the two brothers-第47节

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

one　thing　to　fear。　The　news　brought　by　his　two　comrades　decided

Maxence　Gilet　to　turn　all　Rouget's　investments　into　money；　and　to

borrow　upon　his　landed　property；　so　as　to　buy　into　the　Funds　as　soon

as　possible；　but　he　considered　it　even　more　important　to　get　rid　of

the　Parisians　at　once。　The　genius　of　the　Mascarilles　and　Scapins　out

together　would　hardly　have　solved　the　latter　problem　easily。



Flore；　acting　by　Max's　advice；　pretended　that　Monsieur　was　too　feeble

to　take　walks；　and　that　he　ought；　at　his　age；　to　have　a　carriage。　This

pretext　grew　out　of　the　necessity　of　not　exciting　inquiry　when　they

went　to　Bourges；　Vierzon；　Chateauroux；　Vatan；　and　all　the　other　places

where　the　project　of　withdrawing　investments　obliged　Max　and　Flore　to

betake　themselves　with　Rouget。　At　the　close　of　the　week；　all　Issoudun

was　amazed　to　learn　that　the　old　man　had　gone　to　Bourges　to　buy　a

carriage；a　step　which　the　Knights　of　Idleness　regarded　as　favorable

to　the　Rabouilleuse。　Flore　and　Max　selected　a　hideous　〃berlingot；〃

with　cracked　leather　curtains　and　windows　without　glass；　aged　twenty…

two　years　and　nine　campaigns；　sold　on　the　decease　of　a　colonel；　the

friend　of　grand…marshal　Bertrand；　who；　during　the　absence　of　that

faithful　companion　of　the　Emperor；　was　left　in　charge　of　the　affairs

of　Berry。　This　〃berlingot；〃　painted　bright　green；　was　somewhat　like　a

caleche；　though　shafts　had　taken　the　place　of　a　pole；　so　that　it　could

be　driven　with　one　horse。　It　belonged　to　a　class　of　carriages　brought

into　vogue　by　diminished　fortunes；　which　at　that　time　bore　the　candid

name　of　〃demi…fortune〃；　at　its　first　introduction　it　was　called　a

〃seringue。〃　The　cloth　lining　of　this　demi…fortune；　sold　under　the　name

of　caleche；　was　moth…eaten；　its　gimps　looked　like　the　chevrons　of　an

old　Invalide；　its　rusty　joints　squeaked；but　it　only　cost　four

hundred　and　fifty　francs；　and　Max　bought　a　good　stout　mare；　trained　to

harness；　from　an　officer　of　a　regiment　then　stationed　at　Bourges。　He

had　the　carriage　repainted　a　dark　brown；　and　bought　a　tolerable

harness　at　a　bargain。　The　whole　town　of　Issoudun　was　shaken　to　its

centre　in　expectation　of　Pere　Rouget's　equipage；　and　on　the　occasion

of　its　first　appearance；　every　household　was　on　its　door…step　and

curious　faces　were　at　all　the　windows。



The　second　time　the　old　bachelor　went　out　he　drove　to　Bourges；　where；

to　escape　the　trouble　of　attending　personally　to　the　business；　or；　if

you　prefer　it；　being　ordered　to　do　so　by　Flore；　he　went　before　a

notary　and　signed　a　power　of　attorney　in　favor　of　Maxence　Gilet；

enabling　him　to　make　all　the　transfers　enumerated　in　the　document。

Flore　reserved　to　herself　the　business　of　making　Monsieur　sell　out　the

investments　in　Issoudun　and　its　immediate　neighborhood。　The　principal

notary　in　Bourges　was　requested　by　Rouget　to　get　him　a　loan　of　one

hundred　and　forty　thousand　francs　on　his　landed　estate。　Nothing　was

known　at　Issoudun　of　these　proceedings；　which　were　secretly　and

cleverly　carried　out。　Maxence；　who　was　a　good　rider；　went　with　his　own

horse　to　Bourges　and　back　between　five　in　the　morning　and　five　in　the

afternoon。　Flore　never　left　the　old　bachelor。　Rouget　consented　without

objection　to　the　action　Flore　dictated　to　him；　but　he　insisted　that

the　investment　in　the　Funds；　producing　fifty　thousand　francs　a　year；

should　stand　in　Flore's　name　as　holding　a　life…interest　only；　and　in

his　as　owner　of　the　principal。　The　tenacity　the　old　man　displayed　in

the　domestic　disputes　which　this　idea　created　caused　Max　a　good　deal

of　anxiety；　he　thought　he　could　see　the　result　of　reflections　inspired

by　the　sight　of　the　natural　heirs。



Amid　all　these　movements；　which　Max　concealed　from　the　knowledge　of

everyone；　he　forgot　the　Spaniard　and　his　granary。　Fario　came　back　to

Issoudun　to　deliver　his　corn；　after　various　trips　and　business

manoeuvres　undertaken　to　raise　the　price　of　cereals。　The　morning　after

his　arrival　he　noticed　that　the　roof　the　church　of　the　Capuchins　was

black　with　pigeons。　He　cursed　himself　for　having　neglected　to　examine

its　condition；　and　hurried　over　to　look　into　his　storehouse；　where　he

found　half　his　grain　devoured。　Thousands　of　mice…marks　and　rat…marks

scattered　about　showed　a　second　cause　of　ruin。　The　church　was　a

Noah's…ark。　But　anger　turned　the　Spaniard　white　as　a　bit　of　cambric

when；　trying　to　estimate　the　extent　of　the　destruction　and　his

