the two brothers-第44节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



here。〃



〃Ah；　true！　I　did　wrong。　But　you　must　remember　that　ever　since　leaving

Paris　I　have　seen　nothing　but　ugly　women〃



〃My　dear　godmother；〃　said　Agathe　hastily；　〃how　shall　I　be　able　to　meet

my　brother；　if　that　creature　is　always　with　him？〃



〃Bah！〃　said　Joseph。　〃I'll　go　and　see　him　myself。　I　don't　think　him

such　an　idiot；　now　I　find　he　has　the　sense　to　rejoice　his　eyes　with　a

Titian's　Venus。〃



〃If　he　were　not　an　idiot；〃　said　Monsieur　Hochon；　who　had　come　in；　〃he

would　have　married　long　ago　and　had　children；　and　then　you　would　have

no　chance　at　the　property。　It　is　an　ill　wind　that　blows　no　good。〃



〃Your　son's　idea　is　very　good；〃　said　Madame　Hochon；　〃he　ought　to　pay

the　first　visit。　He　can　make　his　uncle　understand　that　if　you　call

there　he　must　be　alone。〃



〃That　will　affront　Mademoiselle　Brazier；〃　said　old　Hochon。　〃No；　no；

madame；　swallow　the　pill。　If　you　can't　get　the　whole　property；　secure

a　small　legacy。〃



The　Hochons　were　not　clever　enough　to　match　Max。　In　the　middle　of

breakfast　Kouski　brought　over　a　letter　from　Monsieur　Rouget；　addressed

to　his　sister；　Madame　Bridau。　Madame　Hochon　made　her　husband　read　it

aloud；　as　follows：



　　My　dear　Sister；I　learn　from　strangers　of　your　arrival　in

　　Issoudun。　I　can　guess　the　reason　which　made　you　prefer　the　house

　　of　Monsieur　and　Madame　Hochon　to　mine；　but　if　you　will　come　to　see

　　me　you　shall　be　received　as　you　ought　to　be。　I　should　certainly

　　pay　you　the　first　visit　if　my　health　did　not　compel　me　just　now　to

　　keep　the　house；　for　which　I　offer　my　affectionate　regrets。　I　shall

　　be　delighted　to　see　my　nephew；　whom　I　invite　to　dine　with　me　to…

　　morrow；young　men　are　less　sensitive　than　women　about　the

　　company。　It　will　give　me　pleasure　if　Messrs。　Baruch　Borniche　and

　　Francois　Hochon　will　accompany　him。



　　Your　affectionate　brother；



　　J。…J。　Rouget。





〃Say　that　we　are　at　breakfast；　but　that　Madame　Bridau　will　send　an

answer　presently；　and　the　invitations　are　all　accepted；〃　said　Monsieur

Hochon　to　the　servant。



The　old　man　laid　a　finger　on　his　lips；　to　require　silence　from

everybody。　When　the　street…door　was　shut；　Monsieur　Hochon；　little

suspecting　the　intimacy　between　his　grandsons　and　Max；　threw　one　of

his　slyest　looks　at　his　wife　and　Agathe；　remarking；



〃He　is　just　as　capable　of　writing　that　note　as　I　am　of　giving　away

twenty…five　louis；　it　is　the　soldier　who　is　corresponding　with　us！〃



〃What　does　that　portend？〃　asked　Madame　Hochon。　〃Well；　never　mind；　we

will　answer　him。　As　for　you；　monsieur；〃　she　added；　turning　to　Joseph；

〃you　must　dine　there；　but　if〃



The　old　lady　was　stopped　short　by　a　look　from　her　husband。　Knowing　how

warm　a　friendship　she　felt　for　Agathe；　old　Hochon　was　in　dread　lest

she　should　leave　some　legacy　to　her　goddaughter　in　case　the　latter

lost　the　Rouget　property。　Though　fifteen　years　older　than　his　wife；

the　miser　hoped　to　inherit　her　fortune；　and　to　become　eventually　the

