the two brothers-第10节

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of　his　woes；　she　had　not　the　heart　to　stop　his　drinking　and　eating　and

amusing　himself　as　a　man　just　returned　from　the　Champ　d'Asile　was

likely　to　eat　and　drink　and　divert　himself。　It　was　certainly　a　fine

conception；that　of　conquering　Texas　with　the　remains　of　the　imperial

army。　The　failure　was　less　in　the　idea　than　in　the　men　who　conceived

it；　for　Texas　is　to…day　a　republic；　with　a　future　full　of　promise。

This　scheme　of　Liberalism　under　the　Restoration　distinctly　proves　that

the　interests　of　the　party　were　purely　selfish　and　not　national；

seeking　power　and　nothing　else。　Neither　men；　nor　occasion；　nor　cause；

nor　devotion　were　lacking；　only　the　money　and　the　support　of　the

hypocritical　party　at　home　who　dispensed　enormous　sums；　but　gave

nothing　when　it　came　to　recovering　empire。　Household　managers　like

Agathe　have　a　plain　common…sense　which　enables　them　to　perceive　such

political　chicane：　the　poor　woman　saw　the　truth　through　the　lines　of

her　son's　tale；　for　she　had　read；　in　the　exile's　interests；　all　the

pompous　editorials　of　the　constitutional　journals；　and　watched　the

management　of　the　famous　subscription；　which　produced　barely　one

hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs　when　it　ought　to　have　yielded　five

or　six　millions。　The　Liberal　leaders　soon　found　out　that　they　were

playing　into　the　hands　of　Louis　XVIII。　by　exporting　the　glorious

remnants　of　our　grand　army；　and　they　promptly　abandoned　to　their　fate

the　most　devoted；　the　most　ardent；　the　most　enthusiastic　of　its

heroes；those；　in　short；　who　had　gone　in　the　advance。　Agathe　was

never　able；　however；　to　make　her　son　see　that　he　was　more　duped　than

persecuted。　With　blind　belief　in　her　idol；　she　supposed　herself

ignorant；　and　deplored；　as　Philippe　did；　the　evil　times　which　had　done

him　such　wrong。　Up　to　this　time　he　was；　to　her　mind；　throughout　his

misfortunes；　less　faulty　than　victimized　by　his　noble　nature；　his

energy；　the　fall　of　the　Emperor；　the　duplicity　of　the　Liberals；　and

the　rancor　of　the　Bourbons　against　the　Bonapartists。　During　the　week

at　Havre；　a　week　which　was　horribly　costly；　she　dared　not　ask　him　to

make　terms　with　the　royal　government　and　apply　to　the　minister　of　war。

She　had　hard　work　to　get　him　away　from　Havre；　where　living　is　very

expensive；　and　to　bring　him　back　to　Paris　before　her　money　gave　out。

Madame　Descoings　and　Joseph；　who　were　awaiting　their　arrival　in　the

courtyard　of　the　coach…office　of　the　Messageries　Royales；　were　struck

with　the　change　in　Agathe's　face。



〃Your　mother　has　aged　ten　years　in　two　months；〃　whispered　the

Descoings　to　Joseph；　as　they　all　embraced；　and　the　two　trunks　were

being　handed　down。



〃How　do　you　do；　mere　Descoings？〃　was　the　cool　greeting　the　colonel

bestowed　on　the　old　woman　whom　Joseph　was　in　the　habit　of　calling

〃maman　Descoings。〃



〃I　have　no　money　to　pay　for　a　hackney…coach；〃　said　Agathe；　in　a　sad

voice。



〃I　have；〃　replied　the　young　painter。　〃What　a　splendid　color　Philippe

has　turned！〃　he　cried；　looking　at　his　brother。



〃Yes；　I've　browned　like　a　pipe；〃　said　Philippe。　〃But　as　for　you；

you're　not　a　bit　changed；　little　man。〃



Joseph；　who　was　now　twenty…one；　and　much　thought　of　by　the　friends　who

had　stood　by　him　in　his　days　of　trial；　felt　his　own　strength　and　was

aware　of　his　talent；　he　represented　the　art　of　painting　in　a　circle　of

young　men　whose　lives　were　devoted　to　science；　letters；　politics；　and

philosophy。　Consequently；　he　was　wounded　by　his　brother's　contempt；

which　Philippe　still　further　emphasized　with　a　gesture；　pulling　his

ears　as　if　he　were　still　a　child。　Agathe　noticed　the　coolness　which

succeeded　the　first　glow　of　tenderness　on　the　part　of　Joseph　and

Madame　Descoings；　but　she　hastened　to　tell　them　of　Philippe's

sufferings　in　exile；　and　so　lessened　it。　Madame　Descoings；　wishing　to

make　a　festival　of　the　return　of　the　prodigal；　as　she　called　him　under

her　breath；　had　prepared　one　of　her　good　dinners；　to　which　old

Claparon　and　the　elder　Desroches　were　invited。　All　the　family　friends

were　to　come；　and　did　come；　in　the　evening。　Joseph　had　invited　Leon

Giraud；　d'Arthez；　Michel　Chrestien；　Fulgence　Ridal；　and　Horace

Bianchon；　his　friends　of　the　fraternity。　Madame　Descoings　had　promised

Bixiou；　her　so…called　step…son；　that　the　young　people　should　play　at

ecarte。　Desroches　the　younger；　who　had　now　taken；　under　his　father's

stern　rule；　his　degree　at　law；　was　also　of　the　party。　Du　Bruel；

Claparon；　Desroches；　and　the　Abbe　Loraux　carefully　observed　the

returned　exile；　whose　manners　and　coarse　features；　and　voice　roughened

by　the　abuse　of　liquors；　together　with　his　vulgar　glance　and

phraseology；　alarmed　them　not　a　little。　While　Joseph　was　placing　the

card…tables；　the　more　intimate　of　the　family　friends　surrounded　Agathe

and　asked；



〃What　do　you　intend　to　make　of　Philippe？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　she　answered；　〃but　he　is　determined　not　to　serve　the

