the two brothers-第72章

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morning…robe；　and　the　other　in　his　dressing…gown。



〃My　dear　aunt；〃　said　the　colonel；　leading　her　into　the　recess　of　a

window；　〃you　now　belong　to　the　family。　Thanks　to　me；　the　law　has　tied

the　knot。　Now；　no　nonsense。　I　intend　that　you　and　I　should　play　above

board。　I　know　the　tricks　you　will　try　against　me；　and　I　shall　watch

you　like　a　duenna。　You　will　never　go　out　of　this　house　except　on　my

arm；　and　you　will　never　leave　me。　As　to　what　passes　within　the　house；

damn　it；　you'll　find　me　like　a　spider　in　the　middle　of　his　web。　Here

is　something；〃　he　continued；　showing　the　bewildered　woman　a　letter；

〃which　will　prove　to　you　that　I　could；　while　you　were　lying　ill

upstairs；　unable　to　move　hand　or　foot；　have　turned　you　out　of　doors

without　a　penny。　Read　it。〃



He　gave　her　the　letter。



　　My　dear　Fellow；Florentine；　who　has　just　made　her　debut　at　the

　　new　Opera　House　in　a　〃pas　de　trois〃　with　Mariette　and　Tullia；　is

　　thinking　steadily　about　your　affair；　and　so　is　Florine；who　has

　　finally　given　up　Lousteau　and　taken　Nathan。　That　shrewd　pair　have

　　found　you　a　most　delicious　little　creature；only　seventeen；

　　beautiful　as　an　English　woman；　demure　as　a　〃lady；〃　up　to　all

　　mischief；　sly　as　Desroches；　faithful　as　Godeschal。　Mariette　is

　　forming　her；　so　as　to　give　you　a　fair　chance。　No　woman　could　hold

　　her　own　against　this　little　angel；　who　is　a　devil　under　her　skin；

　　she　can　play　any　part　you　please；　get　complete　possession　of　your

　　uncle；　or　drive　him　crazy　with　love。　She　has　that　celestial　look

　　poor　Coralie　used　to　have；　she　can　weep；the　tones　of　her　voice

　　will　draw　a　thousand…franc　note　from　a　granite　heart；　and　the

　　young　mischief　soaks　up　champagne　better　than　any　of　us。　It　is　a

　　precious　discovery；　she　is　under　obligations　to　Mariette；　and

　　wants　to　pay　them　off。　After　squandering　the　fortunes　of　two

　　Englishmen；　a　Russian；　and　an　Italian　prince；　Mademoiselle　Esther

　　is　now　in　poverty；　give　her　ten　thousand　francs；　that　will　satisfy

　　her。　She　has　just　remarked；　laughing；　that　she　has　never　yet

　　fricasseed　a　bourgeois；　and　it　will　get　her　hand　in。　Esther　is

　　well　known　to　Finot；　Bixiou；　and　des　Lupeaulx；　in　fact　to　all　our

　　set。　Ah！　if　there　were　any　real　fortunes　left　in　France；　she　would

　　be　the　greatest　courtesan　of　modern　times。



　　All　the　editorial　staff；　Nathan；　Finot；　Bixiou；　etc。；　are　now

　　joking　the　aforesaid　Esther　in　a　magnificent　appartement　just

　　arranged　for　Florine　by　old　Lord　Dudley　（the　real　father　of　de

　　Marsay）；　the　lively　actress　captured　him　by　the　dress　of　her　new

　　role。　Tullia　is　with　the　Duc　de　Rhetore；　Mariette　is　still　with

　　the　Duc　de　Maufrigneuse；　between　them；　they　will　get　your　sentence

　　remitted　in　time　for　the　King's　fete。　Bury　your　uncle　under　the

　　roses　before　the　Saint…Louis；　bring　away　the　property；　and　spend　a

　　little　of　it　with　Esther　and　your　old　friends；　who　sign　this

　　epistle　in　a　body；　to　remind　you　of　them。



　　Nathan；　Florine；　Bixiou；　Finot；　Mariette；



　　Florentine；　Giroudeau；　Tullia





The　letter　shook　in　the　trembling　hands　of　Madame　Rouget；　and　betrayed

the　terror　of　her　mind　and　body。　The　aunt　dared　not　look　at　the

nephew；　who　fixed　his　eyes　upon　her　with　terrible　meaning。



〃I　trust　you；〃　he　said；　〃as　you　see；　but　I　expect　some　return。　I　have

made　you　my　aunt　intending　to　marry　you　some　day。　You　are　worth　more

to　me　than　Esther　in　managing　my　uncle。　In　a　year　from　now；　we　must　be

in　Paris；　the　only　place　where　beauty　really　lives。　You　will　amuse

yourself　much　better　there　than　here；　it　is　a　perpetual　carnival。　I

shall　return　to　the　army；　and　become　a　general；　and　you　will　be　a

great　lady。　There's　our　future；　now　work　for　it。　But　I　must　have　a

pledge　to　bind　this　agreement。　You　are　to　give　me；　within　a　month　from

now；　a　power　of　attorney　from　my　uncle；　which　you　must　obtain　under

pretence　of　relieving　him　of　the　fatigues　of　business。　Also；　a　month

