the two brothers-第31节

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

glass　of　claret；　while　all　the　others　waited　eagerly　for　the　coming

allocution。



〃As　a　mark　of　the　ill…will　I　bear　you；　I　wish　you　all　a　mistress　who

is　equal　to　the　beautiful　Flore！　As　to　this　irruption　of　relations；　I

don't　feel　any　present　uneasiness；　and　as　to　the　future；　we'll　see

what　comes〃



〃Don't　let　us　forget　Fario's　cart！〃



〃Hang　it！　that's　safe　enough！〃　said　Goddet。



〃Oh！　I'll　engage　to　settle　that　business；〃　cried　Max。　〃Be　in　the

market…place　early；　all　of　you；　and　let　me　know　when　the　old　fellow

goes　for　his　cart。〃



It　was　striking　half…past　three　in　the　morning　as　the　Knights　slipped

out　in　silence　to　go　to　their　homes；　gliding　close　to　the　walls　of　the

houses　without　making　the　least　noise；　shod　as　they　were　in　list

shoes。　Max　slowly　returned　to　the　place　Saint…Jean；　situated　in　the

upper　part　of　the　town；　between　the　port　Saint…Jean　and　the　port

Vilatte；　the　quarter　of　the　rich　bourgeoisie。　Maxence　Gilet　had

concealed　his　fears；　but　the　news　had　struck　home。　His　experience　on

the　hulks　at　Cabrera　had　taught　him　a　dissimulation　as　deep　and

thorough　as　his　corruption。　First；　and　above　all　else；　the　forty

thousand　francs　a　year　from　landed　property　which　old　Rouget　owned

was；　let　it　be　clearly　understood；　the　constituent　element　of　Max's

passion　for　Flore　Brazier。　By　his　present　bearing　it　is　easy　to　see

how　much　confidence　the　woman　had　given　him　in　the　financial　future

she　expected　to　obtain　through　the　infatuation　of　the　old　bachelor。

Nevertheless；　the　news　of　the　arrival　of　the　legitimate　heirs　was　of　a

nature　to　shake　Max's　faith　in　Flore's　influence。　Rouget's　savings；

accumulating　during　the　last　seventeen　years；　still　stood　in　his　own

name；　and　even　if　the　will；　which　Flore　declared　had　long　been　made　in

her　favor；　were　revoked；　these　savings　at　least　might　be　secured　by

putting　them　in　the　name　of　Mademoiselle　Brazier。



〃That　fool　of　a　girl　never　told　me；　in　all　these　seven　years；　a　word

about　the　sister　and　nephews！〃　cried　Max；　turning　from　the　rue　de　la

Marmouse　into　the　rue　l'Avenier。　〃Seven　hundred　and　fifty　thousand

francs　placed　with　different　notaries　at　Bourges；　and　Vierzon；　and

Chateauroux；　can't　be　turned　into　money　and　put　into　the　Funds　in　a

week；　without　everybody　knowing　it　in　this　gossiping　place！　The　most

important　thing　is　to　get　rid　of　these　relations；　as　soon　as　they　are

driven　away　we　ought　to　make　haste　to　secure　the　property。　I　must

think　it　over。〃



Max　was　tired。　By　the　help　of　a　pass…key；　he　let　himself　into　Pere

Rouget's　house；　and　went　to　bed　without　making　any　noise；　saying　to

himself；



〃To…morrow；　my　thoughts　will　be　clear。〃



It　is　now　necessary　to　relate　where　the　sultana　of　the　place　Saint…

Jean　picked　up　the　nickname　of　〃Rabouilleuse；〃　and　how　she　came　to　be

the　quasi…mistress　of　Jean…Jacques　Rouget's　home。



As　old　Doctor　Rouget；　the　father　of　Jean…Jacques　and　Madame　Bridau；

advanced　in　years；　he　began　to　perceive　the　nonentity　of　his　son；　he

then　treated　him　harshly；　trying　to　break　him　into　a　routine　that

might　serve　in　place　of　intelligence。　He　thus；　though　unconsciously；

prepared　him　to　submit　to　the　yoke　of　the　first　tyranny　that　threw　its

halter　over　his　head。



Coming　home　one　day　from　his　professional　round；　the　malignant　and

vicious　old　man　came　across　a　bewitching　little　girl　at　the　edge　of

some　fields　that　lay　along　the　avenue　de　Tivoli。　Hearing　the　horse；

the　child　sprang　up　from　the　bottom　of　one　of　the　many　brooks　which

are　to　be　seen　from　the　heights　of　Issoudun；　threading　the　meadows

like　ribbons　of　silver　on　a　green　robe。　Naiad…like；　she　rose　suddenly

on　the　doctor's　vision；　showing　the　loveliest　virgin　head　that

painters　ever　dreamed　of。　Old　Rouget；　who　knew　the　whole　country…side；

did　not　know　this　miracle　of　beauty。　The　child；　who　was　half　naked；

wore　a　forlorn　little　petticoat　of　coarse　woollen　stuff；　woven　in

alternate　strips　of　brown　and　white；　full　of　holes　and　very　ragged。　A

sheet　of　rough　writing　paper；　tied　on　by　a　shred　of　osier；　served　her

for　a　hat。　Beneath　this　papercovered　with　pot…hooks　and　round　O's；

from　which　it　derived　the　name　of　〃schoolpaper〃the　loveliest　mass　of

blonde　hair　that　ever　a　daughter　of　Eve　could　have　desired；　was

twisted　up；　and　held　in　place　by　a　species　of　comb　made　to　comb　out

the　tails　of　horses。　Her　pretty　tanned　bosom；　and　her　neck；　scarcely

