ed bushels of wheat, three hogsheads
of wine, wood in sufficient quantity, oats and barley in abundance,
and three per cent on all receipts of income. Where the latter in
Mademoiselle Laguerre's time had amounted to forty thousand francs, the
general now, in 1818, in view of the purchases of land which Gaubertin
had made for her, expected to receive at least sixty thousand. The
new land-steward might therefore receive before long some two thousand
francs in money. Lodged, fed, warmed, relieved of taxes, the costs of
a horse and a poultry-yard defrayed for him, and allowed to plant a
kitchen-garden, with no questions asked as to the day's work of the
gardener, certainly such advantages represented much more than another
two thousand francs; for a man who was earning a miserable salary
of twelve hundred francs in a government office to step into the
stewardship of Les Aigues was a change from poverty to opulence.

"Be faithful to my interests," said the general, "and I shall have more
to say to you. Doubtless I could get the collection of the rents of
Conches, Blangy, and Cerneux taken away from the collection of those of
Soulanges and given to you. In short, when you bring me in a clear sixty
thousand a year from Les Aigues you shall be still further rewarded."

Unfortunately, the worthy justice and his daughter, in the flush of
their joy, told Madame Soudry the promise the general had made about
these collections, without reflecting that the present collector of
Soulanges, a man named Guerbet, brother of the postmaster of Conches,
was closely allied, as we shall see later, with Gaubertin and the
Gendrins.

"It won't be so easy to do it, my dear," said Madame Soudry; "but don't
prevent the general from making the attempt; it is wonderful how easily
difficult things are done in Paris. I have seen the Chevalier Gluck at
dear Madame's feet to get her to sing his music, and she did,--she who
so adored Piccini, one of the finest men of his day; never did _he_ come
into Madame's room without catching me round the waist and calling me a
dear rogue."

"Ha!" cried Soudry, when his wife reported this news, "does he think he
is going to lead the notary by the nose, and upset everything to
please himself and make the whole valley march in line, as he did his
cuirassiers? These military fellows have a habit of command!--but let's
have patience; Monsieur de Soulanges and Monsieur de Ronquerolles will
be on our side. Poor Guerbet!