the two brothers-第56章

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his　cellar。



〃Where　is　Agathe？〃



〃Sound　asleep。〃



〃Ah！　so　much　the　better；〃　said　Madame　Hochon。　〃I　wish　she　may　sleep　on

till　the　matter　is　cleared　up。　Such　a　shock　might　kill　the　poor

child。〃



But　Agathe　woke　up　and　came　down　half…dressed；　for　the　evasive　answers

of　Gritte；　whom　she　questioned；　had　disturbed　both　her　head　and　heart。

She　found　Madame　Hochon；　looking　very　pale；　with　her　eyes　full　of

tears；　at　one　of　the　windows　of　the　salon　beside　her　husband。



〃Courage；　my　child。　God　sends　us　our　afflictions；〃　said　the　old　lady。

〃Joseph　is　accused〃



〃Of　what？〃



〃Of　a　bad　action　which　he　could　never　have　committed；〃　answered　Madame

Hochon。



Hearing　the　words；　and　seeing　the　lieutenant　of　gendarmes；　who　at　this

moment　entered　the　room　accompanied　by　the　two　gentlemen；　Agathe

fainted　away。



〃There　now！〃　said　Monsieur　Hochon　to　his　wife　and　Gritte；　〃carry　off

Madame　Bridau；　women　are　only　in　the　way　at　these　times。　Take　her　to

her　room　and　stay　there；　both　of　you。　Sit　down；　gentlemen；〃　continued

the　old　man。　〃The　mistake　to　which　we　owe　your　visit　will　soon；　I

hope；　be　cleared　up。〃



〃Even　if　it　should　be　a　mistake；〃　said　Monsieur　Mouilleron；　〃the

excitement　of　the　crowd　is　so　great；　and　their　minds　are　so

exasperated；　that　I　fear　for　the　safety　of　the　accused。　I　should　like

to　get　him　arrested；　and　that　might　satisfy　these　people。〃



〃Who　would　ever　have　believed　that　Monsieur　Maxence　Gilet　had　inspired

so　much　affection　in　this　town？〃　asked　Lousteau…Prangin。



〃One　of　my　men　says　there's　a　crowd　of　twelve　hundred　more　just　coming

in　from　the　faubourg　de　Rome；〃　said　the　lieutenant　of　gendarmes；　〃and

they　are　threatening　death　to　the　assassin。〃



〃Where　is　your　guest？〃　said　Monsieur　Mouilleron　to　Monsieur　Hochon。



〃He　has　gone　to　walk　in　the　country；　I　believe。〃



〃Call　Gritte；〃　said　the　judge　gravely。　〃I　was　in　hopes　he　had　not　left

the　house。　You　are　aware　that　the　crime　was　committed　not　far　from

here；　at　daybreak。〃



While　Monsieur　Hochon　went　to　find　Gritte；　the　three　functionaries

looked　at　each　other　significantly。



〃I　never　liked　that　painter's　face；〃　said　the　lieutenant　to　Monsieur

Mouilleron。



〃My　good　woman；〃　said　the　judge　to　Gritte；　when　she　appeared；　〃they

say　you　saw　Monsieur　Joseph　Bridau　leave　the　house　this　morning？〃



〃Yes；　monsieur；〃　she　answered；　trembling　like　a　leaf。



〃At　what　hour？〃



〃Just　as　I　was　getting　up：　he　walked　about　his　room　all　night；　and　was

dressed　when　I　came　downstairs。〃



〃Was　it　daylight？〃



〃Barely。〃



〃Did　he　seem　excited？〃



〃Yes；　he　was　all　of　a　twitter。〃



〃Send　one　of　your　men　for　my　clerk；〃　said　Lousteau…Prangin　to　the

lieutenant；　〃and　tell　him　to　bring　warrants　with　him〃



〃Good　God！　don't　be　in　such　a　hurry；〃　cried　Monsieur　Hochon。　〃The

young　man's　agitation　may　have　been　caused　by　something　besides　the

premeditation　of　this　crime。　He　meant　to　return　to　Paris　to…day；　to

attend　to　a　matter　in　which　Gilet　and　Mademoiselle　Brazier　had　doubted

his　honor。〃



〃Yes；　the　affair　of　the　pictures；〃　said　Monsieur　Mouilleron。　〃Those

pictures　caused　a　very　hot　quarrel　between　them　yesterday；　and　it　is　a

word　and　a　blow　with　artists；　they　tell　me。〃



〃Who　is　there　in　Issoudun　who　had　any　object　in　killing　Gilet？〃　said

Lousteau。　〃No　one；neither　a　jealous　husband　nor　anybody　else；　for

the　fellow　has　never　harmed　a　soul。〃



〃But　what　was　Monsieur　Gilet　doing　in　the　streets　at　four　in　the

morning？〃　remarked　Monsieur　Hochon。



〃Now；　Monsieur　Hochon；　you　must　allow　us　to　manage　this　affair　in　our

own　way；〃　answered　Mouilleron；　〃you　don't　know　all：　Gilet　recognized

your　painter。〃



At　this　instant　a　clamor　was　heard　from　the　other　end　of　the　town；

growing　louder　and　louder；　like　the　roll　of　thunder；　as　it　followed

the　course　of　the　Grande…Narette。



〃Here　he　is！　here　he　is！he's　arrested！〃



These　words　rose　distinctly　on　the　ear　above　the　hoarse　roar　of　the

