登陆注册
19856700000104

第104章

THE TRIUMVIRATE OF VILLE-AUX-FAYES

The cautious usurer compelled his wife and Jean to go to bed and to rise by daylight; assuring them that the house would never be attacked if he sat up till midnight, and he never himself rose till late.Not only had he thus secured himself from interruption between seven at night and five the next morning but he had accustomed his wife and Jean to respect his morning sleep and that of Hagar, whose room was directly behind his.

So, on the following morning, about half past six, Madame Rigou, who herself took care of the poultry-yard with some assistance from Jean, knocked timidly at her husband's door.

"Monsieur Rigou," she said, "you told me to wake you."

The tones of that voice, the attitude of the woman, her frightened air as she obeyed an order the execution of which might be ill-received, showed the utter self-abnegation in which the poor creature lived, and the affection she still bore to her petty tyrant.

"Very good," replied Rigou.

"Shall I wake Annette?" she asked.

"No, let her sleep; she has been up half the night," he replied, gravely.

The man was always grave, even when he allowed himself to jest.

Annette had in fact opened the door secretly to Sibilet, Fourchon, and Catherine Tonsard, who all came at different hours between eleven and two o'clock.

Ten minutes later Rigou, dressed with more care than usual, came downstairs and greeted his wife with a "Good-morning, my old woman,"

which made her happier than if counts had knelt at her feet.

"Jean," he said to the ex-lay-brother, "don't leave the house; if any one robs me it will be worse for you than for me."

By thus mingling mildness and severity, hopes and rebuffs, the clever egoist kept his three slaves faithful and close at his heels, like dogs.

Taking the upper-road, so-called, to avoid the Close of the Cross, Rigou reached the square of Soulanges about eight o'clock.

Just as he was fastening his rein to the post nearest the little door with three steps, a blind opened and Soudry showed his face, pitted with the small-pox, which the expression of his small black eyes rendered crafty.

"Let's begin by taking a crust here before we start," he said; "we sha'n't get breakfast at Ville-aux-Fayes before one o'clock."

Then he softly called a servant-girl, as young and pretty as Annette, who came down noiselessly, and received his order for ham and bread;

after which he went himself to the cellar and fetched some wine.

Rigou contemplated for the hundredth time the well-known dining-room, floored in oak, with stuccoed ceiling and cornice, its high wainscot and handsome cupboards finely painted, its porcelain stone and magnificent tall clock,--all the property of Mademoiselle Laguerre.

The chair-backs were in the form of lyres, painted white and highly varnished; the seats were of green morocco with gilt nails.A massive mahogany table was covered with green oilcloth, with large squares of a deeper shade of green, and a plain border of the lighter.The floor, laid in Hungarian point, was carefully waxed by Urbain and showed the care which ex-waiting-women know how to exact out of their servants.

"Bah! it cost too much," thought Rigou for the hundredth time."I can eat as good a dinner in my room as here, and I have the income of the money this useless splendor would have wasted.Where is Madame Soudry?" he asked, as the mayor returned armed with a venerable bottle.

"Asleep."

"And you no longer disturb her slumbers?" said Rigou.

The ex-gendarme winked with a knowing air, and pointed to the ham which Jeannette, the pretty maid, was just bringing in.

"That will pick you up, a pretty bit like that," he said."It was cured in the house; we cut into it only yesterday."

"Where did you find her?" said the ex-Benedictine in Soudry's ear.

"She is like the ham," replied the ex-gendarme, winking again; "I have had her only a week."

Jeannette, still in her night-cap, with a short petticoat and her bare feet in slippers, had slipped on a bodice made with straps over the arms in true peasant fashion, over which she had crossed a neckerchief which did not entirely hide her fresh and youthful attractions, which were at least as appetizing as the ham she carried.Short and plump, with bare arms mottled red, ending in large, dimpled hands with short but well-made fingers, she was a picture of health.The face was that of a true Burgundian,--ruddy, but white about the temples, throat, and ears; the hair was chestnut; the corners of the eyes turned up towards the top of the ears; the nostrils were wide, the mouth sensual, and a little down lay along the cheeks; all this, together with a jaunty expression, tempered however by a deceitfully modest attitude, made her the model of a roguish servant-girl.

"On my honor, Jeannette is as good as the ham," said Rigou."If I hadn't an Annette I should want a Jeannette."

"One is as good as the other," said the ex-gendarme, "for your Annette is fair and delicate.How is Madame Rigou,--is she asleep?" added Soudry, roughly, to let Rigou see he understood his joke.

"She wakes with the cock, but she goes to roost with the hens,"

replied Rigou."As for me, I sit up and read the 'Constitutionnel.' My wife lets me sleep at night and in the morning too; she wouldn't come into my room for all the world."

"It's just the other way here," replied Jeanette."Madame sits up with the company playing cards; sometimes there are sixteen of them in the salon; Monsieur goes to bed at eight o'clock, and we get up at daylight--"

"You think that's different," said Rigou, "but it comes to the same thing in the end.Well, my dear, you come to me and I'll send Annette here, and that will be the same thing and different too."

