the two brothers-第68节

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by　the　following　letter；　which　Joseph　wrote　to　him　a　moment　after

their　mother　had　breathed　her　last　sigh：



　　Monster！　my　poor　mother　has　died　of　the　shock　your　letter　caused

　　her。　Wear　mourning；　but　pretend　illness；　I　will　not　suffer　her

　　assassin　to　stand　at　my　side　before　her　coffin。



　　Joseph　B。





The　painter；　who　no　longer　had　the　heart　to　paint；　though　his　bitter

grief　sorely　needed　the　mechanical　distraction　which　labor　is　wont　to

give；　was　surrounded　by　friends　who　agreed　with　one　another　never　to

leave　him　entirely　alone。　Thus　it　happened　that　Bixiou；　who　loved

Joseph　as　much　as　a　satirist　can　love　any　one；　was　sitting　in　the

atelier　with　a　group　of　other　friends　about　two　weeks　after　Agathe's

funeral。　The　servant　entered　with　a　letter；　brought　by　an　old　woman；

she　said；　who　was　waiting　below　for　the　answer。



　　Monsieur；To　you；　whom　I　scarcely　dare　to　call　my　brother；　I　am

　　forced　to　address　myself；　if　only　on　account　of　the　name　I　bear。



Joseph　turned　the　page　and　read　the　signature。　The　name　〃Comtesse

Flore　de　Brambourg〃　made　him　shudder。　He　foresaw　some　new　atrocity　on

the　part　of　his　brother。



〃That　brigand；〃　he　cried；　〃is　the　devil's　own。　And　he　calls　himself　a

man　of　honor！　And　he　wears　a　lot　of　crosses　on　his　breast！　And　he

struts　about　at　court　instead　of　being　bastinadoed！　And　the　scoundrel

is　called　Monsieur　le　Comte！〃



〃There　are　many　like　him；〃　said　Bixiou。



〃After　all；〃　said　Joseph；　〃the　Rabouilleuse　deserves　her　fate；

whatever　it　is。　She　is　not　worth　pitying；　she'd　have　had　my　neck　wrung

like　a　chicken's　without　so　much　as　saying；　'He's　innocent。'〃



Joseph　flung　away　the　letter；　but　Bixiou　caught　it　in　the　air；　and

read　it　aloud；　as　follows：



　　Is　it　decent　that　the　Comtesse　Bridau　de　Brambourg　should　die　in　a

　　hospital；　no　matter　what　may　have　been　her　faults？　If　such　is　to

　　be　my　fate；　if　such　is　your　determination　and　that　of　monsieur　le

　　comte；　so　be　it；　but　if　so；　will　you；　who　are　the　friend　of　Doctor

　　Bianchon；　ask　him　for　a　permit　to　let　me　enter　a　hospital？



　　The　person　who　carries　this　letter　has　been　eleven　consecutive

　　days　to　the　hotel　de　Brambourg；　rue　de　Clichy；　without　getting　any

　　help　from　my　husband。　The　poverty　in　which　I　now　am　prevents　my

　　employing　a　lawyer　to　make　a　legal　demand　for　what　is　due　to　me；

　　that　I　may　die　with　decency。　Nothing　can　save　me；　I　know　that。　In

　　case　you　are　unwilling　to　see　your　unhappy　sister…in…law；　send　me；

　　at　least；　the　money　to　end　my　days。　Your　brother　desires　my　death；

　　he　has　always　desired　it。　He　warned　me　that　he　knew　three　ways　of

　　killing　a　woman；　but　I　had　not　the　sense　to　foresee　the　one　he　has

　　employed。



　　In　case　you　will　consent　to　relieve　me；　and　judge　for　yourself　the

　　misery　in　which　I　now　am；　I　live　in　the　rue　du　Houssay；　at　the

　　corner　of　the　rue　Chantereine；　on　the　fifth　floor。　If　I　cannot　pay

