the two brothers-第26章

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

the　sun　had　a　ruddy　tone　that　was　not　without　beauty　of　its　own。　The

neck　and　bosom　were　worthy　of　being　wrapped　in　silks　and　cashmeres；

and　the　nymph　had　blue　eyes　fringed　with　long　lashes；　whose　glance

might　have　made　a　painter　or　a　poet　fall　upon　his　knees。　The　doctor；

enough　of　an　anatomist　to　trace　the　exquisite　figure；　recognized　the

loss　it　would　be　to　art　if　the　lines　of　such　a　model　were　destroyed　by

the　hard　toil　of　the　fields。



〃Where　do　you　come　from；　little　girl？　I　have　never　seen　you　before；〃

said　the　old　doctor；　then　sixty…two　years　of　age。　This　scene　took

place　in　the　month　of　September；　1799。



〃I　belong　in　Vatan；〃　she　answered。



Hearing　Rouget's　voice；　an　ill…looking　man；　standing　at　some　distance

in　the　deeper　waters　of　the　brook；　raised　his　head。　〃What　are　you

about；　Flore？〃　he　said；　〃While　you　are　talking　instead　of　catching；

the　creatures　will　get　away。〃



〃Why　have　you　come　here　from　Vatan？〃　continued　the　doctor；　paying　no

heed　to　the　interruption。



〃I　am　catching　crabs　for　my　uncle　Brazier　here。〃



〃Rabouiller〃　is　a　Berrichon　word　which　admirably　describes　the　thing

it　is　intended　to　express；　namely；　the　action　of　troubling　the　water

of　a　brook；　making　it　boil　and　bubble　with　a　branch　whose　end…shoots

spread　out　like　a　racket。　The　crabs；　frightened　by　this　operation；

which　they　do　not　understand；　come　hastily　to　the　surface；　and　in

their　flurry　rush　into　the　net　the　fisher　has　laid　for　them　at　a

little　distance。　Flore　Brazier　held　her　〃rabouilloir〃　in　her　hand　with

the　natural　grace　of　childlike　innocence。



〃Has　your　uncle　got　permission　to　hunt　crabs？〃



〃Hey！　are　not　we　all　under　a　Republic　that　is　one　and　indivisible？〃

cried　the　uncle　from　his　station。



〃We　are　under　a　Directory；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃and　I　know　of　no　law

