the two brothers-第38章

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proofs　of　attachment　you　have　so　long　given　to　my　brother；　and　for　the

way　in　which　you　watch　over　his　happiness。〃



〃That　is　true；　my　dear　Agathe；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃she　has　taught　me

what　happiness　is；　she　is　a　woman　of　excellent　qualities。〃



〃And　therefore；　my　dear　brother；　you　ought　to　have　recompensed

Mademoiselle　by　making　her　your　wife。　Yes！　I　am　too　sincere　in　my

religion　not　to　wish　to　see　you　obey　the　precepts　of　the　church。　You

would　each　be　more　tranquil　in　mind　if　you　were　not　at　variance　with

morality　and　the　laws。　I　have　come　here；　dear　brother；　to　ask　for　help

in　my　affliction；　but　do　not　suppose　that　we　wish　to　make　any

remonstrance　as　to　the　manner　in　which　you　may　dispose　of　your

property〃



〃Madame；〃　said　Flore；　〃we　know　how　unjust　your　father　was　to　you。

Monsieur；　here；　can　tell　you；〃　she　went　on；　looking　fixedly　at　her

victim；　〃that　the　only　quarrels　we　have　ever　had　were　about　you。　I

have　always　told　him　that　he　owes　you　part　of　the　fortune　he　received

from　his　father；　and　your　father；　my　benefactor；for　he　was　my

benefactor；〃　she　added　in　a　tearful　voice；　〃I　shall　ever　remember　him！

But　your　brother；　madame；　has　listened　to　reason〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃when　I　make　my　will　you　shall　not　be

