the two brothers-第30部分

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was　nothing　more　than　legal　coupling；　and　revolutionary　maxims　left　a

deep　impression。　This　was　markedly　the　case　at　Issoudun；　a　land　where；

as　we　have　seen；　revolt　of　all　kinds　is　traditional。　In　1802；　Catholic

worship　was　scarcely　re…established。　The　Emperor　found　it　a　difficult

matter　to　obtain　priests。　In　1806；　many　parishes　all　over　France　were

still　widowed；　so　slowly　were　the　clergy；　decimated　by　the　scaffold；

gathered　together　again　after　their　violent　dispersion。



In　1802；　therefore；　nothing　was　likely　to　reproach　Flore　Brazier；

unless　it　might　be　her　conscience；　and　conscience　was　sure　to　be

weaker　than　self…interest　in　the　ward　of　Uncle　Brazier。　If；　as

everybody　chose　to　suppose；　the　cynical　doctor　was　compelled　by　his

age　to　respect　a　child　of　fifteen；　the　Rabouilleuse　was　none　the　less

considered　very　〃wide　awake；〃　a　term　much　used　in　that　region。　Still；

some　persons　thought　she　could　claim　a　certificate　of　innocence　from

the　cessation　of　the　doctor's　cares　and　attentions　in　the　last　two

years　of　his　life；　during　which　time　he　showed　her　something　more　than

coldness。



Old　Rouget　had　killed　too　many　people　not　to　know　when　his　own　end　was

nigh；　and　his　notary；　finding　him　on　his　death…bed；　draped　as　it　were；

in　the　mantle　of　encyclopaedic　philosophy；　pressed　him　to　make　a

provision　in　favor　of　the　young　girl；　then　seventeen　years　old。



〃So　I　do；〃　he　said；　cynically；　〃my　death　sets　her　at　liberty。〃



This　speech　paints　the　nature　of　the　old　man。　Covering　his　evil　doings

with　witty　sayings；　he　obtained　indulgence　for　them；　in　a　land　where

wit　is　always　applauded；especially　when　addressed　to　obvious　self…

interest。　In　those　words　the　notary　read　the　concentrated　hatred　of　a

man　whose　calculations　had　been　balked　by　Nature　herself；　and　who

revenged　himself　upon　the　innocent　object　of　an　impotent　love。　This

opinion　was　confirmed　to　some　extent　by　the　obstinate　resolution　of

the　doctor　to　leave　nothing　to　the　Rabouilleuse；　saying　with　a　bitter

smile；　when　the　notary　again　urged　the　subject　upon　him；



〃Her　beauty　will　make　her　rich　enough！〃







CHAPTER　IX



Jean…Jacques　Rouget　did　not　mourn　his　father；　though　Flore　Brazier

did。　The　old　doctor　had　made　his　son　extremely　unhappy；　especially

since　he　came　of　age；　which　happened　in　1791；　but　he　had　given　the

little　peasant…girl　the　material　pleasures　which　are　the　ideal　of

happiness　to　country…folk。　When　Fanchette　asked　Flore；　after　the

funeral；　〃Well；　what　is　to　become　of　you；　now　that　monsieur　is　dead？〃

Jean…Jacques's　eyes　lighted　up；　and　for　the　first　time　in　his　life　his

dull　face　grew　animated；　showed　feeling；　and　seemed　to　brighten　under

the　rays　of　a　thought。



〃Leave　the　room；〃　he　said　to　Fanchette；　who　was　clearing　the　table。



At　seventeen；　Flore　retained　that　delicacy　of　feature　and　form；　that

distinction　of　beauty　which　attracted　the　doctor；　and　which　women　of

the　world　know　how　to　preserve；　though　it　fades　among　the　peasant…

girls　like　the　flowers　of　the　field。　Nevertheless；　the　tendency　to

embonpoint；　which　handsome　countrywomen　develop　when　they　no　longer

live　a　life　of　toil　and　hardship　in　the　fields　and　in　the　sunshine；

was　already　noticeable　about　her。　Her　bust　had　developed。　The　plump

