the two brothers-第45章

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up　the　turkey；an　essential　feature　of　the　repast。　The　old　man　dove

into　the　pocket　of　his　surtout；　pulled　out　an　end　of　string　which　had

evidently　already　served　to　tie　up　a　parcel；　and　gave　it　to　her；　but

before　she　could　leave　the　room　he　called　out；　〃Gritte；　mind　you　give

it　back　to　me！〃　（Gritte　is　the　abbreviation　used　in　Berry　for

Marguerite。）



From　year　to　year　old　Hochon　grew　more　petty　in　his　meanness；　and　more

penurious；　and　at　this　time　he　was　eighty…five　years　old。　He　belonged

to　the　class　of　men　who　stop　short　in　the　street；　in　the　middle　of　a

lively　dialogue；　and　stoop　to　pick　up　a　pin；　remarking；　as　they　stick

it　in　the　sleeve　of　their　coat；　〃There's　the　wife's　stipend。〃　He

complained　bitterly　of　the　poor　quality　of　the　cloth　manufactured　now…

a…days；　and　called　attention　to　the　fact　that　his　coat　had　lasted　only

ten　years。　Tall；　gaunt；　thin；　and　sallow；　saying　little；　reading

little；　and　doing　nothing　to　fatigue　himself；　as　observant　of　forms　as

an　oriental；he　enforced　in　his　own　house　a　discipline　of　strict

abstemiousness；　weighing　and　measuring　out　the　food　and　drink　of　the

family；　which；　indeed；　was　rather　numerous；　and　consisted　of　his　wife；

nee　Lousteau；　his　grandson　Borniche　with　a　sister　Adolphine；　the　heirs

of　old　Borniche；　and　lastly；　his　other　grandson；　Francois　Hochon。



Hochon's　eldest　son　was　taken　by　the　draft　of　1813；　which　drew　in　the

sons　of　well…to…do　families　who　had　escaped　the　regular　conscription；

and　were　now　formed　into　a　corps　styled　the　〃guards　of　honor。〃　This

heir…presumptive；　who　was　killed　at　Hanau；　had　married　early　in　life　a

rich　woman；　intending　thereby　to　escape　all　conscriptions；　but　after

he　was　enrolled；　he　wasted　his　substance；　under　a　presentiment　of　his

end。　His　wife；　who　followed　the　army　at　a　distance；　died　at　Strasburg

in　1814；　leaving　debts　which　her　father…in…law　Hochon　refused　to　pay；

answering　the　creditors　with　an　axiom　of　ancient　law；　〃Women　are

minors。〃



The　house；　though　large；　was　scantily　furnished；　on　the　second　floor；

however；　there　were　two　rooms　suitable　for　Madame　Bridau　and　Joseph。

Old　Hochon　now　repented　that　he　had　kept　them　furnished　with　two　beds；

each　bed　accompanied　by　an　old　armchair　of　natural　wood　covered　with

needlework；　and　a　walnut　table；　on　which　figured　a　water…pitcher　of

the　wide…mouthed　kind　called　〃gueulard；〃　standing　in　a　basin　with　a

blue　border。　The　old　man　kept　his　winter　store　of　apples　and　pears；

medlars　and　quinces　on　heaps　of　straw　in　these　rooms；　where　the　rats

and　mice　ran　riot；　so　that　they　exhaled　a　mingled　odor　of　fruit　and

vermin。　Madame　Hochon　now　directed　that　everything　should　be　cleaned；

the　wall…paper；　which　had　peeled　off　in　places；　was　fastened　up　again

with　wafers；　and　she　decorated　the　windows　with　little　curtains　which

she　pieced　together　from　old　hoards　of　her　own。　Her　husband　having

refused　to　let　her　buy　a　strip　of　drugget；　she　laid　down　her　own

bedside　carpet　for　her　little　Agathe；〃Poor　little　thing！〃　as　she

called　the　mother；　who　was　now　over　forty…seven　years　old。　Madame

Hochon　borrowed　two　night…tables　from　a　neighbor；　and　boldly　hired　two

chests　of　drawers　with　brass　handles　from　a　dealer　in　second…hand

furniture　who　lived　next　to　Mere　Cognette。　She　herself　had　preserved

two　pairs　of　candlesticks；　carved　in　choice　woods　by　her　own　father；

who　had　the　〃turning〃　mania。　From　1770　to　1780　it　was　the　fashion

among　rich　people　to　learn　a　trade；　and　Monsieur　Lousteau；　the　father；

was　a　turner；　just　as　Louis　XVI。　was　a　locksmith。　These　candlesticks

were　ornamented　with　circlets　made　of　the　roots　of　rose；　peach；　and

apricot　trees。　Madame　Hochon　actually　risked　the　use　of　her　precious

relics！　These　preparations　and　this　sacrifice　increased　old　Hochon's

anxiety；　up　to　this　time　he　had　not　believed　in　the　arrival　of　the

Bridaus。



The　morning　of　the　day　that　was　celebrated　by　the　trick　on　Fario；

Madame　Hochon　said　to　her　husband　after　breakfast：



