the two brothers-第8节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Bourbons。　When　he　returned　to　his　mother；　in　July；　1814；　he　found　her

ruined。



Joseph's　scholarship　was　withdrawn　after　the　holidays；　and　Madame

Bridau；　whose　pension　came　from　the　Emperor's　privy　purse；　vainly

entreated　that　it　might　be　inscribed　on　the　rolls　of　the　ministry　of

the　interior。　Joseph；　more　of　a　painter　than　ever；　was　delighted　with

the　turn　of　events；　and　entreated　his　mother　to　let　him　go　to　Monsieur

Regnauld；　promising　to　earn　his　own　living。　He　declared　he　was　quite

sufficiently　advanced　in　the　second　class　to　get　on　without　rhetoric。

Philippe；　a　captain　at　nineteen　and　decorated；　who　had；　moreover；

served　the　Emperor　as　an　aide…de…camp　in　two　battles；　flattered　the

mother's　vanity　immensely。　Coarse；　blustering；　and　without　real　merit

beyond　the　vulgar　bravery　of　a　cavalry　officer；　he　was　to　her　mind　a

man　of　genius；　whereas　Joseph；　puny　and　sickly；　with　unkempt　hair　and

absent　mind；　seeking　peace；　loving　quiet；　and　dreaming　of　an　artist's

glory；　would　only　bring　her；　she　thought；　worries　and　anxieties。



The　winter　of　1814…1815　was　a　lucky　one　for　Joseph。　Secretly

encouraged　by　Madame　Descoings　and　Bixiou；　a　pupil　of　Gros；　he　went　to

work　in　the　celebrated　atelier　of　that　painter；　whence　a　vast　variety

of　talent　issued　in　its　day；　and　there　he　formed　the　closest　intimacy

with　Schinner。　The　return　from　Elba　came；　Captain　Bridau　joined　the

Emperor　at　Lyons；　accompanied　him　to　the　Tuileries；　and　was　appointed

to　the　command　of　a　squadron　in　the　dragoons　of　the　Guard。　After　the

battle　of　Waterlooin　which　he　was　slightly　wounded；　and　where　he　won

the　cross　of　an　officer　of　the　Legion　of　honorhe　happened　to　be　near

Marshal　Davoust　at　Saint…Denis；　and　was　not　with　the　army　of　the

Loire。　In　consequence　of　this；　and　through　Davoust's　intercession；　his

cross　and　his　rank　were　secured　to　him；　but　he　was　placed　on　half…pay。



Joseph；　anxious　about　his　future；　studied　all　through　this　period　with

an　ardor　which　several　times　made　him　ill　in　the　midst　of　these

tumultuous　events。



〃It　is　the　smell　of　the　paints；〃　Agathe　said　to　Madame　Descoings。　〃He

ought　to　give　up　a　business　so　injurious　to　his　health。〃



However；　all　Agathe's　anxieties　were　at　this　time　for　her　son　the

lieutenant…colonel。　When　she　saw　him　again　in　1816；　reduced　from　the

salary　of　nine　thousand　francs　（paid　to　a　commander　in　the　dragoons　of

the　Imperial　Guard）　to　a　half…pay　of　three　hundred　francs　a　month；　she

fitted　up　her　attic　rooms　for　him；　and　spent　her　savings　in　doing　so。

Philippe　was　one　of　the　faithful　Bonapartes　of　the　cafe　Lemblin；　that

constitutional　Boeotia；　he　acquired　the　habits；　manners；　style；　and

life　of　a　half…pay　officer；　indeed；　like　any　other　young　man　of

twenty…one；　he　exaggerated　them；　vowed　in　good　earnest　a　mortal　enmity

to　the　Bourbons；　never　reported　himself　at　the　War　department；　and

even　refused　opportunities　which　were　offered　to　him　for　employment　in

the　infantry　with　his　rank　of　lieutenant…colonel。　In　his　mother's

eyes；　Philippe　seemed　in　all　this　to　be　displaying　a　noble　character。



〃The　father　himself　could　have　done　no　more；〃　she　said。



Philippe's　half…pay　sufficed　him；　he　cost　nothing　at　home；　whereas　all

Joseph's　expenses　were　paid　by　the　two　widows。　From　that　moment；

Agathe's　preference　for　Philippe　was　openly　shown。　Up　to　that　time　it

had　been　secret；　but　the　persecution　of　this　faithful　servant　of　the

Emperor；　the　recollection　of　the　wound　received　by　her　cherished　son；

his　courage　in　adversity；　which；　voluntary　though　it　were；　seemed　to

her　a　glorious　adversity；　drew　forth　all　Agathe's　tenderness。　The　one

sentence；　〃He　is　unfortunate；〃　explained　and　justified　everything。

Joseph　himself；with　the　innate　simplicity　which　superabounds　in　the

artist…soul　in　its　opening　years；　and　who　was；　moreover；　brought　up　to

admire　his　big　brother；so　far　from　being　hurt　by　the　preference　of

their　mother；　encouraged　it　by　sharing　her　worship　of　the　hero　who　had

carried　Napoleon's　orders　on　two　battlefields；　and　was　wounded　at

Waterloo。　How　could　he　doubt　the　superiority　of　the　grand　brother；

whom　he　had　beheld　in　the　green　and　gold　uniform　of　the　dragoons　of

the　Guard；　commanding　his　squadron　on　the　Champ　de　Mars？



Agathe；　notwithstanding　this　preference；　was　an　excellent　mother。　She

loved　Joseph；　though　not　blindly；　she　simply　was　unable　to　understand

him。　Joseph　adored　his　mother；　Philippe　let　his　mother　adore　him。

