the two brothers-第32节

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

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

Descoings's　was　one　of　the　finest。　It　stands　opposite　to　the　house　of

Monsieur　Hochon；　and　has　three　windows　in　front　on　the　first　storey；

and　a　porte…cochere　on　the　ground…floor　which　gives　entrance　to　a

courtyard；　beyond　which　lies　the　garden。　Under　the　archway　of　the

porte…cochere　is　the　door　of　a　large　hall　lighted　by　two　windows　on

the　street。　The　kitchen　is　behind　this　hall；　part　of　the　space　being

used　for　a　staircase　which　leads　to　the　upper　floor　and　to　the　attic

above　that。　Beyond　the　kitchen　is　a　wood…shed　and　wash…house；　a　stable

for　two　horses　and　a　coach…house；　over　which　are　some　little　lofts　for

the　storage　of　oats；　hay；　and　straw；　where；　at　that　time；　the　doctor's

servant　slept。



The　hall　which　the　little　peasant　and　her　uncle　admired　with　such

wonder　is　decorated　with　wooden　carvings　of　the　time　of　Louis　XV。；

painted　gray；　and　a　handsome　marble　chimney…piece；　over　which　Flore

beheld　herself　in　a　large　mirror　without　any　upper　division　and　with　a

carved　and　gilded　frame。　On　the　panelled　walls　of　the　room；　from　space

to　space；　hung　several　pictures；　the　spoil　of　various　religious

houses；　such　as　the　abbeys　of　Deols；　Issoudun；　Saint…Gildas；　La　Pree；

Chezal…Beniot；　Saint…Sulpice；　and　the　convents　of　Bourges　and

Issoudun；　which　the　liberality　of　our　kings　had　enriched　with　the

precious　gifts　of　the　glorious　works　called　forth　by　the　Renaissance。

Among　the　pictures　obtained　by　the　Descoings　and　inherited　by　Rouget；

was　a　Holy　Family　by　Albano；　a　Saint…Jerome　of　Demenichino；　a　Head　of

Christ　by　Gian　Bellini；　a　Virgin　of　Leonardo；　a　Bearing　of　the　Cross

by　Titian；　which　formerly　belonged　to　the　Marquis　de　Belabre　（the　one

who　sustained　a　siege　and　had　his　head　cut　off　under　Louis　XIII。）；　a

Lazarus　of　Paul　Veronese；　a　Marriage　of　the　Virgin　by　the　priest

Genois；　two　church　paintings　by　Rubens；　and　a　replica　of　a　picture　by

Perugino；　done　either　by　Perugino　himself　or　by　Raphael；　and　finally；

two　Correggios　and　one　Andrea　del　Sarto。



The　Descoings　had　culled　these　treasures　from　three　hundred　church

pictures；　without　knowing　their　value；　and　selecting　them　only　for

their　good　preservation。　Many　were　not　only　in　magnificent　frames；　but

some　were　still　under　glass。　Perhaps　it　was　the　beauty　of　the　frames

and　the　value　of　the　glass　that　led　the　Descoings　to　retain　the

pictures。　The　furniture　of　the　room　was　not　wanting　in　the　sort　of

luxury　we　prize　in　these　days；　though　at　that　time　it　had　no　value　in

Issoudun。　The　clock；　standing　on　the　mantle…shelf　between　two　superb

silver　candlesticks　with　six　branches；　had　an　ecclesiastical　splendor

which　revealed　the　hand　of　Boulle。　The　armchairs　of　carved　oak；

covered　with　tapestry…work　due　to　the　devoted　industry　of　women　of

high　rank；　would　be　treasured　in　these　days；　for　each　was　surmounted

with　a　crown　and　coat…of…arms。　Between　the　windows　stood　a　rich

console；　brought　from　some　castle；　on　whose　marble　slab　stood　an

immense　China　jar；　in　which　the　doctor　kept　his　tobacco。　But　neither

Rouget；　nor　his　son；　nor　the　cook；　took　the　slightest　care　of　all

these　treasures。　They　spat　upon　a　hearth　of　exquisite　delicacy；　whose

gilded　mouldings　were　now　green　with　verdigris。　A　handsome　chandelier；

partly　of　semi…transparent　porcelain；　was　peppered；　like　the　ceiling

from　which　it　hung；　with　black　speckles；　bearing　witness　to　the

immunity　enjoyed　by　the　flies。　The　Descoings　had　draped　the　windows

with　brocatelle　curtains　torn　from　the　bed　of　some　monastic　prior。　To

the　left　of　the　entrance…door；　stood　a　chest　or　coffer；　worth　many

thousand　francs；　which　the　doctor　now　used　for　a　sideboard。



〃Here；　Fanchette；〃　cried　Rouget　to　his　cook；　〃bring　two　glasses；　and

give　us　some　of　the　old　wine。〃



Fanchette；　a　big　Berrichon　countrywoman；　who　was　considered　a　better

cook　than　even　La　Cognette；　ran　in　to　receive　the　order　with　a

celerity　which　said　much　for　the　doctor's　despotism；　and　something

also　for　her　own　curiosity。



〃What　is　an　acre　of　vineyard　worth　in　your　parts？〃　asked　the　doctor；

pouring　out　a　glass　of　wine　for　Brazier。



〃Three　hundred　francs　in　silver。〃



〃Well；　then！　leave　your　niece　here　as　my　servant；　she　shall　have　three

hundred　francs　in　wages；　and；　as　you　are　her　guardian；　you　can　take

them。〃



〃Every　year？〃　exclaimed　Brazier；　with　his　eyes　as　wide　as　saucers。



