sons of the soil- 第50部分

The　silver　had　been　given　to　Mademoiselle　Laguerre　by　Bouret。　It　was　a

magnificent　service　made　by　the　famous　Germain；　and　Madame　Soudry　had

literally　stolen　it。　At　Mademoiselle　Laguerre's　death　she　merely　took

it　into　her　own　room；　and　the　heirs；　who　knew　nothing　of　the　value　of

their　inheritance；　never　claimed　it。



For　some　time　past　the　twelve　or　fifteen　personages　who　composed　the

leading　society　of　Soulanges　spoke　of　Madame　Soudry　as　the　INTIMATE

FRIEND　of　Mademoiselle　Laguerre；　recoiling　at　the　term　〃waiting…

woman；〃　and　making　believe　that　she　had　sacrificed　herself　to　the

singer　as　her　friend　and　companion。



Strange　yet　true！　all　these　illusions　became　realities；　and　spread

even　to　the　actual　regions　of　the　heart；　Madame　Soudry　reigned

supreme；　in　a　way；　over　her　husband。



The　gendarme；　required　to　love　a　woman　ten　years　older　than　himself

who　kept　the　management　of　her　fortune　in　her　own　hands；　behaved　to

her　in　the　spirit　of　the　ideas　she　had　ended　by　adopting　about　her

beauty。　But　sometimes；　when　persons　envied　him　or　talked　to　him　of　his

happiness；　he　wished　they　were　in　his　place；　for；　to　hide　his

peccadilloes；　he　was　forced　to　take　as　many　precautions　as　the　husband

of　a　young　and　adoring　wife；　and　it　was　not　until　very　recently　that

he　had　been　able　to　introduce　into　the　family　a　pretty　servant…girl。



This　portrait　of　the　Queen　of　Soulanges　may　seem　a　little　grotesque；

but　many　specimens　of　the　same　kind　could　be　found　in　the　provinces　at

that　period；some　more　or　less　noble　in　blood；　others　belonging　to

the　higher　banking…circles；　like　the　widow　of　a　receiver…general　in

Touraine　who　still　puts　slices　of　veal　upon　her　cheeks。　This　portrait；

drawn　from　nature；　would　be　incomplete　without　the　diamonds　in　which

it　is　set；　without　the　surrounding　courtiers；　a　sketch　of　whom　is

necessary；　if　only　to　explain　how　formidable　such　Lilliputians　are；

and　who　are　the　makers　of　public　opinion　in　remote　little　towns。　Let

no　one　mistake　me；　however；　there　are　many　localities　which；　like

Soulanges；　are　neither　hamlets；　villages；　nor　little　towns；　which

have；　nevertheless；　the　characteristics　of　all。　The　inhabitants　are

very　different　from　those　of　the　large　and　busy　and　vicious　provincial

cities。　Country　life　influences　the　manners　and　morals　of　the　smaller

places；　and　this　mixture　of　tints　will　be　found　to　produce　some　truly

original　characters。



The　most　important　personage　after　Madame　Soudry　was　Lupin；　the

notary。　Though　forty…five　springs　had　bloomed　for　Lupin；　he　was　still

fresh　and　rosy；　thanks　to　the　plumpness　which　fills　out　the　skin　of

sedentary　persons；　and　he　still　sang　ballads。　Also；　he　retained　the

elegant　evening　dress　of　society　warblers。　He　looked　almost　Parisian

in　his　carefully…varnished　boots；　his　sulphur…yellow　waistcoats；　his

tight…fitting　coats；　his　handsome　silk　cravats；　his　fashionable

trousers。　His　hair　was　curled　by　the　barber　of　Soulanges　（the　gossip

of　the　town）；　and　he　maintained　the　attitude　of　a　man　〃a　bonne

fortunes〃　by　his　liaison　with　Madame　Sarcus；　wife　of　Sarcus　the　rich；

who　was　to　his　life；　without　too　close　a　comparison；　what　the

campaigns　of　Italy　were　to　Napoleon。　He　alone　of　the　leading　society

of　Soulanges　went　to　Paris；　where　he　was　received　by　the　Soulanges

