登陆注册
19856700000058

第58章

The department to which Ville-aux-Fayes belongs is one the number of whose population gives it the right to elect six deputies.Ever since the creation of the Left Centre of the Chamber, the arrondissement of Ville-aux-Fayes had sent a deputy named Leclercq, formerly banking agent of the wine department of the custom-house, a son-in-law of Gaubertin, and now a governor of the Bank of France.The number of electors which this rich valley sent to the electoral college was sufficient to insure, if only through private dealing, the constant appointment of Monsieur de Ronquerolles, the patron of the Mouchon family.The voters of Ville-aux-Fayes lent their support to the prefect, on condition that the Marquis de Ronquerolles was maintained in the college.Thus Gaubertin, who was the first to broach the idea of this arrangement, was favorably received at the Prefecture, which he often, in return, saved from petty annoyances.The prefect always selected three firm ministerialists, and two deputies of the Left Centre.The latter, one of them being the Marquis de Ronquerolles, brother-in-law of the Comte de Serisy, and the other a governor of the Bank of France, gave little or no alarm to the cabinet, and the elections in this department were rated excellent at the ministry of the interior.

The Comte de Soulanges, peer of France, selected to be the next marshal, and faithful to the Bourbons, knew that his forests and other property were all well-managed by the notary Lupin, and well-watched by Soudry.He was a patron of Gendrin's, having obtained his appointment as judge partly by the help of Monsieur de Ronquerolles.

Messieurs Leclercq and de Ronquerolles sat in the Left Centre, but nearer to the left than to the centre,--a political position which offers great advantages to those who regard their political conscience as a garment.

The brother of Monsieur Leclercq had obtained the situation of collector at Ville-aux-Fayes, and Leclercq himself, Gaubertin's son-

in-law, had lately bought a fine estate beyond the valley of the Avonne, which brought him in a rental of thirty thousand francs, with park and chateau and a controlling influence in its own canton.

Thus, in the upper regions of the State, in both Chambers, and in the chief ministerial department, Gaubertin could rely on an influence that was powerful and also active, and which he was careful not to weary with unimportant requests.

The counsellor Gendrin, appointed judge by the Chamber, was the leading spirit of the Supreme Court; for the chief justice, one of the three ministerial deputies, left the management of it to Gendrin during half the year.The counsel for the Prefecture, a cousin of Sarcus, called "Sarcus the rich," was the right-hand man of the prefect, himself a deputy.Even without the family reasons which allied Gaubertin and young des Lupeaulx, a brother of Madame Sarcus would still have been desirable as sub-prefect to the arrondissement of Ville-aux-Fayes.Madame Sarcus, the counsellor's wife, was a Vallat of Soulanges, a family connected with the Gaubertins, and she was said to have "distinguished" the notary Lupin in her youth.Though she was now forty-five years old, with a son in the school of engineers, Lupin never went to the Prefecture without paying his respects and dining with her.

The nephew of Guerbet, the postmaster, whose father was, as we have seen, collector of Soulanges, held the important situation of examining judge in the municipal court of Ville-aux-Fayes.The third judge, son of Corbinet, the notary, belonged body and soul to the all-

powerful mayor; and, finally, young Vigor, son of the lieutenant of the gendarmerie, was the substitute judge.

Sibilet's father, sheriff of the court, had married his sister to Monsieur Vigor the lieutenant, and that individual, father of six children, was cousin of the father of Gaubertin through his wife, a Gaubertin-Vallat.Eighteen months previously the united efforts of the two deputies, Monsieur de Soulanges and Gaubertin, had created the place of commissary of police for the sheriff's second son.

Sibilet's eldest daughter married Monsieur Herve, a school-master, whose school was transformed into a college as a result of this marriage, so that for the past year Soulanges had rejoiced in the presence of a professor.

The sheriff's youngest son was employed on the government domains, with the promise of succeeding the clerk of registrations so soon as that officer had completed the term of service which enabled him to retire on a pension.

The youngest Sibilet girl, now sixteen years old, was betrothed to Corbinet, brother of the notary.And an old maid, Mademoiselle Gaubertin-Vallat, sister of Madame Sibilet, the sheriff's wife, held the office for the sale of stamped paper.

Thus, wherever we turn in Ville-aux-Fayes we meet some member of the invisible coalition, whose avowed chief, recognized as such by every one, great and small, was the mayor of the town, the general agent for the entire timber business, Gaubertin!

