the two brothers-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



the　infantry　with　his　rank　of　lieutenant…colonel。　In　his　mother's

eyes；　Philippe　seemed　in　all　this　to　be　displaying　a　noble　character。



〃The　father　himself　could　have　done　no　more；〃　she　said。



Philippe's　half…pay　sufficed　him；　he　cost　nothing　at　home；　whereas　all

Joseph's　expenses　were　paid　by　the　two　widows。　From　that　moment；

Agathe's　preference　for　Philippe　was　openly　shown。　Up　to　that　time　it

had　been　secret；　but　the　persecution　of　this　faithful　servant　of　the

Emperor；　the　recollection　of　the　wound　received　by　her　cherished　son；

his　courage　in　adversity；　which；　voluntary　though　it　were；　seemed　to

her　a　glorious　adversity；　drew　forth　all　Agathe's　tenderness。　The　one

sentence；　〃He　is　unfortunate；〃　explained　and　justified　everything。

Joseph　himself；with　the　innate　simplicity　which　superabounds　in　the

artist…soul　in　its　opening　years；　and　who　was；　moreover；　brought　up　to

admire　his　big　brother；so　far　from　being　hurt　by　the　preference　of

their　mother；　encouraged　it　by　sharing　her　worship　of　the　hero　who　had

carried　Napoleon's　orders　on　two　battlefields；　and　was　wounded　at

Waterloo。　How　could　he　doubt　the　superiority　of　the　grand　brother；

whom　he　had　beheld　in　the　green　and　gold　uniform　of　the　dragoons　of

the　Guard；　commanding　his　squadron　on　the　Champ　de　Mars？



Agathe；　notwithstanding　this　preference；　was　an　excellent　mother。　She

loved　Joseph；　though　not　blindly；　she　simply　was　unable　to　understand

him。　Joseph　adored　his　mother；　Philippe　let　his　mother　adore　him。

Towards　her；　the　dragoon　softened　his　military　brutality；　but　he　never

concealed　the　contempt　he　felt　for　Joseph；expressing　it；　however；　in

a　friendly　way。　When　he　looked　at　his　brother；　weak　and　sickly　as　he

was　at　seventeen　years　of　age；　shrunken　with　determined　toil；　and

over…weighted　with　his　powerful　head；　he　nicknamed　him　〃Cub。〃

Philippe's　patronizing　manners　would　have　wounded　any　one　less

carelessly　indifferent　than　the　artist；　who　had；　moreover；　a　firm

belief　in　the　goodness　of　heart　which　soldiers　hid；　he　thought；

beneath　a　brutal　exterior。　Joseph　did　not　yet　know；　poor　boy；　that

soldiers　of　genius　are　as　gentle　and　courteous　in　manner　as　other

superior　men　in　any　walk　of　life。　All　genius　is　alike；　wherever　found。



〃Poor　boy！〃　said　Philippe　to　his　mother；　〃we　mustn't　plague　him；　let

him　do　as　he　likes。〃



To　his　mother's　eyes　the　colonel's　contempt　was　a　mark　of　fraternal

affection。



〃Philippe　will　always　love　and　protect　his　brother；〃　she　thought　to

herself。







CHAPTER　III



In　1816；　Joseph　obtained　his　mother's　permission　to　convert　the　garret

which　adjoined　his　attic　room　into　an　atelier；　and　Madame　Descoings

gave　him　a　little　money　for　the　indispensable　requirements　of　the

painter's　trade；in　the　minds　of　the　two　widows；　the　art　of　painting

was　nothing　but　a　trade。　With　the　feeling　and　ardor　of　his　vocation；

the　lad　himself　arranged　his　humble　atelier。　Madame　Descoings

persuaded　the　owner　of　the　house　to　put　a　skylight　in　the　roof。　The

garret　was　turned　into　a　vast　hall　painted　in　chocolate…color　by

Joseph　himself。　On　the　walls　he　hung　a　few　sketches。　Agathe

contributed；　not　without　reluctance；　an　iron　stove；　so　that　her　son

might　be　able　to　work　at　home；　without；　however；　abandoning　the　studio

of　Gros；　nor　that　of　Schinner。



The　constitutional　party；　supported　chiefly　by　officers　on　half…pay

and　the　Bonapartists；　were　at　this　time　inciting　〃emeutes〃　around　the

Chamber　of　Deputies；　on　behalf　of　the　Charter；　though　no　one　actually

wanted　it。　Several　conspiracies　were　brewing。　Philippe；　who　dabbled　in

them；　was　arrested；　and　then　released　for　want　of　proof；　but　the

minister　of　war　cut　short　his　half…pay　by　putting　him　on　the　active

list；a　step　which　might　be　called　a　form　of　discipline。　France　was

no　longer　safe；　Philippe　was　liable　to　fall　into　some　trap　laid　for

him　by　spies；provocative　agents；　as　they　were　called；　being　much

talked　of　in　those　days。



While　Philippe　played　billiards　in　disaffected　cafes；　losing　his　time

and　acquiring　the　habit　of　wetting　his　whistle　with　〃little　glasses〃

of　all　sorts　of　liquors。　Agathe　lived　in　mortal　terror　for　the　safety

of　the　great　man　of　the　family。　The　Grecian　sages　were　too　much

accustomed　to　wend　their　nightly　way　up　Madame　Bridau's　staircase；

finding　the　two　widows　ready　and　waiting；　and　hearing　from　them　all

