the two brothers-第40章

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third　of　the　value　of　the　property；　and　required　notes　payable　to　his

order　for　an　additional　interest　of　two　and　a　half　per　cent　spread

over　the　whole　duration　of　the　loan。　Such　were　the　rules　his　father

had　told　him　to　follow。　Usury；　that　clog　upon　the　ambition　of　the

peasantry；　is　the　destroyer　of　country　regions。　This　levy　of　seven　and

a　half　per　cent　seemed；　therefore；　so　reasonable　to　the　borrowers　that

Jean…Jacques　Rouget　had　his　choice　of　investments；　and　the　notaries　of

the　different　towns；　who　got　a　fine　commission　for　themselves　from

clients　for　whom　they　obtained　money　on　such　good　terms；　gave　due

notice　to　the　old　bachelor。



During　these　nine　years　Flore　obtained　in　the　long　run；　insensibly　and

without　aiming　for　it；　an　absolute　control　over　her　master。　From　the

first；　she　treated　him　very　familiarly；　then；　without　failing　him　in

proper　respect；　she　so　far　surpassed　him　in　superiority　of　mind　and

force　of　character　that　he　became　in　fact　the　servant　of　his　servant。

Elderly　child　that　he　was；　he　met　this　mastery　half…way　by　letting

Flore　take　such　care　of　him　that　she　treated　him　more　as　a　mother

would　a　son；　and　he　himself　ended　by　clinging　to　her　with　the　feeling

of　a　child　dependent　on　a　mother's　protection。　But　there　were　other

ties　between　them　not　less　tightly　knotted。　In　the　first　place；　Flore

kept　the　house　and　managed　all　its　business。　Jean…Jacques　left

everything　to　the　crab…girl　so　completely　that　life　without　her　would

have　seemed　to　him　not　only　difficult；　but　impossible。　In　every　way；

this　woman　had　become　the　one　need　of　his　existence；　she　indulged　all

his　fancies；　for　she　knew　them　well。　He　loved　to　see　her　bright　face

always　smiling　at　him；the　only　face　that　had　ever　smiled　upon　him；

the　only　one　to　which　he　could　look　for　a　smile。　This　happiness；　a

purely　material　happiness；　expressed　in　the　homely　words　which　come

readiest　to　the　tongue　in　a　Berrichon　household；　and　visible　on　the

fine　countenance　of　the　young　woman；　was　like　a　reflection　of　his　own

inward　content。　The　state　into　which　Jean…Jacques　was　thrown　when

Flore's　brightness　was　clouded　over　by　some　passing　annoyance　revealed

to　the　girl　her　power　over　him；　and；　to　make　sure　of　it；　she　sometimes

liked　to　use　it。　Using　such　power　means；　with　women　of　her　class；

abusing　it。　The　Rabouilleuse；　no　doubt；　made　her　master　play　some　of

those　scenes　buried　in　the　mysteries　of　private　life；　of　which　Otway

gives　a　specimen　in　the　tragedy　of　〃Venice　Preserved；〃　where　the　scene

between　the　senator　and　Aquilina　is　the　realization　of　the

magnificently　horrible。　Flore　felt　so　secure　of　her　power　that；

unfortunately　for　her；　and　for　the　bachelor　himself；　it　did　not　occur

to　her　to　make　him　marry　her。



Towards　the　close　of　1815；　Flore；　who　was　then　twenty…seven；　had

reached　the　perfect　development　of　her　beauty。　Plump　and　fresh；　and

white　as　a　Norman　countrywoman；　she　was　the　ideal　of　what　our

ancestors　used　to　call　〃a　buxom　housewife。〃　Her　beauty；　always　that　of

a　handsome　barmaid；　though　higher　in　type　and　better　kept；　gave　her　a

likeness　to　Mademoiselle　George　in　her　palmy　days；　setting　aside　the

latter's　imperial　dignity。　Flore　had　the　dazzling　white　round　arms；

the　ample　modelling；　the　satiny　textures　of　the　skin；　the　alluring

though　less　rigidly　correct　outlines　of　the　great　actress。　Her

expression　was　one　of　sweetness　and　tenderness；　but　her　glance

commanded　less　respect　than　that　of　the　noblest　Agrippina　that　ever

trod　the　French　stage　since　the　days　of　Racine：　on　the　contrary；　it

evoked　a　vulgar　joy。　In　1816　the　Rabouilleuse　saw　Maxence　Gilet；　and

fell　in　love　with　him　at　first　sight。　Her　heart　was　cleft　by　the

mythological　arrow；admirable　description　of　an　effect　of　nature

which　the　Greeks；　unable　to　conceive　the　chivalric；　ideal；　and

melancholy　love　begotten　of　Christianity；　could　represent　in　no　other

way。　Flore　was　too　handsome　to　be　disdained；　and　Max　accepted　his