If we turn to the other end of the valley of the Avonne we shall see that Gaubertin ruled at Soulanges through the Soudrys, through Lupin the assistant mayor and steward of the Soulanges estate, who was necessarily in constant communication with the Comte de Soulanges, through Sarcus, justice of the peace, through Guerbet, the collector, through Gourdon, the doctor, who had married a Gendrin-Vatebled.He governed Blangy through Rigou, Conches through the post-master, the despotic ruler of his own district.

同类推荐
  • 东西均

    东西均

    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。
  • 茕绝老人天奇直注雪窦显和尚颂古

    茕绝老人天奇直注雪窦显和尚颂古

    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。
  • 大方等无想经

    大方等无想经

    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。
  • 专治麻痧初编

    专治麻痧初编

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 建炎笔录

    建炎笔录

    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
  • 原初

    原初

    穿越异世,丧失了部分记忆。在努力之下旧伤顽疾,但却在此时知道自己的穿越完全是别人一手布局。一切努力都被占据,甚至连肉身也被夺走。意外获得的一张书页却成了东山再起的根基,得知旧敌已然离去,让自己穿越毁掉曾经拥有的一切之仇,断绝自己希望杀死自己的仇恨,夺走自己努力三年的成果,让自己成为孤魂野鬼的旧账,绝不姑息。***建了个群:155498054希望有兴趣的读者,或者同样是新手作者们参与进来。我没有找到创世的新手作者群……希望能够藉此找到组织吧。
  • 关于幸运的格言(经典格言)

    关于幸运的格言(经典格言)

    名人名言是古今中外仁人志士的精辟妙语!名人名言,集丰富的内涵、深刻的哲理、简练的语言于一身。读名人名言,如同和名人名家做面对面的沟通与交流,就好像聆听圣贤智慧的谆谆教导。《关于幸运的格言》让我们从一个新的角度理解了幸运是什么,幸运不是上天给的,而是我们自己创造出来的。本书以名人的口说出了关于幸运的真谛,道出了幸与不幸有时只是由于自己某一瞬间的决定造成的。
  • 刁蛮千金的S级保镖

    刁蛮千金的S级保镖

    杀手接受任务,做起了保护大小姐的勾当,爆笑连连,惊喜连连。且看他如何成就巅峰。
  • 变身之平静生活

    变身之平静生活

    季如学醒来之后发现自己居然变成了一个女人,正当他琢磨着是不是先找兄弟们来爽两把的时候,却发现这个世界似乎有些不一样……
  • 为君衔来二月花

    为君衔来二月花

    我寻你百世千年,酿一坛好酒与你共赏满池红莲,我阅尽众生姿态,倾一壶清酌等你诵离他人思念,一觞琼浆悠悠载过白驹千宿,几句长短何以斩断恩怨连……
  • 守护甜心之再次相遇

    守护甜心之再次相遇

    那天几斗吻了亚梦后消失了,连歌呗都不知道他去哪了,依然每天和唯世他们玩得很开心。又是美好的一天,连太阳公公都是暖洋洋的,就是好像少了点什么“什么?”“几斗回来了!”亚梦突然发现背后有一个肉体贴了上来,暖暖的,一转头碰上了几斗的脸......(此文可几梦可唯梦,绝对公平哦!不过瓦更偏向于食物哈哈。可以入群:469397410内讨论剧情和结局哦。)
  • 繁花落幕一世情

    繁花落幕一世情

    "只因前世姻缘,今生你我再次相遇“凌纱。”凌纱,我沐逸轩发誓今生,我愿与你执子之手与子偕老,如有违背,我必。。。。。。“凌纱轻轻捂住他的嘴。”我不需要你发誓,我只需你的一个承诺就够了“因为前世她与他私定终生,犯下逆天大祸,他让她尝尽了最痛苦的东西。今生的她们再次相识。。。。究竟会发生什么,敬请期待吧。。。。。
  • 老婆,狠角色

    老婆,狠角色

    她以为他对她只有恨跟利用,即使心碎,却也难以割舍。当“他”再世为人,命中注定的再次交缠,谁能想得到,他是曾经的“他”。以为相爱的,却不过是寒冷时的相互慰藉,以为不屑的,却才是命中注定。这辈子,他们注定相守!
  • 八名普密陀罗尼经

    八名普密陀罗尼经

    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。
  • 教师专业发展的理论取向与实现路径

    教师专业发展的理论取向与实现路径

    本书立足于当代中国基础教育改革的发展趋势从教师专业发展、教师阅读、教师继续教育和教育思考等四个方面,阐述了知识经济时代给教师带来的机遇与挑战。作者通过大量的案例分析和理性思考,创造性地提出了教师发展的新理念、新思路、新方法、新途径,对当下教育改革有一定的借鉴意义。