the two brothers-第65章

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under　the　very　eyes　of　the　bourgeois；　impossible！　Ah！　it's　all　wrong；

the　Guard　is　disgracedand　here；　at　Issoudun！　where　it　was　once　so

honored。〃



〃Come；　Potel；　don't　worry　yourself；〃　answered　Max；　〃even　if　you　do　not

see　me　at　the　banquet〃



〃What！　do　you　mean　that　you　won't　be　there　the　day　after　to…morrow？〃

cried　Potel；　interrupting　his　friend。　〃Do　you　wish　to　be　called　a

coward？　and　have　it　said　you　are　running　away　from　Bridau？　No；　no！　The

unmounted　grenadiers　of　the　Guard　can　not　draw　back　before　the

dragoons　of　the　Guard。　Arrange　your　business　in　some　other　way　and　be

there！〃



〃One　more　to　send　to　the　shades！〃　said　Max。　〃Well；　I　think　I　can

manage　my　business　so　as　to　get　thereFor；〃　he　thought　to　himself；

〃that　power　of　attorney　ought　not　to　be　in　my　name；　as　old　Heron　says；

it　would　look　too　much　like　theft。〃



This　lion；　tangled　in　the　meshes　Philippe　Bridau　was　weaving　for　him；

muttered　between　his　teeth　as　he　went　along；　he　avoided　the　looks　of

those　he　met　and　returned　home　by　the　boulevard　Vilatte；　still　talking

to　himself。



〃I　will　have　that　money　before　I　fight；〃　he　said。　〃If　I　die；　it　shall

not　go　to　Philippe。　I　must　put　it　in　Flore's　name。　She　will　follow　my

instructions；　and　go　straight　to　Paris。　Once　there；　she　can　marry；　if

she　chooses；　the　son　of　some　marshal　of　France　who　has　been　sent　to

the　right…about。　I'll　have　that　power　of　attorney　made　in　Baruch's

name；　and　he'll　transfer　the　property　by　my　order。〃



Max；　to　do　him　justice；　was　never　more　cool　and　calm　in　appearance

than　when　his　blood　and　his　ideas　were　boiling。　No　man　ever　united　in

a　higher　degree　the　qualities　which　make　a　great　general。　If　his

career　had　not　been　cut　short　by　his　captivity　at　Cabrera；　the　Emperor

would　certainly　have　found　him　one　of　those　men　who　are　necessary　to

the　success　of　vast　enterprises。　When　he　entered　the　room　where　the

hapless　victim　of　all　these　comic　and　tragic　scenes　was　still　weeping；

Max　asked　the　meaning　of　such　distress；　seemed　surprised；　pretended

that　he　knew　nothing；　and　heard；　with　well…acted　amazement；　of　Flore's

departure。　He　questioned　Kouski；　to　obtain　some　light　on　the　object　of

this　inexplicable　journey。



〃Madame　said　like　this；〃　Kouski　replied；　〃that　I　was　to　tell

monsieur　she　had　taken　twenty　thousand　francs　in　gold　from　his　drawer；

thinking　that　monsieur　wouldn't　refuse　her　that　amount　as　wages　for

the　last　twenty…two　years。〃



〃Wages？〃　exclaimed　Rouget。



〃Yes；〃　replied　Kouski。　〃Ah！　I　shall　never　come　back；〃　she　said　to

Vedie　as　she　drove　away。　〃Poor　Vedie；　who　is　so　attached　to　monsieur；

remonstrated　with　madame。　'No；　no；'　she　answered；　'he　has　no　affection

for　me；　he　lets　his　nephew　treat　me　like　the　lowest　of　the　low'；　and

she　weptoh！　bitterly。〃



〃Eh！　what　do　I　care　for　Philippe？〃　cried　the　old　man；　whom　Max　was

watching。　〃Where　is　Flore？　how　can　we　find　out　where　she　is？〃



〃Philippe；　whose　advice　you　follow；　will　help　you；〃　said　Max　coldly。



〃Philippe？〃　said　the　old　man；　〃what　has　he　to　do　with　the　poor　child？

There　is　no　one　but　you；　my　good　Max；　who　can　find　Flore。　She　will

follow　youyou　could　bring　her　back　to　me〃



〃I　don't　wish　to　oppose　Monsieur　Bridau；〃　observed　Max。



〃As　for　that；〃　cried　Rouget；　〃if　that　hinders　you；　he　told　me　he　meant

to　kill　you。〃



〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　Gilet；　laughing；　〃we　will　see　about　it！〃



