the two brothers-第41节

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wishes　and　in　watching　events　without　assisting　them；　and　that　of　the

Knights　of　Idleness　and　the　partisans　of　Max；　who；　unfortunately；　were

capable　of　committing　many　high…handed　outrages　against　the　Parisians。







CHAPTER　XI



Agathe　and　Joseph　arrived　at　the　coach…office　of　the　Messageries…

Royales　in　the　place　Misere　at　three　o'clock。　Though　tired　with　the

journey；　Madame　Bridau　felt　her　youth　revive　at　sight　of　her　native

land；　where　at　every　step　she　came　upon　memories　and　impressions　of

her　girlish　days。　In　the　then　condition　of　public　opinion　in　Issoudun；

the　arrival　of　the　Parisians　was　known　all　over　the　town　in　ten

minutes。　Madame　Hochon　came　out　upon　her　doorstep　to　welcome　her

godchild；　and　kissed　her　as　though　she　were　really　a　daughter。　After

seventy…two　years　of　a　barren　and　monotonous　existence；　exhibiting　in

their　retrospect　the　graves　of　her　three　children；　all　unhappy　in

their　lives；　and　all　dead；　she　had　come　to　feel　a　sort　of　fictitious

motherhood　for　the　young　girl　whom　she　had；　as　she　expressed　it；

carried　in　her　pouch　for　sixteen　years。　Through　the　gloom　of

provincial　life　the　old　woman　had　cherished　this　early　friendship；

this　girlish　memory；　as　closely　as　if　Agathe　had　remained　near　her；

and　she　had　also　taken　the　deepest　interest　in　Bridau。　Agathe　was　led

in　triumph　to　the　salon　where　Monsieur　Hochon　was　stationed；　chilling

as　a　tepid　oven。



〃Here　is　Monsieur　Hochon；　how　does　he　seem　to　you？〃　asked　his　wife。



〃Precisely　the　same　as　when　I　last　saw　him；〃　said　the　Parisian　woman。



〃Ah！　it　is　easy　to　see　you　come　from　Paris；　you　are　so　complimentary；〃

remarked　the　old　man。



The　presentations　took　place：　first；　young　Baruch　Borniche；　a　tall

youth　of　twenty…two；　then　Francois　Hochon；　twenty…four；　and　lastly

little　Adolphine；　who　blushed　and　did　not　know　what　to　do　with　her

arms；　she　was　anxious　not　to　seem　to　be　looking　at　Joseph　Bridau；　who

in　his　turn　was　narrowly　observed；　though　from　different　points　of

view；　by　the　two　young　men　and　by　old　Hochon。　The　miser　was　saying　to

himself；　〃He　is　just　out　of　the　hospital；　he　will　be　as　hungry　as　a

convalescent。〃　The　young　men　were　saying；　〃What　a　head！　what　a

brigand！　we　shall　have　our　hands　full！〃



〃This　is　my　son；　the　painter；　my　good　Joseph；〃　said　Agathe　at　last；

presenting　the　artist。



There　was　an　effort　in　the　accent　that　she　put　upon　the　word　〃good；〃

which　revealed　the　mother's　heart；　whose　thoughts　were　really　in　the

prison　of　the　Luxembourg。



〃He　looks　ill；〃　said　Madame　Hochon；　〃he　is　not　at　all　like　you。〃



〃No；　madame；〃　said　Joseph；　with　the　brusque　candor　of　an　artist；　〃I　am

like　my　father；　and　very　ugly　at　that。〃



Madame　Hochon　pressed　Agathe's　hand　which　she　was　holding；　and　glanced

at　her　as　much　as　to　say；　〃Ah！　my　child；　I　understand　now　why　you

prefer　your　good…for…nothing　Philippe。〃



〃I　never　saw　your　father；　my　dear　boy；〃　she　said　aloud；　〃it　is　enough

to　make　me　love　you　that　you　are　your　mother's　son。　Besides；　you　have

talent；　so　the　late　Madame　Descoings　used　to　write　to　me；　she　was　the

only　one　of　late　years　who　told　me　much　about　you。〃



〃Talent！〃　exclaimed　the　artist；　〃not　as　yet；　but　with　time　and

patience　I　may　win　fame　and　fortune。〃



〃By　painting？〃　said　Monsieur　Hochon　ironically。



〃Come；　Adolphine；〃　said　Madame　Hochon；　〃go　and　see　about　dinner。〃



〃Mother；〃　said　Joseph；　〃I　will　attend　to　the　trunks　which　they　are

bringing　in。〃



〃Hochon；〃　said　the　grandmother　to　Francois；　〃show　the　rooms　to

Monsieur　Bridau。〃



As　the　dinner　was　to　be　served　at　four　o'clock　and　it　was　now　only

half　past　three；　Baruch　rushed　into　the　town　to　tell　the　news　of　the

Bridau　arrival；　describe　Agathe's　dress；　and　more　particularly　to

picture　Joseph；　whose　haggard；　unhealthy；　and　determined　face　was　not

unlike　the　ideal　of　a　brigand。　That　evening　Joseph　was　the　topic　of

conversation　in　all　the　households　of　Issoudun。



〃That　sister　of　Rouget　must　have　seen　a　monkey　before　her　son　was

born；〃　said　one；　〃he　is　the　image　of　a　baboon。〃



〃He　has　the　face　of　a　brigand　and　the　eyes　of　a　basilisk。〃



〃All　artists　are　like　that。〃



〃They　are　as　wicked　as　the　red　ass；　and　as　spiteful　as　monkeys。〃



〃It　is　part　of　their　business。〃



〃I　have　just　seen　Monsieur　Beaussier；　and　he　says　he　would　not　like　to

meet　him　in　a　dark　wood；　he　saw　him　in　the　diligence。〃



〃He　has　got　hollows　over　the　eyes　like　a　horse；　and　he　laughs　like　a

