the village rector-第51章

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Veronique　had　sent　all　her　household　belongings　from　Limoges　to
Montegnac）　the　six　guests　felt　a　momentary　embarrassment。　The　doctor；
the　mayor　and　the　/juge　de　paix/　knew　nothing　of　Grossetete　and
Gerard。　But　during　the　first　course；　old　Grossetete's　hearty　good…
humor　broke　the　ice　of　a　first　meeting。　In　addition　to　this；　Madame
Graslin's　cordiality　led　on　Gerard；　and　encouraged　Roubaud。　Under　her
touch　these　souls　full　of　fine　qualities　recognized　their　relation；
and　felt　they　had　entered　a　sympathetic　circle。　So；　by　the　time　the
dessert　appeared　on　the　table；　when　the　glass　and　china　with　gilded
edges　sparkled；　and　the　choicer　wines　were　served　by　Aline　and
Champion　and　Grossetete's　valet；　the　conversation　became　sufficiently
confidential　to　allow　these　four　choice　minds；　thus　meeting　by　chance；
to　express　their　real　thoughts　on　matters　of　importance；　such　as　men
like　to　discuss　when　they　can　do　so　and　be　sure　of　the　discretion　of
their　companions。

〃Your　furlough　came　just　in　time　to　let　you　witness　the　revolution　of
July；〃　said　Grossetete　to　Gerard；　with　an　air　as　if　he　asked　an
opinion　of　him。

〃Yes；〃　replied　the　engineer。　〃I　was　in　Paris　during　the　three　famous
days。　I　saw　all；　and　I　came　to　sad　conclusions。〃

〃What　were　they？〃　said　the　rector；　eagerly。

〃There　is　no　longer　any　patriotism　except　under　dirty　shirts；〃　replied
Gerard。　〃In　that　lies　the　ruin　of　France！　July　was　the　voluntary
defeat　of　all　superiorities；name；　fortune；　talent。　The　ardent；
devoted　masses　carried　the　day　against　the　rich　and　the　intelligent；
to　whom　ardor　and　devotion　are　repugnant。〃

〃To　judge　by　what　has　happened　during　the　past　year；〃　said　Monsieur
Clousier；　〃this　change　of　government　is　simply　a　premium　given　to　an
evil　that　is　sapping　us；individualism。　Fifteen　years　hence　all
questions　of　a　generous　nature　will　be　met　by；　/What　is　that　to　me？/
the　great　cry　of　Freedom　of　Will　descending　from　the　religious　heights
where　Luther；　Calvin；　Zwinglius；　and　Knox　introduced　it；　into　even
political　economy。　/Every　one　for　himself/；　/every　man　his　own
master/；those　two　terrible　axioms　form；　with　the　/What　is　that　to
me？/　a　trinity　of　wisdom　to　the　burgher　and　the　small　land…owner。　This
egotism　results　from　the　vices　of　our　present　civil　legislation　（too
hastily　made）；　to　which　the　revolution　of　July　has　just　given　a
terrible　confirmation。〃

The　/juge　de　paix/　fell　back　into　his　usual　silence　after　thus
expressing　himself；　but　the　topics　he　suggested　must　have　occupied　the
minds　of　those　present。　Emboldened　by　Clousier's　words；　and　moved　by
the　look　which　Gerard　exchanged　with　Grossetete；　Monsieur　Bonnet
ventured　to　go　further。

〃The　good　King　Charles　X。；〃　he　said；　〃has　just　failed　in　the　most　far…
sighted　and　salutary　enterprise　a　monarch　ever　planned　for　the　welfare
of　the　people　confided　to　him；　and　the　Church　ought　to　feel　proud　of
the　part　she　took　in　his　councils。　But　the　upper　classes　deserted　him
in　heart　and　mind；　just　as　they　had　already　deserted　him　on　the　great
question　of　the　law　of　primogeniture；the　lasting　honor　of　the　only
bold　statesman　the　Restoration　has　produced；　namely；　the　Comte　de
Peyronnet。　To　reconstitute　the　nation　through　the　family；　to　take　from
the　press　its　venomous　action　and　confine　it　to　its　real　usefulness；
to　recall　the　elective　Chamber　to　its　true　functions；　and　to　restore
to　religion　its　power　over　the　people；such　were　the　four　cardinal
points　of　the　internal　policy　of　the　house　of　Bourbon。　Well；　twenty
years　from　now　all　France　will　have　recognized　the　necessity　of　that
grand　and　sound　policy。　Charles　X。　was　in　greater　peril　in　the
situation　he　chose　to　leave　than　in　that　in　which　his　paternal　power
has　been　defeated。　The　future　of　our　noble　countrywhere　all　things
will　henceforth　be　brought　periodically　into　question；　where　our
rulers　will　discuss　incessantly　instead　of　acting；　where　the　press；
become　a　sovereign　power；　will　be　the　instrument　of　base　ambitions
this　future　will　only　prove　the　wisdom　of　the　king　who　has　just
carried　away　with　him　the　true　principles　of　government；　and　history
will　bear　in　mind　the　courage　with　which　he　resisted　his　best　friends
after　having　probed　the　wound　and　seen　the　necessity　of　curative
measures；　which　were　not　sustained　by　those　for　whose　sake　he　put
himself　into　the　breach。〃

