第29章
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  Thus,attwenty-eightyearsofage,theRabouilleusefeltforthefirsttimeatruelove,anidolatrouslove,thelovewhichincludesallwaysofloving,——thatofGulnareandthatofMedora。AssoonasthepennilessofficerfoundouttherespectivesituationsofFloreandJean-JacquesRouget,hesawsomethingmoredesirablethanan“amourette“inanintimacywiththeRabouilleuse。HeaskednothingbetterforhisfutureprosperitythantotakeuphisabodeattheRouget’s,recognizingperfectlythefeeblenatureoftheoldbachelor。

  Flore’spassionnecessarilyaffectedthelifeandhouseholdaffairsofhermaster。Foramonththeoldman,nowgrownexcessivelytimid,sawthelaughingandkindlyfaceofhismistresschangetosomethingterribleandgloomyandsullen。Hewasmadetoendureflashesofangrytemperpurposelydisplayed,preciselylikeamarriedmanwhosewifeismeditatinganinfidelity。When,aftersomecruelrebuff,henervedhimselftoaskFlorethereasonofthechange,hereyesweresofullofhatred,andhervoicesoaggressiveandcontemptuous,thatthepoorcreaturequailedunderthem。

  “Goodheavens!“shecried;“youhaveneitherheartnorsoul!Here’ssixteenyearsthatIhavespentmyyouthinthishouse,andIhaveonlyjustfoundoutthatyouhavegotastonetherestrikingherbreast。Fortwomonthsyouhaveseenbeforeyoureyesthatbravecaptain,avictimoftheBourbons,whowascutoutforageneral,andisdowninthedepthsofpoverty,huntedintoaholeofaplacewherethere’snowaytomakeapennyofmoney!He’sforcedtositonastoolalldayinthemayor’sofficetoearn——what?Sixhundredmiserablefrancs,——afinething,indeed!Andhereareyou,withsixhundredandfifty-ninethousandwellinvested,andsixtythousandfrancs’income,——thankstome,whoneverspendmorethanthreethousandayear,everythingincluded,evenmyownclothes,yes,everything!——andyouneverthinkofofferinghimahomehere,thoughthere’sthesecondfloorempty!You’drathertheratsandmiceranriotinitthanputahumanbeingthere,——andhealadyourfatheralwaysallowedtobehisownson!Doyouwanttoknowwhatyouare?I’lltellyou,——afratricide!AndIknowwhy,too。YouseeItakeaninterestinhim,andthatprovokesyou。Stupidasyouseem,youhavegotmorespiteinyouthanthespitefullestofmen。Well,yes!Idotakeaninterestinhim,andakeenone——“

  “But,Flore——“

  “’BUT,FLORE’,indeed!What’sthatgottodowithit?YoumaygoandfindanotherFloreifyoucan!,forIhopethisglassofwinemaypoisonmeifIdon’tgetawayfromyourdungeonofahouse。Ihaven’t,Godbethanked!costyouonepennyduringthetwelveyearsI’vebeenwithyou,andyouhavehadthepleasureofmycompanyintothebargain。IcouldhaveearnedmyownlivinganywherewiththeworkthatI’vedonehere,——washing,ironing,lookingafterthelinen,goingtomarket,cooking,takingcareofyourinterestsbeforeeverything,slavingmyselftodeathfrommorningtillnight,——andthisismyreward!“

  “But,Flore——“

  “Oh,yes,’FLORE’!findanotherFlore,ifyoucan,atyourtimeoflife,fifty-oneyearsold,andgettingfeeble,——forthewayyourhealthisfailingisfrightful,Iknowthat!andbesides,youarenonetooamusing——“

  “But,Flore——“

  “Letmealone!“

  Shewentout,slammingthedoorwithaviolencethatechoedthroughthehouse,andseemedtoshakeittoitsfoundations。Jean-Jacquessoftlyopenedthedoorandwent,stillmoresoftly,intothekitchenwhereshewasmutteringtoherself。

  “But,Flore,“saidthepoorsheep,“thisisthefirsttimeIhaveheardofthiswishofyours;howdoyouknowwhetherIwillagreetoitornot?“

  “Inthefirstplace,“shesaid,“thereoughttobeamaninthehouse。

  Everybodyknowsyouhaveten,fifteen,twentythousandfrancshere;iftheycametorobyouweshouldbothbemurdered。Formypart,Idon’tcaretowakeupsomefinemorningchoppedinquarters,ashappenedtothatpoorservant-girlwhowassillyenoughtodefendhermaster。

  Well!iftherobbersknewtherewasamaninthehouseasbraveasCaesarandwhowasn’tbornyesterday,——forMaxcouldswallowthreeburglarsasquickasaflash,——well,thenIshouldsleepeasy。Peoplemaytellyoualotofstuff,——thatIlovehim,thatIadorehim,——andsomesaythisandsomesaythat!Doyouknowwhatyououghttosay?

  Yououghttoanswerthatyouknowit;thatyourfathertoldyouonhisdeathbedtotakecareofhispoorMax。Thatwillstoppeople’stongues;foreverystoneinIssouduncantellyouhepaidMax’sschooling——andso!Here’snineyearsthatIhaveeatenyourbread——“

  “Flore,——Flore!“

  “——andmanyaoneinthistownhaspaidcourttome,Icantellyou!

