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第35章

the two brothers-第35章

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putting them in the name of Mademoiselle Brazier。



〃That fool of a girl never told me; in all these seven years; a word

about the sister and nephews!〃 cried Max; turning from the rue de la

Marmouse into the rue l'Avenier。 〃Seven hundred and fifty thousand

francs placed with different notaries at Bourges; and Vierzon; and

Chateauroux; can't be turned into money and put into the Funds in a

week; without everybody knowing it in this gossiping place! The most

important thing is to get rid of these relations; as soon as they are

driven away we ought to make haste to secure the property。 I must

think it over。〃



Max was tired。 By the help of a pass…key; he let himself into Pere

Rouget's house; and went to bed without making any noise; saying to

himself;



〃To…morrow; my thoughts will be clear。〃



It is now necessary to relate where the sultana of the place Saint…

Jean picked up the nickname of 〃Rabouilleuse;〃 and how she came to be

the quasi…mistress of Jean…Jacques Rouget's home。



As old Doctor Rouget; the father of Jean…Jacques and Madame Bridau;

advanced in years; he began to perceive the nonentity of his son; he

then treated him harshly; trying to break him into a routine that

might serve in place of intelligence。 He thus; though unconsciously;

prepared him to submit to the yoke of the first tyranny that threw its

halter over his head。



Coming home one day from his professional round; the malignant and

vicious old man came across a bewitching little girl at the edge of

some fields that lay along the avenue de Tivoli。 Hearing the horse;

the child sprang up from the bottom of one of the many brooks which

are to be seen from the heights of Issoudun; threading the meadows

like ribbons of silver on a green robe。 Naiad…like; she rose suddenly

on the doctor's vision; showing the loveliest virgin head that

painters ever dreamed of。 Old Rouget; who knew the whole country…side;

did not know this miracle of beauty。 The child; who was half naked;

wore a forlorn little petticoat of coarse woollen stuff; woven in

alternate strips of brown and white; full of holes and very ragged。 A

sheet of rough writing paper; tied on by a shred of osier; served her

for a hat。 Beneath this papercovered with pot…hooks and round O's;

from which it derived the name of 〃schoolpaper〃the loveliest mass of

blonde hair that ever a daughter of Eve could have desired; was

twisted up; and held in place by a species of comb made to comb out

the tails of horses。 Her pretty tanned bosom; and her neck; scarcely

covered by a ragged fichu which was once a Madres handkerchief; showed

edges of the white skin below the exposed and sun…burned parts。 One

end of her petticoat was drawn between the legs and fastened with a

huge pin in front; giving that garment the look of a pair of bathing

drawers。 The feet and the legs; which could be seen through the clear

water in which she stood; attracted the eye by a delicacy which was

worthy of a sculptor of the middle ages。 The charming limbs exposed to

the sun had a ruddy tone that was not without beauty of its own。 The

neck and bosom were worthy of being wrapped in silks and cashmeres;

and the nymph had blue eyes fringed with long lashes; whose glance

might have made a painter or a poet fall upon his knees。 The doctor;

enough of an anatomist to trace the exquisite figure; recognized the

loss it would be to art if the lines of such a model were destroyed by

the hard toil of the fields。



〃Where do you come from; little girl? I have never seen you before;〃

said the old doctor; then sixty…two years of age。 This scene took

place in the month of September; 1799。



〃I belong in Vatan;〃 she answered。



Hearing Rouget's voice; an ill…looking man; standing at some distance

in the deeper waters of the brook; raised his head。 〃What are you

about; Flore?〃 he said; 〃While you are talking instead of catching;

the creatures will get away。〃



〃Why have you come here from Vatan?〃 continued the doctor; paying no

heed to the interruption。



〃I am catching crabs for my uncle Brazier here。〃



〃Rabouiller〃 is a Berrichon word which admirably describes the thing

it is intended to express; namely; the action of troubling the water

of a brook; making it boil and bubble with a branch whose end…shoots

spread out like a racket。 The crabs; frightened by this operation;

which they do not understand; come hastily to the surface; and in

their flurry rush into the net the fisher has laid for them at a

little distance。 Flore Brazier held her 〃rabouilloir〃 in her hand with

the natural grace of childlike innocence。



〃Has your uncle got permission to hunt crabs?〃



〃Hey! are not we all under a Republic that is one and indivisible?〃

cried the uncle from his station。



〃We are under a Directory;〃 said the doctor; 〃and I know of no law

which allows a man to come from Vatan and fish in the territory of

Issoudun〃; then he said to Flore; 〃Have you got a mother; little one!〃



〃No; monsieur; and my father is in the asylum at Bourges。 He went mad

from a sun…stroke he got in the fields。〃



〃How much do you earn?〃



〃Five sous a day while the season lasts; I catch 'em as far as the

Braisne。 In harvest time; I glean; in winter; I spin。〃



〃You are about twelve years old?〃



〃Yes; monsieur。〃



〃Do you want to come with me? You shall be well fed and well dressed;

and have some pretty shoes。〃



〃No; my niece will stay with me; I am responsible to God and man for

her;〃 said Uncle Brazier who had come up to them。 〃I am her guardian;

d'ye see?〃



The doctor kept his countenance and checked a smile which might have

escaped most people at the aspect of the man。 The guardian wore a

peasant's hat; rotted by sun and rain; eaten like the leaves of a

cabbage that has harbored several caterpillars; and mended; here and

there; with white thread。 Beneath the hat was a dark and sunken face;

in which the mouth; nose; and eyes; seemed four black spots。 His

forlorn jacket was a bit of patchwork; and his trousers were of crash

towelling。



〃I am Doctor Rouget;〃 said that individual; 〃and as you are the

guardian of the child; bring her to my house; in the place Saint…Jean。

It will not be a bad day's work for you; nor for her; either。〃



Without waiting for an answer; and sure that Uncle Brazier would soon

appear with his pretty 〃rabouilleuse;〃 Doctor Rouget set spurs to his

horse and returned to Issoudun。 He had hardly sat down to dinner;

before his cook announced the arrival of the citoyen and citoyenne

Brazier。



〃Sit down;〃 said the doctor to the uncle and niece。



Flore and her guardian; still barefooted; looked round the doctor's

dining…room with wondering eyes; never having seen its like before。



The house; which Rouget inherited from the Descoings estate; stands in

the middle of the place Saint…Jean; a so…called square; very long and

very narrow; planted with a few sickly lindens。 The houses in this

part of town are better built than elsewhere; and that of the

Descoings's was one of the finest。 It stands opposite to the house of

Monsieur Hochon; and has three windows in front on the first storey;

and a porte…cochere on the ground…floor which gives entrance to a

courtyard; beyond which lies the garden。 Under the archway of the

porte…cochere is the door of a large hall lighted by two windows on

the street。 The kitchen is behind this hall; part of the space being

used for a staircase which leads to the upper floor and to the attic

above that。 Beyond the kitchen is a wood…shed and wash…house; a stable

for two horses and a coach…house; over which are some little lofts for

the storage of oats; hay; and straw; where; at that time; the doctor's

servant slept。



The hall which the little peasant and her uncle admired with such

wonder is decorated with wooden carvings of the time of Louis XV。;

painted gray; and a handsome marble chimney…piece; over which Flore

beheld herself i

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