Красное и черное

A Small Town

           deRênal’sgardensandtheirnumerouswalls,isthefactthathehaspurchased,throughsheerpowerofthepurse,certainsmallparcelsofthegroundonwhichtheystand.Thatsaw-mill,forinstance,whosesingularpositiononthebanksoftheDoubsstruckyouwhenyouenteredVerrières,andwhereyounoticethenameofSORELwritteningiganticcharactersonthechiefbeamoftheroof,usedtooccupysixyearsagothatprecisespaceonwhichisnowrearedthewallofthefourthterraceinM.deRênal’sgardens.

           Proudmanthathewas,themayorhadnonethelesstonegotiatewiththattough,stubbornpeasant,oldSorel.Hehadtopayhimingoodsolidgoldenlouisbeforehecouldinducehimtotransferhisworkshopelsewhere.Astothepublicstreamwhichsuppliedthemotivepowerforthesaw-mill,M.deRênalobtaineditsdiversion,thankstotheinfluencewhichheenjoyedatParis.Thisfavourwasaccordedhimaftertheelectionof182-.

           HegaveSorelfouracresforeveryonehehadpreviouslyheld,fivehundredyardslowerdownonthebanksoftheDoubs.Althoughthispositionwasmuchmoreadvantageousforhispine-planktrade,fatherSorel(asheiscalledsincehehasbecomerich)knewhowtoexploittheimpatienceandmaniaforlandedownershipwhichanimatedhisneighbourtothetuneofsixthousandfrancs.

           Itistruethatthisarrangementwascriticisedbythewiseacresofthelocality.Oneday,itwasonaSundayfouryearslater,asM.deRênalwascomingbackfromchurchinhismayor’suniform,hesawoldSorelsmilingathim,ashestaredathimsomedistanceawaysurroundedbyhisthreesons

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