family。　It　was　enough　to　hear　him　talk　to　imagine　the　supremacy　he

wielded　in　his　capacity　as　dandy　and　judge　of　elegance。　He　passed

judgment　on　all　things　by　the　use　of　three　terms：　〃out　of　date；〃

〃antiquated；〃　〃superannuated。〃＇*＇　A　man；　a　woman；　or　a　piece　of

furniture　might　be　〃out　of　date〃；　next；　by　a　greater　degree　of

imperfection；　〃antiquated〃；　but　as　to　the　last　term；　it　was　the

superlative　of　contempt。　The　first　might　be　remedied；　the　second　was

hopeless；　but　the　third；oh；　better　far　never　to　have　left　the　void

of　nothingness！　As　to　praise；　a　single　word　sufficed　him；　doubly　and

trebly　uttered：　〃Charming！〃　was　the　positive　of　his　admiration。

〃Charming；　charming！〃　made　you　feel　you　were　safe；　but　after

〃Charming；　charming；　charming！〃　the　ladder　might　be　discarded；　for　the

heaven　of　perfection　was　attained。





＇*＇　〃Croute；〃　〃crouton；〃　and　〃croute…au…pot；〃　untranslatable；　and

without　equivalent　in　English。　A　〃croute〃　is　the　slang　term　for　a

man　behind　the　age。Tr。





The　tabellion；he　called　himself　〃tabellion；〃　petty　notary；　and

keeper　of　notes　（making　fun　of　his　calling　in　order　to　seem　above　it）；

the　tabellion　was　on　terms　of　spoken　gallantry　with　Madame　Soudry；

who　had　a　weakness　for　Lupin；　though　he　was　blond　and　wore　spectacles。

Hitherto　the　late　Cochet　had　loved　none　but　dark　men；　with　moustachios

and　hairy　hands；　of　the　Alcides　type。　But　she　made　an　exception　in

favor　of　Lupin　on　account　of　his　elegance；　and；　moreover；　because　she

thought　her　glory　at　Soulanges　was　not　complete　without　an　adorer；

but；　to　Soudry's　despair；　the　queen's　adorers　never　carried　their

adoration　so　far　as　to　threaten　his　rights。



Lupin　had　married　an　heiress　in　wooden　shoes　and　blue　woollen

stockings；　the　only　daughter　of　a　salt…dealer；　who　made　his　money

during　the　Revolution；a　period　when　contraband　salt…traders　made

enormous　profits　by　reason　of　the　reaction　that　set　in　against　the

gabelle。　He　prudently　left　his　wife　at　home；　where　Bebelle；　as　he

called　her；　was　supported　under　his　absence　by　a　platonic　passion　for

a　handsome　clerk　who　had　no　other　means　than　his　salary；a　young　man

named　Bonnac；　belonging　to　the　second…class　society；　where　he　played

the　same　role　that　his　master；　the　notary；　played　in　the　first。



Madame　Lupin；　a　woman　without　any　education　whatever；　appeared　on

great　occasions　only；　under　the　form　of　an　enormous　Burgundian　barrel

dressed　in　velvet　and　surmounted　by　a　little　head　sunken　in　shoulders

of　a　questionable　color。　No　efforts　could　retain　her　waist…belt　in　its

natural　place。　〃Bebelle〃　candidly　admitted　that　prudence　forbade　her

wearing　corsets。　The　imagination　of　a　poet　or；　better　still；　that　of

an　inventor；　could　not　have　found　on　Bebelle's　back　the　slightest

trace　of　that　seductive　sinuosity　which　the　vertebrae　of　all　women　who

are　women　usually　produce。　Bebelle；　round　as　a　tortoise；　belonged　to

the　genus　of　invertebrate　females。　This　alarming　development　of

cellular　tissue　no　doubt　reassured　Lupin　on　the　subject　of　the

platonic　passion　of　his　fat　wife；　whom　he　boldly　called　Bebelle

without　raising　a　laugh。



〃Your　wife；　what　is　she？〃　said　Sarcus　the　rich；　one　day；　when　unable

to　digest　the　fatal　word　〃superannuated；〃　applied　to　a　piece　of

furniture　he　had　just　bought　at　a　bargain。



