the two brothers-第29章

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then　existence　of　the　charming　church　of　Saint…Paterne；　recently

pulled　down　by　the　heir　of　the　individual　who　bought　it　of　the　nation。

This　church；　one　of　the　finest　specimens　of　the　Romanesque　that　France

possessed；　actually　perished　without　a　single　drawing　being　made　of

the　portal；　which　was　in　perfect　preservation。　The　only　voice　raised

to　save　this　monument　of　a　past　art　found　no　echo；　either　in　the　town

itself　or　in　the　department。　Though　the　castle　of　Issoudun　has　the

appearance　of　an　old　town；　with　its　narrow　streets　and　its　ancient

mansions；　the　city　itself；　properly　so　called；　which　was　captured　and

burned　at　different　epochs；　notably　during　the　Fronde；　when　it　was

laid　in　ashes；　has　a　modern　air。　Streets　that　are　spacious　in

comparison　with　those　of　other　towns；　and　well…built　houses　form　a

striking　contrast　to　the　aspect　of　the　citadel；a　contrast　that　has

won　for　Issoudun；　in　certain　geographies；　the　epithet　of　〃pretty。〃



In　a　town　thus　constituted；　without　the　least　activity；　even　business

activity；　without　a　taste　for　art；　or　for　learned　occupations；　and

where　everybody　stayed　in　the　little　round　of　his　or　her　own　home；　it

was　likely　to　happen；　and　did　happen　under　the　Restoration　in　1816

when　the　war　was　over；　that　many　of　the　young　men　of　the　place　had　no

career　before　them；　and　knew　not　where　to　turn　for　occupation　until

they　could　marry　or　inherit　the　property　of　their　fathers。　Bored　in

their　own　homes；　these　young　fellows　found　little　or　no　distraction

elsewhere　in　the　city；　and　as；　in　the　language　of　that　region；　〃youth

must　shed　its　cuticle〃　they　sowed　their　wild　oats　at　the　expense　of

the　town　itself。　It　was　difficult　to　carry　on　such　operations　in　open

day；　lest　the　perpetrators　should　be　recognized；　for　the　cup　of　their

misdemeanors　once　filled；　they　were　liable　to　be　arraigned　at　their

next　peccadillo　before　the　police　courts；　and　they　therefore

judiciously　selected　the　night　time　for　the　performance　of　their

mischievous　pranks。　Thus　it　was　that　among　the　traces　of　divers　lost

civilizations；　a　vestige　of　the　spirit　of　drollery　that　characterized

the　manners　of　antiquity　burst　into　a　final　flame。



The　young　men　amused　themselves　very　much　as　Charles　IX。　amused

himself　with　his　courtiers；　or　Henry　V。　of　England　and　his　companions；

or　as　in　former　times　young　men　were　wont　to　amuse　themselves　in　the

provinces。　Having　once　banded　together　for　purposes　of　mutual　help；　to

defend　each　other　and　invent　amusing　tricks；　there　presently　developed

among　them；　through　the　clash　of　ideas；　that　spirit　of　malicious

mischief　which　belongs　to　the　period　of　youth　and　may　even　be　observed

among　animals。　The　confederation；　in　itself；　gave　them　the　mimic

delights　of　the　mystery　of　an　organized　conspiracy。　They　called

themselves　the　〃Knights　of　Idleness。〃　During　the　day　these　young

scamps　were　youthful　saints；　they　all　pretended　to　extreme　quietness；

and；　in　fact；　they　habitually　slept　late　after　the　nights　on　which

they　had　been　playing　their　malicious　pranks。　The　〃Knights〃　began　with

mere　commonplace　tricks；　such　as　unhooking　and　changing　signs；　ringing

bells；　flinging　casks　left　before　one　house　into　the　cellar　of　the

next　with　a　crash；　rousing　the　occupants　of　the　house　by　a　noise　that

seemed　to　their　frightened　ears　like　the　explosion　of　a　mine。　In

Issoudun；　as　in　many　country　towns；　the　cellar　is　entered　by　an

opening　near　the　door　of　the　house；　covered　with　a　wooden　scuttle；

secured　by　strong　iron　hinges　and　a　padlock。



In　1816；　these　modern　Bad　Boys　had　not　altogether　given　up　such　tricks

as　these；　perpetrated　in　the　provinces　by　all　young　lads　and　gamins。

But　in　1817　the　Order　of　Idleness　acquired　a　Grand　Master；　and

distinguished　itself　by　mischief　which；　up　to　1823；　spread　something

like　terror　in　Issoudun；　or　at　least　kept　the　artisans　and　the

bourgeoisie　perpetually　uneasy。



This　leader　was　a　certain　Maxence　Gilet；　commonly　called　Max；　whose

