the two brothers-第50章

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　　requires　great　talent；　many　sacrifices；　and　prolonged　studies

　　before　any　results　can　be　obtained。　Glory　for　an　artist　precedes

　　fortune；　is　not　that　to　say　that　Joseph；　though　he　may　bring　honor

　　to　the　family；　will　still　be　poor？　Your　sister；　my　dear　Jean…

　　Jacques；　would　have　borne　in　silence　the　penalties　of　paternal

　　injustice；　but　you　will　pardon　a　mother　for　reminding　you　that　you

　　have　two　nephews；　one　of　whom　carried　the　Emperor's　orders　at　the

　　battle　of　Montereau　and　served　in　the　Guard　at　Waterloo；　and　is

　　now　in　prison　for　his　devotion　to　Napoleon；　the　other；　from　his

　　thirteenth　year；　has　been　impelled　by　natural　gifts　to　enter　a

　　difficult　though　glorious　career。



　　I　thank　you　for　your　letter；　my　dear　brother；　with　heart…felt

　　warmth；　for　my　own　sake；　and　also　for　Joseph's；　who　will　certainly

　　accept　your　invitation。　Illness　excuses　everything；　my　dear　Jean…

　　Jacques；　and　I　shall　therefore　go　to　see　you　in　your　own　house。　A

　　sister　is　always　at　home　with　a　brother；　no　matter　what　may　be　the

　　life　he　has　adopted。



　　I　embrace　you　tenderly。



　　Agathe　Rouget





〃There's　the　matter　started。　Now；　when　you　see　him；〃　said　Monsieur

Hochon　to　Agathe；　〃you　must　speak　plainly　to　him　about　his　nephews。〃



The　letter　was　carried　over　by　Gritte；　who　returned　ten　minutes　later

to　render　an　account　to　her　masters　of　all　that　she　had　seen　and

heard；　according　to　a　settled　provincial　custom。



〃Since　yesterday　Madame　has　had　the　whole　house　cleaned　up；　which　she

left〃



〃Whom　do　you　mean　by　Madame？〃　asked　old　Hochon。



〃That's　what　they　call　the　Rabouilleuse　over　there；〃　answered　Gritte。

〃She　left　the　salon　and　all　Monsieur　Rouget's　part　of　the　house　in　a

pitiable　state；　but　since　yesterday　the　rooms　have　been　made　to　look

like　what　they　were　before　Monsieur　Maxence　went　to　live　there。　You

can　see　your　face　on　the　floors。　La　Vedie　told　me　that　Kouski　went　off

on　horseback　at　five　o'clock　this　morning；　and　came　back　at　nine；

bringing　provisions。　It　is　going　to　be　a　grand　dinner！a　dinner　fit

for　the　archbishop　of　Bourges！　There's　a　fine　bustle　in　the　kitchen；

and　they　are　as　busy　as　bees。　The　old　man　says；　'I　want　to　do　honor　to

my　nephew；'　and　he　pokes　his　nose　into　everything。　It　appears　THE

ROUGETS　are　highly　flattered　by　the　letter。　Madame　came　and　told　me

so。　Oh！　she　had　on　such　a　dress！　I　never　saw　anything　so　handsome　in

my　life。　Two　diamonds　in　her　ears！two　diamonds　that　cost；　Vedie　told

me；　three　thousand　francs　apiece；　and　such　lace！　rings　on　her　fingers；

and　bracelets！　you'd　think　she　was　a　shrine；　and　a　silk　dress　as　fine

as　an　altar…cloth。　So　then　she　said　to　me；　'Monsieur　is　delighted　to

find　his　sister　so　amiable；　and　I　hope　she　will　permit　us　to　pay　her

all　the　attention　she　deserves。　We　shall　count　on　her　good　opinion

after　the　welcome　we　mean　to　give　her　son。　Monsieur　is　very　impatient

to　see　his　nephew。'　Madame　had　little　black　satin　slippers；　and　her

stockings！　my！　they　were　marvels；flowers　in　silk　and　openwork；　just

like　lace；　and　you　could　see　her　rosy　little　feet　through　them。　Oh！

she's　in　high　feather；　and　she　had　a　lovely　little　apron　in　front　of

her　which；　Vedie　says；　cost　more　than　two　years　of　our　wages　put

together。〃



〃Well　done！　We　shall　have　to　dress　up；〃　said　the　artist　laughing。



〃What　do　you　think　of　all　this；　Monsieur　Hochon？〃　said　the　old　lady

when　Gritte　had　departed。



Madame　Hochon　made　Agathe　observe　her　husband；　who　was　sitting　with

his　head　in　his　hands；　his　elbows　on　the　arms　of　his　chair；　plunged　in

thought。



〃You　have　to　do　with　a　Maitre　Bonin！〃　said　the　old　man　at　last。　〃With

your　ideas；　young　man；〃　he　added；　looking　at　Joseph；　〃you　haven't

force　enough　to　struggle　with　a　practised　scoundrel　like　Maxence

Gilet。　No　matter　what　I　say　to　you；　you　will　commit　some　folly。　But；

at　any　rate；　tell　me　everything　you　see；　and　hear；　and　do　to…night。

