the two brothers-第66章

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

no　other　condition　than　the　payment　of　their　debt　to　Max。　As　for

Francois；　his　future　was　entirely　in　the　hands　of　his　grandfather；　he

had　no　expectations　except　from　him；　and　by　the　guardianship　account；

he　was　now　his　debtor。　The　two　young　men　accordingly　gave　solemn

promises　of　amendment；　prompted　by　their　imperilled　interests；　and　by

the　hope　Madame　Hochon　held　out；　that　the　debt　to　Max　should　be　paid。



〃You　have　done　very　wrong；〃　she　said　to　them；　〃repair　it　by　future

good　conduct；　and　Monsieur　Hochon　will　forget　it。〃



So；　when　Francois　had　read　the　letter　which　had　been　brought　for

Baruch；　over　the　latter's　shoulder；　he　whispered　in　his　ear；　〃Ask

grandpapa's　advice。〃



〃Read　this；〃　said　Baruch；　taking　the　letter　to　old　Hochon。



〃Read　it　to　me　yourself；　I　haven't　my　spectacles。〃



　　My　dear　Friend；I　hope　you　will　not　hesitate；　under　the　serious

　　circumstances　in　which　I　find　myself；　to　do　me　the　service　of

　　receiving　a　power　of　attorney　from　Monsieur　Rouget。　Be　at　Vatan

　　to…morrow　morning　at　nine　o'clock。　I　shall　probably　send　you　to

　　Paris；　but　don't　be　uneasy；　I　will　furnish　you　with　money　for　the

　　journey；　and　join　you　there　immediately。　I　am　almost　sure　I　shall

　　be　obliged　to　leave　Issoudun；　December　third。



　　Adieu。　I　count　on　your　friendship；　rely　on　that　of　your　friend；



　　Maxence





〃God　be　praised！〃　exclaimed　Monsieur　Hochon；　〃the　property　of　that　old

idiot　is　saved　from　the　claws　of　the　devil。〃



〃It　will　be　if　you　say　so；〃　said　Madame　Hochon；　〃and　I　thank　God；who

has　no　doubt　heard　my　prayers。　The　prosperity　of　the　wicked　is　always

fleeting。〃



〃You　must　go　to　Vatan；　and　accept　the　power　of　attorney　from　Monsieur

Rouget；〃　said　the　old　man　to　Baruch。　〃Their　object　is　to　get　fifty

thousand　francs　a　year　transferred　to　Mademoiselle　Brazier。　They　will

send　you　to　Paris；　and　you　must　seem　to　go；　but　you　are　to　stop　at

Orleans；　and　wait　there　till　you　hear　from　me。　Let　no　onenot　a　soul

know　where　you　lodge；　go　to　the　first　inn　you　come　to　in　the

faubourg　Bannier；　no　matter　if　it　is　only　a　post…house〃



〃Look　here！〃　cried　Francois；　who　had　rushed　to　the　window　at　the

sudden　noise　of　wheels　in　the　Grande…Narette。　〃Here's　something　new！

Pere　Rouget　and　Colonel　Bridau　coming　back　together　in　the　caleche；

Benjamin　and　Captain　Carpentier　following　on　horseback！〃



〃I'll　go　over；〃　cried　Monsieur　Hochon；　whose　curiosity　carried　the　day

over　every　other　feeling。



Monsieur　Hochon　found　old　Rouget　in　his　bedroom；　writing　the　following

letter　at　his　nephew's　dictation：



　　Mademoiselle；If　you　do　not　start　to　return　here　the　moment　you

　　receive　this　letter；　your　conduct　will　show　such　ingratitude　for

　　all　my　goodness　that　I　shall　revoke　the　will　I　have　made　in　your

　　favor；　and　give　my　property　to　my　nephew　Philippe。　You　will

　　understand　that　Monsieur　Gilet　can　no　longer　be　my　guest　after

　　staying　with　you　at　Vatan。　I　send　this　letter　by　Captain

　　Carpentier；　who　will　put　it　into　your　own　hands。　I　hope　you　will

　　listen　to　his　advice；　he　will　speak　to　you　with　authority　from　me。

　　Your　affectionate



　　J。…J。　Rouget。





〃Captain　Carpentier　and　I　MET　my　uncle；　who　was　so　foolish　as　to

follow　Mademoiselle　Brazier　and　Monsieur　Gilet　to　Vatan；〃　said

Philippe；　with　sarcastic　emphasis；　to　Monsieur　Hochon。　〃I　have　made　my

uncle　see　that　he　was　running　his　head　into　a　noose；　for　that　girl

will　abandon　him　the　moment　she　gets　him　to　sign　a　power　of　attorney；

by　which　they　mean　to　obtain　the　income　of　his　money　in　the　Funds。

That　letter　will　bring　her　back　under　his　roof；　the　handsome　runaway！

this　very　night；　or　I'm　mistaken。　I　promise　to　make　her　as　pliable　as

a　bit　of　whalebone　for　the　rest　of　her　days；　if　my　uncle　allows　me　to

take　Maxence　Gilet's　place；　which；　in　my　opinion；　he　ought　never　to

have　had　in　the　first　place。　Am　I　not　right？and　yet　here's　my　uncle

