the two brothers-第14章

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his　voice　was　gruff　and　his　cane　dragged；　but　when　he　had　lost；　his

step　had　something　sharp；　short　and　angry　about　it；　he　hummed　in　a

clear　voice；　and　carried　his　cane　in　the　air　as　if　presenting　arms。　At


breakfast；　if　he　had　won；　his　behavior　was　gay　and　even　affectionate；

he　joked　roughly；　but　still　he　joked；　with　Madame　Descoings；　with

Joseph；　and　with　his　mother；　gloomy；　on　the　contrary；　when　he　had

lost；　his　brusque；　rough　speech；　his　hard　glance；　and　his　depression；

frightened　them。　A　life　of　debauch　and　the　abuse　of　liquors　debased；

day　by　day；　a　countenance　that　was　once　so　handsome。　The　veins　of　the

face　were　swollen　with　blood；　the　features　became　coarse；　the　eyes

lost　their　lashes　and　grew　hard　and　dry。　No　longer　careful　of　his

person；　Philippe　exhaled　the　miasmas　of　a　tavern　and　the　smell　of

muddy　boots；　which；　to　an　observer；　stamped　him　with　debauchery。



〃You　ought；〃　said　Madame　Descoings　to　Philippe　during　the　last　days　of

December；　〃you　ought　to　get　yourself　new…clothed　from　head　to　foot。〃



〃And　who　is　to　pay　for　it？〃　he　answered　sharply。　〃My　poor　mother

hasn't　a　sou；　and　I　have　five　hundred　francs　a　year。　It　would　take　my

whole　year's　pension　to　pay　for　the　clothes；　besides　I　have　mortgaged

it　for　three　years〃



〃What　for？〃　asked　Joseph。



〃A　debt　of　honor。　Giroudeau　borrowed　a　thousand　francs　from　Florentine

to　lend　me。　I　am　not　gorgeous；　that's　a　fact；　but　when　one　thinks　that

Napoleon　is　at　Saint　Helena；　and　has　sold　his　plate　for　the　means　of

living；　his　faithful　soldiers　can　manage　to　walk　on　their　bare　feet；〃

he　said；　showing　his　boots　without　heels；　as　he　marched　away。



〃He　is　not　bad；〃　said　Agathe；　〃he　has　good　feelings。〃



〃You　can　love　the　Emperor　and　yet　dress　yourself　properly；〃　said

Joseph。　〃If　he　would　take　any　care　of　himself　and　his　clothes；　he

wouldn't　look　so　like　a　vagabond。〃



〃Joseph！　you　ought　to　have　some　indulgence　for　your　brother；〃　cried

Agathe。　〃You　do　the　things　you　like；　while　he　is　certainly　not　in　his

right　place。〃



〃What　did　he　leave　it　for？〃　demanded　Joseph。　〃What　can　it　matter　to

him　whether　Louis　the　Eighteenth's　bugs　or　Napoleon's　cuckoos　are　on

the　flag；　if　it　is　the　flag　of　his　country？　France　is　France！　For　my

part；　I'd　paint　for　the　devil。　A　soldier　ought　to　fight；　if　he　is　a

soldier；　for　the　love　of　his　art。　If　he　had　stayed　quietly　in　the

army；　he　would　have　been　a　general　by　this　time。〃



〃You　are　unjust　to　him；〃　said　Agathe；　〃your　father；　who　adored　the

Emperor；　would　have　approved　of　his　conduct。　However；　he　has　consented

to　re…enter　the　army。　God　knows　the　grief　it　has　caused　your　brother

to　do　a　thing　he　considers　treachery。〃



Joseph　rose　to　return　to　his　studio；　but　his　mother　took　his　hand　and

said：



〃Be　good　to　your　brother；　he　is　so　unfortunate。〃



When　the　artist　got　back　to　his　painting…room；　followed　by　Madame

Descoings；　who　begged　him　to　humor　his　mother's　feelings；　and　pointed

out　to　him　how　changed　she　was；　and　what　inward　suffering　the　change

revealed；　they　found　Philippe　there；　to　their　great　amazement。



〃Joseph；　my　boy；〃　he　said；　in　an　off…hand　way；　〃I　want　some　money。

Confound　it！　I　owe　thirty　francs　for　cigars　at　my　tobacconist's；　and　I

dare　not　pass　the　cursed　shop　till　I've　paid　it。　I've　promised　to　pay

it　a　dozen　times。〃



〃Well；　I　like　your　present　way　best；〃　said　Joseph；　〃take　what　you　want

out　of　the　skull。〃



〃I　took　all　there　was　last　night；　after　dinner。〃



〃There　was　forty…five　francs。〃



〃Yes；　that's　what　I　made　it；〃　replied　Philippe。　〃I　took　them；　is　there

any　objection？〃



