the two brothers-第48章

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France；　so　you　see；　madame；　my　future　fortune　is　in　my　brushes。〃



This　speech　was　received　by　Madame　Hochon　with　much　amazement。　Though

relatively　superior　to　the　town　she　lived　in；　the　old　lady　did　not

believe　in　painting。　She　glanced　at　her　goddaughter；　and　again　pressed

her　hand。



〃This　Maxence　is　the　second　volume　of　Philippe；〃　whispered　Joseph　in

his　mother's　ear；　〃only　cleverer　and　better　behaved。　Well；　madame；〃

he　said；　aloud；　we　won't　trouble　Monsieur　Hochon　by　staying　very

long。〃



〃Ah！　you　are　young；　you　know　nothing　of　the　world；〃　said　the　old　lady。

〃A　couple　of　weeks；　if　you　are　judicious；　may　produce　great　results；

listen　to　my　advice；　and　act　accordingly。〃



〃Oh！　willingly；〃　said　Joseph；　〃I　know　I　have　a　perfectly　amazing

incapacity　for　domestic　statesmanship：　for　example；　I　am　sure　I　don't

know　what　Desroches　himself　would　tell　us　to　do　if　my　uncle　declines

to　see　us。〃



Mesdames　Borniche；　Goddet…Herau；　Beaussier；　Lousteau…Prangin　and

Fichet；　decorated　with　their　husbands；　here　entered　the　room。



When　the　fourteen　persons　were　seated；　and　the　usual　compliments　were

over；　Madame　Hochon　presented　her　goddaughter　Agathe　and　Joseph。

Joseph　sat　in　his　armchair　all　the　evening；　engaged　in　slyly　studying

the　sixty　faces　which；　from　five　o'clock　until　half　past　nine；　posed

for　him　gratis；　as　he　afterwards　told　his　mother。　Such　behavior　before

the　aristocracy　of　Issoudun　did　not　tend　to　change　the　opinion　of　the

little　town　concerning　him：　every　one　went　home　ruffled　by　his

sarcastic　glances；　uneasy　under　his　smiles；　and　even　frightened　at　his

face；　which　seemed　sinister　to　a　class　of　people　unable　to　recognize

the　singularities　of　genius。



After　ten　o'clock；　when　the　household　was　in　bed；　Madame　Hochon　kept

her　goddaughter　in　her　chamber　until　midnight。　Secure　from

interruption；　the　two　women　told　each　other　the　sorrows　of　their

lives；　and　exchanged　their　sufferings。　As　Agathe　listened　to　the　last

echoes　of　a　soul　that　had　missed　its　destiny；　and　felt　the　sufferings

of　a　heart；　essentially　generous　and　charitable；　whose　charity　and

generosity　could　never　be　exercised；　she　realized　the　immensity　of　the

desert　in　which　the　powers　of　this　noble；　unrecognized　soul　had　been

wasted；　and　knew　that　she　herself；　with　the　little　joys　and　interests

of　her　city　life　relieving　the　bitter　trials　sent　from　God；　was　not

the　most　unhappy　of　the　two。



〃You　who　are　so　pious；〃　she　said；　〃explain　to　me　my　shortcomings；　tell

me　what　it　is　that　God　is　punishing　in　me。〃



〃He　is　preparing　us；　my　child；〃　answered　the　old　woman；　〃for　the

striking　of　the　last　hour。〃



At　midnight　the　Knights　of　Idleness　were　collecting；　one　by　one　like

shadows；　under　the　trees　of　the　boulevard　Baron；　and　speaking　together

in　whispers。



〃What　are　we　going　to　do？〃　was　the　first　question　of　each　as　he

arrived。



〃I　think；〃　said　Francois；　〃that　Max　means　merely　to　give　us　a　supper。〃



〃No；　matters　are　very　serious　for　him；　and　for　the　Rabouilleuse：　no

doubt；　he　has　concocted　some　scheme　against　the　Parisians。〃



〃It　would　be　a　good　joke　to　drive　them　away。〃



〃My　grandfather；〃　said　Baruch；　〃is　terribly　alarmed　at　having　two

extra　mouths　to　feed；　and　he'd　seize　on　any　pretext〃



〃Well；　comrades！〃　cried　Max　softly；　now　appearing　on　the　scene；　〃why

are　you　star…gazing？　the　planets　don't　distil　kirschwasser。　Come；　let

us　go　to　Mere　Cognette's！〃



〃To　Mere　Cognette's！　To　Mere　Cognette's！〃　they　all　cried。



The　cry；　uttered　as　with　one　voice；　produced　a　clamor　which　rang

through　the　town　like　the　hurrah　of　troops　rushing　to　an　assault；

total　silence　followed。　The　next　day；　more　than　one　inhabitant　must

have　said　to　his　neighbor：　〃Did　you　hear　those　frightful　cries　last

night；　about　one　o'clock？　I　thought　there　was　surely　a　fire

somewhere。〃



A　supper　worthy　of　La　Cognette　brightened　the　faces　of　the　twenty…two

guests；　for　the　whole　Order　was　present。　At　two　in　the　morning；　as

