the two brothers-第38章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



The　violence　of　passion；　stripped　of　the　ideal　in　which　most　young　men

expend　it；　only　increased　his　timidity。　He　had　never　brought　himself

to　court；　as　the　saying　is；　any　woman　in　Issoudun。　Certainly　no　young

girl　or　matron　would　make　advances　to　a　young　man　of　mean　stature；

awkward　and　shame…faced　in　attitude；　whose　vulgar　face；　with　its

flattened　features　and　pallid　skin；　making　him　look　old　before　his

time；　was　rendered　still　more　hideous　by　a　pair　of　large　and　prominent

light…green　eyes。　The　presence　of　a　woman　stultified　the　poor　fellow；

who　was　driven　by　passion　on　the　one　hand　as　violently　as　the　lack　of

ideas；　resulting　from　his　education；　held　him　back　on　the　other。

Paralyzed　between　these　opposing　forces；　he　had　not　a　word　to　say；　and

feared　to　be　spoken　to；　so　much　did　he　dread　the　obligation　of

replying。　Desire；　which　usually　sets　free　the　tongue；　only　petrified

his　powers　of　speech。　Thus　it　happened　that　Jean…Jacques　Rouget　was

solitary　and　sought　solitude　because　there　alone　he　was　at　his　ease。



The　doctor　had　seen；　too　late　for　remedy；　the　havoc　wrought　in　his

son's　life　by　a　temperament　and　a　character　of　this　kind。　He　would

have　been　glad　to　get　him　married；　but　to　do　that；　he　must　deliver　him

over　to　an　influence　that　was　certain　to　become　tyrannical；　and　the

doctor　hesitated。　Was　it　not　practically　giving　the　whole　management

of　the　property　into　the　hands　of　a　stranger；　some　unknown　girl？　The

doctor　knew　how　difficult　it　was　to　gain　true　indications　of　the　moral

character　of　a　woman　from　any　study　of　a　young　girl。　So；　while　he

continued　to　search　for　a　daughter…in…law　whose　sentiments　and

education　offered　some　guarantees　for　the　future；　he　endeavored　to

push　his　son　into　the　ways　of　avarice；　meaning　to　give　the　poor　fool　a

sort　of　instinct　that　might　eventually　take　the　place　of　intelligence。



He　trained　him；　in　the　first　place；　to　mechanical　habits　of　life；　and

instilled　into　him　fixed　ideas　as　to　the　investment　of　his　revenues：

and　he　spared　him　the　chief　difficulties　of　the　management　of　a

fortune；　by　leaving　his　estates　all　in　good　order；　and　leased　for　long

periods。　Nevertheless；　a　fact　which　was　destined　to　be　of　paramount

importance　in　the　life　of　the　poor　creature　escaped　the　notice　of　the

wily　old　doctor。　Timidity　is　a　good　deal　like　dissimulation；　and　is

equally　secretive。　Jean…Jacques　was　passionately　in　love　with　the

Rabouilleuse。　Nothing；　of　course；　could　be　more　natural。　Flore　was　the

only　woman　who　lived　in　the　bachelor's　presence；　the　only　one　he　could

see　at　his　ease；　and　at　all　hours　he　secretly　contemplated　her　and

watched　her。　To　him；　she　was　the　light　of　his　paternal　home；　she　gave

him；　unknown　to　herself；　the　only　pleasures　that　brightened　his　youth。

Far　from　being　jealous　of　his　father；　he　rejoiced　in　the　education　the

old　man　was　giving　to　Flore：　would　it　not　make　her　all　he　wanted；　a

woman　easy　to　win；　and　to　whom；　therefore；　he　need　pay　no　court？　The

passion；　observe；　which　is　able　to　reflect；　gives　even　to　ninnies；

fools；　and　imbeciles　a　species　of　intelligence；　especially　in　youth。

In　the　lowest　human　creature　we　find　an　animal　instinct　whose

persistency　resembles　thought。



The　next　day；　Flore；　who　had　been　reflecting　on　her　master's　silence；

waited　in　expectation　of　some　momentous　communication；　but　although　he

kept　near　her；　and　looked　at　her　on　the　sly　with　passionate　glances；

Jean…Jacques　still　found　nothing　to　say。　At　last；　when　the　dessert　was

on　the　table；　he　recommenced　the　scene　of　the　night　before。



〃You　like　your　life　here？〃　he　said　to　Flore。



〃Yes；　Monsieur　Jean。〃



〃Well；　stay　here　then。〃



〃Thank　you；　Monsieur　Jean。〃



This　strange　situation　lasted　three　weeks。　One　night；　when　no　sound

broke　the　stillness　of　the　house；　Flore；　who　chanced　to　wake　up；　heard

the　regular　breathing　of　human　lungs　outside　her　door；　and　was

