the two brothers-第62章

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pranks　that　are　played　about　this　town　at　night。　It　was　through　them

that　Maxence　knew　what　was　said　in　your　house　when　my　mother　and

brother　were　staying　there。〃



〃How　did　you　get　proof　of　such　a　monstrous　thing？〃



〃I　overheard　their　conversation　one　night　as　they　were　leaving　a

drinking…shop。　Your　grandsons　both　owe　Max　more　than　three　thousand

francs。　The　scoundrel　told　the　lads　to　try　and　find　out　our

intentions；　he　reminded　them　that　you　had　once　thought　of　getting

round　my　uncle　by　priestcraft；　and　declared　that　nobody　but　you　could

guide　me；　for　he　thinks；　fortunately；　that　I　am　nothing　more　than　a

'sabreur。'〃



〃My　grandsons！　is　it　possible？〃



〃Watch　them；〃　said　Philippe。　〃You　will　see　them　coming　home　along　the

place　Saint…Jean；　at　two　or　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　as　tipsy　as

champagne…corks；　and　in　company　with　Gilet〃



〃That's　why　the　scamps　keep　so　sober　at　home！〃　cried　Monsieur　Hochon。



〃Fario　has　told　me　all　about　their　nocturnal　proceedings；〃　resumed

Philippe；　〃without　him；　I　should　never　have　suspected　them。　My　uncle

is　held　down　under　an　absolute　thraldom；　if　I　may　judge　by　certain

things　which　the　Spaniard　has　heard　Max　say　to　your　boys。　I　suspect

Max　and　the　Rabouilleuse　of　a　scheme　to　make　sure　of　the　fifty

thousand　francs'　income　from　the　Funds；　and　then；　after　pulling　that

feather　from　their　pigeon's　wing；　to　run　away；　I　don't　know　where；　and

get　married。　It　is　high　time　to　know　what　is　going　on　under　my　uncle's

roof；　but　I　don't　see　how　to　set　about　it。〃



〃I　will　think　of　it；〃　said　the　old　man。



They　separated；　for　several　persons　were　now　approaching。



Never；　at　any　time　in　his　life；　did　Jean…Jacques　suffer　as　he　had　done

since　the　first　visit　of　his　nephew　Philippe。　Flore　was　terrified　by

the　presentiment　of　some　evil　that　threatened　Max。　Weary　of　her

master；　and　fearing　that　he　might　live　to　be　very　old；　since　he　was

able　to　bear　up　under　their　criminal　practices；　she　formed　the　very

simple　plan　of　leaving　Issoudun　and　being　married　to　Maxence　in　Paris；

after　obtaining　from　Jean…Jacques　the　transfer　of　the　income　in　the

Funds。　The　old　bachelor；　guided；　not　by　any　justice　to　his　family；　nor

by　personal　avarice；　but　solely　by　his　passion；　steadily　refused　to

make　the　transfer；　on　the　ground　that　Flore　was　to　be　his　sole　heir。

The　unhappy　creature　knew　to　what　extent　Flore　loved　Max；　and　he

believed　he　would　be　abandoned　the　moment　she　was　made　rich　enough　to

marry。　When　Flore；　after　employing　the　tenderest　cajoleries；　was

unable　to　succeed；　she　tried　rigor；　she　no　longer　spoke　to　her　master；

Vedie　was　sent　to　wait　upon　him；　and　found　him　in　the　morning　with　his

eyes　swollen　and　red　with　weeping。　For　a　week　or　more；　poor　Rouget　had

breakfasted　alone；　and　Heaven　knows　on　what　food！



The　day　after　Philippe's　conversation　with　Monsieur　Hochon；　he

determined　to　pay　a　second　visit　to　his　uncle；　whom　he　found　much

changed。　Flore　stayed　beside　the　old　man；　speaking　tenderly　and

looking　at　him　with　much　affection；　she　played　the　comedy　so　well　that

Philippe　guessed　some　immediate　danger；　merely　from　the　solicitude

thus　displayed　in　his　presence。　Gilet；　whose　policy　it　was　to　avoid

all　collision　with　Philippe；　did　not　appear。　After　watching　his　uncle

and　Flore　for　a　time　with　a　discerning　eye；　the　colonel　judged　that

the　time　had　come　to　strike　his　grand　blow。



〃Adieu；　my　dear　uncle；〃　he　said；　rising　as　if　to　leave　the　house。



〃Oh！　don't　go　yet；〃　cried　the　old　man；　who　was　comforted　by　Flore's

false　tenderness。　〃Dine　with　us；　Philippe。〃



〃Yes；　if　you　will　come　and　take　a　walk　with　me。〃



〃Monsieur　is　very　feeble；〃　interposed　Mademoiselle　Brazier；　〃just　now

he　was　unwilling　even　to　go　out　in　the　carriage；〃　she　added；　turning

upon　the　old　man　the　fixed　look　with　which　keepers　quell　a　maniac。



Philippe　took　Flore　by　the　arm；　compelling　her　to　look　at　him；　and

