the two brothers-第31章

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

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

place；　spent　a　great　deal　of　money；　and　kept　a　horse；a　thing　as

amazing　at　Issoudun　as　the　horse　of　Lord　Byron　at　Venice。　We　are　now

to　see　how　it　was　that　Maxence；　poor　and　without　apparent　means；　was

able　to　become　the　dandy　of　the　town。　The　shameful　conduct　which

earned　him　the　contempt　of　all　scrupulous　or　religious　persons　was

connected　with　the　interests　which　brought　Agathe　and　Joseph　to

Issoudun。



Judging　by　the　audacity　of　his　bearing；　and　the　expression　of　his

face；　Max　cared　little　for　public　opinion；　he　expected；　no　doubt；　to

take　his　revenge　some　day；　and　to　lord　it　over　those　who　now　condemned

him。　Moreover；　if　the　bourgeoisie　of　Issoudun　thought　ill　of　him；　the

admiration　he　excited　among　the　common　people　counterbalanced　their

opinion；　his　courage；　his　dashing　appearance；　his　decision　of

character；　could　not　fail　to　please　the　masses；　to　whom　his

degradations　were；　for　the　most　part；　unknown；　and　indeed　the

bourgeoisie　themselves　scarcely　suspected　its　extent。　Max　played　a

role　at　Issoudun　which　was　something　like　that　of　the　blacksmith　in

the　〃Fair　Maid　of　Perth〃；　he　was　the　champion　of　Bonapartism　and　the

Opposition；　they　counted　upon　him　as　the　burghers　of　Perth　counted

upon　Smith　on　great　occasions。　A　single　incident　will　put　this　hero

and　victim　of　the　Hundred…Days　into　clear　relief。



In　1819；　a　battalion　commanded　by　royalist　officers；　young　men　just

out　of　the　Maison　Rouge；　passed　through　Issoudun　on　its　way　to　go　into

garrison　at　Bourges。　Not　knowing　what　to　do　with　themselves　in　so

constitutional　a　place　as　Issoudun；　these　young　gentlemen　went　to

while　away　the　time　at　the　cafe　Militaire。　In　every　provincial　town

there　is　a　military　cafe。　That　of　Issoudun；　built　on　the　place　d'Armes

at　an　angle　of　the　rampart；　and　kept　by　the　widow　of　an　officer；　was

naturally　the　rendezvous　of　the　Bonapartists；　chiefly　officers　on

half…pay；　and　others　who　shared　Max's　opinions；　to　whom　the　politics

of　the　town　allowed　free　expression　of　their　idolatry　for　the　Emperor。

Every　year；　dating　from　1816；　a　banquet　was　given　in　Issoudun　to

commemorate　the　anniversary　of　his　coronation。　The　three　royalists　who

first　entered　asked　for　the　newspapers；　among　others；　for　the

〃Quotidienne〃　and　the　〃Drapeau　Blanc。〃　The　politics　of　Issoudun；

especially　those　of　the　cafe　Militaire；　did　not　allow　of　such　royalist

journals。　The　establishment　had　none　but　the　〃Commerce；〃a　name　which

the　〃Constitutionel〃　was　compelled　to　adopt　for　several　years　after　it

was　suppressed　by　the　government。　But　as；　in　its　first　issue　under　the

new　name；　the　leading　article　began　with　these　words；　〃Commerce　is

essentially　constitutional；〃　people　continued　to　call　it　the

〃Constitutionel；〃　the　subscribers　all　understanding　the　sly　play　of

words　which　begged　them　to　pay　no　attention　to　the　label；　as　the　wine

would　be　the　same。



The　fat　landlady　replied　from　her　seat　at　the　desk　that　she　did　not

take　those　papers。　〃What　papers　do　you　take　then？〃　asked　one　of　the

officers；　a　captain。　The　waiter；　a　little　fellow　in　a　blue　cloth

jacket；　with　an　apron　of　coarse　linen　tied　over　it；　brought　the

〃Commerce。〃



〃Is　that　your　paper？　Have　you　no　other？〃



〃No；〃　said　the　waiter；　〃that's　the　only　one。〃



The　captain　tore　it　up；　flung　the　pieces　on　the　floor；　and　spat　upon

them；　calling　out；



〃Bring　dominos！〃



In　ten　minutes　the　news　of　the　insult　offered　to　the　Constitution

Opposition　and　the　Liberal　party；　in　the　supersacred　person　of　its

revered　journal；　which　attacked　priests　with　courage　and　the　wit　we

all　remember；　spread　throughout　the　town　and　into　the　houses　like

light　itself；　it　was　told　and　repeated　from　place　to　place。　One　phrase

was　on　everybody's　lips；



〃Let　us　tell　Max！〃



Max　soon　heard　of　it。　The　royalist　officers　were　still　at　their　game

