the two brothers-第17章
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She then arranged Joseph's bedroom; put out the fire in her own
chamber; and brought her sewing to the studio; where she sat by the
little iron stove; leaving the room if a comrade or a model entered
it。 Though she understood nothing whatever of art; the silence of the
studio suited her。 In the matter of art she made not the slightest
progress; she attempted no hypocrisy; she was utterly amazed at the
importance they all attached to color; composition; drawing。 When the
Cenacle friends or some brother…painter; like Schinner; Pierre
Grassou; Leon de Lora;a very youthful 〃rapin〃 who was called at that
time Mistigris;discussed a picture; she would come back afterwards;
examine it attentively; and discover nothing to justify their fine
words and their hot disputes。 She made her son's shirts; she mended
his stockings; she even cleaned his palette; supplied him with rags to
wipe his brushes; and kept things in order in the studio。 Seeing how
much thought his mother gave to these little details; Joseph heaped
attentions upon her in return。 If mother and son had no sympathies in
the matter of art; they were at least bound together by signs of
tenderness。 The mother had a purpose。 One morning as she was petting
Joseph while he was sketching a large picture (finished in after years
and never understood); she said; as it were; casually and aloud;
〃My God! what is he doing?〃
〃Doing? who?〃
〃Philippe。〃
〃Oh; ah! he's sowing his wild oats; that fellow will make something of
himself by and by。〃
〃But he has gone through the lesson of poverty; perhaps it was poverty
which changed him to what he is。 If he were prosperous he would be
good〃
〃You think; my dear mother; that he suffered during that journey of
his。 You are mistaken; he kept carnival in New York just as he does
here〃
〃But if he is suffering at this moment; near to us; would it not be
horrible?〃
〃Yes;〃 replied Joseph。 〃For my part; I will gladly give him some
money; but I don't want to see him; he killed our poor Descoings。〃
〃So;〃 resumed Agathe; 〃you would not be willing to paint his
portrait?〃
〃For you; dear mother; I'd suffer martyrdom。 I can make myself
remember nothing except that he is my brother。〃
〃His portrait as a captain of dragoons on horseback?〃
〃Yes; I've a copy of a fine horse by Gros and I haven't any use for
it。〃
〃Well; then; go and see that friend of his and find out what has
become of him。〃
〃I'll go!〃
Agathe rose; her scissors and work fell at her feet; she went and
kissed Joseph's head; and dropped two tears on his hair。
〃He is your passion; that fellow;〃 said the painter。 〃We all have our
hopeless passions。〃
That afternoon; about four o'clock; Joseph went to the rue du Sentier
and found his brother; who had taken Giroudeau's place。 The old
dragoon had been promoted to be cashier of a weekly journal
established by his nephew。 Although Finot was still proprietor of the
other newspaper; which he had divided into shares; holding all the
shares himself; the proprietor and editor 〃de visu〃 was one of his
friends; named Lousteau; the son of that very sub…delegate of Issoudun
on whom the Bridaus' grandfather; Doctor Rouget; had vowed vengeance;
consequently he was the nephew of Madame Hochon。 To make himself
agreeable to his uncle; Finot gave Philippe the place Giroudeau was
quitting; cutting off; however; half the salary。 Moreover; daily; at
five o'clock; Giroudeau audited the accounts and carried away the
receipts。 Coloquinte; the old veteran; who was the office boy and did
errands; also kept an eye on the slippery Philippe; who was; however;
behaving properly。 A salary of six hundred francs; and the five
hundred of his cross sufficed him to live; all the more because;
living in a warm office all day and at the theatre on a free pass
every evening; he had only to provide himself with food and a place to
sleep in。 Coloquinte was departing with the stamped papers on his
head; and Philippe was brushing his false sleeves of green linen; when
Joseph entered。
〃Bless me; here's the cub!〃 cried Philippe。 〃Well; we'll go and dine
together。 You shall go to the opera; Florine and Florentine have got a
box。 I'm going with Giroudeau; you shall be of the party; and I'll
introduce you to Nathan。〃
He took his leaded cane; and moistened a cigar。
〃I can't accept your invitation; I am to take our mother to dine at a
table d'hote。〃
〃Ah! how is she; the poor; dear woman?〃
〃She is pretty well;〃 answered the painter; 〃I have just repainted our
father's portrait; and aunt Descoings's。 I have also painted my own;
and I should like to give our mother yours; in the uniform of the
dragoons of the Imperial Guard。〃
〃Very good。〃
〃You will have to come and sit。〃
〃I'm obliged to be in this hen…coop from nine o'clock till five。〃
〃Two Sundays will be enough。〃
〃So be it; little man;〃 said Napoleon's staff officer; lighting his
cigar at the porter's lamp。
When Joseph related Philippe's position to his mother; on their way to
dinner in the rue de Beaune; he felt her arm tremble in his; and joy
lighted up her worn face; the poor soul breathed like one relieved of
a heavy weight。 The next day; inspired by joy and gratitude; she paid
Joseph a number of little attentions; she decorated his studio with
flowers; and bought him two stands of plants。 On the first Sunday when
