the two brothers-第12章

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creatures。〃　Then　he　took　his　mother　in　his　arms；　raised　her　and　put

her　on　his　knee；　pressed　her　to　his　heart　and　whispered　as　he　kissed

her；　〃For　the　second　time；　you　give　me　life。〃



The　Descoings　managed　to　serve　an　excellent　dinner；　and　to　add　two

bottles　of　old　wine　with　a　little　〃liqueur　des　iles；〃　a　treasure　left

over　from　her　former　business。



〃Agathe；〃　she　said　at　dessert；　〃we　must　let　him　smoke　his　cigars；〃　and

she　offered　some　to　Philippe。



These　two　poor　creatures　fancied　that　if　they　let　the　fellow　take　his

ease；　he　would　like　his　home　and　stay　in　it；　both；　therefore；　tried　to

endure　his　tobacco…smoke；　though　each　loathed　it。　That　sacrifice　was

not　so　much　as　noticed　by　Philippe。



On　the　morrow；　Agathe　looked　ten　years　older。　Her　terrors　calmed；

reflection　came　back　to　her；　and　the　poor　woman　had　not　closed　an　eye

throughout　that　horrible　night。　She　was　now　reduced　to　six　hundred

francs　a　year。　Madame　Descoings；　like　all　fat　women　fond　of　good

eating；　was　growing　heavy；　her　step　on　the　staircase　sounded　like　the

chopping　of　logs；　she　might　die　at　any　moment；　with　her　life；　four

thousand　francs　would　disappear。　What　folly　to　rely　on　that　resource！

What　should　she　do？　What　would　become　of　them？　With　her　mind　made　up

to　become　a　sick…nurse　rather　than　be　supported　by　her　children；

Agathe　did　not　think　of　herself。　But　Philippe？　what　would　he　do　if

reduced　to　live　on　the　five　hundred　francs　of　an　officer　of　the　Legion

of　honor？　During　the　past　eleven　years；　Madame　Descoings；　by　giving　up

three　thousand　francs　a　year；　had　paid　her　debt　twice　over；　but　she

still　continued　to　sacrifice　her　grandson's　interests　to　those　of　the

Bridau　family。　Though　all　Agathe's　honorable　and　upright　feelings　were

shocked　by　this　terrible　disaster；　she　said　to　herself：　〃Poor　boy！　is

it　his　fault？　He　is　faithful　to　his　oath。　I　have　done　wrong　not　to

marry　him。　If　I　had　found　him　a　wife；　he　would　not　have　got　entangled

with　this　danseuse。　He　has　such　a　vigorous　constitution〃



Madame　Descoings　had　likewise　reflected　during　the　night　as　to　the

best　way　of　saving　the　honor　of　the　family。　At　daybreak；　she　got　out

of　bed　and　went　to　her　friend's　room。



〃Neither　you　nor　Philippe　should　manage　this　delicate　matter；〃　she

urged。　〃Our　two　old　friends　Du　Bruel　and　Claparon　are　dead；　but　we

still　have　Desroches；　who　is　very　sagacious。　I'll　go　and　see　him　this

morning。　He　can　tell　the　newspaper　people　that　Philippe　trusted　a

friend　and　has　been　made　a　victim；　that　his　weakness　in　such　respects

makes　him　unfit　to　be　a　cashier；　what　has　now　happened　may　happen

again；　and　that　Philippe　prefers　to　resign。　That　will　prevent　his

being　turned　off。〃



Agathe；　seeing　that　this　business　lie　would　save　the　honor　of　her　son；

at　any　rate　in　the　eyes　of　strangers；　kissed　Madame　Descoings；　who

went　out　early　to　make　an　end　of　the　dreadful　affair。



Philippe；　meanwhile；　had　slept　the　sleep　of　the　just。　〃She　is　sly；

that　old　woman；〃　he　remarked；　when　his　mother　explained　to　him　why

breakfast　was　late。



Old　Desroches；　the　last　remaining　friend　of　these　two　poor　women；　who；

in　spite　of　his　harsh　nature；　never　forgot　that　Bridau　had　obtained

for　him　his　place；　fulfilled　like　an　accomplished　diplomat　the

delicate　mission　Madame　Descoings　had　confided　to　him。　He　came　to　dine

that　evening　with　the　family；　and　notified　Agathe　that　she　must　go　the

next　day　to　the　Treasury；　rue　Vivienne；　sign　the　transfer　of　the　funds

involved；　and　obtain　a　coupon　for　the　six　hundred　francs　a　year　which

still　remained　to　her。　The　old　clerk　did　not　leave　the　afflicted

