an historical mystery-第2章

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screw…driver；　and　rags；in　fact；　all　the　utensils　needed　for　his
suspicious　occupation。　His　wife's　chair　was　against　the　wall　beside
the　outer　door　of　the　house；　above　which　could　still　be　seen　the　arms
of　the　Simeuse　family；　richly　carved；　with　their　noble　motto；　〃Cy
meurs。〃　The　old　mother；　in　peasant　dress；　had　moved　her　chair　in　front
of　Madame　Michu；　so　that　the　latter　might　put　her　feet　upon　the　rungs
and　keep　them　from　dampness。

〃Where's　the　boy？〃　said　Michu　to　his　wife。

〃Round　the　pond；　he　is　crazy　about　the　frogs　and　the　insects；〃
answered　the　mother。

Michu　whistled　in　a　way　that　made　his　hearers　tremble。　The　rapidity
with　which　his　son　ran　up　to　him　proved　plainly　enough　the　despotic
power　of　the　bailiff　of　Gondreville。　Since　1789；　but　more　especially
since　1793；　Michu　had　been　well…nigh　master　of　the　property。　The
terror　he　inspired　in　his　wife；　his　mother…in…law；　a　servant…lad　named
Gaucher；　and　the　cook　named　Marianne；　was　shared　throughout　a
neighborhood　of　twenty　miles　in　circumference。　It　may　be　well　to　give；
without　further　delay；　the　reasons　for　this　fear；all　the　more
because　an　account　of　them　will　complete　the　moral　portrait　of　the
man。

The　old　Marquis　de　Simeuse　transferred　the　greater　part　of　his
property　in　1790；　but；　overtaken　by　circumstances；　he　had　not　been
able　to　put　the　estate　of　Gondreville　into　sure　hands。　Accused　of
corresponding　with　the　Duke　of　Brunswick　and　the　Prince　of　Cobourg；
the　marquis　and　his　wife　were　thrust　into　prison　and　condemned　to
death　by　the　revolutionary　tribunal　of　Troyes；　of　which　Madame　Michu's
father　was　then　president。　The　fine　domain　of　Gondreville　was　sold　as
national　property。　The　head…keeper；　to　the　horror　of　many；　was　present
at　the　execution　of　the　marquis　and　his　wife　in　his　capacity　as
president　of　the　club　of　Jacobins　at　Arcis。　Michu；　the　orphan　son　of　a
peasant；　showered　with　benefactions　by　the　marquise；　who　brought　him
up　in　her　own　home　and　gave　him　his　place　as　keeper；　was　regarded　as　a
Brutus　by　excited　demagogues；　but　the　people　of　the　neighborhood
ceased　to　recognize　him　after　this　act　of　base　ingratitude。　The
purchaser　of　the　estate　was　a　man　from　Arcis　named　Marion；　grandson　of
a　former　bailiff　in　the　Simeuse　family。　This　man；　a　lawyer　before　and
after　the　Revolution；　was　afraid　of　the　keeper；　he　made　him　his
bailiff　with　a　salary　of　three　thousand　francs；　and　gave　him　an
interest　in　the　sales　of　timber；　Michu；　who　was　thought　to　have　some
ten　thousand　francs　of　his　own　laid　by；　married　the　daughter　of　a
tanner　at　Troyes；　an　apostle　of　the　Revolution　in　that　town；　where　he
was　president　of　the　revolutionary　tribunal。　This　tanner；　a　man　of
profound　convictions；　who　resembled　Saint…Just　as　to　character；　was
afterwards　mixed　up　in　Baboeuf's　conspiracy　and　killed　himself　to
escape　execution。　Marthe　was　the　handsomest　girl　in　Troyes。　In　spite
of　her　shrinking　modesty　she　had　been　forced　by　her　formidable　father
to　play　the　part　of　Goddess　of　Liberty　in　some　republican　ceremony。

