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第17节

the two brothers-第17节

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December; 〃you ought to get yourself new…clothed from head to foot。〃



〃And who is to pay for it?〃 he answered sharply。 〃My poor mother

hasn't a sou; and I have five hundred francs a year。 It would take my

whole year's pension to pay for the clothes; besides I have mortgaged

it for three years〃



〃What for?〃 asked Joseph。



〃A debt of honor。 Giroudeau borrowed a thousand francs from Florentine

to lend me。 I am not gorgeous; that's a fact; but when one thinks that

Napoleon is at Saint Helena; and has sold his plate for the means of

living; his faithful soldiers can manage to walk on their bare feet;〃

he said; showing his boots without heels; as he marched away。



〃He is not bad;〃 said Agathe; 〃he has good feelings。〃



〃You can love the Emperor and yet dress yourself properly;〃 said

Joseph。 〃If he would take any care of himself and his clothes; he

wouldn't look so like a vagabond。〃



〃Joseph! you ought to have some indulgence for your brother;〃 cried

Agathe。 〃You do the things you like; while he is certainly not in his

right place。〃



〃What did he leave it for?〃 demanded Joseph。 〃What can it matter to

him whether Louis the Eighteenth's bugs or Napoleon's cuckoos are on

the flag; if it is the flag of his country? France is France! For my

part; I'd paint for the devil。 A soldier ought to fight; if he is a

soldier; for the love of his art。 If he had stayed quietly in the

army; he would have been a general by this time。〃



〃You are unjust to him;〃 said Agathe; 〃your father; who adored the

Emperor; would have approved of his conduct。 However; he has consented

to re…enter the army。 God knows the grief it has caused your brother

to do a thing he considers treachery。〃



Joseph rose to return to his studio; but his mother took his hand and

said:



〃Be good to your brother; he is so unfortunate。〃



When the artist got back to his painting…room; followed by Madame

Descoings; who begged him to humor his mother's feelings; and pointed

out to him how changed she was; and what inward suffering the change

revealed; they found Philippe there; to their great amazement。



〃Joseph; my boy;〃 he said; in an off…hand way; 〃I want some money。

Confound it! I owe thirty francs for cigars at my tobacconist's; and I

dare not pass the cursed shop till I've paid it。 I've promised to pay

it a dozen times。〃



〃Well; I like your present way best;〃 said Joseph; 〃take what you want

out of the skull。〃



〃I took all there was last night; after dinner。〃



〃There was forty…five francs。〃



〃Yes; that's what I made it;〃 replied Philippe。 〃I took them; is there

any objection?〃



〃No; my friend; no;〃 said Joseph。 〃If you were rich; I should do the

same by you; only; before taking what I wanted; I should ask you if it

were convenient。〃



〃It is very humiliating to ask;〃 remarked Philippe; 〃I would rather

see you taking as I do; without a word; it shows more confidence。 In

the army; if a comrade dies; and has a good pair of boots; and you

have a bad pair; you change; that's all。〃



〃Yes; but you don't take them while he is living。〃



〃Oh; what meanness!〃 said Philippe; shrugging his shoulders。 〃Well; so

you haven't got any money?〃



〃No;〃 said Joseph; who was determined not to show his hiding…place。



〃In a few days we shall be rich;〃 said Madame Descoings。



〃Yes; you; you think your trey is going to turn up on the 25th at the

Paris drawing。 You must have put in a fine stake if you think you can

make us all rich。〃



〃A paid…up trey of two hundred francs will give three millions;

without counting the couplets and the singles。〃



〃At fifteen thousand times the stakeyes; you are right; it is just

two hundred you must pay up!〃 cried Philippe。



Madame Descoings bit her lips; she knew she had spoken imprudently。 In

fact; Philippe was asking himself as he went downstairs:



〃That old witch! where does she keep her money? It is as good as lost;