　　my　rent　to…morrow　I　shall　be　put　outand　then；　where　can　I　go？

　　May　I　call　myself；



　　Your　sister…in…law；



　　Comtesse　Flore　de　Brambourg。





〃What　a　pit　of　infamy！〃　cried　Joseph；　〃there　is　something　under　it

all。〃



〃Let　us　send　for　the　woman　who　brought　the　letter；　we　may　get　the

preface　of　the　story；〃　said　Bixiou。



The　woman　presently　appeared；　looking；　as　Bixiou　observed；　like

perambulating　rags。　She　was；　in　fact；　a　mass　of　old　gowns；　one　on　top

of　another；　fringed　with　mud　on　account　of　the　weather；　the　whole

mounted　on　two　thick　legs　with　heavy　feet　which　were　ill…covered　by

ragged　stockings　and　shoes　from　whose　cracks　the　water　oozed　upon　the

floor。　Above　the　mound　of　rags　rose　a　head　like　those　that　Charlet　has

given　to　his　scavenger…women；　caparisoned　with　a　filthy　bandanna

handkerchief　slit　in　the　folds。



〃What　is　your　name？〃　said　Joseph；　while　Bixiou　sketched　her；　leaning

on　an　umbrella　belonging　to　the　year　II。　of　the　Republic。



〃Madame　Gruget；　at　your　service。　I've　seen　better　days；　my　young

gentleman；〃　she　said　to　Bixiou；　whose　laugh　affronted　her。　〃If　my　poor

girl　hadn't　had　the　ill…luck　to　love　some　one　too　much；　you　wouldn't

see　me　what　I　am。　She　drowned　herself　in　the　river；　my　poor　Ida；

saving　your　presence！　I've　had　the　folly　to　nurse　up　a　quaterne；　and

that's　why；　at　seventy…seven　years　of　age；　I'm　obliged　to　take　care　of

sick　folks　for　ten　sous　a　day；　and　go〃



〃without　clothes？〃　said　Bixiou。　〃My　grandmother　nursed　up　a　trey；

but　she　dressed　herself　properly。〃



〃Out　of　my　ten　sous　I　have　to　pay　for　a　lodging〃



〃What's　the　matter　with　the　lady　you　are　nursing？〃



〃In　the　first　place；　she　hasn't　got　any　money；　and　then　she　has　a

disease　that　scares　the　doctors。　She　owes　me　for　sixty　days'　nursing；

that's　why　I　keep　on　nursing　her。　The　husband；　who　is　a　count；she　is

really　a　countess；will　no　doubt　pay　me　when　she　is　dead；　and　so　I've

lent　her　all　I　had。　And　now　I　haven't　anything；　all　I　did　have　has

gone　to　the　pawn…brokers。　She　owes　me　forty…seven　francs　and　twelve

sous；　beside　thirty　francs　for　the　nursing。　She　wants　to　kill　herself

with　charcoal。　I　tell　her　it　ain't　right；　and；　indeed；　I've　had　to　get

the　concierge　to　look　after　her　while　I'm　gone；　or　she's　likely　to

jump　out　of　the　window。〃



〃But　what's　the　matter　with　her？〃　said　Joseph。



〃Ah！　monsieur；　the　doctor　from　the　Sisters'　hospital　came；　but　as　to

the　disease；〃　said　Madame　Gruget；　assuming　a　modest　air；　〃he　told　me

she　must　go　to　the　hospital。　The　case　is　hopeless。〃



〃Let　us　go　and　see　her；〃　said　Bixiou。



〃Here；〃　said　Joseph　to　the　woman；　〃take　these　ten　francs。〃



Plunging　his　hand　into　the　skull　and　taking　out　all　his　remaining

money；　the　painter　called　a　coach　from　the　rue　Mazarin　and　went　to

find　Bianchon；　who　was　fortunately　at　home。　Meantime　Bixiou　went　off

at　full　speed　to　the　rue　de　Bussy；　after　Desroches。　The　four　friends

reached　Flore's　retreat　in　the　rue　du　Houssay　an　hour　later。



〃That　Mephistopheles　on　horseback；　named　Philippe　Bridau；〃　said

