A Start in Life [10]
sell the fields piecemeal to the count at a high price, was
ready to pay Margueron even more than he expected from the count.
Thus matters stood when, two days earlier than that of which we write,
Monsieur de Serizy, anxious to end the matter, sent for his notary,
Alexandre Crottat, and his lawyer, Derville, to examine into all the
circumstances of the affair. Though Derville and Crottat threw some
doubt on the zeal of the count's steward (a disturbing letter from
whom had led to the consultation), Monsieur de Serizy defended Moreau,
who, he said, had served him faithfully for seventeen years.
"Very well!" said Derville, "then I advise your Excellency to go to
Presles yourself, and invite this Margueron to dinner. Crottat will
send his head-clerk with a deed of sale drawn up, leaving only the
necessary lines for description of property and titles in blank. Your
Excellency should take with you part of the purchase money in a check
on the Bank of France, not forgetting the appointment of the son to
the collectorship. If you don't settle the thing at once that farm
will slip through your fingers. You don't know, Monsieur le comte, the
trickery of these peasants. Peasants against diplomat, and the
diplomat succumbs."
Crottat agreed in this advice, which the count, if we may judge by the
valet's statements to Pierrotin, had adopted. The preceding evening he
had sent Moreau a line by the diligence to Beaumont, telling him to
invite Margueron to dinner in order that they might then and there
close the purchase of the farm of Moulineaux.
Before this matter came up, the count had already ordered the chateau
of Presles to be restored and refurnished, and for the last year,
Grindot, an architect then in fashion, was in the habit of making a
weekly visit. So, while concluding his purchase of the farm, Monsieur
de Serizy also intended to examine the work of restoration and the
effect of the new furniture. He intended all this to be a surprise to
his wife when he brought her to Presles, and with this idea in his
mind, he had put some personal pride and self-love into the work. How
came it therefore that the count, who intended in the evening to drive
to Presles openly in his own carriage, should be starting early the
next morning incognito in Pierrotin's coucou?
Here a few words on the life of the steward Moreau become
indispensable.
Moreau, steward of the state of Presles, was the son of a provincial
attorney who became during the Revolution syndic-attorney at
Versailles. In that position, Moreau the father had been the means of
almost saving both the lives and property of the Serizys, father and
son. Citizen Moreau belonged to the Danton party; Robespierre,
implacable in his hatreds, pursued him, discovered him, and finally
had him executed at Versailles. Moreau the son, heir to the doctrines
and friendships of his father, was concerned in one of the
conspiracies which assailed the First Consul on his accession to
power. At this crisis, Monsieur de Serizy, anxious to pay his debt of
gratitude, enabled Moreau, lying under sentence of death, to make his
escape; in 1804 he asked for his pardon, obtained it, offered him
first a place in his government office, and finally took him as
private secretary for his own affairs.
Some time after the marriage of his patron Moreau fell in love with
the countess's waiting-woman and married her. To avoid the annoyances
of the false position in which this marriage placed him (more than one
example of which could be seen at the imperial court), Moreau asked
the count to give him the management of the Presles estate, where his
wife could play the lady in a country region, and neither of them
would be made to suffer from wounded self-love. The count wanted a
trustworthy man at Presles, for his wife preferred Serizy, an estate
only fifteen miles from Paris. For three or four years Moreau had held
the
ready to pay Margueron even more than he expected from the count.
Thus matters stood when, two days earlier than that of which we write,
Monsieur de Serizy, anxious to end the matter, sent for his notary,
Alexandre Crottat, and his lawyer, Derville, to examine into all the
circumstances of the affair. Though Derville and Crottat threw some
doubt on the zeal of the count's steward (a disturbing letter from
whom had led to the consultation), Monsieur de Serizy defended Moreau,
who, he said, had served him faithfully for seventeen years.
"Very well!" said Derville, "then I advise your Excellency to go to
Presles yourself, and invite this Margueron to dinner. Crottat will
send his head-clerk with a deed of sale drawn up, leaving only the
necessary lines for description of property and titles in blank. Your
Excellency should take with you part of the purchase money in a check
on the Bank of France, not forgetting the appointment of the son to
the collectorship. If you don't settle the thing at once that farm
will slip through your fingers. You don't know, Monsieur le comte, the
trickery of these peasants. Peasants against diplomat, and the
diplomat succumbs."
Crottat agreed in this advice, which the count, if we may judge by the
valet's statements to Pierrotin, had adopted. The preceding evening he
had sent Moreau a line by the diligence to Beaumont, telling him to
invite Margueron to dinner in order that they might then and there
close the purchase of the farm of Moulineaux.
Before this matter came up, the count had already ordered the chateau
of Presles to be restored and refurnished, and for the last year,
Grindot, an architect then in fashion, was in the habit of making a
weekly visit. So, while concluding his purchase of the farm, Monsieur
de Serizy also intended to examine the work of restoration and the
effect of the new furniture. He intended all this to be a surprise to
his wife when he brought her to Presles, and with this idea in his
mind, he had put some personal pride and self-love into the work. How
came it therefore that the count, who intended in the evening to drive
to Presles openly in his own carriage, should be starting early the
next morning incognito in Pierrotin's coucou?
Here a few words on the life of the steward Moreau become
indispensable.
Moreau, steward of the state of Presles, was the son of a provincial
attorney who became during the Revolution syndic-attorney at
Versailles. In that position, Moreau the father had been the means of
almost saving both the lives and property of the Serizys, father and
son. Citizen Moreau belonged to the Danton party; Robespierre,
implacable in his hatreds, pursued him, discovered him, and finally
had him executed at Versailles. Moreau the son, heir to the doctrines
and friendships of his father, was concerned in one of the
conspiracies which assailed the First Consul on his accession to
power. At this crisis, Monsieur de Serizy, anxious to pay his debt of
gratitude, enabled Moreau, lying under sentence of death, to make his
escape; in 1804 he asked for his pardon, obtained it, offered him
first a place in his government office, and finally took him as
private secretary for his own affairs.
Some time after the marriage of his patron Moreau fell in love with
the countess's waiting-woman and married her. To avoid the annoyances
of the false position in which this marriage placed him (more than one
example of which could be seen at the imperial court), Moreau asked
the count to give him the management of the Presles estate, where his
wife could play the lady in a country region, and neither of them
would be made to suffer from wounded self-love. The count wanted a
trustworthy man at Presles, for his wife preferred Serizy, an estate
only fifteen miles from Paris. For three or four years Moreau had held
the