the two brothers-第27节

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and　his　report　to　Sir　Charles　Cotton；　being　sent　to　the　Admiralty；

was　made　the　basis　of　a　remonstrance　on　the　part　of　the　British

government　with　Spain　on　the　subject　of　its　cruelties。　Sir　Charles

Cotton　despatched　Captain　Wormeley　a　second　time　to　Cabrera　with　a

good　many　head　of　live　cattle　and　a　large　supply　of　other

provisions。Tr。





But　he；　in　turn；　committed　arbitrary　acts；　there　were　those　who

curried　favor　with　him；　and　worked　his　will；　and　became　his　minions。

In　that　school　of　misery；　where　bitter　minds　dreamed　only　of

vengeance；　where　the　sophistries　hatched　in　such　brains　were　laying

up；　inevitably；　a　store　of　evil　thoughts；　Max　became　utterly

demoralized。　He　listened　to　the　opinions　of　those　who　longed　for

fortune　at　any　price；　and　did　not　shrink　from　the　results　of　criminal

actions；　provided　they　were　done　without　discovery。　When　peace　was

proclaimed；　in　April；　1814；　he　left　the　island；　depraved　though　still

innocent。　On　his　return　to　Issoudun　he　found　his　father　and　mother

dead。　Like　others　who　give　way　to　their　passions　and　make　life；　as

they　call　it；　short　and　sweet；　the　Gilets　had　died　in　the　almshouse　in

the　utmost　poverty。　Immediately　after　his　return；　the　news　of

Napoleon's　landing　at　Cannes　spread　through　France；　Max　could　do　no

better　than　go　to　Paris　and　ask　for　his　rank　as　major　and　for　his

cross。　The　marshal　who　was　at　that　time　minister　of　war　remembered　the

brave　conduct　of　Captain　Gilet　in　Portugal。　He　put　him　in　the　Guard　as

captain；　which　gave　him　the　grade　of　major　in　the　infantry；　but　he

could　not　get　him　the　cross。　〃The　Emperor　says　that　you　will　know　how

to　win　it　at　the　first　chance；〃　said　the　marshal。　In　fact；　the　Emperor

did　put　the　brave　captain　on　his　list　for　decoration　the　evening　after

the　fight　at　Fleurus；　where　Gilet　distinguished　himself。



After　the　battle　of　Waterloo　Max　retreated　to　the　Loire。　At　the　time

of　the　disbandment；　Marshal　Feltre　refused　to　recognize　Max's　grade　as

major；　or　his　claim　to　the　cross。　The　soldier　of　Napoleon　returned　to

Issoudun　in　a　state　of　exasperation　that　may　well　be　conceived；　he

declared　that　he　would　not　serve　without　either　rank　or　cross。　The

war…office　considered　these　conditions　presumptuous　in　a　young　man　of

twenty…five　without　a　name；　who　might；　if　they　were　granted；　become　a

colonel　at　thirty。　Max　accordingly　sent　in　his　resignation。　The　major

for　among　themselves　Bonapartists　recognized　the　grades　obtained　in

1815thus　lost　the　pittance　called　half…pay　which　was　allowed　to　the

officers　of　the　army　of　the　Loire。　But　all　Issoudun　was　roused　at　the

sight　of　the　brave　young　fellow　left　with　only　twenty　napoleons　in　his

possession；　and　the　mayor　gave　him　a　place　in　his　office　with　a　salary

of　six　hundred　francs。　Max　kept　it　a　few　months；　then　gave　it　up　of

his　own　accord；　and　was　replaced　by　a　captain　named　Carpentier；　who；

like　himself；　had　remained　faithful　to　Napoleon。



By　this　time　Gilet　had　become　grand　master　of　the　Knights　of　Idleness；

and　was　leading　a　life　which　lost　him　the　good…will　of　the　chief

people　of　the　town；　who；　however；　did　not　openly　make　the　fact　known

to　him；　for　he　was　violent　and　much　feared　by　all；　even　by　the

officers　of　the　old　army　who；　like　himself；　had　refused　to　serve　under

the　Bourbons；　and　had　come　home　to　plant　their　cabbages　in　Berry。　The

little　affection　felt　for　the　Bourbons　among　the　natives　of　Issoudun

is　not　surprising　when　we　recall　the　history　which　we　have　just　given。

In　fact；　considering　its　size　and　lack　of　importance；　the　little　place

contained　more　Bonapartists　than　any　other　town　in　France。　These　men

became；　as　is　well　known；　nearly　all　Liberals。



In　Issoudun　and　its　neighborhood　there　were　a　dozen　officers　in　Max's

position。　These　men　admired　him　and　made　him　their　leader；with　the

exception；　however；　of　Carpentier；　his　successor；　and　a　certain

Monsieur　Mignonnet；　ex…captain　in　the　artillery　of　the　Guard。

Carpentier；　a　cavalry　officer　risen　from　the　ranks；　had　married　into

one　of　the　best　families　in　the　town；the　Borniche…Herau。　Mignonnet；

brought　up　at　the　Ecole　Polytechnique；　had　served　in　a　corps　which

held　itself　superior　to　all　others。　In　the　Imperial　armies　there　were

two　shades　of　distinction　among　the　soldiers　themselves。　A　majority　of

them　felt　a　contempt　for　the　bourgeois；　the　〃civilian；〃　fully　equal　to

the　contempt　of　nobles　for　their　serfs；　or　conquerors　for　the

