Brother Jacques Part 13

BROTHER JACQUES'S ADVENTURES

I left my father's house at fifteen. My mother did not seem to care much for me, and she never mentioned my name except with repugnance. But I remember a stout old fellow with a pleasant face, who used to come to our house sometimes and who always called me Jacques with all the strength of his lungs. I believe indeed, that that old fellow was my G.o.dfather and that his name too was Jacques. This much is certain, that he seemed to be very fond of me and that whenever he came to see me he gave me toys or bonbons. But in spite of my G.o.dfather's kindness, my father's caresses and my love for my brother, I was horribly bored at home. I could not keep still a minute. I had no taste for study, and as I thought of nothing but travelling round the world and fighting, I did not see the necessity of learning Latin and mathematics. Ah! my dear Sans-Souci, I have paid already for those errors of my youth, and I have learned at my own expense that education is always of great service, no matter in what situation we may find ourselves. If I had had some education I should not have remained a simple private; and even if my good conduct had raised me to the rank of captain, it is always disagreeable when one goes into the society of one's superiors never to be able to open one's mouth without the fear of making some horrible slip, and of setting other people laughing at you. But let us return to our subject: I started off one fine morning without trumpet or drum, or without thinking in which direction I should go. I had one louis in my pocket, which I had received a few days before from my G.o.dfather, and I imagined that such a sum would never be exhausted.

After walking for a very long time, I stopped in a village in front of a wine shop. I went in and ordered dinner, with the a.s.surance of a government messenger. I was well treated; I had an open, honest face, and I jingled my money as I hopped about the kitchen and uncovered all the dishes in order to select what I wanted. The host watched me laughingly and let me do as I chose. He served a good dinner and gave me white wine and red wine. A little hunchback, who was dining at a table near me, examined me closely. He tried to enter into conversation with me and find out where I came from and where I was going; but as I have never liked inquisitive people and as the little hunchback's remarks displeased me, I looked at him without answering, or whistled and sang while he was talking.

When I was well filled, I asked the host how much he wanted; the rascal asked me fifteen francs for my dinner. I made a wry face; but I paid the bill and left the inn, reflecting that my louis, which was to last forever, would not suffice to pay for a second meal, if I chose to continue to play the n.o.bleman.

The place where I had dined and which I had taken for a village was Saint-Germain; I asked the way to the forest and resumed my journey, stopping only to jump ditches, and to belabor donkeys that I happened to pa.s.s.

As I was entering Poissy, I heard a horse trotting behind me; I stopped and recognized my hunchback, who was riding a raw-boned little horse, which he was obliged to strike constantly with the spur and the whip; else the animal would have stopped every few steps. He ceased to crack his whip when he was beside me, and contented himself with a walk, in order to remain at my side. He tried to enter into conversation, and as I was beginning to be tired then, and the croup of a horse, however thin the beast might be, seemed to me a very agreeable seat, I displayed less pride, and talked with the hunchback.

"Where are you going at this rate, my dear boy?" he asked me.

"Why, I don't exactly know. I mean to travel, to see the country and enjoy myself."

"Have you no parents?"

"Oh, yes! But they are in Paris and want me to pa.s.s my time in reading and writing; I got tired of that and I came away."

"I understand; a piece of folly! a youthful escapade! Oh! I know what it is. That's about all one sees now.--But have you much money for your travels?"

"I have nine francs."

"Nine francs! Hum! you'll have to eat wild cow."[A]

[A] _Manger de la vache enragee: i.e._, to endure hunger and privation.

"What do you mean with your cow? I ate chicken and eels and pigeons and ducks."

"Yes, but you spent fifteen francs, and with the nine you've left, you can't eat three more meals like that."

I made no reply, but I realized that the hunchback was right; and yet, as I had a will of my own, and as I was accustomed to make up my mind quickly, I looked at the little man with a decided air, and said to him after a moment:

"All right! I will eat cow."

"I see that you have pluck," he said; "but still, when a man can find a chance to live well while travelling, it isn't to be despised; and I can supply you with the means."

"You can?"

"Yes, myself."

"How so?"

"I will tell you. But so that you can listen to me at your ease and not get more tired, wouldn't you like to get up here behind me?"

