the two brothers-第56节

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leave　this　house；　either　of　you；　until　you　go　to　your　respective

destinations。　Ha！　it　was　you　who　ruined　Fario；　was　it？　you；　who　have

narrowly　escaped　the　police…courts　Hold　your　tongue！〃　he　said；

seeing　that　Baruch　was　about　to　speak。　〃You　both　owe　money　to　Monsieur

Maxence　Gilet；　who；　for　six　years；　has　paid　for　your　debauchery。

Listen；　both　of　you；　to　my　guardianship　accounts；　after　that；　I　shall

have　more　to　say。　You　will　see；　after　these　papers　are　read；　whether

you　can　still　trifle　with　me；still　trifle　with　family　laws　by

betraying　the　secrets　of　this　house；　and　reporting　to　a　Monsieur

Maxence　Gilet　what　is　said　and　what　is　done　here。　For　three　thousand

francs；　you　became　spies；　for　ten　thousand；　you　would；　no　doubt；

become　assassins。　You　did　almost　kill　Madame　Bridau；　for　Monsieur

Gilet　knew　very　well　it　was　Fario　who　stabbed　him　when　he　threw　the

crime　upon　my　guest；　Monsieur　Joseph　Bridau。　If　that　jail…bird　did　so

wicked　an　act；　it　was　because　you　told　him　what　Madame　Bridau　meant　to

do。　You；　my　grandsons；　the　spies　of　such　a　man！　You；　house…breakers

and　marauders！　Don't　you　know　that　your　worthy　leader　killed　a　poor

young　woman；　in　1806？　I　will　not　have　assassins　and　thieves　in　my

family。　Pack　your　things；　you　shall　go　hang　elsewhere！〃



The　two　young　men　turned　white　and　stiff　as　plaster　casts。



〃Read　on；　Monsieur　Heron；〃　said　Hochon。



The　old　notary　read　the　guardianship　accounts；　from　which　it　appeared

that　the　net　fortune　of　the　two　Borniche　children　amounted　to　seventy

thousand　francs；　a　sum　derived　from　the　dowry　of　their　mother：　but

Monsieur　Hochon　had　lent　his　daughter　various　large　sums；　and　was　now；

as　creditor；　the　owner　of　a　part　of　the　property　of　his　Borniche

grandchildren。　The　portion　coming　to　Baruch　amounted　to　only　twenty

thousand　francs。



〃Now　you　are　rich；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃take　your　money；　and　go。　I

