the two brothers-第2章

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the　worthy　Bridau　appealed　made　the　same　atrocious　reply：　〃Why　do　you

meddle？〃　Bridau　then　sagely　advised　Madame　Descoings　to　keep　quiet　and

await　events。　But　instead　of　conciliating　Robespierre's　housekeeper；

she　fretted　and　fumed　against　that　informer；　and　even　complained　to　a

member　of　the　Convention；　who；　trembling　for　himself；　replied　hastily；

〃I　will　speak　of　it　to　Robespierre。〃　The　handsome　petitioner　put　faith

in　this　promise；　which　the　other　carefully　forgot。　A　few　loaves　of

sugar；　or　a　bottle　or　two　of　good　liqueur；　given　to　the　citoyenne

Duplay　would　have　saved　Descoings。



This　little　mishap　proves　that　in　revolutionary　times　it　is　quite　as

dangerous　to　employ　honest　men　as　scoundrels；　we　should　rely　on

ourselves　alone。　Descoings　perished；　but　he　had　the　glory　of　going　to

the　scaffold　with　Andre　Chenier。　There；　no　doubt；　grocery　and　poetry

embraced　for　the　first　time　in　the　flesh；　although　they　have；　and　ever

have　had；　intimate　secret　relations。　The　death　of　Descoings　produced

far　more　sensation　than　that　of　Andre　Chenier。　It　has　taken　thirty

years　to　prove　to　France　that　she　lost　more　by　the　death　of　Chenier

than　by　that　of　Descoings。



This　act　of　Robespierre　led　to　one　good　result：　the　terrified　grocers

let　politics　alone　until　1830。　Descoings's　shop　was　not　a　hundred

yards　from　Robespierre's　lodging。　His　successor　was　scarcely　more

fortunate　than　himself。　Cesar　Birotteau；　the　celebrated　perfumer　of

the　〃Queen　of　Roses；〃　bought　the　premises；　but；　as　if　the　scaffold　had

left　some　inexplicable　contagion　behind　it；　the　inventor　of　the　〃Paste

of　Sultans〃　and　the　〃Carminative　Balm〃　came　to　his　ruin　in　that　very

shop。　The　solution　of　the　problem　here　suggested　belongs　to　the　realm

of　occult　science。



During　the　visits　which　Roland's　secretary　paid　to　the　unfortunate

Madame　Descoings；　he　was　struck　with　the　cold；　calm；　innocent　beauty

of　Agathe　Rouget。　While　consoling　the　widow；　who；　however；　was　too

inconsolable　to　carry　on　the　business　of　her　second　deceased　husband；

he　married　the　charming　girl；　with　the　consent　of　her　father；　who

hastened　to　give　his　approval　to　the　match。　Doctor　Rouget；　delighted

to　hear　that　matters　were　going　beyond　his　expectations；for　his

wife；　on　the　death　of　her　brother；　had　become　sole　heiress　of　the

Descoings；rushed　to　Paris；　not　so　much　to　be　present　at　the　wedding

as　to　see　that　the　marriage　contract　was　drawn　to　suit　him。　The　ardent

and　disinterested　love　of　citizen　Bridau　gave　carte　blanche　to　the

perfidious　doctor；　who　made　the　most　of　his　son…in…law's　blindness；　as

the　following　history　will　show。



Madame　Rouget；　or；　to　speak　more　correctly；　the　doctor；　inherited　all

the　property；　landed　and　personal；　of　Monsieur　and　Madame　Descoings

the　elder；　who　died　within　two　years　of　each　other；　and　soon　after

that；　Rouget　got　the　better；　as　we　may　say；　of　his　wife；　for　she　died

at　the　beginning　of　the　year　1799。　So　he　had　vineyards　and　he　bought

farms；　he　owned　iron…works　and　he　sold　fleeces。　His　well…beloved　son

was　stupidly　incapable　of　doing　anything；　but　the　father　destined　him

for　the　state　in　life　of　a　land　proprietor　and　allowed　him　to　grow　up

in　wealth　and　silliness；　certain　that　the　lad　would　know　as　much　as

the　wisest　if　he　simply　let　himself　live　and　die。　After　1799；　the

cipherers　of　Issoudun　put；　at　the　very　least；　thirty　thousand　francs'