〃My　friend；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃find　Flore；　and　I　will　do　all　she

wants　of　me。〃



〃Some　one　must　have　seen　her　as　she　passed　through　the　town；〃　said

Maxence　to　Kouski。　〃Serve　dinner；　put　everything　on　the　table；　and

then　go　and　make　inquiries　from　place　to　place。　Let　us　know；　by

dessert；　which　road　Mademoiselle　Brazier　has　taken。〃



This　order　quieted　for　a　time　the　poor　creature；　who　was　moaning　like

a　child　that　has　lost　its　nurse。　At　this　moment　Rouget；　who　hated　Max；

thought　his　tormentor　an　angel。　A　passion　like　that　of　this　miserable

old　man　for　Flore　is　astonishingly　like　the　emotions　of　childhood。　At

six　o'clock；　the　Pole；　who　had　merely　taken　a　walk；　returned　to

announce　that　Flore　had　driven　towards　Vatan。



〃Madame　is　going　back　to　her　own　people；　that's　plain；〃　said　Kouski。



〃Would　you　like　to　go　to　Vatan　to…night？〃　said　Max。　〃The　road　is　bad；

but　Kouski　knows　how　to　drive；　and　you'll　make　your　peace　better　to…

night　than　to…morrow　morning。〃



〃Let　us　go！〃　cried　Rouget。



〃Put　the　horse　in　quietly；〃　said　Max　to　Kouski；　〃manage；　if　you　can；

that　the　town　shall　not　know　of　this　nonsense；　for　Monsieur　Rouget's

sake。　Saddle　my　horse；〃　he　added　in　a　whisper。　〃I　will　ride　on　ahead

of　you。〃



Monsieur　Hochon　had　already　notified　Philippe　of　Flore's　departure；

and　the　colonel　rose　from　Monsieur　Mignonnet's　dinner…table　to　rush　to

the　place　Saint…Jean；　for　he　at　once　guessed　the　meaning　of　this

clever　strategy。　When　Philippe　presented　himself　at　his　uncle's　house；

Kouski　answered　through　a　window　that　Monsieur　Rouget　was　unable　to

see　any　one。



〃Fario；〃　said　Philippe　to　the　Spaniard；　who　was　stationed　in　the

Grande…Narette；　〃go　and　tell　Benjamin　to　mount　his　horse；　it　is　all…

important　that　I　shall　know　what　Gilet　does　with　my　uncle。〃



〃They　are　now　putting　the　horse　into　the　caleche；〃　said　Fario；　who　had

been　watching　the　Rouget　stable。



〃If　they　go　towards　Vatan；〃　answered　Philippe；　〃get　me　another　horse；

and　come　yourself　with　Benjamin　to　Monsieur　Mignonnet's。〃



〃What　do　you　mean　to　do？〃　asked　Monsieur　Hochon；　who　had　come　out　of

his　own　house　when　he　saw　Philippe　and　Fario　standing　together。



〃The　genius　of　a　general；　my　dear　Monsieur　Hochon；〃　said　Philippe；

〃consists　not　only　in　carefully　observing　the　enemy's　movements；　but

also　in　guessing　his　intentions　from　those　movements；　and　in　modifying

his　own　plan　whenever　the　enemy　interferes　with　it　by　some　unexpected

action。　Now；　if　my　uncle　and　Max　drive　out　together；　they　are　going　to

Vatan；　Maxence　will　have　promised　to　reconcile　him　with　Flore；　who

〃fugit　ad　salices；〃the　manoeuvre　is　General　Virgil's。　If　that's　the

line　they　take；　I　don't　yet　know　what　I　shall　do；　I　shall　have　some

hours　to　think　it　over；　for　my　uncle　can't　sign　a　power　of　attorney　at

ten　o'clock　at　night；　the　notaries　will　all　be　in　bed。　If；　as　I　rather

fancy；　Max　goes　on　in　advance　of　my　uncle　to　teach　Flore　her　lesson；

which　seems　necessary　and　probable；the　rogue　is　lost！　you　will　see

the　sort　of　revenge　we　old　soldiers　take　in　a　game　of　this　kind。　Now；

as　I　need　a　helper　for　this　last　stroke；　I　must　go　back　to　Mignonnet's

and　make　an　arrangement　with　my　friend　Carpentier。〃



Shaking　hands　with　Monsieur　Hochon；　Philippe　went　off　down　the　Petite…

Narette　to　Mignonnet's　house。　Ten　minutes　later；　Monsieur　Hochon　saw

Max　ride　off　at　a　quick　trot；　and　the　old　miser's　curiosity　was　so

powerfully　excited　that　he　remained　standing　at　his　window；　eagerly

expecting　to　hear　the　wheels　of　the　old　demi…fortune；　which　was　not

long　in　coming。　Jean…Jacques's　impatience　made　him　follow　Max　within

twenty　minutes。　Kouski；　no　doubt　under　orders　from　his　master；　walked

the　horse　through　the　town。



〃If　they　get　to　Paris；　all　is　lost；〃　thought　Monsieur　Hochon。



At　this　moment；　a　lad　from　the　faubourg　de　Rome　came　to　the　Hochon

house　with　a　letter　for　Baruch。　The　two　grandsons；　much　subdued　by　the

events　of　the　morning；　had　kept　their　rooms　of　their　own　accord　during

the　day。　Thinking　over　their　prospects；　they　saw　plainly　that　they　had

better　be　cautious　with　their　grandparents。　Baruch　knew　very　well　the

influence　which　his　grandfather　Hochon　exerted　over　his　grandfather

and　grandmother　Borniche：　Monsieur　Hochon　would　not　hesitate　to　get

their　property　for　Adolphine　if　his　conduct　were　such　as　to　make　them

pin　their　hopes　on　the　grand　marriage　with　which　his　grandfather　had

threatened　him　that　morning。　Being　richer　than　Francois；　Baruch　had

the　most　to　lose；　he　therefore　counselled　an　absolute　surrender；　with

no　other　condition