forgotten。〃



〃Don't　talk　of　these　things；　my　dear　brother；　you　do　not　yet　know　my

nature。〃



After　such　a　beginning；　it　is　easy　to　imagine　how　the　visit　went　on。

Rouget　invited　his　sister　to　dinner　on　the　next　day　but　one。



We　may　here　mention　that　during　these　three　days　the　Knights　of

Idleness　captured　an　immense　quantity　of　rats　and　mice；　which　were

kept　half…famished　until　they　were　let　loose　in　the　grain　one　fine

night；　to　the　number　of　four　hundred　and　thirty…six；　of　which　some

were　breeding　mothers。　Not　content　with　providing　Fario's　store…house

with　these　boarders；　the　Knights　made　holes　in　the　roof　of　the　old

church　and　put　in　a　dozen　pigeons；　taken　from　as　many　different　farms。

These　four…footed　and　feathered　creatures　held　high　revels；all　the

more　securely　because　the　watchman　was　enticed　away　by　a　fellow　who

kept　him　drunk　from　morning　till　night；　so　that　he　took　no　care　of　his

master's　property。



Madame　Bridau　believed；　contrary　to　the　opinion　of　old　Hochon；　that

her　brother　has　as　yet　made　no　will；　she　intended　asking　him　what　were

his　intentions　respecting　Mademoiselle　Brazier；　as　soon　as　she　could

take　a　walk　with　him　alone；a　hope　which　Flore　and　Maxence　were

always　holding　out　to　her；　and；　of　course；　always　disappointing。



Meantime　the　Knights　were　searching　for　a　way　to　put　the　Parisians　to

flight；　and　finding　none　that　were　not　impracticable　follies。



At　the　end　of　a　weekhalf　the　time　the　Parisians　were　to　stay　in

Issoudunthe　Bridaus　were　no　farther　advanced　in　their　object　than

when　they　came。



〃Your　lawyer　does　not　understand　the　provinces；〃　said　old　Hochon　to

Madame　Bridau。　〃What　you　have　come　to　do　can't　be　done　in　two　weeks；

nor　in　two　years；　you　ought　never　to　leave　your　brother；　but　live　here

and　try　to　give　him　some　ideas　of　religion。　You　cannot　countermine　the

fortifications　of　Flore　and　Maxence　without　getting　a　priest　to　sap

them。　That　is　my　advice；　and　it　is　high　time　to　set　about　it。〃



〃You　certainly　have　very　singular　ideas　about　the　clergy；〃　said　Madame

Hochon　to　her　husband。



〃Bah！〃　exclaimed　the　old　man；　〃that's　just　like　you　pious　women。〃



〃God　would　never　bless　an　enterprise　undertaken　in　a　sacrilegious

spirit；〃　said　Madame　Bridau。　〃Use　religion　for　such　a　purpose！　Why；　we

should　be　more　criminal　than　Flore。〃



This　conversation　took　place　at　breakfast；Francois　and　Baruch

listening　with　all　their　ears。



〃Sacrilege！〃　exclaimed　old　Hochon。　〃If　some　good　abbe；　keen　as　I　have

known　many　of　them　to　be；　knew　what　a　dilemma　you　are　in；　he　would　not

think　it　sacrilege　to　bring　your　brother's　lost　soul　back　to　God；　and

call　him　to　repentance　for　his　sins；　by　forcing　him　to　send　away　the

woman　who　causes　the　scandal　（with　a　proper　provision；　of　course）；　and

showing　him　how　to　set　his　conscience　at　rest　by　giving　a　few　thousand

francs　a　year　to　the　seminary　of　the　archbishop　and　leaving　his

property　to　the　rightful　heirs。〃



The　passive　obedience　which　the　old　miser　had　always　exacted　from　his

children；　and　now　from　his　grandchildren　（who　were　under　his

guardianship　and　for　whom　he　was　amassing　a　small　fortune；　doing　for

them；　he　said；　just　as　he　would　for　himself）；　prevented　Baruch　and

Francois　from　showing　signs　of　surprise　or　disapproval；　but　they

exchanged　significant　glances　expressing　how　dangerous　and　fatal　such

a　scheme　would　be　to　Max's　interest。



〃The　fact　is；　madame；〃　said　Baruch；　〃that　if　you　want　to　secure　your

brother's　property；　the　only　sure　and　true　way　will　be　to　stay　in

Issoudun　for　the　necessary　length　of　time〃



〃Mother；〃　said　Joseph　hastily；　〃you　had　better　write　to　Desroches

about　all　this。　As　for　me；　I　ask　nothing　more　than　what　my　uncle　has

already　given　me。〃



After　fully　recognizing　the　great　value　of　his　thirty…nine　pictures；

Joseph　had　carefully　unnailed　the　canvases　and　fastened　paper　over

them；　gumming　it　at　the　edges　with　ordinary　glue；　he　then　laid　them

one　above　another　in　an　enormous　wooden　box；　which　he　sent　to

Desroches　by　the　carrier's　waggon；　proposing　to　write　him　a　letter

about　it　by　post。　The　precious　freight　had　been　sent　off　the　night

before。



〃You　are　satisfied　with　a　pretty　poor　bargain；〃　said　Monsieur　Hochon。



〃I　can　easily　get　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs　for　those

