the village rector-第56章

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between　whom　was　Veronique；　could　see　the　direction　of　the　four　first
cuttings　marked　out　by　piles　of　gathered　stones。　At　each　cutting　five
laborers　were　digging　out　and　piling　up　the　good　loam　along　the　edges；
clearing　a　space　about　eighteen　feet　wide；　the　width　of　each　road。　On
either　side；　four　other　men　were　digging　the　ditches　and　also　piling
up　the　loam　at　the　sides　to　make　a　bank。　Behind　them；　as　the　banks
were　made；　two　men　were　digging　holes　in　which　others　planted　trees。
In　each　of　these　divisions；　thirty　old　paupers；　a　score　of　women；　and
forty　or　more　girls　and　children　were　picking　up　stones；　which　special
laborers　piled　in　heaps　along　the　roadside　so　as　to　keep　a　record　of
the　quantity　gathered　by　each　group。　Thus　the　work　went　on　rapidly；
with　picked　workmen　full　of　ardor。　Grossetete　promised　Madame　Graslin
to　send　her　some　trees　and　to　ask　her　other　friends　to　do　the　same；
for　the　nurseries　of　the　chateau　would　evidently　not　suffice　to　supply
such　an　extensive　plantation。　Toward　the　close　of　the　day；　which　was
to　end　in　a　grand　dinner　at　the　chateau；　Farrabesche　requested　Madame
Graslin　to　grant　him　an　audience　for　a　few　moments。

〃Madame；〃　he　said；　presenting　himself　with　Catherine；　〃you　were　so
good　as　to　offer　me　the　farm　at　the　chateau。　By　granting　me　so　great　a
favor　I　know　you　intended　to　put　me　in　the　way　of　making　my　fortune。
But　Catherine　has　ideas　about　our　future　which　we　desire　to　submit　to
you。　If　I　were　to　succeed　and　make　money　there　would　certainly　be
persons　envious　of　my　good　fortune；　a　word　is　soon　said；　I　might　have
quarrels；I　fear　them；　besides；　Catherine　would　always　be　uneasy。　In
short；　too　close　intercourse　with　the　world　will　not　suit　us。　I　have
come　therefore　to　ask　you　to　give　us　only　the　land　at　the　opening　of
the　Gabou　on　the　commons；　with　a　small　piece　of　the　woodland　behind
the　Roche…Vive。　In　July　you　will　have　a　great　many　workmen　here；　and
it　would　be　very　easy　then　to　build　a　farmhouse　in　a　good　position　on
the　slope　of　the　hill。　We　should　be　happy　there。　I　will　send　for
Guepin。　My　poor　comrade　will　work　like　a　horse；　perhaps　I　could　marry
him　here。　My　son　is　not　a　do…nothing　either。　No　one　would　put　us　out
of　countenance；　we　could　colonize　this　corner　of　the　estate；　and　I
should　make　it　my　ambition　to　turn　it　into　a　fine　farm　for　you。
Moreover；　I　want　to　propose　as　farmer　of　your　great　farm　near　the
chateau　a　cousin　of　Catherine；　who　has　money　and　would　therefore　be
more　capable　than　I　could　be　of　managing　such　a　large　affair　as　that
farm。　If　it　please　God　to　bless　your　enterprise；　in　five　years　from
now　you　will　have　five　or　six　thousand　horned　beasts　or　horses　on　that
plain　below；　and　it　wants　a　better　head　than　mine　to　manage　them。〃

Madame　Graslin　agreed　to　his　request；　doing　justice　to　the　good　sense
of　it。

From　the　time　the　work　on　the　plain　began；　Veronique's　life　assumed
the　regularity　of　country　existence。　In　the　morning　she　heard　mass；
took　care　of　her　son；　whom　she　idolized；　and　went　to　see　her　laborers。
After　dinner　she　received　her　friends　from　Montegnac　in　the　little
salon　to　the　right　of　the　clock…tower。　She　taught　Roubaud；　Clousier；
and　the　rector　to　play　whist；　which　Gerard　knew　already。　The　rubbers
usually　ended　at　nine　o'clock；　after　which　the　company　withdrew。　This
peaceful　life　had　no　other　events　to　mark　it　than　the　success　of　the
various　parts　of　the　great　enterprise。

In　June　the　torrent　of　the　Gabou　went　dry；　and　Gerard　established　his
headquarters　in　the　keeper's　house。　Farrabesche　had　already　built　his
farmhouse；　which　he　called　Le　Gabou。　Fifty　masons；　brought　from　Paris；
joined　the　two　mountains　by　a　wall　twenty　feet　thick；　with　a
foundation　twelve　feet　deep　and　heavily　cemented。　The　wall；　or　dam；
rose　nearly　sixty　feet　and　tapered　in　until　it　was　not　more　than　ten
feet　thick　at　the　summit。　Gerard　backed　this　wall　on　the　valley　side
with　a　cemented　slope；　about　twelve　feet　wide　at　its　base。　On　the　side
toward　the　commons　a　similar　slope；　covered　with　several　feet　of
arable　earth；　still　further　supported　this　great　work；　which　no　rush
of　water　could　possibly　damage。　The　engineer　provided　in　case　of
unusual　rains　an　overflow　at　a　proper　height。　The　masonry　was　inserted
into　the　flank　of　each　mountain　until　the　granite　or　the　hard…pan　was
reached；　so　that　the　water　had　absolutely　no　outlet　at　the　sides。

