the two brothers-第46节

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searching　for　the　signature；　his　mother　had　gone　to　see　and　thank　her

brother；　urged　thereto　by　old　Hochon；　who；　having　heard　of　the　follies

the　painter　had　committed　the　night　before；　almost　despaired　of　the

Bridau　cause。



〃Your　adversaries　have　the　cunning　of　foxes；〃　he　said　to　Agathe。　〃In

all　my　days　I　never　saw　a　man　carry　things　with　such　a　high　hand　as

that　soldier；　they　say　war　educates　young　men！　Joseph　has　let　himself

be　fooled。　They　have　shut　his　mouth　with　wine；　and　those　miserable

pictures；　and　four　thousand　francs！　Your　artist　hasn't　cost　Maxence

much！〃



The　long…headed　old　man　instructed　Madame　Bridau　carefully　as　to　the

line　of　conduct　she　ought　to　pursue；advising　her　to　enter　into

Maxence's　ideas　and　cajole　Flore；　so　as　to　set　up　a　sort　of　intimacy

with　her；　and　thus　obtain　a　few　moments'　interview　with　Jean…Jacques

alone。　Madame　Bridau　was　very　warmly　received　by　her　brother；　to　whom

Flore　had　taught　his　lesson。　The　old　man　was　in　bed；　quite　ill　from

the　excesses　of　the　night　before。　As　Agathe；　under　the　circumstances；

could　scarcely　begin　at　once　to　speak　of　family　matters；　Max　thought

it　proper　and　magnanimous　to　leave　the　brother　and　sister　alone

together。　The　calculation　was　a　good　one。　Poor　Agathe　found　her

brother　so　ill　that　she　would　not　deprive　him　of　Madame　Brazier's

care。



〃Besides；〃　she　said　to　the　old　bachelor；　〃I　wish　to　know　a　person　to

whom　I　am　grateful　for　the　happiness　of　my　brother。〃



These　words　gave　evident　pleasure　to　the　old　man；　who　rang　for　Madame

Flore。　Flore；　as　we　may　well　believe；　was　not　far　off。　The　female

antagonists　bowed　to　each　other。　The　Rabouilleuse　showed　the　most

servile　attentions　and　the　utmost　tenderness　to　her　master；　fancied

his　head　was　too　low；　beat　up　the　pillows；　and　took　care　of　him　like　a

bride　of　yesterday。　The　poor　creature　received　it　with　a　rush　of

feeling。



〃We　owe　you　much　gratitude；　mademoiselle；〃　said　Agathe；　〃for　the

proofs　of　attachment　you　have　so　long　given　to　my　brother；　and　for　the

way　in　which　you　watch　over　his　happiness。〃



〃That　is　true；　my　dear　Agathe；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃she　has　taught　me

what　happiness　is；　she　is　a　woman　of　excellent　qualities。〃



〃And　therefore；　my　dear　brother；　you　ought　to　have　recompensed

Mademoiselle　by　making　her　your　wife。　Yes！　I　am　too　sincere　in　my

religion　not　to　wish　to　see　you　obey　the　precepts　of　the　church。　You

would　each　be　more　tranquil　in　mind　if　you　were　not　at　variance　with

morality　and　the　laws。　I　have　come　here；　dear　brother；　to　ask　for　help

in　my　affliction；　but　do　not　suppose　that　we　wish　to　make　any

remonstrance　as　to　the　manner　in　which　you　may　dispose　of　your

property〃



〃Madame；〃　said　Flore；　〃we　know　how　unjust　your　father　was　to　you。

Monsieur；　here；　can　tell　you；〃　she　went　on；　looking　fixedly　at　her

victim；　〃that　the　only　quarrels　we　have　ever　had　were　about　you。　I

have　always　told　him　that　he　owes　you　part　of　the　fortune　he　received

from　his　father；　and　your　father；　my　benefactor；for　he　was　my

benefactor；〃　she　added　in　a　tearful　voice；　〃I　shall　ever　remember　him！

But　your　brother；　madame；　has　listened　to　reason〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃when　I　make　my　will　you　shall　not　be

