the two brothers-第54章

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to　get　rid　of　his　uncle！〃



〃We'll　pay　him　off　yet；〃　said　Bixiou。



Philippe　intended　to　marry　Mademoiselle　Amelie　de　Soulanges；　and

become　a　general；　in　command　of　a　regiment　of　the　Royal　Guard。　He

asked　so　many　favors　that；　to　keep　him　quiet；　they　made　him　a

Commander　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　and　also　Commander　of　the　order　of

Saint　Louis。　One　rainy　evening；　as　Agathe　and　Joseph　were　returning

home　along　the　muddy　streets；　they　met　Philippe　in　full　uniform；

bedizened　with　orders；　leaning　back　in　a　corner　of　a　handsome　coupe

lined　with　yellow　silk；　whose　armorial　bearings　were　surmounted　with　a

count's　coronet。　He　was　on　his　way　to　a　fete　at　the　Elysee…Bourbon；

the　wheels　splashed　his　mother　and　brother　as　he　waved　them　a

patronizing　greeting。



〃He's　going　it；　that　fellow！〃　said　Joseph　to　his　mother。

〃Nevertheless；　he　might　send　us　something　better　than　mud　in　our

faces。〃



〃He　has　such　a　fine　position；　in　such　high　society；　that　we　ought　not

to　blame　him　for　forgetting　us；〃　said　Madame　Bridau。　〃When　a　man　rises

to　so　great　a　height；　he　has　many　obligations　to　repay；　many

sacrifices　to　make；　it　is　natural　he　should　not　come　to　see　us；　though

he　may　think　of　us　all　the　same。〃



〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　the　Duc　de　Maufrigneuse　one　evening；　to　the　new

