sons of the soil-第84章

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way。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Tonsard；　〃but　he　will　bring　the　doctor　back　with　him。〃



〃He　won't　find　him；〃　said　Courtecuisse；　〃the　doctor　has　been　sent　for

to　Conches　for　the　postmistress。〃



〃Then　he'll　go　from　Soulanges　to　Conches　by　the　mail…road；　that's

shortest。〃



〃And　safest　too；　for　us；〃　said　Courtecuisse；　〃there's　a　fine　moon；　and

there　are　no　keepers　on　the　roads　as　there　are　in　the　woods；　one　can

hear　much　farther；　and　down　there；　by　the　pavilions；　behind　the

hedges；　just　where　they　join　the　little　wood；　one　can　aim　at　a　man

from　behind；　like　a　rabbit；　at　five　hundred　feet。〃



〃It　will　be　half…past　eleven　before　he　comes　past　there；〃　said

Tonsard；　〃it　will　take　him　half　an　hour　to　go　to　Soulanges　and　as　much

more　to　get　back；but　look　here！　suppose　Monsieur　Gourdon　were　on　the

road？〃



〃Don't　trouble　about　that；〃　said　Courtecuisse；　〃I'll　stand　ten　minutes

away　from　you　to　the　right　on　the　road　towards　Blangy；　and　Vaudoyer

will　be　ten　minutes　away　on　your　left　towards　Conches；　if　anything

comes　along；　the　mail；　or　the　gendarmes；　or　whatever　it　is；　we'll　fire

a　shot　into　the　ground；a　muffled　sound；　you'll　know　it。〃



〃But　suppose　I　miss　him？〃　said　Tonsard。



〃He's　right；〃　said　Courtecuisse；　〃I'm　the　best　shot；　Vaudoyer；　I'll　go

with　you；　Bonnebault　may　watch　in　my　place；　he　can　give　a　cry；　that's

easier　heard　and　less　suspicious。〃



All　three　returned　to　the　tavern　and　the　wedding　festivities　went　on；

but　about　eleven　o'clock　Vaudoyer；　Courtecuisse；　Tonsard；　and

Bonnebault　went　out；　carrying　their　guns；　though　none　of　the　women

took　any　notice　of　them。　They　came　back　in　about　three…quarters　of　an

hour；　and　sat　drinking　till　past　one　o'clock。　Tonsard's　girls　and

their　mother　and　the　old　Bonnebault　woman　had　plied　the　miller；　the

mechanics；　and　the　two　peasants；　as　well　as　Fourchon；　with　so　much

drink　that　they　were　all　on　the　ground　and　snoring　when　the　four　men

left　the　tavern；　on　their　return；　the　sleepers　were　shaken　and　roused；

and　every　one　seemed　to　them；　as　before；　in　his　place。



While　this　orgy　was　going　on　Michaud's　household　was　in　a　scene　of

mortal　anxiety。　Olympe　had　felt　false　pains；　and　her　husband；　thinking

she　was　about　to　be　delivered；　rode　off　instantly　in　haste　for　the

doctor。　But　the　poor　woman's　pains　ceased　as　soon　as　she　realized　that

Michaud　was　gone；　for　her　mind　was　so　preoccupied　by　the　danger　her

husband　ran　at　that　hour　of　the　night；　in　a　lawless　region　filled　with

determined　foes；　that　the　anguish　of　her　soul　was　powerful　enough　to

deaden　and　momentarily　subdue　those　of　the　body。　In　vain　her　servant…

woman　declared　her　fears　were　imaginary；　she　seemed　not　to　comprehend

a　word　that　was　said　to　her；　and　sat　by　the　fire　in　her　bed…chamber

listening　to　every　sound。　In　her　terror；　which　increased　every　moment；

she　had　the　man　wakened；　meaning　to　give　him　some　order　which　still

she　did　not　give。　At　last；　the　poor　woman　wandered　up　and　down；　coming

and　going　in　feverish　agitation；　she　looked　out　of　all　the　windows　and

opened　them　in　spite　of　the　cold；　then　she　went　downstairs　and　opened

the　door　into　the　courtyard；　looking　out　and　listening。　〃Nothing！

nothing！〃　she　said。　Then　she　went　up　again　in　despair。　About　a　quarter

past　twelve；　she　cried　out：　〃Here　he　is！　I　hear　the　horse！〃　Again　she

went　down；　followed　by　the　man　who　went　to　open　the　iron　gate　of　the

courtyard。　〃It　is　strange；〃　she　said；　〃that　he　should　return　by　the

Conches　woods！〃



As　she　spoke　she　stood　still；　horrorstruck；　motionless；　voiceless。　The

man　shared　her　terror；　for；　in　the　furious　gallop　of　the　horse；　the

clang　of　the　empty　stirrups；　the　neigh　of　the　frightened　animal；　there

was　something；　they　scarcely　knew　what；　of　unspeakable　warning。　Soon；

too　soon　for　the　unhappy　wife；　the　horse　reached　the　gate；　panting　and

sweating；　but　alone；　he　had　broken　the　bridle；　no　doubt　by　entangling

it。　Olympe　gazed　with　haggard　eyes　at　the　servant　as　he　opened　the


