sons of the soil-第77章

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

drunken　legs　they　sprang　rather　than　walked　out　of　the　tavern；　and

their　bellicose　temper　started　them　at　a　good　pace　on　the　road　to

Conches；　which　led　for　over　a　mile　along　the　park　wall　of　Les　Aigues。



Conches　was　a　true　Burgundian　village；　with　one　street；　which　was

crossed　by　the　main　road。　The　houses　were　built　either　of　brick　or　of

cobblestones；　and　were　squalid　in　aspect。　Following　the　mail…road　from

Ville…aux…Fayes；　the　village　was　seen　from　the　rear　and　there　it

presented　rather　a　picturesque　effect。　Between　the　road　and　the

Ronquerolles　woods；　which　continued　those　of　Les　Aigues　and　crowned

the　heights；　flowed　a　little　river；　and　several　houses；　rather

prettily　grouped；　enlivened　the　scene。　The　church　and　the　parsonage

stood　alone　and　were　seen　from　the　park　of　Les　Aigues；　which　came

nearly　up　to　them。　In　front　of　the　church　was　a　square　bordered　by

trees；　where　the　conspirators　of　the　Grand…I…Vert　saw　the　gendarmerie

and　hastened　their　already　hasty　steps。　Just　then　three　men　on

horseback　rode　rapidly　out　of　the　park　of　Les　Aigues　and　the　peasants

at　once　recognized　the　general；　his　groom；　and　Michaud　the　bailiff；

who　came　at　a　gallop　into　the　square。　Tonsard　and　his　party　arrived　a

minute　or　two　after　them。　The　delinquents；　men　and　women；　had　made　no

resistance；　and　were　standing　between　five　of　the　Soulanges　gendarmes

and　fifteen　of　those　from　Ville…aux…Fayes。　The　whole　village　had

assembled。　The　fathers；　mothers；　and　children　of　the　prisoners　were

going　and　coming　and　bringing　them　what　they　might　want　in　prison。　It

was　a　curious　scene；　that　of　a　population　one　and　all　exasperated；　but

nearly　all　silent；　as　though　they　had　made　up　their　minds　to　a　course

of　action。　The　old　women　and　the　young　ones　alone　spoke。　The　children；

boys　and　girls；　were　perched　on　piles　of　wood　and　heaps　of　stones　to

get　a　better　sight　of　what　was　happening。



〃They　have　chosen　their　time；　those　hussars　of　the　guillotine；〃　said

one　old　woman；　〃they　are　making　a　fete　of　it。〃



〃Are　you　going　to　let　'em　carry　of　your　man　like　that？　How　shall　you

manage　to　live　for　three　months？the　best　of　the　year；　too；　when　he

could　earn　so　much。〃



〃It's　they　who　rob　us；〃　replied　the　woman；　looking　at　the　gendarmes

with　a　threatening　air。



〃What　do　you　mean　by　that；　old　woman？〃　said　the　sergeant。　〃If　you

insult　us　it　won't　take　long　to　settle　you。〃



〃I　meant　nothing；〃　said　the　old　woman；　in　a　humble　and　piteous　tone。



〃I　heard　you　say　something　just　now　you　may　have　cause　to　repent　of。〃



〃Come；　come；　be　calm；　all　of　you；〃　said　the　mayor　of　Conches；　who　was

also　the　postmaster。　〃What　the　devil　is　the　use　of　talking？　These　men；

as　you　know　very　well；　are　under　orders　and　must　obey。〃



〃That's　true；　it's　the　owner　of　Les　Aigues　who　persecutes　us　But

patience！〃



Just　then　the　general　rode　into　the　square　and　his　arrival　caused　a

few　groans　which　did　not　trouble　him　in　the　least。　He　rode　straight　up

to　the　lieutenant　in　command；　and　after　saying　a　few　words　gave　him　a

paper；　the　officer　then　turned　to　his　men　and　said：　〃Release　your

prisoners；　the　general　has　obtained　their　pardon。〃



General　Montcornet　was　then　speaking　to　the　mayor；　after　a　few

moments'　conversation　in　a　low　tone；　the　latter；　addressing　the

delinquents；　who　expected　to　sleep　in　prison　and　were　a　good　deal

surprised　to　find　themselves　free；　said　to　them：



〃My　friends；　thank　Monsieur　le　comte。　You　owe　your　release　to　him。　He

went　to　Paris　and　obtained　your　pardon　in　honor　of　the　anniversary　of

the　king's　restoration。　I　hope　that　in　future　you　will　conduct

yourself　properly　to　a　man　who　has　behaved　so　well　to　you；　and　that

you　will　in　future　respect　his　property。　Long　live　the　King！〃



The　peasants　shouted　〃Long　live　the　King！〃　with　enthusiasm；　to　avoid

shouting；　〃Hurrah　for　the　Comte　de　Montcornet！〃



The　scene　was　a　bit　of　policy　arranged　between　the　general；　the

