the two brothers-第6节

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was；　〃What　sort　of　state　shall　I　find　him　in？〃　These　trifles　drove　her

heart　into　the　gulf　of　maternal　preference。



No　one　among　the　very　ordinary　persons　who　made　the　society　of　the　two

widowsneither　old　Du　Bruel　nor　old　Claparon；　nor　Desroches　the

father；　nor　even　the　Abbe　Loraux；　Agathe's　confessornoticed　Joseph's

faculty　for　observation。　Absorbed　in　the　line　of　his　own　tastes；　the

future　colorist　paid　no　attention　to　anything　that　concerned　himself。

During　his　childhood　this　disposition　was　so　like　torpor　that　his

father　grew　uneasy　about　him。　The　remarkable　size　of　the　head　and　the

width　of　the　brow　roused　a　fear　that　the　child　might　be　liable　to

water　on　the　brain。　His　distressful　face；　whose　originality　was

thought　ugliness　by　those　who　had　no　eye　for　the　moral　value　of　a

countenance；　wore　rather　a　sullen　expression　during　his　childhood。　The

features；　which　developed　later　in　life；　were　pinched；　and　the　close

attention　the　child　paid　to　what　went　on　about　him　still　further

contracted　them。　Philippe　flattered　his　mother's　vanity；　but　Joseph

won　no　compliments。　Philippe　sparkled　with　the　clever　sayings　and

lively　answers　that　lead　parents　to　believe　their　boys　will　turn　out

remarkable　men；　Joseph　was　taciturn；　and　a　dreamer。　The　mother　hoped

great　things　of　Philippe；　and　expected　nothing　of　Joseph。



Joseph's　predilection　for　art　was　developed　by　a　very　commonplace

incident。　During　the　Easter　holidays　of　1812；　as　he　was　coming　home

from　a　walk　in　the　Tuileries　with　his　brother　and　Madame　Descoings；　he

saw　a　pupil　drawing　a　caricature　of　some　professor　on　the　wall　of　the

Institute；　and　stopped　short　with　admiration　at　the　charcoal　sketch；

which　was　full　of　satire。　The　next　day　the　child　stood　at　the　window

watching　the　pupils　as　they　entered　the　building　by　the　door　on　the

rue　Mazarin；　then　he　ran　downstairs　and　slipped　furtively　into　the

long　courtyard　of　the　Institute；　full　of　statues；　busts；　half…finished

marbles；　plasters；　and　baked　clays；　at　all　of　which　he　gazed

feverishly；　for　his　instinct　was　awakened；　and　his　vocation　stirred

within　him。　He　entered　a　room　on　the　ground…floor；　the　door　of　which

was　half　open；　and　there　he　saw　a　dozen　young　men　drawing　from　a

statue；　who　at　once　began　to　make　fun　of　him。



〃Hi！　little　one；〃　cried　the　first　to　see　him；　taking　the　crumbs　of　his

bread　and　scattering　them　at　the　child。



〃Whose　child　is　he？〃



〃Goodness；　how　ugly！〃



For　a　quarter　of　an　hour　Joseph　stood　still　and　bore　the　brunt　of　much

teasing　in　the　atelier　of　the　great　sculptor；　Chaudet。　But　after

laughing　at　him　for　a　time；　the　pupils　were　struck　with　his

persistency　and　with　the　expression　of　his　face。　They　asked　him　what

he　wanted。　Joseph　answered　that　he　wished　to　know　how　to　draw；

thereupon　they　all　encouraged　him。　Won　by　such　friendliness；　the　child

told　them　he　was　Madame　Bridau's　son。



〃Oh！　if　you　are　Madame　Bridau's　son；〃　they　cried；　from　all　parts　of

the　room；　〃you　will　certainly　be　a　great　man。　Long　live　the　son　of

Madame　Bridau！　Is　your　mother　pretty？　If　you　are　a　sample　of　her；　she

must　be　stylish！〃



〃Ha！　you　want　to　be　an　artist？〃　said　the　eldest　pupil；　coming　up　to

Joseph；　〃but　don't　you　know　that　that　requires　pluck；　you'll　have　to

bear　all　sorts　of　trials；yes；　trials；enough　to　break　your　legs　and

arms　and　soul　and　body。　All　the　fellows　you　see　here　have　gone　through

regular　ordeals。　That　one；　for　instance；　he　went　seven　days　without

eating！　Let　me　see；　now；　if　you　can　be　an　artist。〃



He　took　one　of　the　child's　arms　and　stretched　it　straight　up　in　the

air；　then　he　placed　the　other　arm　as　if　Joseph　were　in　the　act　of

delivering　a　blow　with　his　fist。



〃Now　that's　what　we　call　the　telegraph　trial；〃　said　the　pupil。　〃If　you

can　stand　like　that；　without　lowering　or　changing　the　position　of　your

arms　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　then　you'll　have　proved　yourself　a