of　dominos　when　that　hero　entered　the　cafe；　accompanied　by　Major　Potel

and　Captain　Renard；　and　followed　by　at　least　thirty　young　men；　curious

to　see　the　end　of　the　affair；　most　of　whom　remained　outside　in　the

street。　The　room　was　soon　full。



〃Waiter；　MY　newspaper；〃　said　Max；　in　a　quiet　voice。



Then　a　little　comedy　was　played。　The　fat　hostess；　with　a　timid　and

conciliatory　air；　said；　〃Captain；　I　have　lent　it！〃



〃Send　for　it；〃　cried　one　of　Max's　friends。



〃Can't　you　do　without　it？〃　said　the　waiter；　〃we　have　not　got　it。〃



The　young　royalists　were　laughing　and　casting　sidelong　glances　at　the

new…comers。



〃They　have　torn　it　up！〃　cried　a　youth　of　the　town；　looking　at　the　feet

of　the　young　royalist　captain。



〃Who　has　dared　to　destroy　that　paper？〃　demanded　Max；　in　a　thundering

voice；　his　eyes　flashing　as　he　rose　with　his　arms　crossed。



〃And　we　spat　upon　it；〃　replied　the　three　young　officers；　also　rising；

and　looking　at　Max。



〃You　have　insulted　the　whole　town！〃　said　Max；　turning　livid。



〃Well；　what　of　that？〃　asked　the　youngest　officer。



With　a　dexterity；　quickness；　and　audacity　which　the　young　men　did　not

foresee；　Max　slapped　the　face　of　the　officer　nearest　to　him；　saying；



〃Do　you　understand　French？〃



They　fought　near　by；　in　the　allee　de　Frapesle；　three　against　three；

for　Potel　and　Renard　would　not　allow　Max　to　deal　with　the　officers

alone。　Max　killed　his　man。　Major　Potel　wounded　his　so　severely；　that

the　unfortunate　young　man；　the　son　of　a　good　family；　died　in　the

hospital　the　next　day。　As　for　the　third；　he　got　off　with　a　sword　cut；

after　wounding　his　adversary；　Captain　Renard。　The　battalion　left　for

Bourges　that　night。　This　affair；　which　was　noised　throughout　Berry；

set　Max　up　definitely　as　a　hero。



The　Knights　of　Idleness；　who　were　all　young；　the　eldest　not　more　than

twenty…five　years　old；　admired　Maxence。　Some　among　them；　far　from

sharing　the　prudery　and　strict　notions　of　their　families　concerning

his　conduct；　envied　his　present　position　and　thought　him　fortunate。

Under　such　a　leader；　the　Order　did　great　things。　After　the　month　of

May；　1817；　never　a　week　passed　that　the　town　was　not　thrown　into　an

uproar　by　some　new　piece　of　mischief。　Max；　as　a　matter　of　honor；

imposed　certain　conditions　upon　the　Knights。　Statutes　were　drawn　up。

These　young　demons　grew　as　vigilant　as　the　pupils　of　Amoros；bold　as

hawks；　agile　at　all　exercises；　clever　and　strong　as　criminals。　They

trained　themselves　in　climbing　roofs；　scaling　houses；　jumping　and

walking　noiselessly；　mixing　mortar；　and　walling　up　doors。　They

collected　an　arsenal　of　ropes；　ladders；　tools；　and　disguises。　After　a

time　the　Knights　of　Idleness　attained　to　the　beau…ideal　of　malicious

mischief；　not　only　as　to　the　accomplishment　but；　still　more；　in　the

invention　of　their　pranks。　They　came　at　last　to　possess　the　genius　for

evil　that　Panurge　so　much　delighted　in；　which　provokes　laughter；　and

covers　its　victims　with　such　ridicule　that　they　dare　not　complain。

Naturally；　these　sons　of　good　families　of　Issoudun　possessed　and

obtained　information　in　their　households；　which　gave　them　the　ways　and

means　for　the　perpetration　of　their　outrages。



Sometimes　the　young　devils　incarnate　lay　in　ambush　along　the　Grand'rue

or　the　Basse　rue；　two　streets　which　are；　as　it　were；　the　arteries　of

the　town；　into　which　many　little　side　streets　open。　Crouching；　with

their　heads　to　the　wind；　in　the　angles　of　the　wall　and　at　the　corners

of　the　streets；　at　the　hour　when　all　the　households　were　hushed　in

their　first　sleep；　they　called　to　each　other　in　tones　of　terror　from

ambush　to　ambush　along　the　whole　length　of　the　town：　〃What's　the

matter？〃　〃What　is　it？〃　till　the　repeated　cries　woke　up　the　citizens；

who　appeared　in　their　shirts　and　cotton　night…caps；　with　lights　in

their　hands；　asking　questions　of　one　another；　holding　the　strangest

colloquies；　and　exhibiting　the　queerest　faces。



A　certain　poor　bookbinder；　who　was　very　old；　believed　in　hobgoblins。