the two brothers-第23节

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　　is　the　greatest　miser　in　Issoudun。　I　do　not　know　what　he　does　with

　　his　money；　he　does　not　give　twenty　francs　a　year　to　his

　　grandchildren。　As　for　borrowing　the　money；　I　should　have　to　get

　　his　signature；　and　he　would　refuse　it。　I　have　not　even　attempted

　　to　speak　to　your　brother；　who　lives　with　a　concubine；　to　whom　he

　　is　a　slave。　It　is　pitiable　to　see　how　the　poor　man　is　treated　in

　　his　own　home；　when　he　might　have　a　sister　and　nephews　to　take　care

　　of　him。



　　I　have　hinted　to　you　several　times　that　your　presence　at　Issoudun

　　might　save　your　brother；　and　rescue　a　fortune　of　forty；　perhaps

　　sixty；　thousand　francs　a　year　from　the　claws　of　that　slut；　but　you

　　either　do　not　answer　me；　or　you　seem　never　to　understand　my

　　meaning。　So　to…day　I　am　obliged　to　write　without　epistolary

　　circumlocution。　I　feel　for　the　misfortune　which　has　overtaken　you；

　　but；　my　dearest；　I　can　do　no　more　than　pity　you。　And　this　is　why：

　　Hochon；　at　eighty…five　years　of　age；　takes　four　meals　a　day；　eats

　　a　salad　with　hard…boiled　eggs　every　night；　and　frisks　about　like　a

　　rabbit。　I　shall　have　spent　my　whole　lifefor　he　will　live　to

　　write　my　epitaphwithout　ever　having　had　twenty　francs　in　my

　　purse。　If　you　will　come　to　Issoudun　and　counteract　the　influence

　　of　that　concubine　over　your　brother；　you　must　stay　with　me；　for

　　there　are　reasons　why　Rouget　cannot　receive　you　in　his　own　house；

　　but　even　then；　I　shall　have　hard　work　to　get　my　husband　to　let　me

　　have　you　here。　However；　you　can　safely　come；　I　can　make　him　mind

　　me　as　to　that。　I　know　a　way　to　get　what　I　want　out　of　him；　I　have

　　only　to　speak　of　making　my　will。　It　seems　such　a　horrid　thing　to

　　do　that　I　do　not　often　have　recourse　to　it；　but　for　you；　dear

　　Agathe；　I　will　do　the　impossible。



　　I　hope　your　Philippe　will　get　out　of　his　trouble；　and　I　beg　you　to

　　employ　a　good　lawyer。　In　any　case；　come　to　Issoudun　as　soon　as　you

　　can。　Remember　that　your　imbecile　of　a　brother　at　fifty…seven　is　an

　　older　and　weaker　man　than　Monsieur　Hochon。　So　it　is　a　pressing

　　matter。　People　are　talking　already　of　a　will　that　cuts　off　your

　　inheritance；　but　Monsieur　Hochon　says　there　is　still　time　to　get

　　it　revoked。



　　Adieu；　my　little　Agathe；　may　God　help　you！　Believe　in　the　love　of

　　your　godmother；





　　Maximilienne　Hochon；　nee　Lousteau。



　　P。S。　Has　my　nephew；　Etienne；　who　writes　in　the　newspapers　and　is

　　intimate；　they　tell　me；　with　your　son　Philippe；　been　to　pay　his

　　respects　to　you？　But　come　at　once　to　Issoudun；　and　we　will　talk

　　over　things。





This　letter　made　a　great　impression　on　Agathe；　who　showed　it；　of

course；　to　Joseph；　to　whom　she　had　been　forced　to　mention　Giroudeau's

proposal。　The　artist；　who　grew　wary　when　it　concerned　his　brother；

pointed　out　to　her　that　she　ought　to　tell　everything　to　Desroches。



Conscious　of　the　wisdom　of　that　advice；　Agathe　went　with　her　son　the

