sons of the soil-第76章

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which　disquiet　her　later　when　a　mother。



While　the　poor　young　woman　listened　to　the　confused　voices　coming　from

afar　across　an　unknown　space；　a　scene　was　really　happening　in　the

tavern　of　the　Grand…I…Vert　which　threatened　her　husband's　life。



About　five　o'clock　that　morning　early　risers　had　seen　the　gendarmerie

of　Soulanges　on　its　way　to　Conches。　The　news　circulated　rapidly；　and

those　whom　it　chiefly　interested　were　much　surprised　to　learn　from

others；　who　lived　on　high　ground；　that　a　detachment　commanded　by　the

lieutenant　of　Ville…aux…Fayes　had　marched　through　the　forest　of　Les

Aigues。　As　it　was　a　Monday；　there　were　already　good　reasons　why　the

peasants　should　be　at　the　tavern；　but　it　was　also　the　eve　of　the

anniversary　of　the　restoration　of　the　Bourbons；　and　though　the

frequenters　of　Tonsard's　den　had　no　need　of　that　〃august　cause〃　（as

they　said　in　those　days）　to　explain　their　presence　at　the　Grand…I…

Vert；　they　did　not　fail　to　make　the　most　of　it　if　the　mere　shadow　of

an　official　functionary　appeared。



Vaudoyer；　Courtecuisse；　Tonsard　and　his　family；　Godain；　and　an　old

vine…dresser　named　Laroche；　were　there　early　in　the　morning。　The

latter　was　a　man　who　scratched　a　living　from　day　to　day；　he　was　one　of

the　delinquents　collected　in　Blangy　under　the　sort　of　subscription

invented　by　Sibilet　and　Courtecuisse　to　disgust　the　general　by　the

results　of　his　indictments。　Blangy　had　supplied　three　men；　twelve

women；　also　eight　girls　and　five　boys　for　whom　parent　were　answerable；

all　of　whom　were　in　a　condition　of　pauperism；　but　they　were　the　only

ones　who　could　be　found　that　were　so。　The　year　1823　had　been　a　very

profitable　one　to　the　peasantry；　and　1826　as　likely；　through　the

enormous　quantity　of　wine　yielded；　to　bring　them　in　a　good　deal　of

money；　add　to　this　the　works　at　Les　Aigues；　undertaken　by　the　general；

which　had　put　a　great　deal　more　in　circulation　throughout　the　three

districts　which　bordered　on　the　estate。　It　had　therefore　been　quite

difficult　to　find　in　Blangy；　Conches；　and　Cerneux；　one　hundred　and

twenty　indigent　persons　against　whom　to　bring　the　suits；　and　in　order

to　do　so；　they　had　taken　old　women；　mothers；　and　grandmothers　of　those

who　owned　property　but　who　possessed　nothing　of　their　own；　like

Tonsard's　mother。　Laroche；　an　old　laborer；　possessed　absolutely

nothing；　he　was　not；　like　Tonsard；　hot…blooded　and　vicious；his

motive　power　was　a　cold；　dull　hatred；　he　toiled　in　silence　with　a

sullen　face；　work　was　intolerable　to　him；　but　he　had　to　work　to　live；

his　features　were　hard　and　their　expression　repulsive。　Though　sixty

years　old；　he　was　still　strong；　except　that　his　back　was　bent；　he　saw

no　future　before　him；　no　spot　that　he　could　call　his　own；　and　he

envied　those　who　possessed　the　land；　for　this　reason　he　had　no　pity　on

the　forests　of　Les　Aigues；　and　took　pleasure　in　despoiling　them

uselessly。



〃Will　they　be　allowed　to　put　us　in　prison？〃　he　was　saying。　〃After

Conches　they'll　come　to　Blangy。　I'm　an　old　offender；　and　I　shall　get

three　months。〃



〃What　can　we　do　against　the　gendarmerie；　old　drunkard？〃　said　Vaudoyer。



〃Why！　cut　the　legs　of　their　horses　with　our　scythes。　That'll　bring

them　down；　their　muskets　are　not　loaded；　and　when　they　find　us　ten　to

one　against　them　they'll　decamp。　If　the　three　villages　all　rose　and

killed　two　or　three　gendarmes；　they　couldn't　guillotine　the　whole　of

us。　They'd　have　to　give　way；　as　they　did　on　the　other　side　of

Burgundy；　where　they　sent　a　regiment。　Bah！　that　regiment　came　back

again；　and　the　peasants　cut　the　woods　just　as　much　as　they　ever　did。〃



〃If　we　kill；〃　said　Vaudoyer；　〃it　is　better　to　kill　one　man；　the

question　is；　how　to　do　it　without　danger　and　frighten　those　Arminacs

so　that　they'll　be　driven　out　of　the　place。〃



〃Which　one　shall　we　kill？〃　asked　Laroche。



〃Michaud；〃　said　Courtecuisse。　〃Vaudoyer　is　right；　he's　perfectly

right。　You'll　see　that　when　a　keeper　is　sent　to　the　shades　there　won't

