the two brothers-第49节

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gratuitous　distribution　of　comestibles　to　the　dogs　of　the　town。　This

memorable　expedition　was　not　over　till　three　in　the　morning；　the　hour

at　which　these　reprobates　went　to　sup　at　Cognette's。　At　half…past

four；　in　the　early　dawn；　they　crept　home。　Just　as　Max　turned　the

corner　of　the　rue　l'Avenier　into　the　Grande　rue；　Fario；　who　stood

ambushed　in　a　recess；　struck　a　knife　at　his　heart；　drew　out　the　blade；

and　escaped　by　the　moat　towards　Vilatte；　wiping　the　blade　of　his　knife

on　his　handkerchief。　The　Spaniard　washed　the　handkerchief　in　the

Riviere　forcee；　and　returned　quietly　to　his　lodgings　at　Saint…Paterne；

where　he　got　in　by　a　window　he　had　left　open；　and　went　to　bed：　later；

he　was　awakened　by　his　new　watchman；　who　found　him　fast　asleep。



As　he　fell；　Max　uttered　a　fearful　cry　which　no　one　could　mistake。

Lousteau…Prangin；　son　of　a　judge；　a　distant　relation　to　the　family　of

the　sub…delegate；　and　young　Goddet；　who　lived　at　the　lower　end　of　the

Grande　rue；　ran　at　full　speed　up　the　street；　calling　to　each　other；



〃They　are　killing　Max！　Help！　help！〃



But　not　a　dog　barked；　and　all　the　town；　accustomed　to　the　false　alarms

of　these　nightly　prowlers；　stayed　quietly　in　their　beds。　When　his　two

comrades　reached　him；　Max　had　fainted。　It　was　necessary　to　rouse

Monsieur　Goddet；　the　surgeon。　Max　had　recognized　Fario；　but　when　he

came　to　his　senses；　with　several　persons　about　him；　and　felt　that　his

wound　was　not　mortal；　it　suddenly　occurred　to　him　to　make　capital　out

of　the　attack；　and　he　said；　in　a　faint　voice；



〃I　think　I　recognized　that　cursed　painter！〃



Thereupon　Lousteau…Prangin　ran　off　to　his　father；　the　judge。　Max　was

carried　home　by　Cognette；　young　Goddet；　and　two　other　persons。　Mere

Cognette　and　Monsieur　Goddet　walked　beside　the　stretcher。　Those　who

carried　the　wounded　man　naturally　looked　across　at　Monsieur　Hochon's

door　while　waiting　for　Kouski　to　let　them　in；　and　saw　Monsieur

Hochon's　servant　sweeping　the　steps。　At　the　old　miser's；　as　everywhere

else　in　the　provinces；　the　household　was　early　astir。　The　few　words

uttered　by　Max　had　roused　the　suspicions　of　Monsieur　Goddet；　and　he

called　to　the　woman；



〃Gritte；　is　Monsieur　Joseph　Bridau　in　bed？〃



〃Bless　me！〃　she　said；　〃he　went　out　at　half…past　four。　I　don't　know

what　ailed　him；　he　walked　up　and　down　his　room　all　night。〃



This　simple　answer　drew　forth　such　exclamations　of　horror　that　the

woman　came　over；　curious　to　know　what　they　were　carrying　to　old

Rouget's　house。



〃A　precious　fellow　he　is；　that　painter　of　yours！〃　they　said　to　her。

And　the　procession　entered　the　house；　leaving　Gritte　open…mouthed　with

amazement　at　the　sight　of　Max　in　his　bloody　shirt；　stretched　half…

fainting　on　a　mattress。



Artists　will　readily　guess　what　ailed　Joseph；　and　kept　him　restless

all　night。　He　imagined　the　tale　the　bourgeoisie　of　Issoudun　would　tell

of　him。　They　would　say　he　had　fleeced　his　uncle；　that　he　was