〃I　leave　that　to　your　conscience；〃　said　the　doctor。　〃She　is　an　orphan；

up　to　eighteen；　she　has　no　right　to　what　she　earns。〃



〃Twelve　to　eighteenthat's　six　acres　of　vineyard！〃　said　the　uncle。

〃Ay；　she's　a　pretty　one；　gentle　as　a　lamb；　well　made　and　active；　and

obedient　as　a　kitten。　She　were　the　light　o'　my　poor　brother's　eyes〃



〃I　will　pay　a　year　in　advance；〃　observed　the　doctor。



〃Bless　me！　say　two　years；　and　I'll　leave　her　with　you；　for　she'll　be

better　off　with　you　than　with　us；　my　wife　beats　her；　she　can't　abide

her。　There's　none　but　I　to　stand　up　for　her；　and　the　little　saint　of　a

creature　is　as　innocent　as　a　new…born　babe。〃



When　he　heard　the　last　part　of　this　speech；　the　doctor；　struck　by　the

word　〃innocent；〃　made　a　sign　to　the　uncle　and　took　him　out　into　the

courtyard　and　from　thence　to　the　garden；　leaving　the　Rabouilleuse　at

the　table　with　Fanchette　and　Jean…Jacques；　who　immediately　questioned

her；　and　to　whom　she　naively　related　her　meeting　with　the　doctor。



〃There　now；　my　little　darling；　good…by；〃　said　Uncle　Brazier；　coming

back　and　kissing　Flore　on　the　forehead；　〃you　can　well　say　I've　made

your　happiness　by　leaving　you　with　this　kind　and　worthy　father　of　the

poor；　you　must　obey　him　as　you　would　me。　Be　a　good　girl；　and　behave

nicely；　and　do　everything　he　tells　you。〃



〃Get　the　room　over　mine　ready；〃　said　the　doctor　to　Fanchette。　〃Little

FloreI　am　sure　she　is　worthy　of　the　namewill　sleep　there　in

future。　To…morrow；　we'll　send　for　a　shoemaker　and　a　dressmaker。　Put

another　plate　on　the　table；　she　shall　keep　us　company。〃



That　evening；　all　Issoudun　could　talk　of　nothing　else　than　the　sudden

appearance　of　the　little　〃rabouilleuse〃　in　Doctor　Rouget's　house。　In

that　region　of　satire　the　nickname　stuck　to　Mademoiselle　Brazier

before；　during；　and　after　the　period　of　her　good　fortune。



The　doctor　no　doubt　intended　to　do　with　Flore　Brazier；　in　a　small　way；

what　Louis　XV。　did　in　a　large　one　with　Mademoiselle　de　Romans；　but　he

was　too　late　about　it；　Louis　XV。　was　still　young；　whereas　the　doctor

was　in　the　flower　of　old　age。　From　twelve　to　fourteen；　the　charming

little　Rabouilleuse　lived　a　life　of　unmixed　happiness。　Always　well…

dressed；　and　often　much　better　tricked　out　than　the　richest　girls　in

Issoudun；　she　sported　a　gold　watch　and　jewels；　given　by　the　doctor　to

encourage　her　studies；　and　she　had　a　master　who　taught　her　to　read；

write；　and　cipher。　But　the　almost　animal　life　of　the　true　peasant　had

instilled　into　Flore　such　deep　repugnance　to　the　bitter　cup　of

knowledge；　that　the　doctor　stopped　her　education　at　that　point。　His

intentions　with　regard　to　the　child；　whom　he　cleansed　and　clothed；　and

taught；　and　formed　with　a　care　which　was　all　the　more　remarkable

because　he　was　thought　to　be　utterly　devoid　of　tenderness；　were

interpreted　in　a　variety　of　ways　by　the　cackling　society　of　the　town；

whose　gossip　often　gave　rise　to　fatal　blunders；　like　those　relating　to

the　birth　of　Agathe　and　that　of　Max。　It　is　not　easy　for　the　community

of　a　country　town　to　disentangle　the　truth　from　the　mass　of　conjecture

and　contradictory　reports　to　which　a　single　fact　gives　rise。　The

provinces　insistas　in　former　days　the　politicians　of　the　little

Provence　at　the　Tuileries　insistedon　full　explanations；　and　they

usually　end　by　knowing　everything。　But　each　person　clings　to　the

version　of　the　event　which　he；　or　she；　likes　best；　proclaims　it；

argues　it；　and　considers　it　the　only　true　one。　In　spite　of　the　strong

light　cast　upon　people's　lives　by　the　constant　spying　of　a　little

town；　truth　is　thus　often　obscured；　and　to　be　recognized；　it　needs　the

impartiality　which　historians　or　superior　minds　acquire　by　looking　at

the　subject　from　a　higher　point　of　view。



〃What　do　you　suppose　that　old　gorilla　wants　at　his　age　with　a　little

girl　only　fifteen　years　old？〃　society　was　still　saying　two　years　after

the　arrival　of　the　Rabouilleuse。



〃Ah！　that's　true；〃　they　answered；　〃his　days　of　merry…making　are　long

past。〃



〃My　dear　fellow；　the　doctor　is　disgusted　at　the　stupidity　of　his　son；

and　he　persists　in　hating　his　daughter　Agathe；　it　may　be　that　he　has

been　living　a　decent　life　for　the　last　two　years；　intending　to　marry

little　Flore；　suppose　she　were　to　give　him　a　fine；　active；　strapping

boy；　full　of　life　like　Max？〃　said　one　of　the　wise　heads　of　the　town。



〃Bah！　don't　talk　nonsense！　After　such　a　life　as　Rouget　and　Lousteau

led　from　1770　to　1787；　is　it　likely　that　either　of　them　would　have