"Oh! I ask nothing better."

Delighted by my new travelling companion's proposition, I jumped recklessly on the poor horse's back; I slipped, grasped the little man's hump, fell, and dragged him with me, and we both rolled in the road; but luckily his placid steed did not stir.

My new acquaintance rose good-humoredly enough, and simply advised me to be less eager in the future, because we might not always fall so softly.

I promised. My hunchback put his foot in the stirrup. I too mounted, but with more precaution; and when we were firmly seated on our saddle and he had, by dint of blows, induced his nag to walk on, he resumed his discourse, which I had interrupted so abruptly.

"My dear boy, everyone in this world tries to make money and earn a fortune, that is, unless he is born rich; and still, we see millionaires thinking of nothing but speculation, capitalists engaged in large undertakings in order to double their wealth; and n.o.bles seeking alliances which may add to the splendor of their family. I, who am neither a n.o.ble nor a capitalist nor even a merchant, and have no hope of becoming any one of them, I tried for a long time to think of some means by which I could, if not make a fortune, at least live at my ease.

I soon found that means. With intelligence one soon learns to know men.

I travelled; I studied men's tastes and characters. I saw that, with a little address, poor mortals are easily deceived; all that is necessary is to take them on their weak side, which one can easily divine when one has tact and penetration, as I have."

"Ah! so you have tact and penetration?" I said to my companion, as I buried in the flanks of our steed some pins which I had discovered on the portmanteau that was between us.

"Yes, my dear boy, I flatter myself that I have."

"Then, why is your horse going so fast now?"

"Because I keep my whip snapping, and he knows that he is soon going to have his supper."

"That is true; I see that you have tact.--Well, go on, I am listening."

"So then, it was by flattering men's pa.s.sions that I found a way to live at my ease; moreover, I instructed myself in botany, medicine, chemistry, and even in anatomy too; and with my knowledge I have not only composed remedies for all diseases but also philters to arouse love, hatred, jealousy, and to make well people sick; it is in this last art that I am particularly proficient."

"Ah! I understand now. No doubt you sell vulneraries too, like that tall, red man that I used to see in Paris on the squares and street-corners. People called him a charlatan, I believe."

At the name charlatan, my companion leaped in the saddle in such a way that he nearly threw us both off; luckily I clung firmly to him, and we got off with merely a fright.

"My dear boy," he said when he had become a little calmer, "I forgive you the name of charlatan. You don't know me yet; indeed I admit that there is a little charlatanism in my business, and that three-quarters of my remedies and my philters do not produce the effect that is expected of them; but we make mistakes in medicine as we do in everything else. We take cathartics and make ourselves sick; we have a toothache, and we take an elixir which spoils all our teeth; we try to obtain a position which we are not able to fill; we go into maritime speculations which a sudden storm destroys; we think that we have intelligence when we have not the intelligence to succeed, which is the most important of all; we determine to be prudent and we make fools of ourselves; we desire happiness, and we marry and have a wife and children who often cause us untold anxiety!--In short, my little man, people have made mistakes in all lines, and it is great luck when things turn out as we had antic.i.p.ated, or hoped."

"Look here, monsieur," I said to my little hunchback, whose chatter was beginning to weary me, "what do you expect to do with me, after all is said and done?"

"This: when I stop in a village or small town, I cannot make myself sufficiently well known alone; I need an a.s.sistant, to go about the town to deliver prospectuses, and to answer for me when I am busy, and make a memorandum of the questions that people want to ask me."

"But I don't choose to be your a.s.sistant, as I don't want to learn anything."

"I understand that very well, my friend. Oh! I don't propose to drive you crazy with fatiguing work. I will have you make pills, that's all."

"Pills?"

"Yes, pills of all sizes and of all colors. Never fear, it won't be hard; but that isn't all."

"What else shall I do?"

"You must be able to sleep when you choose, and to play the sleep-walker when you please."

"Oh! as to sleeping, I can do that all right!"

"When you are asleep, you must answer the questions that are asked you."

"How do you expect me to answer questions when I am asleep?"

"Why, you will pretend to be asleep, my boy; I will explain all that to you. Oh! that is one of the princ.i.p.al branches of my business."