sons of the soil-第82章

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〃The　devil！〃　cried　Michaud；　〃the　matter　must　be　cleared　up。〃



Emile　and　the　bailiff　left　the　two　ladies　with　Joseph　and　the　horses；

and　returned　to　the　wild　garden　of　the　open。　They　went　down　the　bank

to　the　pond；　looked　everywhere　along　the　slope；　but　found　no　clue。

Blondet　jumped　back　first；　and　as　he　did　so　he　saw；　in　a　thicket　which

stood　on　higher　ground；　one　of　those　trees　he　had　noticed　in　the

morning　with　withered　heads。　He　showed　it　to　Michaud；　and　proposed　to

go　to　it。　The　two　sprang　forward　in　a　straight　line　across　the　forest；

avoiding　the　trunks　and　going　round　the　matted　tangles　of　brier　and

holly　until　they　found　the　tree。



〃It　is　a　fine　elm；〃　said　Michaud；　〃but　there's　a　worm　in　it；a　worm

which　gnaws　round　the　bark　close　to　the　roots。〃



He　stopped　and　took　up　a　bit　of　the　bark；　saying：　〃See　how　they　work。〃



〃You　have　a　great　many　worms　in　this　forest；〃　said　Blondet。



Just　then　Michaud　noticed　a　red　spot；　a　moment　more　and　he　saw　the

head　of　his　greyhound。　He　sighed。



〃The　scoundrels！〃　he　said。　〃Madame　was　right。〃



Michaud　and　Blondet　examined　the　body　and　found；　just　as　the　countess

had　said；　that　some　one　had　cut　the　greyhound's　throat。　To　prevent　his

barking　he　had　been　decoyed　with　a　bit　of　meat；　which　was　still

between　his　tongue　and　his　palate。



〃Poor　brute；　he　died　of　self…indulgence。〃



〃Like　all　princes；〃　said　Blondet。



〃Some　one；　whoever　it　is；　has　just　gone；　fearing　that　we　might　catch

him　or　her；〃　said　Michaud。　〃A　serious　offence　has　been　committed。　But

for　all　that；　I　see　no　branches　about　and　no　lopped　trees。〃



Blondet　and　the　bailiff　began　a　cautious　search；　looking　at　each　spot

where　they　set　their　feet　before　setting　them。　Presently　Blondet

pointed　to　a　tree　beneath　which　the　grass　was　flattened　down　and　two

hollows　made。



〃Some　one　knelt　there；　and　it　must　have　been　a　woman；　for　a　man　would

not　have　left　such　a　quantity　of　flattened　grass　around　the　impression

of　his　two　knees；　yes；　see！　that　is　the　outline　of　a　petticoat。〃



The　bailiff；　after　examining　the　base　of　the　tree；　found　the　beginning

of　a　hole　beneath　the　bark；　but　he　did　not　find　the　worm　with　the

tough　skin；　shiny　and　squamous；　covered　with　brown　specks；　ending　in　a

tail　not　unlike　that　of　a　cockchafer；　and　having　also　the　latter's

head；　antennae；　and　the　two　vigorous　hooks　or　shears　with　which　the

creature　cuts　into　the　wood。



〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　Blondet；　〃now　I　understand　the　enormous　number

of　DEAD　trees　that　I　noticed　this　morning　from　the　terrace　of　the

chateau；　and　which　brought　me　here　to　find　out　the　cause　of　the

phenomenon。　Worms　are　at　work；　but　they　are　no　other　than　your

peasants。〃



The　bailiff　gave　vent　to　an　oath　and　rushed　off；　followed　by　Blondet；

to　rejoin　the　countess；　whom　he　requested　to　take　his　wife　home　with

her。　Then　he　jumped　on　Joseph's　horse；　leaving　the　man　to　return　on

foot；　and　disappeared　with　great　rapidity　to　cut　off　the　retreat　of

the　woman　who　had　killed　his　dog；　hoping　to　catch　her　with　the　bloody

bill…hook　in　her　hand　and　the　tool　used　to　make　the　incisions　in　the

bark　of　the　tree。



〃Let　us　go　and　tell　the　general　at　once；　before　he　breakfasts；〃　cried

the　countess；　〃he　might　die　of　anger。〃



〃I'll　prepare　him；〃　said　Blondet。



〃They　have　killed　the　dog；〃　said　Olympe；　in　tears。



〃You　loved　the　poor　greyhound；　dear；　enough　to　weep　for　him？〃　said　the

countess。



〃I　think　of　Prince　as　a　warning；　I　fear　some　danger　to　my　husband。〃



〃How　they　have　ruined　this　beautiful　morning　for　us；〃　said　the

countess；　with　an　adorable　little　pout。



〃How　they　have　ruined　the　country；〃　said　Olympe；　gravely。



They　met　the　general　near　the　chateau。



〃Where　have　you　been？〃　he　asked。



〃You　shall　know　in　a　minute；〃　said　Blondet；　mysteriously；　as　he　helped

the　countess　and　Madame　Michaud　to　alight。　A　moment　more　and　the　two

gentlemen　were　alone　on　the　terrace　of　the　apartments。



〃You　have　plenty　of　moral　strength；　general；　you　won't　put　yourself　in

a　passion；　will　you？〃



〃No；〃　said　the　general；　〃but　come　to　the　point　or　I　shall　think　you

are　making　fun　of　me。〃



〃Do　you　see　those　trees　with　dead　leaves？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Do　you　see　those　others　that　are　wilting？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Well；　every　one　of　them　has　been　killed　by　the　peasants　you　think　you

