the two brothers-第23章

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half…pay；　and　others　who　shared　Max's　opinions；　to　whom　the　politics

of　the　town　allowed　free　expression　of　their　idolatry　for　the　Emperor。

Every　year；　dating　from　1816；　a　banquet　was　given　in　Issoudun　to

commemorate　the　anniversary　of　his　coronation。　The　three　royalists　who

first　entered　asked　for　the　newspapers；　among　others；　for　the

〃Quotidienne〃　and　the　〃Drapeau　Blanc。〃　The　politics　of　Issoudun；

especially　those　of　the　cafe　Militaire；　did　not　allow　of　such　royalist

journals。　The　establishment　had　none　but　the　〃Commerce；〃a　name　which

the　〃Constitutionel〃　was　compelled　to　adopt　for　several　years　after　it

was　suppressed　by　the　government。　But　as；　in　its　first　issue　under　the

new　name；　the　leading　article　began　with　these　words；　〃Commerce　is

essentially　constitutional；〃　people　continued　to　call　it　the

〃Constitutionel；〃　the　subscribers　all　understanding　the　sly　play　of

words　which　begged　them　to　pay　no　attention　to　the　label；　as　the　wine

would　be　the　same。



The　fat　landlady　replied　from　her　seat　at　the　desk　that　she　did　not

take　those　papers。　〃What　papers　do　you　take　then？〃　asked　one　of　the

officers；　a　captain。　The　waiter；　a　little　fellow　in　a　blue　cloth

jacket；　with　an　apron　of　coarse　linen　tied　over　it；　brought　the

〃Commerce。〃



〃Is　that　your　paper？　Have　you　no　other？〃



〃No；〃　said　the　waiter；　〃that's　the　only　one。〃



The　captain　tore　it　up；　flung　the　pieces　on　the　floor；　and　spat　upon

them；　calling　out；



〃Bring　dominos！〃



In　ten　minutes　the　news　of　the　insult　offered　to　the　Constitution

Opposition　and　the　Liberal　party；　in　the　supersacred　person　of　its

revered　journal；　which　attacked　priests　with　courage　and　the　wit　we

all　remember；　spread　throughout　the　town　and　into　the　houses　like

light　itself；　it　was　told　and　repeated　from　place　to　place。　One　phrase

was　on　everybody's　lips；



〃Let　us　tell　Max！〃



Max　soon　heard　of　it。　The　royalist　officers　were　still　at　their　game

of　dominos　when　that　hero　entered　the　cafe；　accompanied　by　Major　Potel

and　Captain　Renard；　and　followed　by　at　least　thirty　young　men；　curious

to　see　the　end　of　the　affair；　most　of　whom　remained　outside　in　the

street。　The　room　was　soon　full。



〃Waiter；　MY　newspaper；〃　said　Max；　in　a　quiet　voice。



Then　a　little　comedy　was　played。　The　fat　hostess；　with　a　timid　and

conciliatory　air；　said；　〃Captain；　I　have　lent　it！〃



〃Send　for　it；〃　cried　one　of　Max's　friends。



〃Can't　you　do　without　it？〃　said　the　waiter；　〃we　have　not　got　it。〃



The　young　royalists　were　laughing　and　casting　sidelong　glances　at　the

new…comers。



〃They　have　torn　it　up！〃　cried　a　youth　of　the　town；　looking　at　the　feet

of　the　young　royalist　captain。



〃Who　has　dared　to　destroy　that　paper？〃　demanded　Max；　in　a　thundering

voice；　his　eyes　flashing　as　he　rose　with　his　arms　crossed。



〃And　we　spat　upon　it；〃　replied　the　three　young　officers；　also　rising；

and　looking　at　Max。



〃You　have　insulted　the　whole　town！〃　said　Max；　turning　livid。



〃Well；　what　of　that？〃　asked　the　youngest　officer。



With　a　dexterity；　quickness；　and　audacity　which　the　young　men　did　not

foresee；　Max　slapped　the　face　of　the　officer　nearest　to　him；　saying；



〃Do　you　understand　French？〃



They　fought　near　by；　in　the　allee　de　Frapesle；　three　against　three；

for　Potel　and　Renard　would　not　allow　Max　to　deal　with　the　officers

alone。　Max　killed　his　man。　Major　Potel　wounded　his　so　severely；　that

the　unfortunate　young　man；　the　son　of　a　good　family；　died　in　the

hospital　the　next　day。　As　for　the　third；　he　got　off　with　a　sword　cut；

after　wounding　his　adversary；　Captain　Renard。　The　battalion　left　for

