the two brothers-第30节

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

them　hunting；　let　them　see　life；　and　exercised　a　much　greater

influence　over　them　than　their　own　family。　They　were　both　orphans；　and

were　kept；　although　each　had　attained　his　majority；　under　the

guardianship　of　Monsieur　Hochon；　for　reasons　which　will　be　explained

when　Monsieur　Hochon　himself　comes　upon　the　scene。



At　this　particular　moment　Francois　and　Baruch　（we　will　call　them　by

their　Christian　names　for　the　sake　of　clearness）　were　sitting；　one　on

each　side　of　Max；　at　the　middle　of　a　table　that　was　rather　ill　lighted

by　the　fuliginous　gleams　of　four　tallow　candles　of　eight　to　the　pound。

A　dozen　to　fifteen　bottles　of　various　wines　had　just　been　drunk；　for

only　eleven　of　the　Knights　were　present。　Baruchwhose　name　indicates

pretty　clearly　that　Calvinism　still　kept　some　hold　on　Issoudunsaid

to　Max；　as　the　wine　was　beginning　to　unloose　all　tongues；



〃You　are　threatened　in　your　stronghold。〃



〃What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃　asked　Max。



〃Why；　my　grandmother　has　had　a　letter　from　Madame　Bridau；　who　is　her

goddaughter；　saying　that　she　and　her　son　are　coming　here。　My

grandmother　has　been　getting　two　rooms　ready　for　them。〃



〃What's　that　to　me？〃　said　Max；　taking　up　his　glass　and　swallowing　the

contents　at　a　gulp　with　a　comic　gesture。



Max　was　then　thirty…four　years　old。　A　candle　standing　near　him　threw　a

gleam　upon　his　soldierly　face；　lit　up　his　brow；　and　brought　out

admirably　his　clear　skin；　his　ardent　eyes；　his　black　and　slightly

curling　hair；　which　had　the　brilliancy　of　jet。　The　hair　grew

vigorously　upward　from　the　forehead　and　temples；　sharply　defining

those　five　black　tongues　which　our　ancestors　used　to　call　the　〃five

points。〃　Notwithstanding　this　abrupt　contrast　of　black　and　white；

Max's　face　was　very　sweet；　owing　its　charm　to　an　outline　like　that

which　Raphael　gave　to　the　faces　of　his　Madonnas；　and　to　a　well…cut

mouth　whose　lips　smiled　graciously；　giving　an　expression　of

countenance　which　Max　had　made　distinctively　his　own。　The　rich

coloring　which　blooms　on　a　Berrichon　cheek　added　still　further　to　his

look　of　kindly　good…humor。　When　he　laughed　heartily；　he　showed　thirty…

two　teeth　worthy　of　the　mouth　of　a　pretty　woman。　In　height　about　five

feet　six　inches；　the　young　man　was　admirably　well…proportioned；

neither　too　stout　nor　yet　too　thin。　His　hands；　carefully　kept；　were

white　and　rather　handsome；　but　his　feet　recalled　the　suburb　and　the

foot…soldier　of　the　Empire。　Max　would　certainly　have　made　a　good

general　of　division；　he　had　shoulders　that　were　worth　a　fortune　to　a

marshal　of　France；　and　a　breast　broad　enough　to　wear　all　the　orders　of

Europe。　Every　movement　betrayed　intelligence；　born　with　grace　and

charm；　like　nearly　all　the　children　of　love；　the　noble　blood　of　his

real　father　came　out　in　him。



〃Don't　you　know；　Max；〃　cried　the　son　of　a　former　surgeon…major　named

Goddetnow　the　best　doctor　in　the　townfrom　the　other　end　of　the

table；　〃that　Madame　Hochon's　goddaughter　is　the　sister　of　Rouget？　If

she　is　coming　here　with　her　son；　no　doubt　she　means　to　make　sure　of

getting　the　property　when　he　dies；　and　thengood…by　to　your　harvest！〃



Max　frowned。　Then；　with　a　look　which　ran　from　one　face　to　another　all

round　the　table；　he　watched　the　effect　of　this　announcement　on　the

minds　of　those　present；　and　again　replied；



〃What's　that　to　me？〃



〃But；〃　said　Francois；　〃I　should　think　that　if　old　Rouget　revoked　his

will；in　case　he　has　made　one　in　favor　of　the　Rabouilleuse〃



Here　Max　cut　short　his　henchman's　speech。　〃I've　stopped　the　mouths　of

people　who　have　dared　to　meddle　with　you；　my　dear　Francois；〃　he　said；

〃and　this　is　the　way　you　pay　your　debts？　You　use　a　contemptuous

nickname　in　speaking　of　a　woman　to　whom　I　am　known　to　be　attached。〃



Max　had　never　before　said　as　much　as　this　about　his　relations　with　the

person　to　whom　Francois　had　just　applied　a　name　under　which　she　was

known　at　Issoudun。　The　late　prisoner　at　Cabrerathe　major　of　the

grenadiers　of　the　Guardknew　enough　of　what　honor　was　to　judge

rightly　as　to　the　causes　of　the　disesteem　in　which　society　held　him。

He　had　therefore　never　allowed　any　one；　no　matter　who；　to　speak　to　him

on　the　subject　of　Mademoiselle　Flore　Brazier；　the　servant…mistress　of

Jean…Jacques　Rouget；　so　energetically　termed　a　〃slut〃　by　the

respectable　Madame　Hochon。　Everybody　knew　it　was　too　ticklish　a

