the two brothers-第19节

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observer　might　watch　with　curiosity　the　crowd　of　old　women；　cooks；　and

old　men　assembled　about　the　door　of　this　building；　a　sight　as

remarkable　as　the　cue　of　people　about　the　Treasury　on　the　days　when

the　dividends　are　paid。



〃Well；　here　you　are；　rolling　in　wealth！〃　said　old　Desroches；　coming

into　the　room　just　as　the　Descoings　was　swallowing　her　last　drop　of

coffee。



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　cried　poor　Agathe。



〃Her　trey　has　turned　up；〃　he　said；　producing　the　list　of　numbers

written　on　a　bit　of　paper；　such　as　the　officials　of　the　lottery　put　by

hundreds　into　little　wooden　bowls　on　their　counters。



Joseph　read　the　list。　Agathe　read　the　list。　The　Descoings　read

nothing；　she　was　struck　down　as　by　a　thunderbolt。　At　the　change　in　her

face；　at　the　cry　she　gave；　old　Desroches　and　Joseph　carried　her　to　her

bed。　Agathe　went　for　a　doctor。　The　poor　woman　was　seized　with

apoplexy；　and　she　only　recovered　consciousness　at　four　in　the

afternoon；　old　Haudry；　her　doctor；　then　said　that；　in　spite　of　this

improvement；　she　ought　to　settle　her　worldly　affairs　and　think　of　her

salvation。　She　herself　only　uttered　two　words：



〃Three　millions！〃



Old　Desroches；　informed　by　Joseph；　with　due　reservations；　of　the　state

of　things；　related　many　instances　where　lottery…players　had　seen　a

fortune　escape　them　on　the　very　day　when；　by　some　fatality；　they　had

forgotten　to　pay　their　stakes；　but　he　thoroughly　understood　that　such

a　blow　might　be　fatal　when　it　came　after　twenty　years'　perseverance。

About　five　o'clock；　as　a　deep　silence　reigned　in　the　little

appartement；　and　the　sick　woman；　watched　by　Joseph　and　his　mother；　the

one　sitting　at　the　foot；　the　other　at　the　head　of　her　bed；　was

expecting　her　grandson　Bixiou；　whom　Desroches　had　gone　to　fetch；　the

sound　of　Philippe's　step　and　cane　resounded　on　the　staircase。



〃There　he　is！　there　he　is！〃　cried　the　Descoings；　sitting　up　in　bed　and

suddenly　able　to　use　her　paralyzed　tongue。



Agathe　and　Joseph　were　deeply　impressed　by　this　powerful　effect　of　the

horror　which　violently　agitated　the　old　woman。　Their　painful　suspense

was　soon　ended　by　the　sight　of　Philippe's　convulsed　and　purple　face；

his　staggering　walk；　and　the　horrible　state　of　his　eyes；　which　were

deeply　sunken；　dull；　and　yet　haggard；　he　had　a　strong　chill　upon　him；

and　his　teeth　chattered。



〃Starvation　in　Prussia！〃　he　cried；　looking　about　him。　〃Nothing　to　eat

or　drink？and　my　throat　on　fire！　Well；　what's　the　matter？　The　devil

is　always　meddling　in　our　affairs。　There's　my　old　Descoings　in　bed；

looking　at　me　with　her　eyes　as　big　as　saucers。〃



〃Be　silent；　monsieur！〃　said　Agathe；　rising。　〃At　least；　respect　the

sorrows　you　have　caused。〃



〃MONSIEUR；　indeed！〃　he　cried；　looking　at　his　mother。　〃My　dear　little

mother；　that　won't　do。　Have　you　ceased　to　love　your　son？〃



〃Are　you　worthy　of　love？　Have　you　forgotten　what　you　did　yesterday？　Go

