A Start in Life [30]
vehicle to testify to his
words."
This speech stopped Georges' narrative all the more surely, because at
this moment the coucou reached the guard-house of a brigade of
gendarmerie,--the white flag floating, as the orthodox saying is, upon
the breeze.
"You have too many decorations to do such a dastardly thing," said
Oscar.
"Never mind; we'll catch up with him soon," whispered Georges in the
lad's ear.
"Colonel," cried Leger, who was a good deal disturbed by the count's
outburst, and wanted to change the conversation, "in all these
countries where you have been, what sort of farming do they do? How do
they vary the crops?"
"Well, in the first place, my good fellow, you must understand, they
are too busy cropping off each others' heads to think much of cropping
the ground."
The count couldn't help smiling; and that smile reassured the
narrator.
"They have a way of cultivating which you will think very queer. They
don't cultivate at all; that's their style of farming. The Turks and
the Greeks, they eat onions or rise. They get opium from poppies, and
it gives them a fine revenue. Then they have tobacco, which grows of
itself, famous latakiah! and dates! and all kinds of sweet things that
don't need cultivation. It is a country full of resources and
commerce. They make fine rugs at Smyrna, and not dear."
"But," persisted Leger, "if the rugs are made of wool they must come
from sheep; and to have sheep you must have fields, farms, culture--"
"Well, there may be something of that sort," replied Georges. "But
their chief crop, rice, grows in the water. As for me, I have only
been along the coasts and seen the parts that are devastated by war.
Besides, I have the deepest aversion to statistics."
"How about the taxes?" asked the farmer.
"Oh! the taxes are heavy; they take all a man has, and leave him the
rest. The pacha of Egypt was so struck with the advantages of that
system, that, when I came away he was on the point of organizing his
own administration on that footing--"
"But," said Leger, who no longer understood a single word, "how?"
"How?" said Georges. "Why, agents go round and take all the harvests,
and leave the fellahs just enough to live on. That's a system that
does away with stamped papers and bureaucracy, the curse of France,
hein?"
"By virtue of what right?" said Leger.
"Right? why it is a land of despotism. They haven't any rights. Don't
you know the fine definition Montesquieu gives of despotism. 'Like the
savage, it cuts down the tree to gather the fruits.' They don't tax,
they take everything."
"And that's what our rulers are trying to bring us to. 'Tax vobiscum,'
--no, thank you!" said Mistigris.
"But that is what we ARE coming to," said the count. "Therefore, those
who own land will do well to sell it. Monsieur Schinner must have seen
how things are tending in Italy, where the taxes are enormous."
"Corpo di Bacco! the Pope is laying it on heavily," replied Schinner.
"But the people are used to it. Besides, Italians are so good-natured
that if you let 'em murder a few travellers along the highways they're
contented."
"I see, Monsieur Schinner," said the count, "that you are not wearing
the decoration you obtained in 1819; it seems the fashion nowadays not
to wear orders."
Mistigris and the pretended Schinner blushed to their ears.
"Well, with me," said the artist, "the case is different. It isn't on
account of fashion; but I don't want to be recognized. Have the
goodness not to betray me, monsieur; I am supposed to be a little
painter of no consequence,--a mere decorator. I'm on may way to a
chateau where I mustn't rouse the slightest suspicion."
"Ah! I see," said the count, "some intrigue,--a love affair! Youth is
happy!"
Oscar, who was writhing in his skin at being a nobody and having
nothing to say, gazed at Colonel
words."
This speech stopped Georges' narrative all the more surely, because at
this moment the coucou reached the guard-house of a brigade of
gendarmerie,--the white flag floating, as the orthodox saying is, upon
the breeze.
"You have too many decorations to do such a dastardly thing," said
Oscar.
"Never mind; we'll catch up with him soon," whispered Georges in the
lad's ear.
"Colonel," cried Leger, who was a good deal disturbed by the count's
outburst, and wanted to change the conversation, "in all these
countries where you have been, what sort of farming do they do? How do
they vary the crops?"
"Well, in the first place, my good fellow, you must understand, they
are too busy cropping off each others' heads to think much of cropping
the ground."
The count couldn't help smiling; and that smile reassured the
narrator.
"They have a way of cultivating which you will think very queer. They
don't cultivate at all; that's their style of farming. The Turks and
the Greeks, they eat onions or rise. They get opium from poppies, and
it gives them a fine revenue. Then they have tobacco, which grows of
itself, famous latakiah! and dates! and all kinds of sweet things that
don't need cultivation. It is a country full of resources and
commerce. They make fine rugs at Smyrna, and not dear."
"But," persisted Leger, "if the rugs are made of wool they must come
from sheep; and to have sheep you must have fields, farms, culture--"
"Well, there may be something of that sort," replied Georges. "But
their chief crop, rice, grows in the water. As for me, I have only
been along the coasts and seen the parts that are devastated by war.
Besides, I have the deepest aversion to statistics."
"How about the taxes?" asked the farmer.
"Oh! the taxes are heavy; they take all a man has, and leave him the
rest. The pacha of Egypt was so struck with the advantages of that
system, that, when I came away he was on the point of organizing his
own administration on that footing--"
"But," said Leger, who no longer understood a single word, "how?"
"How?" said Georges. "Why, agents go round and take all the harvests,
and leave the fellahs just enough to live on. That's a system that
does away with stamped papers and bureaucracy, the curse of France,
hein?"
"By virtue of what right?" said Leger.
"Right? why it is a land of despotism. They haven't any rights. Don't
you know the fine definition Montesquieu gives of despotism. 'Like the
savage, it cuts down the tree to gather the fruits.' They don't tax,
they take everything."
"And that's what our rulers are trying to bring us to. 'Tax vobiscum,'
--no, thank you!" said Mistigris.
"But that is what we ARE coming to," said the count. "Therefore, those
who own land will do well to sell it. Monsieur Schinner must have seen
how things are tending in Italy, where the taxes are enormous."
"Corpo di Bacco! the Pope is laying it on heavily," replied Schinner.
"But the people are used to it. Besides, Italians are so good-natured
that if you let 'em murder a few travellers along the highways they're
contented."
"I see, Monsieur Schinner," said the count, "that you are not wearing
the decoration you obtained in 1819; it seems the fashion nowadays not
to wear orders."
Mistigris and the pretended Schinner blushed to their ears.
"Well, with me," said the artist, "the case is different. It isn't on
account of fashion; but I don't want to be recognized. Have the
goodness not to betray me, monsieur; I am supposed to be a little
painter of no consequence,--a mere decorator. I'm on may way to a
chateau where I mustn't rouse the slightest suspicion."
"Ah! I see," said the count, "some intrigue,--a love affair! Youth is
happy!"
Oscar, who was writhing in his skin at being a nobody and having
nothing to say, gazed at Colonel