the two brothers-第9节

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

lieutenant…colonel　to　a　regiment。〃



〃They　only　appoint　nobles　in　the　cavalry。　Philippe　would　never　rise　to

be　a　colonel；〃　said　Madame　Descoings。



Agathe；　much　alarmed；　entreated　Philippe　to　travel　abroad；　and　put

himself　at　the　service　of　some　foreign　power　who；　she　thought；　would

gladly　welcome　a　staff　officer　of　the　Emperor。



〃Serve　a　foreign　nation！〃　cried　Philippe；　with　horror。



Agathe　kissed　her　son　with　enthusiasm。



〃His　father　all　over！〃　she　exclaimed。



〃He　is　right；〃　said　Joseph。　〃France　is　too　proud　of　her　heroes　to　let

them　be　heroic　elsewhere。　Napoleon　may　return　once　more。〃



However；　to　satisfy　his　mother；　Philippe　took　up　the　dazzling　idea　of

joining　General　Lallemand　in　the　United　States；　and　helping　him　to

found　what　was　called　the　Champ　d'Asile；　one　of　the　most　disastrous

swindles　that　ever　appeared　under　the　name　of　national　subscription。

Agathe　gave　ten　thousand　francs　to　start　her　son；　and　she　went　to

Havre　to　see　him　off。　By　the　end　of　1817；　she　had　accustomed　herself

to　live　on　the　six　hundred　francs　a　year　which　remained　to　her　from

her　property　in　the　Funds；　then；　by　a　lucky　chance；　she　made　a　good

investment　of　the　ten　thousand　francs　she　still　kept　of　her　savings；

from　which　she　obtained　an　interest　of　seven　per　cent。　Joseph　wished

to　emulate　his　mother's　devotion。　He　dressed　like　a　bailiff；　wore　the

commonest　shoes　and　blue　stockings；　denied　himself　gloves；　and　burned

charcoal；　he　lived　on　bread　and　milk　and　Brie　cheese。　The　poor　lad　got

no　sympathy；　except　from　Madame　Descoings；　and　from　Bixiou；　his

student…friend　and　comrade；　who　was　then　making　those　admirable

caricatures　of　his；　and　filling　a　small　office　in　the　ministry。



〃With　what　joy　I　welcomed　the　summer　of　1818！〃　said　Joseph　Bridau　in

after…years；　relating　his　troubles；　〃the　sun　saved　me　the　cost　of

charcoal。〃



As　good　a　colorist　by　this　time　as　Gros　himself；　Joseph　now　went　to

his　master　for　consultation　only。　He　was　already　meditating　a　tilt

against　classical　traditions；　and　Grecian　conventionalities；　in　short；

against　the　leading…strings　which　held　down　an　art　to　which　Nature　AS

SHE　IS　belongs；　in　the　omnipotence　of　her　creations　and　her　imagery。

Joseph　made　ready　for　a　struggle　which；　from　the　day　when　he　first

exhibited　in　the　Salon；　has　never　ceased。　It　was　a　terrible　year。

Roguin；　the　notary　of　Madame　Descoings　and　Madame　Bridau；　absconded

with　the　moneys　held　back　for　seven　years　from　Madame　Descoings's

annuity；　which　by　that　time　were　producing　two　thousand　francs　a　year。

Three　days　after　this　disaster；　a　bill　of　exchange　for　a　thousand

francs；　drawn　by　Philippe　upon　his　mother；　arrived　from　New　York。　The

poor　fellow；　misled　like　so　many　others；　had　lost　his　all　in　the　Champ

d'Asile。　A　letter；　which　accompanied　the　bill；　drove　Agathe；　Joseph；

and　the　Descoings　to　tears；　and　told　of　debts　contracted　in　New　York；

where　his　comrades　in　misfortunes　had　indorsed　for　him。



〃It　was　I　who　made　him　go！〃　cried　the　poor　mother；　eager　to　divert　the

blame　from　Philippe。



〃I　advise　you　not　to　send　him　on　many　such　journeys；〃　said　the　old

Descoings　to　her　niece。



Madame　Descoings　was　heroic。　She　continued　to　give　the　three　thousand

francs　a　year　to　Madame　Bridau；　but　she　still　paid　the　dues　on　her

trey　which　had　never　turned　up　since　the　year　1799。　About　this　time；

she　began　to　doubt　the　honesty　of　the　government；　and　declared　it　was

capable　of　keeping　the　three　numbers　in　the　urn；　so　as　to　excite　the

shareholders　to　put　in　enormous　stakes。　After　a　rapid　survey　of　all

their　resources；　it　seemed　to　the　two　women　impossible　to　raise　the

thousand　francs　without　selling　out　the　little　that　remained　in　the

Funds。　They　talked　of　pawning　their　silver　and　part　of　the　linen；　and

even　the　needless　pieces　of　furniture。　Joseph；　alarmed　at　these

suggestions；　went　to　see　Gerard　and　told　him　their　circumstances。　The

great　painter　obtained　an　order　from　the　household　of　the　king　for　two

copies　of　a　portrait　of　Louis　XVIII。；　at　five　hundred　francs　each。

Though　not　naturally　generous；　Gros　took　his　pupil　to　an　artist…

furnishing　house　and　fitted　him　out　with　the　necessary　materials。　But

the　thousand　francs　could　not　be　had　till　the　copies　were　delivered；

so　Joseph　painted　four　panels　in　ten　days；　sold　them　to　the　dealers

and　brought　his　mother　the　thousand　francs　with　which　to　meet　the　bill

