the two brothers-第4节

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plump；　and　fresh；　with　fine　shoulders　and　a　rather　rosy　complexion。

Her　blond　hair；　bordering　on　chestnut；　showed；　in　spite　of　her

husband's　catastrophe；　not　a　tinge　of　gray。　She　loved　good　cheer；　and

liked　to　concoct　nice　little　made　dishes；　yet；　fond　as　she　was　of

eating；　she　also　adored　the　theatre　and　cherished　a　vice　which　she

wrapped　in　impenetrable　mysteryshe　bought　into　lotteries。　Can　that

be　the　abyss　of　which　mythology　warns　us　under　the　fable　of　the

Danaides　and　their　cask？　Madame　Descoings；　like　other　women　who　are

lucky　enough　to　keep　young　for　many　years；　spend　rather　too　much　upon

her　dress；　but　aside　from　these　trifling　defects　she　was　the

pleasantest　of　women　to　live　with。　Of　every　one's　opinion；　never

opposing　anybody；　her　kindly　and　communicative　gayety　gave　pleasure　to

all。　She　had；　moreover；　a　Parisian　quality　which　charmed　the　retired

clerks　and　elderly　merchants　of　her　circle；she　could　take　and　give　a

jest。　If　she　did　not　marry　a　third　time　it　was　no　doubt　the　fault　of

the　times。　During　the　wars　of　the　Empire；　marrying　men　found　rich　and

handsome　girls　too　easily　to　trouble　themselves　about　women　of　sixty。



Madame　Descoings；　always　anxious　to　cheer　Madame　Bridau；　often　took

the　latter　to　the　theatre；　or　to　drive；　prepared　excellent　little

dinners　for　her　delectation；　and　even　tried　to　marry　her　to　her　own

son　by　her　first　husband；　Bixiou。　Alas！　to　do　this；　she　was　forced　to

reveal　a　terrible　secret；　carefully　kept　by　her；　by　her　late　husband；

and　by　her　notary。　The　young　and　beautiful　Madame　Descoings；　who

passed　for　thirty…six　years　old；　had　a　son　who　was　thirty…five；　named

Bixiou；　already　a　widower；　a　major　in　the　Twenty…Fourth　Infantry；　who

subsequently　perished　at　Lutzen；　leaving　behind　him　an　only　son。

Madame　Descoings；　who　only　saw　her　grandson　secretly；　gave　out　that　he

was　the　son　of　the　first　wife　of　her　first　husband。　The　revelation　was

partly　a　prudential　act；　for　this　grandson　was　being　educated　with

Madame　Bridau's　sons　at　the　Imperial　Lyceum；　where　he　had　a　half…

scholarship。　The　lad；　who　was　clever　and　shrewd　at　school；　soon　after

made　himself　a　great　reputation　as　draughtsman　and　designer；　and　also

as　a　wit。



Agathe；　who　lived　only　for　her　children；　declined　to　re…marry；　as　much

from　good　sense　as　from　fidelity　to　her　husband。　But　it　is　easier　for

a　woman　to　be　a　good　wife　than　to　be　a　good　mother。　A　widow　has　two

tasks　before　her；　whose　duties　clash：　she　is　a　mother；　and　yet　she

must　exercise　parental　authority。　Few　women　are　firm　enough　to

understand　and　practise　this　double　duty。　Thus　it　happened　that

Agathe；　notwithstanding　her　many　virtues；　was　the　innocent　cause　of

great　unhappiness。　In　the　first　place；　through　her　lack　of

intelligence　and　the　blind　confidence　to　which　such　noble　natures　are

prone；　Agathe　fell　a　victim　to　Madame　Descoings；　who　brought　a

terrible　misfortune　on　the　family。　That　worthy　soul　was　nursing　up　a

combination　of　three　numbers　called　a　〃trey〃　in　a　lottery；　and

lotteries　give　no　credit　to　their　customers。　As　manager　of　the　joint

household；　she　was　able　to　pay　up　her　stakes　with　the　money　intended

for　their　current　expenses；　and　she　went　deeper　and　deeper　into　debt；

with　the　hope　of　ultimately　enriching　her　grandson　Bixiou；　her　dear

Agathe；　and　the　little　Bridaus。　When　the　debts　amounted　to　ten

thousand　francs；　she　increased　her　stakes；　trusting　that　her　favorite

trey；　which　had　not　turned　up　in　nine　years；　would　come　at　last；　and

fill　to　overflowing　the　abysmal　deficit。



From　that　moment　the　debt　rolled　up　rapidly。　When　it　reached　twenty

thousand　francs；　Madame　Descoings　lost　her　head；　still　failing　to　win

the　trey。　She　tried　to　mortgage　her　own　property　to　pay　her　niece；　but

Roguin；　who　was　her　notary；　showed　her　the　impossibility　of　carrying

out　that　honorable　intention。　The　late　Doctor　Rouget　had　laid　hold　of

the　property　of　the　brother…in…law　after　the　grocer's　execution；　and

had；　as　it　were；　disinherited　Madame　Descoings　by　securing　to　her　a

life…interest　on　the　property　of　his　own　son；　Jean…Jacques　Rouget。　No

money…lender　would　think　of　advancing　twenty　thousand　francs　to　a

woman　sixty…six　years　of　age；　on　an　annuity　of　about　four　thousand；　at

a　period　when　ten　per　cent　could　easily　be　got　for　an　investment。　So

one　morning　Madame　Descoings　fell　at　the　feet　of　her　niece；　and　with

sobs　confessed　the　state　of　things。　Madame　Bridau　did　not　reproach