remain　master　of　my　own　property　and　that　of　Madame　Hochon；　who　in

this　matter　shares　all　my　intentions；　and　I　shall　give　it　to　whom　I

choose；　namely；　our　dear　Adolphine。　Yes；　we　can　marry　her　if　we　please

to　the　son　of　a　peer　of　France；　for　she　will　be　an　heiress。〃



〃A　noble　fortune！〃　said　Monsieur　Heron。



〃Monsieur　Maxence　Gilet　will　make　up　this　loss　to　you；〃　said　Madame

Hochon。



〃Let　my　hard…saved　money　go　to　a　scapegrace　like　you？　no；　indeed！〃

cried　Monsieur　Hochon。



〃Forgive　me！〃　stammered　Baruch。



〃'Forgive；　and　I　won't　do　it　again；'〃　sneered　the　old　man；　imitating　a

child's　voice。　〃If　I　were　to　forgive　you；　and　let　you　out　of　this

house；　you　would　go　and　tell　Monsieur　Maxence　what　has　happened；　and

warn　him　to　be　on　his　guard。　No；　no；　my　little　men。　I　shall　keep　my

eye　on　you；　and　I　have　means　of　knowing　what　you　do。　As　you　behave；　so

shall　I　behave　to　you。　It　will　be　by　a　long　course　of　good　conduct；

not　that　of　a　day　or　a　month；　but　of　years；　that　I　shall　judge　you。　I

am　strong　on　my　legs；　my　eyes　are　good；　my　health　is　sound；　I　hope　to

live　long　enough　to　see　what　road　you　take。　Your　first　move　will　be　to

Paris；　where　you　will　study　banking　under　Messieurs　Mongenod　and　Sons。

Ill…luck　to　you　if　you　don't　walk　straight；　you　will　be　watched。　Your

property　is　in　the　hand　of　Messieurs　Mongenod；　here　is　a　cheque　for

the　amount。　Now　then；　release　me　as　guardian；　and　sign　the　accounts；

and　also　this　receipt；〃　he　added；　taking　the　papers　from　Monsieur

Heron　and　handing　them　to　Baruch。



〃As　for　you；　Francois　Hochon；　you　owe　me　money　instead　of　having　any

to　receive；〃　said　the　old　man；　looking　at　his　other　grandson。

〃Monsieur　Heron；　read　his　account；　it　is　all　clearperfectly　clear。〃



The　reading　was　done　in　the　midst　of　perfect　stillness。



〃You　will　have　six　hundred　francs　a　year；　and　with　that　you　will　go　to

Poitiers　and　study　law；〃　said　the　grandfather；　when　the　notary　had

finished。　〃I　had　a　fine　life　in　prospect　for　you；　but　now；　you　must

earn　your　living　as　a　lawyer。　Ah！　my　young　rascals；　you　have　deceived

me　for　six　years；　you　now　know　it　has　taken　me　but　one　hour　to　get

even　with　you：　I　have　seven…leagued　boots。〃



Just　as　old　Monsieur　Heron　was　preparing　to　leave　with　the　signed

papers；　Gritte　announced　Colonel　Bridau。　Madame　Hochon　left　the　room；

taking　her　grandsons　with　her；　that　she　might；　as　old　Hochon　said；

confess　them　privately　and　find　out　what　effect　this　scene　had

produced　upon　them。



Philippe　and　the　old　man　stood　in　the　embrasure　of　a　window　and　spoke

in　low　tones。



〃I　have　been　reflecting　on　the　state　of　your　affairs　over　there；〃　said

Monsieur　Hochon　pointing　to　the　Rouget　house。　〃I　have　just　had　a　talk

with　Monsieur　Heron。　The　security　for　the　fifty　thousand　francs　a　year

from　the　property　in　the　Funds　cannot　be　sold　unless　by　the　owner

himself　or　some　one　with　a　power　of　attorney　from　him。　Now；　since　your

arrival　here；　your　uncle　has　not　signed　any　such　power　before　any

notary；　and；　as　he　has　not　left　Issoudun；　he　can't　have　signed　one

elsewhere。　If　he　attempts　to　give　a　power　of　attorney　here；　we　shall

know　it　instantly；　if　he　goes　away　to　give　one；　we　shall　also　know　it；

for　it　will　have　to　be　registered；　and　that　excellent　Heron　has　means

of　finding　it　out。　Therefore；　if　Rouget　leaves　Issoudun；　have　him

followed；　learn　where　he　goes；　and　we　will　find　a　way　to　discover　what

he　does。〃



〃The　power　of　attorney　has　not　been　given；〃　said　Philippe；　〃they　are

