the two brothers-第29节

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managed　to　grease　the　sub…prefect's　stoves　every　night　with　an　oil

which　sent　forth　so　fetid　a　smell　that　it　was　impossible　for　any　one

to　stay　in　the　house。　Even　that　was　not　enough；　his　wife；　going　to

mass　one　morning；　found　her　shawl　glued　together　on　the　inside　with

some　tenacious　substance；　so　that　she　was　obliged　to　go　without　it。

The　sub…prefect　finally　asked　for　another　appointment。　The　cowardly

submissiveness　of　this　officer　had　much　to　do　with　firmly　establishing

the　weird　and　comic　authority　of　the　Knights　of　Idleness。



Beyond　the　rue　des　Minimes　and　the　place　Misere；　a　section　of　a

quarter　was　at　that　time　enclosed　between　an　arm　of　the　〃Riviere

forcee〃　on　the　lower　side　and　the　ramparts　on　the　other；　beginning　at

the　place　d'Armes　and　going　as　far　as　the　pottery　market。　This

irregular　square　is　filled　with　poor…looking　houses　crowded　one

against　the　other；　and　divided　here　and　there　by　streets　so　narrow

that　two　persons　cannot　walk　abreast。　This　section　of　the　town；　a　sort

of　cour　des　Miracles；　was　occupied　by　poor　people　or　persons　working

at　trades　that　were　little　remunerative；a　population　living　in

hovels；　and　buildings　called　picturesquely　by　the　familiar　term　of

〃blind　houses。〃　From　the　earliest　ages　this　has　no　doubt　been　an

accursed　quarter；　the　haunt　of　evil…doers；　in　fact　one　thoroughfare　is

named　〃the　street　of　the　Executioner。〃　For　more　than　five　centuries　it

has　been　customary　for　the　executioner　to　have　a　red　door　at　the

entrance　of　his　house。　The　assistant　of　the　executioner　of　Chateauroux

still　lives　there；if　we　are　to　believe　public　rumor；　for　the

townspeople　never　see　him：　the　vine…dressers　alone　maintain　an

intercourse　with　this　mysterious　being；　who　inherits　from　his

predecessors　the　gift　of　curing　wounds　and　fractures。　In　the　days　when

Issoudun　assumed　the　airs　of　a　capital　city　the　women　of　the　town　made

this　section　of　it　the　scene　of　their　wanderings。　Here　came　the

second…hand　sellers　of　things　that　look　as　if　they　never　could　find　a

purchaser；　old…clothes　dealers　whose　wares　infected　the　air；　in　short；

it　was　the　rendezvous　of　that　apocryphal　population　which　is　to　be

found　in　nearly　all　such　portions　of　a　city；　where　two　or　three　Jews

have　gained　an　ascendency。



At　the　corner　of　one　of　these　gloomy　streets　in　the　livelier　half　of

the　quarter；　there　existed　from　1815　to　1823；　and　perhaps　later；　a

public…house　kept　by　a　woman　commonly　called　Mere　Cognette。　The　house

itself　was　tolerably　well　built；　in　courses　of　white　stone；　with　the

intermediary　spaces　filled　in　with　ashlar　and　cement；　one　storey　high

with　an　attic　above。　Over　the　door　was　an　enormous　branch　of　pine；

looking　as　though　it　were　cast　in　Florentine　bronze。　As　if　this　symbol

were　not　explanatory　enough；　the　eye　was　arrested　by　the　blue　of　a

poster　which　was　pasted　over　the　doorway；　and　on　which　appeared；　above

the　words　〃Good　Beer　of　Mars；〃　the　picture　of　a　soldier　pouring　out；

in　the　direction　of　a　very　decolletee　woman；　a　jet　of　foam　which

spurted　in　an　arched　line　from　the　pitcher　to　the　glass　which　she　was

holding　towards　him；　the　whole　of　a　color　to　make　Delacroix　swoon。



The　ground…floor　was　occupied　by　an　immense　hall　serving　both　as

kitchen　and　dining…room；　from　the　beams　of　which　hung；　suspended　by

huge　nails；　the　provisions　needed　for　the　custom　of　such　a　house。

Behind　this　hall　a　winding　staircase　led　to　the　upper　storey；　at　the

foot　of　the　staircase　a　door　led　into　a　low；　long　room　lighted　from

one　of　those　little　provincial　courts；　so　narrow；　dark；　and　sunken

between　tall　houses；　as　to　seem　like　the　flue　of　a　chimney。　Hidden　by

a　shed；　and　concealed　from　all　eyes　by　walls；　this　low　room　was　the

place　where　the　Bad　Boys　of　Issoudun　held　their　plenary　court。

Ostensibly；　Pere　Cognet　boarded　and　lodged　the　country…people　on

market…days；　secretly；　he　was　landlord　to　the　Knights　of　Idleness。

This　man；　who　was　formerly　a　groom　in　a　rich　household；　had　ended　by

marrying　La　Cognette；　a　cook　in　a　good　family。　The　suburb　of　Rome

still　continues；　like　Italy　and　Poland；　to　follow　the　Latin　custom　of

putting　a　feminine　termination　to　the　husband's　name　and　giving　it　to

the　wife。



By　uniting　their　savings　Pere　Cognet　and　his　spouse　had　managed　to　buy

their　present　house。　La　Cognette；　a　woman　of　forty；　tall　and　plump；

with　the　nose　of　a　Roxelane；　a　swarthy　skin；　jet…black　hair；　brown

eyes　that　were　round　and　lively；　and　a　general　air　of　mirth　and

