sons of the soil-第72章

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of　his　functions。　The　fellow　had　been　hired　by　Socquard　at　the　last

annual　fair；　for　in　this　valley；　as　throughout　Burgundy；　servants　are

hired　in　the　market…place　by　the　year；　exactly　as　one　buys　horses。



〃What's　your　name？〃　said　Rigou。



〃Michel；　at　your　service；〃　replied　the　waiter。



〃Doesn't　old　Fourchon　come　here　sometimes？〃



〃Two　or　three　times　a　week；　with　Monsieur　Vermichel；　who　gives　me　a

couple　of　sous　to　warn　him　if　his　wife's　after　them。〃



〃He's　a　fine　old　fellow；　Pere　Fourchon；　knows　a　great　deal　and　is　full

of　good　sense；〃　said　Rigou；　paying　for　his　lemonade　and　leaving　the

evil…smelling　place　when　he　saw　Pere　Socquard　leading　his　horse　round。



Just　as　he　was　about　to　get　into　the　carriage；　Rigou　noticed　the

chemist　crossing　the　square　and　hailed　him　with　a　〃Ho；　there；　Monsieur

Vermut！〃　Recognizing　the　rich　man；　Vermut　hurried　up。　Rigou　joined

him；　and　said　in　a　low　voice：



〃Are　there　any　drugs　that　can　eat　into　the　tissue　of　the　skin　so　as　to

produce　a　real　disease；　like　a　whitlow　on　the　finger；　for　instance？〃



〃If　Monsieur　Gourdon　would　help；　yes；〃　answered　the　little　chemist。



〃Vermut；　not　a　word　of　all　this；　or　you　and　I　will　quarrel；　but　speak

of　the　matter　to　Monsieur　Gourdon；　and　tell　him　to　come　and　see　me　the

day　after　to…morrow。　I　may　be　able　to　procure　him　the　delicate

operation　of　cutting　off　a　forefinger。〃



Then；　leaving　the　little　man　thoroughly　bewildered；　Rigou　got　into　the

carriole　beside　Marie　Tonsard。



〃Well；　you　little　viper；〃　he　said；　taking　her　by　the　arm　when　he　had

fastened　the　reins　to　a　hook　in　front　of　the　leathern　apron　which

closed　the　carriole　and　the　horse　had　started　on　a　trot；　〃do　you　think

you　can　keep　Bonnebault　by　giving　way　to　such　violence？　If　you　were　a

wise　girl　you　would　promote　his　marriage　with　that　hogshead　of

stupidity　and　take　your　revenge　afterwards。〃



Marie　could　not　help　smiling　as　she　answered：



〃Ah；　how　bad　you　are！　you　are　the　master　of　us　all　in　wickedness。〃



〃Listen　to　me；　Marie；　I　like　the　peasants；　but　it　won't　do　for　any　one

of　you　to　come　between　my　teeth　and　a　mouthful　of　game。　Your　brother

Nicolas；　as　Aglae　said；　is　after　La　Pechina。　That　must　not　be；　I

protect　her；　that　girl。　She　is　to　be　my　heiress　for　thirty　thousand

francs；　and　I　intend　to　marry　her　well。　I　know　that　Nicolas；　helped　by

your　sister　Catherine；　came　near　killing　the　little　thing　this

morning。　You　are　to　see　your　brother　and　sister　at　once；　and　say　to

them：　'If　you　let　La　Pechina　alone；　Pere　Rigou　will　save　Nicolas　from

the　conscription。'〃



〃You　are　the　devil　incarnate！〃　cried　Marie。　〃They　do　say　you've　signed

a　compact　with　him。　Is　that　true？〃



〃Yes；〃　replied　Rigou；　gravely。



〃I　heard　it；　but　I　didn't　believe　it。〃



〃He　has　guaranteed　that　no　attacks　aimed　at　me　shall　hurt　me；　that　I

shall　never　be　robbed；　that　I　shall　live　a　hundred　years　and　succeed

in　everything　I　undertake；　and　be　as　young　to　the　day　of　my　death　as　a

two…year　old　cockerel〃



〃Well；　if　that's　so；〃　said　Marie；　〃it　must　be　DEVILISHLY　easy　for　you

to　save　my　brother　from　the　conscription〃



〃If　he　chooses；　that's　to　say。　He'll　have　to　lose　a　finger；〃　returned

Rigou。　〃I'll　tell　him　how。〃



〃Look　out；　you　are　taking　the　upper　road！〃　exclaimed　Marie。



〃I　never　go　by　the　lower　at　night；〃　said　the　ex…monk。



〃On　account　of　the　cross？〃　said　Marie；　naively。



〃That's　it；　sly…boots；〃　replied　her　diabolical　companion。



They　had　reached　a　spot　where　the　high…road　cuts　through　a　slight

elevation　of　ground；　making　on　each　side　of　it　a　rather　steep　slope；

such　as　we　often　see　on　the　mail…roads　of　France。　At　the　end　of　this

little　gorge；　which　is　about　a　hundred　feet　long；　the　roads　to

Ronquerolles　and　to　Cerneux　meet　and　form　an　open　space；　in　the　centre

of　which　stands　a　cross。　From　either　slope　a　man　could　aim　at　a　victim

and　kill　him　at　close　quarters；　with　all　the　more　ease　because　the