Towards　her；　the　dragoon　softened　his　military　brutality；　but　he　never

concealed　the　contempt　he　felt　for　Joseph；expressing　it；　however；　in

a　friendly　way。　When　he　looked　at　his　brother；　weak　and　sickly　as　he

was　at　seventeen　years　of　age；　shrunken　with　determined　toil；　and

over…weighted　with　his　powerful　head；　he　nicknamed　him　〃Cub。〃

Philippe's　patronizing　manners　would　have　wounded　any　one　less

carelessly　indifferent　than　the　artist；　who　had；　moreover；　a　firm

belief　in　the　goodness　of　heart　which　soldiers　hid；　he　thought；

beneath　a　brutal　exterior。　Joseph　did　not　yet　know；　poor　boy；　that

soldiers　of　genius　are　as　gentle　and　courteous　in　manner　as　other

superior　men　in　any　walk　of　life。　All　genius　is　alike；　wherever　found。



〃Poor　boy！〃　said　Philippe　to　his　mother；　〃we　mustn't　plague　him；　let

him　do　as　he　likes。〃



To　his　mother's　eyes　the　colonel's　contempt　was　a　mark　of　fraternal

affection。



〃Philippe　will　always　love　and　protect　his　brother；〃　she　thought　to

herself。







CHAPTER　III



In　1816；　Joseph　obtained　his　mother's　permission　to　convert　the　garret

which　adjoined　his　attic　room　into　an　atelier；　and　Madame　Descoings

gave　him　a　little　money　for　the　indispensable　requirements　of　the

painter's　trade；in　the　minds　of　the　two　widows；　the　art　of　painting

was　nothing　but　a　trade。　With　the　feeling　and　ardor　of　his　vocation；

the　lad　himself　arranged　his　humble　atelier。　Madame　Descoings

persuaded　the　owner　of　the　house　to　put　a　skylight　in　the　roof。　The

garret　was　turned　into　a　vast　hall　painted　in　chocolate…color　by

Joseph　himself。　On　the　walls　he　hung　a　few　sketches。　Agathe

contributed；　not　without　reluctance；　an　iron　stove；　so　that　her　son

might　be　able　to　work　at　home；　without；　however；　abandoning　the　studio

of　Gros；　nor　that　of　Schinner。



The　constitutional　party；　supported　chiefly　by　officers　on　half…pay

and　the　Bonapartists；　were　at　this　time　inciting　〃emeutes〃　around　the

Chamber　of　Deputies；　on　behalf　of　the　Charter；　though　no　one　actually

wanted　it。　Several　conspiracies　were　brewing。　Philippe；　who　dabbled　in

them；　was　arrested；　and　then　released　for　want　of　proof；　but　the

minister　of　war　cut　short　his　half…pay　by　putting　him　on　the　active

list；a　step　which　might　be　called　a　form　of　discipline。　France　was

no　longer　safe；　Philippe　was　liable　to　fall　into　some　trap　laid　for

him　by　spies；provocative　agents；　as　they　were　called；　being　much

talked　of　in　those　days。



While　Philippe　played　billiards　in　disaffected　cafes；　losing　his　time

and　acquiring　the　habit　of　wetting　his　whistle　with　〃little　glasses〃

of　all　sorts　of　liquors。　Agathe　lived　in　mortal　terror　for　the　safety

of　the　great　man　of　the　family。　The　Grecian　sages　were　too　much

accustomed　to　wend　their　nightly　way　up　Madame　Bridau's　staircase；

finding　the　two　widows　ready　and　waiting；　and　hearing　from　them　all

the　news　of　their　day；　ever　to　break　up　the　habit　of　coming　to　the

green　salon　for　their　game　of　cards。　The　ministry　of　the　interior；

though　purged　of　its　former　employes　in　1816；　had　retained　Claparon；

one　of　those　cautious　men；　who　whisper　the　news　of　the　〃Moniteur；〃

adding　invariably；　〃Don't　quote　me。〃　Desroches；　who　had　retired　from

active　service　some　time　after　old　Du　Bruel；　was　still　battling　for

his　pension。　The　three　friends；　who　were　witnesses　of　Agathe's

distress；　advised　her　to　send　the　colonel　to　travel　in　foreign

countries。



〃They　talk　about　conspiracies；　and　your　son；　with　his　disposition；

will　be　certain　to　fall　a　victim　in　some　of　them；　there　is　plenty　of

treachery　in　these　days。〃



〃Philippe　is　cut　from　the　wood　the　Emperor　made　into　marshals；〃　said

Du　Bruel；　in　a　low　voice；　looking　cautiously　about　him；　〃and　he

mustn't　give　up　his　profession。　Let　him　serve　in　the　East；　in　India〃



〃Think　of　his　health；〃　said　Agathe。



〃Why　doesn't　he　get　some　place；　or　business？〃　said　old　Desroches；

〃there　are　plenty　of　private　offices　to　be　had。　I　am　going　as　head　of

a　bureau　in　an　insurance　company；　as　soon　as　I　have　got　my　pension。〃



〃Philippe　is　a　soldier；　he　would　not　like　to　be　any　thing　else；〃　said

the　warlike　Agathe。



〃Then　he　ought　to　have　the　sense　to　ask　for　employment〃



〃And　serve　THESE　OTHERS！〃　cried　the　widow。　〃Oh！　I　will　never　give　him

that　advice。〃



〃You　are　wrong；〃　said　Du　Bruel。　〃My　son　has　just　got　an　appointment

through　the　Duc　de　Navarreins。　The　Bourbons　are　very　good　to　those　who

are　sincere　in　rallying　to　them。　Your　son　could　be　appointed

lieutenant…colonel　to　a　regime