looking　at　her　in　return　as　fixedly　as　she　had　just　looked　at　her

victim。



〃Tell　me；　mademoiselle；〃　he　said；　〃is　it　a　fact　that　my　uncle　is　not

free　to　take　a　walk　with　me？〃



〃Why；　yes　he　is；　monsieur；〃　replied　Flore；　who　was　unable　to　make　any

other　answer。



〃Very　well。　Come；　uncle。　Mademoiselle；　give　him　his　hat　and　cane。〃



〃Buthe　never　goes　out　without　me。　Do　you；　monsieur？〃



〃Yes；　Philippe；　yes；　I　always　want　her〃



〃It　would　be　better　to　take　the　carriage；〃　said　Flore。



〃Yes；　let　us　take　the　carriage；〃　cried　the　old　man；　in　his　anxiety　to

make　his　two　tyrants　agree。



〃Uncle；　you　will　come　with　me；　alone；　and　on　foot；　or　I　shall　never

return　here；　I　shall　know　that　the　town　of　Issoudun　tells　the　truth；

when　it　declares　you　are　under　the　dominion　of　Mademoiselle　Flore

Brazier。　That　my　uncle　should　love　you；　is　all　very　well；〃　he　resumed；

holding　Flore　with　a　fixed　eye；　〃that　you　should　not　love　my　uncle　is

also　on　the　cards；　but　when　it　comes　to　your　making　him　unhappyhalt！

If　people　want　to　get　hold　of　an　inheritance；　they　must　earn　it。　Are

you　coming；　uncle？〃



Philippe　saw　the　eyes　of　the　poor　imbecile　roving　from　himself　to

Flore；　in　painful　hesitation。



〃Ha！　that's　how　it　is；　is　it？〃　resumed　the　lieutenant…colonel。　〃Well；

adieu；　uncle。　Mademoiselle；　I　kiss　your　hands。〃



He　turned　quickly　when　he　reached　the　door；　and　caught　Flore　in　the

act　of　making　a　menacing　gesture　at　his　uncle。



〃Uncle；〃　he　said；　〃if　you　wish　to　go　with　me；　I　will　meet　you　at　your

door　in　ten　minutes：　I　am　now　going　to　see　Monsieur　Hochon。　If　you　and

I　do　not　take　that　walk；　I　shall　take　upon　myself　to　make　some　others

walk。〃



So　saying；　he　went　away；　and　crossed　the　place　Saint…Jean　to　the

Hochons。



Every　one　can　imagine　the　scenes　which　the　revelations　made　by

Philippe　to　Monsieur　Hochon　had　brought　about　within　that　family。　At

nine　o'clock；　old　Monsieur　Heron；　the　notary；　presented　himself　with　a

bundle　of　papers；　and　found　a　fire　in　the　hall　which　the　old　miser；

contrary　to　all　his　habits；　had　ordered　to　be　lighted。　Madame　Hochon；

already　dressed　at　this　unusual　hour；　was　sitting　in　her　armchair　at

the　corner　of　the　fireplace。　The　two　grandsons；　warned　the　night

before　by　Adolphine　that　a　storm　was　gathering　about　their　heads；　had

been　ordered　to　stay　in　the　house。　Summoned　now　by　Gritte；　they　were

alarmed　at　the　formal　preparations　of　their　grandparents；　whose

coldness　and　anger　they　had　been　made　to　feel　in　the　air　for　the　last

twenty…four　hours。



〃Don't　rise　for　them；〃　said　their　grandfather　to　Monsieur　Heron；　〃you

see　before　you　two　miscreants；　unworthy　of　pardon。〃



〃Oh；　grandpapa！〃　said　Francois。



〃Be　silent！〃　said　the　old　man　sternly。　〃I　know　of　your　nocturnal　life

and　your　intimacy　with　Monsieur　Maxence　Gilet。　But　you　will　meet　him

no　more　at　Mere　Cognette's　at　one　in　the　morning；　for　you　will　not

leave　this　house；　either　of　you；　until　you　go　to　your　respective

destinations。　Ha！　it　was　you　who　ruined　Fario；　was　it？　you；　who　have

narrowly　escaped　the　police…courts　Hold　your　tongue！〃　he　said；

seeing　that　Baruch　was　about　to　speak。　〃You　both　owe　money　to　Monsieur

Maxence　Gilet；　who；　for　six　years；　has　paid　for　your　debauchery。

Listen；　both　of　you；　to　my　guardianship　accounts；　after　that；　I　shall

have　more　to　say。　You　will　see；　after　these　papers　are　read；　whether

you　can　still　trifle　with　me；still　trifle　with　family　laws　by

betraying　the　secrets　of　this　house；　and　reporting　to　a　Monsieur

Maxence　Gilet　what　is　said　and　what　is　done　here。　For　three　thousand

francs；　you　became　spies；　for　ten　thousand；　you　would；　no　doubt；

become　assassins。　You　did　almost　kill　Madame　Bridau；　for　Monsieur

Gilet　knew　very　well　it　was　Fario　who　stabbed　him　when　he　threw　the

crime　upon　my　guest；　Monsieur　Joseph　Bridau。　If　that　jail…bird　did　so

wicked　an　act；　it　was　because　you　told　him　what　Madame　Bridau　meant　to

do。　You；　my　grandsons；　the　spies　of　such　a　man！　You；　house…breakers

and　marauders！　Don't　you　know　that　your　worthy　leader　kill