the village rector-第33章

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the　foundations　also　came　from　the　forest；　otherwise　the　cost　of　the
restorations　would　have　been　ruinous。　The　chief　expenses　had　been
those　of　transportation；　labor；　and　salaries。　Thus　the　money　laid　out
was　kept　in　the　village；　and　greatly　benefited　it。

At　first　sight；　and　from　a　distance；　the　chateau　presents　an　enormous
red　mass；　threaded　by　black　lines　produced　by　the　pointing；　and　edged
with　gray；　for　the　window　and　door　casings；　the　entablatures；　corner
stones；　and　courses　between　the　stories；　are　of　granite；　cut　in　facets
like　a　diamond。　The　courtyard；　which　forms　a　sloping　oval　like　that　of
the　Chateau　de　Versailles；　is　surrounded　by　brick　walls　divided　into
panels　by　projecting　buttresses。　At　the　foot　of　these　walls　are　groups
of　rare　shrubs；　remarkable　for　the　varied　color　of　their　greens。　Two
fine　iron　gates　placed　opposite　to　each　other　lead　on　one　side　to　a
terrace　which　overlooks　Montegnac；　on　the　other　to　the　offices　and　a
farm…house。

The　grand　entrance…gate；　to　which　the　road　just　constructed　led；　is
flanked　by　two　pretty　lodges　in　the　style　of　the　sixteenth　century。
The　facade　on　the　courtyard　looking　east　has　three　towers；one　in　the
centre；　separated　from　the　two　others　by　the　main　building　of　the
house。　The　facade　on　the　gardens；　which　is　absolutely　the　same　as　the
others；　looks　westward。　The　towers　have　but　one　window　on　the　facade；
the　main　building　has　three　on　either　side　of　the　middle　tower。　The
latter；　which　is　square　like　a　/campanile/；　the　corners　being
vermiculated；　is　noticeable　for　the　elegance　of　a　few　carvings
sparsely　distributed。　Art　is　timid　in　the　provinces；　and　though；　since
1829；　ornamentation　has　made　some　progress　at　the　instigation　of
certain　writers；　landowners　were　at　that　period　afraid　of　expenses
which　the　lack　of　competition　and　skilled　workmen　rendered　serious。

The　corner　towers；　which　have　three　stories　with　a　single　window　in
each；　looking　to　the　side；　are　covered　with　very　high…pitched　roofs
surrounded　by　granite　balustrades；　and　on　each　pyramidal　slope　of
these　roofs　crowned　at　the　top　with　the　sharp　ridge　of　a　platform
surrounded　with　a　wrought　iron　railing；　is　another　window　carved　like
the　rest。　On　each　floor　the　corbels　of　the　doors　and　windows　are
adorned　with　carvings　copied　from　those　of　the　Genoese　mansions。　The
corner　tower　with　three　windows　to　the　south　looks　down　on　Montegnac；
the　other；　to　the　north；　faces　the　forest。　From　the　garden　front　the
eye　takes　in　that　part　of　Montegnac　which　is　still　called　Les
Tascherons；　and　follows　the　high…road　leading　through　the　village　to
the　chief　town　of　the　department。　The　facade　on　the　courtyard　has　a
view　of　the　vast　plains　semicircled　by　the　mountains　of　the　Correze；
on　the　side　toward　Montegnac；　but　ending　in　the　far　distance　on　a　low
horizon。　The　main　building　has　only　one　floor　above　the　ground…floor；
covered　with　a　mansarde　roof　in　the　olden　style。　The　towers　at　each
end　are　three　stories　in　height。　The　middle　tower　has　a　stunted　dome
something　like　that　on　the　Pavillon　de　l'Horloge　of　the　palace　of　the
Tuileries；　and　in　it　is　a　single　room　forming　a　belvedere　and
containing　the　clock。　As　a　matter　of　economy　the　roofs　had　all　been
made　of　gutter…tiles；　the　enormous　weight　of　which　was　easily
supported　by　the　stout　beams　and　uprights　of　the　framework　cut　in　the
forest。

Before　his　death　Graslin　had　laid　out　the　road　which　the　peasantry　had
just　built　out　of　gratitude；　for　these　restorations　（which　Graslin
called　his　folly）　had　distributed　several　hundred　thousand　francs
among　the　people；　in　consequence　of　which　Montegnac　had　considerably
increased。　Graslin　had　also　begun；　before　his　death；　behind　the
offices　on　the　slope　of　the　hill　leading　down　to　the　plain；　a　number
of　farm　buildings；　proving　his　intention　to　draw　some　profit　from　the
hitherto　uncultivated　soil　of　the　plains。　Six　journeyman…gardeners；
who　were　lodged　in　the　offices；　were　now　at　work　under　orders　of　a
head　gardener；　planting　and　completing　certain　works　which　Monsieur
Bonnet　had　considered　indispensable。

The　ground…floor　apartments　of　the　chateau；　intended　only　for
reception…rooms；　had　been　sumptuously　furnished；　the　upper　floor　was
rather　bare；　Monsieur　Graslin　having　stopped　for　a　time　the　work　of
furnishing　it。

