the two brothers-第42节

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some　time…honored　biscuits。



〃Well；　Gritte；　the　fruit？〃　said　Madame　Hochon。



〃But；　madame；　there　is　none　rotten；〃　answered　Gritte。



Joseph　went　off　into　roars　of　laughter；　as　though　he　were　among　his

comrades　in　the　atelier；　for　he　suddenly　perceived　that　the　parsimony

of　eating　only　the　fruits　which　were　beginning　to　rot　had　degenerated

into　a　settled　habit。



〃Bah！　we　can　eat　them　all　the　same；〃　he　exclaimed；　with　the　heedless

gayety　of　a　man　who　will　have　his　say。



〃Monsieur　Hochon；　pray　get　some；〃　said　the　old　lady。



Monsieur　Hochon；　much　incensed　at　the　artist's　speech；　fetched　some

peaches；　pears；　and　Saint　Catherine　plums。



〃Adolphine；　go　and　gather　some　grapes；〃　said　Madame　Hochon　to　her

granddaughter。



Joseph　looked　at　the　two　young　men　as　much　as　to　say：　〃Is　it　to　such

high　living　as　this　that　you　owe　your　healthy　faces？〃



Baruch　understood　the　keen　glance　and　smiled；　for　he　and　his　cousin

Hochon　were　behaving　with　much　discretion。　The　home…life　was　of　less

importance　to　youths　who　supped　three　times　the　week　at　Mere

Cognette's。　Moreover；　just　before　dinner；　Baruch　had　received　notice

that　the　grand　master　convoked　the　whole　Order　at　midnight　for　a

magnificent　supper；　in　the　course　of　which　a　great　enterprise　would　be

arranged。　The　feast　of　welcome　given　by　old　Hochon　to　his　guests

explains　how　necessary　were　the　nocturnal　repasts　at　the　Cognette's　to

two　young　fellows　blessed　with　good　appetites；　who；　we　may　add；　never

missed　any　of　them。



〃We　will　take　the　liqueur　in　the　salon；〃　said　Madame　Hochon；　rising

and　motioning　to　Joseph　to　give　her　his　arm。　As　they　went　out　before

the　others；　she　whispered　to　the　painter：



〃Eh！　my　poor　boy；　this　dinner　won't　give　you　an　indigestion；　but　I　had

hard　work　to　get　it　for　you。　It　is　always　Lent　here；　you　will　get

enough　just　to　keep　life　in　you；　and　no　more。　So　you　must　bear　it

patiently。〃



The　kind…heartedness　of　the　old　woman；　who　thus　drew　her　own

predicament；　pleased　the　artist。



〃I　have　lived　fifty　years　with　that　man；　without　ever　hearing　half…a…

dozen　gold　pieces　chink　in　my　purse；〃　she　went　on。　〃Oh！　if　I　did　not

hope　that　you　might　save　your　property；　I　would　never　have　brought　you

and　your　mother　into　my　prison。〃



〃But　how　can　you　survive　it？〃　cried　Joseph　naively；　with　the　gayety

which　a　French　artist　never　loses。



〃Ah；　you　may　well　ask！〃　she　said。　〃I　pray。〃



Joseph　quivered　as　he　heard　the　words；　which　raised　the　old　woman　so

much　in　his　estimation　that　he　stepped　back　a　little　way　to　look　into

her　face；　it　was　radiant　with　so　tender　a　serenity　that　he　said　to

her；



〃Let　me　paint　your　portrait。〃



〃No；　no；〃　she　answered；　〃I　am　too　weary　of　life　to　wish　to　remain　here

on　canvas。〃



Gayly　uttering　the　sad　words；　she　opened　a　closet；　and　brought　out　a

flask　containing　ratafia；　a　domestic　manufacture　of　her　own；　the

receipt　for　which　she　obtained　from　the　far…famed　nuns　to　whom　is　also

due　the　celebrated　cake　of　Issoudun；one　of　the　great　creations　of

French　confectionery；　which　no　chef；　cook；　pastry…cook；　or

confectioner　has　ever　been　able　to　reproduce。　Monsieur　de　Riviere；

ambassador　at　Constantinople；　ordered　enormous　quantities　every　year

for　the　Seraglio。



Adolphine　held　a　lacquer　tray　on　which　were　a　number　of　little　old

glasses　with　engraved　sides　and　gilt　edges；　and　as　her　mother　filled

each　of　them；　she　carried　it　to　the　company。



〃It　seems　as　though　my　father's　turn　were　coming　round！〃　exclaimed

Agathe；　to　whom　this　immutable　provincial　custom　recalled　the　scenes

of　her　youth。



〃Hochon　will　go　to　his　club　presently　to　read　the　papers；　and　we　shall

have　a　little　time　to　ourselves；〃　said　the　old　lady　in　a　low　voice。



In　fact；　ten　minutes　later；　the　three　women　and　Joseph　were　alone　in

the　salon；　where　the　floor　was　never　waxed；　only　swept；　and　the

worsted…work　designs　in　oaken　frames　with　grooved　mouldings；　and　all

the　other　plain　and　rather　dismal　furniture　seemed　to　Madame　Bridau　to

be　in　exactly　the　same　state　as　when　she　had　left　Issoudun。　Monarchy；

Revolution；　Empire；　and　Restoration；　which　respected　little；　had

certainly　respected　this　room　where　their　glories　and　their　disasters

had　left　not　the　slightest　trace。



〃Ah！　my　godmother；　in　comparison　with　your　life；　mine　has　been　cruelly

tried；〃　exclaimed　Madame　Bridau；　surprised　to　find　even　a　canary　which

she　had　known　when　alive；　stuffed；　and　standing　on　the　mantleshelf