Bourges　that　night。　This　affair；　which　was　noised　throughout　Berry；

set　Max　up　definitely　as　a　hero。



The　Knights　of　Idleness；　who　were　all　young；　the　eldest　not　more　than

twenty…five　years　old；　admired　Maxence。　Some　among　them；　far　from

sharing　the　prudery　and　strict　notions　of　their　families　concerning

his　conduct；　envied　his　present　position　and　thought　him　fortunate。

Under　such　a　leader；　the　Order　did　great　things。　After　the　month　of

May；　1817；　never　a　week　passed　that　the　town　was　not　thrown　into　an

uproar　by　some　new　piece　of　mischief。　Max；　as　a　matter　of　honor；

imposed　certain　conditions　upon　the　Knights。　Statutes　were　drawn　up。

These　young　demons　grew　as　vigilant　as　the　pupils　of　Amoros；bold　as

hawks；　agile　at　all　exercises；　clever　and　strong　as　criminals。　They

trained　themselves　in　climbing　roofs；　scaling　houses；　jumping　and

walking　noiselessly；　mixing　mortar；　and　walling　up　doors。　They

collected　an　arsenal　of　ropes；　ladders；　tools；　and　disguises。　After　a

time　the　Knights　of　Idleness　attained　to　the　beau…ideal　of　malicious

mischief；　not　only　as　to　the　accomplishment　but；　still　more；　in　the

invention　of　their　pranks。　They　came　at　last　to　possess　the　genius　for

evil　that　Panurge　so　much　delighted　in；　which　provokes　laughter；　and

covers　its　victims　with　such　ridicule　that　they　dare　not　complain。

Naturally；　these　sons　of　good　families　of　Issoudun　possessed　and

obtained　information　in　their　households；　which　gave　them　the　ways　and

means　for　the　perpetration　of　their　outrages。



Sometimes　the　young　devils　incarnate　lay　in　ambush　along　the　Grand'rue

or　the　Basse　rue；　two　streets　which　are；　as　it　were；　the　arteries　of

the　town；　into　which　many　little　side　streets　open。　Crouching；　with

their　heads　to　the　wind；　in　the　angles　of　the　wall　and　at　the　corners

of　the　streets；　at　the　hour　when　all　the　households　were　hushed　in

their　first　sleep；　they　called　to　each　other　in　tones　of　terror　from

ambush　to　ambush　along　the　whole　length　of　the　town：　〃What's　the

matter？〃　〃What　is　it？〃　till　the　repeated　cries　woke　up　the　citizens；

who　appeared　in　their　shirts　and　cotton　night…caps；　with　lights　in

their　hands；　asking　questions　of　one　another；　holding　the　strangest

colloquies；　and　exhibiting　the　queerest　faces。



A　certain　poor　bookbinder；　who　was　very　old；　believed　in　hobgoblins。

Like　most　provincial　artisans；　he　worked　in　a　small　basement　shop。　The

Knights；　disguised　as　devils；　invaded　the　place　in　the　middle　of　the

night；　put　him　into　his　own　cutting…press；　and　left　him　shrieking　to

himself　like　the　souls　in　hell。　The　poor　man　roused　the　neighbors；　to

whom　he　related　the　apparitions　of　Lucifer；　and　as　they　had　no　means

of　undeceiving　him；　he　was　driven　nearly　insane。



In　the　middle　of　a　severe　winter；　the　Knights　took　down　the　chimney　of

the　collector　of　taxes；　and　built　it　up　again　in　one　night　apparently

as　it　was　before；　without　making　the　slightest　noise；　or　leaving　the

least　trace　of　their　work。　But　they　so　arranged　the　inside　of　the

chimney　as　to　send　all　the　smoke　into　the　house。　The　collector

suffered　for　two　months　before　he　found　out　why　his　chimney；　which　had

always　drawn　so　well；　and　of　which　he　had　often　boasted；　played　him

such　tricks；　he　was　then　obliged　to　build　a　new　one。



At　another　time；　they　put　three　trusses　of　hay　dusted　with　brimstone；

and　a　quantity　of　oiled　paper　down　the　chimney　of　a　pious　old　woman

who　was　a　friend　of　Madame　Hochon。　In　the　morning；　when　she　came　to

light　her　fire；　the　poor　creature；　who　was　very　gentle　and　kindly；

imagined　she　had　started　a　volcano。　The　fire…engines　came；　the　whole

population　rushed　to　her　assistance。　Several　Knights　were　among　the