income　to　the　doctor's　credit。　From　the　time　of　his　wife's　death　he

led　a　debauched　life；　though　he　regulated　it；　so　to　speak；　and　kept　it

within　the　closed　doors　of　his　own　house。　This　man；　endowed　with　〃strength

of　character；〃　died　in　1805；　and　God　only　knows　what　the　townspeople

of　Issoudun　said　about　him　then；　and　how　many　anecdotes　they　related

of　his　horrible　private　life。　Jean…Jacques　Rouget；　whom　his　father；

recognizing　his　stupidity；　had　latterly　treated　with　severity；

remained　a　bachelor　for　certain　reasons；　the　explanation　of　which　will

form　an　important　part　of　this　history。　His　celibacy　was　partly　his

father's　fault；　as　we　shall　see　later。



Meantime；　it　is　well　to　inquire　into　the　results　of　the　secret

vengeance　the　doctor　took　on　a　daughter　whom　he　did　not　recognize　as

his　own；　but　who；　you　must　understand　at　once；　was　legitimately　his。

Not　a　person　in　Issoudun　had　noticed　one　of　those　capricious　facts

that　make　the　whole　subject　of　generation　a　vast　abyss　in　which

science　flounders。　Agathe　bore　a　strong　likeness　to　the　mother　of

Doctor　Rouget。　Just　as　gout　is　said　to　skip　a　generation　and　pass　from

grandfather　to　grandson；　resemblances　not　uncommonly　follow　the　same

course。



In　like　manner；　the　eldest　of　Agathe's　children；　who　physically

resembled　his　mother；　had　the　moral　qualities　of　his　grandfather；

Doctor　Rouget。　We　will　leave　the　solution　of　this　problem　to　the

twentieth　century；　with　a　fine　collection　of　microscopic　animalculae；

our　descendants　may　perhaps　write　as　much　nonsense　as　the　scientific

schools　of　the　nineteenth　century　have　uttered　on　this　mysterious　and

perplexing　question。



Agathe　Rouget　attracted　the　admiration　of　everyone　by　a　face　destined；

like　that　of　Mary；　the　mother　of　our　Lord；　to　continue　ever　virgin；

even　after　marriage。　Her　portrait；　still　to　be　seen　in　the　atelier　of

Bridau；　shows　a　perfect　oval　and　a　clear　whiteness　of　complexion；

without　the　faintest　tinge　of　color；　in　spite　of　her　golden　hair。　More

than　one　artist；　looking　at　the　pure　brow；　the　discreet；　composed

mouth；　the　delicate　nose；　the　small　ears；　the　long　lashes；　and　the

dark…blue　eyes　filled　with　tenderness；in　short；　at　the　whole

countenance　expressive　of　placidity；has　asked　the　great　artist；　〃Is

that　a　copy　of　a　Raphael？〃　No　man　ever　acted　under　a　truer　inspiration

than　the　minister's　secretary　when　he　married　this　young　girl。　Agathe

was　an　embodiment　of　the　ideal　housekeeper　brought　up　in　the　provinces

and　never　parted　from　her　mother。　Pious；　though　far　from

sanctimonious；　she　had　no　other　education　than　that　given　to　women　by

the　Church。　Judged；　by　ordinary　standards；　she　was　an　accomplished

wife；　yet　her　ignorance　of　life　paved　the　way　for　great　misfortunes。

The　epitaph　on　the　Roman　matron；　〃She　did　needlework　and　kept　the

house；〃　gives　a　faithful　picture　of　her　simple；　pure；　and　tranquil

existence。



Under　the　Consulate；　Bridau　attached　himself　fanatically　to　Napoleon；

who　placed　him　at　the　head　of　a　department　in　the　ministry　of　the

interior　in　1804；　a　year　before　the　death　of　Doctor　Rouget。　With　a

salary　of　twelve　thousand　francs　and　very　handsome　emoluments；　Bridau

was　quite　indifferent　to　the　scandalous　settlement　of　the　property　at

Issoudun；　by　which　Agathe　was　deprived　of　her　rightful　inheritance。

Six　months　before　Doctor　Rouget's　death　he　had　sold　one…half　of　his

property　to　his　son；　to　whom　the　other　half　was　bequeathed　as　a　gift；

and　also　in　accordance　with　his　rights　as　heir。　An　advance　of　fifty

thousand　francs　on　her　inheritance；　made　to　Agathe　at　the　time　of　her

marriage；　represented　her　share　of　the　property　of　her　father　and

mother。



Bridau　idolized　the　Emperor；　and　served　him　with　the　devotion　of　a

Mohammedan　for　his　prophet；　striving　to　carry　out　the　vast　conceptions