trying　to　get　it；　buttheywillnotsucceed〃　added　the

vagabond；　whose　eye　just　then　caught　sight　of　his　uncle　on　the　steps

of　the　opposite　house：　he　pointed　him　out　to　Monsieur　Hochon；　and

related　succinctly　the　particulars；　at　once　so　petty　and　so　important；

of　his　visit。



〃Maxence　is　afraid　of　me；　but　he　can't　evade　me。　Mignonnet　says　that

all　the　officers　of　the　old　army　who　are　in　Issoudun　give　a　yearly

banquet　on　the　anniversary　of　the　Emperor's　coronation；　so　Maxence

Gilet　and　I　are　sure　to　meet　in　a　few　days。〃



〃If　he　gets　a　power　of　attorney　by　the　morning　of　the　first　of

December；〃　said　Hochon；　〃he　might　take　the　mail…post　for　Paris；　and

give　up　the　banquet。〃



〃Very　good。　The　first　thing　is；　then；　to　get　possession　of　my　uncle；

I've　an　eye　that　cows　a　fool；〃　said　Philippe；　giving　Monsieur　Hochon

an　atrocious　glance　that　made　the　old　man　tremble。



〃If　they　let　him　walk　with　you；　Maxence　must　believe　he　has　found　some

means　to　win　the　game；〃　remarked　the　old　miser。



〃Oh！　Fario　is　on　the　watch；〃　said　Philippe；　〃and　he　is　not　alone。　That

Spaniard　has　discovered　one　of　my　old　soldiers　in　the　neighborhood　of

Vatan；　a　man　I　once　did　some　service　to。　Without　any　one's　suspecting

it；　Benjamin　Bourdet　is　under　Fario's　orders；　who　has　lent　him　a　horse

to　get　about　with。〃



〃If　you　kill　that　monster　who　has　corrupted　my　grandsons；　I　shall　say

you　have　done　a　good　deed。〃



〃Thanks　to　me；　the　town　of　Issoudun　now　knows　what　Monsieur　Maxence

Gilet　has　been　doing　at　night　for　the　last　six　years；〃　replied

Philippe；　〃and　the　cackle；　as　you　call　it　here；　is　now　started　on　him。

Morally　his　day　is　over。〃



The　moment　Philippe　left　his　uncle's　house　Flore　went　to　Max's　room　to

tell　him　every　particular　of　the　nephew's　bold　visit。



〃What's　to　be　done？〃　she　asked。



〃Before　trying　the　last　means；which　will　be　to　fight　that　big

reprobate；〃　replied　Maxence；　〃we　must　play　double　or　quits；　and　try

our　grand　stroke。　Let　the　old　idiot　go　with　his　nephew。〃



〃But　that　big　brute　won't　mince　matters；〃　remonstrated　Flore；　〃he'll

call　things　by　their　right　names。〃



〃Listen　to　me；〃　said　Maxence　in　a　harsh　voice。　〃Do　you　think　I've　not

kept　my　ears　open；　and　reflected　about　how　we　stand？　Send　to　Pere

Cognette　for　a　horse　and　a　char…a…banc；　and　say　we　want　them

instantly：　they　must　be　here　in　five　minutes。　Pack　all　your

belongings；　take　Vedie；　and　go　to　Vatan。　Settle　yourself　there　as　if

you　mean　to　stay；　carry　off　the　twenty　thousand　francs　in　gold　which

the　old　fellow　has　got　in　his　drawer。　If　I　bring　him　to　you　in　Vatan；

you　are　to　refuse　to　come　back　here　unless　he　signs　the　power　of

attorney。　As　soon　as　we　get　it　I'll　slip　off　to　Paris；　while　you're

returning　to　Issoudun。　When　Jean…Jacques　gets　back　from　his　walk　and

finds　you　gone；　he'll　go　beside　himself；　and　want　to　follow　you。　Well！

when　he　does；　I'll　give　him　a　talking　to。〃







CHAPTER　XV



While　the　foregoing　plot　was　progressing；　Philippe　was　walking　arm　in

arm　with　his　uncle　along　the　boulevard　Baron。



〃The　two　great　tacticians　are　coming　to　close　quarters　at　last；〃

thought　Monsieur　Hochon　as　he　watched　the　colonel　marching　off　with

his　uncle；　〃I　am　curious　to　see　the　end　of　the　game；　and　what　becomes

of　the　stake　of　ninety　thousand　francs　a　year。〃



〃My　dear　uncle；〃　said　Philippe；　whose　phraseology　had　a　flavor　of　his

affinities　in　Paris；　〃you　love　this　girl；　and　you　are　devilishly

right。　She　is　damnably　handsome！　Instead　of　billing　and　cooing　she

makes　you　trot　like　a　valet；　well；　that's　all