firemen；　and　they　deluged　the　old　woman's　house；　till　they　had

frightened　her　with　a　flood；　as　much　as　they　had　terrified　her　with

the　fire。　She　was　made　ill　with　fear。



When　they　wished　to　make　some　one　spend　the　night　under　arms　and　in

mortal　terror；　they　wrote　an　anonymous　letter　telling　him　that　he　was

about　to　be　robbed；　then　they　stole　softly；　one　by　one；　round　the

walls　of　his　house；　or　under　his　windows；　whistling　as　if　to　call　each

other。



One　of　their　famous　performances；　which　long　amused　the　town；　where　in

fact　it　is　still　related；　was　to　write　a　letter　to　all　the　heirs　of　a

miserly　old　lady　who　was　likely　to　leave　a　large　property；　announcing

her　death；　and　requesting　them　to　be　promptly　on　hand　when　the　seals

were　affixed。　Eighty　persons　arrived　from　Vatan；　Saint…Florent；

Vierzon　and　the　neighboring　country；　all　in　deep　mourning；widows

with　sons；　children　with　their　fathers；　some　in　carrioles；　some　in

wicker　gigs；　others　in　dilapidated　carts。　Imagine　the　scene　between

the　old　woman's　servants　and　the　first　arrivals！　and　the　consultations

among　the　notaries！　It　created　a　sort　of　riot　in　Issoudun。



At　last；　one　day　the　sub…prefect　woke　up　to　a　sense　that　this　state　of

things　was　all　the　more　intolerable　because　it　seemed　impossible　to

find　out　who　was　at　the　bottom　of　it。　Suspicion　fell　on　several　young

men；　but　as　the　National　Guard　was　a　mere　name　in　Issoudun；　and　there

was　no　garrison；　and　the　lieutenant　of　police　had　only　eight　gendarmes

under　him；　so　that　there　were　no　patrols；　it　was　impossible　to　get　any

proof　against　them。　The　sub…prefect　was　immediately　posted　in　the

〃order　of　the　night；〃　and　considered　thenceforth　fair　game。　This

functionary　made　a　practice　of　breakfasting　on　two　fresh　eggs。　He　kept

chickens　in　his　yard；　and　added　to　his　mania　for　eating　fresh　eggs

that　of　boiling　them　himself。　Neither　his　wife　nor　his　servant；　in

fact　no　one；　according　to　him；　knew　how　to　boil　an　egg　properly；　he

did　it　watch　in　hand；　and　boasted　that　he　carried　off　the　palm　of　egg…

boiling　from　all　the　world。　For　two　years　he　had　boiled　his　eggs　with

a　success　which　earned　him　many　witticisms。　But　now；　every　night　for　a

whole　month；　the　eggs　were　taken　from　his　hen…house；　and　hard…boiled

eggs　substituted。　The　sub…prefect　was　at　his　wits'　end；　and　lost　his

reputation　as　the　〃sous…prefet　a　l'oeuf。〃　Finally　he　was　forced　to

breakfast　on　other　things。　Yet　he　never　suspected　the　Knights　of

Idleness；　whose　trick　had　been　cautiously　played。　After　this；　Max

managed　to　grease　the　sub…prefect's　stoves　every　night　with　an　oil

which　sent　forth　so　fetid　a　smell　that　it　was　impossible　for　any　one

to　stay　in　the　house。　Even　that　was　not　enough；　his　wife；　going　to

mass　one　morning；　found　her　shawl　glued　together　on　the　inside　with

some　tenacious　substance；　so　that　she　was　obliged　to　go　without　it。

The　sub…prefect　finally　asked　for　another　appointment。　The　cowardly

submissiveness　of　this　officer　had　much　to　do　with　firmly　establishing

the　weird　and　comic　authority　of　the　Knights　of　Idleness。



Beyond　the　rue　des　Minimes　and　the　place　Misere；　a　section　of　a

quarter　was　at　that　time　enclosed　between　an　arm　of　the　〃Riviere

forcee〃　on　the　lower　side　and　the　ramparts　on　the　other；　beginning　at

the　place　d'Armes　and　going　as　far　as　the　pottery　market。　This

irregular　square　is　filled　with　poor…looking　houses　crowded　one

against　the　other；　and　divided　here　and　there　by　streets　so　narrow

that　two　persons　cannot　walk　abreast。　This　section　of　the　town；　a　sort

of　cour　des　Miracles；　was　occupied　by　poor　people　or　persons　working

at　trades　that　were　little