consequence　losses；　he　noticed　that　the　grain　at　the　bottom　of　the

heap；　near　the　floor；　was　sprouting　from　the　effects　of　water；　which

Max　had　managed　to　introduce　by　means　of　tin　tubes　into　the　very

centre　of　the　pile　of　wheat。　The　pigeons　and　the　rats　could　be

explained　by　animal　instinct；　but　the　hand　of　man　was　plainly　visible

in　this　last　sign　of　malignity。



Fario　sat　down　on　the　steps　of　a　chapel　altar；　holding　his　head

between　his　hands。　After　half　an　hour　of　Spanish　reflections；　he　spied

the　squirrel；　which　Goddet　could　not　refrain　from　giving　him　as　a

guest；　playing　with　its　tail　upon　a　cross…beam；　on　the　middle　of　which

rested　one　of　the　uprights　that　supported　the　roof。　The　Spaniard　rose

and　turned　to　his　watchman　with　a　face　that　was　as　calm　and　cold　as　an

Arab's。　He　made　no　complaint；　but　went　home；　hired　laborers　to　gather

into　sacks　what　remained　of　the　sound　grain；　and　to　spread　in　the　sun

all　that　was　moist；　so　as　to　save　as　much　as　possible；　then；　after

estimating　that　his　losses　amounted　to　about　three　fifths；　he　attended

to　filling　his　orders。　But　his　previous　manipulations　of　the　market

had　raised　the　price　of　cereals；　and　he　lost　on　the　three　fifths　he

was　obliged　to　buy　to　fill　his　orders；　so　that　his　losses　amounted

really　to　more　than　half。　The　Spaniard；　who　had　no　enemies；　at　once

attributed　this　revenge　to　Gilet。　He　was　convinced　that　Maxence　and

some　others　were　the　authors　of　all　the　nocturnal　mischief；　and　had　in

all　probability　carried　his　cart　up　the　embankment　of　the　tower；　and

now　intended　to　amuse　themselves　by　ruining　him。　It　was　a　matter　to

him　of　over　three　thousand　francs；very　nearly　the　whole　capital　he

had　scraped　together　since　the　peace。　Driven　by　the　desire　for

vengeance；　the　man　now　displayed　the　cunning　and　stealthy　persistence

of　a　detective　to　whom　a　large　reward　is　offered。　Hiding　at　night　in

different　parts　of　Issoudun；　he　soon　acquired　proof　of　the　proceedings

of　the　Knights　of　Idleness；　he　saw　them　all；　counted　them；　watched

their　rendezvous；　and　knew　of　their　suppers　at　Mere　Cognette's；　after

that　he　lay　in　wait　to　witness　one　of　their　deeds；　and　thus　became

well　informed　as　to　their　nocturnal　habits。



In　spite　of　Max's　journeys　and　pre…occupations；　he　had　no　intention　of

neglecting　his　nightly　employments；first；　because　he　did　not　wish

his　comrades　to　suspect　the　secret　of　his　operations　with　Pere

Rouget's　property；　and　secondly；　to　keep　the　Knights　well　in　hand。

They　were　therefore　convened　for　the　preparation　of　a　prank　which

might　deserve　to　be　talked　of　for　years　to　come。　Poisoned　meat　was　to

be　thrown　on　a　given　night　to　every　watch…dog　in　the　town　and　in　the

environs。　Fario　overheard　them　congratulating　each　other；　as　they　came

out　from　a　supper　at　the　Cognettes'；　on　the　probable　success　of　the

performance；　and　laughing　over　the　general　mourning　that　would　follow

this　novel　massacre　of　the　innocents；revelling；　moreover；　in　the

apprehensions　it　would　excite　as　to　the　sinister　object　of　depriving

all　the　households　of　their　guardian　watch…dogs。



〃It　will　make　people　forget　Fario's　cart；〃　said　Goddet。



Fario　did　not　need　that　speech　to　confirm　his　suspicions；　besides；　his

mind　was　already　made　up。



After　three　weeks'　stay　in　Issoudun；　Agathe　was　convinced；　and　so　was

Madame　Hochon；　of　the　truth　of　the　old　miser's　observation；　that　it

would　take　years　to　destroy　the　influence　which　Max　and　the

Rabouilleuse　had　acquired　over　her　brother。　She　had　made　no　progress

in　Jean…Jacques's　confidence；　and　she　was　never　left　alone　with　him。

On　the　other　hand；　Mademoiselle　Brazier　triumphed　openly　over　the

heirs　by　taking　Agathe　to　drive　in　the　caleche；　sitting　beside　her　on

the　back　seat；　while　Monsieur　Rouget　and　his　nephew　occupied　the

front。　Mother　and　son　impatiently　awaited　an　answer　to　the

confidential　letter　they　had　written　to　Desroches。　The　day　before　the

night　on　which　the　dogs　were　to　be　poisoned；　Joseph；　who　was　nearly

bored　to　death　in　Issoudun；　received　two　letters：　the　first　from　the

great　painter　Schinner；whose　age　allowed　him　a　closer　intimacy　than

Joseph　could　have　with　Gros；　their　master；and　the　second　from

Desroches。



Here　is　the　first；　postmarked　Beaumont…sur…Oise：



　　My　dear　Joseph；I　have　just　finished　the　principal　panel…

　　paintings　at　the　chateau　de　Presles　for　the　Comte　de　Serizy。　I

　　have　left　all　the　mouldings　and　the　decorative　painting；　and　I

　　have　recommended　you　so　strongly　to　the　cou