the two brothers-第21节

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sleep　in。　Coloquinte　was　departing　with　the　stamped　papers　on　his

head；　and　Philippe　was　brushing　his　false　sleeves　of　green　linen；　when

Joseph　entered。



〃Bless　me；　here's　the　cub！〃　cried　Philippe。　〃Well；　we'll　go　and　dine

together。　You　shall　go　to　the　opera；　Florine　and　Florentine　have　got　a

box。　I'm　going　with　Giroudeau；　you　shall　be　of　the　party；　and　I'll

introduce　you　to　Nathan。〃



He　took　his　leaded　cane；　and　moistened　a　cigar。



〃I　can't　accept　your　invitation；　I　am　to　take　our　mother　to　dine　at　a

table　d'hote。〃



〃Ah！　how　is　she；　the　poor；　dear　woman？〃



〃She　is　pretty　well；〃　answered　the　painter；　〃I　have　just　repainted　our

father's　portrait；　and　aunt　Descoings's。　I　have　also　painted　my　own；

and　I　should　like　to　give　our　mother　yours；　in　the　uniform　of　the

dragoons　of　the　Imperial　Guard。〃



〃Very　good。〃



〃You　will　have　to　come　and　sit。〃



〃I'm　obliged　to　be　in　this　hen…coop　from　nine　o'clock　till　five。〃



〃Two　Sundays　will　be　enough。〃



〃So　be　it；　little　man；〃　said　Napoleon's　staff　officer；　lighting　his

cigar　at　the　porter's　lamp。



When　Joseph　related　Philippe's　position　to　his　mother；　on　their　way　to

dinner　in　the　rue　de　Beaune；　he　felt　her　arm　tremble　in　his；　and　joy

lighted　up　her　worn　face；　the　poor　soul　breathed　like　one　relieved　of

a　heavy　weight。　The　next　day；　inspired　by　joy　and　gratitude；　she　paid

Joseph　a　number　of　little　attentions；　she　decorated　his　studio　with

flowers；　and　bought　him　two　stands　of　plants。　On　the　first　Sunday　when

Philippe　was　to　sit；　Agathe　arranged　a　charming　breakfast　in　the

studio。　She　laid　it　all　out　on　the　table；　not　forgetting　a　flask　of

brandy；　which；　however；　was　only　half　full。　She　herself　stayed　behind

a　screen；　in　which　she　made　a　little　hole。　The　ex…dragoon　sent　his

uniform　the　night　before；　and　she　had　not　refrained　from　kissing　it。

When　Philippe　was　placed；　in　full　dress；　on　one　of　those　straw　horses；

all　saddled；　which　Joseph　had　hired　for　the　occasion；　Agathe；　fearing

to　betray　her　presence；　mingled　the　soft　sound　of　her　tears　with　the

conversation　of　the　two　brothers。　Philippe　posed　for　two　hours　before

and　two　hours　after　breakfast。　At　three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　he

