the village rector-第42章

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expression　of　deep　sadness。

〃Madame；　I　owe　my　life　to　that　ditch；　or　rather；　to　speak　more
correctly；　I　owe　to　it　time　for　repentance；　time　to　redeem　my　sins　in
the　eyes　of　men。〃

This　method　of　explaining　life　so　affected　Madame　Graslin　that　she
stopped　her　horse　on　the　brink　of　the　ditch。

〃I　was　hiding　there；　madame。　The　ground　is　so　resonant　that　when　my
ear　was　against　it　I　could　hear　the　horses　of　the　gendarmerie；　or　even
the　footsteps　of　the　soldiers；　which　are　always　peculiar。　That　gave　me
time　to　escape　up　the　Gabou　to　a　place　where　I　had　a　horse；　and　I
always　managed　to　put　several　miles　between　myself　and　my　pursuers。
Catherine　used　to　bring　me　food　during　the　night；　if　she　did　not　find
me　I　always　found　the　bread　and　wine　in　a　hole　covered　with　a　rock。〃

This　recollection　of　his　wandering　and　criminal　life；　which　might　have
injured　Farrabesche　with　some　persons；　met　with　the　most　indulgent
pity　from　Madame　Graslin。　She　rode　hastily　on　toward　the　Gabou；
followed　by　her　guide。　While　she　measured　with　her　eye　this　opening；
through　which　could　be　seen　the　long　valley；　so　smiling　on　one　side；
so　ruined　on　the　other；　and　at　its　lower　end；　a　league　away；　the
terraced　hill…sides　back　of　Montegnac；　Farrabesche　said：

〃There'll　be　a　famous　rush　of　water　in　a　few　days。〃

〃And　next　year；　on　this　day；　not　a　drop　shall　flow　there。　Both　sides
belong　to　me；　and　I　will　build　a　dam　solid　enough　and　high　enough　to
stop　the　freshet。　Instead　of　a　valley　yielding　nothing；　I　will　have　a
lake　twenty；　thirty；　forty　feet　deep　over　an　extent　of　three　or　four
miles；an　immense　reservoir；　which　shall　supply　the　flow　of
irrigation　with　which　I　will　fertilize　the　plain　of　Montegnac。〃

〃Ah；　madame！　the　rector　was　right；　when　he　said　to　us　as　we　finished
our　road；　'You　are　working　for　a　mother。'　May　God　shed　his　blessing　on
such　an　undertaking。〃

〃Say　nothing　about　it；　Farrabesche；〃　said　Madame　Graslin。　〃The　idea
was　Monsieur　Bonnet's。〃

They　returned　to　the　cottage；　where　Veronique　picked　up　Maurice；　with
whom　she　rode　hastily　back　to　the　chateau。　When　Madame　Sauviat　and
Aline　saw　her　they　were　struck　with　the　change　in　her　countenance；　the
hope　of　doing　good　in　the　region　she　now　owned　gave　her　already　an
appearance　of　happiness。　She　wrote　at　once　to　Monsieur　Grossetete；
begging　him　to　ask　Monsieur　de　Grandville　for　the　complete　release　of
the　returned　convict；　on　whose　conduct　she　gave　him　assurances　which
were　confirmed　by　a　certificate　from　the　mayor　of　Montegnac　and　by　a
letter　from　Monsieur　Bonnet。　To　this　request　she　added　information
about　Catherine　Curieux；　begging　Grossetete　to　interest　the
/procureur…general/　in　the　good　work　she　wished　to　do；　and　persuade
him　to　write　to　the　prefecture　of　police　in　Paris　to　recover　traces　of
the　girl。　The　circumstance　of　Catherine's　having　sent　money　to
Farrabesche　at　the　galleys　ought　to　be　clew　enough　to　furnish
information。　Veronique　was　determined　to　know　why　it　was　that　the
young　woman　had　not　returned　to　her　child　and　to　Farrabesche；　now　that
he　was　free。　She　also　told　her　old　friend　of　her　discovery　about　the
torrent　of　the　Gabou；　and　urged　him　to　select　an　able　engineer；　such
as　she　had　already　asked　him　to　procure　for　her。

The　next　day　was　Sunday；　and　for　the　first　time　since　her　installation
at　Montegnac　Veronique　felt　able　to　hear　mass　in　church；　she
accordingly　went　there　and　took　possession　of　the　bench　that　belonged
to　her　in　the　chapel　of　the　Virgin。　Seeing　how　denuded　the　poor　church
was；　she　resolved　to　devote　a　certain　sum　yearly　to　the　needs　of　the
building　and　the　decoration　of　the　altars。　She　listened　to　the　sweet；
impressive；　angelic　voice　of　the　rector；　whose　sermon；　though　couched
in　simple　language　suited　to　the　rustic　intellects　before　him；　was
sublime　in　character。　Sublimity　comes　from　the　heart；　intellect　has
little　to　do　with　it；　religion　is　a　quenchless　source　of　this
sublimity　which　has　no　dross；　for　Catholicism　entering　and　changing
all　hearts；　is　itself　all　heart。　Monsieur　Bonnet　took　his　text　from
the　epistle　for　the　day；　which　signified　that；　sooner　or　later；　God
accomplishes　all　promises；　assisting　His　faithful　ones；　encouraging
the　righteous。　He　made　plain　to　every　mind　the　great　things　which
might　be　accomplished　by　wealth　judiciously　used　for　the　good　of
others；explaining　that　the　duties　of　the　poor　to　the　rich　were　as
widely　extended　as　those　of　the　rich　to　the　poor；　and　that　the　aid　and
assistance　given　should　be　mutual。