household　that　night　without　obliging　Philippe　to　sign　a　petition　to

the　minister　of　war；　asking　for　his　reinstatement　in　the　active　army。

Desroches　promised　the　two　women　to　follow　up　the　petition　at　the　war

office；　and　to　profit　by　the　triumph　of　a　certain　duke　over　Philippe

in　the　matter　of　the　danseuse；　and　so　obtain　that　nobleman's

influence。



〃Philippe　will　be　lieutenant…colonel　in　the　Duc　de　Maufrigneuse's

regiment　within　three　months；〃　he　declared；　〃and　you　will　be　rid　of

him。〃



Desroches　went　away；　smothered　with　blessings　from　the　two　poor　widows

and　Joseph。　As　to　the　newspaper；　it　ceased　to　exist　at　the　end　of　two

months；　just　as　Finot　had　predicted。　Philippe's　crime　had；　therefore；

so　far　as　the　world　knew；　no　consequences。　But　Agathe's　motherhood　had

received　a　deadly　wound。　Her　belief　in　her　son　once　shaken；　she　lived

in　perpetual　fear；　mingled　with　some　satisfactions；　as　she　saw　her

worst　apprehensions　unrealized。



When　men　like　Philippe；　who　are　endowed　with　physical　courage；　and　yet

are　cowardly　and　ignoble　in　their　moral　being；　see　matters　and　things

resuming　their　accustomed　course　about　them　after　some　catastrophe　in

which　their　honor　and　decency　is　well…nigh　lost；　such　family　kindness；

or　any　show　of　friendliness　towards　them　is　a　premium　of

encouragement。　They　count　on　impunity；　their　minds　distorted；　their

passions　gratified；　only　prompt　them　to　study　how　it　happened　that

they　succeeded　in　getting　round　all　social　laws；　the　result　is　they

become　alarmingly　adroit。



A　fortnight　later；　Philippe；　once　more　a　man　of　leisure；　lazy　and

bored；　renewed　his　fatal　cafe　life；his　drams；　his　long　games　of

billiards　embellished　with　punch；　his　nightly　resort　to　the　gambling…

table；　where　he　risked　some　trifling　stake　and　won　enough　to　pay　for

his　dissipations。　Apparently　very　economical；　the　better　to　deceive

his　mother　and　Madame　Descoings；　he　wore　a　hat　that　was　greasy；　with

the　nap　rubbed　off　at　the　edges；　patched　boots；　a　shabby　overcoat；　on

which　the　red　ribbon　scarcely　showed　so　discolored　and　dirty　was　it　by

long　service　at　the　buttonhole　and　by　the　spatterings　of　coffee　and

liquors。　His　buckskin　gloves；　of　a　greenish　tinge；　lasted　him　a　long

while；　and　he　only　gave　up　his　satin　neckcloth　when　it　was　ragged

enough　to　look　like　wadding。　Mariette　was　the　sole　object　of　the

fellow's　love；　and　her　treachery　had　greatly　hardened　his　heart。　When

he　happened　to　win　more　than　usual；　or　if　he　supped　with　his　old

comrade；　Giroudeau；　he　followed　some　Venus　of　the　slums；　with　brutal

contempt　for　the　whole　sex。　Otherwise　regular　in　his　habits；　he

breakfasted　and　dined　at　home　and　came　in　every　night　about　one

o'clock。　Three　months　of　this　horrible　life　restored　Agathe　to　some

degree　of　confidence。



As　for　Joseph；　who　was　working　at　the　splendid　picture　to　which　he

afterwards　owed　his　reputation；　he　lived　in　his　atelier。　On　the

prediction　of　her　grandson　Bixiou；　Madame　Descoings　believed　in

Joseph's　future　glory；　and　she　showed　him　every　sort　of　motherly

kindness；　she　took　his　breakfast　to　him；　she　did　his　errands；　she

blacked　his　boots。　The　painter　was　never　seen　till　dinner…time；　and

his　evenings　were　spent　at　the　Cenacle　among　his　friends。　He　read　a

great　deal；　and　gave　himself　that　deep　and　serious　education　which

only　comes　through　the　mind　itself；　and　which　all　men　of　talent　strive

after　between　the　ages　of　twenty　and　thirty。　Agathe；　seeing　very

little　of　Joseph；　and　feeling　no　uneasiness　about　him；　lived　only　for

Philippe；　who　gave　her　the　alternations　of　fears　excited　and　terrors

allayed；　which　seem　the　life；　as　it　were；　of　sentiment；　and　to　be　as