next　morning；　at　six　o'clock；　to　find　Desroches　at　his　house　in　the

rue　de　Bussy。　The　lawyer；　as　cold　and　stern　as　his　late　father；　with　a

sharp　voice；　a　rough　skin；　implacable　eyes；　and　the　visage　of　a　fox　as

he　licks　his　lips　of　the　blood　of　chickens；　bounded　like　a　tiger　when

he　heard　of　Giroudeau's　visit　and　proposal。



〃And　pray；　mere　Bridau；〃　he　cried；　in　his　little　cracked　voice；　〃how

long　are　you　going　to　be　duped　by　your　cursed　brigand　of　a　son？　Don't

give　him　a　farthing。　Make　yourself　easy；　I'll　answer　for　Philippe。　I

should　like　to　see　him　brought　before　the　Court　of　Peers；　it　might

save　his　future。　You　are　afraid　he　will　be　condemned；　but　I　say；　may

it　please　God　his　lawyer　lets　him　be　convicted。　Go　to　Issoudun；　secure

the　property　for　your　children。　If　you　don't　succeed；　if　your　brother

has　made　a　will　in　favor　of　that　woman；　and　you　can't　make　him　revoke

it；well　then；　at　least　get　all　the　evidence　you　can　of　undue

influence；　and　I'll　institute　proceedings　for　you。　But　you　are　too

honest　a　woman　to　know　how　to　get　at　the　bottom　facts　of　such　a

matter。　I'll　go　myself　to　Issoudun　in　the　holidays；if　I　can。〃



That　〃go　myself〃　made　Joseph　tremble　in　his　skin。　Desroches　winked　at

him　to　let　his　mother　go　downstairs　first；　and　then　the　lawyer

detained　the　young　man　for　a　single　moment。



〃Your　brother　is　a　great　scoundrel；　he　is　the　cause　of　the　discovery

of　this　conspiracy；intentionally　or　not；　I　can't　say；　for　the　rascal

is　so　sly　no　one　can　find　out　the　exact　truth　as　to　that。　Fool　or

traitor；take　your　choice。　He　will　be　put　under　the　surveillance　of

the　police；　nothing　more。　You　needn't　be　uneasy；　no　one　knows　this

secret　but　myself。　Go　to　Issoudun　with　your　mother。　You　have　good

sense；　try　to　save　the　property。〃



〃Come；　my　poor　mother；　Desroches　is　right；〃　said　Joseph；　rejoining

Agathe　on　the　staircase。　〃I　have　sold　my　two　pictures；　let　us　start

for　Berry；　you　have　two　weeks'　leave　of　absence。〃



After　writing　to　her　godmother　to　announce　their　arrival；　Agathe　and

Joseph　started　the　next　evening　for　their　trip　to　Issoudun；　leaving

Philippe　to　his　fate。　The　diligence　rolled　through　the　rue　d'Enfer

toward　the　Orleans　highroad。　When　Agathe　saw　the　Luxembourg；　to　which

Philippe　had　been　transferred；　she　could　not　refrain　from　saying；



〃If　it　were　not　for　the　Allies　he　would　never　be　there！〃



Many　sons　would　have　made　an　impatient　gesture　and　smiled　with　pity；

but　the　artist；　who　was　alone　with　his　mother　in　the　coupe；　caught　her

in　his　arms　and　pressed　her　to　his　heart；　exclaiming：



〃Oh；　mother！　you　are　a　mother　just　as　Raphael　was　a　painter。　And　you

will　always　be　a　fool　of　a　mother！〃



Madame　Bridau's　mind；　diverted　before　long　from　her　griefs　by　the

distractions　of　the　journey；　began　to　dwell　on　the　purpose　of　it。　She

re…read　the　letter　of　Madame　Hochon；　which　had　so　stirred　up　the

lawyer　Desroches。　Struck　with　the　words　〃concubine〃　and　〃slut；〃　which

the　pen　of　a　septuagenarian　as　pious　as　she　was　respectable　had　used