conquest。



Thus；　at　twenty…eight　years　of　age；　the　Rabouilleuse　felt　for　the

first　time　a　true　love；　an　idolatrous　love；　the　love　which　includes

all　ways　of　loving；that　of　Gulnare　and　that　of　Medora。　As　soon　as

the　penniless　officer　found　out　the　respective　situations　of　Flore　and

Jean…Jacques　Rouget；　he　saw　something　more　desirable　than　an

〃amourette〃　in　an　intimacy　with　the　Rabouilleuse。　He　asked　nothing

better　for　his　future　prosperity　than　to　take　up　his　abode　at　the

Rouget's；　recognizing　perfectly　the　feeble　nature　of　the　old　bachelor。

Flore's　passion　necessarily　affected　the　life　and　household　affairs　of

her　master。　For　a　month　the　old　man；　now　grown　excessively　timid；　saw

the　laughing　and　kindly　face　of　his　mistress　change　to　something

terrible　and　gloomy　and　sullen。　He　was　made　to　endure　flashes　of　angry

temper　purposely　displayed；　precisely　like　a　married　man　whose　wife　is

meditating　an　infidelity。　When；　after　some　cruel　rebuff；　he　nerved

himself　to　ask　Flore　the　reason　of　the　change；　her　eyes　were　so　full

of　hatred；　and　her　voice　so　aggressive　and　contemptuous；　that　the　poor

creature　quailed　under　them。



〃Good　heavens！〃　she　cried；　〃you　have　neither　heart　nor　soul！　Here's

sixteen　years　that　I　have　spent　my　youth　in　this　house；　and　I　have

only　just　found　out　that　you　have　got　a　stone　there　（striking　her

breast）。　For　two　months　you　have　seen　before　your　eyes　that　brave

captain；　a　victim　of　the　Bourbons；　who　was　cut　out　for　a　general；　and

is　down　in　the　depths　of　poverty；　hunted　into　a　hole　of　a　place　where

there's　no　way　to　make　a　penny　of　money！　He's　forced　to　sit　on　a　stool

all　day　in　the　mayor's　office　to　earnwhat？　Six　hundred　miserable

francs；a　fine　thing；　indeed！　And　here　are　you；　with　six　hundred　and

fifty…nine　thousand　well　invested；　and　sixty　thousand　francs'　income；

thanks　to　me；　who　never　spend　more　than　three　thousand　a　year；

everything　included；　even　my　own　clothes；　yes；　everything！and　you

never　think　of　offering　him　a　home　here；　though　there's　the　second

floor　empty！　You'd　rather　the　rats　and　mice　ran　riot　in　it　than　put　a

human　being　there；and　he　a　lad　your　father　always　allowed　to　be　his

own　son！　Do　you　want　to　know　what　you　are？　I'll　tell　you；a

fratricide！　And　I　know　why；　too。　You　see　I　take　an　interest　in　him；

and　that　provokes　you。　Stupid　as　you　seem；　you　have　got　more　spite　in

you　than　the　spitefullest　of　men。　Well；　yes！　I　do　take　an　interest　in

him；　and　a　keen　one〃



〃But；　Flore〃



〃'BUT；　FLORE'；　indeed！　What's　that　got　to　do　with　it？　You　may　go　and

find　another　Flore　（if　you　can！）；　for　I　hope　this　glass　of　wine　may

poison　me　if　I　don't　get　away　from　your　dungeon　of　a　house。　I　haven't；

God　be　thanked！　cost　you　one　penny　during　the　twelve　years　I've　been

with　you；　and　you　have　had　the　pleasure　of　my　company　into　the

bargain。　I　could　have　earned　my　own　living　anywhere　with　the　work　that

I've　done　here；washing；　ironing；　looking　after　the　linen；　going　to

market；　cooking；　taking　care　of　your　interests　before　everything；

slaving　myself　to　death　from　morning　till　night；and　this　is　my

reward！〃



〃But；　Flore〃



〃Oh；　yes；　'FLORE'！　find　another　Flore；　if　you　can；　at　your　time　of

life；　fifty…one　years　old；　and　getting　feeble；for　the　way　your

health　is　failing　is　frightful；　I　know　that！　and　besides；　you　are　none

too　amusing〃



〃But；　Flore〃



〃Let　me　alone！〃



She　went　out；　slamming　the　door　with　a　violence　that　echoed　through

the　house；　and　seemed　to　shake　it　to　its　foundations。　Jean…Jacques

softly　opened　the　door　and　went；　still　more　softly；　into　the　kitchen

where　she　was　muttering　to　herself。



〃But；　Flore；〃　said　the　poor　sheep；　〃this　is　the　first　time　I　have

heard　of　this　wish　of　yours；　how　do　you　know　whether　I　will　agree　to

it　or　not？〃



〃In　the　first　place；〃　she　said；　〃there　ought　to　be　a　man　in　the　house。

Everybody　knows　you　have　ten；　fifteen；　twenty　thousand　francs　here；　if

they　came　to　rob　you　we　should　both　be　murdered。　For　my　part；　I　don't

care　to　wake　up　some　fine　m