later；　I　must　have　a　special　power　of　attorney　to　transfer　the　income

in　the　Funds。　When　that　stands　in　my　name；　you　and　I　have　an　equal

interest　in　marrying　each　other。　There　it　all　is；　my　beautiful　aunt；

as　plain　as　day。　Between　you　and　me　there　must　be　no　ambiguity。　I　can

marry　my　aunt　at　the　end　of　a　year's　widowhood；　but　I　could　not　marry

a　disgraced　girl。〃



He　left　the　room　without　waiting　for　an　answer。　When　Vedie　came　in；

fifteen　minutes　later；　to　clear　the　table；　she　found　her　mistress　pale

and　moist　with　perspiration；　in　spite　of　the　season。　Flore　felt　like　a

woman　who　had　fallen　to　the　bottom　of　a　precipice；　the　future　loomed

black　before　her；　and　on　its　blackness；　in　the　far　distance；　were

shapes　of　monstrous　things；　indistinctly　perceptible；　and　terrifying。

She　felt　the　damp　chill　of　vaults；　instinctive　fear　of　the　man　crushed

her；　and　yet　a　voice　cried　in　her　ear　that　she　deserved　to　have　him

for　her　master。　She　was　helpless　against　her　fate。　Flore　Brazier　had

had　a　room　of　her　own　in　Rouget's　house；　but　Madame　Rouget　belonged　to

her　husband；　and　was　now　deprived　of　the　free…will　of　a　servant…

mistress。　In　the　horrible　situation　in　which　she　now　found　herself；

the　hope　of　having　a　child　came　into　her　mind；　but　she　soon　recognized

its　impossibility。　The　marriage　was　to　Jean…Jacques　what　the　second

marriage　of　Louis　XII。　was　to　that　king。　The　incessant　watchfulness　of

a　man　like　Philippe；　who　had　nothing　to　do　and　never　quitted　his　post

of　observation；　made　any　form　of　vengeance　impossible。　Benjamin　was

his　innocent　and　devoted　spy。　The　Vedie　trembled　before　him。　Flore

felt　herself　deserted　and　utterly　helpless。　She　began　to　fear　death。

Without　knowing　how　Philippe　might　manage　to　kill　her；　she　felt

certain　that　whenever　he　suspected　her　of　pregnancy　her　doom　would　be

sealed。　The　sound　of　that　voice；　the　veiled　glitter　of　that　gambler's

eye；　the　slightest　movement　of　the　soldier；　who　treated　her　with　a

brutality　that　was　still　polite；　made　her　shudder。　As　to　the　power　of

attorney　demanded　by　the　ferocious　colonel；　who　in　the　eyes　of　all

Issoudun　was　a　hero；　he　had　it　as　soon　as　he　wanted　it；　for　Flore　fell

under　the　man's　dominion　as　France　had　fallen　under　that　of　Napoleon。



Like　a　butterfly　whose　feet　are　caught　in　the　incandescent　wax　of　a

taper；　Rouget　rapidly　dissipated　his　remaining　strength。　In　presence

of　that　decay；　the　nephew　remained　as　cold　and　impassible　as　the

diplomatists　of　1814　during　the　convulsions　of　imperial　France。



Philippe；　who　did　not　believe　in　Napoleon　II。；　now　wrote　the　following

letter　to　the　minister　of　war；　which　Mariette　made　the　Duc　de

Maufrigneuse　convey　to　that　functionary：



　　Monseigneur；Napoleon　is　no　more。　I　desired　to　remain　faithful　to

　　him　according　to　my　oath；　now　I　am　free　to　offer　my　services　to

　　His　Majesty。　If　your　Excellency　deigns　to　explain　my　conduct　to

　　His　Majesty；　the　King　will　see　that　it　is　in　keeping　with　the　laws

　　of　honor；　if　not　with　those　of　his　government。　The　King；　who

　　thought　it　proper　that　his　aide…de…camp；　General　Rapp；　should

　　mourn　his　former　master；　will　no　doubt　feel　indulgently　for　me。

　　Napoleon　was　my　benefactor。



　　I　therefore　entreat　your　Excellency　to　take　into　consideration　the

　　request　I　make　for　employment　in　my　proper　rank；　and　I　beg　to

　　assure　you　of　my　entire　submission。　The　King　will　find　in　me　a

　　faithful　subject。



　　Deign　to　accept　the　assurance　of　respect　with　which　I　have　the

　　honor　to　be；

　　Your　Excellency's　very　submissive　and



　　Very　humble　servant；



　　Philippe　Bridau



　　Formerly　chief　of　squadron　in　the　dragoons　of　the　Guard；　officer

　　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　now　under　police　surveillance　at　Issoudun。





To　this　letter　was　joined　a　request　for　permission　to　go　to　Paris　on

urgent　family　business；　and　Monsieur　Mouilleron　annexed　letters　from

the　mayor；　the　sub…prefect；　and　the　commissary　of　police　at　Issoudun；

all　bestowing　many　praises　on　Philippe's　conduct；　and　dwelling　upon

the　newspaper　article