the two brothers-第35节

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took　a　tone　of　injured　virtue；　the　fact　being　that　she　was　humiliated

by　having；　at　her　age；　a　crab…girl　for　a　mistress；a　child　who　had

been　brought　barefoot　into　the　house。　Fanchette　owned　three　hundred

francs　a　year　in　the　Funds；　for　the　doctor　made　her　invest　her　savings

in　that　way；　and　he　had　left　her　as　much　more　in　an　annuity；　she　could

therefore　live　at　her　ease　without　the　necessity　of　working；　and　she

quitted　the　house　nine　months　after　the　funeral　of　her　old　master；

April　15；　1806。　That　date　may　indicate；　to　a　perspicacious　observer；

the　epoch　at　which　Flore　Brazier　ceased　to　be　an　honest　girl。



The　Rabouilleuse；　clever　enough　to　foresee　Fanchette's　probable

defection；there　is　nothing　like　the　exercise　of　power　for　teaching

policy；was　already　resolved　to　do　without　a　servant。　For　six　months

she　had　studied；　without　seeming　to　do　so；　the　culinary　operations

that　made　Fanchette　a　cordon…bleu　worthy　of　cooking　for　a　doctor。　In

the　matter　of　choice　living；　doctors　are　on　a　par　with　bishops。　The

doctor　had　brought　Fanchette's　talents　to　perfection。　In　the　provinces

the　lack　of　occupation　and　the　monotony　of　existence　turn　all　activity

of　mind　towards　the　kitchen。　People　do　not　dine　as　luxuriously　in　the

country　as　they　do　in　Paris；　but　they　dine　better；　the　dishes　are

meditated　upon　and　studied。　In　rural　regions　we　often　find　some　Careme

in　petticoats；　some　unrecognized　genius　able　to　serve　a　simple　dish　of

haricot…beans　worthy　of　the　nod　with　which　Rossini　welcomed　a

perfectly…rendered　measure。



When　studying　for　his　degree　in　Paris；　the　doctor　had　followed　a

course　of　chemistry　under　Rouelle；　and　had　gathered　some　ideas　which

he　afterwards　put　to　use　in　the　chemistry　of　cooking。　His　memory　is

famous　in　Issoudun　for　certain　improvements　little　known　outside　of

Berry。　It　was　he　who　discovered　that　an　omelette　is　far　more　delicate

when　the　whites　and　the　yolks　are　not　beaten　together　with　the

violence　which　cooks　usually　put　into　the　operation。　He　considered

that　the　whites　should　be　beaten　to　a　froth　and　the　yolks　gently　added

by　degrees；　moreover　a　frying…pan　should　never　be　used；　but　a

〃cagnard〃　of　porcelain　or　earthenware。　The　〃cagnard〃　is　a　species　of

thick　dish　standing　on　four　feet；　so　that　when　it　is　placed　on　the

stove　the　air　circulates　underneath　and　prevents　the　fire　from

cracking　it。　In　Touraine　the　〃cagnard〃　is　called　a　〃cauquemarre。〃

Rabelais；　I　think；　speaks　of　a　〃cauquemarre〃　for　cooking　cockatrice

eggs；　thus　proving　the　antiquity　of　the　utensil。　The　doctor　had　also

found　a　way　to　prevent　the　tartness　of　browned　butter；　but　his　secret；

which　unluckily　he　kept　to　his　own　kitchen；　has　been　lost。



Flore；　a　born　fryer　and　roaster；　two　qualities　that　can　never　be

acquired　by　observation　nor　yet　by　labor；　soon　surpassed　Fanchette。　In

making　herself　a　cordon…bleu　she　was　thinking　of　Jean…Jacques's

comfort；　though　she　was；　it　must　be　owned；　tolerably　dainty。

Incapable；　like　all　persons　without　education；　of　doing　anything　with

her　brains；　she　spent　her　activity　upon　household　matters。　She　rubbed

up　the　furniture　till　it　shone；　and　kept　everything　about　the　house　in

a　state　of　cleanliness　worthy　of　Holland。　She　managed　the　avalanches

of　soiled　linen　and　the　floods　of　water　that　go　by　the　name　of　〃the

wash；〃　which　was　done；　according　to　provincial　usage；　three　times　a

year。　She　kept　a　housewifely　eye　to　the　linen；　and　mended　it

carefully。　Then；　desirous　of　learning　little　by　little　the　secret　of

the　family　property；　she　acquired　the　very　limited　business　knowledge

which　Rouget　possessed；　and　increased　it　by　conversations　with　the

notary　of　the　late　doctor；　Monsieur　Heron。　Thus　instructed；　she　gave

excellent　advice　to　her　little　Jean…Jacques。　Sure　of　being　always

mistress；　she　was　as　eager　and　solicitous　about　the　old　bachelor's

interests　as　if　they　had　been　her　own。　She　was　not　obliged　to　guard

against　the　exactions　of　her　uncle；　for　two　months　before　the　doctor's

death　Brazier　died　of　a　fall　as　he　was　leaving　a　wine…shop；　where；

since　his　rise　in　fortune；　he　spent　most　of　his　time。　Flore　had　also

lost　her　father；　thus　she　served　her　master　with　all　the　affection

which　an　orphan；　thankful　to　make　herself　a　home　and　a　settlement　in

life；　would　naturally　feel。



This　period　of　his　life　was　paradise　to　poor　Jean…Jacques；　who　now

acquired　the　gentle　habits　of　an　animal；　trained　into　a　sort　of