The　new　proprietor　came　only　three　times　to　Gondreville　in　the　course
of　seven　years。　His　grandfather　had　been　bailiff　of　the　estate　under
the　Simeuse　family；　and　all　Arcis　took　for　granted　that　the　citizen
Marion　was　the　secret　representative　of　the　present　Marquis　and　his
twin　brother。　As　long　as　the　Terror　lasted；　Michu；　still　bailiff　of
Gondreville；　a　devoted　patriot；　son…in…law　of　the　president　of　the
revolutionary　tribunal　of　Troyes　and　flattered　by　Malin；
representative　from　the　department　of　the　Aube；　was　the　object　of　a
certain　sort　of　respect。　But　when　the　Mountain　was　overthrown　and
after　his　father…in…law　committed　suicide；　he　found　himself　a　scape…
goat；　everybody　hastened　to　accuse　him；　in　common　with　his　father…in…
law；　of　acts　to　which；　so　far　as　he　was　concerned；　he　was　a　total
stranger。　The　bailiff　resented　the　injustice　of　the　community；　he
stiffened　his　back　and　took　an　attitude　of　hostility。　He　talked
boldly。　But　after　the　18th　Brumaire　he　maintained　an　unbroken　silence；
the　philosophy　of　the　strong；　he　struggled　no　longer　against　public
opinion；　and　contented　himself　with　attending　to　his　own　affairs；
wise　conduct；　which　led　his　neighbors　to　pronounce　him　sly；　for　he
owned；　it　was　said；　a　fortune　of　not　less　than　a　hundred　thousand
francs　in　landed　property。　In　the　first　place；　he　spent　nothing；　next；
this　property　was　legitimately　acquired；　partly　from　the　inheritance
of　his　father…in…law's　estate；　and　partly　from　the　savings　of　six…
thousand　francs　a　year；　the　salary　he　derived　from　his　place　with　its
profits　and　emoluments。　He　had　been　bailiff　of　Gondreville　for　the
last　twelve　years　and　every　one　had　estimated　the　probable　amount　of
his　savings；　so　that　when；　after　the　Consulate　was　proclaimed；　he
bought　a　farm　for　fifty　thousand　francs；　the　suspicions　attaching　to
his　former　opinions　lessened；　and　the　community　of　Arcis　gave　him
credit　for　intending　to　recover　himself　in　public　estimation。
Unfortunately；　at　the　very　moment　when　public　opinion　was　condoning
his　past　a　foolish　affair；　envenomed　by　the　gossip　of　the　country…
side；　revived　the　latent　and　very　general　belief　in　the　ferocity　of
his　character。

One　evening；　coming　away　from　Troyes　in　company　with　several　peasants；
among　whom　was　the　farmer　at　Cinq…Cygne；　he　let　fall　a　paper　on　the
main　road；　the　farmer；　who　was　walking　behind　him；　stooped　and　picked
it　up。　Michu　turned　round；　saw　the　paper　in　the　man's　hands；　pulled　a
pistol　from　his　belt　and　threatened　the　farmer　（who　knew　how　to　read）
to　blow　his　brains　out　if　he　opened　the　paper。　Michu's　action　was　so
sudden　and　violent；　the　tone　of　his　voice　so　alarming；　his　eyes　blazed
so　savagely；　that　the　men　about　him　turned　cold　with　fear。　The　farmer
of　Cinq…Cygne　was　already　his　enemy。　Mademoiselle　de　Cinq…Cygne；　the
man's　employer；　was　a　cousin　of　the　Simeuse　brothers；　she　had　only　one
farm　left　for　her　maintenance　and　was　now　residing　at　her　chateau　of
Cinq…Cygne。　She　lived　for　her　cousins　the　twins；　with　whom　she　had
played　in　childhood　at　Troyes　and　at　Gondreville。　Her　only　brother；
Jules　de　Cinq…Cygne；　who　emigrated　before　the　twins；　died　at　Mayence；
but　by　a　privilege　which　was　somewhat　rare　and　will　be　mentioned
later；　the　name　of　Cinq…Cygne　was　not　to　perish　through　lack　of　male
heirs。

This　affair　between　Michu　and　the　farmer　made　a　great　noise　in　the
arrondissement　and　darkened　the　already　mysterious　shadows　which
seemed　to　veil　him。　Nor　was　it　the　only　circumstance　which　made　him
feared。　A　few　months　after　this　scene　the　citizen　Marion；　present
owner　of　the　Gondreville　estate；　came　to　inspect　it　with　the　citizen
Malin。　Rumor　said　that　Marion　was　about　to　sell　the　property　to　his
companion；　who　had　profited　by　political　events　and　had　just　been
appointed　on　the　Council　of　State　by　the　First　Consul；　in　return　for
his　services　on　the　18th　Brumaire。　The　shrewd　heads　of　the　little　town
of　Arcis　now　perceived　that　Marion　had　been　the　agent　of　Malin　in　the
purchase　of　the　property；　and　not　of　the　brothers　Simeuse；　as　was
first　supposed。　The　all…powerful　Councillor　of　State　was　the　most
important　personage　in　Arcis。　He　had　obtained　for　one　of　his　political
friends　the　prefecture　of　Troyes；　and　for　a　farmer　at　Gondreville　the
exemption　of　his　son　from　the　draft；　in　fact；　he　had　done　services　to
many。　Consequently；　the　sale　met　with　no　opposition　in　the
neighborhood　where　Malin　then　reigned；　and　where　he　still　reigns
supreme。

