the two brothers-第52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！



minister　to　grant　him　an　audience；　and　found　Monsieur　de　Serizy　most

amiably　disposed　toward　Joseph；　with　whom　he　had　happened　to　make

personal　acquaintance。　Desroches　explained　the　financial　condition　of

the　two　brothers；　recalling　the　services　of　the　father；　and　the

neglect　shown　to　them　under　the　Restoration。



〃Such　injustice；　monseigneur；〃　said　the　lawyer；　〃is　a　lasting　cause　of

irritation　and　discontent。　You　knew　the　father；　give　the　sons　a

chance；　at　least；　of　making　a　fortune〃



And　he　drew　a　succinct　picture　of　the　situation　of　the　family　affairs

at　Issoudun；　begging　the　all…powerful　vice…president　of　the　Council　of

State　to　take　steps　to　induce　the　director…general　of　police　to　change

Philippe's　place　of　residence　from　Autun　to　Issoudun。　He　also　spoke　of

Philippe's　extreme　poverty；　and　asked　a　dole　of　sixty　francs　a　month；

which　the　minister　of　war　ought；　he　said；　for　mere　shame's　sake；　to

grant　to　a　former　lieutenant…colonel。



〃I　will　obtain　all　you　ask　of　me；　for　I　think　it　just；〃　replied　the

count。



Three　days　later；　Desroches；　furnished　with　the　necessary　authority；

fetched　Philippe　from　the　prison　of　the　Court　of　Peers；　and　took　him

to　his　own　house；　rue　de　Bethizy。　Once　there；　the　young　barrister　read

the　miserable　vagabond　one　of　those　unanswerable　lectures　in　which

lawyers　rate　things　at　their　actual　value；　using　plain　terms　to

qualify　the　conduct；　and　to　analyze　and　reduce　to　their　simplest

meaning　the　sentiments　and　ideas　of　clients　toward　whom　they　feel

enough　interest　to　speak　plainly。　After　humbling　the　Emperor's　staff…

officer　by　reproaching　him　with　his　reckless　dissipations；　his

mother's　misfortunes；　and　the　death　of　Madame　Descoings；　he　went　on　to

tell　him　the　state　of　things　at　Issoudun；　explaining　it　according　to

his　lights；　and　probing　both　the　scheme　and　the　character　of　Maxence

Gilet　and　the　Rabouilleuse　to　their　depths。　Philippe；　who　was　gifted

with　a　keen　comprehension　in　such　directions；　listened　with　much　more

interest　to　this　part　of　Desroches's　lecture　than　to　what　had　gone

before。



〃Under　these　circumstances；〃　continued　the　lawyer；　〃you　can　repair　the

injury　you　have　done　to　your　estimable　family；so　far　at　least　as　it

is　reparable；　for　you　cannot　restore　life　to　the　poor　mother　you　have

all　but　killed。　But　you　alone　can〃



〃What　can　I　do？〃　asked　Philippe。



〃I　have　obtained　a　change　of　residence　for　you　from　Autun　to

Issoudun。〃



Philippe's　sunken　face；　which　had　grown　almost　sinister　in　expression

and　was　furrowed　with　sufferings　and　privation；　instantly　lighted　up

with　a　flash　of　joy。



〃And；　as　I　was　saying；　you　alone　can　recover　the　inheritance　of　old

Rouget's　property；　half　of　which　may　by　this　time　be　in　the　jaws　of

the　wolf　named　Gilet；〃　replied　Desroches。　〃You　now　know　all　the

particulars；　and　it　is　for　you　to　act　accordingly。　I　suggest　no　plan；

I　have　no　ideas　at　all　as　to　that；　besides；　everything　will　depend　on

local　circumstances。　You　have　to　deal　with　a　strong　force；　that　fellow

is　very　astute。　The　way　he　attempted　to　get　back　the　pictures　your

uncle　had　given　to　Joseph；　the　audacity　with　which　he　laid　a　crime　on

your　poor　brother's　shoulders；　all　go　to　prove　that　the　adversary　is

capable　of　everything。　Therefore；　be　prudent；　and　try　to　behave

properly　out　of　policy；　if　you　can't　do　so　out　of　decency。　Without

telling　Joseph；　whose　artist's　pride　would　be　up　in　arms；　I　have　sent

the　pictures　to　Monsieur　Hochon；　telling　him　to　give　them　up　to　no　one

but　you。　By　the　way；　Maxence　Gilet　is　a　brave　man。〃



〃So　much　the　better；〃　said　Philippe；　〃I　count　on　his　courage　for

success；　a　coward　would　leave　Issoudun。〃



〃Well；think　of　your　mother　who　has　been　so　devoted　to　you；　and　of

your　brother；　whom　you　made　your　milch　cow。〃



〃Ah！　did　he　tell　you　that　nonsense？〃　cried　Philippe。



〃Am　I　not　the　friend　of　the　family；　and　don't　I　know　much　more　about

you　than　they　do？〃　asked　Desroches。



〃What　do　you　know？〃　said　Philippe。



〃That　you　betrayed　your　comrades。〃



〃I！〃　exclaimed　Philippe。　〃I！　a　staff…officer　of　the　Emperor！　Absurd！

Why；　we　fooled　the　Chamber　of　Peers；　the　lawyers；　the　government；　and

the　whole　of　the　damned　concern。　The　king's　people　were　completely

hood…winked。〃



〃That's　all　very　well；　if　it　was　so；〃　answered　the　lawyer。　〃But；　don't

you　see；　the　Bourbons　can't　be　overthrown；　all　Europe　is　backing　them；