sole　master　of　their　whole　property。　That　hope　was　a　fixed　idea　with

him。　Madame　Hochon　knew　that　the　best　means　of　obtaining　a　few

concessions　from　her　husband　was　to　threaten　him　with　her　will。

Monsieur　Hochon　now　took　sides　with　his　guests。　An　enormous　fortune

was　at　stake；　with　a　sense　of　social　justice；　he　wished　it　to　go　to

the　natural　heirs；　instead　of　being　pillaged　by　unworthy　outsiders。

Moreover；　the　sooner　the　matter　was　decided；　the　sooner　he　should　get

rid　of　his　guests。　Now　that　the　struggle　between　the　interlopers　and

the　heirs；　hitherto　existing　only　in　his　wife's　mind；　had　become　an

actual　fact；　Monsieur　Hochon's　keen　intelligence；　lulled　to　sleep　by

the　monotony　of　provincial　life；　was　fully　roused。　Madame　Hochon　had

been　agreeably　surprised　that　morning　to　perceive；　from　a　few

affectionate　words　which　the　old　man　had　said　to　her　about　Agathe；

that　so　able　and　subtle　an　auxiliary　was　on　the　Bridau　side。



Towards　midday　the　brains　of　Monsieur　and　Madame　Hochon；　of　Agathe；

and　Joseph　（the　latter　much　amazed　at　the　scrupulous　care　of　the　old

people　in　the　choice　of　words）；　were　delivered　of　the　following

answer；　concocted　solely　for　the　benefit　of　Max　and　Flore：



　　My　dear　Brother；If　I　have　stayed　away　from　Issoudun；　and　kept　up

　　no　intercourse　with　any　one；　not　even　with　you；　the　fault　lies　not

　　merely　with　the　strange　and　false　ideas　my　father　conceived　about

　　me；　but　with　the　joys　and　sorrows　of　my　life　in　Paris；　for　if　God

　　made　me　a　happy　wife；　he　has　also　deeply　afflicted　me　as　a　mother。

　　You　are　aware　that　my　son；　your　nephew　Philippe；　lies　under

　　accusation　of　a　capital　offence　in　consequence　of　his　devotion　to

　　the　Emperor。　Therefore　you　can　hardly　be　surprised　if　a　widow；

　　compelled　to　take　a　humble　situation　in　a　lottery…office　for　a

　　living；　should　come　to　seek　consolation　from　those　among　whom　she

　　was　born。



　　The　profession　adopted　by　the　son　who　accompanies　me　is　one　that

　　requires　great　talent；　many　sacrifices；　and　prolonged　studies

　　before　any　results　can　be　obtained。　Glory　for　an　artist　precedes

　　fortune；　is　not　that　to　say　that　Joseph；　though　he　may　bring　honor

　　to　the　family；　will　still　be　poor？　Your　sister；　my　dear　Jean…

　　Jacques；　would　have　borne　in　silence　the　penalties　of　paternal

　　injustice；　but　you　will　pardon　a　mother　for　reminding　you　that　you

　　have　two　nephews；　one　of　whom　carried　the　Emperor's　orders　at　the

　　battle　of　Montereau　and　served　in　the　Guard　at　Waterloo；　and　is

　　now　in　prison　for　his　devotion　to　Napoleon；　the　other；　from　his

　　thirteenth　year；　has　been　impelled　by　natural　gifts　to　enter　a

　　difficult　though　glorious　career。



　　I　thank　you　for　your　letter；　my　dear　brother；　with　heart…felt

　　warmth；　for　my　own　sake；　and　also　for　Joseph's；　who　will　certainly

　　accept　your　invitation。　Illness　excuses　everything；　my　dear　Jean…

　　Jacques；　and　I　shall　therefore　go　to　see　you　in　your　own　house。　A

