the two brothers-第20节

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

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



〃Nonsense！〃　he　cried；　interrupting　her。



He　took　his　old　hat；　rubbed　white　at　the　edges；　stuck　it　over　one　ear；

and　went　downstairs；　whistling。



〃Philippe！　where　are　you　going　without　any　money？〃　cried　his　mother；

who　could　not　repress　her　tears。　〃Here；　take　this〃



She　held　out　to　him　a　hundred　francs　in　gold；　wrapped　up　in　paper。

Philippe　came　up　the　stairs　he　had　just　descended；　and　took　the　money。



〃Well；　won't　you　kiss　me？〃　she　said；　bursting　into　tears。



He　pressed　his　mother　in　his　arms；　but　without　the　warmth　of　feeling

which　was　all　that　could　give　value　to　the　embrace。



〃Where　shall　you　go？〃　asked　Agathe。



〃To　Florentine；　Girodeau's　mistress。　Ah！　they　are　real　friends！〃　he

answered　brutally。



He　went　away。　Agathe　turned　back　with　trembling　limbs；　and　failing

eyes；　and　aching　heart。　She　fell　upon　her　knees；　prayed　God　to　take

her　unnatural　child　into　His　own　keeping；　and　abdicated　her　woeful

motherhood。







CHAPTER　VI



By　February；　1822；　Madame　Bridau　had　settled　into　the　attic　room

recently　occupied　by　Philippe；　which　was　over　the　kitchen　of　her

former　appartement。　The　painter's　studio　and　bedroom　was　opposite；　on

the　other　side　of　the　staircase。　When　Joseph　saw　his　mother　thus

reduced；　he　was　determined　to　make　her　as　comfortable　as　possible。

After　his　brother's　departure　he　assisted　in　the　re…arrangement　of　the

garret　room；　to　which　he　gave　an　artist's　touch。　He　added　a　rug；　the

bed；　simple　in　character　but　exquisite　in　taste；　had　something

monastic　about　it；　the　walls；　hung　with　a　cheap　glazed　cotton　selected

with　taste；　of　a　color　which　harmonized　with　the　furniture　and　was

newly　covered；　gave　the　room　an　air　of　elegance　and　nicety。　In　the

hallway　he　added　a　double　door；　with　a　〃portiere〃　to　the　inner　one。

The　window　was　shaded　by　a　blind　which　gave　soft　tones　to　the　light。

If　the　poor　mother's　life　was　reduced　to　the　plainest　circumstances

that　the　life　of　any　woman　could　have　in　Paris；　Agathe　was　at　least

better　off　than　all　others　in　a　like　case；　thanks　to　her　son。



To　save　his　mother　from　the　cruel　cares　of　such　reduced　housekeeping；

Joseph　took　her　every　day　to　dine　at　a　table…d'hote　in　the　rue　de

Beaune；　frequented　by　well…bred　women；　deputies；　and　titled　people；

where　each　person's　dinner　cost　ninety　francs　a　month。　Having　nothing

but　the　breakfast　to　provide；　Agathe　took　up　for　her　son　the　old

habits　she　had　formerly　had　with　the　father。　But　in　spite　of　Joseph's

pious　lies；　she　discovered　the　fact　that　her　dinner　was　costing　him

nearly　a　hundred　francs　a　month。　Alarmed　at　such　enormous　expense；　and

not　imaging　that　her　son　could　earn　much　money　by　painting　naked

women；　she　obtained；　thanks　to　her　confessor；　the　Abbe　Loraux；　a　place

worth　seven　hundred　francs　a　year　in　a　lottery…office　belonging　to　the

Comtesse　de　Bauvan；　the　widow　of　a　Chouan　leader。　The　lottery…offices

of　the　government；　the　lot；　as　one　might　say；　of　privileged　widows；

ordinarily　sufficed　for　the　support　of　the　family　of　each　person　who

managed　them。　But　after　the　Restoration　the　difficulty　of　rewarding；

within　the　limits　of　constitutional　government；　all　the　services

rendered　to　the　cause；　led　to　the　custom　of　giving　to　reduced　women　of

title　not　only　one　but　two　lottery…offices；　worth；　usually；　from　six

to　ten　thousand　a　year。　In　such　cases；　the　widow　of　a　general　or

nobleman　thus　〃protected〃　did　not　keep　the　lottery…office　herself；　she

employed　a　paid　manager。　When　these　managers　were　young　men　they　were

obliged　to　employ　an　assistant；　for；　according　to　law；　the　offices　had

to　be　kept　open　till　midnight；　moreover；　the　reports　required　by　the

minister　of　finance　involved　considerable　writing。　The　Comtesse　de

Bauvan；　to　whom　the　Abbe　Loraux　explained　the　circumstances　of　the

widow　Bridau；　promised；　in　case　her　manager　should　leave；　to　give　the

place　to　Agathe；　meantime　she　stipulated　that　the　widow　should　be

taken　as　assistant；　and　receive　a　salary　of　six　hundred　francs。　Poor

Agathe；　who　was　obliged　to　be　at　the　office　by　ten　in　the　morning；　had

scarcely　time　to　get　her　dinner。　She　returned　to　her　work　at　seven　in

the　evening；　remaining　there　till　midnight。　Joseph　never；　for　two

years；　failed　to　fetch　his　mother　at　night；　and　bring　her　back　to　the

rue　Mazarin；　and　often　he　went　to　take　her　to　dinner；　his　friends

