Part 16 (2/2)
”At a franc and a half the square foot for the material only, Monsieur le comte would find his wall would cost him a third of the whole value of Les Aigues,” said Sibilet, with a laugh.
”Well, well,” said Montcornet, ”I shall go and see the attorney-general at once.”
”The attorney-general,” remarked Sibilet, gently, ”may perhaps share the opinion of his subordinate; for the negligence shown by the latter is probably the result of an agreement between them.”
”Then I wish to know it!” cried Montcornet. ”If I have to get the whole of them turned out, judges, civil authorities, and the attorney-general to boot, I'll do it; I'll go the Keeper of the Seals, or to the king himself.”
At a vehement sign made by Michaud the general stopped short and said to Sibilet, as he turned to retrace his steps, ”Good day, my dear fellow,”--words which the steward understood.
”Does Monsieur le comte intend, as mayor, to enforce the necessary measures to repress the abuse of gleaning?” he said, respectfully.
”The harvest is coming on, and if we are to publish the statutes about certificates of pauperism and the prevention of paupers from other districts gleaning our land, there is no time to be lost.”
”Do it at once, and arrange with Groison,” said the count. ”With such a cla.s.s of people,” he added, ”we must follow out the law.”
So, without a moment's reflection, Montcornet gave in to a measure that Sibilet had been proposing to him for more than a fortnight, to which he had hitherto refused to consent; but now, in the violence of anger caused by Vatel's mishap, he instantly adopted it as the right thing to do.
When Sibilet was at some distance the general said in a low voice to his bailiff:--
”Well, my dear Michaud, what is it; why did you make me that sign?”
”You have an enemy within the walls, general, yet you tell him plans which you ought not to confide even to the secret police.”
”I share your suspicions, my dear friend,” replied Montcornet, ”but I don't intend to commit the same fault twice over. I shall not part with another steward till I'm sure of a better. I am waiting to get rid of Sibilet, till you understand the business of steward well enough to take his place, and till Vatel is fit to succeed you. And yet, I have no ground of complaint against Sibilet. He is honest and punctual in all his dealings; he hasn't kept back a hundred francs in all these five years. He has a perfectly detestable nature, and that's all one can say against him. If it were otherwise, what would be his plan in acting as he does?”
”General,” said Michaud, gravely, ”I will find out, for undoubtedly he has one; and if you would only allow it, a good bribe to that old scoundrel Fourchon will enable me to get at the truth; though after what he said just now I suspect the old fellow of having more secrets than one in his pouch. That swindling old cordwainer told me himself they want to drive you from Les Aigues. And let me tell you, for you ought to know it, that from Conches to Ville-aux-Fayes there is not a peasant, a petty tradesman, a farmer, a tavern-keeper who isn't laying by his money to buy a bit of the estate. Fourchon confided to me that Tonsard has already put in his claim. The idea that you can be forced to sell Les Aigues has gone from end to end of the valley like an infection in the air. It may be that the steward's present house, with some adjoining land, will be the price paid for Sibilet's spying. Nothing is ever said among us that is not immediately known at Ville-aux-Fayes. Sibilet is a relative of your enemy Gaubertin. What you have just said about the attorney-general and the others will probably be reported before you have reached the Prefecture. You don't know what the inhabitants of this district are.”
”Don't I know them? I know they are the sc.u.m of the earth! Do you suppose I am going to yield to such blackguards?” cried the general.
”Good heavens, I'd rather burn Les Aigues myself!”
”No need to burn it; let us adopt a line of conduct which will baffle the schemes of these Lilliputians. Judging by threats, general, they are resolved on war to the knife against you; and therefore since you mention incendiarism, let me beg of you to insure all your buildings, and all your farmhouses.”
”Michaud, do you know whom they mean by 'Shopman'? Yesterday, as I was riding along by the Thune, I heard some little rascals cry out, 'The Shopman! here's the Shopman!' and then they ran away.”
”Ask Sibilet; the answer is in his line, he likes to make you angry,” said Michaud, with a pained look. ”But--if you will have an answer--well, that's a nickname these brigands have given you, general.”
”What does it mean?”
”It means, general--well, it refers to your father.”
”Ha! the curs!” cried the count, turning livid. ”Yes, Michaud, my father was a shopkeeper, an upholsterer; the countess doesn't know it. Oh!
that I should ever--well! after all, I have waltzed with queens and empresses. I'll tell her this very night,” he cried, after a pause.
”They also call you a coward,” continued Michaud.
”Ha!”
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