everything　but　what　he　had　tried　to　be；a　loyal　fellow　and　an　honest

artist！　Ah！　he　would　have　given　his　great　picture　to　have　flown　like　a

swallow　to　Paris；　and　thrown　his　uncle's　paintings　at　Max's　nose。　To

be　the　one　robbed；　and　to　be　thought　the　robber！what　irony！　So　at

the　earliest　dawn；　he　had　started　for　the　poplar　avenue　which　led　to

Tivoli；　to　give　free　course　to　his　agitation。



While　the　innocent　fellow　was　vowing；　by　way　of　consolation；　never　to

return　to　Issoudun；　Max　was　preparing　a　horrible　outrage　for　his

sensitive　spirit。　When　Monsieur　Goddet　had　probed　the　wound　and

discovered　that　the　knife；　turned　aside　by　a　little　pocket…book；　had

happily　spared　Max's　life　（though　making　a　serious　wound）；　he　did　as

all　doctors；　and　particularly　country　surgeons；　do；　he　paved　the　way

for　his　own　credit　by　〃not　answering　for　the　patient's　life〃；　and

then；　after　dressing　the　soldier's　wound；　and　stating　the　verdict　of

science　to　the　Rabouilleuse；　Jean…Jacques　Rouget；　Kouski；　and　the

Vedie；　he　left　the　house。　The　Rabouilleuse　came　in　tears　to　her　dear

Max；　while　Kouski　and　the　Vedie　told　the　assembled　crowd　that　the

captain　was　in　a　fair　way　to　die。　The　news　brought　nearly　two　hundred

persons　in　groups　about　the　place　Saint…Jean　and　the　two　Narettes。



〃I　sha'n't　be　a　month　in　bed；　and　I　know　who　struck　the　blow；〃

whispered　Max　to　Flore。　〃But　we'll　profit　by　it　to　get　rid　of　the

Parisians。　I　have　said　I　thought　I　recognized　the　painter；　so　pretend

that　I　am　expected　to　die；　and　try　to　have　Joseph　Bridau　arrested。　Let

him　taste　a　prison　for　a　couple　of　days；　and　I　know　well　enough　the

mother　will　be　off　in　a　jiffy　for　Paris　when　she　gets　him　out。　And

then　we　needn't　fear　the　priests　they　talk　of　setting　on　the　old

fool。〃



When　Flore　Brazier　came　downstairs；　she　found　the　assembled　crowd

quite　prepared　to　take　the　impression　she　meant　to　give　them。　She　went

out　with　tears　in　her　eyes；　and　related；　sobbing；　how　the　painter；

〃who　had　just　the　face　for　that　sort　of　thing；〃　had　been　angry　with

Max　the　night　before　about　some　pictures　he　had　〃wormed　out〃　of　Pere

Rouget。



〃That　brigandfor　you've　only　got　to　look　at　him　to　see　what　he　is

thinks　that　if　Max　were　dead；　his　uncle　would　leave　him　his　fortune；

as　if；〃　she　cried；　〃a　brother　were　not　more　to　him　than　a　nephew！　Max

is　Doctor　Rouget's　son。　The　old　one　told　me　so　before　he　died！〃



〃Ah！　he　meant　to　do　the　deed　just　before　he　left　Issoudun；　he　chose

his　time；　for　he　was　going　away　to…day；〃　said　one　of　the　Knights　of

Idleness。



〃Max　hasn't　an　enemy　in　Issoudun；〃　said　another。



〃Besides；　Max　recognized　the　painter；〃　said　the　Rabouilleuse。



〃Where's　that　cursed　Parisian？　Let　us　find　him！〃　they　all　cried。



〃Find　him？〃　was　the　answer；　〃why；　he　left　Monsieur　Hochon's　at

daybreak。〃



A　Knight　of　Idleness　ran　off　at　once　to　Monsieur　Mouilleron。　The　crowd

increased；　and　the　tumult　became　threatening。　Excited　groups　filled　up

the　whole　of　the　Grande…Narette。　Others　stationed　themselves　before