antecedents；　no　less　than　his　youth　and　his　vigor；　predestined　him　for

such　a　part。　Maxence　Gilet　was　supposed　by　all　Issoudun　to　be　the

natural　son　of　the　sub…delegate　Lousteau；　that　brother　of　Madame

Hochon　whose　gallantries　had　left　memories　behind　them；　and　who；　as　we

have　seen；　drew　down　upon　himself　the　hatred　of　old　Doctor　Rouget

about　the　time　of　Agathe's　birth。　But　the　friendship　which　bound　the

two　men　together　before　their　quarrel　was　so　close　that；　to　use　an

expression　of　that　region　and　that　period；　〃they　willingly　walked　the

same　road。〃　Some　people　said　that　Maxence　was　as　likely　to　be　the　son

of　the　doctor　as　of　the　sub…delegate；　but　in　fact　he　belonged　to

neither　the　one　nor　the　other；his　father　being　a　charming　dragoon

officer　in　garrison　at　Bourges。　Nevertheless；　as　a　result　of　their

enmity；　and　very　fortunately　for　the　child；　Rouget　and　Lousteau　never

ceased　to　claim　his　paternity。



Max's　mother；　the　wife　of　a　poor　sabot…maker　in　the　Rome　suburb；　was

possessed；　for　the　perdition　of　her　soul；　of　a　surprising　beauty；　a

Trasteverine　beauty；　the　only　property　which　she　transmitted　to　her

son。　Madame　Gilet；　pregnant　with　Maxence　in　1788；　had　long　desired

that　blessing；　which　the　town　attributed　to　the　gallantries　of　the　two

friends；probably　in　the　hope　of　setting　them　against　each　other。

Gilet；　an　old　drunkard　with　a　triple　throat；　treated　his　wife's

misconduct　with　a　collusion　that　is　not　uncommon　among　the　lower

classes。　To　make　sure　of　protectors　for　her　son；　Madame　Gilet　was

careful　not　to　enlighten　his　reputed　fathers　as　to　his　parentage。　In

Paris；　she　would　have　turned　out　a　millionaire；　at　Issoudun　she　lived

sometimes　at　her　ease；　more　often　miserably；　and；　in　the　long　run；

despised。　Madame　Hochon；　Lousteau's　sister；　paid　sixty　francs　a　year

for　the　lad's　schooling。　This　liberality；　which　Madame　Hochon　was

quite　unable　to　practise　on　her　own　account　because　of　her　husband's

stinginess；　was　naturally　attributed　to　her　brother；　then　living　at

Sancerre。



When　Doctor　Rouget；　who　certainly　was　not　lucky　in　sons；　observed

Max's　beauty；　he　paid　the　board　of　the　〃young　rogue；〃　as　he　called

him；　at　the　seminary；　up　to　the　year　1805。　As　Lousteau　died　in　1800；

and　the　doctor　apparently　obeyed　a　feeling　of　vanity　in　paying　the

lad's　board　until　1805；　the　question　of　the　paternity　was　left　forever

undecided。　Maxence　Gilet；　the　butt　of　many　jests；　was　soon　forgotten；

and　for　this　reason：　In　1806；　a　year　after　Doctor　Rouget's　death；

the　lad；　who　seemed　to　have　been　created　for　a　venturesome　life；　and

was　moreover　gifted　with　remarkable　vigor　and　agility；　got　into　a

series　of　scrapes　which　more　or　less　threatened　his　safety。　He　plotted

with　the　grandsons　of　Monsieur　Hochon　to　worry　the　grocers　of　the

city；　he　gathered　fruit　before　the　owners　could　pick　it；　and　made

nothing　of　scaling　walls。　He　had　no　equal　at　bodily　exercises；　he

played　base　to　perfection；　and　could　have　outrun　a　hare。　With　a　keen

eye　worthy　of　Leather…stocking；　he　loved　hunting　passionately。　His

time　was　passed　in　firing　at　a　mark；　instead　of　studying；　and　he　spent

the　money　extracted　from　the　old　doctor　in　buying　powder　and　ball　for

a　wretched　pistol　that　old　Gilet；　the　sabot…maker；　had　given　him。

During　the　autumn　of　1806；　Maxence；　then　seventeen；　committed　an

involuntary　murder；　by　frightening　in　the　dusk　a　young　woman　who　was

pregnant；　and　who　came　upon　him　suddenly　while　stealing　fruit　in　her

garden。　Threatened　with　the　guillotine　by　Gilet；　who　doubtless　wanted

to　get　rid　of　him；　Max　fled　to　Bourges；　met　a　regiment　then　on　its　way

to　Egypt；　and　enlisted。　Nothing　came　of　the　death　of　the　young　woman。



A　young　fellow　of　Max's　character　was　sure　to　distinguish　himself；　and

in　the　course　of　three　campaigns　he　did　distinguish　himself　so　highly

that　he　rose　to　be　a　captain；　his　lack　of　education　helping　him

strenuously。　In　Portugal；　in　1809；　he　was　left　for　dead　in　an　English

battery；　into　which　his　company　had　penetrated　without　being　able