they　were　beginning　to　〃siroter〃　（a　word　in　the　vocabulary　of　the

Knights　which　admirably　expresses　the　act　of　sipping　and　tasting　the

wine　in　small　quantities）；　Max　rose　to　speak：



〃My　dear　fellows！　the　honor　of　your　grand　master　was　grossly　attacked

this　morning；　after　our　memorable　joke　with　Fario's　cart；attacked　by

a　vile　pedler；　and　what　is　more；　a　Spaniard　（oh；　Cabrera！）；　and　I　have

resolved　to　make　the　scoundrel　feel　the　weight　of　my　vengeance；

always；　of　course；　within　the　limits　we　have　laid　down　for　our　fun。

After　reflecting　about　it　all　day；　I　have　found　a　trick　which　is　worth

putting　into　execution；a　famous　trick；　that　will　drive　him　crazy。

While　avenging　the　insult　offered　to　the　Order　in　my　person；　we　shall

be　feeding　the　sacred　animals　of　the　Egyptians；little　beasts　which

are；　after　all；　the　creatures　of　God；　and　which　man　unjustly

persecutes。　Thus　we　see　that　good　is　the　child　of　evil；　and　evil　is

the　offspring　of　good；　such　is　the　paramount　law　of　the　universe！　I

now　order　you　all；　on　pain　of　displeasing　your　very　humble　grand

master；　to　procure　clandestinely；　each　one　of　you；　twenty　rats；　male

or　female　as　heaven　pleases。　Collect　your　contingent　within　three

days。　If　you　can　get　more；　the　surplus　will　be　welcome。　Keep　the

interesting　rodents　without　food；　for　it　is　essential　that　the

delightful　little　beasts　be　ravenous　with　hunger。　Please　observe　that

I　will　accept　both　house…mice　and　field…mice　as　rats。　If　we　multiply

twenty…two　by　twenty；　we　shall　have　four　hundred；　four　hundred

accomplices　let　loose　in　the　old　church　of　the　Capuchins；　where　Fario

has　stored　all　his　grain；　will　consume　a　not　insignificant　quantity！

But　be　lively　about　it！　There's　no　time　to　lose。　Fario　is　to　deliver

most　of　the　grain　to　his　customers　in　a　week　or　so；　and　I　am

determined　that　that　Spaniard　shall　find　a　terrible　deficit。

Gentlemen；　I　have　not　the　merit　of　this　invention；〃　continued　Max；

observing　the　signs　of　general　admiration。　〃Render　to　Caesar　that

which　is　Caesar's；　and　to　God　that　which　is　God's。　My　scheme　is　only　a

reproduction　of　Samson's　foxes；　as　related　in　the　Bible。　But　Samson

was　an　incendiary；　and　therefore　no　philanthropist；　while　we；　like　the

Brahmins；　are　the　protectors　of　a　persecuted　race。　Mademoiselle　Flore

Brazier　has　already　set　all　her　mouse…traps；　and　Kouski；　my　right…arm；

is　hunting　field…mice。　I　have　spoken。〃



〃I　know；〃　said　Goddet；　〃where　to　find　an　animal　that's　worth　forty

rats；　himself　alone。〃



〃What's　that？〃



〃A　squirrel。〃



〃I　offer　a　little　monkey；〃　said　one　of　the　younger　members；　〃he'll

make　himself　drunk　on　wheat。〃



〃Bad；　very　bad！〃　exclaimed　Max；　〃it　would　show　who　put　the　beasts

there。〃



〃But　we　might　each　catch　a　pigeon　some　night；〃　said　young　Beaussier；

〃taking　them　from　different　farms；　if　we　put　them　through　a　hole　in

the　roof；　they'll　attract　thousands　of　others。〃



〃So；　then；　for　the　next　week；　Fario's　storehouse　is　the　order　of　the

night；〃　cried　Max；　smiling　at　Beaussier。　〃Recollect；　people　get　up

early　in　Saint…Paterne。　Mind；　too；　that　none　of　you　go　there　without

turning　the　soles　of　your　list　shoes　backward。　Knight　Beaussier；　the

inventor　of　pigeons；　is　made　director。　As　for　me；　I　shall　take　care　to

leave　my　imprint　on　the　sacks　of　wheat。　Gentlemen；　you　are；　all　of

you；　appointed　to　the　commissariat　of　the　Army　of　Rats。　If　you　find　a

watchman　sleeping　in　the　church；　you　must　manage　to　make　him　drunk；

and　do　it　cleverly；so　as　to　get　him　far　away　from　the　scene　of　the

Rodents'　Orgy。〃



〃You　don't　say　anything　about　the　Parisians？〃　questioned　Goddet。



〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　Max；　〃I　want　time　to　study　them。　Meantime；　I　offer　my

best　shotgunthe　one　the　Emperor　gave　me；　a　treasure　from　the

manufactory　at　Versaillesto　whoever　finds　a　way　to　play　the　Bridaus

a　trick　which　shall　get　them　into　difficulties　with　Madame　and

Monsieur　Hochon；　so　that　those　worthy　old　people　shall　send　them　off；

or　they　shall　be　forced　to　go　of　the