the two brothers-第54章

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　　full　of　common…sense；　and　you　give　me　a　high　idea　of　his　methods；

　　he　is　perfectly　right。　My　advice；　since　you　ask　it；　is　that　your

　　mother　should　remain　at　Issoudun　with　Madame　Hochon；　paying　a

　　small　board；say　four　hundred　francs　a　year；to　reimburse　her

　　hosts　for　what　she　eats。　Madame　Bridau　ought；　in　my　opinion；　to

　　follow　Monsieur　Hochon's　advice　in　everything；　for　your　excellent

　　mother　will　have　many　scruples　in　dealing　with　persons　who　have　no

　　scruple　at　all；　and　whose　behavior　to　her　is　a　master…stroke　of

　　policy。　That　Maxence；　you　are　right　enough；　is　dangerous。　He　is

　　another　Philippe；　but　of　a　different　calibre。　The　scoundrel　makes

　　his　vices　serve　his　fortunes；　and　gets　his　amusement　gratis；

　　whereas　your　brother's　follies　are　never　useful　to　him。　All　that

　　you　say　alarms　me；　but　I　could　do　no　good　by　going　to　Issoudun。

　　Monsieur　Hochon；　acting　behind　your　mother；　will　be　more　useful　to

　　you　than　I。　As　for　you；　you　had　better　come　back　here；　you　are

　　good　for　nothing　in　a　matter　which　requires　continual　attention；

　　careful　observation；　servile　civilities；　discretion　in　speech；　and

　　a　dissimulation　of　manner　and　gesture　which　is　wholly　against　the

　　grain　of　artists。



　　If　they　have　told　you　no　will　has　been　made；　you　may　be　quite　sure

　　they　have　possessed　one　for　a　long　time。　But　wills　can　be　revoked；

　　and　as　long　as　your　fool　of　an　uncle　lives　he　is　no　doubt

　　susceptible　of　being　worked　upon　by　remorse　and　religion。　Your

　　inheritance　will　be　the　result　of　a　combat　between　the　Church　and

　　the　Rabouilleuse。　There　will　inevitably　come　a　time　when　that

　　woman　will　lose　her　grip　on　the　old　man；　and　religion　will　be　all…

　　powerful。　So　long　as　your　uncle　makes　no　gift　of　the　property

　　during　his　lifetime；　and　does　not　change　the　nature　of　his　estate；

　　all　may　come　right　whenever　religion　gets　the　upper　hand。　For　this

　　reason；　you　must　beg　Monsieur　Hochon　to　keep　an　eye；　as　well　as　he

　　can；　on　the　condition　of　your　uncle's　property。　It　is　necessary　to

　　know　if　the　real　estate　is　mortgaged；　and　if　so；　where　and　in

　　whose　name　the　proceeds　are　invested。　It　is　so　easy　to　terrify　an

　　old　man　with　fears　about　his　life；　in　case　you　find　him　despoiling

　　his　own　property　for　the　sake　of　these　interlopers；　that　almost

　　any　heir　with　a　little　adroitness　could　stop　the　spoliation　at　its

　　outset。　But　how　should　your　mother；　with　her　ignorance　of　the

　　world；　her　disinterestedness；　and　her　religious　ideas；　know　how　to

　　manage　such　an　affair？　However；　I　am　not　able　to　throw　any　light

　　on　the　matter。　All　that　you　have　done　so　far　has　probably　given

　　the　alarm；　and　your　adversaries　may　already　have　secured

　　themselves



〃That　is　what　I　call　an　opinion　in　good　shape；〃　exclaimed　Monsieur

Hochon；　proud　of　being　himself　appreciated　by　a　Parisian　lawyer。



〃Oh！　Desroches　is　a　famous　fellow；〃　answered　Joseph。



〃It　would　be　well　to　read　that　letter　to　the　two　women；〃　said　the　old

man。



〃There　it　is；〃　said　Joseph；　giving　it　to　him；　〃as　to　me；　I　want　to　be

off　to…morrow；　and　I　am　now　going　to　say　good…by　to　my　uncle。〃



〃Ah！〃　said　Monsieur　Hochon；　〃I　see　that　Monsieur　Desroches　tells　you

in　a　postscript　to　burn　the　letter。〃



〃You　can　burn　it　after　showing　it　to　my　mother；〃　said　the　painter。



Joseph　dressed；　crossed　the　little　square；　and　called　on　his　uncle；

who　was　just　finishing　breakfast。　Max　and　Flore　were　at　table。



〃Don't　disturb　yourself；　my　dear　uncle；　I　have　only　come　to　say　good…

by。〃



〃You　are　going？〃　said　Max；　exchanging　glances　with　Flore。



〃Yes；　I　have　some　work　to　do　at　the　chateau　of　Monsieur　de　Serizy；　and

I　am　all　the　more　glad　of　it　because　his　arm　is　long　enough　to　do　a

service　to　my　poor　brother　in　the　Chamber　of　Peers。〃



〃Well；　well；　go　and　work〃；　said　old　Rouget；　with　a　silly　air。　Joseph

thought　him　extraordinarily　changed　within　a　few　days。　〃Men　must　work

I　am　sorry　you　are　going。〃



〃Oh！　my　mother　will　be　here　some　time　longer；〃　remarked　Joseph。



Max　made　a　movement　with　his　lips　which　the　Rabouilleuse　observed；　and

which　signified：　〃They　are　going　to　try　the　plan　Baruch　warned　me　of。〃



〃I　am　very　glad　I　came；〃　said　Joseph；　〃for　I　have　had　the　pleasure　of

making　your　acquaintance　and　you　have　enriched　my　studio〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Flore；　〃instead　of　enlightening　your　uncle　on　the　value　of

