the two brothers-第25章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Goddetnow　the　best　doctor　in　the　townfrom　the　other　end　of　the

table；　〃that　Madame　Hochon's　goddaughter　is　the　sister　of　Rouget？　If

she　is　coming　here　with　her　son；　no　doubt　she　means　to　make　sure　of

getting　the　property　when　he　dies；　and　thengood…by　to　your　harvest！〃



Max　frowned。　Then；　with　a　look　which　ran　from　one　face　to　another　all

round　the　table；　he　watched　the　effect　of　this　announcement　on　the

minds　of　those　present；　and　again　replied；



〃What's　that　to　me？〃



〃But；〃　said　Francois；　〃I　should　think　that　if　old　Rouget　revoked　his

will；in　case　he　has　made　one　in　favor　of　the　Rabouilleuse〃



Here　Max　cut　short　his　henchman's　speech。　〃I've　stopped　the　mouths　of

people　who　have　dared　to　meddle　with　you；　my　dear　Francois；〃　he　said；

〃and　this　is　the　way　you　pay　your　debts？　You　use　a　contemptuous

nickname　in　speaking　of　a　woman　to　whom　I　am　known　to　be　attached。〃



Max　had　never　before　said　as　much　as　this　about　his　relations　with　the

person　to　whom　Francois　had　just　applied　a　name　under　which　she　was

known　at　Issoudun。　The　late　prisoner　at　Cabrerathe　major　of　the

grenadiers　of　the　Guardknew　enough　of　what　honor　was　to　judge

rightly　as　to　the　causes　of　the　disesteem　in　which　society　held　him。

He　had　therefore　never　allowed　any　one；　no　matter　who；　to　speak　to　him

on　the　subject　of　Mademoiselle　Flore　Brazier；　the　servant…mistress　of

Jean…Jacques　Rouget；　so　energetically　termed　a　〃slut〃　by　the

respectable　Madame　Hochon。　Everybody　knew　it　was　too　ticklish　a

subject　with　Max；　ever　to　speak　of　it　unless　he　began　it；　and　hitherto

he　had　never　begun　it。　To　risk　his　anger　or　irritate　him　was

altogether　too　dangerous；　so　that　even　his　best　friends　had　never

joked　him　about　the　Rabouilleuse。　When　they　talked　of　his　liaison　with

the　girl　before　Major　Potel　and　Captain　Renard；　with　whom　he　lived　on

intimate　terms；　Potel　would　reply；



〃If　he　is　the　natural　brother　of　Jean…Jacques　Rouget　where　else　would

you　have　him　live？〃



〃Besides；　after　all；〃　added　Captain　Renard；　〃the　girl　is　a　worthless

piece；　and　if　Max　does　live　with　her　where's　the　harm？〃



After　this　merited　snub；　Francois　could　not　at　once　catch　up　the

thread　of　his　ideas；　but　he　was　still　less　able　to　do　so　when　Max　said

to　him；　gently；



〃Go　on。〃



〃Faith；　no！〃　cried　Francois。



〃You　needn't　get　angry；　Max；〃　said　young　Goddet；　〃didn't　we　agree　to

talk　freely　to　each　other　at　Mere　Cognette's？　Shouldn't　we　all　be

mortal　enemies　if　we　remembered　outside　what　is　said；　or　thought；　or

done　here？　All　the　town　calls　Flore　Brazier　the　Rabouilleuse；　and　if

Francois　did　happen　to　let　the　nickname　slip　out；　is　that　a　crime

against　the　Order　of　Idleness？〃



〃No；〃　said　Max；　〃but　against　our　personal　friendship。　However；　I

thought　better　of　it；　I　recollected　we　were　in　session；　and　that　was

why　I　said；　'Go　on。'〃



A　deep　silence　followed。　The　pause　became　so　embarrassing　for　the

whole　company　that　Max　broke　it　by　exclaiming：



〃I'll　go　on　for　him；〃　＇sensation＇　〃for　all　of　you；〃　＇amazement＇

〃and　tell　you　what　you　are　thinking〃　＇profound　sensation＇。　〃You

think　that　Flore；　the　Rabouilleuse；　La　Brazier；　the　housekeeper　of

Pere　Rouget；for　they　call　him　so；　that　old　bachelor；　who　can　never

have　any　children！you　think；　I　say；　that　that　woman　supplies　all　my

wants　ever　since　I　came　back　to　Issoudun。　If　I　am　able　to　throw　three

hundred　francs　a　month　to　the　dogs；　and　treat　you　to　suppers；as　I　do

to…night；and　lend　money　to　all　of　you；　you　think　I　get　the　gold　out

of　Mademoiselle　Flore　Brazier's　purse？　Well；　yes〃　＇profound