of　the　modern　demi…god；　who；　finding　the　whole　fabric　of　France

destroyed；　went　to　work　to　reconstruct　everything。　The　new　official

never　showed　fatigue；　never　cried　〃Enough。〃　Projects；　reports；　notes；

studies；　he　accepted　all；　even　the　hardest　labors；　happy　in　the

consciousness　of　aiding　his　Emperor。　He　loved　him　as　a　man；　he　adored

him　as　a　sovereign；　and　he　would　never　allow　the　least　criticism　of

his　acts　or　his　purposes。



From　1804　to　1808；　the　Bridaus　lived　in　a　handsome　suite　of　rooms　on

the　Quai　Voltaire；　a　few　steps　from　the　ministry　of　the　interior　and

close　to　the　Tuileries。　A　cook　and　footman　were　the　only　servants　of

the　household　during　this　period　of　Madame　Bridau's　grandeur。　Agathe；

early　afoot；　went　to　market　with　her　cook。　While　the　latter　did　the

rooms；　she　prepared　the　breakfast。　Bridau　never　went　to　the　ministry

before　eleven　o'clock。　As　long　as　their　union　lasted；　his　wife　took

the　same　unwearying　pleasure　in　preparing　for　him　an　exquisite

breakfast；　the　only　meal　he　really　enjoyed。　At　all　seasons　and　in　all

weathers；　Agathe　watched　her　husband　from　the　window　as　he　walked

toward　his　office；　and　never　drew　in　her　head　until　she　had　seen　him

turn　the　corner　of　the　rue　du　Bac。　Then　she　cleared　the　breakfast…

table　herself；　gave　an　eye　to　the　arrangement　of　the　rooms；　dressed

for　the　day；　played　with　her　children　and　took　them　to　walk；　or

received　the　visits　of　friends；　all　the　while　waiting　in　spirit　for

Bridau's　return。　If　her　husband　brought　him　important　business　that

had　to　be　attended　to；　she　would　station　herself　close　to　the　writing…

table　in　his　study；　silent　as　a　statue；　knitting　while　he　wrote；

sitting　up　as　late　as　he　did；　and　going　to　bed　only　a　few　moments

before　him。　Occasionally；　the　pair　went　to　some　theatre；　occupying　one

of　the　ministerial　boxes。　On　those　days；　they　dined　at　a　restaurant；

and　the　gay　scenes　of　that　establishment　never　ceased　to　give　Madame

Bridau　the　same　lively　pleasure　they　afford　to　provincials　who　are　new

to　Paris。　Agathe；　who　was　obliged　to　accept　the　formal　dinners

sometimes　given　to　the　head　of　a　department　in　a　ministry；　paid　due

attention　to　the　luxurious　requirements　of　the　then　mode　of　dress；　but

she　took　off　the　rich　apparel　with　delight　when　she　returned　home；　and

resumed　the　simple　garb　of　a　provincial。　One　day　in　the　week；

Thursday；　Bridau　received　his　friends；　and　he　also　gave　a　grand　ball；

annually；　on　Shrove　Tuesday。



These　few　words　contain　the　whole　history　of　their　conjugal　life；

which　had　but　three　events；　the　births　of　two　children；　born　three

years　apart；　and　the　death　of　Bridau；　who　died　in　1808；　killed　by

overwork　at　the　very　moment　when　the　Emperor　was　about　to　appoint　him

director…general；　count；　and　councillor　of　state。　At　this　period　of

his　reign；　Napoleon　was　particularly　absorbed　in　the　affairs　of　the

interior；　he　overwhelmed　Bridau　with　work；　and　finally　wrecked　the

health　of　that　dauntless　bureaucrat。　The　Emperor；　of　whom　Bridau　had

never　asked　a　favor；　made　inquiries　into　his　habits　and　fortune。

Finding　that　this　devoted　servant　literally　had　nothing　but　his

situation；　Napoleon　recognized　him　as　one　of　the　incorruptible　natures

which　raised　the　character　of　his　government　and　gave　moral　weight　to

it；　and　he　wished　to　surprise　him　by　the　gift　of　some　distinguished

reward。　But　the　effort　to　complete　a　certain　work；　involving　immense

labor；　before　the　departure　of　the　Emperor　for　Spain　caused　the　death

of　the　devoted　servant；　who　was　seized　with　an　inflammatory　fever。

When　the　Emperor；　who　remained　in　Paris　for　a　few　days　after　his

return　to　prepare　for　the　campaign　of　1809；　was　told　of　Bridau's

death　he　said：　〃There　are　men　who　can　never　be　replaced。〃　Struck　by

the　spect