the two brothers-第58章

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really　to　let　the　assassin　go　in　peace；　unless　they　wished　to　see　me　a

dead　man。〃



〃I　do　hope；　Max；〃　said　Flore；　〃that　you　will　be　quiet　at　night　for

some　time　to　come。〃



〃At　any　rate；　we　are　delivered　from　the　Parisians！〃　cried　Max。　〃The

fellow　who　stabbed　me　had　no　idea　what　a　service　he　was　doing　us。〃



The　next　day；　the　departure　of　the　Parisians　was　celebrated　as　a

victory　of　the　provinces　over　Paris　by　every　one　in　Issoudun；　except

the　more　sober　and　staid　inhabitants；　who　shared　the　opinions　of

Monsieur　and　Madame　Hochon。　A　few　of　Max's　friends　spoke　very　harshly

of　the　Bridaus。



〃Do　those　Parisians　fancy　we　are　all　idiots；〃　cried　one；　〃and　think

they　have　only　got　to　hold　their　hats　and　catch　legacies？〃



〃They　came　to　fleece；　but　they　have　got　shorn　themselves；〃　said

another；　〃the　nephew　is　not　to　the　uncle's　taste。〃



〃And；　if　you　please；　they　actually　consulted　a　lawyer　in　Paris〃



〃Ah！　had　they　really　a　plan？〃



〃Why；　of　course；a　plan　to　get　possession　of　old　Rouget。　But　the

Parisians　were　not　clever　enough；　that　lawyer　can't　crow　over　us

Berrichons！〃



〃How　abominable！〃



〃That's　Paris　for　you！〃



〃The　Rabouilleuse　knew　they　came　to　attack　her；　and　she　defended

herself。〃



〃She　did　gloriously　right！〃



To　the　townspeople　at　large　the　Bridaus　were　Parisians　and　foreigners；

they　preferred　Max　and　Flore。



We　can　imagine　the　satisfaction　with　which；　after　this　campaign；

Joseph　and　Agathe　re…entered　their　little　lodging　in　the　rue　Mazarin。

On　the　journey；　the　artist　recovered　his　spirits；　which　had；　not

unnaturally；　been　put　to　flight　by　his　arrest　and　twenty…four　hours'

