the two brothers-第15章

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

and　pouring　the　two　horns　of　plenty　at　the　feet　of　her　adopted　son；

and　relating　to　him　her　dreams　which　demonstrated　the　certainty　of

success；　she　felt　no　other　uneasiness　than　the　difficulty　of　bearing

such　joy；　and　waiting　from　mid…night　until　ten　o'clock　of　the　morrow；

when　the　winning　numbers　were　declared。　Joseph；　who　saw　nothing　of　the

four　hundred　francs　necessary　to　pay　up　the　stakes；　asked　about　them。

The　old　woman　smiled；　and　led　him　into　the　former　salon；　which　was　now

her　bed…chamber。



〃You　shall　see；〃　she　said。



Madame　Descoings　hastily　unmade　the　bed；　and　searched　for　her　scissors

to　rip　the　mattress；　she　put　on　her　spectacles；　looked　at　the　ticking；

saw　the　hole；　and　let　fall　the　mattress。　Hearing　a　sigh　from　the

depths　of　the　old　woman's　breast；　as　though　she　were　strangled　by　a

rush　of　blood　to　the　heart；　Joseph　instinctively　held　out　his　arms　to

catch　the　poor　creature；　and　placed　her　fainting　in　a　chair；　calling

to　his　mother　to　come　to　them。　Agathe　rose；　slipped　on　her　dressing…

gown；　and　ran　in。　By　the　light　of　a　candle；　she　applied　the　ordinary

remedies；eau…de…cologne　to　the　temples；　cold　water　to　the　forehead；

a　burnt　feather　under　the　nose；and　presently　her　aunt　revived。



〃They　were　there　is　morning；　HE　has　taken　them；　the　monster！〃　she

said。



〃Taken　what？〃　asked　Joseph。



〃I　had　twenty　louis　in　my　mattress；　my　savings　for　two　years；　no　one

but　Philippe　could　have　taken　them。〃



〃But　when？〃　cried　the　poor　mother；　overwhelmed；　〃he　has　not　been　in

since　breakfast。〃



〃I　wish　I　might　be　mistaken；〃　said　the　old　woman。　〃But　this　morning　in

Joseph's　studio；　when　I　spoke　before　Philippe　of　my　stakes；　I　had　a

presentiment。　I　did　wrong　not　to　go　down　and　take　my　little　all　and

pay　for　my　stakes　at　once。　I　meant　to；　and　I　don't　know　what　prevented

me。　Oh；　yes！my　God！　I　went　out　to　buy　him　some　cigars。〃



〃But；〃　said　Joseph；　〃you　left　the　door　locked。　Besides；　it　is　so

infamous。　I　can't　believe　it。　Philippe　couldn't　have　watched　you；　cut

open　the　mattress；　done　it　deliberately；no；　no！〃



〃I　felt　them　this　morning；　when　I　made　my　bed　after　breakfast；〃

repeated　Madame　Descoings。



Agathe；　horrified；　went　down　stairs　and　asked　if　Philippe　had　come　in

during　the　day。　The　concierge　related　the　tale　of　his　return　and　the

locksmith。　The　mother；　heart…stricken；　went　back　a　changed　woman。

White　as　the　linen　of　her　chemise；　she　walked　as　we　might　fancy　a

spectre　walks；　slowly；　noiselessly；　moved　by　some　superhuman　power；

and　yet　mechanically。　She　held　a　candle　in　her　hand；　whose　light　fell

full　upon　her　face　and　showed　her　eyes；　fixed　with　horror。

Unconsciously；　her　hands　by　a　desperate　movement　had　dishevelled　the

hair　about　her　brow；　and　this　made　her　so　beautiful　with　anguish　that

Joseph　stood　rooted　in　awe　at　the　apparition　of　that　remorse；　the

vision　of　that　statue　of　terror　and　despair。



〃My　aunt；〃　she　said；　〃take　my　silver　forks　and　spoons。　I　have　enough

to　make　up　the　sum；　I　took　your　money　for　Philippe's　sake；　I　thought　I

could　put　it　back　before　you　missed　it。　Oh！　I　have　suffered　much。〃



She　sat　down。　Her　dry；　fixed　eyes　wandered　a　little。



〃It　was　he　who　did　it；〃　whispered　the　old　woman　to　Joseph。



〃No；　no；〃　cried　Agathe；　〃take　my　silver　plate；　sell　it；　it　is　useless

to　me；　we　can　eat　with　yours。〃



She　went　to　her　room；　took　the　box　which　contained　the　plate；　felt　its

light　weight；　opened　it；　and　saw　a　pawnbroker's　ticket。　The　poor

mother　uttered　a　dreadful　cry。　Joseph　and　the　Descoings　ran　to　her；

