the two brothers-第30章

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battery；　into　which　his　company　had　penetrated　without　being　able　to

hold　it。　Max；　taken　prisoner　by　the　English；　was　sent　to　the　Spanish

hulks　at　the　island　of　Cabrera；　the　most　horrible　of　all　stations　for

prisoners　of　war。　His　friends　begged　that　he　might　receive　the　cross

of　the　Legion　of　honor　and　the　rank　of　major；　but　the　Emperor　was　then

in　Austria；　and　he　reserved　his　favors　for　those　who　did　brilliant

deeds　under　his　own　eye：　he　did　not　like　officers　or　men　who　allowed

themselves　to　be　taken　prisoner；　and　he　was；　moreover；　much

dissatisfied　with　events　in　Portugal。　Max　was　held　at　Cabrera　from

1810　to　1814。＇1＇　During　those　years　he　became　utterly　demoralized；　for

the　hulks　were　like　galleys；　minus　crime　and　infamy。　At　the　outset；　to

maintain　his　personal　free　will；　and　protect　himself　against　the

corruption　which　made　that　horrible　prison　unworthy　of　a　civilized

people；　the　handsome　young　captain　killed　in　a　duel　（for　duels　were

fought　on　those　hulks　in　a　space　scarcely　six　feet　square）　seven

bullies　among　his　fellow…prisoners；　thus　ridding　the　island　of　their

tyranny　to　the　great　joy　of　the　other　victims。　After　this；　Max　reigned

supreme　in　his　hulk；　thanks　to　the　wonderful　ease　and　address　with

which　he　handled　weapons；　to　his　bodily　strength；　and　also　to　his

extreme　cleverness。





＇1＇　The　cruelty　of　the　Spaniards　to　the　French　prisoners　at　Cabrera

was　very　great。　In　the　spring　of　1811；　H。M。　brig　〃Minorca；〃

Captain　Wormeley；　was　sent　by　Admiral　Sir　Charles　Cotton；　then

commanding　the　Mediterranean　fleet；　to　make　a　report　of　their

condition。　As　she　neared　the　island；　the　wretched　prisoners　swam

out　to　meet　her。　They　were　reduced　to　skin　and　bone；　many　of　them

were　naked；　and　their　miserable　condition　so　moved　the　seamen　of

the　〃Minorca〃　that　they　came　aft　to　the　quarter…deck；　and　asked

permission　to　subscribe　three　days'　rations　for　the　relief　of　the

sufferers。　Captain　Wormeley　carried　away　some　of　the　prisoners；

and　his　report　to　Sir　Charles　Cotton；　being　sent　to　the　Admiralty；

was　made　the　basis　of　a　remonstrance　on　the　part　of　the　British

government　with　Spain　on　the　subject　of　its　cruelties。　Sir　Charles

Cotton　despatched　Captain　Wormeley　a　second　time　to　Cabrera　with　a

good　many　head　of　live　cattle　and　a　large　supply　of　other

provisions。Tr。





But　he；　in　turn；　committed　arbitrary　acts；　there　were　those　who

curried　favor　with　him；　and　worked　his　will；　and　became　his　minions。

In　that　school　of　misery；　where　bitter　minds　dreamed　only　of

vengeance；　where　the　sophistries　hatched　in　such　brains　were　laying

up；　inevitably；　a　store　of　evil　thoughts；　Max　became　utterly

demoralized。　He　listened　to　the　opinions　of　those　who　longed　for

fortune　at　any　price；　and　did　not　shrink　from　the　results　of　criminal

actions；　provided　they　were　done　without　discovery。　When　peace　was

proclaimed；　in　April；　1814；　he　left　the　island；　depraved　though　still

innocent。　On　his　return　to　Issoudun　he　found　his　father　and　mother

dead。　Like　others　who　give　way　to　their　passions　and　make　life；　as

they　call　it；　short　and　sweet；　the　Gilets　had　died　in　the　almshouse　in

the　utmost　poverty。　Immediately　after　his　return；　the　news　of

Napoleon's　landing　at　Cannes　spread　through　France；　Max　could　do　no

better　than　go　to　Paris　and　ask　for　his　rank　as　major　and　for　his

cross。　The　marshal　who　was　at　that　time　minister　of　war　remembered　the

brave　conduct　of　Captain　Gilet　in　Portugal。　He　put　him　in　the　Guard　as

captain；　which　gave　him　the　grade　of　major　in　the　infantry；　but　he

could　not　get　him　the　cross。　〃The　Emperor　says　that　you　will　know　how

to　win　it　at　the　first　chance；〃　said　the　marshal。　In　fact；　the　Emperor

did　put　the　brave　captain　on　his　list　for　decoration　the　evening　after

the　fight　at　Fleurus；　where　Gilet　distinguished　himself。



After　the　battle　of　Waterloo　Max　retreated　to　the　Loire。　At　the　time

of　the　disbandment；　Marshal　Feltre　refused　to　recognize　Max's　grade　as