her；　she　sent　away　the　footman　and　cook；　sold　all　but　the　bare

necessities　of　her　furniture；　sold　also　three…fourths　of　her

government　funds；　paid　off　the　debts；　and　bade　farewell　to　her

appartement。







CHAPTER　II



One　of　the　worst　corners　in　all　Paris　is　undoubtedly　that　part　of　the

rue　Mazarin　which　lies　between　the　rue　Guenegard　and　its　junction　with

the　rue　de　Seine；　behind　the　palace　of　the　Institute。　The　high　gray

walls　of　the　college　and　of　the　library　which　Cardinal　Mazarin

presented　to　the　city　of　Paris；　and　which　the　French　Academy　was　in

after　days　to　inhabit；　cast　chill　shadows　over　this　angle　of　the

street；　where　the　sun　seldom　shines；　and　the　north　wind　blows。　The

poor　ruined　widow　came　to　live　on　the　third　floor　of　a　house　standing

at　this　damp；　dark；　cold　corner。　Opposite；　rose　the　Institute

buildings；　in　which　were　the　dens　of　ferocious　animals　known　to　the

bourgeoisie　under　the　name　of　artists；under　that　of　tyro；　or　rapin；

in　the　studios。　Into　these　dens　they　enter　rapins；　but　they　may　come

forth　prix　de　Rome。　The　transformation　does　not　take　place　without

extraordinary　uproar　and　disturbance　at　the　time　of　year　when　the

examinations　are　going　on；　and　the　competitors　are　shut　up　in　their

cells。　To　win　a　prize；　they　were　obliged；　within　a　given　time；　to

make；　if　a　sculptor；　a　clay　model；　if　a　painter；　a　picture　such　as　may

be　seen　at　the　Ecole　des　Beaux…Arts；　if　a　musician；　a　cantata；　if　an

architect；　the　plans　for　a　public　building。　At　the　time　when　we　are

penning　the　words；　this　menagerie　has　already　been　removed　from　these

cold　and　cheerless　buildings；　and　taken　to　the　elegant　Palais　des

Beaux…Arts；　which　stands　near　by。



From　the　windows　of　Madame　Bridau's　new　abode；　a　glance　could

penetrate　the　depths　of　those　melancholy　barred　cages。　To　the　north；

the　view　was　shut　in　by　the　dome　of　the　Institute；　looking　up　the

street；　the　only　distraction　to　the　eye　was　a　file　of　hackney…coaches；

which　stood　at　the　upper　end　of　the　rue　Mazarin。　After　a　while；　the

widow　put　boxes　of　earth　in　front　of　her　windows；　and　cultivated　those

aerial　gardens　that　police　regulations　forbid；　though　their　vegetable

products　purify　the　atmosphere。　The　house；　which　backed　up　against

another　fronting　on　the　rue　de　Seine；　was　necessarily　shallow；　and　the

staircase　wound　round　upon　itself。　The　third　floor　was　the　last。　Three

windows　to　three　rooms；　namely；　a　dining…room；　a　small　salon；　and　a

chamber　on　one　side　of　the　landing；　on　the　other；　a　little　kitchen；

and　two　single　rooms；　above；　an　immense　garret　without　partitions。

Madame　Bridau　chose　this　lodging　for　three　reasons：　economy；　for　it

cost　only　four　hundred　francs　a　year；　so　that　she　took　a　lease　of　it

for　nine　years；　proximity　to　her　sons'　school；　the　Imperial　Lyceum

being　at　a　short　distance；　thirdly；　because　it　was　in　the　quarter　to

which　she　was　used。



The　inside　of　the　appartement　was　in　keeping　with　the　general　look　of

the　house。　The　dining…room；　hung　with　a　yellow　paper　covered　with

little　green　flowers；　and　floored　with　tiles　that　were　not　glazed；

contained　nothing　that　was　not　strictly　necessary；namely；　a　table；

two　sideboards；　and　six　chairs；　brought　from　the　other　appartement。

The　salon　was　adorned　with　an　Aubusson　carpet　given　to　Bridau　when　the

ministry　of　the　interior　was　refurnished。　To　the　furniture　of　this

room　the　widow　added　one　of　those　commonplace　mahogany　sofas　with　the

Egyptian　heads　that　Jacob　Desmalter　manufactured　by　the　gross　in　1806；

covering　them　with　a　silken　green　stuff　bearing　a　design　of　white

geometric　circles。　Above　this　piece　of　furniture　hung　a　portrait　of

Bridau；　done　in　pastel　by　the　hand　of　an　amateur；　which　at　once

attracted　the　eye。　Though　art　might　have　something　to　say　against　it；

no　one　could　fail　to　recognize　the　firmness　of　the　noble　and　obscure

citizen　upon　that　brow。　The　serenity　of　the　eyes；　gentle；　yet　proud；

was　well　given；　the　sagacious　mind；　to　which　the　prudent　lips　bore

testimony；　the　frank　smile；　the　atmosphere　of　the　man　of　whom　the

Emperor　had　said；　〃Justum　et　tenacem；〃　had　all　been　caught；　if　not

with　talent；　at　least　with　fidelity。　Studying　that　face；　an　observer

could　see　that　the　man　had　done　his　duty。　His　countenance　bore　signs

of　the　incorruptibility　which　we　attribute　to　several　men　who　served

the　Republic。　On　the　opposite　wall；　over　a　card…table；　flashed　a

picture　of　the　Emperor　in　brilliant　colors；　done　by　Vernet；　Napoleon

was　riding　rapidly；　attended　by　his　escort。



Agathe　had　bestowed