put　on　his　ordinary　clothes　and；　as　he　lighted　a　cigar；　he　proposed　to

his　brother　to　go　and　dine　together　in　the　Palais…Royal；　jingling　gold

in　his　pocket　as　he　spoke。



〃No；〃　said　Joseph；　〃it　frightens　me　to　see　gold　about　you。〃



〃Ah！　you'll　always　have　a　bad　opinion　of　me　in　this　house；〃　cried　the

colonel　in　a　thundering　voice。　〃Can't　I　save　my　money；　too？〃



〃Yes；　yes！〃　cried　Agathe；　coming　out　of　her　hiding…place；　and　kissing

her　son。　〃Let　us　go　and　dine　with　him；　Joseph！〃



Joseph　dared　not　scold　his　mother。　He　went　and　dressed　himself；　and

Philippe　took　them　to　the　Rocher　de　Cancale；　where　he　gave　them　a

splendid　dinner；　the　bill　for　which　amounted　to　a　hundred　francs。



〃The　devil！〃　muttered　Joseph　uneasily；　〃with　an　income　of　eleven

hundred　francs　you　manage；　like　Ponchard　in　the　'Dame　Blance；'　to　save

enough　to　buy　estates。〃



〃Bah；　I'm　on　a　run　of　luck；〃　answered　the　dragoon；　who　had　drunk

enormously。



Hearing　this　speech　just　as　they　were　on　the　steps　of　the　cafe；　and

before　they　got　into　the　carriage　to　go　to　the　theatre；for　Philippe

was　to　take　his　mother　to　the　Cirque…Olympique　（the　only　theatre　her

confessor　allowed　her　to　visit）；Joseph　pinched　his　mother's　arm。　She

at　once　pretended　to　feel　unwell；　and　refused　to　go　the　theatre；

Philippe　accordingly　took　them　back　to　the　rue　Mazarin；　where；　as　soon

as　she　was　alone　with　Joseph　in　her　garret；　Agathe　fell　into　a　gloomy

silence。



The　following　Sunday　Philippe　came　again。　This　time　his　mother　was

visibly　present　at　the　sitting。　She　served　the　breakfast；　and　put

several　questions　to　the　dragoon。　She　then　learned　that　the　nephew　of

old　Madame　Hochon；　the　friend　of　her　mother；　played　a　considerable

part　in　literature。　Philippe　and　his　friend　Giroudeau　lived　among　a

circle　of　journalists；　actresses；　and　booksellers；　where　they　were

regarded　in　the　light　of　cashiers。　Philippe；　who　had　been　drinking

kirsch　before　posing；　was　loquacious。　He　boasted　that　he　was　about　to

become　a　great　man。　But　when　Joseph　asked　a　question　as　to　his

pecuniary　resources　he　was　dumb。　It　so　happened　that　there　was　no

newspaper　on　the　following　day；　it　being　a　fete；　and　to　finish　the

picture　Philippe　proposed　to　sit　again　on　the　morrow。　Joseph　told　him

that　the　Salon　was　close　at　hand；　and　as　he　did　not　have　the　money　to

buy　two　frames　for　the　pictures　he　wished　to　exhibit；　he　was　forced　to

procure　it　by　finishing　a　copy　of　a　Rubens　which　had　been　ordered　by

Elie　Magus；　the　picture…dealer。　The　original　belonged　to　a　wealthy

Swiss　banker；　who　had　only　lent　it　for　ten　days；　and　the　next　day　was

the　last；　the　sitting　must　therefore　be　put　off　till　the　following

Sunday。



〃Is　that　it？〃　asked　Philippe；　pointing　to　a　picture　by　Rubens　on　an

easel。



〃Yes；〃　replied　Joseph；　〃it　is　worth　twenty　thousand　francs。　That's

what　genius　can　do。　It　will　take　me　all　to…morrow　to　get　the　tones　of

the　original　and　make　the　copy　look　so　old　it　can't　be　distinguished

from　it。〃



〃Adieu；　mother；〃　said　Philippe；　kissing　Agathe。　〃Next　Sunday；　then。〃



The　next　day　Elie　Magus　was　to　come　for　his　copy。　Joseph's　friend；

Pierre　Grassou；　who　was　working　for　the　same　dealer；　wanted　to　see　it

when　finished。　To　play　him　a　trick；　Joseph；　when　he　heard　his　knock；

put　the　copy；　which　was　varnished　with　a　special　glaze　of　his　own；　in

place　of　the　original；　and　put　the　original　on　his　easel。　Pierre