〃My　wife　is　not　like　yours；〃　replied　Lupin；　〃she　is　not　defined　as

yet。〃



Beneath　his　rosy　exterior　the　notary　possessed　a　subtle　mind；　and　he

had　the　sense　to　say　nothing　about　his　property；　which　was　fully　as

large　as　that　of　Rigou。



Monsieur　Lupin's　son；　Amaury；　was　a　great　trouble　to　his　father。　An

only　son；　and　one　of　the　Don　Juans　of　the　valley；　he　utterly　refused

to　follow　the　paternal　profession。　He　took　advantage　of　his　position

as　only　son　to　bleed　the　strong…box　cruelly；　without；　however；

exhausting　the　patience　of　his　father；　who　would　say　after　every

escapade；　〃Well；　I　was　like　that　in　my　young　days。〃　Amaury　never　came

to　Madame　Soudry's；　he　said　she　bored　him；　for；　with　a　recollection　of

her　early　days；　she　attempted　to　〃educate〃　him；　as　she　called　it；

whereas　he　much　preferred　the　pleasures　and　billiards　of　the　Cafe　de

la　Paix。　He　frequented　the　worst　company　of　Soulanges；　even　down　to

Bonnebault。　He　continued　sowing　his　wild　oats；　as　Madame　Soudry

remarked；　and　replied　to　all　his　father's　remonstrances　with　one

perpetual　request：　〃Send　me　back　to　Paris；　for　I　am　bored　to　death

here。〃



Lupin　ended；　alas！　like　other　gallants；　by　an　attachment　that　was

semi…conjugal。　His　known　passion；　in　spite　of　his　former　liaison　with

Madame　Sarcus；　was　for　the　wife　of　the　under…sheriff　of　the　municipal

court；Madame　Euphemie　Plissoud；　daughter　of　Wattebled　the　grocer；

who　reigned　in　the　second…class　society　as　Madame　Soudry　did　in　the

first。　Monsieur　Plissoud；　a　competitor　of　Brunet；　belonged　to　the

under…world　of　Soulanges　on　account　of　his　wife's　conduct；　which　it

was　said　he　authorized；a　report　that　drew　upon　him　the　contempt　of

the　leading　society。



If　Lupin　was　the　musician　of　the　leading　society；　Monsieur　Gourdon；

the　doctor；　was　its　man　of　science。　The　town　said　of　him；　〃We　have

here　in　our　midst　a　scientific　man　of　the　first　order。〃　Madame　Soudry

（who　believed　she　understood　music　because　she　had　ushered　in　Piccini

and　Gluck　and　had　dressed　Mademoiselle　Laguerre　for　the　Opera）

persuaded　society；　and　even　Lupin　himself；　that　he　might　have　made　his

fortune　by　his　voice；　and；　in　like　manner；　she　was　always　regretting

that　the　doctor　did　not　publish　his　scientific　ideas。



Monsieur　Gourdon　merely　repeated　the　ideas　of　Cuvier　and　Buffon；　which

might　not　have　enabled　him　to　pose　as　a　scientist　before　the　Soulanges

world；　but　besides　this　he　was　making　a　collection　of　shells；　and　he

possessed　an　herbarium；　and　he　knew　how　to　stuff　birds。　He　lived　upon

the　glory　of　having　bequeathed　his　cabinet　of　natural　history　to　the

town　of　Soulanges。　After　this　was　known　he　was　considered　throughout

the　department　as　a　great　naturalist　and　the　successor　of　Buffon。　Like

a　certain　Genevese　banker；　whose　pedantry；　coldness；　and　puritan

propriety　he　copied；　without　possessing　either　his　money　or　his

shrewdness；　Monsieur　Gourdon　exhibited　with　great　complacency　the

famous　collection；　consisting　of　a　bear　and　a　monkey　（both　of　which

had　died　on　their　way　to　Soulanges）；　all　the　rodents　of　the

department；　mice　and　field…mice　and　dormice；　rats；　muskrats；　and

moles；　etc。；　all　the　interesting　birds　ever　shot　in　Burgundy；　and　an

Alpine　eagle　caught　in　the　Jura。　Gourdon　also　possessed　a　collection

of　lepidoptera；a　word　which　led　society　to　hope　for　monstrosities；

and　to　sa