the two brothers-第31部分

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landing。



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

keeps　up　that　sort　of　thing。〃



The　next　day　Flore　looked　at　her　master　with　a　certain　expression。

This　mute　almost　instinctive　love　had　touched　her；　she　no　longer

thought　the　poor　ninny　so　ugly；　though　his　forehead　was　crowned　with

pimples　resembling　ulcers；　the　signs　of　a　vitiated　blood。



〃You　don't　want　to　go　back　and　live　in　the　fields；　do　you？〃　said　Jean…

Jacques　when　they　were　alone。



〃Why　do　you　ask　me　that？〃　she　said；　looking　at　him。



〃To　know〃　replied　Rouget；　turning　the　color　of　a　boiled　lobster。



〃Do　you　wish　to　send　me　back？〃　she　asked。



〃No；　mademoiselle。〃



〃Well；　what　is　it　you　want　to　know？　You　have　some　reason〃



〃Yes；　I　want　to　know〃



〃What？〃　said　Flore。



〃You　won't　tell　me？〃　exclaimed　Rouget。



〃Yes　I　will；　on　my　honor〃



〃Ah！　that's　it；〃　returned　Rouget；　with　a　frightened　air。　〃Are　you　an

honest　girl？〃



〃I'll　take　my　oath〃



〃Are　you；　truly？〃



〃Don't　you　hear　me　tell　you　so？〃



〃Come；　are　you　the　same　as　you　were　when　your　uncle　brought　you　here

barefooted？〃



〃A　fine　question；　faith！〃　cried　Flore；　blushing。



The　heir　lowered　his　head　and　did　not　raise　it　again。　Flore；　amazed　at

such　an　encouraging　sign　from　a　man　who　had　been　overcome　by　a　fear　of

that　nature；　left　the　room。



Three　days　later；　at　the　same　hour　（for　both　seemed　to　regard　the

dessert　as　a　field　of　battle）；　Flore　spoke　first；　and　said　to　her

master；



〃Have　you　anything　against　me？〃



〃No；　mademoiselle；〃　he　answered；　〃No〃　＇a　pause＇　〃On　the　contrary。〃



〃You　seemed　annoyed　the　other　day　to　hear　I　was　an　honest　girl。〃



〃No；　I　only　wished　to　know〃　＇a　pause＇　〃But　you　would　not　tell　me〃



〃On　my　word！〃　she　said；　〃I　will　tell　you　the　whole　truth。〃



〃The　whole　truth　aboutmy　father？〃　he　asked　in　a　strangled　voice。



〃Your　father；〃　she　said；　looking　full　into　her　master's　eye；　〃was　a

worthy　manhe　liked　a　jokeWhat　of　that？there　was　nothing　in　it。

But；　poor　dear　man；　it　wasn't　the　will　that　was　wanting。　The　truth　is；

he　had　some　spite　against　you；　I　don't　know　what；　and　he　meantoh！　he

meant　you　harm。　Sometimes　he　made　me　laugh；　but　there！　what　of　that？〃



〃Well；　Flore；〃　said　the　heir；　taking　her　hand；　〃as　my　father　was

nothing　to　you〃



〃What　did　you　suppose　he　was　to　me？〃　she　cried；　as　if　offended　by　some

unworthy　suspicion



〃Well；　but　just　listen〃



〃He　was　my　benefactor；　that　was　all。　Ah！　he　would　have　liked　to　make

me　his　wife；　but〃



〃But；〃　said　Rouget；　taking　the　hand　which　Flore　had　snatched　away　from

him；　〃if　he　was　nothing　to　you　you　can　stay　here　with　me；　can't　you？〃



〃If　you　wish　it；〃　she　said；　dropping　her　eyes。



〃No；　no！　if　you　wish　it；　you！〃　exclaimed　Rouget。　〃Yes；　you　shall　be

mistress　here。　All　that　is　here　shall　be　yours；　you　shall　take　care　of

my　property；　it　is　almost　yours　nowfor　I　love　you；　I　have　always

loved　you　since　the　day　you　came　and　stood　therethere！with　bare

feet。〃



Flore　made　no　answer。　When　the　silence　became　embarrassing；　Jean…

Jacques　had　recourse　to　a　terrible　argument。



〃Come；〃　he　said；　with　visible　warmth；　〃wouldn't　it　be　better　than

returning　to　the　fields？〃



〃As　you　will；　Monsieur　Jean；〃　she　answered。