major；　or　his　claim　to　the　cross。　The　soldier　of　Napoleon　returned　to

Issoudun　in　a　state　of　exasperation　that　may　well　be　conceived；　he

declared　that　he　would　not　serve　without　either　rank　or　cross。　The

war…office　considered　these　conditions　presumptuous　in　a　young　man　of

twenty…five　without　a　name；　who　might；　if　they　were　granted；　become　a

colonel　at　thirty。　Max　accordingly　sent　in　his　resignation。　The　major

for　among　themselves　Bonapartists　recognized　the　grades　obtained　in

1815thus　lost　the　pittance　called　half…pay　which　was　allowed　to　the

officers　of　the　army　of　the　Loire。　But　all　Issoudun　was　roused　at　the

sight　of　the　brave　young　fellow　left　with　only　twenty　napoleons　in　his

possession；　and　the　mayor　gave　him　a　place　in　his　office　with　a　salary

of　six　hundred　francs。　Max　kept　it　a　few　months；　then　gave　it　up　of

his　own　accord；　and　was　replaced　by　a　captain　named　Carpentier；　who；

like　himself；　had　remained　faithful　to　Napoleon。



By　this　time　Gilet　had　become　grand　master　of　the　Knights　of　Idleness；

and　was　leading　a　life　which　lost　him　the　good…will　of　the　chief

people　of　the　town；　who；　however；　did　not　openly　make　the　fact　known

to　him；　for　he　was　violent　and　much　feared　by　all；　even　by　the

officers　of　the　old　army　who；　like　himself；　had　refused　to　serve　under

the　Bourbons；　and　had　come　home　to　plant　their　cabbages　in　Berry。　The

little　affection　felt　for　the　Bourbons　among　the　natives　of　Issoudun

is　not　surprising　when　we　recall　the　history　which　we　have　just　given。

In　fact；　considering　its　size　and　lack　of　importance；　the　little　place

contained　more　Bonapartists　than　any　other　town　in　France。　These　men

became；　as　is　well　known；　nearly　all　Liberals。



In　Issoudun　and　its　neighborhood　there　were　a　dozen　officers　in　Max's

position。　These　men　admired　him　and　made　him　their　leader；with　the

exception；　however；　of　Carpentier；　his　successor；　and　a　certain

Monsieur　Mignonnet；　ex…captain　in　the　artillery　of　the　Guard。

Carpentier；　a　cavalry　officer　risen　from　the　ranks；　had　married　into

one　of　the　best　families　in　the　town；the　Borniche…Herau。　Mignonnet；

brought　up　at　the　Ecole　Polytechnique；　had　served　in　a　corps　which

held　itself　superior　to　all　others。　In　the　Imperial　armies　there　were

two　shades　of　distinction　among　the　soldiers　themselves。　A　majority　of

them　felt　a　contempt　for　the　bourgeois；　the　〃civilian；〃　fully　equal　to

the　contempt　of　nobles　for　their　serfs；　or　conquerors　for　the

conquered。　Such　men　did　not　always　observe　the　laws　of　honor　in　their

dealings　with　civilians；　nor　did　they　much　blame　those　who　rode　rough…

shod　over　the　bourgeoisie。　The　others；　and　particularly　the　artillery；

perhaps　because　of　its　republicanism；　never　adopted　the　doctrine　of　a

military　France　and　a　civil　France；　the　tendency　of　which　was　nothing

less　than　to　make　two　nations。　So；　although　Major　Potel　and　Captain

Renard；　two　officers　living　in　the　Rome　suburb；　were　friends　to

Maxence　Gilet　〃through　thick　and　thin；〃　Major　Mignonnet　and　Captain

Carpentier　took　sides　with　the　bourgeoisie；　and　thought　his　conduct

unworthy　of　a　man　of　honor。



Major　Mignonnet；　a　lean　little　man；　full　of　dignity；　busied　himself

with　the　problems　which　the　steam…engine　requires　us　to　solve；　and

lived　in　a　modest　way；　taking　his　social　intercourse　with　Monsieur　and

Madame　Carpentier。　His　gentle　manners　and　ways；　and　his　scientific

occupations　won　him　the　respect　of　the　whole　town；　and　it　was

frequently　said　of　him　and　of　Captain　Carpentier　that　they　were　〃quite

another　thing〃　from　Major　Potel　and　Captain　Renard；　Maxence；　and　other

frequenters　of　the　cafe　Militaire；　who　retained　the　soldierly　manners

and　the　defective　morals　of　the　Empire。



At　the　time　when　Madame　Bridau　returned　to　Issoudun；　Max　was　excluded

from　the　society　of　the　place。　He　showed；　moreover；　proper

self…respect　in　never　presenting　himself　at　the　club；　and　in　never

complaining　of　the　severe　reprobation　that　was　shown　him；　although　he

was　the　handsomest；　the　most　elegant；　and　the　best　dressed　man　in