"Old scamp, you'll make her ashamed," said Soudry.

"Ha! gendarme; you want your field to yourself! Well, we all get our happiness where we can find it."

Jeanette, by her master's order, disappeared to lay out his clothes.

"You must have promised to marry her when your wife dies," said Rigou.

同类推荐
  • 麟儿报

    麟儿报

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 甫田之什

    甫田之什

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 佛为胜光天子说王法经

    佛为胜光天子说王法经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 注维摩诘经卷

    注维摩诘经卷

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 水窗春呓

    水窗春呓

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 亡命天涯之古格木拉鬼咒

    亡命天涯之古格木拉鬼咒

    自晋朝建立起的欧阳氏一族,一直以来负责收集帝王等魂魄,以及守卫墓穴。但四百年前,盗墓者深入,触动机关。欧阳氏为了保护陵墓,与之恶战,却两败俱伤。欧阳氏的族长,误入轮回之外,看到终极的秘密。被洗劫的记忆,能否重新拾回,来自终极的他,又会有怎样一起风起云涌。我知道终极的秘密,但只是终极。我自认精心,设下一个局,其实只是别人的棋子罢了,可我知道一些连下棋者也不知道的东西。这只是一个开端。人皮骨的微博_微博http://weibo.com/p/1005055519800723/manage?from=page_100505&mod=TAB#place
  • 绝品宠妻

    绝品宠妻

    一夜之间,野种升级为富家大小姐。莫名多了两个把她宠翻天的极品哥哥,一个冰山,一个炽热。GOD!醉酒后,她意外爬错了床……当一切真相大白,解释苍白无力。前妻来袭,看着肚子里的孩子被他亲手摧毁,她发誓,绝对要让他后悔!!那所谓的宠,后来竟成了最深的痛。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 我要上单

    我要上单

    从s2接触这个游戏,上单一度是一局游戏的主宰点,一场游戏的输赢很大程度上依赖于上单的发挥。随着版本的更新和职业联赛的推广,上单变成了最适合躺的位置——没有之一。上单,在接下来的赛季里,是继续躺下去,还是重获新生,拯救崩坏的世界?让我们拭目以待。
  • 有一种自由叫解脱

    有一种自由叫解脱

    无形的束缚总是如影随形,人生总是从一把枷锁逃进另一把枷锁,现实总是一步步紧逼,我们总在作茧自缚中苦苦挣扎。少年被成长烦恼纠缠,中年被酒色财气羁绊,老年被名利得失捆绑。原始时代被环境束缚;农业时代被体力束缚;工业时代被资源束缚;信息时代被信息束缚;娱乐时代被痛苦和烦恼束缚。我们绝大多数人就这么在各自的束缚中无可奈何,苦度人生!
  • 月光奏鸣曲

    月光奏鸣曲

    本书收录的二十余篇小说,以生动的细节描写和鲜活的人物形象,呈现出当代青年的精神现状,揭示了社会公共问题在人的生存中折射出来的真相,并具有探索和追问意义。
  • 不败武者

    不败武者

    在地球,宋阳因还不起信用卡跳河自杀,从而穿越到真武大陆。真武大陆,崇尚武力,推崇强者。宋阳天赋差,无法与同门弟子竞争。同时又赶上未婚妻上门解除婚约。令人想不到的是,未婚妻与他在地球的女朋友极其相似。一颗复仇之心熊熊燃烧了起来。
  • 恶魔校草,别过来

    恶魔校草,别过来

    她宋小顾乖巧懂事她发誓自己真的只是想要卖个萌,赚个钱,然后混个小日子,愉快的生活一辈子来着的。她只是一个不小心的将“安眠”的校草的“果照”复印了将近几百张卖个了他的那些个疯狂的女粉丝而已。结果自己就真的一个不小心的被安眠给盯上了!然后!然后……再然后……她就扑街了,哦,阿门。
  • 破茧新生

    破茧新生

    蔚微从不知道,原来生活还有重来一次的机会不管如何,今生在也不同
  • 古树上的甜橙

    古树上的甜橙

    作者从青春年少到事业稳定这几年青春的虐心岁月。从思想懵懂稚气的小男孩一直到事业运筹帷幄的男人。回望青春,走过太多坎坷的道路,被算计、被陷害、然后重新脚踏实地的奋斗。本书主要讲述四个方面。青春最宝贵的校园恋情、初入社会接触花花世界的诱惑、为爱犯下大祸开始决心悔改、“卧薪尝胆”终于赢得成就。年少时,一颗古树上结出一颗甜橙。如今,橙子还在,味淡了。
  • 重生之桃色官涯

    重生之桃色官涯

    年轻诱人的女上司,有着娇美的容貌,完美的身材,更重要的是,她还有着强大的背景。重生后的林逸,有前世的记忆,又攀上漂亮的女上司,前世失去的他要这一世重新夺回来,将冷艳的她压在身下,将前世的对手全部踩在脚下。