Nevertheless；　in　spite　of　her　〃as　you　will；〃　Jean…Jacques　got　no

further。　Men　of　his　nature　want　certainty。　The　effort　that　they　make

in　avowing　their　love　is　so　great；　and　costs　them　so　much；　that　they

feel　unable　to　go　on　with　it。　This　accounts　for　their　attachment　to

the　first　woman　who　accepts　them。　We　can　only　guess　at　circumstances

by　results。　Ten　months　after　the　death　of　his　father；　Jean…Jacques

changed　completely；　his　leaden　face　cleared；　and　his　whole　countenance

breathed　happiness。　Flore　exacted　that　he　should　take　minute　care　of

his　person；　and　her　own　vanity　was　gratified　in　seeing　him　well…

dressed；　she　always　stood　on　the　sill　of　the　door；　and　watched　him

starting　for　a　walk；　until　she　could　see　him　no　longer。　The　whole　town

noticed　these　changes；　which　had　made　a　new　man　of　the　bachelor。



〃Have　you　heard　the　news？〃　people　said　to　each　other　in　Issoudun。



〃What　is　it？〃



〃Jean…Jacques　inherits　everything　from　his　father；　even　the

Rabouilleuse。〃



〃Don't　you　suppose　the　old　doctor　was　wicked　enough　to　provide　a　ruler

for　his　son？〃



〃Rouget　has　got　a　treasure；　that's　certain；〃　said　everybody。



〃She's　a　sly　one！　She　is　very　handsome；　and　she　will　make　him　marry

her。〃



〃What　luck　that　girl　has　had；　to　be　sure！〃



〃The　luck　that　only　comes　to　pretty　girls。〃



〃Ah；　bah！　do　you　believe　that？　look　at　my　uncle　Borniche…Herau。　You

have　heard　of　Mademoiselle　Ganivet？　she　was　as　ugly　as　seven　capital

sins；　but　for　all　that；　she　got　three　thousand　francs　a　year　out　of

him。〃



〃Yes；　but　that　was　in　1778。〃



〃Still；　Rouget　is　making　a　mistake。　His　father　left　him　a　good　forty

thousand　francs'　income；　and　he　ought　to　marry　Mademoiselle　Herau。〃



〃The　doctor　tried　to　arrange　it；　but　she　would　not　consent；　Jean…

Jacques　is　so　stupid〃



〃Stupid！　why　women　are　very　happy　with　that　style　of　man。〃



〃Is　your　wife　happy？〃



Such　was　the　sort　of　tattle　that　ran　through　Issoudun。　If　people；

following　the　use　and　wont　of　the　provinces；　began　by　laughing　at　this

quasi…marriage；　they　ended　by　praising　Flore　for　devoting　herself　to

the　poor　fellow。　We　now　see　how　it　was　that　Flore　Brazier　obtained　the

management　of　the　Rouget　household；from　father　to　son；　as　young

Goddet　had　said。　It　is　desirable　to　sketch　the　history　of　that

management　for　the　edification　of　old　bachelors。



Fanchette；　the　cook；　was　the　only　person　in　Issoudun　who　thought　it

wrong　that　Flore　Brazier　should　be　queen　over　Jean…Jacques　Rouget　and

his　home。　She　protested　against　the　immorality　of　the　connection；　and

took　a　tone　of　injured　virtue；　the　fact　being　that　she　was　humiliated

by　having；　at　her　age；　a　crab…girl　for　a　mistress；a　child　who　had

been　brought　barefoot　into　the　house。　Fanchette　owned　three　hundred

francs　a　year　in　the　Funds；　for　the　doctor　made　her　invest　her　savings

in　that　way；　and　he　had　left　her　as　much　more　in　an　annuity；　she　could

therefore　live　at　her　ease　without　the　necessity　of　working；　and　she

quitted　the　house　nine　months　after　the　funeral　of　her　old　master；

April　15；　1806。　That　date　may　indicate；　to　a　perspicacious　observer；

the　epoch　at　which　Flore　Brazier　ceased　to　be　an　honest　girl。



The　Rabouilleuse；　clever　enough　to　foresee　Fanchette's　probable

defection；there　is　nothing　like　the　exercise　of　power　for　teaching