covered　by　a　ragged　fichu　which　was　once　a　Madres　handkerchief；　showed

edges　of　the　white　skin　below　the　exposed　and　sun…burned　parts。　One

end　of　her　petticoat　was　drawn　between　the　legs　and　fastened　with　a

huge　pin　in　front；　giving　that　garment　the　look　of　a　pair　of　bathing

drawers。　The　feet　and　the　legs；　which　could　be　seen　through　the　clear

water　in　which　she　stood；　attracted　the　eye　by　a　delicacy　which　was

worthy　of　a　sculptor　of　the　middle　ages。　The　charming　limbs　exposed　to

the　sun　had　a　ruddy　tone　that　was　not　without　beauty　of　its　own。　The

neck　and　bosom　were　worthy　of　being　wrapped　in　silks　and　cashmeres；

and　the　nymph　had　blue　eyes　fringed　with　long　lashes；　whose　glance

might　have　made　a　painter　or　a　poet　fall　upon　his　knees。　The　doctor；

enough　of　an　anatomist　to　trace　the　exquisite　figure；　recognized　the

loss　it　would　be　to　art　if　the　lines　of　such　a　model　were　destroyed　by

the　hard　toil　of　the　fields。



〃Where　do　you　come　from；　little　girl？　I　have　never　seen　you　before；〃

said　the　old　doctor；　then　sixty…two　years　of　age。　This　scene　took

place　in　the　month　of　September；　1799。



〃I　belong　in　Vatan；〃　she　answered。



Hearing　Rouget's　voice；　an　ill…looking　man；　standing　at　some　distance

in　the　deeper　waters　of　the　brook；　raised　his　head。　〃What　are　you

about；　Flore？〃　he　said；　〃While　you　are　talking　instead　of　catching；

the　creatures　will　get　away。〃



〃Why　have　you　come　here　from　Vatan？〃　continued　the　doctor；　paying　no

heed　to　the　interruption。



〃I　am　catching　crabs　for　my　uncle　Brazier　here。〃



〃Rabouiller〃　is　a　Berrichon　word　which　admirably　describes　the　thing

it　is　intended　to　express；　namely；　the　action　of　troubling　the　water

of　a　brook；　making　it　boil　and　bubble　with　a　branch　whose　end…shoots

spread　out　like　a　racket。　The　crabs；　frightened　by　this　operation；

which　they　do　not　understand；　come　hastily　to　the　surface；　and　in

their　flurry　rush　into　the　net　the　fisher　has　laid　for　them　at　a

little　distance。　Flore　Brazier　held　her　〃rabouilloir〃　in　her　hand　with

the　natural　grace　of　childlike　innocence。



〃Has　your　uncle　got　permission　to　hunt　crabs？〃



〃Hey！　are　not　we　all　under　a　Republic　that　is　one　and　indivisible？〃

cried　the　uncle　from　his　station。



〃We　are　under　a　Directory；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃and　I　know　of　no　law

which　allows　a　man　to　come　from　Vatan　and　fish　in　the　territory　of

Issoudun〃；　then　he　said　to　Flore；　〃Have　you　got　a　mother；　little　one！〃



〃No；　monsieur；　and　my　father　is　in　the　asylum　at　Bourges。　He　went　mad

from　a　sun…stroke　he　got　in　the　fields。〃



〃How　much　do　you　earn？〃



〃Five　sous　a　day　while　the　season　lasts；　I　catch　'em　as　far　as　the

Braisne。　In　harvest　time；　I　glean；　in　winter；　I　spin。〃



〃You　are　about　twelve　years　old？〃



〃Yes；　monsieur。〃



〃Do　you　want　to　come　with　me？　You　shall　be　well　fed　and　well　dressed；

and　have　some　pretty　shoes。〃



〃No；　my　niece　will　stay　with　me；　I　am　responsible　to　God　and　man　for

her；〃　said　Uncle　Brazier　who　had　come　up　to　them。　〃I　am　her　guardian；

d'ye　see？〃



The　doctor　kept　his　countenance　and　checked　a　smile　which　might　have

escaped　most　people　at　the　aspect　of　the　man。　The　guardian　wore　a

peasant's　hat；　rotted　by　sun　and　rain；　eaten　like　the　leaves　of　a

cabbage　that　has　harbored　several　caterpillars；　and　mended；　here　and

there；　with　white　thread。　Beneath　the　hat　was　a　dark　and　sunken　face；

in　which　the　mouth；　nose；　and　eyes；　seemed　four　black　spots。　His

forlorn　jacket　was　a　bit　of　patchwork；　and　his　trousers　were　of　crash

towelling。



〃I　am　Doctor　Rouget；〃　said　that　individual；　〃and　as　you　are　the

guardian　of　the　child；　bring　her　to　my　house；　in　the　place　Saint…Jean。

It　will　not　be　a　bad　day's　work　for　you；　nor　for　her；　either。〃



Without　waiting　for　an　answer；　and　sure　that　Uncle　Brazier　would　soon

appear　with　his　pretty　〃rabouilleuse；〃　Doctor　Rouget　set　spurs　to　his

horse　and　returned　to　Issoudun。　He　had　hardly　sat　down　to　dinner；

before　his　cook　announced　the　arrival　of　the　citoyen　and　citoyenne

Brazier。



〃Sit　down；〃　said　the　doctor　to　the　uncle　and　niece。



Flore　and　her　guardian；　still　barefooted；　looked　round　the　doctor's

dining…room　with　wondering　eyes；　never　having　seen　its　like　before。



The　house；　which　Rouget　inherited　from　the　Descoings　estate；　stands　in

the　middle　of　the　place　Saint…Jean；　a　so…called　square；　very　long　and

very　narrow；　planted　with　a　few　sickly　lindens。　The　houses　in　this

part　of　town　are　better　built　than　elsewhere；　and　that　of　t