sensation＇。　〃Yes；　ten　thousand　times　yes！　Yes；　Mademoiselle　Brazier　is

aiming　straight　for　the　old　man's　property。〃



〃She　gets　it　from　father　to　son；〃　observed　Goddet；　in　his　corner。



〃You　think；〃　continued　Max；　smiling　at　Goddet's　speech；　〃that　I　intend

to　marry　Flore　when　Pere　Rouget　dies；　and　so　this　sister　and　her　son；

of　whom　I　hear　to…night　for　the　first　time；　will　endanger　my　future？〃



〃That's　just　it；〃　cried　Francois。



〃That　is　what　every　one　thinks　who　is　sitting　round　this　table；〃　said

Baruch。



〃Well；　don't　be　uneasy；　friends；〃　answered　Max。　〃Forewarned　is

forearmed！　Now　then；　I　address　the　Knights　of　Idleness。　If；　to　get　rid

of　these　Parisians　I　need　the　help　of　the　Order；　will　you　lend　me　a

hand？　Oh！　within　the　limits　we　have　marked　out　for　our　fooleries；〃　he

added　hastily；　perceiving　a　general　hesitation。　〃Do　you　suppose　I　want

to　kill　them；poison　them？　Thank　God　I'm　not　an　idiot。　Besides；　if

the　Bridaus　succeed；　and　Flore　has　nothing　but　what　she　stands　in；　I

should　be　satisfied；　do　you　understand　that？　I　love　her　enough　to

prefer　her　to　Mademoiselle　Fichet；if　Mademoiselle　Fichet　would　have

me。〃



Mademoiselle　Fichet　was　the　richest　heiress　in　Issoudun；　and　the　hand

of　the　daughter　counted　for　much　in　the　reported　passion　of　the

younger　Goddet　for　the　mother。　Frankness　of　speech　is　a　pearl　of　such

price　that　all　the　Knights　rose　to　their　feet　as　one　man。



〃You　are　a　fine　fellow；　Max！〃



〃Well　said；　Max；　we'll　stand　by　you！〃



〃A　fig　for　the　Bridaus！〃



〃We'll　bridle　them！〃



〃After　all；　it　is　only　three　swains　to　a　shepherdess。〃



〃The　deuce！　Pere　Lousteau　loved　Madame　Rouget；　isn't　it　better　to　love

a　housekeeper　who　is　not　yoked？〃



〃If　the　defunct　Rouget　was　Max's　father；　the　affair　is　in　the　family。〃



〃Liberty　of　opinion　now…a…days！〃



〃Hurrah　for　Max！〃



〃Down　with　all　hypocrites！〃



〃Here's　a　health　to　the　beautiful　Flore！〃



Such　were　the　eleven　responses；　acclamations；　and　toasts　shouted　forth

by　the　Knights　of　Idleness；　and　characteristic；　we　may　remark；　of

their　excessively　relaxed　morality。　It　is　now　easy　to　see　what

interest　Max　had　in　becoming　their　grand　master。　By　leading　the　young

men　of　the　best　families　in　their　follies　and　amusements；　and　by　doing

them　services；　he　meant　to　create　a　support　for　himself　when　the　day

for　recovering　his　position　came。　He　rose　gracefully　and　waved　his

glass　of　claret；　while　all　the　others　waited　eagerly　for　the　coming

allocution。



〃As　a　mark　of　the　ill…will　I　bear　you；　I　wish　you　all　a　mistress　who

is　equal　to　the　beautiful　Flore！　As　to　this　irruption　of　relations；　I

don't　feel　any　present　uneasiness；　and　as　to　the　future；　we'll　see

what　comes〃



〃Don't　let　us　forget　Fario's　cart！〃



〃Hang　it！　that's　safe　enough！〃　said　Goddet。



〃Oh！　I'll　engage　to　settle　that　business；〃　cried　Max。　〃Be　in　the

market…place　early；　all　of　you；　and　let　me　know　when　the　old　fellow

goes　for　his　cart。〃



It　was　striking　half…past　three　in　the　morning　as　the　Knights　slipped

out　in　silence　to　go　to　their　homes；　gliding　close　to　the　walls　of　the

houses　without　making　the　least　noise；　shod　as　they　were　in　list

shoes。　Max　slowly　returned　to　the　place　Saint…Jean；　situated　in　the

upper　part　of　the　town；　between　the　port　Saint…Jean　and　the　port

Vilatte；　the　quarter　of　the　rich　bourgeoisie。　Maxence　Gilet　had

concealed　his　fears；　but　the　news　had　struck　home。　His　experience　on

the　hulks　at　Cabrera　had　taught　him　a　dissimulation　as　deep　and

thorough　as　his　corruption。　First；　and　above　all　else；　the　forty

thousand　francs　a　year　from　landed　property　which　old　Rouget　owned

was；　let　it　be　clearly　understood；　the　constituent　element　of　Max's

