the two brothers-第57节

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makes　you　trot　like　a　valet；　well；　that's　all　simple　enough；　but　she

wants　to　see　you　six　feet　underground；　so　that　she　may　marry　Max；　whom

she　adores。〃



〃I　know　that；　Philippe；　but　I　love　her　all　the　same。〃



〃Well；　I　have　sworn　by　the　soul　of　my　mother；　who　is　your　own　sister；〃

continued　Philippe；　〃to　make　your　Rabouilleuse　as　supple　as　my　glove；

and　the　same　as　she　was　before　that　scoundrel；　who　is　unworthy　to　have

served　in　the　Imperial　Guard；　ever　came　to　quarter　himself　in　your

house。〃



〃Ah！　if　you　could　do　that！〃　said　the　old　man。



〃It　is　very　easy；〃　answered　Philippe；　cutting　his　uncle　short。　〃I'll

kill　Max　as　I　would　a　dog；　buton　one　condition；〃　added　the　old

campaigner。



〃What　is　that？〃　said　Rouget；　looking　at　his　nephew　in　a　stupid　way。



〃Don't　sign　that　power　of　attorney　which　they　want　of　you　before　the

third　of　December；　put　them　off　till　then。　Your　torturers　only　want　it

to　enable　them　to　sell　the　fifty　thousand　a　year　you　have　in　the

Funds；　so　that　they　may　run　off　to　Paris　and　pay　for　their　wedding

festivities　out　of　your　millions。〃



〃I　am　afraid　so；〃　replied　Rouget。



〃Well；　whatever　they　may　say　or　do　to　you；　put　off　giving　that　power

of　attorney　until　next　week。〃



〃Yes；　but　when　Flore　talks　to　me　she　stirs　my　very　soul；　till　I　don't

know　what　I　do。　I　give　you　my　word；　when　she　looks　at　me　in　a　certain

way；　her　blue　eyes　seem　like　paradise；　and　I　am　no　longer　master　of

myself；especially　when　for　some　days　she　had　been　harsh　to　me。〃



〃Well；　whether　she　is　sweet　or　sour；　don't　do　more　than　promise　to

sign　the　paper；　and　let　me　know　the　night　before　you　are　going　to　do

it。　That　will　answer。　Maxence　shall　not　be　your　proxy　unless　he　first

kills　me。　If　I　kill　him；　you　must　agree　to　take　me　in　his　place；　and

I'll　undertake　to　break　in　that　handsome　girl　and　keep　her　at　your

beck　and　call。　Yes；　Flore　shall　love　you；　and　if　she　doesn't　satisfy

youthunder！　I'll　thrash　her。〃



〃Oh！　I　never　could　allow　that。　A　blow　struck　at　Flore　would　break　my

heart。〃



〃But　it　is　the　only　way　to　govern　women　and　horses。　A　man　makes

himself　feared；　or　loved；　or　respected。　Now　that　is　what　I　wanted　to

whisper　in　your　earGood…morning；　gentlemen；〃　he　said　to　Mignonnet

and　Carpentier；　who　came　up　at　the　moment；　〃I　am　taking　my　uncle　for　a

walk；　as　you　see；　and　trying　to　improve　him；　for　we　are　in　an　age　when

children　are　obliged　to　educate　their　grandparents。〃



They　all　bowed　to　each　other。



〃You　behold　in　my　dear　uncle　the　effects　of　an　unhappy　passion。　Those

two　want　to　strip　him　of　his　fortune　and　leave　him　in　the　lurchyou

know　to　whom　I　refer？　He　sees　the　plot；　but　he　hasn't　the　courage　to

give　up　his　SUGAR…PLUM　for　a　few　days　so　as　to　baffle　it。〃