prefect；　and　the　attorney…general；　for　they　were　all　anxious；　while

showing　enough　firmness　to　keep　the　local　authorities　up　to　their　duty

and　awe　the　country…people；　to　be　as　gentle　as　possible；　fully

realizing　as　they　did　the　difficulties　of　the　question。　In　fact；　if

resistance　had　occurred；　the　government　would　have　been　in　a　tight

place。　As　Laroche　truly　said；　they　could　not　guillotine　or　even

convict　a　whole　community。



The　general　invited　the　mayor　of　Conches；　the　lieutenant；　and　the

sergeant　to　breakfast。　The　conspirators　of　the　Grand…I…Vert　adjourned

to　the　tavern　of　Conches；　where　the　delinquents　spent　in　drink　the

money　their　relations　had　given　them　to　take　to　prison；　sharing　it

with　the　Blangy　people；　who　were　naturally　part　of　the　wedding；the

word　〃wedding〃　being　applied　indiscriminately　in　Burgundy　to　all　such

rejoicings。　To　drink；　quarrel；　fight；　eat　and　go　home　drunk　and　sick；

that　is　a　wedding　to　these　peasants。



The　general；　who　had　come　by　the　park；　took　his　guests　back　through

the　forest　that　they　might　see　for　themselves　the　injury　done　to　the

timber；　and　so　judge　of　the　importance　of　the　question。



Just　as　Rigou　and　Soudry　were　on　their　way　back　to　Blangy；　the　count

and　countess；　Emile　Blondet；　the　lieutenant　of　gendarmerie；　the

sergeant；　and　the　mayor　of　Conches　were　finishing　their　breakfast　in

the　splendid　dining…room　where　Bouret's　luxury　had　left　the　delightful

traces　already　described　by　Blondet　in　his　letter　to　Nathan。



〃It　would　be　a　terrible　pity　to　abandon　this　beautiful　home；〃　said　the

lieutenant；　who　had　never　before　been　at　Les　Aigues；　and　who　was

glancing　over　a　glass　of　champagne　at　the　circling　nymphs　that

supported　the　ceiling。



〃We　intend　to　defend　it　to　the　death；〃　said　Blondet。



〃If　I　say　that；〃　continued　the　lieutenant；　looking　at　his　sergeant　as

if　to　enjoin　silence；　〃it　is　because　the　general's　enemies　are　not

only　among　the　peasantry〃



The　worthy　man　was　quite　moved　by　the　excellence　of　the　breakfast；　the

magnificence　of　the　silver　service；　the　imperial　luxury　that

surrounded　him；　and　Blondet's　clever　talk　excited　him　as　much　as　the

champagne　he　had　imbibed。



〃Enemies！　have　I　enemies？〃　said　the　general；　surprised。



〃He；　so　kind！〃　added　the　countess。



〃But　you　are　on　bad　terms　with　our　mayor；　Monsieur　Gaubertin；〃　said

the　lieutenant。　〃It　would　be　wise；　for　the　sake　of　the　future；　to　be

reconciled　with　him。〃



〃With　him！〃　cried　the　count。　〃Then　you　don't　know　that　he　was　my

former　steward；　and　a　swindler！〃



〃A　swindler　no　longer；〃　said　the　lieutenant；　〃for　he　is　mayor　of

Ville…aux…Fayes。〃



〃Ha；　ha！〃　laughed　Blondet；　〃the　lieutenant's　wit　is　keen；　evidently　a

mayor　is　essentially　an　honest　man。〃



The　lieutenant；　convinced　by　the　count's　words　that　it　was　useless　to

attempt　to　enlighten　him；　said　no　more　on　that　subject；　and　the

conversation　changed。







CHAPTER　VI



THE　FOREST　AND　THE　HARVEST



The　scene　at　Conches　had；　apparently；　a　good　effect　on　the　peasantry；

on　the　other　hand；　the　count's　faithful　keepers　were　more　than　ever

watchful　that　only　dead　wood　should　be　gathered　in　the　forest　of　Les

Aigues。　But　for　the　last　twenty　years　the　woods　had　been　so　thoroughly

cleared　out　that　very　little　else　than　live　wood　was　now　there；　and

this　the　peasantry　set　about　killing；　in　preparation　for　winter；　by　a

simple　process；　the　results　of　which　could　only　be　discovered　in　the

course　of　time。　Tonsard's　mother　went　daily　into　the　forest；　the

keepers　saw　her　enter；　knew　where　she　would　come　out；　watched　for　her

and　made　her　open　her　bundle；　where；　to　be　sure；　were　only　fallen

branches；　dried　chips；　and　broken　and　withered　twigs。　The　old　woman

would　whine　and　complain　at　the　distance　she　had　to　go　at　her　age　to

gather　such　a　miserable　bunch　of　fagots。　But　she　did　not　tell　that　she

had　been　in　the　thickest　part　of　the　wood　and　had　removed　the　earth　at

the　base　of　certain　young　tre