This　dam　was　finished　by　the　middle　of　August。　At　the　same　time　Gerard
was　preparing　three　canals　in　the　principal　valleys；　and　none　of　these
works　came　up　to　his　estimated　costs。　The　chateau　farm　could　now　be
finished。　The　irrigation　channels　through　the　plain；　superintended　by
Fresquin；　started　from　the　canal　made　by　nature　along　the　base　of　the
mountains　on　the　plain　side；　through　which　culverts　were　cut　to　the
irrigating　channels。　Water…gates　were　fitted　into　those　channels；　the
sides　of　which　the　abundance　of　rock　had　enabled　them　to　stone　up；　so
as　to　keep　the　flow　of　water　at　an　even　height　along　the　plain。

Every　Sunday　after　mass；　Veronique；　the　engineer；　the　rector；　the
doctor；　and　the　mayor　walked　down　through　the　park　to　see　the　course
of　the　waters。　The　winter　of　1832　and　1833　was　extremely　rainy。　The
water　of　the　three　streams　which　had　been　directed　to　the　torrent；
swollen　by　the　water　of　the　rains；　now　formed　three　ponds　in　the
valley　of　the　Gabou；　carefully　placed　at　different　levels　so　as　to
create　a　steady　reserve　in　case　of　a　severe　drought。　At　certain　places
where　the　valley　widened　Gerard　had　taken　advantage　of　a　few　hillocks
to　make　islands　and　plant　them　with　trees　of　varied　foliage。　These
vast　operations　completely　changed　the　face　of　the　country；　but　five
or　six　years　were　of　course　needed　to　bring　out　their　full　character。
〃The　country　was　naked；〃　said　Farrabesche；　〃and　madame　has　clothed
it。〃

Since　these　great　undertakings　were　begun；　Veronique　had　been　called
〃Madame〃　throughout　the　whole　neighborhood。　When　the　rains　ceased　in
June；　1833；　they　tried　the　irrigating　channels　through　the　planted
fields；　and　the　young　verdure　thus　nourished　soon　showed　the　superior
qualities　of　the　/marciti/　of　Italy　and　the　meadows　of　Switzerland。
The　system　of　irrigation；　modelled　on　that　of　the　farms　in　Lombardy；
watered　the　earth　evenly；　and　kept　the　surface　as　smooth　as　a　carpet。
The　nitre　of　the　snow　dissolving　in　these　channels　no　doubt　added　much
to　the　quality　of　the　herbage。　The　engineer　hoped　to　find　in　the
products　of　succeeding　years　some　analogy　with　those　of　Switzerland；
to　which　this　nitrous　substance　is；　as　we　know；　a　source　of　perpetual
riches。

The　plantations　along　the　roads；　sufficiently　moistened　by　the　water
allowed　to　run　through　the　ditches；　made　rapid　growth。　So　that　in
1838；　six　years　after　Madame　Graslin　had　begun　her　enterprise；　the
stony　plain；　regarded　as　hopelessly　barren　by　twenty　generations；　was
verdant；　productive；　and　well　planted　throughout。　Gerard　had　built
five　farmhouses　with　their　dependencies　upon　it；　with　a　thousand　acres
to　each。　Gerard's　own　farm　and　those　of　Grossetete　and　Fresquin；　which
received　the　overflow　from　Madame's　domains；　were　built　on　the　same
plan　and　managed　by　the　same　methods。　The　engineer　also　built　a
charming　little　house　for　himself　on　his　own　property。　When　all　was
completely　finished；　the　inhabitants　of　Montegnac；　instigated　by　the
present　mayor；　who　was　anxious　to　retire；　elected　Gerard　to　the
mayoralty　of　the　district。

In　1840　the　departure　of　the　first　herd　of　cattle　sent　from　Montegnac
to　the　Paris　markets　was　made　the　occasion　of　a　rural　fete。　The　farms
of　the　plain　raised　fine　beasts　and　horses；　for　it　was　found；　after
the　land　was　cleaned　up；　that　there　were　seven　inches　of　good　soil
which　the　annual　fall　of　leaves；　the　manure　left　by　the　pasturage　of
animals；　and；　above　all；　the　melting　of　the　snows　contained　in　the
valley　of　the　Gabou；　increased　in　fertility。

It　was　in　this　year　that　Madame　Graslin　found　it　necessary　to　obtain　a
tutor　for　her　son；　who　was　now　eleven　years　of　age。　She　did　not　wish
to　part　with　him；　and　yet　she　was　anxious　to　make　him　a　thoroughly
well…educated　man。　Monsieur　Bonnet　wrote　to　the　Seminary。　Madame
Graslin；　on　her