〃No；　my　friend；　no；〃　said　Joseph。　〃If　you　were　rich；　I　should　do　the

same　by　you；　only；　before　taking　what　I　wanted；　I　should　ask　you　if　it

were　convenient。〃



〃It　is　very　humiliating　to　ask；〃　remarked　Philippe；　〃I　would　rather

see　you　taking　as　I　do；　without　a　word；　it　shows　more　confidence。　In

the　army；　if　a　comrade　dies；　and　has　a　good　pair　of　boots；　and　you

have　a　bad　pair；　you　change；　that's　all。〃



〃Yes；　but　you　don't　take　them　while　he　is　living。〃



〃Oh；　what　meanness！〃　said　Philippe；　shrugging　his　shoulders。　〃Well；　so

you　haven't　got　any　money？〃



〃No；〃　said　Joseph；　who　was　determined　not　to　show　his　hiding…place。



〃In　a　few　days　we　shall　be　rich；〃　said　Madame　Descoings。



〃Yes；　you；　you　think　your　trey　is　going　to　turn　up　on　the　25th　at　the

Paris　drawing。　You　must　have　put　in　a　fine　stake　if　you　think　you　can

make　us　all　rich。〃



〃A　paid…up　trey　of　two　hundred　francs　will　give　three　millions；

without　counting　the　couplets　and　the　singles。〃



〃At　fifteen　thousand　times　the　stakeyes；　you　are　right；　it　is　just

two　hundred　you　must　pay　up！〃　cried　Philippe。



Madame　Descoings　bit　her　lips；　she　knew　she　had　spoken　imprudently。　In

fact；　Philippe　was　asking　himself　as　he　went　downstairs：



〃That　old　witch！　where　does　she　keep　her　money？　It　is　as　good　as　lost；

I　can　make　a　better　use　of　it。　With　four　pools　at　fifty　francs　each；　I

could　win　two　hundred　thousand　francs；　and　that's　much　surer　than　the

turning　up　of　a　trey。〃



He　tried　to　think　where　the　old　woman　was　likely　to　have　hid　the

money。　On　the　days　preceding　festivals；　Agathe　went　to　church　and

stayed　there　a　long　time；　no　doubt　she　confessed　and　prepared　for　the

communion。　It　was　now　the　day　before　Christmas；　Madame　Descoings　would

certainly　go　out　to　buy　some　dainties　for　the　〃reveillon；〃　the

midnight　meal；　and　she　might　also　take　occasion　to　pay　up　her　stake。

The　lottery　was　drawn　every　five　days　in　different　localities；　at

Bordeaux；　Lyons；　Lille；　Strasburg；　and　Paris。　The　Paris　lottery　was

drawn　on　the　twenty…fifth　of　each　month；　and　the　lists　closed　on　the

twenty…fourth；　at　midnight。　Philippe　studied　all　these　points　and　set

himself　to　watch。　He　came　home　at　midday；　the　Descoings　had　gone　out；

and　had　taken　the　key　of　the　appartement。　But　that　was　no　difficulty。

Philippe　pretended　to　have　forgotten　something；　and　asked　the

concierge　to　go　herself　and　get　a　locksmith；　who　lived　close　by；　and

who　came　at　once　and　opened　the　door。　The　villain's　first　thought　was

the　bed；　he　uncovered　it；　passed　his　hands　over　the　mattress　before　he

examined　the　bedstead；　and　at　the　lower　end　felt　the　pieces　wrapped　up

in　paper。　He　at　once　ripped　the　ticking；　picked　out　twenty　napoleons；

and　then；　without　taking　time　to　sew　up　the　mattress；　re…made　the　bed

neatly　enough；　so　that　Madame　Descoings　could　suspect　nothing。



The　gambler　stole　off　with　a　light　foot；　resolving　to　play　at　three

different　times；　three　hours　apart；　and　each　time　for　only　ten

minutes。　Thorough…going　players；　ever　since　1786；　the　time　at　which

public　gaming…houses　were　established；the　true　players　whom　the

government　dreaded；　and　who　ate　up；　to　use　a　gambling　term；　the　money

of　the　bank；never　played　in　any　other　way。　But　before　attaining　this

measure　of　experience　they　lost　fortunes。　The　whole　science　of

gambling…houses　and　their　gains　rests　upon　three　things：　the

impassibility　of　the　bank；　the　even　results　called　〃drawn　games；〃　when

half　the　money　goes　to　the　bank；　and　the　notorious　bad　faith

authorized　by　the　government；　in　refusing　to　hold　or　pay　the　player's

stakes　except　optionally。　In　a　word；　the　gambling…house；　which　refuses

