sons of the soil-第86章

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a　turn　of　the　road　a　man　armed　with　a　gun　came　from　behind　a　bush。



〃General；〃　he　said；　〃this　is　the　third　time　I　have　had　you　at　the　end

of　my　barrel；　and　the　third　time　that　I　give　you　your　life。〃



〃Why　do　you　want　to　kill　me；　Bonnebault？〃　said　the　general；　without

showing　the　least　emotion。



〃Faith；　if　I　don't；　somebody　else　will；　but　I；　you　see；　I　like　the　men

who　served　the　Emperor；　and　I　can't　make　up　my　mind　to　shoot　you　like

a　partridge。　Don't　question　me；　for　I'll　tell　you　nothing；　but　you've

got　enemies；　powerful　enemies；　cleverer　than　you；　and　they'll　end　by

crushing　you。　I　am　to　have　a　thousand　crowns　if　I　kill　you；　and　then　I

can　marry　Marie　Tonsard。　Well；　give　me　enough　to　buy　a　few　acres　of

land　and　a　bit　of　a　cottage；　and　I'll　keep　on　saying；　as　I　have　done；

that　I've　found　no　chances。　That　will　give　you　time　to　sell　your

property　and　get　away；　but　make　haste。　I'm　an　honest　lad　still；　scamp

as　I　am；　but　another　fellow　won't　spare　you。〃



〃If　I　give　you　what　you　ask；　will　you　tell　me　who　offered　you　those

three　thousand　francs？〃　said　the　general。



〃I　don't　know　myself；　and　the　person　who　is　urging　me　to　do　the　thing

is　some　one　I　love　too　well　to　tell　of。　Besides；　even　if　you　did　know

it　was　Marie　Tonsard；　that　wouldn't　help　you；　Marie　Tonsard　would　be

as　silent　as　that　wall；　and　I　should　deny　every　word　I've　said。〃



〃Come　and　see　me　to…morrow；〃　said　the　general。



〃Enough；〃　replied　Bonnebault；　〃and　if　they　begin　to　say　I'm　too

dilatory；　I'll　let　you　know　in　time。〃



A　week　after　that　singular　conversation　the　whole　arrondissement；

indeed　the　whole　department；　was　covered　with　posters；　advertising　the

sale　of　Les　Aigues　at　the　office　of　Maitre　Corbineau；　the　notary　of

Soulanges。　All　the　lots　were　knocked　down　to　Rigou；　and　the　price　paid

amounted　to　two　millions　five　hundred　thousand　francs。　The　next　day

Rigou　had　the　names　changed；　Monsieur　Gaubertin　took　the　woods；　Rigou

and　Soudry　the　vineyards　and　the　farms。　The　chateau　and　the　park　were

sold　over　again　in　small　lots　among　the　sons　of　the　soil；　the

peasantry；excepting　the　pavilion；　its　dependencies；　and　fifty

surrounding　acres；　which　Monsieur　Gaubertin　retained　as　a　gift　to　his

poetic　and　sentimental　spouse。



*



Many　years　after　these　events；　during　the　year　1837；　one　of　the　most

remarkable　political　writers　of　the　day；　Emile　Blondet；　reached　the

last　stages　of　a　poverty　which　he　had　so　far　hidden　beneath　an　outward

appearance　of　ease　and　elegance。　He　was　thinking　of　taking　some

desperate　step；　realizing；　as　he　did；　that　his　writings；　his　mind；　his

knowledge；　his　ability　for　the　direction　of　affairs；　had　made　him

nothing　better　than　a　mere　functionary；　mechanically　serving　the　ends

of　others；　seeing　that　every　avenue　was　closed　to　him　and　all　places

taken；　feeling　that　he　had　reached　middle…life　without　fame　and

without　fortune；　that　fools　and　middle…class　men　of　no　training　had

taken　the　places　of　the　courtiers　and　incapables　of　the　Restoration；

and　that　the　government　was　reconstituted　such　as　it　was　before　1830。

One　evening；　when　he　had　come　very　near　committing　suicide　（a　folly　he

had　so　often　laughed　at）；　while　his　mind　travelled　back　over　his

miserable　existence　calumniated　and　worn　down　with　toil　far　more　than

with　the　dissipations　charged　against　him；　the　noble　and　beautiful

face　of　a　woman　rose　before　his　eyes；　like　a　statue　rising　pure　and

unbroken　amid　the　saddest　ruins。　Just　then　the　porter　brought　him　a

letter　sealed　with　black　from　the　Comtesse　de　Montcornet；　telling　him

of　the　death　of　her　husband；　who　had　again　taken　service　in　the　army

and　commanded　a　division。　The　count　had　left　her　his　property；　and　she

had　no　children。　The　letter；　though　dignified；　showed　Blondet　very

plainly　that　the　woman　of　forty　whom　he　had　loved　in　his　youth　offered

him　a　friendly　hand　and　a　large　fortune。



A　few　days　ago　the　marriage　of　the　Comtesse　de　Montcornet　with

Monsieur　Blondet；　appointed　prefect　in　one　of　the　departments；　was

celebrated　in　Paris。　On　their　way　to　take　possession　of　the

prefecture；　they　followed　the　road　which　led　past　what　had　formerly

been　Les　Aigues。　They　stopped　the　carriage　near　the　spot　where　the　two

pavilions　had　once　stood；　wishing　to　see　the　places　so　full　of　tender

memories　for　each。　The　country　was　no　longer　recognizable。　The

mysterious　woods；　the　park　avenues；　all　were　cleared　away；　the

landscape　looked　like　a　tailor's　pattern…card。　The　sons　of　the　soil

had　taken　possession　of　the　earth　as　victors　and　conquerors。　It　was

cut　up　into　a　thousand　little　lots；　and　the　population　had　tripled

between　Conches　and　Blangy。　The　levelling　and　cultivation　of　the　noble

park；　once　so　carefully　tended；　so　delightful　in　its　beauty；　threw

into　isolated　relief　the　pavilion　of　the　Rendezvous；　now　the　Villa

Buen…Retiro　of　Madame　Isaure　Gaubertin；　it　was　the　only　building　left

standing；　and　it　commanded　the　whole　landscape；　or　as　we　might　better

call　it；　the　stretch　of　cornfields　which　now　constituted　the

landscape。　The　building　seemed　magnified　into　a　chateau；　so　miserable

were　the　little　houses　which　the　peasants　had　built　around　it。



〃This　is　progress！〃　cried　Emile。　〃It　is　a　page　out　of　Jean…Jacques'

'Social　Compact'！　and　II　am　harnessed　to　the　social　machine　that

works　it！　Good　God！　what　will　the　kings　be　soon？　More　than　that；　what

will　the　nations　themselves　be　fifty　years　hence　under　this　state　of

things？〃



〃But　you　love　me；　you　are　beside　me。　I　think　the　present　delightful。

What　do　I　care　for　such　a　distant　future？〃　said　his　wife。



〃Oh　yes！　by　your　side；　hurrah　for　the　present！〃　cried　the　lover；

gayly；　〃and　the　devil　take　the　future。〃



Then　he　signed　to　the　coachman；　and　as　the　horses　sprang　forward　along

the　road；　the　wedded　pair　returned　to　the　enjoyment　of　their

honeymoon。



1845。











End