  Goldchainshere,andwatchesthere,——whatdon’ttheyofferme?’MylittleFlore,’theysay,’whywon’tyouleavethatoldfoolofaRouget,’——forthat’swhattheycallyou。’Ileavehim!’Ialwaysanswer,’apoorinnocentlikethat?IthinkIseemyself!whatwouldbecomeofhim?No,no,wherethekidistethered,letherbrowse——’“

  “Yes,Flore;I’venonebutyouinthisworld,andyoumakemehappy。

  Ifitwillgiveyoupleasure,mydear,well,wewillhaveMaxenceGilethere;hecaneatwithus——“

  “Heavens!Ishouldhopeso!“

  “There,there!don’tgetangry——“

  “Enoughforoneisenoughfortwo,“sheansweredlaughing。“I’lltellyouwhatyoucando,mylamb,ifyoureallymeantobekind;youmustgoandwalkupanddownneartheMayor’sofficeatfouro’clock,andmanagetomeetMonsieurGiletandinvitehimtodinner。Ifhemakesexcuses,tellhimitwillgivemepleasure;heistoopolitetorefuse。Andafterdinner,atdessert,ifhetellsyouabouthismisfortunes,andthehulksandsoforth——foryoucaneasilygethimtotalkaboutallthat——thenyoucanmakehimtheoffertocomeandlivehere。Ifhemakesanyobjection,nevermind,Ishallknowhowtosettleit。“

  WalkingslowlyalongtheboulevardBaron,theoldcelibatereflected,asmuchashehadthemindtoreflect,overthisincident。IfheweretopartfromFlorethemerethoughtconfusedhimwherecouldhefindanotherwoman?Shouldhemarry?Athisageheshouldbemarriedforhismoney,andalegitimatewifewouldusehimfarmorecruellythanFlore。Besides,thethoughtofbeingdeprivedofhertenderness,evenifitwereamerepretence,causedhimhorribleanguish。HewasthereforeaspolitetoCaptainGiletasheknewhowtobe。Theinvitationwasgiven,asFlorehadrequested,beforewitnesses,toguardthehero’shonorfromallsuspicion。

  AreconciliationtookplacebetweenFloreandhermaster;butfromthatdayforthJean-Jacquesnoticedmanyatriflethatbetokenedatotalchangeinhismistress’saffections。FortwoorthreeweeksFloreBraziercomplainedtothetradespeopleinthemarkets,andtothewomenwithwhomshegossiped,aboutMonsieurRouget’styranny,——

  howhehadtakenitintohisheadtoinvitehisself-stylednaturalbrothertolivewithhim。Noone,however,wastakeninbythiscomedy;andFlorewaslookeduponasawonderfullycleverandartfulcreature。OldRougetreallyfoundhimselfverycomfortableafterMaxbecamethemasterofhishouse;forhethusgainedacompanionwhopaidhimmanyattentions,without,however,showinganyservility。

  Gilettalked,discussedpolitics,andsometimeswenttowalkwithRouget。AfterMaxwasfairlyinstalled,Floredidnotchoosetodothecooking;shesaiditspoiledherhands。AttherequestofthegrandmasteroftheOrderoftheKnightsofIdleness,MereCognetteproducedoneofherrelatives,anoldmaidwhosemaster,acurate,hadlatelydiedwithoutleavingheranything,——anexcellentcook,withal,——whodeclaredshewoulddevoteherselfforlifeordeathtoMaxandFlore。

  Inthenameofthetwopowers,MereCognettepromisedheranannuityofthreehundredfrancsayearattheendoftenyears,ifsheservedthemloyally,honestly,anddiscreetly。TheVedie,asshewascalled,wasnoticeableforafacedeeplypittedbythesmall-pox,andcorrespondinglyugly。

  Afterthenewcookhadentereduponherduties,theRabouilleusetookthetitleofMadameBrazier。Sheworecorsets;shehadsilk,orhandsomewoollenandcottondresses,accordingtotheseason,expensiveneckerchiefs,embroideredcapsandcollars,lacerufflesatherthroat,bootsinsteadofshoes,and,altogether,adoptedarichnessandeleganceofapparelwhichrenewedtheyouthfulnessofherappearance。Shewaslikearoughdiamond,thatneededcuttingandmountingbyajewellertobringoutitsfullvalue。HerdesirewastodohonortoMax。Attheendofthefirstyear,in1817,shebroughtahorse,styledEnglish,fromBourges,forthepoorcavalrycaptain,whowaswearyofgoingafoot。MaxhadpickedupinthepurlieusofIssoudunanoldlanceroftheImperialGuard,aPolenamedKouski,nowverypoor,whoaskednothingbetterthantoquarterhimselfinMonsieurRouget’shouseasthecaptain’sservant。MaxwasKouski’sidol,especiallyaftertheduelwiththethreeroyalists。So,from1817,thehouseholdoftheoldbachelorwasmadeupoffivepersons,threeofwhomweremasters,andtheexpensesadvancedtoabouteightthousandfrancsayear。

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