gate；　she　saw　the　horse；　and　then；　without　a　word；　she　ran　to　the

chateau　like　a　madwoman；　when　she　reached　it　she　fell　to　the　ground

beneath　the　general's　windows　crying　out：　〃Monsieur；　they　have

murdered　him！〃



The　cry　was　so　terrible　it　awoke　the　count；　he　rang　violently；

bringing　the　whole　household　to　their　feet；　and　the　groans　of　Madame

Michaud；　who　as　she　lay　on　the　ground；　gave　birth　to　a　child　that　died

in　being　born；　brought　the　general　and　all　the　servants　about　her。

They　raised　the　poor　dying　woman；　who　expired；　saying　to　the　general：

〃They　have　murdered　him！〃



〃Joseph！〃　cried　the　count　to　his　valet；　〃go　for　the　doctor；　there　may

yet　be　time　to　save　her。　No；　better　bring　the　curate；　the　poor　woman

is　dead；　and　her　child　too。　My　God！　my　God！　how　thankful　I　am　that　my

wife　is　not　here。　And　you；〃　he　said　to　the　gardener；　〃go　and　find　out

what　has　happened。〃



〃I　can　tell　you；〃　said　the　pavilion　servant；　coming　up；　〃Monsieur

Michaud's　horse　has　come　back　alone；　the　reins　broke；　his　legs　bloody；

and　there's　a　spot　of　blood　on　the　saddle。〃



〃What　can　be　done　at　this　time　of　night？〃　cried　the　count。　〃Call　up

Groison；　send　for　the　keepers；　saddle　the　horses；　we'll　beat　the

country。〃



By　daybreak；　eight　personsthe　count；　Groison；　the　three　keepers；　and

two　gendarmes　sent　from　Soulanges　with　their　sergeantsearched　the

country。　It　was　not　till　the　middle　of　the　morning　that　they　found　the

body　of　the　bailiff　in　a　copse　between　the　mail…road　and　the　smaller

road　leading　to　Ville…aux…Fayes；　at　the　end　of　the　park　of　Les　Aigues；

not　far　from　Conches。　Two　gendarmes　started；　one　to　Ville…aux…Fayes

for　the　prosecuting　attorney；　the　other　to　Soulanges　for　the　justice

of　the　peace。　Meantime　the　general；　assisted　by　the　sergeant；　noted

down　the　facts。　They　found　on　the　road；　just　above　the　two　pavilions；

the　print　of　the　stamping　of　the　horse's　feet　as　he　roared；　and　the

traces　of　his　frightened　gallop　from　there　to　the　first　opening　in　the

woods　above　the　hedge。　The　horse；　no　longer　guided；　turned　into　the

wood…path。　Michaud's　hat　was　found　there。　The　animal　evidently　took

the　nearest　way　to　reach　his　stable。　The　bailiff　had　a　ball　though　his

back　which　broke　the　spine。



Groison　and　the　sergeant　studied　the　ground　around　the　spot　where　the

horse　reared　（which　might　be　called；　in　judicial　language；　the　theatre

of　the　crime）　with　remarkable　sagacity；　but　without　obtaining　any

clue。　The　earth　was　too　frozen　to　show　the　footprints　of　the　murderer；

and　all　they　found　was　the　paper　of　a　cartridge。　When　the　attorney　and

the　judge　and　Monsieur　Gourdon；　the　doctor；　arrived　and　raised　the

body　to　make　the　autopsy；　it　was　found　that　the　ball；　which

corresponded　with　the　fragments　of　the　wad；　was　an　ammunition　ball；

evidently　from　a　military　musket；　and　no　such　musket　existed　in　the

district　of　Blangy。　The　judge　and　Monsieur　Soudry　the　attorney；　who

came　that　evening　to　the　chateau；　thought　it　best　to　collect　all　the

facts　and　await　events。　The　same　opinion　was　expressed　by　the　sergeant

and　the　lieutenant　of　the　gendarmerie。



〃It　is　impossible　that　it　can　be　anything　but　a　planned　attack　on　the

part　of　the　peasants；〃　said　the　sergeant；　〃but　there　are　two

districts；　Conches　and　Blangy；　in　each　of　which　there　are　five　or　six

persons　capable　of　being　concerned　in　the　murder。　The　one　that　I

suspect　most；　Tonsard；　passed　the　night　carousing　in　the　Grand…I…Vert；

but　your　assistant；　general；　the　miller　Langlume；　was　there；　and　he

says　that　Tonsard　did　not　leave　the　tavern。　They　were　all　so　drunk

they　could　not　stand；　they　took　the　bride　home　at　half…past　one；　and

the　return　of　the　horse　proves　that　Michaud　was　murdered　between

eleven　o'clock　and　midnight。　At　a　quarter　past　ten　Groison　saw　the

whole　company　assembled　at　table；　and　Monsieur　Michaud　passed　there　on

his　way　to　Soulanges；　which　he　reached　at　eleven。　His　horse　reared

between　the　two　pavilions　on　the　mail…road；　but　he　may　have　been　shot

before　reaching