the two brothers-第41章

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

care　to　wake　up　some　fine　morning　chopped　in　quarters；　as　happened　to

that　poor　servant…girl　who　was　silly　enough　to　defend　her　master。

Well！　if　the　robbers　knew　there　was　a　man　in　the　house　as　brave　as

Caesar　and　who　wasn't　born　yesterday；for　Max　could　swallow　three

burglars　as　quick　as　a　flash；well；　then　I　should　sleep　easy。　People

may　tell　you　a　lot　of　stuff；that　I　love　him；　that　I　adore　him；and

some　say　this　and　some　say　that！　Do　you　know　what　you　ought　to　say？

You　ought　to　answer　that　you　know　it；　that　your　father　told　you　on　his

deathbed　to　take　care　of　his　poor　Max。　That　will　stop　people's

tongues；　for　every　stone　in　Issoudun　can　tell　you　he　paid　Max's

schoolingand　so！　Here's　nine　years　that　I　have　eaten　your　bread〃



〃Flore；Flore！〃



〃and　many　a　one　in　this　town　has　paid　court　to　me；　I　can　tell　you！

Gold　chains　here；　and　watches　there；what　don't　they　offer　me？　'My

little　Flore；'　they　say；　'why　won't　you　leave　that　old　fool　of　a

Rouget；'for　that's　what　they　call　you。　'I　leave　him！'　I　always

answer；　'a　poor　innocent　like　that？　I　think　I　see　myself！　what　would

become　of　him？　No；　no；　where　the　kid　is　tethered；　let　her　browse'〃



〃Yes；　Flore；　I've　none　but　you　in　this　world；　and　you　make　me　happy。

If　it　will　give　you　pleasure；　my　dear；　well；　we　will　have　Maxence

Gilet　here；　he　can　eat　with　us〃



〃Heavens！　I　should　hope　so！〃



〃There；　there！　don't　get　angry〃



〃Enough　for　one　is　enough　for　two；〃　she　answered　laughing。　〃I'll　tell

you　what　you　can　do；　my　lamb；　if　you　really　mean　to　be　kind；　you　must

go　and　walk　up　and　down　near　the　Mayor's　office　at　four　o'clock；　and

manage　to　meet　Monsieur　Gilet　and　invite　him　to　dinner。　If　he　makes

excuses；　tell　him　it　will　give　me　pleasure；　he　is　too　polite　to

refuse。　And　after　dinner；　at　dessert；　if　he　tells　you　about　his

misfortunes；　and　the　hulks　and　so　forthfor　you　can　easily　get　him　to

talk　about　all　thatthen　you　can　make　him　the　offer　to　come　and　live

here。　If　he　makes　any　objection；　never　mind；　I　shall　know　how　to

settle　it。〃



Walking　slowly　along　the　boulevard　Baron；　the　old　celibate　reflected；

as　much　as　he　had　the　mind　to　reflect；　over　this　incident。　If　he　were

to　part　from　Flore　（the　mere　thought　confused　him）　where　could　he　find

another　woman？　Should　he　marry？　At　his　age　he　should　be　married　for

his　money；　and　a　legitimate　wife　would　use　him　far　more　cruelly　than

Flore。　Besides；　the　thought　of　being　deprived　of　her　tenderness；　even

if　it　were　a　mere　pretence；　caused　him　horrible　anguish。　He　was

therefore　as　polite　to　Captain　Gilet　as　he　knew　how　to　be。　The

invitation　was　given；　as　Flore　had　requested；　before　witnesses；　to

guard　the　hero's　honor　from　all　suspicion。



A　reconciliation　took　place　between　Flore　and　her　master；　but　from

that　day　forth　Jean…Jacques　noticed　many　a　trifle　that　betokened　a

total　change　in　his　mistress's　affections。　For　two　or　three　weeks

Flore　Brazier　complained　to　the　tradespeople　in　the　markets；　and　to

the　women　with　whom　she　gossiped；　about　Monsieur　Rouget's　tyranny；

how　he　had　taken　it　into　his　head　to　invite　his　self…styled　natural

brother　to　live　with　him。　No　one；　however；　was　taken　in　by　this

comedy；　and　Flore　was　looked　upon　as　a　wonderfully　clever　and　artful

creature。　Old　Rouget　really　found　himself　very　comfortable　after　Max

became　the　master　of　his　house；　for　he　thus　gained　a　companion　who

paid　him　many　attentions；　without；　however；　showing　any　servility。

Gilet　talked；　discussed　politics；　and　sometimes　went　to　walk　with

Rouget。　After　Max　was　fairly　installed；　Flore　did　not　choose　to　do　the

cooking；　she　said　it　spoiled　her　hands。　At　the　request　of　the　grand

master　of　the　Order　of　the　Knights　of　Idleness；　Mere　Cognette　produced

one　of　her　relatives；　an　old　maid　whose　master；　a　curate；　had　lately

died　without　leaving　her　anything；an　excellent　cook；　withal；who

declared　she　would　devote　herself　for　life　or　death　to　Max　and　Flore。

