the two brothers-第32章

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

Like　most　provincial　artisans；　he　worked　in　a　small　basement　shop。　The

Knights；　disguised　as　devils；　invaded　the　place　in　the　middle　of　the

night；　put　him　into　his　own　cutting…press；　and　left　him　shrieking　to

himself　like　the　souls　in　hell。　The　poor　man　roused　the　neighbors；　to

whom　he　related　the　apparitions　of　Lucifer；　and　as　they　had　no　means

of　undeceiving　him；　he　was　driven　nearly　insane。



In　the　middle　of　a　severe　winter；　the　Knights　took　down　the　chimney　of

the　collector　of　taxes；　and　built　it　up　again　in　one　night　apparently

as　it　was　before；　without　making　the　slightest　noise；　or　leaving　the

least　trace　of　their　work。　But　they　so　arranged　the　inside　of　the

chimney　as　to　send　all　the　smoke　into　the　house。　The　collector

suffered　for　two　months　before　he　found　out　why　his　chimney；　which　had

always　drawn　so　well；　and　of　which　he　had　often　boasted；　played　him

such　tricks；　he　was　then　obliged　to　build　a　new　one。



At　another　time；　they　put　three　trusses　of　hay　dusted　with　brimstone；

and　a　quantity　of　oiled　paper　down　the　chimney　of　a　pious　old　woman

who　was　a　friend　of　Madame　Hochon。　In　the　morning；　when　she　came　to

light　her　fire；　the　poor　creature；　who　was　very　gentle　and　kindly；

imagined　she　had　started　a　volcano。　The　fire…engines　came；　the　whole

population　rushed　to　her　assistance。　Several　Knights　were　among　the

firemen；　and　they　deluged　the　old　woman's　house；　till　they　had

frightened　her　with　a　flood；　as　much　as　they　had　terrified　her　with

the　fire。　She　was　made　ill　with　fear。



When　they　wished　to　make　some　one　spend　the　night　under　arms　and　in

mortal　terror；　they　wrote　an　anonymous　letter　telling　him　that　he　was

about　to　be　robbed；　then　they　stole　softly；　one　by　one；　round　the

walls　of　his　house；　or　under　his　windows；　whistling　as　if　to　call　each

other。



One　of　their　famous　performances；　which　long　amused　the　town；　where　in

fact　it　is　still　related；　was　to　write　a　letter　to　all　the　heirs　of　a

miserly　old　lady　who　was　likely　to　leave　a　large　property；　announcing

her　death；　and　requesting　them　to　be　promptly　on　hand　when　the　seals

were　affixed。　Eighty　persons　arrived　from　Vatan；　Saint…Florent；

Vierzon　and　the　neighboring　country；　all　in　deep　mourning；widows

with　sons；　children　with　their　fathers；　some　in　carrioles；　some　in

wicker　gigs；　others　in　dilapidated　carts。　Imagine　the　scene　between

the　old　woman's　servants　and　the　first　arrivals！　and　the　consultations

among　the　notaries！　It　created　a　sort　of　riot　in　Issoudun。



At　last；　one　day　the　sub…prefect　woke　up　to　a　sense　that　this　state　of

things　was　all　the　more　intolerable　because　it　seemed　impossible　to

find　out　who　was　at　the　bottom　of　it。　Suspicion　fell　on　several　young

men；　but　as　the　National　Guard　was　a　mere　name　in　Issoudun；　and　there

was　no　garrison；　and　the　lieutenant　of　police　had　only　eight　gendarmes

under　him；　so　that　there　were　no　patrols；　it　was　impossible　to　get　any

proof　against　them。　The　sub…prefect　was　immediately　posted　in　the

〃order　of　the　night；〃　and　considered　thenceforth　fair　game。　This

functionary　made　a　practice　of　breakfasting　on　two　fresh　eggs。　He　kept

chickens　in　his　yard；　and　added　to　his　mania　for　eating　fresh　eggs

that　of　boiling　them　himself。　Neither　his　wife　nor　his　servant；　in

fact　no　one；　according　to　him；　knew　how　to　boil　an　egg　properly；　he

did　it　watch　in　hand；　and　boasted　that　he　carried　off　the　palm　of　egg…

boiling　from　all　the　world。　For　two　years　he　had　boiled　his　eggs　with

a　success　which　earned　him　many　witticisms。　But　now；　every　night　for　a

whole　month；　the　eggs　were　taken　from　his　hen…house；　and　hard…boiled

eggs　substituted。　The　sub…prefect　was　at　his　wits'　end；　and　lost　his

reputation　as　the　〃sous…prefet　a　l'oeuf。〃　Finally　he　was　forced　to

breakfast　on　other　things。　Yet　he　never　suspected　the　Knights　of

Idleness；　whose　trick　had　been　cautiously　played。　After　this；　Max

managed　to　grease　the　sub…prefect's　stoves　every　night　with　an　oil