Philippe was to sit; Agathe arranged a charming breakfast in the
studio。 She laid it all out on the table; not forgetting a flask of
brandy; which; however; was only half full。 She herself stayed behind
a screen; in which she made a little hole。 The ex…dragoon sent his
uniform the night before; and she had not refrained from kissing it。
When Philippe was placed; in full dress; on one of those straw horses;
all saddled; which Joseph had hired for the occasion; Agathe; fearing
to betray her presence; mingled the soft sound of her tears with the
conversation of the two brothers。 Philippe posed for two hours before
and two hours after breakfast。 At three o'clock in the afternoon; he
put on his ordinary clothes and; as he lighted a cigar; he proposed to
his brother to go and dine together in the Palais…Royal; jingling gold
in his pocket as he spoke。
〃No;〃 said Joseph; 〃it frightens me to see gold about you。〃
〃Ah! you'll always have a bad opinion of me in this house;〃 cried the
colonel in a thundering voice。 〃Can't I save my money; too?〃
〃Yes; yes!〃 cried Agathe; coming out of her hiding…place; and kissing
her son。 〃Let us go and dine with him; Joseph!〃
Joseph dared not scold his mother。 He went and dressed himself; and
Philippe took them to the Rocher de Cancale; where he gave them a
splendid dinner; the bill for which amounted to a hundred francs。
〃The devil!〃 muttered Joseph uneasily; 〃with an income of eleven
hundred francs you manage; like Ponchard in the 'Dame Blance;' to save
enough to buy estates。〃
〃Bah; I'm on a run of luck;〃 answered the dragoon; who had drunk
enormously。
Hearing this speech just as they were on the steps of the cafe; and
before they got into the carriage to go to the theatre;for Philippe
was to take his mother to the Cirque…Olympique (the only theatre her
confessor allowed her to visit);Joseph pinched his mother's arm。 She
at once pretended to feel unwell; and refused to go the theatre;
Philippe accordingly took them back to the rue Mazarin; where; as soon
as she was alone with Joseph in her garret; Agathe fell into a gloomy
silence。
The following Sunday Philippe came again。 This time his mother was
visibly present at the sitting。 She served the breakfast; and put
several questions to the dragoon。 She then learned that the nephew of
old Madame Hochon; the friend of her mother; played a considerable
part in literature。 Philippe and his friend Giroudeau lived among a
circle of journalists; actresses; and booksellers; where they were
regarded in the light of cashiers。 Philippe; who had been drinking
kirsch before posing; was loquacious。 He boasted that he was about to
become a great man。 But when Joseph asked a question as to his
pecuniary resources he was dumb。 It so happened that there was no
newspaper on the following day; it being a fete; and to finish the
picture Philippe proposed to sit again on the morrow。 Joseph told him
that the Salon was close at hand; and as he did not have the money to
buy two frames for the pictures he wished to exhibit; he was forced to
procure it by finishing a copy of a Rubens which had been ordered by
Elie Magus; the picture…dealer。 The original belonged to a wealthy
Swiss banker; who had only lent it for ten days; and the next day was
the last; the sitting must therefore be put off till the following
Sunday。
〃Is that it?〃 asked Philippe; pointing to a picture by Rubens on an
easel。
〃Yes;〃 replied Joseph; 〃it is worth twenty thousand francs。 That's
what genius can do。 It will take me all to…morrow to get the tones of
the original and make the copy look so old it can't be distinguished
from it。〃
〃Adieu; mother;〃 said Philippe; kissing Agathe。 〃Next Sunday; then。〃
The next day Elie Magus was to come for his copy。 Joseph's friend;
Pierre Grassou; who was working for the same dealer; wanted to see it
when finished。 To play him a trick; Joseph; when he heard his knock;
put the copy; which was varnished with a special glaze of his own; in
place of the original; and put the original on his easel。 Pierre
Grassou was completely taken in; and then amazed and delighted at
Joseph's success。
〃Do you think it will deceive old Magus?〃 he said to Joseph。
〃We shall see;〃 answered the latter。
The dealer did not come as he had promised。 It was getting late;
Agathe dined that day with Madame Desroches; who had lately lost her
husband; and Joseph proposed to Pierre Grassou to dine at his table
d'hote。 As he went out he left the key of his studio with the
concierge。
An hour later Philippe appeared and said to the concierge;
〃I am to sit this evening; Joseph will be in soon; and I will wait for
him in the studio。〃
The woman gave him the key; Philippe went upstairs; took the copy;
thinking it was the original; and went down again; returned the key to
the concierge with the excuse that he had forgotten something; and
hurried off to sell his Rubens for three thousand francs。 He had taken
the precaution to convey a message from his brother to Elie Magus;
asking him not to call till the following day。
That evening when Joseph returned; bringing his mother from Madame
Desroches's; the concierge told him of Philippe's freak;how he had
called intending to wait; and gone away again immediately。
〃I am ruinedunless he has had the delicacy to take the copy;〃 cried
the painter; instantly suspecting the theft。 He ran rapidly up