第47章

"In the first place, because the less complicated a business is, the greater the profits to the owners," answered Sibilet."Besides which, their income is more secure; and in all matters of rural improvement and development that is the main thing, as you will find out.Then, too, Monsieur Gaubertin is the friend and patron of working-men; he pays them well and keeps them always at work; therefore, though their families live on the estates, the woods leased to dealers and belonging to the land-owners who trust the care of their property to Gaubertin (such as MM.de Soulanges and de Ronquerolles) are not devastated.The dead wood is gathered up, but that is all--"

"That rascal Gaubertin has lost no time!" cried the general.

"He is a bold man," said Sibilet."He really is, as he calls himself, the steward of the best half of the department, instead of being merely the steward of Les Aigues.He makes a little out of everybody, and that little on every two millions brings him in forty to fifty thousand francs a year.He says himself, 'The fires on the Parisian hearths pay it all.' He is your enemy, Monsieur le comte.My advice to you is to capitulate and be reconciled with him.He is intimate, as you know, with Soudry, the head of the gendarmerie at Soulanges; with Monsieur Rigou, our mayor at Blangy; the patrols are under his influence; therefore you will find it impossible to repress the pilferings which are eating into your estate.During the last two years your woods have been devastated.Consequently the Gravelots are more than likely to win their suit.They say, very truly: 'According to the terms of the lease, the care of the woods is left to the owner;

he does not protect them, and we are injured; the owner is bound to pay us damages.' That's fair enough; but it doesn't follow that they should win their case."

"We must be ready to defend this suit at all costs," said the general, "and then we shall have no more of them."

"You shall gratify Gaubertin," remarked Sibilet.

"How so?"

"Suing the Gravelots is the same as a hand to hand fight with Gaubertin, who is their agent," answered Sibilet."He asks nothing better than such a suit.He declares, so I hear, that he will bring you if necessary before the Court of Appeals."

"The rascal! the--"

"If you attempt to work your own woods," continued Sibilet, turning the knife in the wound, "you will find yourself at the mercy of workmen who will force you to pay rich men's prices instead of market-

prices.In short, they'll put you, as they did that poor Mariotte, in a position where you must sell at a loss.If you then try to lease the woods you will get no tenants, for you cannot expect that any one should take risks for himself which Mariotte only took for the crown and the State.Suppose a man talks of his losses to the government!

The government is a gentleman who is, like your obedient servant when he was in its employ, a worthy man with a frayed overcoat, who reads the newspapers at a desk.Let his salary be twelve hundred or twelve thousand francs, his disposition is the same, it is not a whit softer.

Talk of reductions and releases from the public treasury represented by the said gentleman! He'll only pooh-pooh you as he mends his pen.

No, the law is the wrong road for you, Monsieur le comte."

"Then what's to be done?" cried the general, his blood boiling as he tramped up and down before the bench.

"Monsieur le comte," said Sibilet, abruptly, "what I say to you is not for my own interests, certainly; but I advise you to sell Les Aigues and leave the neighborhood."

On hearing these words the general sprang back as if a cannon-ball had struck him; then he looked at Sibilet with a shrewd, diplomatic eye.

"A general of the Imperial Guard running away from the rascals, when Madame la comtesse likes Les Aigues!" he said."No, I'll sooner box Gaubertin's ears on the market-place of Ville-aux-Fayes, and force him to fight me that I may shoot him like a dog."

"Monsieur le comte, Gaubertin is not such a fool as to let himself be brought into collision with you.Besides, you could not openly insult the mayor of so important a place as Ville-aux-Fayes."

"I'll have him turned out; the Troisvilles can do that for me; it is a question of income."

"You won't succeed, Monsieur le comte; Gaubertin's arms are long; you will get yourself into difficulties from which you cannot escape."

"Let us think of the present," interrupted the general."About that suit?"

"That, Monsieur le comte, I can manage to win for you," replied Sibilet, with a knowing glance.

"Bravo, Sibilet!" said the general, shaking his steward's hand; "how are you going to do it?"

"You will win it on a writ of error," replied Sibilet."In my opinion the Gravelots have the right of it.But it is not enough to be in the right, they must also be in order as to legal forms, and that they have neglected.The Gravelots ought to have summoned you to have the woods better watched.They can't ask for indemnity, at the close of a lease, for damages which they know have been going on for nine years;

there is a clause in the lease as to this, on which we can file a bill of exceptions.You will lose the suit at Ville-aux-Fayes, possibly in the upper court as well, but we will carry it to Paris and you will win at the Court of Appeals.The costs will be heavy and the expenses ruinous.You will have to spend from twelve to fifteen thousand francs merely to win the suit,--but you will win it, if you care to.The suit will only increase the enmity of the Gravelots, for the expenses will be even heavier on them.You will be their bugbear; you will be called litigious and calumniated in every way; still, you can win--"

"Then, what's to be done?" repeated the general, on whom Sibilet's arguments were beginning to produce the effect of a violent poison.

Just then the remembrance of the blows he had given Gaubertin with his cane crossed his mind, and made him wish he had bestowed them on himself.His flushed face was enough to show Sibilet the irritation that he felt.