plucky　one。〃



〃Courage；　little　one；　courage！〃　cried　all　the　rest。　〃You　must　suffer

if　you　want　to　be　an　artist。〃



Joseph；　with　the　good　faith　of　his　thirteen　years；　stood　motionless

for　five　minutes；　all　the　pupils　gazing　solemnly　at　him。



〃There！　you　are　moving；〃　cried　one。



〃Steady；　steady；　confound　you！〃　cried　another。



〃The　Emperor　Napoleon　stood　a　whole　month　as　you　see　him　there；〃　said

a　third；　pointing　to　the　fine　statue　by　Chaudet；　which　was　in　the

room。



That　statue；　which　represents　the　Emperor　standing　with　the　Imperial

sceptre　in　his　hand；　was　torn　down　in　1814　from　the　column　it

surmounted　so　well。



At　the　end　of　ten　minutes　the　sweat　stood　in　drops　on　Joseph's

forehead。　At　that　moment　a　bald…headed　little　man；　pale　and　sickly　in

appearance；　entered　the　atelier；　where　respectful　silence　reigned　at

once。



〃What　you　are　about；　you　urchins？〃　he　exclaimed；　as　he　looked　at　the

youthful　martyr。



〃That　is　a　good　little　fellow；　who　is　posing；〃　said　the　tall　pupil　who

had　placed　Joseph。



〃Are　you　not　ashamed　to　torture　a　poor　child　in　that　way？〃　said

Chaudet；　lowering　Joseph's　arms。　〃How　long　have　you　been　standing

there？〃　he　asked　the　boy；　giving　him　a　friendly　little　pat　on　the

cheek。



〃A　quarter　of　an　hour。〃



〃What　brought　you　here？〃



〃I　want　to　be　an　artist。〃



〃Where　do　you　belong？　where　do　you　come　from？〃



〃From　mamma's　house。〃



〃Oh！　mamma！〃　cried　the　pupils。



〃Silence　at　the　easels！〃　cried　Chaudet。　〃Who　is　your　mamma？〃



〃She　is　Madame　Bridau。　My　papa；　who　is　dead；　was　a　friend　of　the

Emperor；　and　if　you　will　teach　me　to　draw；　the　Emperor　will　pay　all

you　ask　for　it。〃



〃His　father　was　head　of　a　department　at　the　ministry　of　the　Interior；〃

exclaimed　Chaudet；　struck　by　a　recollection。　〃So　you　want　to　be　an

artist；　at　your　age？〃



〃Yes；　monsieur。〃



〃Well；　come　here　just　as　much　as　you　like；　we'll　amuse　you。　Give　him　a

board；　and　paper；　and　chalks；　and　let　him　alone。　You　are　to　know；　you

young　scamps；　that　his　father　did　me　a　service。　Here；　Corde…a…puits；

go　and　get　some　cakes　and　sugar…plums；〃　he　said　to　the　pupil　who　had

tortured　Joseph；　giving　him　some　small　change。　〃We'll　see　if　you　are

to　be　artist　by　the　way　you　gobble　up　the　dainties；〃　added　the

sculptor；　chucking　Joseph　under　the　chin。



Then　he　went　round　examining　the　pupils'　works；　followed　by　the　child；

who　looked　and　listened；　and　tried　to　understand　him。　The　sweets　were

brought；　Chaudet；　himself；　the　child；　and　the　whole　studio　all　had

their　teeth　in　them；　and　Joseph　was　petted　quite　as　much　as　he　had

been　teased。　The　whole　scene；　in　which　the　rough　play　and　real　heart

of　artists　were　revealed；　and　which　the　boy　instinctively　understood；

made　a　great　impression　on　his　mind。　The　apparition　of　the　sculptor；

for　whom　the　Emperor's　protection　opened　a　way　to　future　glory；　closed

soon　after　by　his　premature　death；was　like　a　vision　to　little

Joseph。　The　child　said　nothing　to　his　mother　about　this　adventure；　but

he　spent　two　hours　every　Sunday　and　every　Thursday　in　Chaudet's

atelier。　From　that　time　forth；　Madame　Descoings；　who　humored　the

fancies　of　the　two　cherubim；　kept　Joseph　supplied　with　pencils　and　red

chalks；　prints　and　drawing…paper。　At　school；　the　future　colorist

sketched　his　masters；　drew　his　comrades；　charcoaled　the　dormitories；

and　showed　surprising　assiduity　in　the　drawing…class。　Lemire；　the

drawing…master；　struck　not　only　with　the　lad's　inclination　but　also

with　his　actual　progress；　came　to　tell　Madame　Bridau　of　her　son's

faculty。　Agathe；　like　a　true　provincial；　who　knows　as　little　of　art　as

she　knows　much　of　housekeeping；　was　terrified。　When　Lemire　left　her；

she　burst　into　tears。



〃Ah！〃　she　cried；　when　Madame　Descoings　went　to　ask　what　was　the

matter。　〃What　is　to　become　of　me！　Joseph；　whom　I　meant　to　make　a

government　clerk；　whose　career　was　all　marked　out　for　him　at　the

ministry　of　the　interior；　where；　protected　by　his　father's　memory；　he

might　have　risen　to　be　chief　of　a　division　before　he　was　twenty…five；

he；　my　boy；　he　wants　to　be　a　painter；a　vagabond！　I　always　knew　that

child　would　give　me　nothing　but　trouble。〃



Madame　Descoings　confessed　that　for　several　months　past　she　had

encouraged　Joseph's　passion；　aiding　and　abetting　his　Sunday　and

Thursday　visits　to　the　Institute。　At　the　Salon；　to　which　she　had　taken

him；　the　little　fellow　had　shown　an　interest　in　the　pictures；　which

was；　she　declared；　nothing　short　of　miraculous。



〃If　he　understands　painting　at　thirteen；　my　dear；〃　she　said；　〃your

Joseph　will　be　a　man　of　genius。〃



〃Yes；　and　see　what　genius　did　for　his　father；killed　him　with

overwork　at　forty！〃



At　the　close　of　autumn；　just　as　Joseph　was　entering　his　fourteenth

year；　Agathe；　contrary　to　Madame　Descoings's　entreaties；　went　to　see

Chaudet；　and　requested　that　he　would　cease　to　debauch　her　son。　She

found　the　sculptor　in　a　blue　smock；　modelling　his　last　statue；　he

received　the　widow　of　the　man　who　formerly　had　served　him　at　a

critical　mome