Farrabesche　had　made　known　to　a　few　of　those　who　treated　him　in　a
friendly　manner　（the　result　of　the　Christian　charity　which　Monsieur
Bonnet　had　put　in　practice　among　his　parishioners）　the　benevolent　acts
Madame　Graslin　had　done　for　him。　Her　conduct　in　this　matter　had　been
talked　over　by　all　the　little　groups　of　persons　assembled　round　the
church　door　before　the　service；　as　is　the　custom　in　country　places。
Nothing　could　have　been　better　calculated　to　win　the　friendship　and
good…will　of　these　eminently　susceptible　minds；　so　that　when　Veronique
left　the　church　after　service　she　found　nearly　all　the　inhabitants　of
the　parish　formed　in　two　hedges　through　which　she　was　expected　to
pass。　One　and　all　they　bowed　respectfully　in　profound　silence。　She　was
deeply　touched　by　this　reception；　without　knowing　the　actual　cause　of
it。　Seeing　Farrabesche　humbly　stationed　among　the　last；　she　stopped
and　said　to　him：

〃You　are　a　good　hunter；　do　not　forget　to　supply　me　with　game。〃

A　few　days　later　Veronique　went　to　walk　with　the　rector　through　the
part　of　the　forest　that　was　nearest　the　chateau；　wishing　to　descend
with　him　the　terraced　slopes　she　had　seen　from　the　house　of
Farrabesche。　In　doing　this　she　obtained　complete　certainty　as　to　the
nature　of　the　upper　affluents　of　the　Gabou。　The　rector　saw　for　himself
that　the　streams　which　watered　certain　parts　of　upper　Montegnac　came
from　the　mountains　of　the　Correze。　This　chain　of　hills　joined　the
barren　slopes　we　have　already　described；　parallel　with　the　chain　of
the　Roche…Vive。

On　returning　from　this　walk　the　rector　was　joyful　as　a　child；　he
foresaw；　with　the　naivete　of　a　poet；　the　prosperity　of　his　dear
villagefor　a　poet　is　a　man；　is　he　not？　who　realizes　hopes　before
they　ripen。　Monsieur　Bonnet　garnered　his　hay　as　he　stood　overlooking
that　barren　plain　from　Madame　Graslin's　upper　terrace。



XV

STORY　OF　A　GALLEY…SLAVE

The　next　day　Farrabesche　and　his　son　came　to　the　chateau　with　game。
The　keeper　also　brought；　for　Francis；　a　cocoanut　cup；　elaborately
carved；　a　genuine　work　of　art；　representing　a　battle。　Madame　Graslin
was　walking　at　the　time　on　the　terrace；　in　the　direction　which
overlooked　Les　Tascherons。　She　sat　down　on　a　bench；　took　the　cup　in
her　hand　and　looked　earnestly　at　the　deft　piece　of　work。　A　few　tears
came　into　her　eyes。

〃You　must　have　suffered　very　much；〃　she　said　to　Farrabesche；　after　a
few　moments'　silence。

〃How　could　I　help　it；　madame？〃　he　replied；　〃for　I　was　there　without
the　hope　of　escape；　which　supports　the　life　of　most　convicts。〃

〃An　awful　life！〃　she　said　in　a　tone　of　horror；　inviting　Farrabesche　by
word　and　gesture　to　say　more。

Farrabesche　took　the　convulsive　trembling　and　other　signs　of　emotion
he　saw　in　Madame　Graslin　for　the　powerful　interest　of　compassionate
curiosity　in　himself。

Just　then　Madame　Sauviat　appeared；　coming　down　a　path　as　if　she　meant
to　join　them；　but　Veronique　drew　out　her　handkerchief　and　made　a
negative　sign；　saying；　with　an　asperity　she　had　never　before　shown　to
the　old　woman：

〃Leave　me；　leave　me；　mother。〃

〃Madame；〃　said　Farrabesche；　〃for　ten　years　I　wore　there　（holding　out
his　leg）　a　chain　fastened　to　a　great　iron　ring　which　bound　me　to
another　man。　During　my　time　I　had　to　live　thus　with　three　different
convicts。　I　slept　on　a　wooden　bench；　I　had　to　work　extraordinarily
hard　to　earn　a　little　mattress　called　a　/serpentin/。　Each　dormitory
contains　eight　hundred　men。　Each　bed；　called　a　/tolard/；　holds　twenty…
four　men；　chained　in　couples。　Every　night　the　chain　of　each　couple　is
passed　round　another　great　chain　which　is　called　the　/filet　de　ramas/。
This　chain　holds　all　the　couples　by　the　feet；　and　runs　along　the
botto