〃I　hope；　Hochon；　that　you　will　receive　my　goddaughter；　Madame　Bridau；

properly。〃　Then；　after　making　sure　that　her　grandchildren　were　out　of

hearing；　she　added：　〃I　am　mistress　of　my　own　property；　don't　oblige　me

to　make　up　to　Agathe　in　my　will　for　any　incivility　on　your　part。〃



〃Do　you　think；　madame；〃　answered　Hochon；　in　a　mild　voice；　〃that；　at　my

age；　I　don't　know　the　forms　of　decent　civility？〃



〃You　know　very　well　what　I　mean；　you　crafty　old　thing！　Be　friendly　to

our　guests；　and　remember　that　I　love　Agathe。〃



〃And　you　love　Maxence　Gilet　also；　who　is　getting　the　property　away

from　your　dear　Agathe！　Ah！　you've　warmed　a　viper　in　your　bosom　there；

but　after　all；　the　Rouget　money　is　bound　to　go　to　a　Lousteau。〃



After　making　this　allusion　to　the　supposed　parentage　and　both　Max　and

Agathe；　Hochon　turned　to　leave　the　room；　but　old　Madame　Hochon；　a

woman　still　erect　and　spare；　wearing　a　round　cap　with　ribbon　knots　and

her　hair　powdered；　a　taffet　petticoat　of　changeable　colors　like　a

pigeon's　breast；　tight　sleeves；　and　her　feet　in　high…heeled　slippers；

deposited　her　snuff…box　on　a　little　table；　and　said：



〃Really；　Monsieur　Hochon；　how　can　a　man　of　your　sense　repeat

absurdities　which；　unhappily；　cost　my　poor　friend　her　peace　of　mind；

and　Agathe　the　property　which　she　ought　to　have　had　from　her　father。

Max　Gilet　is　not　the　son　of　my　brother；　whom　I　often　advised　to　save

the　money　he　paid　for　him。　You　know　as　well　as　I　do　that　Madame　Rouget

was　virtue　itself〃



〃And　the　daughter　takes　after　her；　for　she　strikes　me　as　uncommonly

stupid。　After　losing　all　her　fortune；　she　brings　her　sons　up　so　well

that　here　is　one　in　prison　and　likely　to　be　brought　up　on　a　criminal

indictment　before　the　Court　of　Peers　for　a　conspiracy　worthy　of

Berton。　As　for　the　other；　he　is　worse　off；　he's　a　painter。　If　your

proteges　are　to　stay　here　till　they　have　extricated　that　fool　of　a

Rouget　from　the　claws　of　Gilet　and　the　Rabouilleuse；　we　shall　eat　a

good　deal　more　than　half　a　measure　of　salt　with　them。〃



〃That's　enough；　Monsieur　Hochon；　you　had　better　wish　they　may　not　have

two　strings　to　their　bow。〃



Monsieur　Hochon　took　his　hat；　and　his　cane　with　an　ivory　knob；　and

went　away　petrified　by　that　terrible　speech；　for　he　had　no　idea　that

his　wife　could　show　such　resolution。　Madame　Hochon　took　her　prayer…

book　to　read　the　service；　for　her　advanced　age　prevented　her　from

going　daily　to　church；　it　was　only　with　difficulty　that　she　got　there

on　Sundays　and　holidays。　Since　receiving　her　goddaughter's　letter　she

had　added　a　petition　to　her　usual　prayers；　supplicating　God　to　open

the　eyes　of　Jean…Jacques　Rouget；　and　to　bless　Agathe　and　prosper　the

expedition　into　which　she　herself　had　drawn　her。　Concealing　the　fact

from　her　grandchildren；　whom　she　accused　of　being　〃parpaillots；〃　she

had　asked　the　curate　to　say　a　mass　for　Agathe's　success　during　a

neuvaine　which　was　being　held　by　her　granddaughter；　Adolphine

Borniche；　who　thus　made　her　prayers　in　church　by　proxy。



Adolphine；　then　eighteen；who　for　the　last　seven　years　had　sewed　at

the　side　of　her　grandmother　in　that　cold　household　of　monotonous　and

methodical　customs；had　undertaken　her　neuvaine　all　the　more

willingly　because　she　hoped　to　inspire　some　feeling　in　Joseph　Bridau；

in　whom　she　took　the　deepest　interest　because　of　the　monstrosities

which　her　grandfather　attributed　in　her　hearing　to　the　young　Parisian。



All　the　old　people　and　sensible　people　of　the　town；　and　the　fathers　of

families　approved　of　Madame　Hochon's　conduct　in　receiving　her

goddaughter；　and　their　good　wishes　for　the　latter's　success　were　in

proportion　to　the　secret　contempt　with　which　the　conduct　of　Maxence

Gilet　had　long　inspired　them。　Thus　the　news　of　the　arrival　of　Rouget's

sister　and　nephew　raised　two　parties　in　Issoudun；that　of　the　higher

and　older　bourgeoisie；　who　contented　themselves　with　offering　good

wishes　and　in　watching　events　without　assisting　them；　and　that　of　the

Knights　of　Idleness　and　the　partisans　of