Comte　de　Brambourg；　〃I　am　sure　that　your　addresses　will　be　favorably

received；　but　in　order　to　marry　Amelie　de　Soulanges；　you　must　be　free

to　do　so。　What　have　you　done　with　your　wife？〃



〃My　wife？〃　said　Philippe；　with　a　gesture；　look；　and　accent　which

Frederick　Lemaitre　was　inspired　to　use　in　one　of　his　most　terrible

parts。　〃Alas！　I　have　the　melancholy　certainty　of　losing　her。　She　has

not　a　week　to　live。　My　dear　duke；　you　don't　know　what　it　is　to　marry

beneath　you。　A　woman　who　was　a　cook；　and　has　the　tastes　of　a　cook！　who

dishonors　meah！　I　am　much　to　be　pitied。　I　have　had　the　honor　to

explain　my　position　to　Madame　la　Dauphine。　At　the　time　of　the

marriage；　it　was　a　question　of　saving　to　the　family　a　million　of

francs　which　my　uncle　had　left　by　will　to　that　person。　Happily；　my

wife　took　to　drinking；　at　her　death；　I　come　into　possession　of　that

million；　which　is　now　in　the　hands　of　Mongenod　and　Sons。　I　have　thirty

thousand　francs　a　year　in　the　five　per　cents；　and　my　landed　property；

which　is　entailed；　brings　me　in　forty　thousand　more。　If；　as　I　am　led

to　suppose；　Monsieur　de　Soulanges　gets　a　marshal's　baton；　I　am　on　the

high…road　with　my　title　of　Comte　de　Brambourg；　to　becoming　general　and

peer　of　France。　That　will　be　the　proper　end　of　an　aide…de…camp　of　the

Dauphin。〃



After　the　Salon　of　1823；　one　of　the　leading　painters　of　the　day；　a

most　excellent　man；　obtained　the　management　of　a　lottery…office　near

the　Markets；　for　the　mother　of　Joseph　Bridau。　Agathe　was　fortunately

able；　soon　after；　to　exchange　it　on　equal　terms　with　the　incumbent　of

another　office；　situated　in　the　rue　de　Seine；　in　a　house　where　Joseph

was　able　to　have　his　atelier。　The　widow　now　hired　an　agent　herself；

and　was　no　longer　an　expense　to　her　son。　And　yet；　as　late　as　1828；

though　she　was　the　directress　of　an　excellent　office　which　she　owed

entirely　to　Joseph's　fame；　Madame　Bridau　still　had　no　belief　in　that

fame；　which　was　hotly　contested；　as　all　true　glory　ever　will　be。　The

great　painter；　struggling　with　his　genius；　had　enormous　wants；　he　did

not　earn　enough　to　pay　for　the　luxuries　which　his　relations　to

society；　and　his　distinguished　position　in　the　young　School　of　Art

demanded。　Though　powerfully　sustained　by　his　friends　of　the　Cenacle

and　by　Mademoiselle　des　Touches；　he　did　not　please　the　Bourgeois。　That

being；　from　whom　comes　the　money　of　these　days；　never　unties　its

purse…strings　for　genius　that　is　called　in　question；　unfortunately；

Joseph　had　the　classics　and　the　Institute；　and　the　critics　who　cry　up

those　two　powers；　against　him。　The　brave　artist；　though　backed　by　Gros

and　Gerard；　by　whose　influence　he　was　decorated　after　the　Salon　of

1827；　obtained　few　orders。　If　the　ministry　of　the　interior　and　the

King's　household　were　with　difficulty　induced　to　buy　some　of　his

greatest　pictures；　the　shopkeepers　and　the　rich　foreigners　noticed

them　still　less。　Moreover；　Joseph　gave　way　rather　too　much；　as　we　must

all　acknowledge；　to　imaginative　fancies；　and　that　produced　a　certain

inequality　in　his　work　which　his　enemies　made　use　of　to　deny　his

talent。



〃High　art　is　at　a　low　ebb；〃　said　his　friend　Pierre　Grassou；　who　made

daubs　to　suit　the　taste　of　the　bourgeoisie；　in　whose　appartements　fine

paintings　were　at　a　discount。



〃You　ought　to　have　a　whole　cathedral　to　decorate；　that's　what　you

want；〃　declared　Schinner；　〃then　you　would　silence　criticism　with　a

master…stroke。〃



Such　speeches；　which　alarmed　the　good　Agathe；　only　corroborated　the

judgment　she　had　long　since　formed　upon　Philippe　and　Joseph。　Facts

sustained　that　judgment　in　the　mind　of　a　woman　who　had　never　ceased　to

be　a　provincial。　Philippe；　her　favorite　child；　was　he　not　the　great

man　of　the　family　at　last？　in　his　early　errors　she　saw　only　the

ebullitions　of　youth。　Joseph；　to　the　merit　of　whose　productions　she

was　insensible；　for　she　saw　them　too　long　in　process　of　gestation　to

admire　them　when　finished；　seemed　to　her　no　more　advanced　in　1828　than

he　was　in　1816。　Poor　Joseph　owed　money；　and　was　bowed　down　by　the

burden　of　debt；　he　had　chosen；　she　felt；　a　worthless　career　that　made

him　no　return。　She　could　not　conceive　why　they　had　given　him　the　cross

of　the　Legion　of　honor。　Philippe；　on　the　other　hand；　rich　enough　to

cease　gambling；　a　guest　at　the　fetes　of　MADAME；　the　brilliant　colonel

who　at　all　reviews　and　in　all　processions　appeared　before　her　eyes　in

splendid　uniforms；　with　his　two　crosses　on　his　breast；　realized　all

her　maternal　dreams。　One　such　day　of　public　ceremony　effaced　from

Agathe's　mind　the　horrible　sight　of　Philippe's　misery　on　the　Quai　de

l'Ecole；　on　that　day　he　passed　his　mother　at　the　self…same　spot；　in

attendance　on　the　Dauphin；　with　plumes　in　his　shako；　and　his　pelisse

gorgeous　with　gold　and　fur。　Agathe；　who　to　her　artist　son　was　now　a