I can make a better use of it。 With four pools at fifty francs each; I

could win two hundred thousand francs; and that's much surer than the

turning up of a trey。〃



He tried to think where the old woman was likely to have hid the

money。 On the days preceding festivals; Agathe went to church and

stayed there a long time; no doubt she confessed and prepared for the

communion。 It was now the day before Christmas; Madame Descoings would

certainly go out to buy some dainties for the 〃reveillon;〃 the

midnight meal; and she might also take occasion to pay up her stake。

The lottery was drawn every five days in different localities; at

Bordeaux; Lyons; Lille; Strasburg; and Paris。 The Paris lottery was

drawn on the twenty…fifth of each month; and the lists closed on the

twenty…fourth; at midnight。 Philippe studied all these points and set

himself to watch。 He came home at midday; the Descoings had gone out;

and had taken the key of the appartement。 But that was no difficulty。

Philippe pretended to have forgotten something; and asked the

concierge to go herself and get a locksmith; who lived close by; and

who came at once and opened the door。 The villain's first thought was

the bed; he uncovered it; passed his hands over the mattress before he

examined the bedstead; and at the lower end felt the pieces wrapped up

in paper。 He at once ripped the ticking; picked out twenty napoleons;

and then; without taking time to sew up the mattress; re…made the bed

neatly enough; so that Madame Descoings could suspect nothing。



The gambler stole off with a light foot; resolving to play at three

different times; three hours apart; and each time for only ten

minutes。 Thorough…going players; ever since 1786; the time at which

public gaming…houses were established;the true players whom the

government dreaded; and who ate up; to use a gambling term; the money

of the bank;never played in any other way。 But before attaining this

measure of experience they lost fortunes。 The whole science of

gambling…houses and their gains rests upon three things: the

impassibility of the bank; the even results called 〃drawn games;〃 when

half the money goes to the bank; and the notorious bad faith

authorized by the government; in refusing to hold or pay the player's

stakes except optionally。 In a word; the gambling…house; which refuses

the game of a rich and cool player; devours the fortune of the foolish

and obstinate one; who is carried away by the rapid movement of the

machinery of the game。 The croupiers at 〃trente et quarante〃 move

nearly as fast as the ball。



Philippe had ended by acquiring the sang…froid of a commanding

general; which enables him to keep his eye clear and his mind prompt

in the midst of tumult。 He had reached that statesmanship of gambling

which in Paris; let us say in passing; is the livelihood of thousands

who are strong enough to look every night into an abyss without

getting a vertigo。 With his four hundred francs; Philippe resolved to

make his fortune that day。 He put aside; in his boots; two hundred

francs; and kept the other two hundred in his pocket。 At three o'clock

he went to the gambling…house (which is now turned into the theatre of

the Palais…Royal); where the bank accepted the largest sums。 He came

out half an hour later with seven thousand francs in his pocket。 Then

he went to see Florentine; paid the five hundred francs which he owed

to her; and proposed a supper at the Rocher de Cancale after the

theatre。 Returning to his game; along the rue de Sentier; he stopped

at Giroudeau's newspaper…office to notify him of the gala。 By six

o'clock Philippe had won twenty…five thousand francs; and stopped

playing at the end of ten minutes as he had promised himself to do。

That night; by ten o'clock; he had won seventy…five thousand francs。

After the supper; which was magnificent; Philippe; by that time drunk

and confident; went back to his play at midnight。 In defiance of the

rule he had imposed upon himself; he played for an hour and doubled

his fortune。 The bankers; from whom; by his system of playing; he had

extracted one hundred and fifty thousand francs; looked at him with

curiosity。



〃Will he go away now; or will he stay?〃 they said to each other by a

glance。 〃If he stays he is lost。〃



Philippe thought he had struck a vein of luck; and stayed。 Towards

three in the morning; the hundred and fifty thousand francs had gone

back to the bank。 The colonel; who had imbibed a considerable quantity

of grog while playing; left the place in a drunken state; which the

cold of the outer air only increased。 A waiter from the gambling…house

followed him; picked him up; and took him to one of those horrible

houses at the door of which; on a hanging lamp; are the words:

〃Lodgings for the night。〃 The waiter paid for the ruined gambler; who

was put to bed; where he remained till Christmas night。 The managers

of gambling…houses have some consideration for their customers;

especially for high player

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