frightened　to　discover　Jean…Jacques；　crouched　like　a　dog　on　the

landing。



〃He　loves　me；〃　she　thought；　〃but　he　will　get　the　rheumatism　if　he

keeps　up　that　sort　of　thing。〃



The　next　day　Flore　looked　at　her　master　with　a　certain　expression。

This　mute　almost　instinctive　love　had　touched　her；　she　no　longer

thought　the　poor　ninny　so　ugly；　though　his　forehead　was　crowned　with

pimples　resembling　ulcers；　the　signs　of　a　vitiated　blood。



〃You　don't　want　to　go　back　and　live　in　the　fields；　do　you？〃　said　Jean…

Jacques　when　they　were　alone。



〃Why　do　you　ask　me　that？〃　she　said；　looking　at　him。



〃To　know〃　replied　Rouget；　turning　the　color　of　a　boiled　lobster。



〃Do　you　wish　to　send　me　back？〃　she　asked。



〃No；　mademoiselle。〃



〃Well；　what　is　it　you　want　to　know？　You　have　some　reason〃



〃Yes；　I　want　to　know〃



〃What？〃　said　Flore。



〃You　won't　tell　me？〃　exclaimed　Rouget。



〃Yes　I　will；　on　my　honor〃



〃Ah！　that's　it；〃　returned　Rouget；　with　a　frightened　air。　〃Are　you　an

honest　girl？〃



〃I'll　take　my　oath〃



〃Are　you；　truly？〃



〃Don't　you　hear　me　tell　you　so？〃



〃Come；　are　you　the　same　as　you　were　when　your　uncle　brought　you　here

barefooted？〃



〃A　fine　question；　faith！〃　cried　Flore；　blushing。



The　heir　lowered　his　head　and　did　not　raise　it　again。　Flore；　amazed　at

such　an　encouraging　sign　from　a　man　who　had　been　overcome　by　a　fear　of

that　nature；　left　the　room。



Three　days　later；　at　the　same　hour　（for　both　seemed　to　regard　the

dessert　as　a　field　of　battle）；　Flore　spoke　first；　and　said　to　her

master；



〃Have　you　anything　against　me？〃



〃No；　mademoiselle；〃　he　answered；　〃No〃　＇a　pause＇　〃On　the　contrary。〃



〃You　seemed　annoyed　the　other　day　to　hear　I　was　an　honest　girl。〃



〃No；　I　only　wished　to　know〃　＇a　pause＇　〃But　you　would　not　tell　me〃



〃On　my　word！〃　she　said；　〃I　will　tell　you　the　whole　truth。〃



〃The　whole　truth　aboutmy　father？〃　he　asked　in　a　strangled　voice。



〃Your　father；〃　she　said；　looking　full　into　her　master's　eye；　〃was　a

worthy　manhe　liked　a　jokeWhat　of　that？there　was　nothing　in　it。

But；　poor　dear　man；　it　wasn't　the　will　that　was　wanting。　The　truth　is；

he　had　some　spite　against　you；　I　don't　know　what；　and　he　meantoh！　he

meant　you　harm。　Sometimes　he　made　me　laugh；　but　there！　what　of　that？〃



〃Well；　Flore；〃　said　the　heir；　taking　her　hand；　〃as　my　father　was

nothing　to　you〃



〃What　did　you　suppose　he　was　to　me？〃　she　cried；　as　if　offended　by　some

unworthy　suspicion



〃Well；　but　just　listen〃



〃He　was　my　benefactor；　that　was　all。　Ah！　he　would　have　liked　to　make

me　his　wife；　but〃



〃But；〃　said　Rouget；　taking　the　hand　which　Flore　had　snatched　away　from

him；　〃if　he　was　nothing　to　you　you　can　stay　here　with　me；　can't　you？〃



〃If　you　wish　it；〃　she　said；　dropping　her　eyes。



〃No；　no！　if　you　wish　it；　you！〃　exclaimed　Rouget。　〃Yes；　you　shall　be

mistress　here。　All　that　is　here　shall　be　yours；　you　shall　take　care　of

my　property；　it　is　almost　yours　nowfor　I　love　you；　I　have　always

loved　you　since　the　day　you　came　and　stood　therethere！with　bare

feet。〃



Flore　made　no　answer。　When　the　silence　became　embarrassing；　Jean…

Jacques　had　recourse　to　a　terrible　argument。



〃Come；〃　he　said；　with　visible　warmth；　〃wouldn't　it　be　better　than

returning　to　the　fields？〃



〃As　you　will；　Monsieur　Jean；〃　she　answered。



Nevertheless；　in　spite　of　her　〃as　you　will；〃　Jean…Jacques　got　no

further。　Men　of　his　nature　want　certainty。　The　effort　that　they　make

in　avowing　their　love　is　so　great；　and　costs　them　so　much；　that　they

feel　unable　to　go　on　with　it。　This　accounts　for　their　attachment　to

the　first　woman　who　accepts　them。　We　can　only　guess　at　circumstances

by　results。　Ten　months　after　the　death　of　his　father；　Jean…Jacques

changed　completely；　his　leaden　face　cleared；　and　his　whole　countenance

breathed　happiness。　Flore　exacted　that　he　should　take　minute　care　of

his　person；　and　her　own　vanity　was　gratified　in　seeing　him　well…

dressed；　she　always　stood　on　the　sill　of　the　door；　and　watched　him

starting　for　a　walk；　until　she　co