第97章

On these posters, about which it will be remembered Madame Tonsard inquired of Vermichel, there was always, on the last line, the following announcement:

"Tivoli will be illuminated with colored-glass lamps."

The town had adopted as the place for public a dance-ground created by Socquard out of a stony garden (stony, like the rest of the hill on which Soulanges is built, where the gardens are of made land), and called by him a Tivoli.This character of the soil explains the peculiar flavor of the Soulanges wine,--a white wine, dry and spirituous, very like Madeira or the Vouvray wine, or Johannisberger, --three vintages which resemble one another.

The powerful effect produced by the Socquard ball upon the imaginations of the whole country-side made the inhabitants thereof very proud of their Tivoli.Such as had ventured as far as Paris declared that the Parisian Tivoli was superior to that of Soulanges only in size.Gaubertin boldly declared that, for his part, he preferred the Socquard ball to the Parisian ball.

"Well, we'll think it all over," continued Rigou."That Parisian fellow, the editor of a newspaper, will soon get tired of his present amusement and be glad of a change; perhaps we could through the servants give him the idea of coming to the fair, and he'd bring the others; I'll consider it.Sibilet might--although, to be sure, his influence is devilishly decreased of late--but he might get the general to think he could curry popularity by coming."

"Find out if the beautiful countess keeps the general at arm's length," said Lupin; "that's the point if you want him to fall into the farce at Tivoli."

"That little woman," cried Madame Soudry, "is too much of a Parisian not to know how to run with the hare and hold with the hounds."

"Fourchon has got his granddaughter Catherine on good terms, he tells me, with Charles, the Shopman's groom.That gives us one ear more in Les Aigues--Are you sure of the Abbe Taupin," he added, as the priest entered the room from the terrace.

"We hold him and the Abbe Mouchon, too, just as I hold Soudry," said the queen, stroking her husband's chin; "you are not unhappy, dearest, are you?" she said to Soudry.

"If I can plan a scandal against that Tartufe of a Brossette we can win," said Rigou, in a low voice."But I am not sure if the local spirit can succeed against the Church spirit.You don't realize what that is.I, myself, who am no fool, I can't say what I'll do when I fall ill.I believe I shall try to be reconciled with the Church."

"Suffer me to hope it," said the Abbe Taupin, for whose benefit Rigou had raised his voice on the last words.

"Alas! the wrong I did in marrying prevents it," replied Rigou."I cannot kill off Madame Rigou."

"Meantime, let us think of Les Aigues," said Madame Soudry.

"Yes," said the ex-monk."Do you know, I begin to think that our associate at Ville-aux-Fayes may be cleverer than the rest of us.I fancy that Gaubertin wants Les Aigues for himself, and that he means to trick us in the end."

"But Les Aigues will not belong to any one of us; it will have to come down, from roof to cellar," said Soudry.

"I shouldn't be surprised if there were treasure buried in those cellars," observed Rigou, cleverly.

"Nonsense!"

"Well, in the wars of the olden time the great lords, who were often besieged and surprised, did bury their gold until they should be able to recover it; and you know that the Marquis de Soulanges-Hautemer (in whom the younger branch came to an end) was one of the victims of the Biron conspiracy.The Comtesse de Moret received the property from Henri IV.when it was confiscated."

"See what it is to know the history of France!" said Soudry."You are right.It is time to come to an understanding with Gaubertin."

"If he shirks," said Rigou, "we must smoke him out."

"He is rich enough now," said Lupin, "to be an honest man."

"I'll answer for him as I would for myself," said Madame Soudry; "he's the most loyal man in the kingdom."

"We all believe in his loyalty," said Rigou, "but nevertheless nothing should be neglected, even among friends-- By the bye, I think there is some one in Soulanges who is hindering matters."

"Who's that?" asked Soudry.

"Plissoud," replied Rigou.

"Plissoud!" exclaimed Soudry."Poor fool! Brunet holds him by the halter, and his wife by the gullet; ask Lupin."

"What can he do?" said Lupin.

"He means to warn Montcornet," replied Rigou, "and get his influence and a place--"

"It wouldn't bring him more than his wife earns for him at Soulanges,"

said Madame Soudry.

"He tells everything to his wife when he is drunk," remarked Lupin.

"We shall know it all in good time."

"The beautiful Madame Plissoud has no secrets from you," said Rigou;

"we may be easy about that."

"Besides, she's as stupid as she is beautiful," said Madame Soudry."I wouldn't change with her; for if I were a man I'd prefer an ugly woman who has some mind, to a beauty who can't say two words."

"Ah!" said the notary, biting his lips, "but she can make others say three."

"Puppy!" cried Rigou, as he made for the door.

"Well, then," said Soudry, following him to the portico, "to-morrow, early."

"I'll come and fetch you-- Ha! Lupin," he said to the notary, who came out with him to order his horse, "try to make sure that Madame Sarcus hears all the Shopman says and does against us at the Prefecture."

"If she doesn't hear it, who will?" replied Lupin.

"Excuse me," said Rigou, smiling blandly, "but there are such a lot of ninnies in there that I forgot there was one clever man."

"The wonder is that I don't grow rusty among them," replied Lupin, naively.

"Is it true that Soudry has hired a pretty servant?"

"Yes," replied Lupin; "for the last week our worthy mayor has set the charms of his wife in full relief by comparing her with a little peasant-girl about the age of an old ox; and we can't yet imagine how he settles it with Madame Soudry, for, would you believe it, he has the audacity to go to bed early."

"I'll find out to-morrow," said the village Sardanapalus, trying to smile.

The two plotters shook hands as they parted.