to　designate　the　woman　now　in　process　of　getting　hold　of　Jean…Jacques

Rouget's　property；　struck　also　with　the　word　〃imbecile〃　applied　to

Rouget　himself；　she　began　to　ask　herself　how；　by　her　presence　at

Issoudun；　she　was　to　save　the　inheritance。　Joseph；　poor　disinterested

artist　that　he　was；　knew　little　enough　about　the　Code；　and　his

mother's　last　remark　absorbed　his　mind。



〃Before　our　friend　Desroches　sent　us　off　to　protect　our　rights；　he

ought　to　have　explained　to　us　the　means　of　doing　so；〃　he　exclaimed。



〃So　far　as　my　poor　head；　which　whirls　at　the　thought　of　Philippe　in

prison；without　tobacco；　perhaps；　and　about　to　appear　before　the

Court　of　Peers！leaves　me　any　distinct　memory；〃　returned　Agathe；　〃I

think　young　Desroches　said　we　were　to　get　evidence　of　undue　influence；

in　case　my　brother　has　made　a　will　in　favor　of　thatthatwoman。〃



〃He　is　good　at　that；　Desroches　is；〃　cried　the　painter。　〃Bah！　if　we　can

make　nothing　of　it　I'll　get　him　to　come　himself。〃



〃Well；　don't　let　us　trouble　our　heads　uselessly；〃　said　Agathe。　〃When

we　get　to　Issoudun　my　godmother　will　tell　us　what　to　do。〃



This　conversation；　which　took　place　just　after　Madame　Bridau　and

Joseph　changed　coaches　at　Orleans　and　entered　the　Sologne；　is

sufficient　proof　of　the　incapacity　of　the　painter　and　his　mother　to

play　the　part　the　inexorable　Desroches　had　assigned　to　them。



In　returning　to　Issoudun　after　thirty　years'　absence；　Agathe　was　about

to　find　such　changes　in　its　manners　and　customs　that　it　is　necessary

to　sketch；　in　a　few　words；　a　picture　of　that　town。　Without　it；　the

reader　would　scarcely　understand　the　heroism　displayed　by　Madame

Hochon　in　assisting　her　goddaughter；　or　the　strange　situation　of　Jean…

Jacques　Rouget。　Though　Doctor　Rouget　had　taught　his　son　to　regard

Agathe　in　the　light　of　a　stranger；　it　was　certainly　a　somewhat

extraordinary　thing　that　for　thirty　years　a　brother　should　have　given

no　signs　of　life　to　a　sister。　Such　a　silence　was　evidently　caused　by

peculiar　circumstances；　and　any　other　sister　and　nephew　than　Agathe

and　Joseph　would　long　ago　have　inquired　into　them。　There　is；　moreover；

a　certain　connection　between　the　condition　of　the　city　of　Issoudun　and

the　interests　of　the　Bridau　family；　which　can　only　be　seen　as　the

story　goes　on。







CHAPTER　VII



Issoudun；　be　it　said　without　offence　to　Paris；　is　one　of　the　oldest

cities　in　France。　In　spite　of　the　historical　assumption　which　makes

the　emperor　Probus　the　Noah　of　the　Gauls；　Caesar　speaks　of　the

excellent　wine　of　Champ…Fort　（〃de　Campo　Forti〃）　still　one　of　the　best

vintages　of　Issoudun。　Rigord　writes　of　this　city　in　language　which

leaves　no　doubt　as　to　its　great　population　and　its　immense　commerce。

But　these　testimonies　both　assign　a　much　lesser　age　to　the　city　than

its　ancient　antiquity　demands。　In　fact；　the　excavations　lately

undertaken　by　a　learned　archaeologist　of　the　place；　Monsieur　Armand

Peremet；　have　brought　to　light；　under　the　celebrated　tower　of

Issoudun；　a　basilica　of　t