the two brothers-第4章

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architect；　the　plans　for　a　public　building。　At　the　time　when　we　are

penning　the　words；　this　menagerie　has　already　been　removed　from　these

cold　and　cheerless　buildings；　and　taken　to　the　elegant　Palais　des

Beaux…Arts；　which　stands　near　by。



From　the　windows　of　Madame　Bridau's　new　abode；　a　glance　could

penetrate　the　depths　of　those　melancholy　barred　cages。　To　the　north；

the　view　was　shut　in　by　the　dome　of　the　Institute；　looking　up　the

street；　the　only　distraction　to　the　eye　was　a　file　of　hackney…coaches；

which　stood　at　the　upper　end　of　the　rue　Mazarin。　After　a　while；　the

widow　put　boxes　of　earth　in　front　of　her　windows；　and　cultivated　those

aerial　gardens　that　police　regulations　forbid；　though　their　vegetable

products　purify　the　atmosphere。　The　house；　which　backed　up　against

another　fronting　on　the　rue　de　Seine；　was　necessarily　shallow；　and　the

staircase　wound　round　upon　itself。　The　third　floor　was　the　last。　Three

windows　to　three　rooms；　namely；　a　dining…room；　a　small　salon；　and　a

chamber　on　one　side　of　the　landing；　on　the　other；　a　little　kitchen；

and　two　single　rooms；　above；　an　immense　garret　without　partitions。

Madame　Bridau　chose　this　lodging　for　three　reasons：　economy；　for　it

cost　only　four　hundred　francs　a　year；　so　that　she　took　a　lease　of　it

for　nine　years；　proximity　to　her　sons'　school；　the　Imperial　Lyceum

being　at　a　short　distance；　thirdly；　because　it　was　in　the　quarter　to

which　she　was　used。



The　inside　of　the　appartement　was　in　keeping　with　the　general　look　of

the　house。　The　dining…room；　hung　with　a　yellow　paper　covered　with

little　green　flowers；　and　floored　with　tiles　that　were　not　glazed；

contained　nothing　that　was　not　strictly　necessary；namely；　a　table；

two　sideboards；　and　six　chairs；　brought　from　the　other　appartement。

The　salon　was　adorned　with　an　Aubusson　carpet　given　to　Bridau　when　the

ministry　of　the　interior　was　refurnished。　To　the　furniture　of　this

room　the　widow　added　one　of　those　commonplace　mahogany　sofas　with　the

Egyptian　heads　that　Jacob　Desmalter　manufactured　by　the　gross　in　1806；

covering　them　with　a　silken　green　stuff　bearing　a　design　of　white

geometric　circles。　Above　this　piece　of　furniture　hung　a　portrait　of

Bridau；　done　in　pastel　by　the　hand　of　an　amateur；　which　at　once

attracted　the　eye。　Though　art　might　have　something　to　say　against　it；

no　one　could　fail　to　recognize　the　firmness　of　the　noble　and　obscure

citizen　upon　that　brow。　The　serenity　of　the　eyes；　gentle；　yet　proud；

was　well　given；　the　sagacious　mind；　to　which　the　prudent　lips　bore

testimony；　the　frank　smile；　the　atmosphere　of　the　man　of　whom　the

Emperor　had　said；　〃Justum　et　tenacem；〃　had　all　been　caught；　if　not

with　talent；　at　least　with　fidelity。　Studying　that　face；　an　observer

could　see　that　the　man　had　done　his　duty。　His　countenance　bore　signs

of　the　incorruptibility　which　we　attribute　to　several　men　who　served

the　Republic。　On　the　opposite　wall；　over　a　card…table；　flashed　a

picture　of　the　Emperor　in　brilliant　colors；　done　by　Vernet；　Napoleon

was　riding　rapidly；　attended　by　his　escort。



Agathe　had　bestowed　upon　herself　two　large　birdcages；　one　filled　with

canaries；　the　other　with　Java　sparrows。　She　had　given　herself　up　to

this　juvenile　fancy　since　the　loss　of　her　husband；　irreparable　to　her；

as；　in　fact；　it　was　to　many　others。　By　the　end　of　three　months；　her

widowed　chamber　had　become　what　it　was　destined　to　remain　until　the

appointed　day　when　she　left　it　forever；a　litter　of　confusion　which

words　are　powerless　to　describe。　Cats　were　domiciled　on　the　sofa。　The

canaries；　occasionally　let　loose；　left　their　commas　on　the　furniture。

