the two brothers-第33章
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marrying La Cognette; a cook in a good family。 The suburb of Rome
still continues; like Italy and Poland; to follow the Latin custom of
putting a feminine termination to the husband's name and giving it to
the wife。
By uniting their savings Pere Cognet and his spouse had managed to buy
their present house。 La Cognette; a woman of forty; tall and plump;
with the nose of a Roxelane; a swarthy skin; jet…black hair; brown
eyes that were round and lively; and a general air of mirth and
intelligence; was selected by Maxence Gilet; on account of her
character and her talent for cookery; as the Leonarde of the Order。
Pere Cognet might be about fifty…six years old; he was thick…set; very
much under his wife's rule; and; according to a witticism which she
was fond of repeating; he only saw things with a good eyefor he was
blind of the other。 In the course of seven years; that is; from 1816
to 1823; neither wife nor husband had betrayed what went on nightly at
their house; or who they were that shared in the plot; they felt the
liveliest regard for the Knights; their devotion was absolute。 But
this may seem less creditable if we remember that self…interest was
the security of their affection and their silence。 No matter at what
hour of the night the Knights dropped in upon the tavern; the moment
they knocked in a certain way Pere Cognet; recognizing the signal; got
up; lit the fire and the candles; opened the door; and went to the
cellar for a particular wine that was laid in expressly for the Order;
while La Cognette cooked an excellent supper; eaten either before or
after the expeditions; which were usually planned the previous evening
or in the course of the preceding day。
CHAPTER VIII
While Joseph and Madame Bridau were journeying from Orleans to
Issoudun; the Knights of Idleness perpetrated one of their best
tricks。 An old Spaniard; a former prisoner of war; who after the peace
had remained in the neighborhood; where he did a small business in
grain; came early one morning to market; leaving his empty cart at the
foot of the tower of Issoudun。 Maxence; who arrived at a rendezvous of
the Knights; appointed on that occasion at the foot of the tower; was
soon assailed with the whispered question; 〃What are we to do to…
night?〃
〃Here's Pere Fario's cart;〃 he answered。 〃I nearly cracked my shins
over it。 Let us get it up on the embankment of the tower in the first
place; and we'll make up our minds afterwards。〃
When Richard Coeur…de…Lion built the tower of Issoudun he raised it;
as we have said; on the ruins of the basilica; which itself stood
above the Roman temple and the Celtic Dun。 These ruins; each of which
represents a period of several centuries; form a mound big with the
monuments of three distinct ages。 The tower is; therefore; the apex of
a cone; from which the descent is equally steep on all sides; and
which is only approached by a series of steps。 To give in a few words
an idea of the height of this tower; we may compare it to the obelisk
of Luxor on its pedestal。 The pedestal of the tower of Issoudun; which
hid within its breast such archaeological treasures; was eighty feet
high on the side towards the town。 In an hour the cart was taken off
its wheels and hoisted; piece by piece; to the top of the embankment
at the foot of the tower itself;a work that was somewhat like that
of the soldiers who carried the artillery over the pass of the Grand
Saint…Bernard。 The cart was then remounted on its wheels; and the
Knights; by this time hungry and thirsty; returned to Mere Cognette's;
where they were soon seated round the table in the low room; laughing
at the grimaces Fario would make when he came after his barrow in the
morning。
The Knights; naturally; did not play such capers every night。 The
genius of Sganarelle; Mascarille; and Scapin combined would not have
sufficed to invent three hundred and sixty…five pieces of mischief a
year。 In the first place; circumstances were not always propitious:
sometimes the moon shone clear; or the last prank had greatly
irritated their betters; then one or another of their number refused
to share in some proposed outrage because a relation was involved。 But
if the scamps were not at Mere Cognette's every night; they always met
during the day; enjoying together the legitimate pleasures of hunting;
or the autumn vintages and the winter skating。 Among this assemblage
of twenty youths; all of them at war with the social somnolence of the
place; there are some who were more closely allied than others to Max;
and who made him their idol。 A character like his often fascinates
other youths。 The two grandsons of Madame HochonFrancois Hochon and
Baruch Bornichewere his henchmen。 These young fellows; accepting the
general opinion of the left…handed parentage of Lousteau; looked upon
Max as their cousin。 Max; moreover; was liberal in lending them money
for their pleasures; which their grandfather Hochon refused; he took
them hunting; let them see life; and exercised a much greater
influence over them than their own family。 They were both orphans; and
were kept; although each had attained his majority; under the
guardianship of Monsieur Hochon; for reasons which will be explained
when Monsieur Hochon himself comes upon the scene。
At this particular moment Francois and Baruch (we will call them by
their Christian names for the sake of clearness) were sitting; one on
each side of Max; at the middle of a table that was rather ill lighted
by the fuliginous gleams of four tallow candles of eight to the pound。
A dozen to fifteen bottles of various wines had just been drunk; for
only eleven of the Knights were present。 Baruchwhose name indicates
pretty clearly that Calvinism still kept some hold on Issoudunsaid
to Max; as the wine was beginning to unloose all tongues;
〃You are threatened in your stronghold。〃
〃What do you mean by that?〃 asked Max。
〃Why; my grandmother has had a letter from Madame Bridau; who is her
goddaughter; saying that she and her son are coming here。 My
grandmother has been getting two rooms ready for them。〃
〃What's that to me?〃 said Max; taking up his glass and swallowing the
contents at a gulp with a comic gesture。
Max was then thirty…four years old。 A candle standing near him threw a
gleam upon his soldierly face; lit up his brow; and brought out
admirably his clear skin; his ardent eyes; his black and slightly
curling hair; which had the brilliancy of jet。 The hair grew
vigorously upward from the forehead and temples; sharply defining
those five black tongues which our ancestors used to call the 〃five
points。〃 Notwithstanding this abrupt contrast of black and white;
Max's face was very sweet; owing its charm to an outline like that
which Raphael gave to the faces of his Madonnas; and to a well…cut
mouth whose lips smiled graciously; giving an expression of
countenance which Max had made distinctively his own。 The rich
coloring which blooms on a Berrichon cheek added still further to his
look of kindly good…humor。 When he laughed heartily; he showed thirty…
two teeth worthy of the mouth of a pretty woman。 In height about five
feet six inches; the young man was admirably well…proportioned;
neither too stout nor yet too thin。 His hands; carefully kept; were
white and rather handsome; but his feet recalled the suburb and the
foot…soldier of the Empire。 Max would certainly have made a good
general of division; he had shoulders that were worth a fortune to a
marshal of France; and a breast broad enough to wear all the orders of
Europe。 Every movement betrayed intelligence; born with grace and
charm; like nearly all the children of love; the noble blood of his
real father came out in him。
〃Don't you know; Max;〃 cried the son of a former surgeon…major named
Goddetnow the best doctor in the townfrom the other end of the
table; 〃that Madame Hochon's goddaughter is the sister of Rouget? If