Bixiou；　as　they　mounted　the　staircase；　〃has　sailed　his　boat　cleverly

to　get　rid　of　his　wife。　You　know　our　old　friend　Lousteau？　well；

Philippe　paid　him　a　thousand　francs　a　month　to　keep　Madame　Bridau　in

the　society　of　Florine；　Mariette；　Tullia；　and　the　Val…Noble。　When

Philippe　saw　his　crab…girl　so　used　to　pleasure　and　dress　that　she

couldn't　do　without　them；　he　stopped　paying　the　money；　and　left　her　to

get　it　as　she　couldit　is　easy　to　know　how。　By　the　end　of　eighteen

months；　the　brute　had　forced　his　wife；　stage　by　stage；　lower　and

lower；　till　at　last；　by　the　help　of　a　young　officer；　he　gave　her　a

taste　for　drinking。　As　he　went　up　in　the　world；　his　wife　went　down；

and　the　countess　is　now　in　the　mud。　The　girl；　bred　in　the　country；　has

a　strong　constitution。　I　don't　know　what　means　Philippe　has　lately

taken　to　get　rid　of　her。　I　am　anxious　to　study　this　precious　little

drama；　for　I　am　determined　to　avenge　Joseph　here。　Alas；　friends；〃　he

added；　in　a　tone　which　left　his　three　companions　in　doubt　whether　he

was　jesting　or　speaking　seriously；　〃give　a　man　over　to　a　vice　and

you'll　get　rid　of　him。　Didn't　Hugo　say：　'She　loved　a　ball；　and　died　of

it'？　So　it　is。　My　grandmother　loved　the　lottery。　Old　Rouget　loved　a

loose　life；　and　Lolotte　killed　him。　Madame　Bridau；　poor　woman；　loved

Philippe；　and　perished　of　it。　Vice！　vice！　my　dear　friends；　do　you　want

to　know　what　vice　is？　It　is　the　Bonneau　of　death。〃



〃Then　you'll　die　of　a　joke；〃　said　Desroches；　laughing。



Above　the　fourth　floor；　the　young　men　were　forced　to　climb　one　of　the

steep；　straight　stairways　that　are　almost　ladders；　by　which　the　attics

of　Parisian　houses　are　often　reached。　Though　Joseph；　who　remembered

Flore　in　all　her　beauty；　expected　to　see　some　frightful　change；　he　was

not　prepared　for　the　hideous　spectacle　which　now　smote　his　artist's

eye。　In　a　room　with　bare；　unpapered　walls；　under　the　sharp　pitch　of　an

attic　roof；　on　a　cot　whose　scanty　mattress　was　filled；　perhaps；　with

refuse　cotton；　a　woman　lay；　green　as　a　body　that　has　been　drowned　two

days；　thin　as　a　consumptive　an　hour　before　death。　This　putrid　skeleton

had　a　miserable　checked　handkerchief　bound　about　her　head；　which　had

lost　its　hair。　The　circle　round　the　hollow　eyes　was　red；　and　the

eyelids　were　like　the　pellicle　of　an　egg。　Nothing　remained　of　the

body；　once　so　captivating；　but　an　ignoble；　bony　structure。　As　Flore

caught　sight　of　the　visitors；　she　drew　across　her　breast　a　bit　of

muslin　which　might　have　been　a　fragment　of　a　window…curtain；　for　it

was　edged　with　rust　as　from　a　rod。　The　young　men　saw　two　chairs；　a

broken　bureau　on　which　was　a　tallow…candle　stuck　into　a　potato；　a　few

dishes　on　the　floor；　and　an　earthen　fire…pot　in　a　corner　of　the

chimney；　in　which　there　was　no　fire；　this　was　all　the　furniture　of　the

room。　Bixiou　noticed　the　remaining　sheets　of　writing…paper；　brought

from　some　neighboring　grocery　for　the　letter　which　the　two　women　had

doubtless　concocted　together。　The　word　〃