white　shoulders　were　modelled　on　rich　lines　that　harmoniously　blended

with　those　of　the　throat；　already　showing　a　few　folds　of　flesh。　But

the　outline　of　the　face　was　still　faultless；　and　the　chin　delicate。



〃Flore；〃　said　Jean…Jacques；　in　a　trembling　voice；　〃you　feel　at　home　in

this　house？〃



〃Yes；　Monsieur　Jean。〃



As　the　heir　was　about　to　make　his　declaration；　he　felt　his　tongue

stiffen　at　the　recollection　of　the　dead　man；　just　put　away　in　his

grave；　and　a　doubt　seized　him　as　to　what　lengths　his　father's

benevolence　might　have　gone。　Flore；　who　was　quite　unable　even　to

suspect　his　simplicity　of　mind；　looked　at　her　future　master　and　waited

for　a　time；　expecting　Jean…Jacques　to　go　on　with　what　he　was　saying；

but　she　finally　left　him　without　knowing　what　to　think　of　such

obstinate　silence。　Whatever　teaching　the　Rabouilleuse　may　have

received　from　the　doctor；　it　was　many　a　long　day　before　she　finally

understood　the　character　of　Jean…Jacques；　whose　history　we　now　present

in　a　few　words。



At　the　death　of　his　father；　Jacques；　then　thirty…seven；　was　as　timid

and　submissive　to　paternal　discipline　as　a　child　of　twelve　years　old。

That　timidity　ought　to　explain　his　childhood；　youth；　and　after…life　to

those　who　are　reluctant　to　admit　the　existence　of　such　characters；　or

such　facts　as　this　history　relates；though　proofs　of　them　are；　alas；

common　everywhere；　even　among　princes；　for　Sophie　Dawes　was　taken　by

the　last　of　the　Condes　under　worse　circumstances　than　the

Rabouilleuse。　There　are　two　species　of　timidity；the　timidity　of　the

mind；　and　the　timidity　of　the　nerves；　a　physical　timidity；　and　a　moral

timidity。　The　one　is　independent　of　the　other。　The　body　may　fear　and

tremble；　while　the　mind　is　calm　and　courageous；　or　vice　versa。　This　is

the　key　to　many　moral　eccentricities。　When　the　two　are　united　in　one

man；　that　man　will　be　a　cipher　all　his　life；　such　double…sided

timidity　makes　him　what　we　call　〃an　imbecile。〃　Often　fine　suppressed

qualities　are　hidden　within　that　imbecile。　To　this　double　infirmity　we

may；　perhaps；　owe　the　lives　of　certain　monks　who　lived　in　ecstasy；　for

this　unfortunate　moral　and　physical　disposition　is　produced　quite　as

much　by　the　perfection　of　the　soul　and　of　the　organs；　as　by　defects

which　are　still　unstudied。



The　timidity　of　Jean…Jacques　came　from　a　certain　torpor　of　his

faculties；　which　a　great　teacher　or　a　great　surgeon；　like　Despleins；

would　have　roused。　In　him；　as　in　the　cretins；　the　sense　of　love　had

inherited　a　strength　and　vigor　which　were　lacking　to　his　mental

qualities；　though　he　had　mind　enough　to　guide　him　in　ordinary　affairs。

The　violence　of　passion；　stripped　of　the　ideal　in　which　most　young　men

expend　it；　only　increased　his　timidity。　He　had　never　brought　himself

to　court；　as　the　saying　is；　any　woman　in　Issoudun。　Certainly　no　young

girl　or　matron　would　make　advances　to　a　young　man　of　mean　stature；

awkward　and　shame…faced　in　attitude；　whose　vulgar　face；　with　its

flattened　features　and　pallid　skin；　making　him　look　old　before　his

time；　was　rendered　still　more　hideous　by　a　pair　of　large　and　prominent

light…green　eyes。　The　presence　of　a　woman　stultified　the　poor　fellow；

who　was　driven　by　passion　on　the　one　hand　as　violently　as　the　lack　of

ideas；　resulting　from　his　education；　held　him　back　on　the　other。