maniac。〃



〃The　fellow　looks　as　though　he　were　capable　of　anything；　perhaps　it's

his　fault　that　his　brother；　a　fine　handsome　man　they　tell　me；　has　gone

to　the　bad。　Poor　Madame　Bridau　doesn't　seem　as　if　she　were　very　happy

with　him。〃



〃Suppose　we　take　advantage　of　his　being　here；　and　have　our　portraits

painted？〃



The　result　of　all　these　observations；　scattered　through　the　town　was；

naturally；　to　excite　curiosity。　All　those　who　had　the　right　to　visit

the　Hochons　resolved　to　call　that　very　night　and　examine　the

Parisians。　The　arrival　of　these　two　persons　in　the　stagnant　town　was

like　the　falling　of　a　beam　into　a　community　of　frogs。



After　stowing　his　mother's　things　and　his　own　into　the　two　attic

chambers；　which　he　examined　as　he　did　so；　Joseph　took　note　of　the

silent　house；　where　the　walls；　the　stair…case；　the　wood…work；　were

devoid　of　decoration　and　humid　with　frost；　and　where　there　was

literally　nothing　beyond　the　merest　necessaries。　He　felt　the　brusque

transition　from　his　poetic　Paris　to　the　dumb　and　arid　province；　and

when；　coming　downstairs；　he　chanced　to　see　Monsieur　Hochon　cutting

slices　of　bread　for　each　person；　he　understood；　for　the　first　time　in

his　life；　Moliere's　Harpagon。



〃We　should　have　done　better　to　go　to　an　inn；〃　he　said　to　himself。



The　aspect　of　the　dinner　confirmed　his　apprehensions。　After　a　soup

whose　watery　clearness　showed　that　quantity　was　more　considered　than

quality；　the　bouilli　was　served；　ceremoniously　garnished　with　parsley；

the　vegetables；　in　a　dish　by　themselves；　being　counted　into　the　items

of　the　repast。　The　bouilli　held　the　place　of　honor　in　the　middle　of

the　table；　accompanied　with　three　other　dishes：　hard…boiled　eggs　on

sorrel　opposite　to　the　vegetables；　then　a　salad　dressed　with　nut…oil

to　face　little　cups　of　custard；　whose　flavoring　of　burnt　oats　did

service　as　vanilla；　which　it　resembles　much　as　coffee　made　of　chiccory

resembles　mocha。　Butter　and　radishes；　in　two　plates；　were　at　each　end

of　the　table；　pickled　gherkins　and　horse…radish　completed　the　spread；

which　won　Madam　Hochon's　approbation。　The　good　old　woman　gave　a

contented　little　nod　when　she　saw　that　her　husband　had　done　things

properly；　for　the　first　day　at　least。　The　old　man　answered　with　a

glance　and　a　shrug　of　his　shoulders；　which　it　was　easy　to　translate

into



〃See　the　extravagances　you　force　me　to　commit！〃



As　soon　as　Monsieur　Hochon　had；　as　it　were；　slivered　the　bouilli　into

slices；　about　as　thick　as　the　sole　of　a　dancing…shoe；　that　dish　was

replaced　by　another；　containing　three　pigeons。　The　wine　was　of　the

country；　vintage　1811。　On　a　hint　from　her　grandmother；　Adolphine　had

decorated　each　end　of　the　table　with　a　bunch　of　flowers。



〃At　Rome　as　the　Romans　do；〃　thought　the　artist；　looking　at　the　table；

and　beginning　to　eat；like　a　man　who　had　breakfasted　at　Vierzon；　at

six　o'clock　in　the　morning；　on　an　execrable　cup　of　coffee。　When　Joseph

had　eaten　up　all　his　bread　and　asked　for　more；　Monsieur　Hochon　rose；

slowly　searched　in　the　pocket　of　his　surtout　for　a　key；　unlocked　a

cupboard　behind　him；　broke　off　a　section　of　a　twelve…pound　loaf；

carefully　cut　a　round　of　it；　then　divided　the　round　in　two；　laid　the

pieces　on　a　plate；　and　passed　the　plate　across　the　table　to　the　young

painter；　with　the　silence　and　coolness　of　an　old　soldier　who　says　to

himself　on　the　eve　of　battle；　〃Well；　I　can　meet　death。〃　Joseph　took

the　half…slice；　and　fully　understood　that　he　was　not　to　ask　for　any

more。　No　member　of　the　family　was　the　least　surprised　at　this

extraordinary　performance。　The　conversation　went　on。　Agathe　learned

that　the　house　in　which　she　was　born；　her　father's　house　before　he

inherited　that　of　the　old　Descoings；　had　been　bought　by　the　Borniches；

she　expressed　a　wish　to　see　it　once　more。



〃No　doubt；〃　said　her　godmother；　〃the　Borniches　will　be　here　this

evening；　we　shall　have　half　the　townwho　want　to　examine　you；〃　she

added；　turning　to　Joseph；　〃and　they　will　all　invite　you　to　their

houses。〃



Gritte；　who　in　spite　of　her　sixty　years；　was　the　only　servant　of　the

house；　brought　in　for　dessert　the　famous　ripe　cheese　of　Touraine　and

Berry；　made　of　goat's　milk；　whose　mouldy　discolorations　so　distinctly

reproduce　the　pattern　of　the　vine…leaves　on　which　it　is　served；　that

Touraine　ought　to　have　invented　the　art　of　engraving。　On　either　side

of　these　little　cheeses　Gritte；　with　a　company　air；　placed　nuts　and

some　time…honored　biscuits。



〃Well；　Gritte；　the　f