monastic　regularity。　He　slept　late。　Flore；　who　was　up　at　daybreak

attending　to　her　housekeeping；　woke　him　so　that　he　should　find　his

breakfast　ready　as　soon　as　he　had　finished　dressing。　After　breakfast；

about　eleven　o'clock；　Jean…Jacques　went　to　walk；　talked　with　the

people　he　met；　and　came　home　at　three　in　the　afternoon　to　read　the

papers；those　of　the　department；　and　a　journal　from　Paris　which　he

received　three　days　after　publication；　well　greased　by　the　thirty

hands　through　which　it　came；　browned　by　the　snuffy　noses　that　had

pored　over　it；　and　soiled　by　the　various　tables　on　which　it　had　lain。

The　old　bachelor　thus　got　through　the　day　until　it　was　time　for

dinner；　over　that　meal　he　spent　as　much　time　as　it　was　possible　to

give　to　it。　Flore　told　him　the　news　of　the　town；　repeating　the　cackle

that　was　current；　which　she　had　carefully　picked　up。　Towards　eight

o'clock　the　lights　were　put　out。　Going　to　bed　early　is　a　saving　of

fire　and　candles　very　commonly　practised　in　the　provinces；　which

contributes　no　doubt　to　the　empty…mindedness　of　the　inhabitants。　Too

much　sleep　dulls　and　weakens　the　brain。



Such　was　the　life　of　these　two　persons　during　a　period　of　nine　years；

the　great　events　of　which　were　a　few　journeys　to　Bourges；　Vierzon；

Chateauroux；　or　somewhat　further；　if　the　notaries　of　those　towns　and

Monsieur　Heron　had　no　investments　ready　for　acceptance。　Rouget　lent

his　money　at　five　per　cent　on　a　first　mortgage；　with　release　of　the

wife's　rights　in　case　the　owner　was　married。　He　never　lent　more　than　a

third　of　the　value　of　the　property；　and　required　notes　payable　to　his

order　for　an　additional　interest　of　two　and　a　half　per　cent　spread

over　the　whole　duration　of　the　loan。　Such　were　the　rules　his　father

had　told　him　to　follow。　Usury；　that　clog　upon　the　ambition　of　the

peasantry；　is　the　destroyer　of　country　regions。　This　levy　of　seven　and

a　half　per　cent　seemed；　therefore；　so　reasonable　to　the　borrowers　that

Jean…Jacques　Rouget　had　his　choice　of　investments；　and　the　notaries　of

the　different　towns；　who　got　a　fine　commission　for　themselves　from

clients　for　whom　they　obtained　money　on　such　good　terms；　gave　due

notice　to　the　old　bachelor。



During　these　nine　years　Flore　obtained　in　the　long　run；　insensibly　and

without　aiming　for　it；　an　absolute　control　over　her　master。　From　the

first；　she　treated　him　very　familiarly；　then；　without　failing　him　in

proper　respect；　she　so　far　surpassed　him　in　superiority　of　mind　and

force　of　character　that　he　became　in　fact　the　servant　of　his　servant。

Elderly　child　that　he　was；　he　met　this　mastery　half…way　by　letting

Flore　take　such　care　of　him　that　she　treated　him　more　as　a　mother

would　a　son；　and　he　himself　ended　by　clinging　to　her　with　the　feeling

of　a　child　dependent　on　a　mother's　protection。　But　there　were　other

ties　between　them　not　less　tightly　knotted。　In　the　first　place；　Flore

kept　the　house　and　managed　all　its　business。　Jean…Jacques　left

everything　to　the　crab…girl　so　completely　that　life　without　her　would

have　seemed　to　him　not　only　difficult；　but　impossible。　In　every　way；

this　woman　had　become　the　one　need　of　his　existence；　she　indulged　all

his　fancies；　for　she　knew　them　well。　He　loved　to　see　her　bright　face

always　smiling　at　him；the　only　face　that　had　ever　smiled　upon　him；

the　only　one　to　which　he　could　look　for　a　smile。　This　happiness；　a

purely　material　happiness；　expressed　in　the　homely　words　which　come

readiest　to　the　tongue　in　a　Berrichon　household；　and　visible　on　the

fine　countenance　of　the　young　woman；　was　like　a　reflection　of　his　own

inward　content。　The　state　into　which　Jean…Jacques　was　thrown　when

Flore's　brightness　was　clouded　over　by　some　passing　annoyance　revealed

to　the　girl　her　power　over　him；　and；　to　make　sure　of　it；　she　sometimes

liked　to　use　it。　Using　such　power　means；　with　women　of　her　class；

abusing　it。　The　Rabouilleuse；　no　doubt；　made　her　master　play　some　of

those　scenes　buried　in　the　mysteries　of　private　life；　of　which　Otway

gives　a　specimen　in　the　tragedy　of　〃Venice　Preserved；〃　where　the　scene

between　the　senator　and　Aquilina　is　the　realization　of　the

magnificently　horrible。　Flore　felt　so　secure　of　her　power　that；

unfortunately　for　her；　and　for　the　bachelor　himself；　it　did　not　occur

to　her　to　make　him　marry　her。



Towards　the　close　of　1815；　Flore；　who　was　then　twenty…seven；　had

reached　the　perfect　development　of　her　beauty。　Plump　and　fresh；　and

white　as　a　Norman　countrywoman；　she　was　the　ideal　of　what　our

ancestors　used　to　call　〃a　buxom　housewife。〃　Her　beauty；　always　that　of