sort　of　devoted　gray　sister；　felt　herself　the　mother　of　none　but　the

dashing　aide…de…camp　to　his　Royal　Highness；　the　Dauphin　of　France。

Proud　of　Philippe；　she　felt　he　made　the　ease　and　happiness　of　her

life；forgetting　that　the　lottery…office；　by　which　she　was　enabled　to

live　at　all；　came　through　Joseph。



One　day　Agathe　noticed　that　her　poor　artist　was　more　worried　than

usual　by　the　bill　of　his　color…man；　and　she　determined；　though　cursing

his　profession　in　her　heart；　to　free　him　from　his　debts。　The　poor

woman　kept　the　house　with　the　proceeds　of　her　office；　and　took　care

never　to　ask　Joseph　for　a　farthing。　Consequently　she　had　no　money　of

her　own；　but　she　relied　on　Philippe's　good　heart　and　well…filled

purse。　For　three　years　she　had　waited　in　expectation　of　his　coming　to

see　her；　she　now　imagined　that　if　she　made　an　appeal　to　him　he　would

bring　some　enormous　sum；　and　her　thoughts　dwelt　on　the　happiness　she

should　feel　in　giving　it　to　Joseph；　whose　judgment　of　his　brother；

like　that　of　Madame　Descoings；　was　so　unfair。



Saying　nothing　to　Joseph；　she　wrote　the　following　letter　to

Philippe：



　　To　Monsieur　le　comte　de　Brambourg：



　　My　dear　Philippe；You　have　not　given　the　least　little　word　of

　　remembrance　to　your　mother　for　five　years。　That　is　not　right。　You

　　should　remember　the　past；　if　only　for　the　sake　of　your　excellent

　　brother。　Joseph　is　now　in　need　of　money；　and　you　are　floating　in

　　wealth；　he　works；　while　you　are　flying　from　fete　to　fete。　You　now

　　possess；　all　to　yourself；　the　property　of　my　brother。　Little

　　Borniche　tells　me　you　cannot　have　less　than　two　hundred　thousand

　　francs　a　year。　Well；　then；　come　and　see　Joseph。　During　your　visit；

　　slip　into　the　skull　a　few　thousand…franc　notes。　Philippe；　you　owe

　　them　to　us；　nevertheless；　your　brother　will　feel　grateful　to　you；

　　not　to　speak　of　the　happiness　you　will　give



　　Your　mother；



　　Agathe　Bridau；　nee　Rouget





Two　days　later　the　concierge　brought　to　the　atelier；　where　poor　Agathe

was　breakfasting　with　Joseph；　the　following　terrible　letter：



　　My　dear　Mother；A　man　does　not　marry　a　Mademoiselle　Amelie　de

　　Soulanges　without　the　purse　of　Fortunatus；　if　under　the　name　of

　　Comte　de　Brambourg　he　hides　that　of



　　Your　son；



　　Philippe　Bridau





As　Agathe　fell　half…fainting　on　the　sofa；　the　letter　dropped　to　the

floor。　The　slight　noise　made　by　the　paper；　and　the　smothered　but

dreadful　exclamation　which　escaped　Agathe　startled　Joseph；　who　had

forgotten　his　mother　for　a　moment　and　was　vehemently　rubbing　in　a

sketch；　he　leaned　his　head　round　the　edge　of　his　canvas　to　see　what

had　happened。　The　sight　of　his　mother　stretched　out　on　the　floor　made

him　drop　palette　and　brushes；　and　rush　to　lift　what　seemed　a　lifeless

body。　He　took　Agathe　in　his　arms　and　carried　her　to　her　own　bed；　and

sent　the　servant　for　his　friend　Horace　Bianchon。　As　soon　as　he　could

question　his　mother　she　told　him　of　her　letter　to　Philippe；　and　of　the

answer　she　had　received　from　him。　The　artist　went　to　his　atelier　and

picked　up　the　letter；　whose　concise　brutality　had　broken　the　tender

heart　of　the　poor　mother；　and　shattered　the　edifice　of　trust　her

maternal　preference　had　erected。　When　Joseph　returned　to　her　bedside

he　had　the　good　feeling　to　be　silent。　He　did　not　speak　of　his　brother

in　the　three　weeks　during　whichwe　will　not　say　the　illness；　butthe

death　agony　of　the　poor　woman　lasted。　Bianchon；　who　came　every　day　and

watched　his　patient　with　the　devotion　of　a　true　friend；　told　Joseph

the　truth　on　the　first　day　of　her　seizure。



〃At　her　age；〃　he　said；　〃and　under　the　circumstances　which　have

happened　to　her；　all　we　can　hope　to　do　is　to　make　her　death　as　little

painful　as　possible。〃



She　herself　felt　so　surely　called　of　God　that　she　asked　the　next　day

for　the　religious　help　of　old　Abbe　Loraux；　who　had　been　her　confessor

for　more　than　twenty…two　years。　As　soon　as　she　was　alone　with　him；　and

had　poured　her　griefs　into　his　heart；　she　saidas　she　had　said　to

Madame　Hochon；　and　had　repeated　to　herself　again　and　again　throughout

her　life：



〃What　have　I　done　to　displease　God？　Have　I　not　loved　Him　with　all　my

soul？　Have　I　wandered　from　the　path　of　grace？　What　is　my　sin？　Can　I　be

guilty　of　wrong　when　I　know　not　what　it　is？　Have　I　the　time　to　repair

it？〃



〃No；〃　said　the　old　man；　in　a　gentle　voice。　〃Alas！　your　life　seems　to

have　been　pure　and　your　soul　spotless；　but　the　eye　of　God；　poor

afflicted　creature；　is　keener　than　that　of　his　ministers。　I　see　the

truth　too　late；　for　you　have　misled　even　me。〃



Hearing　these　words　from　lips　that　had　never　spoken　other　than

peaceful　and　pleasant　words　to　her；　Agathe　rose　suddenly　in　her　bed

and　opened　her　eyes　wide；　with　terror　and　distress。



〃Tell　me！　tell　me！〃　she　cried。



〃Be　comforted；〃　said　the　pries