bemoaning　himself！〃



〃Neighbor；〃　said　Monsieur　Hochon；　〃you　have　taken　the　best　means　to

get　peace　in　your　household。　Destroy　your　will；　and　Flore　will　be　once

more　what　she　used　to　be　in　the　early　days。〃



〃No；　she　will　never　forgive　me　for　what　I　have　made　her　suffer；〃

whimpered　the　old　man；　〃she　will　no　longer　love　me。〃



〃She　shall　love　you；　and　closely　too；　I'll　take　care　of　that；〃　said

Philippe。



〃Come；　open　your　eyes！〃　exclaimed　Monsieur　Hochon。　〃They　mean　to　rob

you　and　abandon　you。〃



〃Oh！　I　was　sure　of　it！〃　cried　the　poor　imbecile。



〃See；　here　is　a　letter　Maxence　has　written　to　my　grandson　Borniche；〃

said　old　Hochon。　〃Read　it。〃



〃What　infamy！〃　exclaimed　Carpentier；　as　he　listened　to　the　letter；

which　Rouget　read　aloud；　weeping。



〃Is　that　plain　enough；　uncle？〃　demanded　Philippe。　〃Hold　that　hussy　by

her　interests　and　she'll　adore　you　as　you　deserve。〃



〃She　loves　Maxence　too　well；　she　will　leave　me；〃　cried　the　frightened

old　man。



〃But；　uncle；　Maxence　or　I；one　or　the　other　of　uswon't　leave　our

footsteps　in　the　dust　of　Issoudun　three　days　hence。〃



〃Well　then　go；　Monsieur　Carpentier；〃　said　Rouget；　〃if　you　promise　me

to　bring　her　back；　go！　You　are　a　good　man；　say　to　her　in　my　name　all

you　think　you　ought　to　say。〃



〃Captain　Carpentier　will　whisper　in　her　ear　that　I　have　sent　to　Paris

for　a　woman　whose　youth　and　beauty　are　captivating；　that　will　bring

the　jade　back　in　a　hurry！〃



The　captain　departed；　driving　himself　in　the　old　caleche；　Benjamin

accompanied　him　on　horseback；　for　Kouski　was　nowhere　to　be　found。

Though　threatened　by　the　officers　with　arrest　and　the　loss　of　his

situation；　the　Pole　had　gone　to　Vatan　on　a　hired　horse；　to　warn　Max

and　Flore　of　the　adversary's　move。　After　fulfilling　his　mission；

Carpentier；　who　did　not　wish　to　drive　back　with　Flore；　was　to　change

places　with　Benjamin；　and　take　the　latter's　horse。



When　Philippe　was　told　of　Kouski's　flight　he　said　to　Benjamin；　〃You

will　take　the　Pole's　place；　from　this　time　on。　It　is　all　mapping　out；

papa　Hochon！〃　cried　the　lieutenant…colonel。　〃That　banquet　will　be

jovial！〃



〃You　will　come　and　live　here；　of　course；〃　said　the　old　miser。



〃I　have　told　Fario　to　send　me　all　my　things；〃　answered　Philippe。　〃I

shall　sleep　in　the　room　adjoining　Gilet's　apartment；if　my　uncle

consents。〃



〃What　will　come　of　all　this？〃　cried　the　terrified　old　man。



〃Mademoiselle　Flore　Brazier　is　coming；　gentle　as　a　paschal　lamb；〃

replied　Monsieur　Hochon。



〃God　grant　it！〃　exclaimed　Rouget；　wiping　his　eyes。



〃It　is　now　seven　o'clock；〃　said　Philippe；　〃the　sovereign　of　your　heart

will　be　here　at　half…past　eleven：　you'll　never　see　Gilet　again；　and

you　will　be　as　happy　ever　after　as　a　pope。If　you　want　me　to

succeed；〃　he　whispered　to　Monsieur　Hochon；　〃stay　here　till　the　hussy

comes；　you　can　help　me　in　keeping　the　old　man　up　to　his　resolution；

and；　together；　we'll　make　that　crab…girl　see　on　which　side　her　bread

is　buttered。〃



Monsieur　Hochon　felt　the　reasonableness　of　the　request　and　stayed：　but

they　had　their　hands　full；　for　old　Rouget　gave　way　to　childish

lamentations；　which　were　only　quieted　by　Philippe's　repeating　over　and

over　a　dozen　times：



〃Uncle；　you　will　see　that　I　am　right　when　Flore　returns　to　you　as

tender　as　ever。　You　shall　be　petted；　you　will　save　your　property：　be

guided　by　my　advice；　and　you'll　live　in　paradise　for　the　rest　of　your

days。〃



When；　about　half…past　eleven；　wheels　were　heard　in　the　Grande…Narette；

the　question　was；　whether　the　carriage　were　returning　full　or　empty。

Rouget's　face　wore　an　expression　of　agony；　which　changed　to　the

prostration　of　excessive　joy　when　he　saw　the　two　women；　as　the

carriage　turned　to　enter　the　courtyard。



〃Kouski；〃　said　Philippe；　giving　a　hand　to　Flore　to　help　her　down。　〃You

are　no　longer　in　Monsieur　Rouget's　service。　You　will　not　sleep　here

to…night；　get　your　things　together；　and　go。　Benjamin　takes　your

place。〃



〃Are　you　t