frequently　saw　him　leave　the　opera　or　some　brilliant　salon　to　be

punctually　at　midnight　at　the　office　in　the　rue　Vivienne。



Agathe　soon　acquired　the　monotonous　regularity　of　life　which　becomes　a

stay　and　a　support　to　those　who　have　endured　the　shock　of　violent

sorrows。　In　the　morning；　after　doing　up　her　room；　in　which　there　were

no　longer　cats　and　little　birds；　she　prepared　the　breakfast　at　her　own

fire　and　carried　it　into　the　studio；　where　she　ate　it　with　her　son。

She　then　arranged　Joseph's　bedroom；　put　out　the　fire　in　her　own

chamber；　and　brought　her　sewing　to　the　studio；　where　she　sat　by　the

little　iron　stove；　leaving　the　room　if　a　comrade　or　a　model　entered

it。　Though　she　understood　nothing　whatever　of　art；　the　silence　of　the

studio　suited　her。　In　the　matter　of　art　she　made　not　the　slightest

progress；　she　attempted　no　hypocrisy；　she　was　utterly　amazed　at　the

importance　they　all　attached　to　color；　composition；　drawing。　When　the

Cenacle　friends　or　some　brother…painter；　like　Schinner；　Pierre

Grassou；　Leon　de　Lora；a　very　youthful　〃rapin〃　who　was　called　at　that

time　Mistigris；discussed　a　picture；　she　would　come　back　afterwards；

examine　it　attentively；　and　discover　nothing　to　justify　their　fine

words　and　their　hot　disputes。　She　made　her　son's　shirts；　she　mended

his　stockings；　she　even　cleaned　his　palette；　supplied　him　with　rags　to

wipe　his　brushes；　and　kept　things　in　order　in　the　studio。　Seeing　how

much　thought　his　mother　gave　to　these　little　details；　Joseph　heaped

attentions　upon　her　in　return。　If　mother　and　son　had　no　sympathies　in

the　matter　of　art；　they　were　at　least　bound　together　by　signs　of

tenderness。　The　mother　had　a　purpose。　One　morning　as　she　was　petting

Joseph　while　he　was　sketching　a　large　picture　（finished　in　after　years

and　never　understood）；　she　said；　as　it　were；　casually　and　aloud；



〃My　God！　what　is　he　doing？〃



〃Doing？　who？〃



〃Philippe。〃



〃Oh；　ah！　he's　sowing　his　wild　oats；　that　fellow　will　make　something　of

himself　by　and　by。〃



〃But　he　has　gone　through　the　lesson　of　poverty；　perhaps　it　was　poverty

which　changed　him　to　what　he　is。　If　he　were　prosperous　he　would　be

good〃



〃You　think；　my　dear　mother；　that　he　suffered　during　that　journey　of

his。　You　are　mistaken；　he　kept　carnival　in　New　York　just　as　he　does

here〃



〃But　if　he　is　suffering　at　this　moment；　near　to　us；　would　it　not　be

horrible？〃



〃Yes；〃　replied　Joseph。　〃For　my　part；　I　will　gladly　give　him　some

money；　but　I　don't　want　to　see　him；　he　killed　our　poor　Descoings。〃



〃So；〃　resumed　Agathe；　〃you　would　not　be　willing　to　paint　his

portrait？〃



〃For　you；　dear　mother；　I'd　suffer　martyrdom。　I　can　make　myself

remember　nothing　except　that　he　is　my　brother。〃



〃His　portrait　as　a　captain　of　dragoons　on　horseback？〃



〃Yes；　I've　a　copy　of　a　fine　horse　by　Gros　and　I　haven't　any　use　for

it。〃



〃Well；　then；　go　and　see　that　friend　of　his　and　find　out　what　has

become　of　him。〃



〃I'll　go！〃



Agathe　rose；　her　scissors　and　work　fell　at　her　feet；　she　went　and

kissed　Joseph's　head；　and　dropped　two　tears　on　his　hair。



〃He　is　your　passion；　that　fellow；〃　said　the　painter。　〃We　all　have　our

hopeless　passions。〃



That　afternoon；　about　four　o'clock；　Joseph　went　to　the　rue　du　Sentier

and　found　his　brother；　who　had　taken　Giroudeau's　place。　The　old

dragoon　had　been　promoted　to　be　cashier　of　a　weekly　journal

established　by　his　nephew。　Although　Finot　was　still　proprietor　of　the

other　newspaper；　which　he　had　divided　into　shares；　holding　all　the

shares　himself；　the　proprietor　and　editor　〃de　visu〃　was　one　of　his

friends；　named　Lousteau；　the　son　of　that　very　sub…delegate　of　Issoudun

on　whom　the　Bridaus'　grandfather；　Doctor　Rouget；　had　vowed　vengeance；

consequently　he　was　the　nephew　of　Madame　Hochon。　To　make　himself

agreeable　to　his　uncle；　Finot　gave　Philippe　the　place　Giroudeau　was

quitting；　cutting　off；　however；　half　the　salary。　Moreover；　daily；　at

five　o'clock；　Giroudeau　audited　the　accounts　and　carried　away　the

receipts。　Coloquinte；　the　old　veteran；　who　was　the　office　boy　and　did

errands；　also　kept　an　eye　on　the　slippery　Philippe；　who　was；　however；

behaving　properly。　A　salary　of　six　hundred　francs；　and　the　five

hundred　of　his　cross　sufficed　him　to　live；　all　the　more　because；

living　in　a　warm　office　all　day　and　at　the　theatre　on　a　free　pass

every　evening；　he　had　only　to　provide　himself　with　food　and　a　place　to

sleep　in。　Coloquinte　was　departing　with　the　stamped　papers　on