The　Empire　was　just　dawning。　Those　who　in　these　days　read　the
histories　of　the　French　Revolution　can　form　no　conception　of　the　vast
spaces　which　public　thought　traversed　between　events　which　now　seem　to
have　been　so　near　together。　The　strong　need　of　peace　and　tranquillity
which　every　one　felt　after　the　violent　tumults　of　the　Revolution
brought　about　a　complete　forgetfulness　of　important　anterior　facts。
History　matured　rapidly　under　the　advance　of　new　and　eager　interests。
No　one；　therefore；　except　Michu；　looked　into　the　past　of　this　affair；
which　the　community　accepted　as　a　simple　matter。　Marion；　who　had
bought　Gondreville　for　six　hundred　thousand　francs　in　assignats；　sold
it　for　the　value　of　a　couple　of　million　in　coin；　but　the　only　payments
actually　made　by　Malin　were　for　the　costs　of　registration。　Grevin；　a
seminary　comrade　of　Malin；　assisted　the　transaction；　and　the
Councillor　rewarded　his　help　with　the　office　of　notary　at　Arcis。　When
the　news　of　the　sale　reached　the　pavilion；　brought　there　by　a　farmer
whose　farm；　at　Grouage；　was　situated　between　the　forest　and　the　park
on　the　left　of　the　noble　avenue；　Michu　turned　pale　and　left　the　house。
He　lay　in　wait　for　Marion；　and　finally　met　him　alone　in　one　of　the
shrubberies　of　the　park。

〃Is　monsieur　about　to　sell　Gondreville？〃　asked　the　bailiff。

〃Yes；　Michu；　yes。　You　will　have　a　man　of　powerful　influence　for　your
master。　He　is　the　friend　of　the　First　Consul；　and　very　intimate　with
all　the　ministers；　he　will　protect　you。〃

〃Then　you　were　holding　the　estate　for　him？〃

〃I　don't　say　that；〃　replied　Marion。　〃At　the　time　I　bought　it　I　was
looking　for　a　place　to　put　my　money；　and　I　invested　in　national
property　as　the　best　security。　But　it　doesn't　suit　me　to　keep　an
estate　once　belonging　to　a　family　in　which　my　father　was〃

〃a　servant；〃　said　Michu；　violently。　〃But　you　shall　not　sell　it！　I
want　it；　and　I　can　pay　for　it。〃

〃You？〃

〃Yes；　I；　seriously；　in　good　gold；eight　hundred　thousand　francs。〃

〃Eight　hundred　thousand　francs！〃　exclaimed　Marion。　〃Where　did　you　get
them？〃

〃That's　none　of　your　business；〃　replied　Michu；　then；　softening　his
tone；　he　added　in　a　low　voice：　〃My　father…in…law　saved　the　lives　of
many　persons。〃

〃You　are　too　late；　Michu；　the　sale　is　made。〃

〃You　must　put　it　off；　monsieur！〃　cried　the　bailiff；　seizing　his　master
by　the　hand　which　he　held　as　in　a　vice。　〃I　am　hated；　but　I　choose　to
be　rich　and　powerful；　and　I　must　have　Gondreville。　Listen　to　me；　I
don't　cling　to　life；　sell　me　that　place　or　I'll　blow　your　brains
out！〃

〃But　do　give　me　time　to　get　off　my　bargain　with　Malin；　he's
troublesome　to　deal　with。〃

〃I'll　give　you　twenty…four　hours。　If　you　say　a　word　about　this　matter
I'll　chop　your　head　off　as　I　would　chop　a　turnip。〃

Marion　and　Malin　left　the　chateau　in　the　course　of　the　night。　Marion
was　frightened；　he　told　Malin　of　the　meeting　and　begged　him　to　keep　an
eye　on　the　bailiff。　It　was　impossible　for　Marion　to　avoid　delivering
the　property　to　the　man　who　had　been　the　real　purchaser；　and　Michu　did
not　seem　likely　to　admit　any　such　reason。　Moreover；　this　service　done
by　Marion　to　Malin　was　to　be；　and　in　fact　ended　by　being；　the　origin
of　the　former's　political　fortune；　and　also　that　of　his　brother。　In
1806　Malin　had　him　appointed　chief　justice　of　an　imperial　court；　and
after　the　creation　of　tax…collectors　his　brother　obtained　the　post　of
receiver…general　for　the　department　of　the　Aube。　The　State　Councillor
told　Marion　to　stay　in　Paris；　and　he　warned　the　minister　of　police；
who　gave　orders　that　Michu　should　be　secretly　watched。　Not　wishing　to
push　the　man　to　extremes；　Malin　kept　him　on　as　bailiff；　under　the　iron
rule　of　Grevin　the　notary　of　Arcis。

From　that　moment　Michu　became　more　absorbed　a