the two brothers-第36节

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

a　handsome　barmaid；　though　higher　in　type　and　better　kept；　gave　her　a

likeness　to　Mademoiselle　George　in　her　palmy　days；　setting　aside　the

latter's　imperial　dignity。　Flore　had　the　dazzling　white　round　arms；

the　ample　modelling；　the　satiny　textures　of　the　skin；　the　alluring

though　less　rigidly　correct　outlines　of　the　great　actress。　Her

expression　was　one　of　sweetness　and　tenderness；　but　her　glance

commanded　less　respect　than　that　of　the　noblest　Agrippina　that　ever

trod　the　French　stage　since　the　days　of　Racine：　on　the　contrary；　it

evoked　a　vulgar　joy。　In　1816　the　Rabouilleuse　saw　Maxence　Gilet；　and

fell　in　love　with　him　at　first　sight。　Her　heart　was　cleft　by　the

mythological　arrow；admirable　description　of　an　effect　of　nature

which　the　Greeks；　unable　to　conceive　the　chivalric；　ideal；　and

melancholy　love　begotten　of　Christianity；　could　represent　in　no　other

way。　Flore　was　too　handsome　to　be　disdained；　and　Max　accepted　his

conquest。



Thus；　at　twenty…eight　years　of　age；　the　Rabouilleuse　felt　for　the

first　time　a　true　love；　an　idolatrous　love；　the　love　which　includes

all　ways　of　loving；that　of　Gulnare　and　that　of　Medora。　As　soon　as

the　penniless　officer　found　out　the　respective　situations　of　Flore　and

Jean…Jacques　Rouget；　he　saw　something　more　desirable　than　an

〃amourette〃　in　an　intimacy　with　the　Rabouilleuse。　He　asked　nothing

better　for　his　future　prosperity　than　to　take　up　his　abode　at　the

Rouget's；　recognizing　perfectly　the　feeble　nature　of　the　old　bachelor。

Flore's　passion　necessarily　affected　the　life　and　household　affairs　of

her　master。　For　a　month　the　old　man；　now　grown　excessively　timid；　saw

the　laughing　and　kindly　face　of　his　mistress　change　to　something

terrible　and　gloomy　and　sullen。　He　was　made　to　endure　flashes　of　angry

temper　purposely　displayed；　precisely　like　a　married　man　whose　wife　is

meditating　an　infidelity。　When；　after　some　cruel　rebuff；　he　nerved

himself　to　ask　Flore　the　reason　of　the　change；　her　eyes　were　so　full

of　hatred；　and　her　voice　so　aggressive　and　contemptuous；　that　the　poor

creature　quailed　under　them。



〃Good　heavens！〃　she　cried；　〃you　have　neither　heart　nor　soul！　Here's

sixteen　years　that　I　have　spent　my　youth　in　this　house；　and　I　have

only　just　found　out　that　you　have　got　a　stone　there　（striking　her

breast）。　For　two　months　you　have　seen　before　your　eyes　that　brave

captain；　a　victim　of　the　Bourbons；　who　was　cut　out　for　a　general；　and

is　down　in　the　depths　of　poverty；　hunted　into　a　hole　of　a　place　where

there's　no　way　to　make　a　penny　of　money！　He's　forced　to　sit　on　a　stool

all　day　in　the　mayor's　office　to　earnwhat？　Six　hundred　miserable

francs；a　fine　thing；　indeed！　And　here　are　you；　with　six　hundred　and

fifty…nine　thousand　well　invested；　and　sixty　thousand　francs'　income；

thanks　to　me；　who　never　spend　more　than　three　thousand　a　year；

everything　included；　even　my　own　clothes；　yes；　everything！and　you

never　think　of　offering　him　a　home　here；　though　there's　the　second

floor　empty！　You'd　rather　the　rats　and　mice　ran　riot　in　it　than　put　a

human　being　there；and　he　a　lad　your　father　always　allowed　to　be　his

own　son！　Do　you　want　to　know　what　you　are？　I'll　tell　you；a

fratricide！　And　I　know　why；　too。　You　see　I　take　an　interest　in　him；

and　that　provokes　you。　Stupid　as　you　seem；　you　have　got　more　spite　in

you　than　the　spitefullest　of　men。　Well；　yes！　I　do　take　an　interest　in

him；　and　a　keen　one〃



〃But；　Flore〃



〃'BUT；　FLORE'；　indeed！　What's　that　got　to　do　with　it？　You　may　go　and

find　another　Flore　（if　you　can！）；　for　I　hope　this　glass　of　wine　may

poison　me　if　I　don't　get　away　from　your　dungeon　of　a　house。　I　haven't；

God　be　thanked！　cost　you　one　penny　during　the　twelve　years　I've　been

with　you；　and　you　have　had　the　pleasure　of　my　company　into　the

bargain。　I　could　have　earned　my　own　living　anywhere　with　the　work　that

I've　done　here；washing；　ironing；　looking　after　the　linen；　going　to

market；　cooking；　taking　care　of　your　interests　before　everything；

slaving　myself　to　death　from　morning　till　night；and　this　is　my

reward！〃



〃But；　Flore〃



〃Oh；　yes；　'FLORE'！　find　another　Flore；　if　you　can；　at　your　time　of

life；　fifty…one　years　old；　and　getting　feeble；for　the　way　your

health　is　failing　is　frightful；　I　know　that！　and　besides；　you　are　none

too　amusing〃



〃But；　Flore〃



〃Let　me　alone！〃



She　went　out；　slamming　the　door　with　a　violence　that　echoed　through

