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The Two Brothers-Part28_Honore de Balzac(1799-1850)_Translated Works(翻译文学)-第2页

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which her grandfather attributed in her hearing to the young Parisian.

All the old people and sensible people of the town, and the fathers of



families approved of Madame Hochon's conduct in receiving her

goddaughter; and their good wishes for the latter's success were in



proportion to the secret contempt with which the conduct of Maxence

Gilet had long inspired them. Thus the news of the arrival of Rouget's



sister and nephew raised two parties in Issoudun,--that of the higher

and older bourgeoisie, who contented themselves with offering good



wishes and in watching events without assisting them, and that of the

Knights of Idleness and the partisans of Max, who, unfortunately, were



capable of committing many high-handed outrages against the Parisians.

CHAPTER XI



Agathe and Joseph arrived at the coach-office of the Messageries-

Royales in the place Misere at three o'clock. Though tired with the



journey, Madame Bridau felt her youth revive at sight of her native

land, where at every step she came upon memories and impressions of



her girlish days. In the then condition of public opinion in Issoudun,

the arrival of the Parisians was known all over the town in ten



minutes. Madame Hochon came out upon her doorstep to welcome her

godchild, and kissed her as though she were really a daughter. After



seventy-two years of a barren and monotonousexistence, exhibiting in

their retrospect the graves of her three children, all unhappy in



their lives, and all dead, she had come to feel a sort of fictitious

motherhood for the young girl whom she had, as she expressed it,



carried in her pouch for sixteen years. Through the gloom of

provincial life the old woman had cherished this early friendship,



this girlish memory, as closely as if Agathe had remained near her,

and she had also taken the deepest interest in Bridau. Agathe was led



in triumph to the salon where Monsieur Hochon was stationed, chilling

as a tepid oven.



"Here is Monsieur Hochon; how does he seem to you?" asked his wife.

"Precisely the same as when I last saw him," said the Parisian woman.



"Ah! it is easy to see you come from Paris; you are so complimentary,"

remarked the old man.



The presentations took place: first, young Baruch Borniche, a tall

youth of twenty-two; then Francois Hochon, twenty-four; and lastly



little Adolphine, who blushed and did not know what to do with her

arms; she was anxious not to seem to be looking at Joseph Bridau, who



in his turn was narrowly observed, though from different points of

view, by the two young men and by old Hochon. The miser was saying to



himself, "He is just out of the hospital; he will be as hungry as a

convalescent." The young men were saying, "What a head! what a



brigand! we shall have our hands full!"

"This is my son, the painter; my good Joseph," said Agathe at last,



presenting the artist.

There was an effort in the accent that she put upon the word "good,"



which revealed the mother's heart, whose thoughts were really in the

prison of the Luxembourg.



"He looks ill," said Madame Hochon; "he is not at all like you."

"No, madame," said Joseph, with the brusque candor of an artist; "I am



like my father, and very ugly at that."

Madame Hochon pressed Agathe's hand which she was holding, and glanced



at her as much as to say, "Ah! my child; I understand now why you

prefer your good-for-nothing Philippe."



"I never saw your father, my dear boy," she said aloud; "it is enough

to make me love you that you are your mother's son. Besides, you have



talent, so the late Madame Descoings used to write to me; she was the

only one of late years who told me much about you."



"Talent!" exclaimed the artist, "not as yet; but with time and

patience I may win fame and fortune."



"By painting?" said Monsieur Hochon ironically.

"Come, Adolphine," said Madame Hochon, "go and see about dinner."



"Mother," said Joseph, "I will attend to the trunks which they are

bringing in."



"Hochon," said the grandmother to Francois, "show the rooms to

Monsieur Bridau."



As the dinner was to be served at four o'clock and it was now only

half past three, Baruch rushed into the town to tell the news of the



Bridau arrival, describe Agathe's dress, and more particularly to

picture Joseph, whose haggard, unhealthy, and determined face was not



unlike the ideal of a brigand. That evening Joseph was the topic of

conversation in all the households of Issoudun.



"That sister of Rouget must have seen a monkey before her son was




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