〃Ah！　monsieur；〃　cried　Gerard；　〃you　are　frank；　you　go　straight　to　your
thought　without　disguise；　and　I　won't　contradict　you。　Napoleon　in　his
Russian　campaign　was　forty　years　in　advance　of　the　spirit　of　his　age；
he　was　never　understood。　The　Russia　and　England　of　1830　explains　the
campaign　of　1812。　Charles　X。　has　been　misunderstood　in　the　same　way。
It　is　quite　possible　that　in　twenty…five　years　from　now　his　ordinances
may　become　the　laws　of　the　land。〃

〃France；　too　eloquent　not　to　gabble；　too　full　of　vanity　to　bow　down
before　real　talent；　is；　in　spite　of　the　sublime　good　sense　of　its
language　and　the　mass　of　its　people；　the　very　last　nation　in　which　two
deliberative　chambers　should　have　been　attempted；〃　said　the　/juge　de
paix/。　〃Or；　at　any　rate；　the　weaknesses　of　our　national　character
should　have　been　guarded　against　by　the　admirable　restrictions　which
Napoleon's　experience　laid　upon　them。　Our　present　system　may　succeed
in　a　country　whose　action　is　circumscribed　by　the　nature　of　its　soil；
like　England；　but　the　law　of　primogeniture　applied　to　the　transmission
of　land　is　absolutely　necessary；　when　that　law　is　suppressed　the
system　of　legislative　representation　becomes　absurd。　England　owes　her
existence　to　the　quasi…feudal　law　which　entails　landed　property　and
family　mansions　on　the　eldest　son。　Russia　is　based　on　the　feudal　right
of　autocracy。　Consequently　those　two　nations　are　to…day　on　the　high…
road　of　startling　progress。　Austria　could　only　resist　our　invasions
and　renew　the　way　against　Napoleon　by　virtue　of　that　law　of
primogeniture　which　preserves　in　the　family　the　active　forces　of　a
nation；　and　supplies　the　great　productions　necessary　to　the　State。　The
house　of　Bourbon；　feeling　that　it　was　slipping　to　the　third　rank　in
Europe；　by　reason　of　liberalism；　wanted　to　regain　its　rightful　place
and　there　maintain　itself；　and　the　nation　has　thrown　it　over　at　the
very　time　it　was　about　to　save　the　nation。　I　am　sure　I　don't　know　how
low　down　the　present　system　will　drop　us。〃

〃If　we　have　a　war；　France　will　be　without　horses；　as　Napoleon　was　in
1813；　when；　being　reduced　to　those　of　France　only；　he　could　not　profit
by　his　two　victories　of　Lutzen　and　Botzen；　and　so　was　crushed　at
Leipzig；〃　cried　Grossetete。　〃If　peace　continues；　the　evil　will　only
increase。　Twenty…five　years　from　now　the　race　of　cattle　and　horses
will　have　diminished　in　France　by　one　half。〃

〃Monsieur　Grossetete　is　right；〃　remarked　Gerard。　〃So　that　the　work　you
are　undertaking　here；　madame；〃　he　added；　addressing　Veronique；　〃is
really　a　service　done　to　the　country。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　/juge　de　paix/；　〃because　Madame　has　but　one　son；　and
the　inheritance　will　not　be　divided　up；　but　how　long　will　that
condition　last？　For　a　certain　length　of　time　the　magnificent　culture
which　you　are　about　to　introduce　will；　let　us　hope；　belong　to　only　one
proprietor；　who　will　continue　to　breed　horned　beasts　and　horses；　but
sooner　or　later　the　day　must　come　when　these　forests　and　fields　will
be　divided　up　and　sold　in　small　parcels。　Divided　and　redivided；　the
six　thousand　acres　of　that　plain　will　have　a　thousand　or　twelve
hundred　owners；　and　thenceforthno　more　horses　and　cattle！〃

〃Oh！　as　for　those　days〃began　the　mayor。

〃There！　don't　you　hear　the　/What　is　that　to　me？/　Monsieur　Clousier
talked　of？〃　cried　Monsieur　Grossetete。　〃Taken　in　the　act！　But；
monsieur；〃　resumed　the　banker；　gravely　addressing　the　dumfounded
mayor；　〃those　days　have　really　come。　In　a　radius　of　thirty　miles　round
Paris　the　land　is　so　divided　up　into　small　holdings　that　milch　cows
are　no　longer　seen。　The　Commune　of　Argenteuil　contains　thirty…eight
thousand　eight　hundred　and　eighty…five　parcels　of　land；　many　of　which
do　not　return　a　farthing　of　revenue。　If　it　were　not　for　the　rich
refuse　of　Paris；　which　produces　a　fodder　of　strong　quality；　I　don't
know　how　dairymen　would　get　al