populace。　Poor　Joseph；　returning　quietly　past　the　mill　at　Landrole

intending　to　get　home　in　time　for　breakfast；　was　spied　by　the　various

groups　of　people；　as　soon　as　he　reached　the　place　Misere。　Happily　for

him；　a　couple　of　gendarmes　arrived　on　a　run　in　time　to　snatch　him　from

the　inhabitants　of　the　faubourg　de　Rome；　who　had　already　pinioned　him

by　the　arms　and　were　threatening　him　with　death。



〃Give　way！　give　way！〃　cried　the　gendarmes；　calling　to　some　of　their

comrades　to　help　them；　and　putting　themselves　one　before　and　the　other

behind　Bridau。



〃You　see；　monsieur；〃　said　the　one　who　held　the　painter；　〃it　concerns

our　skin　as　well　as　yours　at　this　moment。　Innocent　or　guilty；　we　must

protect　you　against　the　tumult　raised　by　the　murder　of　Captain　Gilet。

And　the　crowd　is　not　satisfied　with　suspecting　you；　they　declare；　hard

as　iron；　that　you　are　the　murderer。　Monsieur　Gilet　is　adored　by　all

the　people；　wholook　at　them！want　to　take　justice　into　their　own

hands。　Ah！　didn't　we　see　them；　in　1830；　dusting　the　jackets　of　the

tax…gatherers？　whose　life　isn't　a　bed　of　roses；　anyway！〃



Joseph　Bridau　grew　pale　as　death；　and　collected　all　his　strength　to

walk　onward。



〃After　all；〃　he　said；　〃I　am　innocent。　Go　on！〃



Poor　artist！　he　was　forced　to　bear　his　cross。　Amid　the　hooting　and

insults　and　threats　from　the　mob；　he　made　the　dreadful　transit　from

the　place　Misere　to　the　place　Saint…Jean。　The　gendarmes　were　obliged

to　draw　their　sabres　on　the　furious　mob；　which　pelted　them　with

stones。　One　of　the　officers　was　wounded；　and　Joseph　received　several

of　the　missiles　on　his　legs；　and　shoulders；　and　hat。



〃Here　we　are！〃　said　one　of　the　gendarmes；　as　they　entered　Monsieur

Hochon's　hall；　〃and　not　without　difficulty；　lieutenant。〃



〃We　must　now　manage　to　disperse　the　crowd；　and　I　see　but　one　way；

gentlemen；〃　said　the　lieutenant　to　the　magistrates。　〃We　must　take

Monsieur　Bridau　to　the　Palais　accompanied　by　all　of　you；　I　and　my

gendarmes　will　make　a　circle　round　you。　One　can't　answer　for　anything

in　presence　of　a　furious　crowd　of　six　thousand〃



〃You　are　right；〃　said　Monsieur　Hochon；　who　was　trembling　all　the　while

for　his　gold。



〃If　that's　your　only　way　to　protect　innocence　in　Issoudun；〃　said

Joseph；　〃I　congratulate　you。　I　came　near　being　stoned〃



〃Do　you　wish　your　friend's　house　to　be　taken　by　assault　and　pillaged？〃

asked　the　lieutenant。　〃Could　we　beat　back　with　our　sabres　a　crowd　of

people　who　are　pushed　from　behind　by　an　angry　populace　that　knows

nothing　of　the　forms　of　justice？〃



〃That　will　do；　gentlemen；　let　us　go；　we　can　come　to　explanations

later；〃　said　Joseph；　who　had　recovered　his　self…possession。



〃Give　way；　friends！〃　said　the　lieutenant　to　the　crowd；　〃HE　is

arrested；　and　we　are　taking　him　to　the　Palais。〃



〃Respect　the　law；　friends！〃　said　Monsieur　Mouilleron。



〃Wouldn't　you　prefer　to　see　him　guillotined？〃　said　one　of　the

gendarmes　to　an　angry　group。



〃Yes；　yes；　they　shall　guillotine　him！〃　shouted　one　madman。



〃They　are　going　to　guillotine　him！〃　cried　the　women。



By　the　time　they　reached　the　end　of　the　Grande…Narette　the　crowd　were

shouting：　〃They　are　taking　him　to　the　guillotine！〃　〃They　found　the

knife　upon　him！〃　〃That's　what　Parisians　are！〃　〃He　carries　crime　on　his

face！〃



Though　all　Joseph's　blood　had　flown　to　his　head；　he　walked　the

distance　from　the　place　Saint…Jean　to　the　Palais　with　remarkable

calmness　and　self…possession。　Nevertheless；　he　was　very　glad　to　find

himself　in　the　private　office　of　Monsieur　Lousteau…Prangin。



〃I　need　hardly　tell　you；　gentlemen；　that　I　am　innocent；〃　said　Joseph；

addressing　Monsieur　Mouilleron；　Monsieur　Lousteau…Prangin；　and　the

clerk。　〃I　can　only　beg　you　to　assist　me　in　proving　my　innocence。　I

know　nothing　of　this　affair。〃



When　the　judge　had　stated　all　the　suspicious　facts　which　were　against

him；　ending　with　Max's　declaration；　Joseph　was　astounded。



〃But；〃　said　he；　〃it　was　past　five　o'clock　w