The　poor　dear　woman　scattered　little　heaps　of　millet　and　bits　of

chickweed　about　the　room；　and　put　tidbits　for　the　cats　in　broken

saucers。　Garments　lay　everywhere。　The　room　breathed　of　the　provinces

and　of　constancy。　Everything　that　once　belonged　to　Bridau　was

scrupulously　preserved。　Even　the　implements　in　his　desk　received　the

care　which　the　widow　of　a　paladin　might　have　bestowed　upon　her

husband's　armor。　One　slight　detail　here　will　serve　to　bring　the　tender

devotion　of　this　woman　before　the　reader's　mind。　She　had　wrapped　up　a

pen　and　sealed　the　package；　on　which　she　wrote　these　words；　〃Last　pen

used　by　my　dear　husband。〃　The　cup　from　which　he　drank　his　last　draught

was　on　the　fireplace；　caps　and　false　hair　were　tossed；　at　a　later

period；　over　the　glass　globes　which　covered　these　precious　relics。

After　Bridau's　death　not　a　trace　of　coquetry；　not　even　a　woman's

ordinary　care　of　her　person；　was　left　in　the　young　widow　of　thirty…

five。　Parted　from　the　only　man　she　had　ever　known；　esteemed；　and

loved；　from　one　who　had　never　caused　her　the　slightest　unhappiness；

she　was　no　longer　conscious　of　her　womanhood；　all　things　were　as

nothing　to　her；　she　no　longer　even　thought　of　her　dress。　Nothing　was

ever　more　simply　done　or　more　complete　than　this　laying　down　of

conjugal　happiness　and　personal　charm。　Some　human　beings　obtain

through　love　the　power　of　transferring　their　selftheir　Ito　the

being　of　another；　and　when　death　takes　that　other；　no　life　of　their

own　is　possible　for　them。



Agathe；　who　now　lived　only　for　her　children；　was　infinitely　sad　at　the

thought　of　the　privations　this　financial　ruin　would　bring　upon　them。

From　the　time　of　her　removal　to　the　rue　Mazarin　a　shade　of　melancholy

came　upon　her　face；　which　made　it　very　touching。　She　hoped　a　little　in

the　Emperor；　but　the　Emperor　at　that　time　could　do　no　more　than　he　was

already　doing；　he　was　giving　three　hundred　francs　a　year　to　each　child

from　his　privy　purse；　besides　the　scholarships。



As　for　the　brilliant　Descoings；　she　occupied　an　appartement　on　the

second　floor　similar　to　that　of　her　niece　above　her。　She　had　made

Madame　Bridau　an　assignment　of　three　thousand　francs　out　of　her

annuity。　Roguin；　the　notary；　attended　to　this　in　Madame　Bridau's

interest；　but　it　would　take　seven　years　of　such　slow　repayment　to　make

good　the　loss。　The　Descoings；　thus　reduced　to　an　income　of　twelve

hundred　francs；　lived　with　her　niece　in　a　small　way。　These　excellent

but　timid　creatures　employed　a　woman…of…all…work　for　the　morning　hours

only。　Madame　Descoings；　who　liked　to　cook；　prepared　the　dinner。　In　the

evenings　a　few　old　friends；　persons　employed　at　the　ministry　who　owed

their　places　to　Bridau；　came　for　a　game　of　cards　with　the　two　widows。

Madame　Descoings　still　cherished　her　trey；　which　she　declared　was

obstinate　about　turning　up。　She　expected；　by　one　grand　stroke；　to

repay　the　enforced　loan　she　had　made　upon　her　niece。　She　was　fonder　of

the　little　Bridaus　than　she　was　of　her　grandson　Bixiou；partly　from　a

sense　of　the　wrong　she　had　done　them；　partly　because　she　felt　the

kindness　of　her　niece；　who；　under　her　worst　deprivations；　never

uttered　a　word　of　reproach。　So　Philippe　and　Joseph　were　cossetted；　and

the　old　gambler　in　the　Imperial　Lottery　of　France　（like　others　who

have　a　vice　or　a　weakness　to　atone　for）　cooked　them　nice　little

dinners　with　plenty　of　sweets。　Later　on；　Philippe　and　Joseph　could

extract　from　her　pocket；　with　the　utmost　facility；　small　sums　of

money；　which　the　younger　used　for　pencils；　paper；　charcoal　and　prints；

the　elder　to　buy　tennis…shoes；　marbles；　twine；　and　pocket…knives。