subject　with　Max；　ever　to　speak　of　it　unless　he　began　it；　and　hitherto

he　had　never　begun　it。　To　risk　his　anger　or　irritate　him　was

altogether　too　dangerous；　so　that　even　his　best　friends　had　never

joked　him　about　the　Rabouilleuse。　When　they　talked　of　his　liaison　with

the　girl　before　Major　Potel　and　Captain　Renard；　with　whom　he　lived　on

intimate　terms；　Potel　would　reply；



〃If　he　is　the　natural　brother　of　Jean…Jacques　Rouget　where　else　would

you　have　him　live？〃



〃Besides；　after　all；〃　added　Captain　Renard；　〃the　girl　is　a　worthless

piece；　and　if　Max　does　live　with　her　where's　the　harm？〃



After　this　merited　snub；　Francois　could　not　at　once　catch　up　the

thread　of　his　ideas；　but　he　was　still　less　able　to　do　so　when　Max　said

to　him；　gently；



〃Go　on。〃



〃Faith；　no！〃　cried　Francois。



〃You　needn't　get　angry；　Max；〃　said　young　Goddet；　〃didn't　we　agree　to

talk　freely　to　each　other　at　Mere　Cognette's？　Shouldn't　we　all　be

mortal　enemies　if　we　remembered　outside　what　is　said；　or　thought；　or

done　here？　All　the　town　calls　Flore　Brazier　the　Rabouilleuse；　and　if

Francois　did　happen　to　let　the　nickname　slip　out；　is　that　a　crime

against　the　Order　of　Idleness？〃



〃No；〃　said　Max；　〃but　against　our　personal　friendship。　However；　I

thought　better　of　it；　I　recollected　we　were　in　session；　and　that　was

why　I　said；　'Go　on。'〃



A　deep　silence　followed。　The　pause　became　so　embarrassing　for　the

whole　company　that　Max　broke　it　by　exclaiming：



〃I'll　go　on　for　him；〃　＇sensation＇　〃for　all　of　you；〃　＇amazement＇

〃and　tell　you　what　you　are　thinking〃　＇profound　sensation＇。　〃You

think　that　Flore；　the　Rabouilleuse；　La　Brazier；　the　housekeeper　of

Pere　Rouget；for　they　call　him　so；　that　old　bachelor；　who　can　never

have　any　children！you　think；　I　say；　that　that　woman　supplies　all　my

wants　ever　since　I　came　back　to　Issoudun。　If　I　am　able　to　throw　three

hundred　francs　a　month　to　the　dogs；　and　treat　you　to　suppers；as　I　do

to…night；and　lend　money　to　all　of　you；　you　think　I　get　the　gold　out

of　Mademoiselle　Flore　Brazier's　purse？　Well；　yes〃　＇profound

sensation＇。　〃Yes；　ten　thousand　times　yes！　Yes；　Mademoiselle　Brazier　is

aiming　straight　for　the　old　man's　property。〃



〃She　gets　it　from　father　to　son；〃　observed　Goddet；　in　his　corner。



〃You　think；〃　continued　Max；　smiling　at　Goddet's　speech；　〃that　I　intend

to　marry　Flore　when　Pere　Rouget　dies；　and　so　this　sister　and　her　son；

of　whom　I　hear　to…night　for　the　first　time；　will　endanger　my　future？〃



〃That's　just　it；〃　cried　Francois。



〃That　is　what　every　one　thinks　who　is　sitting　round　this　table；〃　said

Baruch。



〃Well；　don't　be　uneasy；　friends；〃　answered　Max。　〃Forewarned　is

forearmed！　Now　then；　I　address　the　Knights　of　Idleness。　If；　to　get　rid

of　these　Parisians　I　need　the　help　of　the　Order；　will　you　lend　me　a

hand？　Oh！　within　the　limits　we　have　marked　out　for　our　fooleries；〃　he

added　hastily；　perceiving　a　general　hesitation。　〃Do　you　suppose　I　want

to　kill　them；poison　them？　Thank　God　I'm　not　an　idiot。　Besides；　if

the　Bridaus　succeed；　and　Flore　has　nothing　but　what　she　stands　in；　I

should　be　satisfied；　do　you　understand　that？　I　love　her　enough　to

prefer　her　to　Mademoiselle　Fichet；if　Mademoiselle　Fichet　would　have

me。〃



Mademoiselle　Fichet　was　the　richest　heiress　in　Issoudun；　and　the　hand

of　the　daughter　counted　for　much　in　the　reported　passion　of　the

younger　Goddet　for　the　mother。　Frankness　of　speech　is　a　pearl　of　such

price　that　all　the　Knights　rose　to　their　feet　as　one　man。



〃You　are　a　fine　fellow；　Max！〃



〃Well　said；　Max；　we'll　stand　by　you！〃



〃A　fig　for　the　Bridaus！〃



〃We'll　bridle　them！〃



〃After　all；　it　is　only　three　swains　to　a　shepherdess。〃



〃The　deuce！　Pere　Lousteau　loved　Madame　Rouget；　isn't　it　better　to　love

a　housekeeper　who　is　not　yoked？〃



〃If　the　defunct　Rouget　was　Max's　father；　the　affair　is　in　the　family。〃



〃Liberty　of　opinion　now…a…days！〃



〃Hurrah　for　Max！〃



〃Down　with　all　hypocrites！〃



〃Here's　a　health　to　the　beautiful　Flore！〃



Such　were　the　eleven　responses；　acclamations；　and　toasts　shouted　forth

by　the　Knights　of　Idleness；　and　characteristic；　we　may　remark；　of

their　excessively　relaxed　morality。　It　is　now　easy　to　see　what

interest　Max　had　in　becoming　their　grand　master。　By　leading　the　young

men　of　the　best　families　in　their　follies　and　amusements；　and　by　doing

them　services；　he　meant　to　create　a　support　for　himself　when　the　day

for　recovering　his　position　came。　He　rose　gracefully　and　waved　his

glass　of　claret；　while　all　the　others　wai