of　exchange　when　it　fell　due。　Eight　days　later；　came　a　letter　from　the

colonel；　informing　his　mother　that　he　was　about　to　return　to　France　on

board　a　packet　from　New　York；　whose　captain　had　trusted　him　for　the

passage…money。　Philippe　announced　that　he　should　need　at　least　a

thousand　francs　on　his　arrival　at　Havre。



〃Good；〃　said　Joseph　to　his　mother；　〃I　shall　have　finished　my　copies　by

that　time；　and　you　can　carry　him　the　money。〃



〃Dear　Joseph！〃　cried　Agathe　in　tears；　kissing　her　son；　〃God　will　bless

you。　You　do　love　him；　then；　poor　persecuted　fellow？　He　is　indeed　our

glory　and　our　hope　for　the　future。　So　young；　so　brave；　so　unfortunate！

everything　is　against　him；　we　three　must　always　stand　by　him。〃



〃You　see　now　that　painting　is　good　for　something；〃　cried　Joseph；

overjoyed　to　have　won　his　mother's　permission　to　be　a　great　artist。



Madame　Bridau　rushed　to　meet　her　beloved　son；　Colonel　Philippe；　at

Havre。　Once　there；　she　walked　every　day　beyond　the　round　tower　built

by　Francois　I。；　to　look　out　for　the　American　packet；　enduring　the

keenest　anxieties。　Mothers　alone　know　how　such　sufferings　quicken

maternal　love。　The　vessel　arrived　on　a　fine　morning　in　October；　1819；

without　delay；　and　having　met　with　no　mishap。　The　sight　of　a　mother

and　the　air　of　one's　native　land　produces　a　certain　affect　on　the

coarsest　nature；　especially　after　the　miseries　of　a　sea…voyage。

Philippe　gave　way　to　a　rush　of　feeling；　which　made　Agathe　think　to

herself；　〃Ah！　how　he　loves　me！〃　Alas；　the　hero　loved　but　one　person　in

the　world；　and　that　person　was　Colonel　Philippe。　His　misfortunes　in

Texas；　his　stay　in　New　York；a　place　where　speculation　and

individualism　are　carried　to　the　highest　pitch；　where　the　brutality　of

self…interest　attains　to　cynicism；　where　man；　essentially　isolated；　is

compelled　to　push　his　way　for　himself　and　by　himself；　where　politeness

does　not　exist；in　fact；　even　the　minor　events　of　Philippe's　journey

had　developed　in　him　the　worst　traits　of　an　old　campaigner：　he　had

grown　brutal；　selfish；　rude；　he　drank　and　smoked　to　excess；　physical

hardships　and　poverty　had　depraved　him。　Moreover；　he　considered

himself　persecuted；　and　the　effect　of　that　idea　is　to　make　persons　who

are　unintelligent　persecutors　and　bigots　themselves。　To　Philippe's

conception　of　life；　the　universe　began　at　his　head　and　ended　at　his

feet；　and　the　sun　shone　for　him　alone。　The　things　he　had　seen　in　New

York；　interpreted　by　his　practical　nature；　carried　away　his　last

scruples　on　the　score　of　morality。　For　such　beings；　there　are　but　two

ways　of　existence。　Either　they　believe；　or　they　do　not　believe；　they

have　the　virtues　of　honest　men；　or　they　give　themselves　up　to　the

demands　of　necessity；　in　which　case　they　proceed　to　turn　their

slightest　interests　and　each　passing　impulse　of　their　passions　into

necessities。



Such　a　system　of　life　carries　a　man　a　long　way。　It　was　only　in

appearance　that　Colonel　Philippe　retained　the　frankness；　plain…

dealing；　and　easy…going　freedom　of　a　soldier。　This　made　him；　in

reality；　very　dangerous；　he　seemed　as　guileless　as　a　child；　but；

thinking　only　of　himself；　he　never　did　anything　without　reflecting

what　he　had　better　do；like　a　wily　lawyer　planning　some　trick　〃a　la

Maitre　Gonin〃；　words　cost　him　nothing；　and　he　said　as　many　as　he　could

to　get　people　to　believe。　If；　unfortunately；　some　one　refused　to

accept　the　explanations　with　which　he　justified　the　contradictions

between　his　conduct　and　his　professions；　the　colonel；　who　was　a　good

shot　and　could　defy　the　most　adroit　fencing…master；　and　possessed　the

coolness　of　one　to　whom　life　is　indifferent；　was　quite　ready　to　demand

satisfaction　for　the　first　sharp　word；　and　when　a　man　shows　himself

prepared　for　violence　there　is　little　more　to　be　said。　His　imposing

stature　had　taken　on　a　certain　rotundity；　his　face　was　bronzed　from

exposure　in　Texas；　he　was　still　succinct　in　speech；　and　had　acquired

the　decisive　tone　of　a　man　obliged　to　make　himself　feared　among　the

populations　of　a　new　world。　Thus　developed；　plainly　dressed；　his　body

trained　to　endurance　by　his　recent　hardships；　Philippe　in　the　eyes　of

his　mother　was　a　hero；　in　point　of　fact；　he　had　simply　become　what

people　（not　to　mince　matters）　call　a　blackguard。



Shocked　at　the　destitution　of　her　cherished　son；　Madame　Bridau　bought

him　a　complete　outfit　of　clothes　at　Havre。　After　listening　to　the　tale

of　his　woes；　she　had　not　the　heart　to　stop　his　drinking　and　eating　and

amusing　himself　as　a　man　just　r