the two brothers-第27章

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

instilled　into　Flore　such　deep　repugnance　to　the　bitter　cup　of

knowledge；　that　the　doctor　stopped　her　education　at　that　point。　His

intentions　with　regard　to　the　child；　whom　he　cleansed　and　clothed；　and

taught；　and　formed　with　a　care　which　was　all　the　more　remarkable

because　he　was　thought　to　be　utterly　devoid　of　tenderness；　were

interpreted　in　a　variety　of　ways　by　the　cackling　society　of　the　town；

whose　gossip　often　gave　rise　to　fatal　blunders；　like　those　relating　to

the　birth　of　Agathe　and　that　of　Max。　It　is　not　easy　for　the　community

of　a　country　town　to　disentangle　the　truth　from　the　mass　of　conjecture

and　contradictory　reports　to　which　a　single　fact　gives　rise。　The

provinces　insistas　in　former　days　the　politicians　of　the　little

Provence　at　the　Tuileries　insistedon　full　explanations；　and　they

usually　end　by　knowing　everything。　But　each　person　clings　to　the

version　of　the　event　which　he；　or　she；　likes　best；　proclaims　it；

argues　it；　and　considers　it　the　only　true　one。　In　spite　of　the　strong

light　cast　upon　people's　lives　by　the　constant　spying　of　a　little

town；　truth　is　thus　often　obscured；　and　to　be　recognized；　it　needs　the

impartiality　which　historians　or　superior　minds　acquire　by　looking　at

the　subject　from　a　higher　point　of　view。



〃What　do　you　suppose　that　old　gorilla　wants　at　his　age　with　a　little

girl　only　fifteen　years　old？〃　society　was　still　saying　two　years　after

the　arrival　of　the　Rabouilleuse。



〃Ah！　that's　true；〃　they　answered；　〃his　days　of　merry…making　are　long

past。〃



〃My　dear　fellow；　the　doctor　is　disgusted　at　the　stupidity　of　his　son；

and　he　persists　in　hating　his　daughter　Agathe；　it　may　be　that　he　has

been　living　a　decent　life　for　the　last　two　years；　intending　to　marry

little　Flore；　suppose　she　were　to　give　him　a　fine；　active；　strapping

boy；　full　of　life　like　Max？〃　said　one　of　the　wise　heads　of　the　town。



〃Bah！　don't　talk　nonsense！　After　such　a　life　as　Rouget　and　Lousteau

led　from　1770　to　1787；　is　it　likely　that　either　of　them　would　have

children　at　sixty…five　years　of　age？　The　old　villain　has　read　the

Scriptures；　if　only　as　a　doctor；　and　he　is　doing　as　David　did　in　his

old　age；　that's　all。〃



〃They　say　that　Brazier；　when　he　is　drunk；　boasts　in　Vatan　that　he

cheated　him；〃　cried　one　of　those　who　always　believed　the　worst　of

people。



〃Good　heavens！　neighbor；　what　won't　they　say　at　Issoudun？〃



From　1800　to　1805；　that　is；　for　five　years；　the　doctor　enjoyed　all　the

pleasures　of　educating　Flore　without　the　annoyances　which　the

ambitions　and　pretensions　of　Mademoiselle　de　Romans　inflicted；　it　is

said；　on　Louis　le　Bien…Aime。　The　little　Rabouilleuse　was　so　satisfied

when　she　compared　the　life　she　led　at　the　doctor's　with　that　she　would

have　led　at　her　uncle　Brazier's；　that　she　yielded　no　doubt　to　the

exactions　of　her　master　as　if　she　had　been　an　Eastern　slave。　With　due

deference　to　the　makers　of　idylls　and　to　philanthropists；　the

inhabitants　of　the　provinces　have　very　little　idea　of　certain　virtues；

and　their　scruples　are　of　a　kind　that　is　roused　by　self…interest；　and

not　by　any　sentiment　of　the　right　or　the　becoming。　Raised　from　infancy

with　no　prospect　before　them　but　poverty　and　ceaseless　labor；　they　are

led　to　consider　anything　that　saves　them　from　the　hell　of　hunger　and

eternal　toil　as　permissible；　particularly　if　it　is　not　contrary　to　any

law。　Exceptions　to　this　rule　are　rare。　Virtue；　socially　speaking；　is

the　companion　of　a　comfortable　life；　and　comes　only　with　education。



Thus　the　Rabouilleuse　was　an　object　of　envy　to　all　the　young　peasant…

