the two brothers-第12节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



You'll　find　him　a　knowing　one。〃



The　next　day；　about　four　o'clock；　Philippe　went　to　the　rue　de　Sentier；

where　he　found　Giroudeau　in　the　entresol；caged　like　a　wild　beast　in

a　sort　of　hen…coop　with　a　sliding　panel；　in　which　was　a　little　stove；

a　little　table；　two　little　chairs；　and　some　little　logs　of　wood。　This

establishment　bore　the　magic　words；　SUBSCRIPTION　OFFICE；　painted　on

the　door　in　black　letters；　and　the　word　〃Cashier；〃　written　by　hand　and

fastened　to　the　grating　of　the　cage。　Along　the　wall　that　lay　opposite

to　the　cage；　was　a　bench；　where；　at　this　moment；　a　one…armed　man　was

breakfasting；　who　was　called　Coloquinte　by　Giroudeau；　doubtless　from

the　Egyptian　colors　of　his　skin。



〃A　pretty　hole！〃　exclaimed　Philippe；　looking　round　the　room。　〃In　the

name　of　thunder！　what　are　you　doing　here；　you　who　charged　with　poor

Colonel　Chabert　at　Eylau？　Youa　gallant　officer！〃



〃Well；　yes！　broum！　broum！a　gallant　officer　keeping　the　accounts　of　a

little　newspaper；〃　said　Giroudeau；　settling　his　black　silk　skull…cap。

〃Moreover；　I'm　the　working　editor　of　all　that　rubbish；〃　he　added；

pointing　to　the　newspaper　itself。



〃And　I；　who　went　to　Egypt；　I'm　obliged　to　stamp　it；〃　said　the　one…

armed　man。



〃Hold　your　tongue；　Coloquinte；〃　said　Giroudeau。　〃You　are　in　presence

of　a　hero　who　carried　the　Emperor's　orders　at　the　battle　of

Montereau。〃



Coloquinte　saluted。　〃That's　were　I　lost　my　missing　arm！〃　he　said。



〃Coloquinte；　look　after　the　den。　I'm　going　up　to　see　my　nephew。〃



The　two　soldiers　mounted　to　the　fourth　floor；　where；　in　an　attic　room

at　the　end　of　a　passage；　they　found　a　young　man　with　a　cold　light　eye；

lying　on　a　dirty　sofa。　The　representative　of　the　press　did　not　stir；

though　he　offered　cigars　to　his　uncle　and　his　uncle's　friend。



〃My　good　fellow；〃　said　Giroudeau　in　a　soothing　and　humble　tone；　〃this

is　the　gallant　cavalry　officer　of　the　Imperial　Guard　of　whom　I　spoke

to　you。〃



〃Eh！　well？〃　said　Finot；　eyeing　Philippe；　who；　like　Giroudeau；　lost　all

his　assurance　before　the　diplomatist　of　the　press。



〃My　dear　boy；〃　said　Giroudeau；　trying　to　pose　as　an　uncle；　〃the

colonel　has　just　returned　from　Texas。〃



〃Ah！　you　were　taken　in　by　that　affair　of　the　Champ　d'Asile；　were　you？

Seems　to　me　you　were　rather　young　to　turn　into　a　Soldier…laborer。〃



The　bitterness　of　this　jest　will　only　be　understood　by　those　who

remember　the　deluge　of　engravings；　screens；　clocks；　bronzes；　and

plaster…casts　produced　by　the　idea　of　the　Soldier…laborer；　a　splendid

image　of　Napoleon　and　his　heroes；　which　afterwards　made　its　appearance

on　the　stage　in　vaudevilles。　That　idea；　however；　obtained　a　national

subscription；　and　we　still　find；　in　the　depths　of　the　provinces；　old

wall…papers　which　bear　the　effigy　of　the　Soldier…laborer。　If　this

young　man　had　not　been　Giroudeau's　nephew；　Philippe　would　have　boxed

his　ears。



〃Yes；　I　was　taken　in　by　it；　I　lost　my　time；　and　twelve　thousand　francs