Philippe　briefly　explained　his　uncle's　position。



〃Gentlemen；〃　he　remarked；　in　conclusion；　〃you　see　there　are　no　two

ways　of　saving　him：　either　Colonel　Bridau　must　kill　Captain　Gilet；　or

Captain　Gilet　must　kill　Colonel　Bridau。　We　celebrate　the　Emperor's

coronation　on　the　day　after　to…morrow；　I　rely　upon　you　to　arrange　the

seats　at　the　banquet　so　that　I　shall　sit　opposite　to　Gilet。　You　will

do　me　the　honor；　I　hope；　of　being　my　seconds。〃



〃We　will　appoint　you　to　preside；　and　sit　ourselves　on　either　side　of

you。　Max；　as　vice…president；　will　of　course　sit　opposite；〃　said

Mignonnet。



〃Oh！　the　scoundrel　will　have　Potel　and　Renard　with　him；〃　said

Carpentier。　〃In　spite　of　all　that　Issoudun　now　knows　and　says　of　his

midnight　maraudings；　those　two　worthy　officers；　who　have　already　been

his　seconds；　remain　faithful　to　him。〃



〃You　see　how　it　all　maps　out；　uncle；〃　said　Philippe。　〃Therefore；　sign

no　paper　before　the　third　of　December；　the　next　day　you　shall　be　free；

happy；　and　beloved　by　Flore；　without　having　to　coax　for　it。〃



〃You　don't　know　him；　Philippe；〃　said　the　terrified　old　man。　〃Maxence

has　killed　nine　men　in　duels。〃



〃Yes；　but　ninety　thousand　francs　a　year　didn't　depend　on　it；〃　answered

Philippe。



〃A　bad　conscience　shakes　the　hand；〃　remarked　Mignonnet　sententiously。



〃In　a　few　days　from　now；〃　resumed　Philippe；　〃you　and　the　Rabouilleuse

will　be　living　together　as　sweet　as　honey；that　is；　after　she　gets

through　mourning。　At　first　she'll　twist　like　a　worm；　and　yelp；　and

weep；　but　never　mind；　let　the　water　run！〃



The　two　soldiers　approved　of　Philippe's　arguments；　and　tried　to

hearten　up　old　Rouget；　with　whom　they　walked　about　for　nearly　two

hours。　At　last　Philippe　took　his　uncle　home；　saying　as　they　parted：



〃Don't　take　any　steps　without　me。　I　know　women。　I　have　paid　for　one；

who　cost　me　far　more　than　Flore　can　ever　cost　you。　But　she　taught　me

how　to　behave　to　the　fair　sex　for　the　rest　of　my　days。　Women　are　bad

children；　they　are　inferior　animals　to　men；　we　must　make　them　fear　us；

the　worst　condition　in　the　world　is　to　be　governed　by　such　brutes。〃



It　was　about　half…past　two　in　the　afternoon　when　the　old　man　got　home。

Kouski　opened　the　door　in　tears；that　is；　by　Max's　orders；　he　gave

signs　of　weeping。



〃Oh！　Monsieur；　Madame　has　gone　away；　and　taken　Vedie　with　her！〃



〃Goneaway！〃　said　the　old　man　in　a　strangled　voice。



The　blow　was　so　violent　that　Rouget　sat　down　on　the　stairs；　unable　to

stand。　A　moment　after；　he　rose；　looked　about　the　hall；　into　the

kitchen；　went　up　to　his　own　room；　searched　all　the　chambers；　and

returned　to　the　salon；　where　he　threw　himself　into　a　chair；　and　burst

into　tears。



〃Where　is　she？〃　he　sobbed。　〃Oh！　where　is　she？　where　is　Max？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　answered　Kouski。　〃The　captain　went　out　without　telling