and　find　yourself　another　home；　you　cannot　live　with　us　any　longer；

that　is；　after　to…morrow；〃　she　added；　〃for　in　the　state　you　are　in　now

it　is　difficult〃



〃To　turn　me　out；is　that　it？〃　he　interrupted。　〃Ha！　are　you　going　to

play　the　melodrama　of　'The　Banished　Son'？　Well　done！　is　that　how　you

take　things？　You　are　all　a　pretty　set！　What　harm　have　I　done？　I've

cleaned　out　the　old　woman's　mattress。　What　the　devil　is　the　good　of

money　kept　in　wool？　Do　you　call　that　a　crime？　Didn't　she　take　twenty

thousand　francs　from　you？　We　are　her　creditors；　and　I've　paid　myself

as　much　as　I　could　get；that's　all。〃



〃My　God！　my　God！〃　cried　the　dying　woman；　clasping　her　hands　and

praying。



〃Be　silent！〃　exclaimed　Joseph；　springing　at　his　brother　and　putting

his　hand　before　his　mouth。



〃To　the　right　about；　march！　brat　of　a　painter！〃　retorted　Philippe；

laying　his　strong　hand　on　Joseph's　head；　and　twirling　him　round；　as　he

flung　him　on　a　sofa。　〃Don't　dare　to　touch　the　moustache　of　a　commander

of　a　squadron　of　the　dragoons　of　the　Guard！〃



〃She　has　paid　me　back　all　that　she　owed　me；〃　cried　Agathe；　rising　and

turning　an　angry　face　to　her　son；　〃and　besides；　that　is　my　affair。　You

have　killed　her。　Go　away；　my　son；〃　she　added；　with　a　gesture　that　took

all　her　remaining　strength；　〃and　never　let　me　see　you　again。　You　are　a

monster。〃



〃I　kill　her？〃



〃Her　trey　has　turned　up；〃　cried　Joseph；　〃and　you　stole　the　money　for

her　stake。〃



〃Well；　if　she　is　dying　of　a　lost　trey；　it　isn't　I　who　have　killed

her；〃　said　the　drunkard。



〃Go；　go！〃　said　Agathe。　〃You　fill　me　with　horror；　you　have　every　vice。

My　God！　is　this　my　son？〃



A　hollow　rattle　sounded　in　Madame　Descoings's　throat；　increasing

Agathe's　anger。



〃I　love　you　still；　my　mother；you　who　are　the　cause　of　all　my

misfortunes；〃　said　Philippe。　〃You　turn　me　out　of　doors　on　Christmas…

day。　What　did　you　do　to　grandpa　Rouget；　to　your　father；　that　he　should

drive　you　away　and　disinherit　you？　If　you　had　not　displeased　him；　we

should　all　be　rich　now；　and　I　should　not　be　reduced　to　misery。　What

did　you　do　to　your　father；you　who　are　a　good　woman？　You　see　by　your

own　self；　I　may　be　a　good　fellow　and　yet　be　turned　out　of　house　and

home；I；　the　glory　of　the　family〃



〃The　disgrace　of　it！〃　cried　the　Descoings。



〃You　shall　leave　this　room；　or　you　shall　kill　me！〃　cried　Joseph；

springing　on　his　brother　with　the　fury　of　a　lion。



〃My　God！　my　God！〃　cried　Agathe；　trying　to　separate　the　brothers。



At　this　moment　Bixiou　and　Haudry　the　doctor　entered。　Joseph　had　just

knocked　his　brother　over　and　stretched　him　on　the　ground。



〃He　is　a　regular　wild　beast；〃　he　cried。　〃Don't　speak　another　word；　or

I'll〃



〃I'll　pay　you　for　this！〃　roared　Philippe。



〃A　family　explanation；〃　remarked　Bixiou。



〃Lift　him　up；〃　said　the　doctor；　looking　at　him。　〃He　is　as　ill　as

Madame　Descoings；　undress　him　and　put　him　to　bed；　get　off　his　boots。〃



〃That's　easy　to　say；〃　cried　Bixiou；　〃but　they　must　be　cut　off；　his

legs　are　swollen。〃