between　the　old　clock；　the　old　brass　brackets；　and　the　silver

candlesticks。



〃My　child；〃　said　the　old　lady；　〃trials　are　in　the　heart。　The　greater

and　more　necessary　the　resignation；　the　harder　the　struggle　with　our

own　selves。　But　don't　speak　of　me；　let　us　talk　of　your　affairs。　You

are　directly　in　front　of　the　enemy；〃　she　added；　pointing　to　the

windows　of　the　Rouget　house。



〃They　are　sitting　down　to　dinner；〃　said　Adolphine。



The　young　girl；　destined　for　a　cloister；　was　constantly　looking　out　of

the　window；　in　hopes　of　getting　some　light　upon　the　enormities　imputed

to　Maxence　Gilet；　the　Rabouilleuse；　and　Jean…Jacques；　of　which　a　few

words　reached　her　ears　whenever　she　was　sent　out　of　the　room　that

others　might　talk　about　them。　The　old　lady　now　told　her　granddaughter

to　leave　her　alone　with　Madame　Bridau　and　Joseph　until　the　arrival　of

visitors。



〃For；〃　she　said；　turning　to　the　Parisians；　〃I　know　my　Issoudun　by

heart；　we　shall　have　ten　or　twelve　batches　of　inquisitive　folk　here

to…night。〃



In　fact　Madame　Hochon　had　hardly　related　the　events　and　the　details

concerning　the　astounding　influence　obtained　by　Maxence　Gilet　and　the

Rabouilleuse　over　Jean…Jacques　Rouget　（without；　of　course；　following

the　synthetical　method　with　which　they　have　been　presented　here）；

adding　the　many　comments；　descriptions；　and　hypotheses　with　which　the

good　and　evil　tongues　of　the　town　embroidered　them；　before　Adolphine

announced　the　approach　of　the　Borniche；　Beaussier；　Lousteau…Prangin；

Fichet；　Goddet…Herau　families；　in　all；　fourteen　persons　looming　in　the

distance。



〃You　now　see；　my　dear　child；〃　said　the　old　lady；　concluding　her　tale；

〃that　it　will　not　be　an　easy　matter　to　get　this　property　out　of　the

jaws　of　the　wolf〃



〃It　seems　to　me　so　difficultwith　a　scoundrel　such　as　you　represent

him；　and　a　daring　woman　like　that　crab…girlas　to　be　actually

impossible；〃　remarked　Joseph。　〃We　should　have　to　stay　a　year　in

Issoudun　to　counteract　their　influence　and　overthrow　their　dominion

over　my　uncle。　Money　isn't　worth　such　a　struggle；not　to　speak　of　the

meannesses　to　which　we　should　have　to　condescend。　My　mother　has　only

two　weeks'　leave　of　absence；　her　place　is　a　permanent　one；　and　she

must　not　risk　it。　As　for　me；　in　the　month　of　October　I　have　an

important　work；　which　Schinner　has　just　obtained　for　me　from　a　peer　of

France；　so　you　see；　madame；　my　future　fortune　is　in　my　brushes。〃



This　speech　was　received　by　Madame　Hochon　with　much　amazement。　Though

relatively　superior　to　the　town　she　lived　in；　the　old　lady　did　not

believe　in　painting。　She　glanced　at　her　goddaughter；　and　again　pressed

her　hand。



〃This　Maxence　is　the　second　volume　of　Philippe；〃　whispered　Joseph　in

his　mother's　ear；　〃only　cleverer　and　better　behaved。　Well；　madame；〃

he　said；　aloud；　we　won't　trouble　Monsieur　Hochon　by　staying　very

long。〃



〃Ah！　you　are　young；　you　know　nothing　of　the　world；〃　said　the　old　lady。

〃A　couple　of　weeks；　if　you　are　judicious；　may　produce　great　results；

listen　to　my　advice；　and　act　accordingly。〃



〃Oh！　willingly；〃　said　Joseph；　〃I　know　I　have　a　perfectly　amazing

incapacity　for　domestic　statesmanship：　for　example；　I　am　sure　I　don't

know　what　Desroches　himself　would　tell　us　to　do　if　my　uncle　declines

to　see　us。〃



Mesdames　Borniche；　Goddet…Herau；　Beaussier；　Lousteau…Prangin　and

Fichet；　decorated　with　their　husbands；　here　entered　the　room。



When　the　fourteen　persons　were　seated；　and　the　usual　compliments　were

over；　Madame　Hochon　presented　her　goddaughter　Agathe　and　Joseph。

Joseph　sat　in　his　armchair　all　the　evening；　engaged　in　slyly　studying

the　sixty　faces　which；　from　five　o'clock　until　half　past　nine；　posed

for　him　gratis；　as　he　afterwards　told　his　mother。　Such　behavior　before

the　aristocracy　of　Issoudun　did　not　tend　to　change　the　opinion　of　the

little　town　concerning　him：　every　one　went　home　ruffled　by　his

sarcastic　glances；　uneasy　under　his　smiles；　and　even　frightened　at　his

face；　which　seemed　sinister　to　a　class　of　people　unable　to　recognize

the　singularities　of　genius。



After　ten　o'clock；　when　the　household　was　in　bed；　Madame　Hochon　kept

her　goddaughter　in　her　chamber　until　midnight。　Secure　from

interruption；　the　two　women　told　each　other　the　sorrows　of　their

lives；　and　exchanged　their　sufferings。　As　Agathe　listened　to　the　last

echoes　of　a　soul　that　had　missed　its　destiny；　and　felt　the　sufferings

of　a　heart；　essentially　generous　and　charitable；　whose　charity　a