffs？〃
asked Pere Guerbet。
〃That's not ill said；〃 remarked the abbe； 〃not at all； in fact it's
almost an exact history of our country。〃
〃I don't know anything about the history of France；〃 blurted Soudry；
〃and before I try to learn it； it is more important to me to know why
old Rigou has gone into the Cafe de la Paix with Socquard。〃
〃Oh！〃 returned the abbe； 〃wherever he goes and wherever he stays； you
may be quite certain it is for no charitable purpose。〃
〃That man gives me goose…flesh whenever I see him；〃 said Madame
Vermut。
〃He is so much to be feared；〃 remarked the doctor； 〃that if he had a
spite against me I should have no peace till he was dead and buried；
he would get out of his coffin to do you an ill…turn。〃
〃If any one can force the Shopman to come to the fair； and manage to
catch him in a trap； it'll be Rigou；〃 said Soudry to his wife； in a
low tone。
〃Especially；〃 she replied； in a loud one； 〃if Gaubertin and you； my
love； help him。〃
〃There！ didn't I tell you so？〃 cried Guerbet； poking the justice of
the peace。 〃I knew he would find some pretty girl at Socquard's；
there he is； putting her into his carriage。〃
〃You are quite wrong； gentlemen；〃 said Madame Soudry； 〃Monsieur Rigou
is thinking of nothing but the great affair； and if I'm not mistaken；
that girl is only Tonsard's daughter。〃
〃He is like the chemist who lays in a stock of vipers；〃 said old
Guerbet。
〃One would think you were intimate with Monsieur Vermut to hear you
talk；〃 said the doctor； pointing to the little apothecary； who was
then crossing the square。
〃Poor fellow！〃 said the poet； who was suspected of occasionally
sharpening his wit with Madame Vermut； 〃just look at that waddle of
his！ and they say he is learned！〃
〃Without him；〃 said the justice of the peace； 〃we should be hard put
to it about post…mortems； he found poison in poor Pigeron's stomach so
cleverly that the chemists of Paris testified in the court at Auxerre
that they couldn't have done better〃
〃He didn't find anything at all；〃 said Soudry； 〃but； as President
Gendrin says； it is a good thing to let people suppose that poison
will always be found〃
〃Madame Pigeron was very wise to leave Auxerre；〃 said Madame Vermut；
〃she was silly and wicked both。 As if it were necessary to have
recourse to drugs to annul a husband！ Are not there other ways quite
as sure； but innocent； to rid ourselves of that incumbrance？ I would
like to have a man dare to question my conduct！ The worthy Monsieur
Vermut doesn't hamper me in the least；but he has never been ill yet。
As for Madame de Montcornet； just see how she walks about the woods
and the hermitage with that journalist whom she brought from Paris at
her own expense； and how she pets him under the very eyes of the
general！〃
〃At her own expense！〃 cried Madame Soudry。 〃Are you sure？ If we could
only get proof of it； what a fine subject for an anonymous letter to
the general！〃
〃The general！〃 cried Madame Vermut； 〃he won't interfere with things；
he plays his part。〃
〃What part； my dear？〃 asked Madame Soudry。
〃Oh！ the paternal part。〃
〃If poor little Pigeron had had the wisdom to play it； instead of
harassing his wife； he'd be alive now；〃 said the poet。
Madame Soudry leaned over to her neighbor； Monsieur Guerbet； and made
one of those apish grimaces which she had inherited from dear
mistress； together with her silver； by right of conquest； and twisting
her face into a series of them she made him look at Madame Vermut； who
was coquetting with the author of 〃The Cup…and…Ball。〃
〃What shocking style that woman has！ what talk； what manners！〃 she
said。 〃I really don't think I can admit her any longer into OUR
SOCIETY；especially；〃 she added； 〃when Monsieur Gourdon； the poet； is
present。〃
〃There's social morality！〃 said the abbe； who had heard and observed
all without saying a word。
After this epigram； or rather； this satire on the company； so true and
so concise that it hit every one； the usual game of boston was
proposed。
Is not this a picture of life as it is at all stages of what we agree
to call society？ Change the style； and you will find that nothing more
and nothing less is said in the gilded salons of Paris。
CHAPTER III
THE CAFE DE LA PAIX
It was about seven o'clock when Rigou drove by the Cafe de la Paix。
The setting sun； slanting its beams across the little town； was
diffusing its ruddy tints； and the clear mirror of the lake contrasted
with the flashing of the resplendent window…panes； which originated
the strangest and most improbable colors。
The deep schemer； who had grown pensive as he revolved his plots； let
his horse proceed so slowly that in passing the Cafe de la Paix he
heard his own name banded about in one of those noisy disputes which；
according to the Abbe Taupin； made the name of the establishment a
gain…saying of its customary condition。
For a clear understanding of the following scene we must explain the
topography of this region of plenty and of misrule； which began with
the cafe on the square； and ended on the country road with the famous
Tivoli where the conspirators proposed to entrap the general。 The
ground…floor of the cafe； which stood at the angle of the square and
the road； and was built in the style of Rigou's house； had three
windows on the road and two on the square； the latter being separated
by a glass door through which the house was entered。 The cafe had；
moreover； a double door which opened on a side alley that separated it
from the neighboring house （that of Vallet the Soul