which　allows　a　man　to　come　from　Vatan　and　fish　in　the　territory　of

Issoudun〃；　then　he　said　to　Flore；　〃Have　you　got　a　mother；　little　one！〃



〃No；　monsieur；　and　my　father　is　in　the　asylum　at　Bourges。　He　went　mad

from　a　sun…stroke　he　got　in　the　fields。〃



〃How　much　do　you　earn？〃



〃Five　sous　a　day　while　the　season　lasts；　I　catch　'em　as　far　as　the

Braisne。　In　harvest　time；　I　glean；　in　winter；　I　spin。〃



〃You　are　about　twelve　years　old？〃



〃Yes；　monsieur。〃



〃Do　you　want　to　come　with　me？　You　shall　be　well　fed　and　well　dressed；

and　have　some　pretty　shoes。〃



〃No；　my　niece　will　stay　with　me；　I　am　responsible　to　God　and　man　for

her；〃　said　Uncle　Brazier　who　had　come　up　to　them。　〃I　am　her　guardian；

d'ye　see？〃



The　doctor　kept　his　countenance　and　checked　a　smile　which　might　have

escaped　most　people　at　the　aspect　of　the　man。　The　guardian　wore　a

peasant's　hat；　rotted　by　sun　and　rain；　eaten　like　the　leaves　of　a

cabbage　that　has　harbored　several　caterpillars；　and　mended；　here　and

there；　with　white　thread。　Beneath　the　hat　was　a　dark　and　sunken　face；

in　which　the　mouth；　nose；　and　eyes；　seemed　four　black　spots。　His

forlorn　jacket　was　a　bit　of　patchwork；　and　his　trousers　were　of　crash

towelling。



〃I　am　Doctor　Rouget；〃　said　that　individual；　〃and　as　you　are　the

guardian　of　the　child；　bring　her　to　my　house；　in　the　place　Saint…Jean。

It　will　not　be　a　bad　day's　work　for　you；　nor　for　her；　either。〃



Without　waiting　for　an　answer；　and　sure　that　Uncle　Brazier　would　soon

appear　with　his　pretty　〃rabouilleuse；〃　Doctor　Rouget　set　spurs　to　his

horse　and　returned　to　Issoudun。　He　had　hardly　sat　down　to　dinner；

before　his　cook　announced　the　arrival　of　the　citoyen　and　citoyenne

Brazier。



〃Sit　down；〃　said　the　doctor　to　the　uncle　and　niece。



Flore　and　her　guardian；　still　barefooted；　looked　round　the　doctor's

dining…room　with　wondering　eyes；　never　having　seen　its　like　before。



The　house；　which　Rouget　inherited　from　the　Descoings　estate；　stands　in

the　middle　of　the　place　Saint…Jean；　a　so…called　square；　very　long　and

very　narrow；　planted　with　a　few　sickly　lindens。　The　houses　in　this

part　of　town　are　better　built　than　elsewhere；　and　that　of　the

Descoings's　was　one　of　the　finest。　It　stands　opposite　to　the　house　of

Monsieur　Hochon；　and　has　three　windows　in　front　on　the　first　storey；

and　a　porte…cochere　on　the　ground…floor　which　gives　entrance　to　a

courtyard；　beyond　which　lies　the　garden。　Under　the　archway　of　the

porte…cochere　is　the　door　of　a　large　hall　lighted　by　two　windows　on

the　street。　The　kitchen　is　behind　this　hall；　part　of　the　space　being

used　for　a　staircase　which　leads　to　the　upper　floor　and　to　the　attic

above　that。　Beyond　the　kitchen　is　a　wood…shed　and　wash…house；　a　stable

for　two　horses　and　a　coach…house；　over　which　are　some　little　lofts　for

the　storage　of　oats；　hay；　and　straw；　where；　at　that　time；　the　doctor's

servant　slept。



The　hall　which　the　little　peasant　and　her　uncle　admired　with　such

wonder　is　decorated　with　wooden　carvings　of　the　time　of　Louis　XV。；

painted　gray；　and　a　handsome　marble　chimney…piece；　over　which　Flore

beheld　herself　in　a　large　mirror　without　any　upper　division　and　with　a

carved　and　gilded　frame。　On　the　panelled　walls　of　the　room；　from　space

to　space；　hung　several　pictures；　the　spoil　of　various　religious

houses；　such　as　the　abbeys　of　Deols；　Issoudun；　Saint…Gildas；　La　Pree；

Chezal…Beniot；　Saint…Sulpice；　and　the　convents　of　Bourges　and

Issoudun；　which　the　liberality　of　our　kings　had　enriched　with　the

precious　gifts　of　the　glorious　works　called　forth　by　the　Renaissance。

Among　the　pictures　obtained　by　the　Descoings　and　inherited　by　Rouget；

was　a　Holy　Family　by　Albano；　a　Saint…Jerome　of　Demenichino；　a　Head　of

Christ　by　Gian　Bellini；　a　Virgin　of　Leonardo；　a　Bearing　of　the　Cross

by　Titian；　which　formerly　belonged　to　the　Marquis　de　Belabre　（the　one

who　sustained　a　siege　and　had　his　head　cut　off　under　Louis　XIII。）；　a

Lazarus　of　Paul　Veronese；　a　Marriage　of　the　Virgin　by　the　priest

Genois；　two　church　paintings　by　Rubens；　and　a　replica　of　a　picture　by

Perugino；　done　either　by　Perugino　himself　or　by　Raphael；　and　finally；

two　Correggios　and　one　Andrea　del　Sarto。



The　Descoings　had　culled　these　treasures　from　three　hundred　church

pictures；　without　knowing　their　value；　and　selecting　them　only　for

their　good　preservation。　Many　were　not　only　in　magnificent　frames；　but

some　were　still　under　glass。　Perhaps　it　was　the　beauty　of　the　frames

and　the　value　of　the　glass　that　led　the　Descoings　to　retain　the