Bourbons。〃



〃Then　it　will　be　very　difficult　for　you　to　find　him　a　place　in　France。

If　he　won't　re…enter　the　army；　he　can't　be　readily　got　into　government

employ；〃　said　old　Du　Bruel。　〃And　you　have　only　to　listen　to　him　to　see

he　could　never；　like　my　son；　make　his　fortune　by　writing　plays。〃



The　motion　of　Agathe's　eyes；　with　which　alone　she　replied　to　this

speech；　showed　how　anxious　Philippe's　future　made　her；　they　all　kept

silence。　The　exile　himself；　Bixiou；　and　the　younger　Desroches　were

playing　at　ecarte；　a　game　which　was　then　the　rage。



〃Maman　Descoings；　my　brother　has　no　money　to　play　with；〃　whispered

Joseph　in　the　good　woman's　ear。



The　devotee　of　the　Royal　Lottery　fetched　twenty　francs　and　gave　them

to　the　artist；　who　slipped　them　secretly　into　his　brother's　hand。　All

the　company　were　now　assembled。　There　were　two　tables　of　boston；　and

the　party　grew　lively。　Philippe　proved　a　bad　player：　after　winning　for

awhile；　he　began　to　lose；　and　by　eleven　o'clock　he　owed　fifty　francs

to　young　Desroches　and　to　Bixiou。　The　racket　and　the　disputes　at　the

ecarte　table　resounded　more　than　once　in　the　ears　of　the　more　peaceful

boston　players；　who　were　watching　Philippe　surreptitiously。　The　exile

showed　such　signs　of　bad　temper　that　in　his　final　dispute　with　the

younger　Desroches；　who　was　none　too　amiable　himself；　the　elder

Desroches　joined　in；　and　though　his　son　was　decidedly　in　the　right；　he

declared　he　was　in　the　wrong；　and　forbade　him　to　play　any　more。　Madame

Descoings　did　the　same　with　her　grandson；　who　was　beginning　to　let　fly

certain　witticisms；　and　although　Philippe；　so　far；　had　not　understood

him；　there　was　always　a　chance　that　one　of　the　barbed　arrows　might

piece　the　colonel's　thick　skull　and　put　the　sharp　jester　in　peril。



〃You　must　be　tired；〃　whispered　Agathe　in　Philippe's　ear；　〃come　to

bed。〃



〃Travel　educates　youth；〃　said　Bixiou；　grinning；　when　Madame　Bridau　and

the　colonel　had　disappeared。



Joseph；　who　got　up　at　dawn　and　went　to　bed　early；　did　not　see　the　end

of　the　party。　The　next　morning　Agathe　and　Madame　Descoings；　while

preparing　breakfast；　could　not　help　remarking　that　soires　would　be

terribly　expensive　if　Philippe　were　to　go　on　playing　that　sort　of

game；　as　the　Descoings　phrased　it。　The　worthy　old　woman；　then　seventy…

six　years　of　age；　proposed　to　sell　her　furniture；　give　up　her

appartement　on　the　second　floor　（which　the　owner　was　only　too　glad　to

occupy）；　and　take　Agathe's　parlor　for　her　chamber；　making　the　other

room　a　sitting…room　and　dining…room　for　the　family。　In　this　way　they

could　save　seven　hundred　francs　a　year；　which　would　enable　them　to

give　Philippe　fifty　francs　a　month　until　he　could　find　something　to

do。　Agathe　accepted　the　sacrifice。　When　the　colonel　came　down　and　his

mother　had　asked　how　he　liked　his　little　bedroom；　the　two　widows

explained　to　him　the　situation　of　the　family。　Madame　Descoings　and

Agathe　possessed；　by　putting　all　their　resources　together；　an　income

of　five　thousand　three　hundred　francs；　four　thousand　of　which　belonged

to　Madame　Descoings　and　were　merely　a　life　annuity。　The　Descoings　made

an　allowance　of　six　hundred　a　year　to　Bixiou；　whom　she　had

acknowledged　as　her　grandson　during　the　last　few　months；　also　six

hundred　to　Joseph；　the　rest　of　her　income；　together　with　that　of

Agathe；　was　spent　for　the　household　wants。　All　their　savings　were　by

this　time　eaten　up。



〃Make　yourselves　easy；〃　said　the　lieutenant…colonel。　〃I'll　find　a

situation　and　put　you　to　no　expense；　all　I　need　for　the　present　is

board　and　lodging。〃



Agathe　kissed　her　son；　and　Madame　Descoings　slipped　a　hundred　francs

into　his　hand　to　pay　for　his　losses　of　the　night　before。　In　ten　days

the　furniture　was　sold；　the　appartement　given　up；　and　the　change　in

Agathe's　domestic　arrangements　accomplished　with　a　celerity　seldom

seen　outside　of　Paris。　During　those　ten　days；　Philippe　regularly

decamped　after　breakfast；　came　back　for　dinner；　was　off　again　for　the

evening；　and　only　got　home　about　midnight　to　go　to　bed。　He　contracted

certain　habits　half　mechanic