necessary　to　maternity　as　to　love。　Desroches；　who　came　once　a　week　to

see　the　widow　of　his　patron　and　friend；　gave　her　hopes。　The　Duc　de

Maufrigneuse　had　asked　to　have　Philippe　in　his　regiment；　the　minister

of　war　had　ordered　an　inquiry；　and　as　the　name　of　Bridau　did　not

appear　on　any　police　list；　nor　an　any　record　at　the　Palais　de　Justice；

Philippe　would　be　reinstated　in　the　army　early　in　the　coming　year。



To　arrive　at　this　result；　Desroches　set　all　the　powers　that　he　could

influence　in　motion。　At　the　prefecture　of　police　he　learned　that

Philippe　spent　his　evenings　in　the　gambling…house；　and　he　thought　it

best　to　tell　this　fact　privately　to　Madame　Descoings；　exhorting　her

keep　an　eye　on　the　lieutenant…colonel；　for　one　outbreak　would　imperil

all；　as　it　was；　the　minister　of　war　was　not　likely　to　inquire　whether

Philippe　gambled。　Once　restored　to　his　rank　under　the　flag　of　his

country；　he　would　perhaps　abandon　a　vice　only　taken　up　from　idleness。

Agathe；　who　no　longer　received　her　friends　in　the　evening；　sat　in　the

chimney…corner　reading　her　prayers；　while　Madame　Descoings　consulted

the　cards；　interpreted　her　dreams；　and　applied　the　rules　of　the

〃cabala〃　to　her　lottery　ventures。　This　jovial　fanatic　never　missed　a

single　drawing；　she　still　pursued　her　trey；which　never　turned　up。　It

was　nearly　twenty…one　years　old；　just　approaching　its　majority；　on

this　ridiculous　idea　the　old　woman　now　pinned　her　faith。　One　of　its

three　numbers　had　stayed　at　the　bottom　of　all　the　wheels　ever　since

the　institution　of　the　lottery。　Accordingly；　Madame　Descoings　laid

heavy　stakes　on　that　particular　number；　as　well　as　on　all　the

combinations　of　the　three　numbers。　The　last　mattress　remaining　to　her

bed　was　the　place　where　she　stored　her　savings；　she　unsewed　the

ticking；　put　in　from　time　to　time　the　bit　of　gold　saved　from　her

needs；　wrapped　carefully　in　wool；　and　then　sewed　the　mattress　up

again。　She　intended；　at　the　last　drawing；　to　risk　all　her　savings　on

the　different　combinations　of　her　treasured　trey。



This　passion；　so　universally　condemned；　has　never　been　fairly　studied。

No　one　has　understood　this　opium　of　poverty。　The　lottery；　all…powerful

fairy　of　the　poor；　bestowed　the　gift　of　magic　hopes。　The　turn　of　the

wheel　which　opens　to　the　gambler　a　vista　of　gold　and　happiness；　lasts

no　longer　than　a　flash　of　lightning；　but　the　lottery　gave　five　days'

existence　to　that　magnificent　flash。　What　social　power　can　to…day；　for

the　sum　of　five　sous；　give　us　five　days'　happiness　and　launch　us

ideally　into　all　the　joys　of　civilization？　Tobacco；　a　craving　far　more

immoral　than　play；　destroys　the　body；　attacks　the　mind；　and　stupefies

a　nation；　while　the　lottery　did　nothing　of　the　kind。　This　passion；

moreover；　was　forced　to　keep　within　limits　by　the　long　periods　that

occurred　between　the　drawings；　and　by　the　choice　of　wheels　which　each

investor　individually　clung　to。　Madame　Descoings　never　staked　on　any

but　the　〃wheel　of　Paris。〃　Full　of　confidence　that　the　trey　cherished

for　twenty…one　years　was　about　to　triumph；　she　now　imposed　upon

herself　enormous　privations；　that　she　might　stake　a　large　amount　of

savings　upon　the　last　drawing　of　the　year。　When　she　dreamed　her

cabalistic　visions　（for　all　dreams　did　not　correspond　with　the　numbers

of　the　lottery）；　she　went　and　told　them　to　Joseph；　who　was　the　sole

being　who　would　listen；　and　not　only　not　scold　her；　but　give　her　the

kindly　words　with　which　an　artist　knows　how　to　soothe　the　follies　of

the　mind。　All　great　talents　respect　and　understand　a　real　passion；

they　explain　it　to　themselves　by　finding　the　roots　of　it　in　their　own

hearts　or　minds。　Joseph's　ideas　was；　t