intelligence；　was　selected　by　Maxence　Gilet；　on　account　of　her

character　and　her　talent　for　cookery；　as　the　Leonarde　of　the　Order。

Pere　Cognet　might　be　about　fifty…six　years　old；　he　was　thick…set；　very

much　under　his　wife's　rule；　and；　according　to　a　witticism　which　she

was　fond　of　repeating；　he　only　saw　things　with　a　good　eyefor　he　was

blind　of　the　other。　In　the　course　of　seven　years；　that　is；　from　1816

to　1823；　neither　wife　nor　husband　had　betrayed　what　went　on　nightly　at

their　house；　or　who　they　were　that　shared　in　the　plot；　they　felt　the

liveliest　regard　for　the　Knights；　their　devotion　was　absolute。　But

this　may　seem　less　creditable　if　we　remember　that　self…interest　was

the　security　of　their　affection　and　their　silence。　No　matter　at　what

hour　of　the　night　the　Knights　dropped　in　upon　the　tavern；　the　moment

they　knocked　in　a　certain　way　Pere　Cognet；　recognizing　the　signal；　got

up；　lit　the　fire　and　the　candles；　opened　the　door；　and　went　to　the

cellar　for　a　particular　wine　that　was　laid　in　expressly　for　the　Order；

while　La　Cognette　cooked　an　excellent　supper；　eaten　either　before　or

after　the　expeditions；　which　were　usually　planned　the　previous　evening

or　in　the　course　of　the　preceding　day。







CHAPTER　VIII



While　Joseph　and　Madame　Bridau　were　journeying　from　Orleans　to

Issoudun；　the　Knights　of　Idleness　perpetrated　one　of　their　best

tricks。　An　old　Spaniard；　a　former　prisoner　of　war；　who　after　the　peace

had　remained　in　the　neighborhood；　where　he　did　a　small　business　in

grain；　came　early　one　morning　to　market；　leaving　his　empty　cart　at　the

foot　of　the　tower　of　Issoudun。　Maxence；　who　arrived　at　a　rendezvous　of

the　Knights；　appointed　on　that　occasion　at　the　foot　of　the　tower；　was

soon　assailed　with　the　whispered　question；　〃What　are　we　to　do　to…

night？〃



〃Here's　Pere　Fario's　cart；〃　he　answered。　〃I　nearly　cracked　my　shins

over　it。　Let　us　get　it　up　on　the　embankment　of　the　tower　in　the　first

place；　and　we'll　make　up　our　minds　afterwards。〃



When　Richard　Coeur…de…Lion　built　the　tower　of　Issoudun　he　raised　it；

as　we　have　said；　on　the　ruins　of　the　basilica；　which　itself　stood

above　the　Roman　temple　and　the　Celtic　Dun。　These　ruins；　each　of　which

represents　a　period　of　several　centuries；　form　a　mound　big　with　the

monuments　of　three　distinct　ages。　The　tower　is；　therefore；　the　apex　of

a　cone；　from　which　the　descent　is　equally　steep　on　all　sides；　and

which　is　only　approached　by　a　series　of　steps。　To　give　in　a　few　words

an　idea　of　the　height　of　this　tower；　we　may　compare　it　to　the　obelisk

of　Luxor　on　its　pedestal。　The　pedestal　of　the　tower　of　Issoudun；　which

hid　within　its　breast　such　archaeological　treasures；　was　eighty　feet

high　on　the　side　towards　the　town。　In　an　hour　the　cart　was　taken　off

its　wheels　and　hoisted；　piece　by　piece；　to　the　top　of　the　embankment

at　the　foot　of　the　tower　itself；a　work　that　was　somewhat　like　that

of　the　soldiers　who　carried　the　artillery　over　the　pass　of　the　Grand

Saint…Bernard。　The　cart　was　then　remounted　on　its　wheels；　and　the

Knights；　by　this　time　hungry　and　thirsty；　returned　to　Mere　Cognette's；

where　they　were　soon　seated　round　the　table　in　the　low　room；　laughing

at　the　grimaces　Fario　would　make　when　he　came　after　his　barrow　in　the

morning。



The　Knights；　naturally；　did　not　play　such　capers　every　night。　The

genius　of　Sganarelle；　Mascarille；　and　Scapin　combined　would　not　have

sufficed　to　invent　three　hundred　and　sixty…five　pieces　of　mischief　a

year。　In　the　first　place；　circumstances　were　not　always　propitious：

sometimes　the　moon　shone　clear；　or　the　last　prank　had　greatly

irritated　their　betters；　then　one　or　another　of　their　number　refused

to　share　in　some　proposed　outrage　because　a　relation　was　involved。　But

if　the　scamps　were　not　at　Mere　Cognette's　every　night；　they　always　met

during　the　day；　enjoying　together　the　legitimate　pleasures　of　hunting；

or　the　autumn　vintages　and　the　winter　skating。　Among　this　assemblage

of　twenty　youths；　all　of　them　at　war　with　the　social　somnolence　of　the

place；　there　are　some　who　were　more　closely　allied　than　others　to　Max；

and　who　made　him　their　idol。　A　character　like　his　often　fascinates

other　youths。　The　two　grandsons　of　Madame　HochonFrancois　Hochon　and

Baruch　Bornichewere　his　henchmen。　These　young　fellows；　accepting　the

general　opinion　of　the　left…handed　parentage　of　Lousteau；　looked　upon

Max　as　their　cousin。　Max；　moreover；　was　liberal　in　lending　them　money

for　their　pleasures；　which　their　grandfather　Hochon　refused；　he　took