which　sent　forth　so　fetid　a　smell　that　it　was　impossible　for　any　one

to　stay　in　the　house。　Even　that　was　not　enough；　his　wife；　going　to

mass　one　morning；　found　her　shawl　glued　together　on　the　inside　with

some　tenacious　substance；　so　that　she　was　obliged　to　go　without　it。

The　sub…prefect　finally　asked　for　another　appointment。　The　cowardly

submissiveness　of　this　officer　had　much　to　do　with　firmly　establishing

the　weird　and　comic　authority　of　the　Knights　of　Idleness。



Beyond　the　rue　des　Minimes　and　the　place　Misere；　a　section　of　a

quarter　was　at　that　time　enclosed　between　an　arm　of　the　〃Riviere

forcee〃　on　the　lower　side　and　the　ramparts　on　the　other；　beginning　at

the　place　d'Armes　and　going　as　far　as　the　pottery　market。　This

irregular　square　is　filled　with　poor…looking　houses　crowded　one

against　the　other；　and　divided　here　and　there　by　streets　so　narrow

that　two　persons　cannot　walk　abreast。　This　section　of　the　town；　a　sort

of　cour　des　Miracles；　was　occupied　by　poor　people　or　persons　working

at　trades　that　were　little　remunerative；a　population　living　in

hovels；　and　buildings　called　picturesquely　by　the　familiar　term　of

〃blind　houses。〃　From　the　earliest　ages　this　has　no　doubt　been　an

accursed　quarter；　the　haunt　of　evil…doers；　in　fact　one　thoroughfare　is

named　〃the　street　of　the　Executioner。〃　For　more　than　five　centuries　it

has　been　customary　for　the　executioner　to　have　a　red　door　at　the

entrance　of　his　house。　The　assistant　of　the　executioner　of　Chateauroux

still　lives　there；if　we　are　to　believe　public　rumor；　for　the

townspeople　never　see　him：　the　vine…dressers　alone　maintain　an

intercourse　with　this　mysterious　being；　who　inherits　from　his

predecessors　the　gift　of　curing　wounds　and　fractures。　In　the　days　when

Issoudun　assumed　the　airs　of　a　capital　city　the　women　of　the　town　made

this　section　of　it　the　scene　of　their　wanderings。　Here　came　the

second…hand　sellers　of　things　that　look　as　if　they　never　could　find　a

purchaser；　old…clothes　dealers　whose　wares　infected　the　air；　in　short；

it　was　the　rendezvous　of　that　apocryphal　population　which　is　to　be

found　in　nearly　all　such　portions　of　a　city；　where　two　or　three　Jews

have　gained　an　ascendency。



At　the　corner　of　one　of　these　gloomy　streets　in　the　livelier　half　of

the　quarter；　there　existed　from　1815　to　1823；　and　perhaps　later；　a

public…house　kept　by　a　woman　commonly　called　Mere　Cognette。　The　house

itself　was　tolerably　well　built；　in　courses　of　white　stone；　with　the

intermediary　spaces　filled　in　with　ashlar　and　cement；　one　storey　high

with　an　attic　above。　Over　the　door　was　an　enormous　branch　of　pine；

looking　as　though　it　were　cast　in　Florentine　bronze。　As　if　this　symbol

were　not　explanatory　enough；　the　eye　was　arrested　by　the　blue　of　a

poster　which　was　pasted　over　the　doorway；　and　on　which　appeared；　above

the　words　〃Good　Beer　of　Mars；〃　the　picture　of　a　soldier　pouring　out；

in　the　direction　of　a　very　decolletee　woman；　a　jet　of　foam　which

spurted　in　an　arched　line　from　the　pitcher　to　the　glass　which　she　was

holding　towards　him；　the　whole　of　a　color　to　make　Delacroix　swoon。



The　ground…floor　was　occupied　by　an　immense　hall　serving　both　as

kitchen　and　dining…room；　from　the　beams　of　which　hung；　suspended　by

huge　nails；　the　provisions　needed　for　the　custom　of　such　a　house。

Behind　this　hall　a　winding　staircase　led　to　the　upper　storey；　at　the

foot　of　the　staircase　a　door　led　into　a　low；　long　room　lighted　from

one　of　those　little　provincial　courts；　so　narrow；　dark；　and　sunken

between　tall　houses；　as　to　seem　like　the　flue　of　a　chimney。　Hidden　by

a　shed；　and　concealed　from　all　eyes　by　walls；　this　low　room　was　the

place　where　the　Bad　Boys　of　Issoudun　held　their　plenary　court。

Ostensibly；　Pere　Cognet　boarded　and　lodged　the　country…people　on

market…days；　secretly；　he　was　landlord　to　the　Knights　of　Idleness。

This　man；　who　was　formerly　a　groom　in　a　rich　household；　had　ended　by

marrying　La　Cognette；　a　cook　in　a　good　family。　The　suburb　of