Madame　Descoings's　passion　forced　her　to　be　content　with　fifty　francs

a　month　for　her　domestic　expenses；　so　as　to　gamble　with　the　rest。



On　the　other　hand；　Madame　Bridau；　motherly　love；　kept　her　expenses

down　to　the　same　sum。　By　way　of　penance　for　her　former　over…

confidence；　she　heroically　cut　off　her　own　little　enjoyments。　As　with

other　timid　souls　of　limited　intelligence；　one　shock　to　her　feelings

rousing　her　distrust　led　her　to　exaggerate　a　defect　in　her　character

until　it　assumed　the　consistency　of　a　virtue。　The　Emperor；　she　said　to

herself；　might　forget　them；　he　might　die　in　battle；　her　pension；　at

any　rate；　ceased　with　her　life。　She　shuddered　at　the　risk　her　children

ran　of　being　left　alone　in　the　world　without　means。　Quite　incapable　of

understanding　Roguin　when　he　explained　to　her　that　in　seven　years

Madame　Descoings's　assignment　would　replace　the　money　she　had　sold　out

of　the　Funds；　she　persisted　in　trusting　neither　the　notary　nor　her

aunt；　nor　even　the　government；　she　believed　in　nothing　but　herself　and

the　privations　she　was　practising。　By　laying　aside　three　thousand

francs　every　year　from　her　pension；　she　would　have　thirty　thousand

francs　at　the　end　of　ten　years；　which　would　give　fifteen　hundred　a

year　to　her　children。　At　thirty…six；　she　might　expect　to　live　twenty

years　longer；　and　if　she　kept　to　the　same　system　of　economy　she　might

leave　to　each　child　enough　for　the　bare　necessaries　of　life。



Thus　the　two　widows　passed　from　hollow　opulence　to　voluntary　poverty；

one　under　the　pressure　of　a　vice；　the　other　through　the　promptings

of　the　purest　virtue。　None　of　these　petty　details　are　useless　in

teaching　the　lesson　which　ought　to　be　learned　from　this　present

history；　drawn　as　it　is　from　the　most　commonplace　interests　of　life；

but　whose　bearings　are；　it　may　be；　only　the　more　widespread。　The　view

from　the　windows　into　the　student　dens；　the　tumult　of　the　rapins

below；　the　necessity　of　looking　up　at　the　sky　to　escape　the　miserable

sights　of　the　damp　angle　of　the　street；　the　presence　of　that　portrait；

full　of　soul　and　grandeur　despite　the　workmanship　of　an　amateur

painter；　the　sight　of　the　rich　colors；　now　old　and　harmonious；　in　that

calm　and　placid　home；　the　preference　of　the　mother　for　her　eldest

child；　her　opposition　to　the　tastes　of　the　younger；　in　short；　the

whole　body　of　facts　and　circumstances　which　make　the　preamble　of　this

history　are　perhaps　the　generating　causes　to　which　we　owe　Joseph

Bridau；　one　of　the　greatest　painters　of　the　modern　French　school　of

art。



Philippe；　the　elder　of　the　two　sons；　was　strikingly　like　his　mother。

Though　a　blond　lad；　with　blue　eyes；　he　had　the　daring　look　which　is

readily　taken　for　intrepidity　and　courage。　Old　Claparon；　who　entered

the　ministry　of　the　interior　at　the　same　time　as　Bridau；　and　was　one

of　the　faithful　friends　who　played　whist　every　night　with　the　two

widows；　used　to　say　of　Philippe　two　or　three　times　a　month；　giving　him

a　tap　on　the　cheek；　〃Here's　a　young　rascal　who'll　stand　to　his　guns！〃

The　boy；　thus　stimulated；　naturally　and　out　of　bravado；　assumed　a

resolute　manner。　That　turn　once　given　to　his　character；　he　became　very

adroit　at　all　bodily　exercises；　his　fights　at　the　Lyceum　taught　him

the　endurance　and　contempt　for　pain　which　lays　the　foundation　of

military　valor。　He　also　acquired；　very　naturally；　a　distaste　for

study；　public　education　being　unable　to　solve　the　difficult　problem　of

developing　〃pari　passu〃　the　body　and　the　mind。



Agathe　believed　that　the　purely　physical　resemblance　which　Philippe

bore　to　her　carried　with　it　a　moral　likeness；　and　she　confidently

expected　him　to　show　at　a　future　day　her　own　delicacy　of　feeling；

heightened　by　the　vig