girls　within　a　circuit　of　ten　miles；　although　her　conduct；　from　a

religious　point　of　view；　was　supremely　reprehensible。　Flore；　born　in

1787；　grew　up　in　the　midst　of　the　saturnalias　of　1793　and　1798；　whose

lurid　gleams　penetrated　these　country　regions；　then　deprived　of

priests　and　faith　and　altars　and　religious　ceremonies；　where　marriage

was　nothing　more　than　legal　coupling；　and　revolutionary　maxims　left　a

deep　impression。　This　was　markedly　the　case　at　Issoudun；　a　land　where；

as　we　have　seen；　revolt　of　all　kinds　is　traditional。　In　1802；　Catholic

worship　was　scarcely　re…established。　The　Emperor　found　it　a　difficult

matter　to　obtain　priests。　In　1806；　many　parishes　all　over　France　were

still　widowed；　so　slowly　were　the　clergy；　decimated　by　the　scaffold；

gathered　together　again　after　their　violent　dispersion。



In　1802；　therefore；　nothing　was　likely　to　reproach　Flore　Brazier；

unless　it　might　be　her　conscience；　and　conscience　was　sure　to　be

weaker　than　self…interest　in　the　ward　of　Uncle　Brazier。　If；　as

everybody　chose　to　suppose；　the　cynical　doctor　was　compelled　by　his

age　to　respect　a　child　of　fifteen；　the　Rabouilleuse　was　none　the　less

considered　very　〃wide　awake；〃　a　term　much　used　in　that　region。　Still；

some　persons　thought　she　could　claim　a　certificate　of　innocence　from

the　cessation　of　the　doctor's　cares　and　attentions　in　the　last　two

years　of　his　life；　during　which　time　he　showed　her　something　more　than

coldness。



Old　Rouget　had　killed　too　many　people　not　to　know　when　his　own　end　was

nigh；　and　his　notary；　finding　him　on　his　death…bed；　draped　as　it　were；

in　the　mantle　of　encyclopaedic　philosophy；　pressed　him　to　make　a

provision　in　favor　of　the　young　girl；　then　seventeen　years　old。



〃So　I　do；〃　he　said；　cynically；　〃my　death　sets　her　at　liberty。〃



This　speech　paints　the　nature　of　the　old　man。　Covering　his　evil　doings

with　witty　sayings；　he　obtained　indulgence　for　them；　in　a　land　where

wit　is　always　applauded；especially　when　addressed　to　obvious　self…

interest。　In　those　words　the　notary　read　the　concentrated　hatred　of　a

man　whose　calculations　had　been　balked　by　Nature　herself；　and　who

revenged　himself　upon　the　innocent　object　of　an　impotent　love。　This

opinion　was　confirmed　to　some　extent　by　the　obstinate　resolution　of

the　doctor　to　leave　nothing　to　the　Rabouilleuse；　saying　with　a　bitter

smile；　when　the　notary　again　urged　the　subject　upon　him；



〃Her　beauty　will　make　her　rich　enough！〃







CHAPTER　IX



Jean…Jacques　Rouget　did　not　mourn　his　father；　though　Flore　Brazier

did。　The　old　doctor　had　made　his　son　extremely　unhappy；　especially

since　he　came　of　age；　which　happened　in　1791；　but　he　had　given　the

little　peasant…girl　the　material　pleasures　which　are　the　ideal　of

happiness　to　country…folk。　When　Fanchette　asked　Flore；　after　the

funeral；　〃Well；　what　is　to　become　of　you；　now　that　monsieur　is　dead？〃

Jean…Jacques's　eyes　lighted　up；　and　for　the　first　time　in　his　life　his

dull　face　grew　animated；　showed　feeling；　and　seemed　to　brighten　under

the　rays　of　a　thought。



〃Leave　the　room；〃　he　said　to　Fanchette；　who　was　clearing　the　table。



At　seventeen；　Flore　retained　that　delicacy　of　feature　and　form；　that

distinction　of　beauty　which　attracted　the　doctor；　and　which　women　of

the　world　know　how　to　preserve；　though　it　fades　among　the　peasant…

girls　like　the　flowers　of　the　field。　Nevertheless；　the　tendency　to

embonpoint；　which　handsome　countrywomen　develop　when　they　no　longer

live　a　life　of　toil　and　hardship　in　the　fields　and　in　the　sunshine；

was　already　noticeable　about　her。　Her　bust　had　developed。　The　plump

white　shoulders　were　modelled　on　rich　lines　that　harmoniously　blended