the　church　of　Saint…Jean。　An　assemblage　gathered　at　the　porte　Vilatte；

which　is　at　the　farther　end　of　the　Petite…Narette。　Monsieur　Lousteau…

Prangin　and　Monsieur　Mouilleron；　the　commissary　of　police；　the

lieutenant　of　gendarmes；　and　two　of　his　men；　had　some　difficulty　in

reaching　the　place　Saint…Jean　through　two　hedges　of　people；　whose

cries　and　exclamations　could　and　did　prejudice　them　against　the

Parisian；　who　was；　it　is　needless　to　say；　unjustly　accused；　although；

it　is　true；　circumstances　told　against　him。



After　a　conference　between　Max　and　the　magistrates；　Monsieur

Mouilleron　sent　the　commissary　of　police　and　a　sergeant　with　one

gendarme　to　examine　what；　in　the　language　of　the　ministry　of　the

interior；　is　called　〃the　theatre　of　the　crime。〃　Then　Messieurs

Mouilleron　and　Lousteau…Prangin；　accompanied　by　the　lieutenant　of

gendarmes　crossed　over　to　the　Hochon　house；　which　was　now　guarded　by

two　gendarmes　in　the　garden　and　two　at　the　front　door。　The　crowd　was

still　increasing。　The　whole　town　was　surging　in　the　Grande　rue。



Gritte　had　rushed　terrified　to　her　master；　crying　out：　〃Monsieur；　we

shall　be　pillaged！　the　town　is　in　revolt；　Monsieur　Maxence　Gilet　has

been　assassinated；　he　is　dying！　and　they　say　it　is　Monsieur　Joseph　who

has　done　it！〃



Monsieur　Hochon　dressed　quickly；　and　came　downstairs；　but　seeing　the

angry　populace；　he　hastily　retreated　within　the　house；　and　bolted　the

door。　On　questioning　Gritte；　he　learned　that　his　guest　had　left　the

house　at　daybreak；　after　walking　the　floor　all　night　in　great

agitation；　and　had　not　yet　come　in。　Much　alarmed；　he　went　to　find

Madame　Hochon；　who　was　already　awakened　by　the　noise；　and　to　whom　he

told　the　frightful　news　which；　true　or　false；　was　causing　almost　a

riot　in　Issoudun。



〃He　is　innocent；　of　course；〃　said　Madame　Hochon。



〃Before　his　innocence　can　be　proved；　the　crowd　may　get　in　here　and

pillage　us；〃　said　Monsieur　Hochon；　livid　with　fear；　for　he　had　gold　in

his　cellar。



〃Where　is　Agathe？〃



〃Sound　asleep。〃



〃Ah！　so　much　the　better；〃　said　Madame　Hochon。　〃I　wish　she　may　sleep　on

till　the　matter　is　cleared　up。　Such　a　shock　might　kill　the　poor

child。〃



But　Agathe　woke　up　and　came　down　half…dressed；　for　the　evasive　answers

of　Gritte；　whom　she　questioned；　had　disturbed　both　her　head　and　heart。

She　found　Madame　Hochon；　looking　very　pale；　with　her　eyes　full　of

tears；　at　one　of　the　windows　of　the　salon　beside　her　husband。



〃Courage；　my　child。　God　sends　us　our　afflictions；〃　said　the　old　lady。

〃Joseph　is　accused〃



〃Of　what？〃



〃Of　a　bad　action　which　he　could　never　have　committed；〃　answered　Madame

Hochon。



Hearing　the　words；　and　seeing　the　lieutenant　of　gendarmes；　who　at　this

moment　entered　the　room　accompanied　by　the　two　gentlemen；　Agathe

fainted　away。



〃There　now！〃　said　Monsieur　Hochon　to　his　wife　and　Gritte；　〃carry　off

Madame　Bridau；　women　are　only　in　the　way　at　these　times。　Take　her　to

her　room　and　stay　there；　both　of　you。