the two brothers-第39节

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〃You　might　at　least　have　put　on　a　cravat；〃　said　Flore。　〃Do　you　think

it　is　pleasant　for　people　to　see　such　a　neck　as　yours；　which　is　redder

and　more　wrinkled　than　a　turkey's？〃



〃But　what　have　I　done？〃　he　asked；　lifting　his　big　light…green　eyes；

full　of　tears；　to　his　tormentor；　and　trying　to　face　her　hard

countenance。



〃What　have　you　done？〃　she　exclaimed。　〃As　if　you　didn't　know？　Oh；　what

a　hypocrite！　Your　sister　Agathewho　is　as　much　your　sister　as　I　am

sister　of　the　tower　of　Issoudun；　if　one's　to　believe　your　father；　and

who　has　no　claim　at　all　upon　youis　coming　here　from　Paris　with　her

son；　a　miserable　two…penny　painter；　to　see　you。〃



〃My　sister　and　my　nephews　coming　to　Issoudun！〃　he　said；　bewildered。



〃Oh；　yes！　play　the　surprised；　do；　try　to　make　me　believe　you　didn't

send　for　them！　sewing　your　lies　with　white　bread；　indeed！　Don't　fash

yourself；　we　won't　trouble　your　Parisiansbefore　they　set　their　feet

in　this　house；　we　shall　have　shaken　the　dust　of　it　off　ours。　Max　and　I

will　be　gone；　never　to　return。　As　for　your　will；　I'll　tear　it　in

quarters　under　your　nose；　and　to　your　very　bearddo　you　hear？　Leave

your　property　to　your　family；　if　you　don't　think　we　are　your　family；

and　then　see　if　you'll　be　loved　for　yourself　by　a　lot　of　people　who

have　not　seen　you　for　thirty　years；who　in　fact　have　never　seen　you！

Is　it　that　sort　of　sister　who　can　take　my　place？　A　pinchbeck　saint！〃



〃If　that's　all；　my　little　Flore；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃I　won't　receive