to　boot；〃　answered　Philippe；　trying　to　force　a　grin。



〃You　are　still　fond　of　the　Emperor？〃　asked　Finot。



〃He　is　my　god；〃　answered　Philippe　Bridau。



〃You　are　a　Liberal？〃



〃I　shall　always　belong　to　the　Constitutional　Opposition。　Oh　Foy！　oh

Manuel！　oh　Laffitte！　what　men　they　are！　They'll　rid　us　of　these

others；these　wretches；　who　came　back　to　France　at　the　heels　of　the

enemy。〃



〃Well；〃　said　Finot　coldly；　〃you　ought　to　make　something　out　of　your

misfortunes；　for　you　are　the　victim　of　the　Liberals；　my　good　fellow。

Stay　a　Liberal；　if　you　really　value　your　opinions；　but　threaten　the

party　with　the　follies　in　Texas　which　you　are　ready　to　show　up。　You

never　got　a　farthing　of　the　national　subscription；　did　you？　Well；　then

you　hold　a　fine　position：　demand　an　account　of　that　subscription。　I'll

tell　you　how　you　can　do　it。　A　new　Opposition　journal　is　just　starting；

under　the　auspices　of　the　deputies　of　the　Left；　you　shall　be　the

cashier；　with　a　salary　of　three　thousand　francs。　A　permanent　place。

All　you　want　is　some　one　to　go　security　for　you　in　twenty　thousand

francs；　find　that；　and　you　shall　be　installed　within　a　week。　I'll

advise　the　Liberals　to　silence　you　by　giving　you　the　place。　Meantime；

talk；　threaten；threaten　loudly。〃



Giroudeau　let　Philippe；　who　was　profuse　in　his　thanks；　go　down　a　few

steps　before　him；　and　then　he　turned　back　to　say　to　his　nephew；　〃Well；

you　are　a　queer　fellow！　you　keep　me　here　on　twelve　hundred　francs〃



〃That　journal　won't　live　a　year；〃　said　Finot。　〃I've　got　something

better　for　you。〃



〃Thunder！〃　cried　Philippe　to　Giroudeau。　〃He's　no　fool；　that　nephew　of

yours。　I　never　once　thought　of　making　something；　as　he　calls　it；　out

of　my　position。〃



That　night　at　the　cafe　Lemblin　and　the　cafe　Minerve　Colonel　Philippe

fulminated　against　the　Liberal　party；　which　had　raised　subscriptions；

sent　heroes　to　Texas；　talked　hypocritically　of　Soldier…laborers；　and

left　them　to　starve；　after　taking　the　money　they　had　put　into　it；　and

keeping　them　in　exile　for　two　years。



〃I　am　going　to　demand　an　account　of　the　moneys　collected　by　the

subscription　for　the　Champ　d'Asile；〃　he　said　to　one　of　the　frequenters

of　the　cafe；　who　repeated　it　to　the　journalists　of　the　Left。



Philippe　did　not　go　back　to　the　rue　Mazarin；　he　went　to　Mariette　and

told　her　of　his　forthcoming　appointment　on　a　newspaper　with　ten

thousand　subscribers；　in　which　her　choregraphic　claims　should　be

warmly　advanced。



Agathe　and　Madame　Descoings　waited　up　for　Philippe　in　fear　and

trembling；　for　the　Duc　de　Berry　had　just　been　assassinated。　The

colonel　came　home　a　few　minutes　after　breakfast；　and　when　his　mother

showed　her　uneasiness　at　his　absence；　he　grew　angry　and　asked　if　he

were　not　of　age。



〃In　the　name　of　thunder；　what's　all　this！　here　have　I　brought　you　some

good　news；　and　you　both　look　like　tombstones。　The　Duc　de　Berry　is

dead；　is　he？well；　so　much　the　better！　that's　one　the　less；　at　any

