sons of the soil-第75章

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bridle　and　led　him　into　the　courtyard；　where　were　the　offices　and　the

stable。



Gaubertin　left　his　guests　to　walk　about　the　garden　for　a　moment；　while

he　went　to　give　his　orders　and　arrange　about　the　breakfast。



〃Well；　my　wolves；〃　he　said；　as　he　returned；　rubbing　his　hands；　〃the

gendarmerie　of　Soulanges　were　seen　this　morning　at　daybreak；　marching

towards　Conches；　no　doubt　they　mean　to　arrest　the　peasants　for

depredations；　ha；　ha！　things　are　getting　warm；　warm！　By　this　time；〃　he

added；　looking　at　his　watch；　〃those　fellows　may　have　been　arrested。〃



〃Probably；〃　said　Rigou。



〃Well；　what　do　you　all　say　over　there？　Has　anything　been　decided？〃



〃What　is　there　to　decide？〃　asked　Rigou。　〃We　have　no　part　in　it；〃　he

added；　looking　at　Soudry。



〃How　do　you　mean　nothing　to　decide？　If　Les　Aigues　is　sold　as　the

result　of　our　coalition；　who　is　to　gain　five　or　six　hundred　thousand

francs　out　of　it？　Do　you　expect　me　to；　all　alone？　No；　my　inside　is　not

strong　enough　to　split　up　two　millions；　with　three　children　to

establish；　and　a　wife　who　hasn't　the　first　idea　about　the　value　of

money；　no；　I　must　have　associates。　Here's　the　gendarme；　he　has　plenty

of　funds　all　ready。　I　know　he　doesn't　hold　a　single　mortgage　that

isn't　ready　to　mature；　he　only　lends　now　on　notes　at　sight　of　which　I

endorse。　I'll　go　into　this　thing　by　the　amount　of　eight　hundred

thousand　francs；　my　son；　the　judge；　two　hundred　thousand；　and　I　count

on　the　gendarme　for　two　hundred　thousand　more；　now；　how　much　will　you

put　in；　skull…cap？〃



〃All　the　rest；〃　replied　Rigou；　stiffly。



〃The　devil！　well；　I　wish　I　had　my　hand　where　your　heart　is！〃　exclaimed

Gaubertin。　〃Now　what　are　you　going　to　do？〃



〃Whatever　you　do；　tell　your　plan。〃



〃My　plan；〃　said　Gaubertin；　〃is　to　take　double；　and　sell　half　to　the

Conches；　and　Cerneux；　and　Blangy　folks　who　want　to　buy。　Soudry　has　his

clients；　and　you　yours；　and　I；　mine。　That's　not　the　difficulty。　The

thing　is；　how　are　we　going　to　arrange　among　ourselves？　How　shall　we

divide　up　the　great　lots？〃



〃Nothing　easier；〃　said　Rigou。　〃We'll　each　take　what　we　like　best。　I；

for　one；　shall　stand　in　nobody's　way；　I'll　take　the　woods　in　common

with　Soudry　and　my　son…in…law；　the　timber　has　been　so　injured　that　you

won't　care　for　it　now；　and　you　may　have　all　the　rest。　Faith；　it　is

worth　the　money　you'll　put　into　it！〃



〃Will　you　sign　that　agreement？〃　said　Soudry。



〃A　written　agreement　is　worth　nothing；〃　replied　Gaubertin。　〃Besides；

you　know　I　am　playing　above　board；　I　have　perfect　confidence　in

Rigou；　and　he　shall　be　the　purchaser。〃



〃That　will　satisfy　me；〃　said　Rigou。



〃I　will　make　only　one　condition；〃　added　Gaubertin。　〃I　must　have　the

pavilion　of　the　Rendezvous；　with　all　its　appurtenances；　and　fifty

acres　of　the　surrounding　land。　I　shall　make　it　my　country…house；　and

it　shall　be　near　my　woods。　Madame　GaubertinMadame　Isaure；　for　that's

what　she　wants　people　to　call　hersays　she　shall　make　it　her　villa。〃



〃I'm　willing；〃　said　Rigou。



〃Well；　now；　between　ourselves；〃　continued　Gaubertin；　after　looking

about　him　on　all　sides　and　making　sure　that　no　one　could　overhear　him；

〃do　you　think　they　are　capable　of　striking　a　blow？〃



〃Such　as？〃　asked　Rigou；　who　never　allowed　himself　to　understand　a

hint。



〃Well；　if　the　worst　of　the　band；　the　best　shot；　sent　a　ball　whistling

round　the　ears　of　the　countjust　to　frighten　him？〃



〃He's　a　man　to　rush　at　an　assailant　and　collar　him。〃



〃Michaud；　then。〃



〃Michaud　would　do　nothing　at　the　moment；　but　he'd　watch　and　spy　till

he　found　out　the　man　and　those　who　instigated　him。〃



〃You　are　right；〃　said　Gaubertin；　〃those　peasants　must　make　a　riot　and

a　few　must　be　sent　to　the　galleys。　Well；　so　much　the　better　for　us；

the　authorities　will　catch　the　worst；　whom　we　shall　want　to　get　rid　of

after　they've　done　the　work。　There　are　those　blackguards；　the　Tonsards

and　Bonnebault〃