Agathe　took　a　pair　of　scissors。　When　she　had　cut　down　the　boots；　which

in　those　days　were　worn　outside　the　clinging　trousers；　ten　pieces　of

gold　rolled　on　the　floor。



〃There　it　is；her　money；〃　murmured　Philippe。　〃Cursed　fool　that　I　was；

I　forgot　it。　I　too　have　missed　a　fortune。〃



He　was　seized　with　a　horrible　delirium　of　fever；　and　began　to　rave。

Joseph；　assisted　by　old　Desroches；　who　had　come　back；　and　by　Bixiou；

carried　him　to　his　room。　Doctor　Haudry　was　obliged　to　write　a　line　to

the　Hopital　de　la　Charite　and　borrow　a　strait…waistcoat；　for　the

delirium　ran　so　high　as　to　make　him　fear　that　Philippe　might　kill

himself；he　was　raving。　At　nine　o'clock　calm　was　restored。　The　Abbe

Loraux　and　Desroches　endeavored　to　comfort　Agathe；　who　never　ceased　to

weep　at　her　aunt's　bedside。　She　listened　to　them　in　silence；　and

obstinately　shook　her　head；　Joseph　and　the　Descoings　alone　knew　the

extent　and　depth　of　her　inward　wound。



〃He　will　learn　to　do　better；　mother；〃　said　Joseph；　when　Desroches　and

Bixiou　had　left。



〃Oh！〃　cried　the　widow；　〃Philippe　is　right；my　father　cursed　me：　I

have　no　right　to　Here；　here　is　your　money；〃　she　said　to　Madame

Descoings；　adding　Joseph's　three　hundred　francs　to　the　two　hundred

found　on　Philippe。　〃Go　and　see　if　your　brother　does　not　need

something；〃　she　said　to　Joseph。



〃Will　you　keep　a　promise　made　to　a　dying　woman？〃　asked　Madame

Descoings；　who　felt　that　her　mind　was　failing　her。



〃Yes；　aunt。〃



〃Then　swear　to　me　to　give　your　property　to　young　Desroches　for　a　life

annuity。　My　income　ceases　at　my　death；　and　from　what　you　have　just

said；　I　know　you　will　let　that　wretch　wring　the　last　farthing　out　of

you。〃



〃I　swear　it；　aunt。〃



The　old　woman　died　on　the　31st　of　December；　five　days　after　the

terrible　blow　which　old　Desroches　had　so　innocently　given　her。　The

five　hundred　francsthe　only　money　in　the　householdwere　barely

enough　to　pay　for　her　funeral。　She　left　a　small　amount　of　silver　and

some　furniture；　the　value　of　which　Madame　Bixiou　paid　over　to　her

grandson　Bixiou。　Reduced　to　eight　hundred　francs'　annuity　paid　to　her

by　young　Desroches；　who　had　bought　a　business　without　clients；　and

himself　took　the　capital　of　twelve　thousand　francs；　Agathe　gave　up　her

appartement　on　the　third　floor；　and　sold　all　her　superfluous

furniture。　When；　at　the　end　of　a　month；　Philippe　seemed　to　be

convalescent；　his　mother　coldly　explained　to　him　that　the　costs　of　his

illness　had　taken　all　her　ready　money；　that　she　should　be　obliged　in

future　to　work　for　her　living；　and　she　urged　him；　with　the　utmost

kindness；　to　re…enter　the　army　and　support　himself。



〃You　might　have　spared　me　that　sermon；〃　said　Philippe；　looking　at　his

mother　with　an　eye　that　was　cold　from　utter　indifference。　〃I　have　seen

all　along　that　neither　you　nor　my　brother　love　me。　I　am　alone　in　the

world；　I　like　it　best！〃



〃Make　yourself　worthy　of　our　affection；〃　answered　the　poor　mother；

struck　to　the　very　heart；　〃and　we　will　give　it　back　to　you〃