rate。　As　for　me；　I　am　to　be　cashier　of　a　newspaper；　with　a　salary　of

three　thousand　francs；　and　there　you　are；　out　of　all　your　anxieties　on

my　account。〃



〃Is　it　possible？〃　cried　Agathe。



〃Yes；　provided　you　can　go　security　for　me　in　twenty　thousand　francs；

you　need　only　deposit　your　shares　in　the　Funds；　you　will　draw　the

interest　all　the　same。〃



The　two　widows；　who　for　nearly　two　months　had　been　desperately　anxious

to　find　out　what　Philippe　was　about；　and　how　he　could　be　provided　for；

were　so　overjoyed　at　this　prospect　that　they　gave　no　thought　to　their

other　catastrophes。　That　evening；　the　Grecian　sages；　old　Du　Bruel；

Claparon；　whose　health　was　failing；　and　the　inflexible　Desroches　were

unanimous；　they　all　advised　Madame　Bridau　to　go　security　for　her　son。

The　new　journal；　which　fortunately　was　started　before　the

assassination　of　the　Duc　de　Berry；　just　escaped　the　blow　which

Monsieur　Decazes　then　launched　at　the　press。　Madame　Bridau's　shares　in

the　Funds；　representing　thirteen　hundred　francs'　interest；　were

transferred　as　security　for　Philippe；　who　was　then　appointed　cashier。

That　good　son　at　once　promised　to　pay　one　hundred　francs　every　month

to　the　two　widows；　for　his　board　and　lodging；　and　was　declared　by　both

to　be　the　best　of　sons。　Those　who　had　thought　ill　of　him　now

congratulated　Agathe。



〃We　were　unjust　to　him；〃　they　said。



Poor　Joseph；　not　to　be　behind　his　brother　in　generosity；　resolved　to

pay　for　his　own　support；　and　succeeded。







CHAPTER　IV



Three　months　later；　the　colonel；　who　ate　and　drank　enough　for　four

men；　finding　fault　with　the　food　and　compelling　the　poor　widows；　on

the　score　of　his　payments；　to　spend　much　money　on　their　table；　had　not

yet　paid　down　a　single　penny。　His　mother　and　Madame　Descoings　were

unwilling；　out　of　delicacy；　to　remind　him　of　his　promise。　The　year

went　by　without　one　of　those　coins　which　Leon　Gozlan　so　vigorously

called　〃tigers　with　five　claws〃　finding　its　way　from　Philippe's　pocket

to　the　household　purse。　It　is　true　that　the　colonel　quieted　his

conscience　on　this　score　by　seldom　dining　at　home。



〃Well；　he　is　happy；〃　said　his　mother；　〃he　is　easy　in　mind；　he　has　a

place。〃



Through　the　influence　of　a　feuilleton；　edited　by　Vernou；　a　friend　of

Bixiou；　Finot；　and　Giroudeau；　Mariette　made　her　appearance；　not　at　the

Panorama…Dramatique　but　at　the　Porte…Saint…Martin；　where　she　triumphed

beside　the　famous　Begrand。　Among　the　directors　of　the　theatre　was　a

rich　and　luxurious　general　officer；　in　love　with　an　actress；　for　whose

sake　he　had　made　himself　an　impresario。　In　Paris；　we　frequently　meet

with　men　so　fascinated　with　actresses；　singers；　or　ballet…dancers；

that　they　are　willing　to　become　directors　of　a　theatre　out　of　love。

This　officer　knew　Philippe　and　Giroudeau。　Mariette's　first　appearance；

heralded　already　by　Finot's　journal　and　also　by　Philippe's；　was

promptly　arranged　by　the　three　officers；　for　there　seems　to　be

solidarity　among　the　passions　in　a　matter　of　folly。



The　mischievous　Bixiou