forgotten。〃



〃Don't　talk　of　these　things；　my　dear　brother；　you　do　not　yet　know　my

nature。〃



After　such　a　beginning；　it　is　easy　to　imagine　how　the　visit　went　on。

Rouget　invited　his　sister　to　dinner　on　the　next　day　but　one。



We　may　here　mention　that　during　these　three　days　the　Knights　of

Idleness　captured　an　immense　quantity　of　rats　and　mice；　which　were

kept　half…famished　until　they　were　let　loose　in　the　grain　one　fine

night；　to　the　number　of　four　hundred　and　thirty…six；　of　which　some

were　breeding　mothers。　Not　content　with　providing　Fario's　store…house

with　these　boarders；　the　Knights　made　holes　in　the　roof　of　the　old

church　and　put　in　a　dozen　pigeons；　taken　from　as　many　different　farms。

These　four…footed　and　feathered　creatures　held　high　revels；all　the

more　securely　because　the　watchman　was　enticed　away　by　a　fellow　who

kept　him　drunk　from　morning　till　night；　so　that　he　took　no　care　of　his

master's　property。



Madame　Bridau　believed；　contrary　to　the　opinion　of　old　Hochon；　that

her　brother　has　as　yet　made　no　will；　she　intended　asking　him　what　were

his　intentions　respecting　Mademoiselle　Brazier；　as　soon　as　she　could

take　a　walk　with　him　alone；a　hope　which　Flore　and　Maxence　were

always　holding　out　to　her；　and；　of　course；　always　disappointing。



Meantime　the　Knights　were　searching　for　a　way　to　put　the　Parisians　to

flight；　and　finding　none　that　were　not　impracticable　follies。



At　the　end　of　a　weekhalf　the　time　the　Parisians　were　to　stay　in

Issoudunthe　Bridaus　were　no　farther　advanced　in　their　object　than

when　they　came。



〃Your　lawyer　does　not　understand　the　provinces；〃　said　old　Hochon　to

Madame　Bridau。　〃What　you　have　come　to　do　can't　be　done　in　two　weeks；

nor　in　two　years；　you　ought　never　to　leave　your　brother；　but　live　here

and　try　to　give　him　some　ideas　of　religion。　You　cannot　countermine　the

fortifications　of　Flore　and　Maxence　without　getting　a　priest　to　sap

them。　That　is　my　advice；　and　it　is　high　time　to　set　about　it。〃



〃You　certainly　have　very　singular　ideas　about　the　clergy；〃　said　Madame

Hochon　to　her　husband。



〃Bah！〃　exclaimed　the　old　man；　〃that's　just　like　you　pious　women。〃



〃God　would　never　bless　an　enterprise　undertaken　in　a　sacrilegious

spirit；〃　said　Madame　Bridau。　〃Use　religion　for　such　a　purpose！　Why；　we

should　be　more　criminal　than　Flore。〃



This　conversation　took　place　at　breakfast；Francois　and　Baruch

listening　with　all　their　ears。



〃Sacrilege！〃　exclaimed　old　Hochon。　〃If　some　good　abbe；　keen　as　I　have

known　many　of　them　to　be；　knew　what　a　dilemma　you　are　in；　he　would　not

think　it　sacrilege　to　bring　your　brother's　lost　soul　back　to　God；　and

call　him　to　repentance　for　his　sins；　by　forcing　him　to　send　away　the

woman　who　causes　the　scandal　（with　a　proper　provision；　of　course）；　and

showing　him　how　to　set　his　conscience　at　rest　by　giving　a　few　thousand

francs　a　year　to　the　seminary　of　the　archbishop　and　leaving　his

property　to　the　rightful　heirs。〃



The　passive　obedience　which　the　old　miser　had　always　exacted　from　his

children；　and　now　from　his　grandchildren　（who　were　under　his

guardianship　and　for　whom　he　was　amassing　a　small　fortune；　doing　for

them；　he　said；　just　as　he　would　for　himself）；　prevented　Baruch　and

Francois　from　showing　signs　of　surprise　or　disapproval；　but　they

exchanged　significant　glances　expressing　how　dangerous　and　fatal　such

a　scheme　would　be　to　Max's　interest。



〃The　fact　is；　madame；〃　said　Baruch；　〃that　if　you　want　to　secure　your

brother's　property；　the　only　sure　and　true　way　will　be　to　stay　in

Issoudun　for　the　necessary　length　of　time〃



〃Mother；〃　said　Joseph　hastily；　〃you　had　better　write　to　Desroches

about　all　this。　As　for　me；　I　ask　nothing　more　than　what　my　uncle　has

already　given　me。〃



After　fully　recognizing　the　great　value　of　his　thirty…nine　pictures；

Joseph　had　carefully　unnailed　the　canvases　and　fastened　paper　over

them；　gumming　it　at　the　edges　with　ordinary　glue；　he　then　laid　them

one　above　another　in　an　enormous　wooden　box；　which　he　sent　to

Desroches　by　the　carrier's　waggon；　proposing　to　write　him　a　letter

about　it　by　post。　The　precious　freight　had　been　sent　off　the　night

before。



〃You　are　satisfied　with　a　pretty　poor　bargain；〃　said　Monsieur　Hochon。



〃I　can　easily　get　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs　for　those

pictures；〃　replied　Joseph。



〃Painter's　nonsense！〃　exclaimed　old　Hochon；　giving　Joseph　a　peculiar

look。



〃Mother；〃　said　Joseph；　〃I　am　going　to　write　to　Desroches　and　explain

to　him　the　state　of　things　here。　If　he　advises　you　to　remain；　you　had

better　do　so。　As　for　your　situation；　we　can　always　find　you　another

like　it。〃



〃My　dear　Joseph；〃　said　Madame　Hochon；　following　him　as　he　left　the

table；　〃I　don't　know　anything　about　your　uncle's　pictures；　but　they

ought　to　be　good；　judging　by　the　places　from　which　they　came。　If　they

are　worth　only　forty　thousand　francs；a　thousand　francs　apiece；tell

no　one。　Though　my　grandsons　are　discreet　and　well…behaved；　they　might；

without　intending　harm；　speak　of　this　windfall；　it　would　be　known　all

over　Issoudun；　and　it　is　very　important　that　our　adversaries　should

not　suspect　it。　You　behave　like　a　child！〃



In　fact；　before　evening　many　persons　in　Issoudun；　including　Max；　were

informed　of　this　estimate；　which　had　the　immediate　effect　of　causing　a

search　for　all　the　old　paintings　which　no　one　had　ever　cared　for；　and

the　appearance　of　many　execrable　daubs。　Max　repented　having　driven　the

old　man　into　giving　away　the　pictures；　and　the　rage　he　felt　against

the　heirs　after　hearing　from　Baruch　old　Hochon's　ecclesiastical

scheme；　was　increased　by　what　he　termed　his　own　stupidity。　The

influence　of　religion　upon　such　a　feeble　creature　as　Rouget　was　the

one　thing　to　f