pictures。　The　furniture　of　the　room　was　not　wanting　in　the　sort　of

luxury　we　prize　in　these　days；　though　at　that　time　it　had　no　value　in

Issoudun。　The　clock；　standing　on　the　mantle…shelf　between　two　superb

silver　candlesticks　with　six　branches；　had　an　ecclesiastical　splendor

which　revealed　the　hand　of　Boulle。　The　armchairs　of　carved　oak；

covered　with　tapestry…work　due　to　the　devoted　industry　of　women　of

high　rank；　would　be　treasured　in　these　days；　for　each　was　surmounted

with　a　crown　and　coat…of…arms。　Between　the　windows　stood　a　rich

console；　brought　from　some　castle；　on　whose　marble　slab　stood　an

immense　China　jar；　in　which　the　doctor　kept　his　tobacco。　But　neither

Rouget；　nor　his　son；　nor　the　cook；　took　the　slightest　care　of　all

these　treasures。　They　spat　upon　a　hearth　of　exquisite　delicacy；　whose

gilded　mouldings　were　now　green　with　verdigris。　A　handsome　chandelier；

partly　of　semi…transparent　porcelain；　was　peppered；　like　the　ceiling

from　which　it　hung；　with　black　speckles；　bearing　witness　to　the

immunity　enjoyed　by　the　flies。　The　Descoings　had　draped　the　windows

with　brocatelle　curtains　torn　from　the　bed　of　some　monastic　prior。　To

the　left　of　the　entrance…door；　stood　a　chest　or　coffer；　worth　many

thousand　francs；　which　the　doctor　now　used　for　a　sideboard。



〃Here；　Fanchette；〃　cried　Rouget　to　his　cook；　〃bring　two　glasses；　and

give　us　some　of　the　old　wine。〃



Fanchette；　a　big　Berrichon　countrywoman；　who　was　considered　a　better

cook　than　even　La　Cognette；　ran　in　to　receive　the　order　with　a

celerity　which　said　much　for　the　doctor's　despotism；　and　something

also　for　her　own　curiosity。



〃What　is　an　acre　of　vineyard　worth　in　your　parts？〃　asked　the　doctor；

pouring　out　a　glass　of　wine　for　Brazier。



〃Three　hundred　francs　in　silver。〃



〃Well；　then！　leave　your　niece　here　as　my　servant；　she　shall　have　three

hundred　francs　in　wages；　and；　as　you　are　her　guardian；　you　can　take

them。〃



〃Every　year？〃　exclaimed　Brazier；　with　his　eyes　as　wide　as　saucers。



〃I　leave　that　to　your　conscience；〃　said　the　doctor。　〃She　is　an　orphan；

up　to　eighteen；　she　has　no　right　to　what　she　earns。〃



〃Twelve　to　eighteenthat's　six　acres　of　vineyard！〃　said　the　uncle。

〃Ay；　she's　a　pretty　one；　gentle　as　a　lamb；　well　made　and　active；　and

obedient　as　a　kitten。　She　were　the　light　o'　my　poor　brother's　eyes〃



〃I　will　pay　a　year　in　advance；〃　observed　the　doctor。



〃Bless　me！　say　two　years；　and　I'll　leave　her　with　you；　for　she'll　be

better　off　with　you　than　with　us；　my　wife　beats　her；　she　can't　abide

her。　There's　none　but　I　to　stand　up　for　her；　and　the　little　saint　of　a

creature　is　as　innocent　as　a　new…born　babe。〃



When　he　heard　the　last　part　of　this　speech；　the　doctor；　struck　by　the

word　〃innocent；〃　made　a　sign　to　the　uncle　and　took　him　out　into　the

courtyard　and　from　thence　to　the　garden；　leaving　the　Rabouilleuse　at

the　table　with　Fanchette　and　Jean…Jacques；　who　immediately　questioned

her；　and　to　whom　she　naively　related　her　meeting　with　the　doctor。



〃There　now；　my　little　darling；　good…by；〃　said　Uncle　Brazier；　coming

back　and　kissing　Flore　on　the　forehead；　〃you　can　well　say　I've　made

your　happiness　by　leaving　you　with　this　kind　and　worthy　father　of　the

poor；　you　must　obey　him　as　you　would　me。　Be　a　good　girl；　and　behave

nicely；　and　do　everything　he　tells　you。〃



〃Get　the　room　over　mine　ready；〃　said　the　doctor　to　Fanchette。　〃Little

FloreI　am　sure　she　is　worthy　of　the　namewill　sleep　there　in

future。　To…morrow；　we'll　send　for　a　shoemaker　and　a　dressmaker。　Put

another　plate　on　the　table；　she　shall　keep　us　company。〃



That　evening；　all　Issoudun　could　talk　of　nothing　else　than　the　sudden

appearance　of　the　little　〃rabouilleuse〃　in　Doctor　Rouget's　house。　In

that　region　of　satire　the　nickname　stuck　to　Mademoiselle　Brazier

before；　during；　and　after　the　period　of　her　good　fortune。



The　doctor　no　doubt　intended　to　do　with　Flore　Brazier；　in　a　small　way；

what　Louis　XV。　did　in　a　large　one　with　Mademoiselle　de　Romans；　but　he

was　too　late　about　it；　Louis　XV。　was　still　young；　whereas　the　doctor

was　in　the　flower　of　old　age。　From　twelve　to　fourteen；　the　charming

little　Rabouilleuse　lived　a　life　of　unmixed　happiness。　Always　well…

dressed；　and　often　much　better　tricked　out　than　the　richest　girls　in

Issoudun；　she　sported　a　gold　watch　and　jewels；　given　by　the　doctor　to

encourage　her　studies；　and　she　had　a　master　who　taught　her　to　read；

write；　and　cipher。　But　the　almost　animal　life　of　the　true　peasant　had

instilled　into　Flore　such　deep