conquered。　Such　men　did　not　always　observe　the　laws　of　honor　in　their

dealings　with　civilians；　nor　did　they　much　blame　those　who　rode　rough…

shod　over　the　bourgeoisie。　The　others；　and　particularly　the　artillery；

perhaps　because　of　its　republicanism；　never　adopted　the　doctrine　of　a

military　France　and　a　civil　France；　the　tendency　of　which　was　nothing

less　than　to　make　two　nations。　So；　although　Major　Potel　and　Captain

Renard；　two　officers　living　in　the　Rome　suburb；　were　friends　to

Maxence　Gilet　〃through　thick　and　thin；〃　Major　Mignonnet　and　Captain

Carpentier　took　sides　with　the　bourgeoisie；　and　thought　his　conduct

unworthy　of　a　man　of　honor。



Major　Mignonnet；　a　lean　little　man；　full　of　dignity；　busied　himself

with　the　problems　which　the　steam…engine　requires　us　to　solve；　and

lived　in　a　modest　way；　taking　his　social　intercourse　with　Monsieur　and

Madame　Carpentier。　His　gentle　manners　and　ways；　and　his　scientific

occupations　won　him　the　respect　of　the　whole　town；　and　it　was

frequently　said　of　him　and　of　Captain　Carpentier　that　they　were　〃quite

another　thing〃　from　Major　Potel　and　Captain　Renard；　Maxence；　and　other

frequenters　of　the　cafe　Militaire；　who　retained　the　soldierly　manners

and　the　defective　morals　of　the　Empire。



At　the　time　when　Madame　Bridau　returned　to　Issoudun；　Max　was　excluded

from　the　society　of　the　place。　He　showed；　moreover；　proper

self…respect　in　never　presenting　himself　at　the　club；　and　in　never

complaining　of　the　severe　reprobation　that　was　shown　him；　although　he

was　the　handsomest；　the　most　elegant；　and　the　best　dressed　man　in　the

place；　spent　a　great　deal　of　money；　and　kept　a　horse；a　thing　as

amazing　at　Issoudun　as　the　horse　of　Lord　Byron　at　Venice。　We　are　now

to　see　how　it　was　that　Maxence；　poor　and　without　apparent　means；　was

able　to　become　the　dandy　of　the　town。　The　shameful　conduct　which

earned　him　the　contempt　of　all　scrupulous　or　religious　persons　was

connected　with　the　interests　which　brought　Agathe　and　Joseph　to

Issoudun。



Judging　by　the　audacity　of　his　bearing；　and　the　expression　of　his

face；　Max　cared　little　for　public　opinion；　he　expected；　no　doubt；　to

take　his　revenge　some　day；　and　to　lord　it　over　those　who　now　condemned

him。　Moreover；　if　the　bourgeoisie　of　Issoudun　thought　ill　of　him；　the

admiration　he　excited　among　the　common　people　counterbalanced　their

opinion；　his　courage；　his　dashing　appearance；　his　decision　of

character；　could　not　fail　to　please　the　masses；　to　whom　his

degradations　were；　for　the　most　part；　unknown；　and　indeed　the

bourgeoisie　themselves　scarcely　suspected　its　extent。　Max　played　a

role　at　Issoudun　which　was　something　like　that　of　the　blacksmith　in

the　〃Fair　Maid　of　Perth〃；　he　was　the　champion　of　Bonapartism　and　the

Opposition；　they　counted　upon　him　as　the　burghers　of　Perth　counted

upon　Smith　on　great　occasions。　A　single　incident　will　put　this　hero

and　victim　of　the　Hundred…Days　into　clear　relief。



In　1819；　a　battalion　commanded　by　royalist　officers；　young　men　just

out　of　the　Maison　Rouge；　passed　through　Issoudun　on　its　way　to　go　into

garrison　at　Bourges。　Not　knowing　what　to　do　with　themselves　in　so

constitutional　a　place　as　Issoudun；　these　young　gentlemen　went　to

while　away　the　time　at　the　cafe　Militaire。　In　every　provincial　town

there　is　a　military　cafe。　That　of　Issoudun；　built　on　the　place　d'Armes

at　an　angle　of　the　rampart；　and　kept　by　the　widow　of　an　officer；　was

naturally　the　rendezvous　of　the　Bonapartists；　chiefly　officers　on

half…pay；　and　others　who　shared　Max's　opinions；　to　whom　the　politics

of　the　town　allowed　free　expression　of　their　idolatry　for　the　Emperor。

Every　year；　dating　from　1816；　a　banquet　was　given　in　Issoudun　to

commemorate　the　anniversary　of　his　coronation。　The　three　royalists　who

first　entered　asked　for　the　newspapers；　among　others；　for　the

〃Quotidienne〃　and　the　〃Drapeau　Blanc。〃　The　politics　of　Issoudun；

especially　those　of　the　cafe　Militaire；　did　not　allow　of　such　royalist

journals。　The　establishment　had　none　but　the　〃Commerce；〃a　name　which

the　〃Constitutionel〃　was　compelled　to　adopt　for　several　years　after　it

was　suppressed　by　the　government。　But　as；　in　its　first　issue　under　the

new　name；　the　leading　article　began　with　these　words；　〃Commerce　is

essentially　constitutional；〃　people　continued　to　call　it　the

〃Constitutionel；〃　the　subscribers　all　understanding　the　sly　play　of

words　which　begged　them　to　pay　no　attention　to　the　label；　as　the　wine

would　be　the　same。



The　fat　landlady　replied　from　her　seat　at　the　desk　that　she　did　not

take　those　pa