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The Two Brothers-Part25_Honore de Balzac(1799-1850)_Translated Works(翻译文学)-第2页

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answer, 'a poor innocent like that? I think I see myself! what would



become of him? No, no, where the kid is tethered, let her browse--'"

"Yes, Flore; I've none but you in this world, and you make me happy.



If it will give you pleasure, my dear, well, we will have Maxence

Gilet here; he can eat with us--"



"Heavens! I should hope so!"

"There, there! don't get angry--"



"Enough for one is enough for two," she answered laughing. "I'll tell

you what you can do, my lamb, if you really mean to be kind; you must



go and walk up and down near the Mayor's office at four o'clock, and

manage to meet Monsieur Gilet and invite him to dinner. If he makes



excuses, tell him it will give me pleasure; he is too polite to

refuse. And after dinner, at dessert, if he tells you about his



misfortunes, and the hulks and so forth--for you can easily get him to

talk about all that--then you can make him the offer to come and live



here. If he makes any objection, never mind, I shall know how to

settle it."



Walking slowly along the boulevard Baron, the old celibate reflected,

as much as he had the mind to reflect, over this incident. If he were



to part from Flore (the mere thought confused him) where could he find

another woman? Should he marry? At his age he should be married for



his money, and a legitimate wife would use him far more cruelly than

Flore. Besides, the thought of being deprived of her tenderness, even



if it were a mere pretence, caused him horribleanguish. He was

therefore as polite to Captain Gilet as he knew how to be. The



invitation was given, as Flore had requested, before witnesses, to

guard the hero's honor from all suspicion.



A reconciliation took place between Flore and her master; but from

that day forth Jean-Jacques noticed many a trifle that betokened a



total change in his mistress's affections. For two or three weeks

Flore Brazier complained to the tradespeople in the markets, and to



the women with whom she gossiped, about Monsieur Rouget's tyranny,--

how he had taken it into his head to invite his self-styled natural



brother to live with him. No one, however, was taken in by this

comedy; and Flore was looked upon as a wonderfully clever and artful



creature. Old Rouget really found himself very comfortable after Max

became the master of his house; for he thus gained a companion who



paid him many attentions, without, however, showing any servility.

Gilet talked, discussed politics, and sometimes went to walk with



Rouget. After Max was fairly installed, Flore did not choose to do the

cooking; she said it spoiled her hands. At the request of the grand



master of the Order of the Knights of Idleness, Mere Cognette produced

one of her relatives, an old maid whose master, a curate, had lately



died without leaving her anything,--an excellent cook, withal,--who

declared she would devote herself for life or death to Max and Flore.



In the name of the two powers, Mere Cognette promised her an annuity

of three hundred francs a year at the end of ten years, if she served



them loyally, honestly, and discreetly. The Vedie, as she was called,

was noticeable for a face deeply pitted by the small-pox, and



correspondingly ugly.

After the new cook had entered upon her duties, the Rabouilleuse took



the title of Madame Brazier. She wore corsets; she had silk, or

handsome woollen and cotton dresses, according to the season,



expensive neckerchiefs, embroidered caps and collars, lace ruffles at

her throat, boots instead of shoes, and, altogether, adopted a



richness and elegance of apparel which renewed the youthfulness of her

appearance. She was like a rough diamond, that needed cutting and



mounting by a jeweller to bring out its full value. Her desire was to

do honor to Max. At the end of the first year, in 1817, she brought a



horse, styled English, from Bourges, for the poor cavalry captain, who

was weary of going afoot. Max had picked up in the purlieus of



Issoudun an old lancer of the Imperial Guard, a Pole named Kouski, now

very poor, who asked nothing better than to quarter himself in



Monsieur Rouget's house as the captain's servant. Max was Kouski's

idol, especially after the duel with the three royalists. So, from



1817, the household of the old bachelor was made up of five persons,

three of whom were masters, and the expenses advanced to about eight



thousand francs a year.

CHAPTER X






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