my　sister；　or　my　nephews。　I　swear　to　you　this　is　the　first　word　I　have

heard　of　their　coming。　It　is　all　got　up　by　that　Madame　Hochona

sanctimonious　old〃



Max；　who　had　overheard　old　Rouget's　words；　entered　suddenly；　and　said

in　a　masterful　tone；



〃What's　all　this？〃



〃My　good　Max；〃　said　the　old　man；　glad　to　get　the　protection　of　the

soldier　who；　by　agreement　with　Flore；　always　took　his　side　in　a

dispute；　〃I　swear　by　all　that　is　most　sacred；　that　I　now　hear　this

news　for　the　first　time。　I　have　never　written　to　my　sister；　my　father

made　me　promise　not　to　leave　her　any　of　my　property；　to　leave　it　to

the　Church　sooner　than　to　her。　Well；　I　won't　receive　my　sister　Agathe

to　this　house；　or　her　sons〃



〃Your　father　was　wrong；　my　dear　Jean…Jacques；　and　Madame　Brazier　is

still　more　wrong；〃　answered　Max。　〃Your　father　no　doubt　had　his

reasons；　but　he　is　dead；　and　his　hatred　should　die　with　him。　Your

sister　is　your　sister；　and　your　nephews　are　your　nephews。　You　owe　it

to　yourself　to　welcome　them；　and　you　owe　it　to　us　as　well。　What　would

people　say　in　Issoudun？　Thunder！　I've　got　enough　upon　my　shoulders　as

it　is；　without　hearing　people　say　that　we　shut　you　up　and　don't　allow

you　a　will　of　your　own；　or　that　we　influence　you　against　your

relations　and　are　trying　to　get　hold　of　your　property。　The　devil　take

me　if　I　don't　pull　up　stakes　and　be　off；　if　that　sort　of　calumny　is　to

be　flung　at　me！　the　other　is　bad　enough！　Let's　eat　our　breakfast。〃



Flore；　who　was　now　as　mild　as　a　weasel；　helped　Vedie　to　set　the　table。

Old　Rouget；　full　of　admiration　for　Max；　took　him　by　both　hands　and　led

him　into　the　recess　of　a　window；　saying　in　a　low　voice：



〃Ah！　Max；　if　I　had　a　son；　I　couldn't　love　him　better　than　I　love　you。

Flore　is　right：　you　two　are　my　real　family。　You　are　a　man　of　honor；

Max；　and　what　you　have　just　said　is　true。〃



〃You　ought　to　receive　and　entertain　your　sister　and　her　son；　but　not

change　the　arrangements　you　have　made　about　your　property；〃　said　Max。

〃In　that　way　you　will　do　what　is　right　in　the　eyes　of　the　world；　and

yet　keep　your　promise　to　your　father。〃



〃Well！　my　dear　loves！〃　cried　Flore；　gayly；　〃the　salmi　is　getting　cold。

Come；　my　old　rat；　here's　a　wing　for　you；〃　she　said；　smiling　on　Jean…

Jacques。



At　the　words；　the　long…drawn　face　of　the　poor　creature　lost　its

cadaverous　tints；　the　smile　of　a　Theriaki　flickered　on　his　pendent

lips；　but　he　was　seized　with　another　fit　of　coughing；　for　the　joy　of

being　taken　back　to　favor　excited　as　violent　an　emotion　as　the

punishment　itself。　Flore　rose；　pulled　a　little　cashmere　shawl　from　her

own　shoulders；　and　tied　it　round　the　old　man's　throat；　exclaiming：

〃How　silly　to　put　yourself　in　such　a　way　about　nothing。　There；　you　old

goose；　that　will　do　you　good；　it　has　been　next　my　heart〃



〃What　a　good　creature！〃　said　Rouget　to　Max；　while　Flore　went　to　fetch

a　black　velvet　cap　to　cover　the　nearly　bald　head　of　the　old　bachelor。



〃As　good　as　she　is　beautiful〃；　answered　Max；　〃but　she　is　quick…

tempered；　like　all　people　who　carry　their　hearts　in　their　hands。〃



The　baldness　of　this　sketch　may　displease　some；　who　will　think　the

flashes　of　Flore's　character　belong　to　the　sort　of　realism　which　a

painter　ought　to　leave　in　shadow。　Well！　this　scene；　played　again　and

again　with　shocking　variations；　is；　in　its　coarse　way　and　its　horrible

veracity；　the　type　of　such　scenes　played　by　women　on　whatever　rung　of

the　social　ladder　they　are　perched；　when　any　interest；　no　matter　what；

draws　them　from　their　own　line　of　obedience　and　induces　them　to　grasp

at　power。　In　their　eyes；　as　in　those　of　politicians；　all　means　to　an

end　are　justifiable。　Between　Flore　Brazier　and　a　duchess；　between　a