the　game　of　a　rich　and　cool　player；　devours　the　fortune　of　the　foolish

and　obstinate　one；　who　is　carried　away　by　the　rapid　movement　of　the

machinery　of　the　game。　The　croupiers　at　〃trente　et　quarante〃　move

nearly　as　fast　as　the　ball。



Philippe　had　ended　by　acquiring　the　sang…froid　of　a　commanding

general；　which　enables　him　to　keep　his　eye　clear　and　his　mind　prompt

in　the　midst　of　tumult。　He　had　reached　that　statesmanship　of　gambling

which　in　Paris；　let　us　say　in　passing；　is　the　livelihood　of　thousands

who　are　strong　enough　to　look　every　night　into　an　abyss　without

getting　a　vertigo。　With　his　four　hundred　francs；　Philippe　resolved　to

make　his　fortune　that　day。　He　put　aside；　in　his　boots；　two　hundred

francs；　and　kept　the　other　two　hundred　in　his　pocket。　At　three　o'clock

he　went　to　the　gambling…house　（which　is　now　turned　into　the　theatre　of

the　Palais…Royal）；　where　the　bank　accepted　the　largest　sums。　He　came

out　half　an　hour　later　with　seven　thousand　francs　in　his　pocket。　Then

he　went　to　see　Florentine；　paid　the　five　hundred　francs　which　he　owed

to　her；　and　proposed　a　supper　at　the　Rocher　de　Cancale　after　the

theatre。　Returning　to　his　game；　along　the　rue　de　Sentier；　he　stopped

at　Giroudeau's　newspaper…office　to　notify　him　of　the　gala。　By　six

o'clock　Philippe　had　won　twenty…five　thousand　francs；　and　stopped

playing　at　the　end　of　ten　minutes　as　he　had　promised　himself　to　do。

That　night；　by　ten　o'clock；　he　had　won　seventy…five　thousand　francs。

After　the　supper；　which　was　magnificent；　Philippe；　by　that　time　drunk

and　confident；　went　back　to　his　play　at　midnight。　In　defiance　of　the

rule　he　had　imposed　upon　himself；　he　played　for　an　hour　and　doubled

his　fortune。　The　bankers；　from　whom；　by　his　system　of　playing；　he　had

extracted　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs；　looked　at　him　with

curiosity。



〃Will　he　go　away　now；　or　will　he　stay？〃　they　said　to　each　other　by　a

glance。　〃If　he　stays　he　is　lost。〃



Philippe　thought　he　had　struck　a　vein　of　luck；　and　stayed。　Towards

three　in　the　morning；　the　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs　had　gone

back　to　the　bank。　The　colonel；　who　had　imbibed　a　considerable　quantity

of　grog　while　playing；　left　the　place　in　a　drunken　state；　which　the

cold　of　the　outer　air　only　increased。　A　waiter　from　the　gambling…house

followed　him；　picked　him　up；　and　took　him　to　one　of　those　horrible

houses　at　the　door　of　which；　on　a　hanging　lamp；　are　the　words：

〃Lodgings　for　the　night。〃　The　waiter　paid　for　the　ruined　gambler；　who

was　put　to　bed；　where　he　remained　till　Christmas　night。　The　managers

of　gambling…houses　have　some　consideration　for　their　customers；

especially　for　high　players。　Philippe　awoke　about　seven　o'clock　in　the

evening；　his　mouth　parched；　his　face　swollen；　and　he　himself　in　the

grip　of　a　nervous　fever。　The　strength　of　his　constitution　enabled　him

to　get　home　on　foot；　where　meanwhile　he　had；　without　willing　it；

brought　mourning；　desolation；　poverty；　and　death。



The　evening　before；　when　dinner　was　ready；　Madame　Descoings　and　Agathe

expected　Philippe。　They　waited　dinner　till　seven　o'clock。　Agathe

always　went　to　bed　at　ten；　but　as；　on　this　occasion；　she　wished　to　be

present　at　the　midnight　mass；　she　went　to　lie　down　as　soon　as　dinner

was　over。　Madame　Descoings　and　Joseph　remained　alone　by　the　fire　in

the　little　salon；　which　served　for　all；　and　the　old　woman　asked　the

painter　to　add　up　the　amount　of　her　great　stake；　her　monstrous　stake；

on　the　famous　trey；　which　she　was　to　pay　that　evening　at　the　Lottery

office。　She　wished　to　put　in　for　the　doubles　and　singles　as　well；　so

as　to　seize　all　chances。　After　feasting　on　the　poetry　of　her　hopes；

and　pouring　th