with　those　of　the　throat；　already　showing　a　few　folds　of　flesh。　But

the　outline　of　the　face　was　still　faultless；　and　the　chin　delicate。



〃Flore；〃　said　Jean…Jacques；　in　a　trembling　voice；　〃you　feel　at　home　in

this　house？〃



〃Yes；　Monsieur　Jean。〃



As　the　heir　was　about　to　make　his　declaration；　he　felt　his　tongue

stiffen　at　the　recollection　of　the　dead　man；　just　put　away　in　his

grave；　and　a　doubt　seized　him　as　to　what　lengths　his　father's

benevolence　might　have　gone。　Flore；　who　was　quite　unable　even　to

suspect　his　simplicity　of　mind；　looked　at　her　future　master　and　waited

for　a　time；　expecting　Jean…Jacques　to　go　on　with　what　he　was　saying；

but　she　finally　left　him　without　knowing　what　to　think　of　such

obstinate　silence。　Whatever　teaching　the　Rabouilleuse　may　have

received　from　the　doctor；　it　was　many　a　long　day　before　she　finally

understood　the　character　of　Jean…Jacques；　whose　history　we　now　present

in　a　few　words。



At　the　death　of　his　father；　Jacques；　then　thirty…seven；　was　as　timid

and　submissive　to　paternal　discipline　as　a　child　of　twelve　years　old。

That　timidity　ought　to　explain　his　childhood；　youth；　and　after…life　to

those　who　are　reluctant　to　admit　the　existence　of　such　characters；　or

such　facts　as　this　history　relates；though　proofs　of　them　are；　alas；

common　everywhere；　even　among　princes；　for　Sophie　Dawes　was　taken　by

the　last　of　the　Condes　under　worse　circumstances　than　the

Rabouilleuse。　There　are　two　species　of　timidity；the　timidity　of　the

mind；　and　the　timidity　of　the　nerves；　a　physical　timidity；　and　a　moral

timidity。　The　one　is　independent　of　the　other。　The　body　may　fear　and

tremble；　while　the　mind　is　calm　and　courageous；　or　vice　versa。　This　is

the　key　to　many　moral　eccentricities。　When　the　two　are　united　in　one

man；　that　man　will　be　a　cipher　all　his　life；　such　double…sided

timidity　makes　him　what　we　call　〃an　imbecile。〃　Often　fine　suppressed

qualities　are　hidden　within　that　imbecile。　To　this　double　infirmity　we

may；　perhaps；　owe　the　lives　of　certain　monks　who　lived　in　ecstasy；　for

this　unfortunate　moral　and　physical　disposition　is　produced　quite　as

much　by　the　perfection　of　the　soul　and　of　the　organs；　as　by　defects

which　are　still　unstudied。



The　timidity　of　Jean…Jacques　came　from　a　certain　torpor　of　his

faculties；　which　a　great　teacher　or　a　great　surgeon；　like　Despleins；

would　have　roused。　In　him；　as　in　the　cretins；　the　sense　of　love　had

inherited　a　strength　and　vigor　which　were　lacking　to　his　mental

qualities；　though　he　had　mind　enough　to　guide　him　in　ordinary　affairs。

The　violence　of　passion；　stripped　of　the　ideal　in　which　most　young　men

expend　it；　only　increased　his　timidity。　He　had　never　brought　himself

to　court；　as　the　saying　is；　any　woman　in　Issoudun。　Certainly　no　young

girl　or　matron　would　make　advances　to　a　young　man　of　mean　stature；

awkward　and　shame…faced　in　attitude；　whose　vulgar　face；　with　its

flattened　features　and　pallid　skin；　making　him　look　old　before　his

time；　was　rendered　still　more　hideous　by　a　pair　of　large　and　prominent

light…green　eyes。　The　presence　of　a　woman　stultified　the　poor　fellow；

who　was　driven　by　passion　on　the　one　hand　as　violently　as　the　lack　of

ideas；　resulting　from　his　education；　held　him　back　on　the　other。

Paralyzed　between　these　opposing　forces；　he　had　not　a　word　to　say；　and

feared　to　be　spoken　to；　so　much　did　he　dread　the　obligation　of

replying。　Desire；　which　usually　sets　free　the　tongue；　only　petrified

his　powers　of　speech。　Thus　it　happened　that　Jean…Jacques　Rouget　was

solitary　and　sought　solitude　because　there　alone　he　was　at　his　ease。



The　doctor　had　seen；　too　late