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A Start in Life-Part4_Honore de Balzac(1799-1850)_Translated Works(翻译文学)-第2页

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which was indispensable to his comfort. This farm consisted of ninety-

six parcels of land bordering the estate of Presles, and frequently



running into it, producing the most annoying discussions as to the

trimming of hedges and ditches and the cutting of trees. Any other



than a cabinetminister would probably have had scores of lawsuits on

his hands. Pere Leger only wished to buy the property in order to sell



to the count at a handsome advance. In order to secure the exorbitant

sum on which his mind was set, the farmer had long endeavored to come



to an understanding with Moreau. Impelled by circumstances, he had,

only three days before this critical Sunday, had a talk with the



steward in the open field, and proved to him clearly that he (Moreau)

could make the count invest his money at two and a half per cent, and



thus appear to serve his patron's interests, while he himself pocketed

forty thousand francs which Leger offered him to bring about the



transaction.

"I tell you what," said the steward to his wife, as he went to bed



that night, "if I make fifty thousand francs out of the Moulineaux

affair,--and I certainly shall, for the count will give me ten



thousand as a fee,--we'll retire to Isle-Adam and live in the Pavillon

de Nogent."



This "pavillon" was a charming place, originally built by the Prince

de Conti for a mistress, and in it every convenience and luxury had



been placed.

"That will suit me," said his wife. "The Dutchman who lives there has



put it in good order, and now that he is obliged to return to India,

he would probably let us have it for thirty thousand francs."



"We shall be close to Champagne," said Moreau. "I am in hopes of

buying the farm and mill of Mours for a hundred thousand francs. That



would give us ten thousand a year in rentals. Nogent is one of the

most delightfulresidences in the valley; and we should still have an



income of ten thousand from the Grand-Livre."

"But why don't you ask for the post of juge-de-paix at Isle-Adam? That



would give us influence, and fifteen hundred a year salary."

"Well, I did think of it."



With these plans in mind, Moreau, as soon as he heard from the count

that he was coming to Presles, and wished him to invite Margueron to



dinner on Saturday, sent off an express to the count's head-valet,

inclosing a letter to his master, which the messenger failed to



deliver before Monsieur de Serizy retired at his usually early hour.

Augustin, however, placed it, according to custom in such cases, on



his master's desk. In this letter Moreau begged the count not to

trouble himself to come down, but to trust entirely to him. He added



that Margueron was no longer willing to sell the whole in one block,

and talked of cutting the farm up into a number of smaller lots. It



was necessary to circumvent this plan, and perhaps, added Moreau, it

might be best to employ a third party to make the purchase.



Everybody has enemies in this life. Now the steward and his wife had

wounded the feelings of a retired army officer, Monsieur de Reybert,



and his wife, who were living near Presles. From speeches like pin-

pricks, matters had advanced to dagger-thrusts. Monsieur de Reybert



breathed vengeance. He was determined to make Moreau lose his

situation and gain it himself. The two ideas were twins. Thus the



proceedings of the steward, spied upon for two years, were no secret

to Reybert. The same conveyance that took Moreau's letter to the count



conveyed Madame de Reybert, whom her husband despatched to Paris.

There she asked with such earnestness to see the count that although



she was sent away at nine o'clock, he having then gone to bed, she was

ushered into his study the next morning at seven.



"Monsieur," she said to the cabinet-minister, "we are incapable, my

husband and I, of writinganonymous letters, therefore I have come to



see you in person. I am Madame de Reybert, nee de Corroy. My husband

is a retired officer, with a pension of six hundred francs, and we



live at Presles, where your steward has offered us insult after

insult, although we are persons of good station. Monsieur de Reybert,



who is not an intriguing man, far from it, is a captain of artillery,

retired in 1816, having served twenty years,--always at a distance



from the Emperor, Monsieur le comte. You know of course how difficult

it is for soldiers who are not under the eye of their master to obtain



promotion,--not counting that the integrity and frankness of Monsieur




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