〃Tonsard　is　ready　for　mischief；〃　said　Soudry；　〃I　know　that；　and　we'll

work　him　up　by　Vaudoyer　and　Courtecuisse。〃



〃I'll　answer　for　Courtecuisse；〃　said　Rigou。



〃And　I　hold　Vaudoyer　in　the　hollow　of　my　hand。〃



〃Be　cautious！〃　said　Rigou；　〃before　everything　else　be　cautious。〃



〃Now；　papa　skull…cap；　do　you　mean　to　tell　me　that　there's　any　harm　in

speaking　of　things　as　they　are？　Is　it　we　who　are　indicting　and

arresting；　or　gleaning　or　depredating？　If　Monsieur　le　comte　knows　what

he's　about　and　leases　the　woods　to　the　receiver…general　it　is　all　up

with　our　schemes；'Farewell　baskets；　the　vintage　is　o'er'；　in　that

case　you　will　lose　more　than　I。　What　we　say　here　is　between　ourselves

and　for　ourselves；　for　I　certainly　wouldn't　say　a　word　to　Vaudoyer

that　I　couldn't　repeat　to　God　and　man。　But　it　is　not　forbidden；　I

suppose；　to　profit　by　any　events　that　may　take　place。　The　peasantry　of

this　canton　are　hot…headed；　the　general's　exactions；　his　severity；

Michaud's　persecutions；　and　those　of　his　keepers　have　exasperated

them；　to…day　things　have　come　to　a　crisis　and　I'll　bet　there's　a

rumpus　going　on　now　with　the　gendarmerie。　And　so；　let's　go　and

breakfast。〃



Madame　Gaubertin　came　into　the　garden　just　then。　She　was　a　rather　fair

woman　with　long　curls；　called　English；　hanging　down　her　cheeks；　who

played　the　style　of　sentimental　virtue；　pretended　never　to　have　known

love；　talked　platonics　to　all　the　men　about　her；　and　kept　the

prosecuting…attorney　at　her　beck　and　call。　She　was　given　to　caps　with

large　bows；　but　preferred　to　wear　only　her　hair。　She　danced；　and　at

forty…five　years　of　age　had　the　mincing　manner　of　a　girl；　her　feet；

however；　were　large　and　her　hands　frightful。　She　wished　to　be　called

Isaure；　because　among　her　other　oddities　and　absurdities　she　had　the

taste　to　repudiate　the　name　of　Gaubertin　as　vulgar。　Her　eyes　were

light　and　her　hair　of　an　undecided　color；　something　like　dirty

nankeen。　Such　as　she　was；　she　was　taken　as　a　model　by　a　number　of

young　ladies；　who　stabbed　the　skies　with　their　glances；　and　posed　as

angels。



〃Well；　gentlemen；〃　she　said；　bowing；　〃I　have　some　strange　news　for

you。　The　gendarmerie　have　returned。〃



〃Did　they　make　any　prisoners？〃



〃None；　the　general；　it　seems；　had　previously　obtained　the　pardon　of

the　depredators。　It　was　given　in　honor　of　this　happy　anniversary　of

the　king's　restoration　to　France。〃



The　three　associates　looked　at　each　other。



〃He　is　cleverer　than　I　thought　for；　that　big　cuirassier！〃　said

Gaubertin。　〃Well；　come　to　breakfast。　After　all；　the　game　is　not　lost；

only　postponed；　it　is　your　affair　now；　Rigou。〃



Soudry　and　Rigou　drove　back　disappointed；　not　being　able　as　yet　to

plan　any　other　catastrophe　to　serve　their　ends　and　relying；　as

Gaubertin　advised；　on　what　might　turn　up。　Like　certain　Jacobins　at　the

outset　of　the　Revolution　who　were　furious　with　Louis　XVI。's

conciliations；　and　who　provoked　severe　measures　at　court　in　the　hope

of　producing　anarchy；　which　to　them　meant　fortune　and　power；　the

formidable　enemies　of　General　Montcornet　staked　their　present　hopes　on

the　severity　which　Michaud　and　his　keepers　were　likely　to　employ

against　future　depredators。　Gaubertin　promised　them　his　assistance；

without　explaining　who　were　his　co…operators；　for　he　did　not　wish　them

to　know　about　his　relations　with　Sibilet。　Nothing　can　equal　the

prudence　of　a　man　of　Gaubertin's　stamp；　unless　it　be　that　of　an　ex…

gendarme　or　an　unfrocked　priest。　This　plot　could　not　have　been　brought

to　a　successful　issue；a　successfully　evil　issue；unless　by　three

such　men　as　these；　steeped　in　hatred　and　self…interest。







CHAPTER　V



VICTORY　WITHOUT　A　FIGHT



Madame　Michaud's　fears　were　the　effect　of　that　second　sight　which

comes　of　true　passion。　Exclusively　absorbed　by　one　only　being；　the

soul　finally　grasps　the　whole　moral　world　which　surrounds　that　being；

it　sees　clearly。　A　woman　when　she　loves　feels　the　same　presentiments

which　disquiet　her　later　when　a　mother。



While　the　poor　young　woman　lis