his　pictures；　which　is　now　estimated　at　over　one　hundred　thousand

francs；　you　have　packed　them　off　in　a　hurry　to　Paris。　Poor　dear　man！

he　is　no　better　than　a　baby！　We　have　just　been　told　of　a　little

treasure　at　Bourges；what　did　they　call　it？　a　Poussin；which　was　in

the　choir　of　the　cathedral　before　the　Revolution　and　is　now　worth；　all

by　itself；　thirty　thousand　francs。〃



〃That　was　not　right　of　you；　my　nephew；〃　said　Jean…Jacques；　at　a　sign

from　Max；　which　Joseph　could　not　see。



〃Come　now；　frankly；〃　said　the　soldier；　laughing；　〃on　your　honor；　what

should　you　say　those　pictures　were　worth？　You've　made　an　easy　haul　out

of　your　uncle！　and　right　enough；　too；uncles　are　made　to　be　pillaged。

Nature　deprived　me　of　uncles；　but　damn　it；　if　I'd　had　any　I　should

have　shown　them　no　mercy。〃



〃Did　you　know；　monsieur；〃　said　Flore　to　Rouget；　〃what　YOUR　pictures

were　worth？　How　much　did　you　say；　Monsieur　Joseph？〃



〃Well；〃　answered　the　painter；　who　had　grown　as　red　as　a　beetroot；

〃the　pictures　are　certainly　worth　something。〃



〃They　say　you　estimated　them　to　Monsieur　Hochon　at　one　hundred　and

fifty　thousand　francs；〃　said　Flore；　〃is　that　true？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　painter；　with　childlike　honesty。



〃And　did　you　intend；〃　said　Flore　to　the　old　man；　〃to　give　a　hundred

and　fifty　thousand　francs　to　your　nephew？〃



〃Never；　never！〃　cried　Jean…Jacques；　on　whom　Flore　had　fixed　her　eye。



〃There　is　one　way　to　settle　all　this；〃　said　the　painter；　〃and　that　is

to　return　them　to　you；　uncle。〃



〃No；　no；　keep　them；〃　said　the　old　man。



〃I　shall　send　them　back　to　you；〃　said　Joseph；　wounded　by　the　offensive

silence　of　Max　and　Flore。　〃There　is　something　in　my　brushes　which　will

make　my　fortune；　without　owing　anything　to　any　one；　even　an　uncle。　My

respects　to　you；　mademoiselle；　good…day；　monsieur〃



And　Joseph　crossed　the　square　in　a　state　of　irritation　which　artists

can　imagine。　The　entire　Hochon　family　were　in　the　salon。　When　they　saw

Joseph　gesticulating　and　talking　to　himself；　they　asked　him　what　was

the　matter。　The　painter；　who　was　as　open　as　the　day；　related　before

Baruch　and　Francois　the　scene　that　had　just　taken　place；　and　which；

two　hours　later；　thanks　to　the　two　young　men；　was　the　talk　of　the

whole　town；　embroidered　with　various　circumstances　that　were　more　or

less　ridiculous。　Some　persons　insisted　that　the　painter　was　maltreated

by　Max；　others　that　he　had　misbehaved　to　Flore；　and　that　Max　had

turned　him　out　of　doors。



〃What　a　child　your　son　is！〃　said　Hochon　to　Madame　Bridau；　〃the　booby

is　the　dupe　of　a　scene　which　they　have　been　keeping　back　for　the　last

day　of　his　visit。　Max　and　the　Rabouilleuse　have　known　the　value　of

those　pictures　for　the　last　two　weeks；ever　since　he　had　the　folly　to

tell　it　before　my　grandsons；　who　never　rested　till　they　had　blurted　it

out　to　all　the　world。　Your　artist　had　better　have　taken　himself　off

without　taking　leave。〃



〃My　son　has　done　right　to　return　the　pictures　if　they　are　really　so

valuable；〃　said　Agathe。



〃If　they　are　worth；　as　he　says；　two　hundred　thousand　francs；〃　said　old

Hochon；　〃it　was　folly　to　put　himself　in　the　way　of　being　obliged　to

return　them。　You　might　have　had　that；　at　least；　out　of　the　property；

whereas；　as　things　are　going　now；　you　won't　get　anything。　And　this

scene　with　Joseph　is　almost　a　reason　why　your　brother　should　refuse　to

see　you　again。〃







CHAPTER　XIII



Between　midnight　and　one　o'clock；　the　Knights　of　Idleness　began　their

gratuitous　distribution　of　comestibles　to　the　dogs　of　the　town。　This

memorable　expedition　was　not　o