saw　the　empty　box；　and　her　noble　falsehood　was　of　no　avail。　All　three

were　silent；　and　avoided　looking　at　each　other；　but　the　next　moment；

by　an　almost　frantic　gesture；　Agathe　laid　her　finger　on　her　lips　as　if

to　entreat　a　secrecy　no　one　desired　to　break。　They　returned　to　the

salon；　and　sat　beside　the　fire。



〃Ah！　my　children；〃　cried　Madame　Descoings；　〃I　am　stabbed　to　the　heart：

my　trey　will　turn　up；　I　am　certain　of　it。　I　am　not　thinking　of　myself；

but　of　you　two。　Philippe　is　a　monster；〃　she　continued；　addressing　her

niece；　〃he　does　not　love　you　after　all　that　you　have　done　for　him。　If

you　do　not　protect　yourself　against　him　he　will　bring　you　to　beggary。

Promise　me　to　sell　out　your　Funds　and　buy　a　life…annuity。　Joseph　has　a

good　profession　and　he　can　live。　If　you　will　do　this；　dear　Agathe；　you

will　never　be　an　expense　to　Joseph。　Monsieur　Desroches　has　just

started　his　son　as　a　notary；　he　would　take　your　twelve　thousand　francs

and　pay　you　an　annuity。〃



Joseph　seized　his　mother's　candlestick；　rushed　up　to　his　studio；　and

came　down　with　three　hundred　francs。



〃Here；　Madame　Descoings！〃　he　cried；　giving　her　his　little　store；　〃it

is　no　business　of　ours　what　you　do　with　your　money；　we　owe　you　what

you　have　lost；　and　here　it　is；　almost　in　full。〃



〃Take　your　poor　little　all？the　fruit　of　those　privations　that　have

made　me　so　unhappy！　are　you　mad；　Joseph？〃　cried　the　old　woman；　visibly

torn　between　her　dogged　faith　in　the　coming　trey；　and　the　sacrilege　of

accepting　such　a　sacrifice。



〃Oh！　take　it　if　you　like；〃　said　Agathe；　who　was　moved　to　tears　by　this

action　of　her　true　son。



Madame　Descoings　took　Joseph　by　the　head；　and　kissed　him　on　the

forehead：



〃My　child；〃　she　said；　〃don't　tempt　me。　I　might　only　lose　it。　The

lottery；　you　see；　is　all　folly。〃



No　more　heroic　words　were　ever　uttered　in　the　hidden　dramas　of

domestic　life。　It　was；　indeed；　affection　triumphant　over　inveterate

vice。　At　this　instant；　the　clocks　struck　midnight。



〃It　is　too　late　now；〃　said　Madame　Descoings。



〃Oh！〃　cried　Joseph；　〃here　are　your　cabalistic　numbers。〃



The　artist　sprang　at　the　paper；　and　rushed　headlong　down　the　staircase

to　pay　the　stakes。　When　he　was　no　longer　present；　Agathe　and　Madame

Descoings　burst　into　tears。



〃He　has　gone；　the　dear　love；〃　cried　the　old　gambler；　〃but　it　shall　all

be　his；　he　pays　his　own　money。〃



Unhappily；　Joseph　did　not　know　the　way　to　any　of　the　lottery…offices；

which　in　those　days　were　as　well　known　to　most　people　as　the

cigarshops　to　a　smoker　in　ours。　The　painter　ran　along；　reading　the

street　names　upon　the　lamps。　When　he　asked　the　passers…by　to　show　him

a　lottery…office；　he　was　told　they　were　all　closed；　except　the　one

under　the　portico　of　the　Palais…Royal　which　was　sometimes　kept　open　a

little　later。　He　flew　to　the　Palais…Royal：　the　office　was　shut。



〃Two　minutes　earlier；　and　you　might　have　paid　your　stake；〃　said　one　of

the　vendors　of　tickets；　whose　beat　was　under　the　portico；　where　he

vociferated　this　singular　cry：　〃Twelve　hundred　francs　for　forty　sous；〃

and　offered　tickets　all　paid　up。



By　the　glimmer　of　the　street　lamp　and　the　lights　of　the　cafe　de　la

Rotonde；　Joseph　examined　these　tickets　to　see　if；　by　chance；　any　of

them　bore　the　Descoings's　numbers。　He　found　none；　and　returned　home

grieved　at　having　done　his　best　in　vain　for　the　old　woman；　to　whom　he

related　his　ill…luck。　Agathe　and　her　aunt　went　together　to　the

midnight　mass　at　Saint…Germain…des…Pres。　Joseph　went　to　bed。　The

collation　did　not　take　place。　Madame　Descoings　had　lost　her　head；　and

in　Agathe's　heart　was　eternal　mourning。



The　two　rose　late　on　Christmas　morning。　Ten　o'clock　had　struck　before