　　sister　is　always　at　home　with　a　brother；　no　matter　what　may　be　the

　　life　he　has　adopted。



　　I　embrace　you　tenderly。



　　Agathe　Rouget





〃There's　the　matter　started。　Now；　when　you　see　him；〃　said　Monsieur

Hochon　to　Agathe；　〃you　must　speak　plainly　to　him　about　his　nephews。〃



The　letter　was　carried　over　by　Gritte；　who　returned　ten　minutes　later

to　render　an　account　to　her　masters　of　all　that　she　had　seen　and

heard；　according　to　a　settled　provincial　custom。



〃Since　yesterday　Madame　has　had　the　whole　house　cleaned　up；　which　she

left〃



〃Whom　do　you　mean　by　Madame？〃　asked　old　Hochon。



〃That's　what　they　call　the　Rabouilleuse　over　there；〃　answered　Gritte。

〃She　left　the　salon　and　all　Monsieur　Rouget's　part　of　the　house　in　a

pitiable　state；　but　since　yesterday　the　rooms　have　been　made　to　look

like　what　they　were　before　Monsieur　Maxence　went　to　live　there。　You

can　see　your　face　on　the　floors。　La　Vedie　told　me　that　Kouski　went　off

on　horseback　at　five　o'clock　this　morning；　and　came　back　at　nine；

bringing　provisions。　It　is　going　to　be　a　grand　dinner！a　dinner　fit

for　the　archbishop　of　Bourges！　There's　a　fine　bustle　in　the　kitchen；

and　they　are　as　busy　as　bees。　The　old　man　says；　'I　want　to　do　honor　to

my　nephew；'　and　he　pokes　his　nose　into　everything。　It　appears　THE

ROUGETS　are　highly　flattered　by　the　letter。　Madame　came　and　told　me

so。　Oh！　she　had　on　such　a　dress！　I　never　saw　anything　so　handsome　in

my　life。　Two　diamonds　in　her　ears！two　diamonds　that　cost；　Vedie　told

me；　three　thousand　francs　apiece；　and　such　lace！　rings　on　her　fingers；

and　bracelets！　you'd　think　she　was　a　shrine；　and　a　silk　dress　as　fine

as　an　altar…cloth。　So　then　she　said　to　me；　'Monsieur　is　delighted　to

find　his　sister　so　amiable；　and　I　hope　she　will　permit　us　to　pay　her

all　the　attention　she　deserves。　We　shall　count　on　her　good　opinion

after　the　welcome　we　mean　to　give　her　son。　Monsieur　is　very　impatient

to　see　his　nephew。'　Madame　had　little　black　satin　slippers；　and　her

stockings！　my！　they　were　marvels；flowers　in　silk　and　openwork；　just

like　lace；　and　you　could　see　her　rosy　little　feet　through　them。　Oh！

she's　in　high　feather；　and　she　had　a　lovely　little　apron　in　front　of

her　which；　Vedie　says；　cost　more　than　two　years　of　our　wages　put

together。〃



〃Well　done！　We　shall　have　to　dress　up；〃　said　the　artist　laughing。



〃What　do　you　think　of　all　this；　Monsieur　Hochon？〃　said　the　old　lady

when　Gritte　had　departed。



Madame　Hochon　made　Agathe　observe　her　husband；　who　was　sitting　with

his　head　in　his　hands；　his　elbows　on　the　arms　of　his　chair；　plunged　in

thought。



〃You　have　to　do　with　a　Maitre　Bonin！〃　said　the　old　man　at　last。　〃With

your　ideas；　young　man；〃　he　added；　looking　at　Joseph；　〃you　haven't

force　enough　to　struggle　with　a　practised　scoundrel　like　Maxence

Gilet。　No　matter　what　I　say　to　you；　you　will　commit　some　folly。　But；

at　any　rate；　tell　me　everything　you　see；　and　hear；　and　do　to…night。

Go；　and　God　be　with　you！　Try　to　get　alone　with　your　uncle。　If；　in

spite　of　all　your　geniu