confinement；　but　he　could　not　cheer　up　his　mother。　The　Court　of　Peers

was　about　to　begin　the　trial　of　the　military　conspirators；　and　that

was　sufficient　to　keep　Agathe　from　recovering　her　peace　of　mind。

Philippe's　conduct；　in　spite　of　the　clever　defender　whom　Desroches

recommended　to　him；　roused　suspicions　that　were　unfavorable　to　his

character。　In　view　of　this；　Joseph；　as　soon　as　he　had　put　Desroches　in

possession　of　all　that　was　going　on　at　Issoudun；　started　with

Mistigris　for　the　chateau　of　the　Comte　de　Serizy；　to　escape　hearing

about　the　trial　of　the　conspirators；　which　lasted　for　twenty　days。



It　is　useless　to　record　facts　that　may　be　found　in　contemporaneous

histories。　Whether　it　were　that　he　played　a　part　previously　agreed

upon；　or　that　he　was　really　an　informer；　Philippe　was　condemned　to

five　years'　surveillance　by　the　police　department；　and　ordered　to

leave　Paris　the　same　day　for　Autun；　the　town　which　the　director…

general　of　police　selected　as　the　place　of　his　exile　for　five　years。

This　punishment　resembled　the　detention　of　prisoners　on　parole　who

have　a　town　for　a　prison。　Learning　that　the　Comte　de　Serizy；　one　of

the　peers　appointed　by　the　Chamber　on　the　court…martial；　was　employing

Joseph　to　decorate　his　chateau　at　Presles；　Desroches　begged　the

minister　to　grant　him　an　audience；　and　found　Monsieur　de　Serizy　most

amiably　disposed　toward　Joseph；　with　whom　he　had　happened　to　make

personal　acquaintance。　Desroches　explained　the　financial　condition　of

the　two　brothers；　recalling　the　services　of　the　father；　and　the

neglect　shown　to　them　under　the　Restoration。



〃Such　injustice；　monseigneur；〃　said　the　lawyer；　〃is　a　lasting　cause　of

irritation　and　discontent。　You　knew　the　father；　give　the　sons　a

chance；　at　least；　of　making　a　fortune〃



And　he　drew　a　succinct　picture　of　the　situation　of　the　family　affairs

at　Issoudun；　begging　the　all…powerful　vice…president　of　the　Council　of

State　to　take　steps　to　induce　the　director…general　of　police　to　change

Philippe's　place　of　residence　from　Autun　to　Issoudun。　He　also　spoke　of

Philippe's　extreme　poverty；　and　asked　a　dole　of　sixty　francs　a　month；

which　the　minister　of　war　ought；　he　said；　for　mere　shame's　sake；　to

grant　to　a　former　lieutenant…colonel。



〃I　will　obtain　all　you　ask　of　me；　for　I　think　it　just；〃　replied　the

count。



Three　days　later；　Desroches；　furnished　with　the　necessary　authority；

fetched　Philippe　from　the　prison　of　the　Court　of　Peers；　and　took　him

to　his　own　house；　rue　de　Bethizy。　Once　there；　the　young　barrister　read

the　miserable　vagabond　one　of　those　unanswerable　lectures　in　which

lawyers　rate　things　at　their　actual　value；　using　plain　terms　to

qualify　the　conduct；　and　to　analyze　and　reduce　to　their　simplest

meaning　the　sentiments　and　ideas　of　clients　toward　whom　they　feel

enough　interest　to　speak　plainly。　After　humbling　the　Emperor's　staff…

officer　by　reproaching　him　with　his　reckless　dissipations；　his

mother's　misfortunes；　and　the　death　of　Madame　Descoings；　he　went　on　to

tell　him　the　state　of　things　at　Issoudun；　explaining　it　according　to

his　lights；　and　probing　both　the　scheme　and　the　character　of　Maxence

Gilet　and　the　Rabouilleuse　to　their　depths。　Philippe；　who　was　gifted

with　a　keen　comprehension　in　such　directions；　listened　with　much　more

interest　to　this　part　of　Desroches's　lecture　than　to　what　had　gone

before。



〃Under　these　circumstances；〃　continued　the　lawyer；　〃you　can　repair　the

injury　you　have　done　to　your　estimable　family；so　far　at　least　as　it

is　reparable；　for　you　cannot　restore　life　to　the　poor　mother　you　have

all　but　killed。　But　you　alone　can〃



〃What　can　I　do？〃　asked　Philippe。



〃I　have　obtained　a　change　of　residence　for　you　from　Autun　to

Issoudun。〃



Philippe's　sunken　face；　which　had　grown　almost　sinister　in　expression

and　was　furrowed　with　sufferings　and　privation；　instantly　lighted　up

with　a　flash　of　joy。



〃And；　as　I　was　saying；　you　alone　can　recover　the　inheritance　of　old

Rouget's　property；　half　of　which　may　by　this　time　be　in　the　jaws　of

the　wolf　named　Gilet；〃　replied　Desroches。　〃You　now　know　all　the

particulars；　and　it　is　for　you　to　act　accordingly。　I　suggest　no　plan；

I　have　no　ideas　at　all　as　to　that；　besides；　everything　will　depend　on

local　circumstances。　You　have　to　deal　with　a　strong　force；　that　fellow

is　very　astute。　The　way　he　attempted　to　get　back　the　pictures　your

uncle　had　given　to　Joseph；　the　audacity　with　which　he　laid　a　crime　on

your　poor　brother's　shoulders；　all　go　to　prove　that　the　adversary　is

capable　of　everything。　Therefore；　be　prudent；　and　try　to　behave

properly　out　of　policy；　if　you　can't　do　so　out　of　decency。　Without

telling　Joseph；　whose　artist's　pride　would　be　up　in　arms；　I　have　sent

the　pictures　to　Monsieur　Hochon；　telling　him　to　give　them　up　to　no　one

but　you。　By　the　way；　Maxence　Gilet　is　a　brave　man。〃



〃So　much　the　better；〃　said　Philippe；　〃I　count　on　his　courage　for

success；　a　coward　would　leave　Issoudun。〃



〃Well；think　of　your　mother　who　has　been　so　devoted　to　you；　and　of

your　brother；　whom　you　made　your　milch　cow。〃



〃Ah！　did　he　tell　you　that　nonsense？〃　cried　Philippe。



〃Am　I　not　the　friend　of　the　family；　and　don't　I　know　much　more　about

you　than　they　do？〃　asked　Desroches。



〃What　do　you　know？〃　said　Philippe。



〃That　you　betrayed　your　comrades。〃



〃I！〃　exclaimed　Philippe。　〃I！　a　staff…officer　of　the　Emperor！　Absurd！

Why；　we　fooled　the　Chamber　of　Peers；　the　lawyers；　the　government；　and

the　whole　of　the　damned　concern。　The　king's　people　were　completely

hood…winked。〃



〃That's　all　very　well；　if　it　was　so；〃　answered　the　lawyer。　〃But；　don't

you　see；　the　Bourbons　can't　be　overthrown；　all　Europe　is　backing　them；

and　you　ought　to　try　to　make　your　peace　with　the　war　department；you

could　do　that　readily　enough　if　you　were　rich。　To　get　rich；　you　and

your　brother；　you　must　lay　hold　of　your　uncle。　If　you　will　take　the

trouble　to　manage　an　affair　which　needs　great　cleverness；　patience；

and　caution；　you　have　enough　work　before　you　to　occupy　your　five

years。〃



〃No；　no；〃　cried　Philippe；　〃I　must　take　the　bull　by　the　horns　at　once。

This　Maxence　may　alter　the　investment　of　the　property　and　put　it　in

that　woman's　name；　and　then　all　would　be　lost。〃



〃Monsieur　Hochon　is　a　good　adviser；　and　sees　clearly；　consult　him。