Madame　Descoings　began　to　bestir　herself　about　the　breakfast；　which

was　only　ready　at　half…past　eleven。　At　that　hour；　the　oblong　frames

containing　the　winning　numbers　are　hung　over　the　doors　of　the　lottery…

offices。　If　Madame　Descoings　had　paid　her　stake　and　held　her　ticket；

she　would　have　gone　by　half…past　nine　o'clock　to　learn　her　fate　at　a

building　close　to　the　ministry　of　Finance；　in　the　rue　Neuve…des…Petits

Champs；　a　situation　now　occupied　by　the　Theatre　Ventadour　in　the　place

of　the　same　name。　On　the　days　when　the　drawings　took　place；　an

observer　might　watch　with　curiosity　the　crowd　of　old　women；　cooks；　and

old　men　assembled　about　the　door　of　this　building；　a　sight　as

remarkable　as　the　cue　of　people　about　the　Treasury　on　the　days　when

the　dividends　are　paid。



〃Well；　here　you　are；　rolling　in　wealth！〃　said　old　Desroches；　coming

into　the　room　just　as　the　Descoings　was　swallowing　her　last　drop　of

coffee。



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　cried　poor　Agathe。



〃Her　trey　has　turned　up；〃　he　said；　producing　the　list　of　numbers

written　on　a　bit　of　paper；　such　as　the　officials　of　the　lottery　put　by

hundreds　into　little　wooden　bowls　on　their　counters。



Joseph　read　the　list。　Agathe　read　the　list。　The　Descoings　read

nothing；　she　was　struck　down　as　by　a　thunderbolt。　At　the　change　in　her

face；　at　the　cry　she　gave；　old　Desroches　and　Joseph　carried　her　to　her

bed。　Agathe　went　for　a　doctor。　The　poor　woman　was　seized　with

apoplexy；　and　she　only　recovered　consciousness　at　four　in　the

afternoon；　old　Haudry；　her　doctor；　then　said　that；　in　spite　of　this

improvement；　she　ought　to　settle　her　worldly　affairs　and　think　of　her

salvation。　She　herself　only　uttered　two　words：



〃Three　millions！〃



Old　Desroches；　informed　by　Joseph；　with　due　reservations；　of　the　state

of　things；　related　many　instances　where　lottery…players　had　seen　a

fortune　escape　them　on　the　very　day　when；　by　some　fatality；　they　had

forgotten　to　pay　their　stakes；　but　he　thoroughly　understood　that　such

a　blow　might　be　fatal　when　it　came　after　twenty　years'　perseverance。

About　five　o'clock；　as　a　deep　silence　reigned　in　the　little

appartement；　and　the　sick　woman；　watched　by　Joseph　and　his　mother；　the

one　sitting　at　the　foot；　the　other　at　the　head　of　her　bed；　was

expecting　her　grandson　Bixiou；　whom　Desroches　had　gone　to　fetch；　the

sound　of　Philippe's　step　and　cane　resounded　on　the　staircase。



〃There　he　is！　there　he　is！〃　cried　the　Descoings；　sitting　up　in　bed　and

suddenly　able　to　use　her　paralyzed　tongue。



Agathe　and　Joseph　were　deeply　impressed　by　this　powerful　effect　of　the

horror　which　violently　agitated　the　old　woman。　Their　painful　suspense

was　soon　ended　by　the　sight　of　Philippe's　convulsed　and　purple　face；

his　staggering　walk；　and　the　horrible　state　of　his　eyes；　which　were

deeply　sunken；　dull；　and　yet　haggard；　he　had　a　strong　chill　upon　him；

and　his　teeth　chattered。



〃Starvation　in　Prussia！〃　he　cried；　looking　about　him。　〃Nothing　to　eat

or　drink？and　my　throat　on　fire！　Well；　what's　the　matter？　The　devil

is　always　meddling　in　our　affairs。　There's　my　old　Descoings　in　bed；

looking　at　me　with　her　eyes　as　big　as　saucers。〃



〃Be　silent；　monsieur！〃　said　Agathe；　rising。　〃At　least；　respect　the

sorrows　you　have　caused。〃



〃MONSIEUR；　indeed！〃　he　cried；　looking　at　his　mother。　〃My　dear　little

mother；　that　won't　do。　Have　you　ceased　to　love　your　son？〃



〃Are　you　worthy　of　love？　Have　you　forgotten　what　you　did　yesterday？　Go

and　find　yourself　another　home；　you　cannot　live　with　us　any　longer；

that　is；　after　to…morrow；〃　she　added；　〃for　in　the　state　you　are　in　now

it　is　difficult〃