the　house；　and　seemed　to　shake　it　to　its　foundations。　Jean…Jacques

softly　opened　the　door　and　went；　still　more　softly；　into　the　kitchen

where　she　was　muttering　to　herself。



〃But；　Flore；〃　said　the　poor　sheep；　〃this　is　the　first　time　I　have

heard　of　this　wish　of　yours；　how　do　you　know　whether　I　will　agree　to

it　or　not？〃



〃In　the　first　place；〃　she　said；　〃there　ought　to　be　a　man　in　the　house。

Everybody　knows　you　have　ten；　fifteen；　twenty　thousand　francs　here；　if

they　came　to　rob　you　we　should　both　be　murdered。　For　my　part；　I　don't

care　to　wake　up　some　fine　morning　chopped　in　quarters；　as　happened　to

that　poor　servant…girl　who　was　silly　enough　to　defend　her　master。

Well！　if　the　robbers　knew　there　was　a　man　in　the　house　as　brave　as

Caesar　and　who　wasn't　born　yesterday；for　Max　could　swallow　three

burglars　as　quick　as　a　flash；well；　then　I　should　sleep　easy。　People

may　tell　you　a　lot　of　stuff；that　I　love　him；　that　I　adore　him；and

some　say　this　and　some　say　that！　Do　you　know　what　you　ought　to　say？

You　ought　to　answer　that　you　know　it；　that　your　father　told　you　on　his

deathbed　to　take　care　of　his　poor　Max。　That　will　stop　people's

tongues；　for　every　stone　in　Issoudun　can　tell　you　he　paid　Max's

schoolingand　so！　Here's　nine　years　that　I　have　eaten　your　bread〃



〃Flore；Flore！〃



〃and　many　a　one　in　this　town　has　paid　court　to　me；　I　can　tell　you！

Gold　chains　here；　and　watches　there；what　don't　they　offer　me？　'My

little　Flore；'　they　say；　'why　won't　you　leave　that　old　fool　of　a

Rouget；'for　that's　what　they　call　you。　'I　leave　him！'　I　always

answer；　'a　poor　innocent　like　that？　I　think　I　see　myself！　what　would

become　of　him？　No；　no；　where　the　kid　is　tethered；　let　her　browse'〃



〃Yes；　Flore；　I've　none　but　you　in　this　world；　and　you　make　me　happy。

If　it　will　give　you　pleasure；　my　dear；　well；　we　will　have　Maxence

Gilet　here；　he　can　eat　with　us〃



〃Heavens！　I　should　hope　so！〃



〃There；　there！　don't　get　angry〃



〃Enough　for　one　is　enough　for　two；〃　she　answered　laughing。　〃I'll　tell

you　what　you　can　do；　my　lamb；　if　you　really　mean　to　be　kind；　you　must

go　and　walk　up　and　down　near　the　Mayor's　office　at　four　o'clock；　and

manage　to　meet　Monsieur　Gilet　and　invite　him　to　dinner。　If　he　makes

excuses；　tell　him　it　will　give　me　pleasure；　he　is　too　polite　to

refuse。　And　after　dinner；　at　dessert；　if　he　tells　you　about　his

misfortunes；　and　the　hulks　and　so　forthfor　you　can　easily　get　him　to

talk　about　all　thatthen　you　can　make　him　the　offer　to　come　and　live

here。　If　he　makes　any　objection；　never　mind；　I　shall　know　how　to

settle　it。〃



Walking　slowly　along　the　boulevard　Baron；　the　old　celibate　reflected；

as　much　as　he　had　the　mind　to　reflect；　over　this　incident。　If　he　were

to　part　from　Flore　（the　mere　thought　confused　him）　where　could　he　find

another　woman？　Should　he　marry？　At　his　age　he　should　be　married　for

his　money；　and　a　legitimate　wife　would　use　him　far　more　cruelly　than

Flore。　Besides；　the　thought　of　being　deprived　of　her　tenderness；　even

if　it　were　a　mere　pretence；　caused　him　horrible　anguish。　He　was

therefore　as　polite　to　Captain　Gilet　as　he　knew　how　to　be。　The

invitation　was　given；　as　Flore　had　requested；　before　witnesses；　to

guard　the　hero's　honor　from　all　suspicion。



A　reconciliation　took　place　between　Flore　and　her　master；　but　from

that　day　forth　Jean…Jacques　noticed　many　a　trifle　that　betokened　a

total　change　in　his　mistress's　affections。　For　two　or　three　weeks

Flore　Brazier　complained　to　the　tradespeople　in　the　markets；　and　to

the　women　with　whom　she　gossiped；　about　Monsieur　Rouget's　tyranny；

how　he　had　taken　it　into　his　head　to　invite　his　self…styled　natural

brother　to　live　with　him。　No　one；　however；　was　taken　in　by　this

comedy；　and　Flore　was　looked　upon　as　a　wonderfully　clever　and　artful

creature。　Old　Rouget　really　found　himself　very　comfortable　after　Max

became　the　master　of　his　house；　for　he　thus　gained　a　companion　who

paid　him　many　attentions；　without；　however；　showing　any　servility。

Gilet　talked；　discussed　politics；　and　sometimes　went　to　walk　with

Rouget。　After　Max　was　fairly　installed；　Flore　did　not　choose　to　do　the

cooking；　she　said　it　spoiled　her　hands。　At　the　request　of　the　grand

master　of　the　Order　of　the　Knights　of　Idleness；　Mere　Cognette　produced

one　of　her　relatives；　an　old　maid　whose　master；　a　curate；　had　lately

died　without　leaving　her　anything；an　excellent　cook；　withal；who

declared　she　would　devote　herself　for　life　or　death　to　Max　and　Flore。

In　the　name　of　the　two　pow