Go；　and　God　be　with　you！　Try　to　get　alone　with　your　uncle。　If；　in

spite　of　all　your　genius；　you　can't　manage　it；　that　in　itself　will

throw　some　light　upon　their　scheme。　But　if　you　do　get　a　moment　alone

with　him；　out　of　ear…shot；　damn　it；　you　must　pull　the　wool　from　his

eyes　as　to　the　situation　those　two　have　put　him　in；　and　plead　your

mother's　cause。〃







CHAPTER　XII



At　four　o'clock；　Joseph　crossed　the　open　space　which　separated　the

Rouget　house　from　the　Hochon　house；a　sort　of　avenue　of　weakly

lindens；　two　hundred　feet　long　and　of　the　same　width　as　the　rue　Grande

Narette。　When　the　nephew　arrived；　Kouski；　in　polished　boots；　black

cloth　trousers；　white　waistcoat；　and　black　coat；　announced　him。　The

table　was　set　in　the　large　hall；　and　Joseph；　who　easily　distinguished

his　uncle；　went　up　to　him；　kissed　him；　and　bowed　to　Flore　and　Max。



〃We　have　not　seen　each　other　since　I　came　into　the　world；　my　dear

uncle；〃　said　the　painter　gayly；　〃but　better　late　than　never。〃



〃You　are　very　welcome；　my　friend；〃　said　the　old　man；　looking　at　his

nephew　in　a　dull　way。



〃Madame；〃　Joseph　said　to　Flore　with　an　artist's　vivacity；　〃this

morning　I　was　envying　my　uncle　the　pleasure　he　enjoys　in　being　able　to

admire　you　every　day。〃



〃Isn't　she　beautiful？〃　said　the　old　man；　whose　dim　eyes　began　to

shine。



〃Beautiful　enough　to　be　the　model　of　a　great　painter。〃



〃Nephew；〃　said　Rouget；　whose　elbow　Flore　was　nudging；　〃this　is

Monsieur　Maxence　Gilet；　a　man　who　served　the　Emperor；　like　your

brother；　in　the　Imperial　Guard。〃



Joseph　rose；　and　bowed。



〃Your　brother　was　in　the　dragoons；　I　believe；〃　said　Maxence。　〃I　was

only　a　dust…trotter。〃



〃On　foot　or　on　horseback；〃　said　Flore；　〃you　both　of　you　risked　your

skins。〃



Joseph　took　note　of　Max　quite　as　much　as　Max　took　note　of　Joseph。　Max；

who　got　his　clothes　from　Paris；　was　dressed　as　the　young　dandies　of

that　day　dressed　themselves。　A　pair　of　light…blue　cloth　trousers；　made

with　very　full　plaits；　covered　his　feet　so　that　only　the　toes　and　the

spurs　of　his　boots　were　seen。　His　waist　was　pinched　in　by　a　white

waistcoat　with　chased　gold　buttons；　which　was　laced　behind　to　serve　as

a　belt。　The　waistcoat；　buttoned　to　the　throat；　showed　off　his　broad

chest；　and　a　black　satin　stock　obliged　him　to　hold　his　head　high；　in

soldierly　fashion。　A　handsome　gold　chain　hung　from　a　waistcoat　pocket；

in　which　the　outline　of　a　flat　watch　was　barely　seen。　He　was　twisting

a　watch…key　of　the　kind　called　a　〃criquet；〃　which　Breguet　had　lately

invented。



〃The　fellow　is　fine…looking；〃　thought　Joseph；　admiring　with　a

painter's　eye　the　eager　face；　the　air　of　strength；　and　the

intellectual　gray　eyes　which　Max　had　inherited　from　his　father；　the

noble。　〃My　uncle　must　be　a　fearful　bore；　and　that　handsome　girl　takes

her　compensations。　It　is　a　triangular　household；　I　see　that。〃



At　this　instant；　Baruch　and　Francois　entered。



〃Have　you　been　to　see　the　tower　of　Issoudun？〃　Flore　asked　Joseph。　〃No？

then　if　you　would　like　to　take　a　little　walk　before　dinner；　which　will

not　be　served　for　an　hour；　we　will　show　you　the　great　curiosity　of　the

town。〃



〃Gladly；〃　said　the　artist；　quite　incapable　of　seeing　the　slightest

impropriety　in　so　doing。



While　Flore　went　to　put　on　her　bonnet；　gloves；　and　cashmere　shawl；

Joseph　suddenly　jumped　up；　as　if　an　enchanter　had　touched　him　with　his

wand；　to　look　at　the　pictures。



〃Ah！　you　have　pictures；　indeed；　uncle！〃　he　said；　examining　the　one

that　had　caught　his　eye。



〃Yes；〃　answered　the　old　man。　〃They　came　to　us　from　the　Descoings；　who

bought　them　during　the　Revolution；　when　the　convents　and　churches　in

Berry　were　dismantled。〃



Joseph　was　not　listening；　he　was　lost　in　admiration　of　the　pictures。



〃Magnificent！〃　he　cried。　〃Oh！　what　painting！　that　fellow　didn't　spoil

his　canvas。　Dear；　dear！　better　and　better；　as　it　is　at　Nicolet's〃



〃There　are　seven　or　eight　very　large　ones　up　in　the　garret；　which　were

kept　on　account　of　the　frames；〃　said　Gilet。



〃Let