Grassou　was　completely　taken　in；　and　then　amazed　and　delighted　at

Joseph's　success。



〃Do　you　think　it　will　deceive　old　Magus？〃　he　said　to　Joseph。



〃We　shall　see；〃　answered　the　latter。



The　dealer　did　not　come　as　he　had　promised。　It　was　getting　late；

Agathe　dined　that　day　with　Madame　Desroches；　who　had　lately　lost　her

husband；　and　Joseph　proposed　to　Pierre　Grassou　to　dine　at　his　table

d'hote。　As　he　went　out　he　left　the　key　of　his　studio　with　the

concierge。



An　hour　later　Philippe　appeared　and　said　to　the　concierge；



〃I　am　to　sit　this　evening；　Joseph　will　be　in　soon；　and　I　will　wait　for

him　in　the　studio。〃



The　woman　gave　him　the　key；　Philippe　went　upstairs；　took　the　copy；

thinking　it　was　the　original；　and　went　down　again；　returned　the　key　to

the　concierge　with　the　excuse　that　he　had　forgotten　something；　and

hurried　off　to　sell　his　Rubens　for　three　thousand　francs。　He　had　taken

the　precaution　to　convey　a　message　from　his　brother　to　Elie　Magus；

asking　him　not　to　call　till　the　following　day。



That　evening　when　Joseph　returned；　bringing　his　mother　from　Madame

Desroches's；　the　concierge　told　him　of　Philippe's　freak；how　he　had

called　intending　to　wait；　and　gone　away　again　immediately。



〃I　am　ruinedunless　he　has　had　the　delicacy　to　take　the　copy；〃　cried

the　painter；　instantly　suspecting　the　theft。　He　ran　rapidly　up　the

three　flights　and　rushed　into　his　studio。　〃God　be　praised！〃　he

ejaculated。　〃He　is；　what　he　always　has　been；　a　vile　scoundrel。〃



Agathe；　who　had　followed　Joseph；　did　not　understand　what　he　was

saying；　but　when　her　son　explained　what　had　happened；　she　stood　still；

with　the　tears　in　her　eyes。



〃Have　I　but　one　son？〃　she　said　in　a　broken　voice。



〃We　have　never　yet　degraded　him　to　the　eyes　of　strangers；〃　said

Joseph；　〃but　we　must　now　warn　the　concierge。　In　future　we　shall　have

to　keep　the　keys　ourselves。　I'll　finish　his　blackguard　face　from

memory；　there's　not　much　to　do　to　it。〃



〃Leave　it　as　it　is；　it　will　pain　me　too　much　ever　to　look　at　it；〃

answered　the　mother；　heart…stricken　and　stupefied　at　such　wickedness。



Philippe　had　been　told　how　the　money　for　this　copy　was　to　be　expended；

moreover　he　knew　the　abyss　into　which　he　would　plunge　his　brother

through　the　loss　of　the　Rubens；　but　nothing　restrained　him。　After　this

last　crime　Agathe　never　mentioned　him；　her　face　acquired　an　expression

of　cold　and　concentrated　and　bitter　despair；　one　thought　took

possession　of　her　mind。



〃Some　day；〃　she　said　to　herself；　〃we　shall　hear　of　a　Bridau　in　the

police　courts。〃



Two　months　later；　as　Agathe　was　about　to　start　for　her　office；　an　old

officer；　who　announced　himself　as　a　friend　of　Philippe　on　urgent

business；　called　on　Madame　Bridau；　who　happened　to　be　in　Joseph's

studio。



When　Giroudeau　gave　his　name；　mother　and　son　trembled；　and　none　the

less　because　the　ex…dragoon　had　the　face　of　a　tough　old　sailor　of　the

worst　type。　His　fishy　gray　eyes；　his　piebald　moustache；　the　remains　of

his　shaggy　hair　fringing　a　skull　that　was　the　color　of　fresh　butter；

all　gave　an　indescribably　debauched　and　libidinous　expression　to　his

appearance。　He　wore　an　old　iron…gray　overcoat　decorated　with　the　red

ribbon　of　an　officer　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　which　met　with　difficulty

over　a　gastronomic　stomach　in　keeping　with　a　mouth　that　stre