little　hill　is　covered　with　vines；　and　the　evil…doer　could　lie　in

ambush　among　the　briers　and　brambles　that　overgrow　them。　We　can

readily　imagine　why　the　usurer　did　not　take　that　road　after　dark。　The

Thune　flows　round　the　little　hill；　and　the　place　is　called　the　Close

of　the　Cross。　No　spot　was　ever　more　adapted　for　revenge　or　murder；　for

the　road　to　Ronquerolles　continues　to　the　bridge　over　the　Avonne　in

front　of　the　pavilion　of　the　Rendezvous；　while　that　to　Cerneux　leads

off　above　the　mail…road；　so　that　between　the　four　roads；to　Les

Aigues；　Ville…aux…Fayes；　Ronquerolles；　and　Cerneux；a　murderer　could

choose　his　line　of　retreat　and　leave　his　pursuers　in　uncertainty。



〃I　shall　drop　you　at　the　entrance　of　the　village；〃　said　Rigou　when

they　neared　the　first　houses　of　Blangy。



〃Because　you　are　afraid　of　Annette；　old　coward！〃　cried　Marie。　〃When

are　you　going　to　send　her　away？　you　have　had　her　now　three　years。　What

amuses　me　is　that　your　old　woman　still　lives；　the　good　God　knows　how

to　revenge　himself。〃







CHAPTER　IV



THE　TRIUMVIRATE　OF　VILLE…AUX…FAYES



The　cautious　usurer　compelled　his　wife　and　Jean　to　go　to　bed　and　to

rise　by　daylight；　assuring　them　that　the　house　would　never　be　attacked

if　he　sat　up　till　midnight；　and　he　never　himself　rose　till　late。　Not

only　had　he　thus　secured　himself　from　interruption　between　seven　at

night　and　five　the　next　morning　but　he　had　accustomed　his　wife　and

Jean　to　respect　his　morning　sleep　and　that　of　Hagar；　whose　room　was

directly　behind　his。



So；　on　the　following　morning；　about　half　past　six；　Madame　Rigou；　who

herself　took　care　of　the　poultry…yard　with　some　assistance　from　Jean；

knocked　timidly　at　her　husband's　door。



〃Monsieur　Rigou；〃　she　said；　〃you　told　me　to　wake　you。〃



The　tones　of　that　voice；　the　attitude　of　the　woman；　her　frightened　air

as　she　obeyed　an　order　the　execution　of　which　might　be　ill…received；

showed　the　utter　self…abnegation　in　which　the　poor　creature　lived；　and

the　affection　she　still　bore　to　her　petty　tyrant。



〃Very　good；〃　replied　Rigou。



〃Shall　I　wake　Annette？〃　she　asked。



〃No；　let　her　sleep；　she　has　been　up　half　the　night；〃　he　replied；

gravely。



The　man　was　always　grave；　even　when　he　allowed　himself　to　jest。

Annette　had　in　fact　opened　the　door　secretly　to　Sibilet；　Fourchon；　and

Catherine　Tonsard；　who　all　came　at　different　hours　between　eleven　and

two　o'clock。



Ten　minutes　later　Rigou；　dressed　with　more　care　than　usual；　came

downstairs　and　greeted　his　wife　with　a　〃Good…morning；　my　old　woman；〃

which　made　her　happier　than　if　counts　had　knelt　at　her　feet。



〃Jean；〃　he　said　to　the　ex…lay…brother；　〃don't　leave　the　house；　if　any

one　robs　me　it　will　be　worse　for　you　than　for　me。〃



By　thus　mingling　mildness　and　severity；　hopes　and　rebuffs；　the　clever

egoist　kept　his　three　slaves　faithful　and　close　at　his　heels；　like

dogs。



Taking　the　upper…road；　so…called；　to　avoid　the　Close　of　the　Cross；

Rigou　reached　the　square　of　Soulanges　about　eight　o'clock。



Just　as　he　was　fastening　his　rein　to　the　post　nearest　the　little　door

with　three　steps；　a　blind　opened　and　Soudry　showed　his　face；　pitted

with　the　small…pox；　which　the　expression　of　his　small　black　eyes

rendered　crafty。



〃Let's　begin　by　taking　a　crust　here　before　we　start；〃　he　said；　〃we

sha'n't　get　breakfast　at　Ville…aux…Fayes　before　one　o'clock。〃



Then　he　softly　called　a　servant…girl；　as　young　and　pretty　as　Annette；

who　came　down　noiselessly；　and　received　his　order　for　ham　and　bread；

after　which　he　went　himself　to　the　cellar　and　fetched　some　wine。



Rigou　contemplated　for　the　hundredth　time　the　well…known　dining…room；

floored　in　oak；　with　stuccoed　ceiling　and　cornice；　its　high　wainscot

and　handsome　cupboards　finely　painted；　its　porcelain　stone　and

magnificent　tall　clock；all　the　property　of　Mademoiselle　Laguerre。

The　chair…backs　were　in　the　form　of　lyres；　painted　white　and　highly

varnished；　the　seats　were　of　green　morocco　with　gilt　nails。　A　massive

mahogany