the two brothers-第2节

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decade；　for　the　Republic　had　then　been　proclaimed）　he　was　imprisoned

on　a　hint　from　Robespierre　given　to　Fouquier…Tinville。　Descoings；　who

was　imprudent　enough　to　think　the　famine　fictitious；　had　the

additional　folly；　under　the　impression　that　opinions　were　free；　to

express　that　opinion　to　several　of　his　male　and　female　customers　as　he

served　them　in　the　grocery。　The　citoyenne　Duplay；　wife　of　a　cabinet…

maker　with　whom　Robespierre　lodged；　and　who　looked　after　the　affairs

of　that　eminent　citizen；　patronized；　unfortunately；　the　Descoings

establishment。　She　considered　the　opinions　of　the　grocer　insulting　to

Maximilian　the　First。　Already　displeased　with　the　manners　of

Descoings；　this　illustrious　〃tricoteuse〃　of　the　Jacobin　club　regarded

the　beauty　of　his　wife　as　a　kind　of　aristocracy。　She　infused　a　venom

of　her　own　into　the　grocer's　remarks　when　she　repeated　them　to　her

good　and　gentle　master；　and　the　poor　man　was　speedily　arrested　on　the

well…worn　charge　of　〃accaparation。〃



No　sooner　was　he　put　in　prison；　than　his　wife　set　to　work　to　obtain

his　release。　But　the　steps　she　took　were　so　ill…judged　that　any　one

hearing　her　talk　to　the　arbiters　of　his　fate　might　have　thought　that

she　was　in　reality　seeking　to　get　rid　of　him。　Madame　Descoings　knew

Bridau；　one　of　the　secretaries　of　Roland；　then　minister　of　the

interior；the　right…hand　man　of　all　the　ministers　who　succeeded　each

other　in　that　office。　She　put　Bridau　on　the　war…path　to　save　her

grocer。　That　incorruptible　officialone　of　the　virtuous　dupes　who　are

always　admirably　disinterestedwas　careful　not　to　corrupt　the　men　on

whom　the　fate　of　the　poor　grocer　depended；　on　the　contrary；　he

endeavored　to　enlighten　them。　Enlighten　people　in　those　days！　As　well

might　he　have　begged　them　to　bring　back　the　Bourbons。　The　Girondist

minister；　who　was　then　contending　against　Robespierre；　said　to　his

secretary；　〃Why　do　you　meddle　in　the　matter？〃　and　all　others　to　whom

the　worthy　Bridau　appealed　made　the　same　atrocious　reply：　〃Why　do　you

meddle？〃　Bridau　then　sagely　advised　Madame　Descoings　to　keep　quiet　and

await　events。　But　instead　of　conciliating　Robespierre's　housekeeper；

she　fretted　and　fumed　against　that　informer；　and　even　complained　to　a

member　of　the　Convention；　who；　trembling　for　himself；　replied　hastily；

〃I　will　speak　of　it　to　Robespierre。〃　The　handsome　petitioner　put　faith

in　this　promise；　which　the　other　carefully　forgot。　A　few　loaves　of

sugar；　or　a　bottle　or　two　of　good　liqueur；　given　to　the　citoyenne

Duplay　would　have　saved　Descoings。



This　little　mishap　proves　that　in　revolutionary　times　it　is　quite　as

dangerous　to　employ　honest　men　as　scoundrels；　we　should　rely　on

ourselves　alone。　Descoings　perished；　but　he　had　the　glory　of　going　to

the　scaffold　with　Andre　Chenier。　There；　no　doubt；　grocery　and　poetry

embraced　for　the　first　time　in　the　flesh；　although　they　have；　and　ever

have　had；　intimate　secret　relations。　The　death　of　Descoings　produced

far　more　sensation　than　that　of　Andre　Chenier。　It　has　taken　thirty

years　to　prove　to　France　that　she　lost　more　by　the　death　of　Chenier

than　by　that　of　Descoings。



This　act　of　Robespierre　led　to　one　good　result：　the　terrified　grocers

let　politics　alone　until　1830。　Descoings's　shop　was　not　a　hundred

yards　from　Robespierre's　lodging。　His　successor　was　scarcely　more

fortunate　than　himself。　Cesar　Birotteau；　the　celebrated　perfumer　of

the　〃Queen　of　Roses；〃　bought　the　premises；　but；　as　if　the　scaffold　had

left　some　inexplicable　contagion　behind　it；　the　inventor　of　the　〃Paste

of　Sultans〃　and　the　〃Carminative　Balm〃　came　to　his　ruin　in　that　very

shop。　The　solution　of　the　problem　here　suggested　belongs　to　the　realm

of　occult　science。



During　the　visits　which　Roland's　secretary　paid　to　the　unfortunate

Madame　Descoings；　he　was　struck　with　the　cold；　calm；　innocent　beauty

of　Agathe　Rouget。　While　consoling　the　widow；　who；　however；　was　too

inconsolable　to　carry　on　the　business　of　her　second　deceased　husband；

he　married　the　charming　girl；　with　the　consent　of　her　father；　who

hastened　to　give　his　approval　to　the　match。　Doctor　Rouget；　delighted

to　hear　that　matters　were　going　beyond　his　expectations；for　his

wife；　on　the　death　of　her　brother；　had　become　sole　heiress　of　the

Descoings；rushed　to　Paris；　not　so　much　to　be　present　at　the　wedding

as　to　see　that　the　marriage　contract　was　drawn　to　suit　him。　The　ardent

and　disinterested　love　of　citizen　Bridau　gave　carte　blanche　to　the