passion　for　Flore　Brazier。　By　his　present　bearing　it　is　easy　to　see

how　much　confidence　the　woman　had　given　him　in　the　financial　future

she　expected　to　obtain　through　the　infatuation　of　the　old　bachelor。

Nevertheless；　the　news　of　the　arrival　of　the　legitimate　heirs　was　of　a

nature　to　shake　Max's　faith　in　Flore's　influence。　Rouget's　savings；

accumulating　during　the　last　seventeen　years；　still　stood　in　his　own

name；　and　even　if　the　will；　which　Flore　declared　had　long　been　made　in

her　favor；　were　revoked；　these　savings　at　least　might　be　secured　by

putting　them　in　the　name　of　Mademoiselle　Brazier。



〃That　fool　of　a　girl　never　told　me；　in　all　these　seven　years；　a　word

about　the　sister　and　nephews！〃　cried　Max；　turning　from　the　rue　de　la

Marmouse　into　the　rue　l'Avenier。　〃Seven　hundred　and　fifty　thousand

francs　placed　with　different　notaries　at　Bourges；　and　Vierzon；　and

Chateauroux；　can't　be　turned　into　money　and　put　into　the　Funds　in　a

week；　without　everybody　knowing　it　in　this　gossiping　place！　The　most

important　thing　is　to　get　rid　of　these　relations；　as　soon　as　they　are

driven　away　we　ought　to　make　haste　to　secure　the　property。　I　must

think　it　over。〃



Max　was　tired。　By　the　help　of　a　pass…key；　he　let　himself　into　Pere

Rouget's　house；　and　went　to　bed　without　making　any　noise；　saying　to

himself；



〃To…morrow；　my　thoughts　will　be　clear。〃



It　is　now　necessary　to　relate　where　the　sultana　of　the　place　Saint…

Jean　picked　up　the　nickname　of　〃Rabouilleuse；〃　and　how　she　came　to　be

the　quasi…mistress　of　Jean…Jacques　Rouget's　home。



As　old　Doctor　Rouget；　the　father　of　Jean…Jacques　and　Madame　Bridau；

advanced　in　years；　he　began　to　perceive　the　nonentity　of　his　son；　he

then　treated　him　harshly；　trying　to　break　him　into　a　routine　that

might　serve　in　place　of　intelligence。　He　thus；　though　unconsciously；

prepared　him　to　submit　to　the　yoke　of　the　first　tyranny　that　threw　its

halter　over　his　head。



Coming　home　one　day　from　his　professional　round；　the　malignant　and

vicious　old　man　came　across　a　bewitching　little　girl　at　the　edge　of

some　fields　that　lay　along　the　avenue　de　Tivoli。　Hearing　the　horse；

the　child　sprang　up　from　the　bottom　of　one　of　the　many　brooks　which

are　to　be　seen　from　the　heights　of　Issoudun；　threading　the　meadows

like　ribbons　of　silver　on　a　green　robe。　Naiad…like；　she　rose　suddenly

on　the　doctor's　vision；　showing　the　loveliest　virgin　head　that

painters　ever　dreamed　of。　Old　Rouget；　who　knew　the　whole　country…side；

did　not　know　this　miracle　of　beauty。　The　child；　who　was　half　naked；

wore　a　forlorn　little　petticoat　of　coarse　woollen　stuff；　woven　in

alternate　strips　of　brown　and　white；　full　of　holes　and　very　ragged。　A

sheet　of　rough　writing　paper；　tied　on　by　a　shred　of　osier；　served　her

for　a　hat。　Beneath　this　papercovered　with　pot…hooks　and　round　O's；

from　which　it　derived　the　name　of　〃schoolpaper〃the　loveliest　mass　of

blonde　hair　that　ever　a　daughter　of　Eve　could　have　desired；　was

twisted　up；　and　held　in　place　by　a　species　of　comb　made　to　comb　out

the　tails　of　horses。　Her　pretty　tanned　bosom；　and　her　neck；　scarcely

covered　by　a　ragged　fichu　which　was　once　a　Madres　handkerchief；　showed

edges　of　the　white　skin　below　the　exposed　and　sun…burned　parts。　One

end　of　her　petticoat　was　drawn　between　the　legs　and　fastened　with　a

huge　pin　in　front；　giving　that　garment　the　look　of　a　pair　of　bathing

drawers。　The　feet　and　the　legs；　which　could　be　seen　through　the　clear

water　in　which　she　stood；　attracted　the　eye　by　a　delicacy　which　was

worthy　of　a　sculptor　of　the　middle　ages。　The　charming　limbs　exposed　to

the　sun　had　a　ruddy　tone　that　was　not　witho