be　one　of　them　willing　to　stay　even　in　broad　daylight　to　watch　us。　Now

they're　there　night　and　day；demons！〃



〃Wherever　one　goes；〃　said　old　Mother　Tonsard；who　was　seventy…eight

years　old；　and　presented　a　parchment　face　honey…combed　with　the　small…

pox；　lighted　by　a　pair　of　green　eyes；　and　framed　with　dirty…white

hair；　which　escaped　in　strands　from　a　red　handkerchief；〃wherever　one

goes；　there　they　are！　they　stop　us；　they　open　our　bundles；　and　if

there's　a　single　branch；　a　single　twig　of　a　miserable　hazel；　they

seize　the　whole　bundle；　and　they　say　they'll　arrest　us。　Ha；　the

villains！　there's　no　deceiving　them；　if　they　suspect　you；　you've　got

to　undo　the　bundle。　Dogs！　all　three　are　not　worth　a　farthing！　Yes；

kill　'em；　and　it　won't　ruin　France；　I　tell　you。〃



〃Little　Vatel　is　not　so　bad；〃　said　Madame　Tonsard。



〃He！〃　said　Laroche；　〃he　does　his　business；　like　the　others；　when

there's　a　joke　going　he'll　joke　with　you；　but　you　are　none　the　better

with　him　for　that。　He's　worse　than　the　rest；heartless　to　poor　folks；

like　Michaud　himself。〃



〃Michaud　has　got　a　pretty　wife；　though；〃　said　Nicolas　Tonsard。



〃She's　with　young；〃　said　the　old　woman；　〃and　if　this　thing　goes　on

there'll　be　a　queer　kind　of　baptism　for　the　little　one　when　she

calves。〃



〃Oh！　those　Arminacs！〃　cried　Marie　Tonsard；　〃there's　no　laughing　with

them；　and　if　you　did；　they'd　threaten　to　arrest　you。〃



〃You've　tried　your　hand　at　cajoling　them；　have　you？〃　said

Courtecuisse。



〃You　may　bet　on　that。〃



〃Well；〃　said　Tonsard　with　a　determined　air；　〃they　are　men　like　other

men；　and　they　can　be　got　rid　of。〃



〃But　I　tell　you；〃　said　Marie；　continuing　her　topic；　〃they　won't　be

cajoled；　I　don't　know　what's　the　matter　with　them；　that　bully　at　the

pavilion；　he's　married；　but　Vatel；　Gaillard；　and　Steingel　are　not；

they've　not　a　woman　belonging　to　them；　indeed；　there's　not　a　woman　in

the　place　who　would　marry　them。〃



〃Well；　we　shall　see　how　things　go　at　the　harvest　and　the　vintage；〃

said　Tonsard。



〃They　can't　stop　the　gleaning；〃　said　the　old　woman。



〃I　don't　know　that；〃　remarked　Madame　Tonsard。　〃Groison　said　that　the

mayor　was　going　to　publish　a　notice　that　no　one　should　glean　without　a

certificate　of　pauperism；　and　who's　to　give　that　certificate？　Himself；

of　course。　He　won't　give　many；　I　tell　you！　And　they　say　he　is　going　to

issue　an　order　that　no　one　shall　enter　the　fields　till　the　carts　are

all　loaded。〃



〃Why；　the　fellow's　a　pestilence！〃　cried　Tonsard；　beside　himself　with

rage。



〃I　heard　that　only　yesterday；〃　said　Madame　Tonsard。　〃I　offered　Groison

a　glass　of　brandy　to　get　something　out　of　him。〃



〃Groison！　there's　another　lucky　fellow！〃　said　Vaudoyer；　〃they've　built

him　a　house　and　given　him　a　good　wife；　and　he's　got　an　income　and

clothes　fit　for　a　king。　There　was　I；　field…keeper　for　twenty　years；

and　all　I　got　was　the　rheumatism。〃



〃Yes；　he's　very　lucky；〃　said　Godain；　〃he　owns　property〃



〃And　we　go　without；　like　the　fools　that　we　are；〃　said　Vaudoyer。　〃Come；

let's　be　off　and　find　out　what's　going　on　at　Conches；　they　are　not　so

patient　over　there　as　we　are。〃



〃Come　on；〃　said　Laroche；　who　was　none　too　steady　on　his　legs。　〃If　I

don't　exterminate　one　of　two　of　those　fellows　may　I　lose　my　name。〃



〃You！〃　said　Tonsard；　〃you'd　let　them　put　the　whole　district　in　prison；

but　Iif　they　dare　to　touch　my　old　mother；　there's　my　gun　and　it

never　misses。〃



〃Well；〃　said　Laroche　to　Vaudoyer；　〃I　tell　you　that　if　they　make　a

single　prisoner　at　Conches　one　gendarme　shall　fall。〃



〃He　has　said　it；　old　Laroche！〃　cried　Courtecuisse。



〃He　has　said　it；〃　remarked　Vaudoyer；　〃but　he　hasn't　done　it；　and　he

won't　do　it。　What　good　would　it　do　to　get　yourself　guillotined　for

some　gendarme　or　other？　No；　if　you　kill；　I　say；　kill　Michaud。〃



During　this　scene　Catherine　Tonsard　stood　sentinel　at　the　door　to　warn

the　drinkers　to　keep　silent　if　any　one　passed。　In　spite　of　their　half…

drunken　legs　they　sprang　rather　than　walked　out