me。〃



Gilet　thought　it　politic　to　be　seen　sauntering　about　the　town。　By

leaving　the　old　man　alone　with　his　despair；　he　knew　he　should　make　him

feel　his　desertion　the　more　keenly；　and　reduce　him　to　docility。　To

keep　Philippe　from　assisting　his　uncle　at　this　crisis；　he　had　given

Kouski　strict　orders　not　to　open　the　door　to　any　one。　Flore　away；　the

miserable　old　man　grew　frantic；　and　the　situation　of　things　approached

a　crisis。　During　his　walk　through　the　town；　Maxence　Gilet　was　avoided

by　many　persons　who　a　day　or　two　earlier　would　have　hastened　to　shake

hands　with　him。　A　general　reaction　had　set　in　against　him。　The　deeds

of　the　Knights　of　Idleness　were　ringing　on　every　tongue。　The　tale　of

Joseph　Bridau's　arrest；　now　cleared　up；　disgraced　Max　in　the　eyes　of

all；　and　his　life　and　conduct　received　in　one　day　their　just　award。

Gilet　met　Captain　Potel；　who　was　looking　for　him；　and　seemed　almost

beside　himself。



〃What's　the　matter　with　you；　Potel？〃



〃My　dear　fellow；　the　Imperial　Guard　is　being　black…guarded　all　over

the　town！　These　civilians　are　crying　you　down！　and　it　goes　to　the

bottom　of　my　heart。〃



〃What　are　they　complaining　of？〃　asked　Max。



〃Of　what　you　do　at　night。〃



〃As　if　we　couldn't　amuse　ourselves　a　little！〃



〃But　that　isn't　all；〃　said　Potel。



Potel　belonged　to　the　same　class　as　the　officer　who　replied　to　the

burgomasters：　〃Eh！　your　town　will　be　paid　for；　if　we　do　burn　it！〃　So

he　was　very　little　troubled　about　the　deeds　of　the　Order　of　Idleness。



〃What　more？〃　inquired　Gilet。



〃The　Guard　is　against　the　Guard。　It　is　that　that　breaks　my　heart。

Bridau　has　set　all　these　bourgeois　on　you。　The　Guard　against　the

Guard！　no；　it　ought　not　to　be！　You　can't　back　down；　Max；　you　must　meet

Bridau。　I　had　a　great　mind　to　pick　a　quarrel　with　the　low　scoundrel

myself　and　send　him　to　the　shades；　I　wish　I　had；　and　then　the

bourgeois　wouldn't　have　seen　the　spectacle　of　the　Guard　against　the

Guard。　In　war　times；　I　don't　say　anything　against　it。　Two　heroes　of

the　Guard　may　quarrel；　and　fight；but　at　least　there　are　no　civilians

to　look　on　and　sneer。　No；　I　say　that　big　villain　never　served　in　the

Guard。　A　guardsman　would　never　behave　as　he　does　to　another　guardsman；

under　the　very　eyes　of　the　bourgeois；　impossible！　Ah！　it's　all　wrong；

the　Guard　is　disgracedand　here；　at　Issoudun！　where　it　was　once　so

honored。〃



〃Come；　Potel；　don't　worry　yourself；〃　answered　Max；　〃even　if　you　do　not

see　me　at　the　banquet〃



〃What！　do　you　mean　that　you　won't　be　there　the　day　after　to…morrow？〃

cried　Potel；　interrupting　his　friend。　〃Do　you　wish　to　be　called　a

coward？　and　have　it　said　you　are　running　away　from　Bridau？　No；　no！　The

unmounted　grenadiers　of　the　Guard　can　not　draw　back　before　the

dragoons　of　the　Guard。　Arrange　your　business　in　some　other　way　and　be

there！〃



〃One　more　to　send　to　the　shades！〃　said　Max。　〃Well；　I　think　I　can

manage　my　business　so　as　to　get　thereFor；〃　he　thought　to　himself；

〃that　power　of　attorney　ought　not　to　be　in　my　name；　as　old　Heron　says；

it　would　look　too　much　like　theft。〃



This　lion；　tangled　in　the　meshes　Philippe　Bridau　was　weaving　for　him；

muttered　between　his　teeth　as　he　went　along；　he　avoided　the　looks　of

those　he　met　and　returned　home　by　the　boulevard　Vilatte；　still　talking

to　himself。



〃I　will　have　that　money　before　I　fight；〃　he　said。