Paralyzed　between　these　opposing　forces；　he　had　not　a　word　to　say；　and

feared　to　be　spoken　to；　so　much　did　he　dread　the　obligation　of

replying。　Desire；　which　usually　sets　free　the　tongue；　only　petrified

his　powers　of　speech。　Thus　it　happened　that　Jean…Jacques　Rouget　was

solitary　and　sought　solitude　because　there　alone　he　was　at　his　ease。



The　doctor　had　seen；　too　late　for　remedy；　the　havoc　wrought　in　his

son's　life　by　a　temperament　and　a　character　of　this　kind。　He　would

have　been　glad　to　get　him　married；　but　to　do　that；　he　must　deliver　him

over　to　an　influence　that　was　certain　to　become　tyrannical；　and　the

doctor　hesitated。　Was　it　not　practically　giving　the　whole　management

of　the　property　into　the　hands　of　a　stranger；　some　unknown　girl？　The

doctor　knew　how　difficult　it　was　to　gain　true　indications　of　the　moral

character　of　a　woman　from　any　study　of　a　young　girl。　So；　while　he

continued　to　search　for　a　daughter…in…law　whose　sentiments　and

education　offered　some　guarantees　for　the　future；　he　endeavored　to

push　his　son　into　the　ways　of　avarice；　meaning　to　give　the　poor　fool　a

sort　of　instinct　that　might　eventually　take　the　place　of　intelligence。



He　trained　him；　in　the　first　place；　to　mechanical　habits　of　life；　and

instilled　into　him　fixed　ideas　as　to　the　investment　of　his　revenues：

and　he　spared　him　the　chief　difficulties　of　the　management　of　a

fortune；　by　leaving　his　estates　all　in　good　order；　and　leased　for　long

periods。　Nevertheless；　a　fact　which　was　destined　to　be　of　paramount

importance　in　the　life　of　the　poor　creature　escaped　the　notice　of　the

wily　old　doctor。　Timidity　is　a　good　deal　like　dissimulation；　and　is

equally　secretive。　Jean…Jacques　was　passionately　in　love　with　the

Rabouilleuse。　Nothing；　of　course；　could　be　more　natural。　Flore　was　the

only　woman　who　lived　in　the　bachelor's　presence；　the　only　one　he　could

see　at　his　ease；　and　at　all　hours　he　secretly　contemplated　her　and

watched　her。　To　him；　she　was　the　light　of　his　paternal　home；　she　gave

him；　unknown　to　herself；　the　only　pleasures　that　brightened　his　youth。

Far　from　being　jealous　of　his　father；　he　rejoiced　in　the　education　the

old　man　was　giving　to　Flore：　would　it　not　make　her　all　he　wanted；　a

woman　easy　to　win；　and　to　whom；　therefore；　he　need　pay　no　court？　The

passion；　observe；　which　is　able　to　reflect；　gives　even　to　ninnies；

fools；　and　imbeciles　a　species　of　intelligence；　especially　in　youth。

In　the　lowest　human　creature　we　find　an　animal　instinct　whose

persistency　resembles　thought。



The　next　day；　Flore；　who　had　been　reflecting　on　her　master's　silence；

waited　in　expectation　of　some　momentous　communication；　but　although　he

kept　near　her；　and　looked　at　her　on　the　sly　with　passionate　glances；

Jean…Jacques　still　found　nothing　to　say。　At　last；　when　the　dessert　was

on　the　table；　he　recommenced　the　scene　of　the　night　before。



〃You　like　your　life　here？〃　he　said　to　Flore。



〃Yes；　Monsieur　Jean。〃



〃Well；　stay　here　then。〃



〃Thank　you；　Monsieur　Jean。〃



This　strange　situation　lasted　three　weeks。　One　night；　when　no　sound

broke　the　stillness　of　the　house；　Flore；　who　chanced　to　wake　up；　heard

the　regular　breathing　of　human　lungs　outside　her　door；　and　was

frightened　to　discover　Jean…Jacques；　crouched　like　a　dog　on　the

landing。



〃He　loves　me；〃　she　thought；　〃but　he　will　get　the　rheumatism　if　he

keeps　up　that　s