"I shall bring you three thousand francs to-night," said Sibilet, "but you ought to make over some of your maturing mortgages to me,--say, one or two that would secure to me good lots of land."
"Well, there's that of Courtecuisse.I myself want to be easy on him because he is the best shot in the canton; but if I make over his mortgage to you, you will seem to be harassing him on the Shopman's account, and that will be killing two birds with one stone; when Courtecuisse finds himself a beggar, like Fourchon, he'll be capable of anything.Courtecuisse has ruined himself on the Bachelerie; he has cultivated all the land, and trained fruit on the walls.The little property is now worth four thousand francs, and the count will gladly pay you that to get possession of the three acres that jut right into his land.If Courtecuisse were not such an idle hound he could have paid his interest with the game he might have killed there."
"Well, transfer the mortgage to me, and I'll make my butter out of it;
the count shall buy the three acres, and I shall get the house and garden for nothing."
"What are you going to give me out of it?"
"Good heavens! you'd milk an ox!" exclaimed Sibilet,--"when I have just done you such a service, too.I have at last got the Shopman to enforce the laws about gleaning--"
"Have you, my dear fellow?" said Rigou, who a few days earlier had suggested this means of exasperating the peasantry to Sibilet, telling him to advise the general to try it."Then we've got him; he's lost!
But it isn't enough to hold him with one string; we must wind it round and round him like a roll of tobacco.Slip the bolts of the door, my lad; tell my wife to bring my coffee and the liqueurs, and tell Jean to harness up.I'm off to Soulanges; will see you to-night!--Ah!