have　won　over　by　your　benefits。〃



And　Blondet　related　the　events　of　the　morning。



The　general　was　so　pale　that　Blondet　was　frightened。



〃Come；　curse；　swear；　be　furious！　your　self…control　may　hurt　you　more

than　anger！〃



〃I'll　go　and　smoke；〃　said　the　general；　turning　toward　the　kiosk。



During　breakfast　Michaud　came　in；　he　had　found　no　one。　Sibilet；　whom

the　count　had　sent　for；　came　also。



〃Monsieur　Sibilet；　and　you；　Monsieur　Michaud；　are　to　make　it　known；

cautiously；　that　I　will　pay　a　thousand　francs　to　whoever　will　arrest

IN　THE　ACT　the　person　or　persons　who　are　killing　my　trees；　they　must

also　discover　the　instrument　with　which　the　work　is　done；　and　where　it

was　bought。　I　have　settled　upon　a　plan。〃



〃Those　people　never　betray　one　another；〃　said　Sibilet；　〃if　the　crime

done　is　for　their　benefit　and　premeditated。　There　is　no　denying　that

this　diabolical　business　has　been　planned；　carefully　planned　and

contrived。〃



〃Yes；　but　a　thousand　francs　means　a　couple　of　acres　of　land。〃



〃We　can　try；〃　said　Sibilet；　〃fifteen　hundred　francs　might　buy　you　a

traitor；　especially　if　you　promise　secrecy。〃



〃Very　good；　but　let　us　act　as　if　we　suspected　nothing；　I　especially；

if　not；　we　shall　be　the　victims　of　some　collusion；　one　has　to　be　as

wary　with　these　brigands　as　with　the　enemy　in　war。〃



〃But　the　enemy　is　here；〃　said　Blondet。



Sibilet　threw　him　the　furtive　glance　of　a　man　who　understood　the

meaning　of　the　words；　and　then　he　withdrew。



〃I　don't　like　your　Sibilet；〃　said　Blondet；　when　he　had　seen　the

steward　leave　the　house。　〃That　man　is　playing　false。〃



〃Up　to　this　time　he　has　done　nothing　I　could　complain　of；〃　said　the

general。



Blondet　went　off　to　write　letters。　He　had　lost　the　careless　gayety　of

his　first　arrival；　and　was　now　uneasy　and　preoccupied；　but　he　had　no

vague　presentiments　like　those　of　Madame　Michaud；　he　was；　rather；　in

full　expectation　of　certain　foreseen　misfortunes。　He　said　to　himself；

〃This　affair　will　come　to　some　bad　end；　and　if　the　general　does　not

take　decisive　action　and　will　not　abandon　a　battle…field　where　he　is

overwhelmed　by　numbers　there　must　be　a　catastrophe；　and　who　knows　who

will　come　out　safe　and　sound；perhaps　neither　he　nor　his　wife。　Good

God！　that　adorable　little　creature！　so　devoted；　so　perfect！　how　can　he

expose　her　thus！　He　thinks　he　loves　her！　Well；　I'll　share　their

danger；　and　if　I　can't　save　them　I'll　suffer　with　them。〃







CHAPTER　VIII



RURAL　VIRTUE



That　night　Marie　Tonsard　was　stationed　on　the　road　to　Soulanges；

sitting　on　the　rail　of　a　culvert　waiting　for　Bonnebault；　who　had　spent

the　day；　as　usual；　at　the　Cafe　de　la　Paix。　She　heard　him　coming　at

some　distance；　and　his　step　told　her　that　he　was　drunk；　and　she　knew

also　that　he　had　lost　money；　for　he　always　sang　if　he　won。



〃Is　that　you；　Bonnebault？〃



〃Yes；　my　girl。〃



〃What's　the　matter？〃



〃I　owe　twenty…five　francs；　and　they　may　wring　my　neck　twenty…five

times　before　I　can　pay　them。〃



〃Well；　I　know　how　you　can　get　five　hundred；〃　she　said　in　his　ear。



〃Oh！　by　killing　a　man；　but　I　prefer　to　live。〃



〃Hold　your　tongue。　Vaudoyer　will　give　us　five　hundred　francs　if　you

will　let　him　catch　your　mother　at　a　tree。〃



〃I'd　rather　kill　a　man　than　sell　my　mother。　There's　your　old

grandmother；　why　don't　you　sell　her？〃



〃If　I　tried　to；　my　father　would　get　angry　and　stop　the　trick。〃



〃That's　true。　Well；　anyhow；　my　mother　sha'n't　go　to　prison；　poor　old

thing！　She　cooks　my　food　and　keeps　me　in　clothes；　I'm　sure　I　don't

know　how。　Go　to　prison；and　through　me！