policy；was　already　resolved　to　do　without　a　servant。　For　six　months

she　had　studied；　without　seeming　to　do　so；　the　culinary　operations

that　made　Fanchette　a　cordon…bleu　worthy　of　cooking　for　a　doctor。　In

the　matter　of　choice　living；　doctors　are　on　a　par　with　bishops。　The

doctor　had　brought　Fanchette's　talents　to　perfection。　In　the　provinces

the　lack　of　occupation　and　the　monotony　of　existence　turn　all　activity

of　mind　towards　the　kitchen。　People　do　not　dine　as　luxuriously　in　the

country　as　they　do　in　Paris；　but　they　dine　better；　the　dishes　are

meditated　upon　and　studied。　In　rural　regions　we　often　find　some　Careme

in　petticoats；　some　unrecognized　genius　able　to　serve　a　simple　dish　of

haricot…beans　worthy　of　the　nod　with　which　Rossini　welcomed　a

perfectly…rendered　measure。



When　studying　for　his　degree　in　Paris；　the　doctor　had　followed　a

course　of　chemistry　under　Rouelle；　and　had　gathered　some　ideas　which

he　afterwards　put　to　use　in　the　chemistry　of　cooking。　His　memory　is

famous　in　Issoudun　for　certain　improvements　little　known　outside　of

Berry。　It　was　he　who　discovered　that　an　omelette　is　far　more　delicate

when　the　whites　and　the　yolks　are　not　beaten　together　with　the

violence　which　cooks　usually　put　into　the　operation。　He　considered

that　the　whites　should　be　beaten　to　a　froth　and　the　yolks　gently　added

by　degrees；　moreover　a　frying…pan　should　never　be　used；　but　a

〃cagnard〃　of　porcelain　or　earthenware。　The　〃cagnard〃　is　a　species　of

thick　dish　standing　on　four　feet；　so　that　when　it　is　placed　on　the

stove　the　air　circulates　underneath　and　prevents　the　fire　from

cracking　it。　In　Touraine　the　〃cagnard〃　is　called　a　〃cauquemarre。〃

Rabelais；　I　think；　speaks　of　a　〃cauquemarre〃　for　cooking　cockatrice

eggs；　thus　proving　the　antiquity　of　the　utensil。　The　doctor　had　also

found　a　way　to　prevent　the　tartness　of　browned　butter；　but　his　secret；

which　unluckily　he　kept　to　his　own　kitchen；　has　been　lost。



Flore；　a　born　fryer　and　roaster；　two　qualities　that　can　never　be

acquired　by　observation　nor　yet　by　labor；　soon　surpassed　Fanchette。　In

making　herself　a　cordon…bleu　she　was　thinking　of　Jean…Jacques's

comfort；　though　she　was；　it　must　be　owned；　tolerably　dainty。

Incapable；　like　all　persons　without　education；　of　doing　anything　with

her　brains；　she　spent　her　activity　upon　household　matters。　She　rubbed

up　the　furniture　till　it　shone；　and　kept　everything　about　the　house　in

a　state　of　cleanliness　worthy　of　Holland。　She　managed　the　avalanches

of　soiled　linen　and　the　floods　of　water　that　go　by　the　name　of　〃the

wash；〃　which　was　done；　according　to　provincial　usage；　three　times　a

year。　She　kept　a　housewifely　eye　to　the　linen；　and　mended　it

carefully。　Then；　desirous　of　learning　little　by　little　the　secret　of

the　family　property；　she　acquired　the　very　limited　business　knowledge

which　Rouget　possessed；　and　increased　it　by　conversations　with　the

notary　of　the　late　doctor；　Monsieur　Heron。　Thus　instructed；　she　gave

excellent　advice　to　her　little　Jean…Jacques。　Sure　of　being　always

mistress；　she　was　as　eager　and　solicitous　about　the　old　bachelor's

interests　as　if　they　had　been　her　own。　She　was　not　obliged　to　guard

against　the　exactions　of　her　uncle；　for　two　months　before　the　doctor's

death　Brazier　died　of　a　fall　as　he　was　leaving　a　wine…shop；　where；

since　his　rise　in　for