perfidious　doctor；　who　made　the　most　of　his　son…in…law's　blindness；　as

the　following　history　will　show。



Madame　Rouget；　or；　to　speak　more　correctly；　the　doctor；　inherited　all

the　property；　landed　and　personal；　of　Monsieur　and　Madame　Descoings

the　elder；　who　died　within　two　years　of　each　other；　and　soon　after

that；　Rouget　got　the　better；　as　we　may　say；　of　his　wife；　for　she　died

at　the　beginning　of　the　year　1799。　So　he　had　vineyards　and　he　bought

farms；　he　owned　iron…works　and　he　sold　fleeces。　His　well…beloved　son

was　stupidly　incapable　of　doing　anything；　but　the　father　destined　him

for　the　state　in　life　of　a　land　proprietor　and　allowed　him　to　grow　up

in　wealth　and　silliness；　certain　that　the　lad　would　know　as　much　as

the　wisest　if　he　simply　let　himself　live　and　die。　After　1799；　the

cipherers　of　Issoudun　put；　at　the　very　least；　thirty　thousand　francs'

income　to　the　doctor's　credit。　From　the　time　of　his　wife's　death　he

led　a　debauched　life；　though　he　regulated　it；　so　to　speak；　and　kept　it

within　the　closed　doors　of　his　own　house。　This　man；　endowed　with　〃strength

of　character；〃　died　in　1805；　and　God　only　knows　what　the　townspeople

of　Issoudun　said　about　him　then；　and　how　many　anecdotes　they　related

of　his　horrible　private　life。　Jean…Jacques　Rouget；　whom　his　father；

recognizing　his　stupidity；　had　latterly　treated　with　severity；

remained　a　bachelor　for　certain　reasons；　the　explanation　of　which　will

form　an　important　part　of　this　history。　His　celibacy　was　partly　his

father's　fault；　as　we　shall　see　later。



Meantime；　it　is　well　to　inquire　into　the　results　of　the　secret

vengeance　the　doctor　took　on　a　daughter　whom　he　did　not　recognize　as

his　own；　but　who；　you　must　understand　at　once；　was　legitimately　his。

Not　a　person　in　Issoudun　had　noticed　one　of　those　capricious　facts

that　make　the　whole　subject　of　generation　a　vast　abyss　in　which

science　flounders。　Agathe　bore　a　strong　likeness　to　the　mother　of

Doctor　Rouget。　Just　as　gout　is　said　to　skip　a　generation　and　pass　from

grandfather　to　grandson；　resemblances　not　uncommonly　follow　the　same

course。



In　like　manner；　the　eldest　of　Agathe's　children；　who　physically

resembled　his　mother；　had　the　moral　qualities　of　his　grandfather；

Doctor　Rouget。　We　will　leave　the　solution　of　this　problem　to　the

twentieth　century；　with　a　fine　collection　of　microscopic　animalculae；

our　descendants　may　perhaps　write　as　much　nonsense　as　the　scientific

schools　of　the　nineteenth　century　have　uttered　on　this　mysterious　and

perplexing　question。



Agathe　Rouget　attracted　the　admiration　of　everyone　by　a　face　destined；

like　that　of　Mary；　the　mother　of　our　Lord；　to　continue　ever　virgin；

even　after　marriage。　Her　portrait；　still　to　be　seen　in　the　atelier　of

Bridau；　shows　a　perfect　oval　and　a　clear　whiteness　of　complexion；

without　the　faintest　tinge　of　color；　in　spite　of　her　golden　hair。　More

than　one　artist；　looking　at　the　pure　brow；　the　discreet；　composed

mouth；　the　delicate　nose；　the　small　ears；　the　long　lashes；　and　the

dark…blue　eyes　filled　with　tenderness；in　short；　at　the　whole

countenance　expressive　of　placidity；has　asked　the　great　artist；　〃Is

that　a　copy　of　a　Raphael？〃　No　man　ever　acted　under　a　truer　inspiration

than　the　minister's　secretary　when　he　married　this　young　girl。　Agathe

was　an　embodiment　of　the　ideal　housekeeper　brought　up　in　the　provinces

and　never　parted　from　her　mother。　Pious；　though　far　from

sanctimonious；　she　had　no　other　education　than　that　given　to　women　by

the　Church。　Judged；　by　ordinary　standards；　she　was　an　accomplished

wife；　yet　her　ignorance　of　life　paved　the　way　for　great　misfortunes。

The　epitaph　on　the　Roman　matron；　〃She　did　needlework　and　kept　the

house；〃　gives　a　faithful　picture　of　her　simple；　pure；　and　tranquil

existence。



Under　the　Consulate；　Bridau　attached　himself　fanatically　to　Napoleon；

who　placed　him　at　the　head　of　a　department　in　the　ministry　of　the

interior　in　1804；　a　year　before　the　death　of　Doctor　Rouget。　With　a

salary　of　twelve　thousand　francs　and　very　handsome　emoluments；　Bridau

was　quite　indifferent　to　the　scandalous　settlement　of　the　property　at

Issoudun；　by　which　Agathe　was　deprived　of　her　rightful　inheritance。

Six　months　before　Doctor　Rouget's　death　he　had　sold　one…half　of　his

property　to　his　son；　to　whom　the　other　half　was　bequeathed　as　a　gift；

and　also　in　accordance　with　his　rights　as　heir。　An　advance　of　fifty

thousand　francs　on　her　inheritance；　made　to　Agathe　at　the　time　of　her

marriage；　represented　her　share　of　the　property　of　her　fathe