〃Ah；　Monseigneur！〃　said　Madame　Graslin　to　the　bishop；　after　going　the
rounds　of　the　house；　〃I　who　expected　to　live　in　a　cottage！　Poor
Monsieur　Graslin　was　extravagant　indeed！〃

〃And　you；〃　said　the　bishop；　adding　after　a　pause；　as　he　noticed　the
shudder　than　ran　through　her　frame　at　his　first　words；　〃you　will　be
extravagant　in　charity？〃

She　took　the　arm　of　her　mother；　who　was　leading　Francis　by　the　hand；
and　went　to　the　long　terrace　at　the　foot　of　which　are　the　church　and
the　parsonage；　and　from　which　the　houses　of　the　village　can　be　seen　in
tiers。　The　rector　carried　off　Monseigneur　Dutheil　to　show　him　the
different　sides　of　the　landscape。　Before　long　the　two　priests　came
round　to　the　farther　end　of　the　terrace；　where　they　found　Madame
Graslin　and　her　mother　motionless　as　statues。　The　old　woman　was　wiping
her　eyes　with　a　handkerchief；　and　her　daughter　stood　with　both　hands
stretched　beyond　the　balustrade　as　though　she　were　pointing　to　the
church　below。

〃What　is　the　matter；　madame？〃　said　the　rector　to　Madame　Sauviat。

〃Nothing；〃　replied　Madame　Graslin；　turning　round　and　advancing　a　few
steps　to　meet　the　priests；　〃I　did　not　know　that　I　should　have　the
cemetery　under　my　eyes。〃

〃You　can　put　it　elsewhere；　the　law　gives　you　that　right。〃

〃The　law！〃　she　exclaimed　with　almost　a　cry。

Again　the　bishop　looked　fixedly　at　Veronique。　Disturbed　by　the　dark
glance　with　which　the　priest　had　penetrated　the　veil　of　flesh　that
covered　her　soul；　dragging　thence　a　secret　hidden　in　the　grave　of　that
cemetery；　she　said　to　him　suddenly：

〃Well；　/yes/！〃

The　priest　laid　his　hand　over　his　eyes　and　was　silent　for　a　moment　as
if　stunned。

〃Help　my　daughter；〃　cried　the　old　mother；　〃she　is　fainting。〃

〃The　air　is　so　keen；　it　overcomes　me；〃　said　Madame　Graslin；　as　she
fell　unconscious　into　the　arms　of　the　two　priests；　who　carried　her
into　one　of　the　lower　rooms　of　the　chateau。

When　she　recovered　consciousness　she　saw　the　priests　on　their　knees
praying　for　her。

〃May　the　angel　you　visited　you　never　leave　you！〃　said　the　bishop；
blessing　her。　〃Farewell；　my　daughter。〃

Overcome　by　those　words　Madame　Graslin　burst　into　tears。

〃Tears　will　save　her！〃　cried　her　mother。

〃In　this　world　and　in　the　next；〃　said　the　bishop；　turning　round　as　he
left　the　room。

The　room　to　which　they　had　carried　Madame　Graslin　was　on　the　first
floor　above　the　ground…floor　of　the　corner　tower；　from　which　the
church　and　cemetery　and　southern　side　of　Montegnac　could　be　seen。　She
determined　to　remain　there；　and　did　so；　more　or　less　uncomfortably；
with　Aline　her　maid　and　little　Francis。　Madame　Sauviat；　naturally；
took　another　room　near　hers。

It　was　several　days　before　Madame　Graslin　recovered　from　the　violent
emotion　which　overcame　her　on　that　first　evening；　and　her　mother
induced　her　to　stay　in　bed　at　least　during　the　mornings。　At　night；
Veronique　would　come　out　and　sit　on　a　bench　of　the　terrace　from　which
her　eyes　could　rest　on　the　church　and　cemetery。　In　spite　of　Madame
Sauviat's　mute　but　persistent　opposition；　Madame　Graslin　formed　an
almost　monomaniacal　habit　of　sitting　in　the　same　place；　where　she
seemed　to　give　way　to　the　blackest　melancholy。

〃Madame　will　die；〃　said　Aline　to　the　old　mother。

Appealed　to　by　Madame　Sauviat；　the　rector；　who　had　wished　not　to　seem
intrusive；　came　henceforth　very　frequently　to　visit　Madame　Graslin；　he
needed　only　to　be　warned　that　her　soul　was　sick。　This　true　pastor　took
care　to　pay　his　visits　at　the　hour　when　Veronique　came　out　to　sit　at
the　corner　of　the　terrace　with　her　child；　both　in　deep　mourning。



XI

THE　RECTOR　AT　WORK

It　was　now　the　beginning　of　October；　and　Nature　was　growing　dull　and
sad。　Monsieur　Bonnet；　perceiving　in　Veronique　from　the　moment　of　her
arrival　at　Montegnac　the　existence　of　an　inward　wound；　thought　it
wisest　to　wait　for　the　voluntary　and　complete　confidence　of　a　woman
who　would　soone