In　the　name　of　the　two　powers；　Mere　Cognette　promised　her　an　annuity

of　three　hundred　francs　a　year　at　the　end　of　ten　years；　if　she　served

them　loyally；　honestly；　and　discreetly。　The　Vedie；　as　she　was　called；

was　noticeable　for　a　face　deeply　pitted　by　the　small…pox；　and

correspondingly　ugly。



After　the　new　cook　had　entered　upon　her　duties；　the　Rabouilleuse　took

the　title　of　Madame　Brazier。　She　wore　corsets；　she　had　silk；　or

handsome　woollen　and　cotton　dresses；　according　to　the　season；

expensive　neckerchiefs；　embroidered　caps　and　collars；　lace　ruffles　at

her　throat；　boots　instead　of　shoes；　and；　altogether；　adopted　a

richness　and　elegance　of　apparel　which　renewed　the　youthfulness　of　her

appearance。　She　was　like　a　rough　diamond；　that　needed　cutting　and

mounting　by　a　jeweller　to　bring　out　its　full　value。　Her　desire　was　to

do　honor　to　Max。　At　the　end　of　the　first　year；　in　1817；　she　brought　a

horse；　styled　English；　from　Bourges；　for　the　poor　cavalry　captain；　who

was　weary　of　going　afoot。　Max　had　picked　up　in　the　purlieus　of

Issoudun　an　old　lancer　of　the　Imperial　Guard；　a　Pole　named　Kouski；　now

very　poor；　who　asked　nothing　better　than　to　quarter　himself　in

Monsieur　Rouget's　house　as　the　captain's　servant。　Max　was　Kouski's

idol；　especially　after　the　duel　with　the　three　royalists。　So；　from

1817；　the　household　of　the　old　bachelor　was　made　up　of　five　persons；

three　of　whom　were　masters；　and　the　expenses　advanced　to　about　eight

thousand　francs　a　year。







CHAPTER　X



At　the　time　when　Madame　Bridau　returned　to　Issoudun　to　saveas　Maitre

Desroches　expressed　itan　inheritance　that　was　seriously　threatened；

Jean…Jacques　Rouget　had　reached　by　degrees　a　condition　that　was　semi…

vegetative。　In　the　first　place；　after　Max's　instalment；　Flore　put　the

table　on　an　episcopal　footing。　Rouget；　thrown　in　the　way　of　good

living；　ate　more　and　still　more；　enticed　by　the　Vedie's　excellent

dishes。　He　grew　no　fatter；　however；　in　spite　of　this　abundant　and

luxurious　nourishment。　From　day　to　day　he　weakened　like　a　worn…out

man；fatigued；　perhaps；　with　the　effort　of　digestion；and　his　eyes

had　dark　circles　around　them。　Still；　when　his　friends　and　neighbors

met　him　in　his　walks　and　questioned　him　about　his　health；　he　always

answered　that　he　was　never　better　in　his　life。　As　he　had　always　been

thought　extremely　deficient　in　mind；　people　did　not　notice　the

constant　lowering　of　his　faculties。　His　love　for　Flore　was　the　one

thing　that　kept　him　alive；　in　fact；　he　existed　only　for　her；　and　his

weakness　in　her　presence　was　unbounded；　he　obeyed　the　creature's　mere

look；　and　watched　her　movements　as　a　dog　watches　every　gesture　of　his

master。　In　short；　as　Madame　Hochon　remarked；　at　fifty…seven　years　of

age　he　seemed　older　than　Monsieur　Hochon；　an　octogenarian。



Every　one　will　suppose；　and　with　reason；　that　Max's　appartement　was

worthy　of　so　charming　a　fellow。　In　fact；　in　the　course　of　six　years

our　captain　had　by　degrees　perfected　the　comfort　of　his　abode　and

adorned　every　detail　of　it；　as　much　for　his　own　pleasure　as　for

Flore's。　But　it　was；　after　all；　only　the　comfort　and　luxury　of

Issoudun；colored　tiles；　rather　elegant　wallpapers；　mahogany

furniture；　mirrors　in　gilt　frames；　muslin　curtains　with　red　borders；　a

bed　with　a　canopy；　and　draperies　arranged　as　the　provincial

upholsterers　arrange　them　for　a　rich　bride；　which　in　the　eyes　of

Issoudun　seemed　the　height　of　luxury；　but　are　so　common　in　vulgar

fashion…plates　that　even　the　petty　shopkeepers　in　Paris　have　discarded

them　at　their　weddings。　One　very　unusual　thing　appeared；　which　caused

much　talk　in　Issoudun；　namely；　a　rush…matting　on　the　stairs；　no　doubt

to　muffle　the　sound　of　feet。　In　fact；　though　Max　was　in　the　habit　of

coming　in　at　daybreak；　he　never　woke　any　one；　and　Rouget　was　far　from

suspecting　that　his　guest　was　an　accomplice　in　the　nocturnal

performances　of　the　Knights　of　Idleness。



About　eight　o'clock　the　next　morning；　Flore；　wearing　a　dressing…gown

of