pictures；〃　replied　Joseph。



〃Painter's　nonsense！〃　exclaimed　old　Hochon；　giving　Joseph　a　peculiar

look。



〃Mother；〃　said　Joseph；　〃I　am　going　to　write　to　Desroches　and　explain

to　him　the　state　of　things　here。　If　he　advises　you　to　remain；　you　had

better　do　so。　As　for　your　situation；　we　can　always　find　you　another

like　it。〃



〃My　dear　Joseph；〃　said　Madame　Hochon；　following　him　as　he　left　the

table；　〃I　don't　know　anything　about　your　uncle's　pictures；　but　they

ought　to　be　good；　judging　by　the　places　from　which　they　came。　If　they

are　worth　only　forty　thousand　francs；a　thousand　francs　apiece；tell

no　one。　Though　my　grandsons　are　discreet　and　well…behaved；　they　might；

without　intending　harm；　speak　of　this　windfall；　it　would　be　known　all

over　Issoudun；　and　it　is　very　important　that　our　adversaries　should

not　suspect　it。　You　behave　like　a　child！〃



In　fact；　before　evening　many　persons　in　Issoudun；　including　Max；　were

informed　of　this　estimate；　which　had　the　immediate　effect　of　causing　a

search　for　all　the　old　paintings　which　no　one　had　ever　cared　for；　and

the　appearance　of　many　execrable　daubs。　Max　repented　having　driven　the

old　man　into　giving　away　the　pictures；　and　the　rage　he　felt　against

the　heirs　after　hearing　from　Baruch　old　Hochon's　ecclesiastical

scheme；　was　increased　by　what　he　termed　his　own　stupidity。　The

influence　of　religion　upon　such　a　feeble　creature　as　Rouget　was　the

one　thing　to　fear。　The　news　brought　by　his　two　comrades　decided

Maxence　Gilet　to　turn　all　Rouget's　investments　into　money；　and　to

borrow　upon　his　landed　property；　so　as　to　buy　into　the　Funds　as　soon

as　possible；　but　he　considered　it　even　more　important　to　get　rid　of

the　Parisians　at　once。　The　genius　of　the　Mascarilles　and　Scapins　out

together　would　hardly　have　solved　the　latter　problem　easily。



Flore；　acting　by　Max's　advice；　pretended　that　Monsieur　was　too　feeble

to　take　walks；　and　that　he　ought；　at　his　age；　to　have　a　carriage。　This

pretext　grew　out　of　the　necessity　of　not　exciting　inquiry　when　they

went　to　Bourges；　Vierzon；　Chateauroux；　Vatan；　and　all　the　other　places

where　the　project　of　withdrawing　investments　obliged　Max　and　Flore　to

betake　themselves　with　Rouget。　At　the　close　of　the　week；　all　Issoudun

was　amazed　to　learn　that　the　old　man　had　gone　to　Bourges　to　buy　a

carriage；a　step　which　the　Knights　of　Idleness　regarded　as　favorable

to　the　Rabouilleuse。　Flore　and　Max　selected　a　hideous　〃berlingot；〃

with　cracked　leather　curtains　and　windows　without　glass；　aged　twenty…

two　years　and　nine　campaigns；　sold　on　the　decease　of　a　colonel；　the

friend　of　grand…marshal　Bertrand；　who；　during　the　absence　of　that

faithful　companion　of　the　Emperor；　was　left　in　charge　of　the　affairs

of　Berry。　This　〃berlingot；〃　painted　bright　green；　was　somewhat　like　a

caleche；　though　shafts　had　taken　the　place　of　a　pole；　so　that　it　could

be　driven　with　one　horse。　It　belonged　to　a　class　of　carriages　brought

into　vogue　by　diminished　fortunes；　which　at　that　time　bore　the　candid

name　of　〃demi…fortune〃；　at　its　first　introduction　it　was　called　a

〃seringue。〃　The　cloth　lining　of　this　demi…fortune；　sold　under　the　name

of　caleche；　was　moth…eaten；　its　gimps　looked　like　the　chevrons　of　an

old　Invalide；　its　rusty　joints　squeaked；but　it　only　cost　four

hundred　and　fifty　francs；　and　Max　bought　a　good　stout　mare；　trained　to

harness；　from　an　officer　of　a　regiment　then　stationed　at　Bourges。　He

had　the　carriage　repainted　a　dark　brown；　and　bought　a　tolerable

harness　at　a　bargain。　The　whole　town　of　Issoudun　was　shaken　to　its

centre　in　expectation　of　Pere　Rouget's　equipage；　and　on　the　occasion

of　its　first　appearance；　every　household　was　on　its　door…step　and

curious　faces　were　at　all　the　windows。



The　second　time　the　old　bachelor　went　out　he　drove　to　Bourges；　where；

to　escape　the　trouble　of　attending　personally　to　the　business；　or；　if

you　prefer　it；　being　ordered　to　do　so　by　Flore；　he　went　before　a

notary　and　signed　a　power　of　attorney　in　favor　of　Maxence　Gilet；

enabling　him　to　make　all　the　transfers　enumerated　in　the　document。

Flore　reserved　to　herself　the　business　of　making　Monsieur　sell　out　the

investments　in　Issoudun　and　its　immediate　neighborhood。　The　principal

notary　in　Bourges　was　requested　by　Rouget　to　get　him　a　loan　of　one

hundred　and　forty　thousand　francs　on　his　landed　estate。　Nothing　was

known　at　Issoudun　of　these　proceedings；　which　were　secretly　and

cleverly　carried　out。　Maxence；　who　was　a　good　rider；　went　with　his　own

horse　to　Bourges　and　back　between　five　in　the　morning　and　five　in　the

afternoon。　Flore　never　left　the　old　bachelor。　Rouget　consented　without

objection　to　the　action　Flore　dictated　to　him；　but　he　insisted　that

the　investment　in　the　Funds；　producing　fifty　thousand　francs　a　year；

should　stand　in　Flore's　name　as　holding　a　life…interest　only；　and　in

his　as　owner　of　the　principal。　The　tenacity　the　old　man　displayed　in

the　domestic　disputes　which　this　idea　created　caused　Max　a　good　deal

of　anxiety；　he　thought　he　could　see　the　result　of　reflections　inspired

by　the　sight　of　the　natural　heirs。



Amid　all　these　movements；　which　Max　concealed　from　the　knowledge　of

everyone；　he　forgot　the　Spaniard　and　his　granary。　Fario　came　back　to

Issoudun　to　deliver　his　corn；　after　various　trips　and　business

manoeuvres　undertaken　to　raise　the　price　of　cereals。　The　morning　after

his　arrival　he　not