duchess　and　the　richest　bourgeoise；　between　a　bourgeoise　and　the　most

luxuriously　kept　mistress；　there　are　no　differences　except　those　of

the　education　they　have　received；　and　the　surroundings　in　which　they

live。　The　pouting　of　a　fine　lady　is　the　same　thing　as　the　violence　of

a　Rabouilleuse。　At　all　levels；　bitter　sayings；　ironical　jests；　cold

contempt；　hypocritical　complaints；　false　quarrels；　win　as　much　success

as　the　low　outbursts　of　this　Madame　Everard　of　Issoudun。



Max　began　to　relate；　with　much　humor；　the　tale　of　Fario　and　his

barrow；　which　made　the　old　man　laugh。　Vedie　and　Kouski；　who　came　to

listen；　exploded　in　the　kitchen；　and　as　to　Flore；　she　laughed

convulsively。　After　breakfast；　while　Jean…Jacques　read　the　newspapers

（for　they　subscribed　to　the　〃Constitutionel〃　and　the　〃Pandore〃）；　Max

carried　Flore　to　his　own　quarters。



〃Are　you　quite　sure　he　has　not　made　any　other　will　since　the　one　in

which　he　left　the　property　to　you？〃



〃He　hasn't　anything　to　write　with；〃　she　answered。



〃He　might　have　dictated　it　to　some　notary；〃　said　Max；　〃we　must　look

out　for　that。　Therefore　it　is　well　to　be　cordial　to　the　Bridaus；　and

at　the　same　time　endeavor　to　turn　those　mortgages　into　money。　The

notaries　will　be　only　too　glad　to　make　the　transfers；　it　is　grist　to

their　mill。　The　Funds　are　going　up；　we　shall　conquer　Spain；　and

deliver　Ferdinand　VII。　and　the　Cortez；　and　then　they　will　be　above

par。　You　and　I　could　make　a　good　thing　out　of　it　by　putting　the　old

fellow's　seven　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs　into　the　Funds　at

eighty…nine。　Only　you　must　try　to　get　it　done　in　your　name；　it　will　be

so　much　secured　anyhow。〃



〃A　capital　idea！〃　said　Flore。



〃And　as　there　will　be　an　income　of　fifty　thousand　francs　from　eight

hundred　and　ninety　thousand；　we　must　make　him　borrow　one　hundred　and

forty　thousand　francs　for　two　years；　to　be　paid　back　in　two

instalments。　In　two　years；　we　shall　get　one　hundred　thousand　francs　IN

Paris；　and　ninety　thousand　here；　and　risk　nothing。〃



〃If　it　were　not　for　you；　my　handsome　Max；　what　would　become　of　me

now？〃　she　said。



〃Oh！　to…morrow　night　at　Mere　Cognette's；　after　I　have　seen　the

Parisians；　I　shall　find　a　way　to　make　the　Hochons　themselves　get　rid

of　them。〃



〃Ah！　what　a　head　you've　got；　my　angel！　You　are　a　love　of　a　man。〃



The　place　Saint…Jean　is　at　the　centre　of　a　long　street　called　at　the

upper　end　the　rue　Grand　Narette；　and　at　the　lower　the　rue　Petite

Narette。　The　word　〃Narette〃　is　used　in　Berry　to　express　the　same　lay

of　the　land　as　the　Genoese　word　〃salita〃　indicates；that　is　to　say；　a

steep　street。　The　Grand　Narette　rises　rapidly　from　the　place　Saint…

Jean　to　the　port　Vilatte。　The　house　of　old　Monsieur　Hochon　is　exactly

opposite　that　of　Jean…Jacques　Rouget。　From　the　windows　of　the　room

where　Madame　Hochon　usually　sat；　it　was　easy　to　see　what　went　on　at

the　Rouget　household；　and　vice　versa；　when　the　curtains　were　drawn

back　or　the　doors　were　left　open。　The　Hochon　house　was　like　the　Rouget

house；　and　the　two　were　doubtless　built　by　the　same　architect。

Monsieur　Hochon；　formerly　tax…collector　at　Selles　in　Berry；　born；

however；　at　Issoudun；　had　returned　to　his　native　place　and　married　the

sister　of　the　sub…delegate；　the　gay　Lousteau；　exchanging　his　office　at

Selles　for　another　of　the　same　kind　at　Issoudun。　Having　retired　before

1787；　he　escaped　the　dangers　of　the　Revolution；　to　whose　principles；

however；　he　firmly　adhered；　like　all　other　〃honest　men〃　who　howl　with

the　winners。　Monsieur　Hochon　came　honestly　by　the　reputation　of　miser。

but　it　would　be　mere　repetition　to　sketch　him　here。　A　single　specimen

of　the　avarice　which　made　him　famous　will　suffice　to　make　you　see

Monsieur　Hochon　as　he　was。



At　the　wedding