and　you　ought　to　try　to　make　your　peace　with　the　war　department；you

could　do　that　readily　enough　if　you　were　rich。　To　get　rich；　you　and

your　brother；　you　must　lay　hold　of　your　uncle。　If　you　will　take　the

trouble　to　manage　an　affair　which　needs　great　cleverness；　patience；

and　caution；　you　have　enough　work　before　you　to　occupy　your　five

years。〃



〃No；　no；〃　cried　Philippe；　〃I　must　take　the　bull　by　the　horns　at　once。

This　Maxence　may　alter　the　investment　of　the　property　and　put　it　in

that　woman's　name；　and　then　all　would　be　lost。〃



〃Monsieur　Hochon　is　a　good　adviser；　and　sees　clearly；　consult　him。　You

have　your　orders　from　the　police；　I　have　taken　your　place　in　the

Orleans　diligence　for　half…past　seven　o'clock　this　evening。　I　suppose

your　trunk　is　ready；　so；　now　come　and　dine。〃



〃I　own　nothing　but　what　I　have　got　on　my　back；〃　said　Philippe；　opening

his　horrible　blue　overcoat；　〃but　I　only　need　three　things；　which　you

must　tell　Giroudeau；　the　uncle　of　Finot；　to　send　me；my　sabre；　my

sword；　and　my　pistols。〃



〃You　need　more　than　that；〃　said　the　lawyer；　shuddering　as　he　looked　at

his　client。　〃You　will　receive　a　quarterly　stipend　which　will　clothe

you　decently。〃



〃Bless　me！　are　you　here；　Godeschal？〃　cried　Philippe；　recognizing　in

Desroches's　head…clerk；　as　they　passed　out；　the　brother　of　Mariette。



〃Yes；　I　have　been　with　Monsieur　Desroches　for　the　last　two　months。〃



〃And　he　will　stay　with　me；　I　hope；　till　he　gets　a　business　of　his

own；〃　said　Desroches。



〃How　is　Mariette？〃　asked　Philippe；　moved　at　his　recollections。



〃She　is　getting　ready　for　the　opening　of　the　new　theatre。〃



〃It　would　cost　her　little　trouble　to　get　my　sentence　remitted；〃　said

Philippe。　〃However；　as　she　chooses！〃



After　a　meagre　dinner；　given　by　Desroches　who　boarded　his　head…clerk；

the　two　lawyers　put　the　political　convict　in　the　diligence；　and　wished

him　good　luck。







CHAPTER　XIV



On　the　second　of　November；　All…Souls'　day；　Philippe　Bridau　appeared

before　the　commissary　of　police　at　Issoudun；　to　have　the　date　of　his

arrival　recorded　on　his　papers；　and　by　that　functionary's　advice　he

went　to　lodge　in　the　rue　l'Avenier。　The　news　of　the　arrival　of　an

officer；　banished　on　account　of　the　late　military　conspiracy；　spread

rapidly　through　the　town；　and　caused　all　the　more　excitement　when　it

was　known　that　this　officer　was　a　brother　of　the　painter　who　had　been

falsely　accused。　Maxence　Gilet；　by　this　time　entirely　recovered　from

his　wound；　had　completed　the　difficult　operation　of　turning　all　Pere

Rouget's　mortgages　into　money；　and　putting　the　proceeds　in　one　sum；　on

the　〃grand…livre。〃　The　loan　of　one　hundred　and　forty　thousand　francs

obtained　by　the　old　man　on　his　landed　property　had　caused　a　great

sensation；for　everything　is　known　in　the　provinces。　Monsieur　Hochon；

in　the　Bridau　interest；　was　much　put　about　by　this　disaster；　and

questioned　old　Monsieur　Heron；　the　notary　at　Bourges；　as　to　the　object

of　it。



〃The　heirs　of　old　Rouget；　if　old　Rouget　changes　his　mind；　ought　to

make　me　a　votive　offering；〃　cried　Monsieur　Heron。　〃If　it　had　not　been

for　me；　the　old　fellow　would　have　allowed　the　fifty　thousand　francs'

income　to　stand　in　the　name　of　Maxence　Gilet。　I　told　Mademoiselle

Brazier　that　she　ought　to　look　to　the　will　only；　and　not　run　the　risk

of　a　suit　for　spoliation；　seeing　what　numerous　proofs　these　transfers

in　every　direction　would　give　against　them。　To　gain　time；　I　advised

Maxence　and　his　mistress　to　keep　quiet；　and　let　this　sudden　change　in

the　usual　business　habits　of　the　old　man　be　forgotten。〃



〃Protect　the　Bridaus；　for　they　have　nothing；〃　said　Monsieur　Hochon；

who　in　addition　to　all　other　reasons；　could　not　forgive　Gilet　the

terrors　he　had　endured　when　fearing　the　pillage　of　his　house。



Maxence　Gilet　and　Flore　Brazier；　now　secure　against　all　attack；　were

very　merry　over　the　arrival　of　another　of　old　Rouget's　nephews。　They

knew　they　were　able；　at　the　first　signal　of　danger；　to　make　the　old

man　sign　a　power　of　attorney　under　which　the　money　in　the　Funds　could

be　transferred　either　to　Max　or　Flore。　If　the　will　leaving　Flore　the

principal；　should　be　revoked；　an　income　of　fifty　thousand　francs　was　a

very　tolerable　crumb　of　comfort；more　particularly　after　squeezing

from　the　real　estate　that　mortgage　of　a　hundred　and　forty　thousand。



The　day　after　his　arrival；　Philippe　called　upon　his　uncle　about　ten

o'clock　in　the　morning；　anxious　to　present　himself　in　his　dilapidated

clothing。　When　the　convalescent　of　the　Hopital　du　Midi；