the　news　of　their　day；　ever　to　break　up　the　habit　of　coming　to　the

green　salon　for　their　game　of　cards。　The　ministry　of　the　interior；

though　purged　of　its　former　employes　in　1816；　had　retained　Claparon；

one　of　those　cautious　men；　who　whisper　the　news　of　the　〃Moniteur；〃

adding　invariably；　〃Don't　quote　me。〃　Desroches；　who　had　retired　from

active　service　some　time　after　old　Du　Bruel；　was　still　battling　for

his　pension。　The　three　friends；　who　were　witnesses　of　Agathe's

distress；　advised　her　to　send　the　colonel　to　travel　in　foreign

countries。



〃They　talk　about　conspiracies；　and　your　son；　with　his　disposition；

will　be　certain　to　fall　a　victim　in　some　of　them；　there　is　plenty　of

treachery　in　these　days。〃



〃Philippe　is　cut　from　the　wood　the　Emperor　made　into　marshals；〃　said

Du　Bruel；　in　a　low　voice；　looking　cautiously　about　him；　〃and　he

mustn't　give　up　his　profession。　Let　him　serve　in　the　East；　in　India〃



〃Think　of　his　health；〃　said　Agathe。



〃Why　doesn't　he　get　some　place；　or　business？〃　said　old　Desroches；

〃there　are　plenty　of　private　offices　to　be　had。　I　am　going　as　head　of

a　bureau　in　an　insurance　company；　as　soon　as　I　have　got　my　pension。〃



〃Philippe　is　a　soldier；　he　would　not　like　to　be　any　thing　else；〃　said

the　warlike　Agathe。



〃Then　he　ought　to　have　the　sense　to　ask　for　employment〃



〃And　serve　THESE　OTHERS！〃　cried　the　widow。　〃Oh！　I　will　never　give　him

that　advice。〃



〃You　are　wrong；〃　said　Du　Bruel。　〃My　son　has　just　got　an　appointment

through　the　Duc　de　Navarreins。　The　Bourbons　are　very　good　to　those　who

are　sincere　in　rallying　to　them。　Your　son　could　be　appointed

lieutenant…colonel　to　a　regiment。〃



〃They　only　appoint　nobles　in　the　cavalry。　Philippe　would　never　rise　to

be　a　colonel；〃　said　Madame　Descoings。



Agathe；　much　alarmed；　entreated　Philippe　to　travel　abroad；　and　put

himself　at　the　service　of　some　foreign　power　who；　she　thought；　would

gladly　welcome　a　staff　officer　of　the　Emperor。



〃Serve　a　foreign　nation！〃　cried　Philippe；　with　horror。



Agathe　kissed　her　son　with　enthusiasm。



〃His　father　all　over！〃　she　exclaimed。



〃He　is　right；〃　said　Joseph。　〃France　is　too　proud　of　her　heroes　to　let

them　be　heroic　elsewhere。　Napoleon　may　return　once　more。〃



However；　to　satisfy　his　mother；　Philippe　took　up　the　dazzling　idea　of

joining　General　Lallemand　in　the　United　States；　and　helping　him　to

found　what　was　called　the　Champ　d'Asile；　one　of　the　most　disastrous

swindles　that　ever　appeared　under　the　name　of　national　subscription。

Agathe　gave　ten　thousand　francs　to　start　her　son；　and　she　went　to

Havre　to　see　him　off。　By　the　end　of　1817；　she　had　accustomed　herself

to　live　on　the　six　hundred　francs　a　year　which　remained　to　her　from

her　property　in　the　Funds；　then；　by　a　lucky　chance；　she　made　a　good

investment　of　the　ten　thousand　francs　she　still　kept　of　her　savings；

from　which　she　obtained　an　interest　of　seven　per　cent。　Joseph　wished

to　emulate　his　mother's　devotion。　He　dressed　like　a　bailiff；　wore　the

commonest　shoes　and　blue　stockings；　denied　himself　gloves；　and　burned

charcoal；　he　lived　on　bread　and　milk　and　Brie　cheese。　The　poor　lad　got

no　sympathy；　except　from　Madame　Descoings；　and　from　Bixiou；　his

student…friend　and　comrade；　who　was　then　making　those　admirable

caricatures　of　his；　and　filling　a　small　office　in　the　ministry。



〃With　what　joy　I　welcomed　the　summer　of　1818！〃　said　Joseph　Bridau　in

after…years；　relating　his　troubles；　〃the　sun　saved　me　the　cost　of

charcoal。〃



As　good　a　colorist　by　this　time　as　Gros　himself；　Joseph　now　went　to

his　master　for　consultation　only。　He　was　already　meditating　a　tilt

against　classical　traditions；　and　Grecian　conventionalities；　in　short；

against　the　leading…strings　which　held　down　an　art　to　which　Nature　AS

SHE　IS　belongs；　in　the　omnipotence　of　her　creations　and　her　imagery。

Joseph　made　ready　for　a　struggle　which；　from　the　day　when　he　first

exhibited　in　the　Salon；　has　never　ceased。　It　was　a　terrible　year。

Roguin；　the　notary　of　Madame　Descoings　and　Madame　Bridau；　absconded

with　the　moneys　held　back　for　seven　years　from　Madame　Descoings's

annuity；　which　by　that　time　were　producing　two　thousand　francs　a　year。

Three　days　after　this　disaster；　a　bill　of　exchange　for　a　thousand

francs；　drawn　by　Philippe　upon　his　mother；　arrived　from　New　York。　The

poor　fellow；　misled　like　so　many　others；　had　lost　his　all　in　the　Champ

d'Asile。　A　letter；　which　accompanied　the　bill；　drove　Agathe；　Joseph；

and　the　Descoings　to　tears；　and　told　of　debts　contracted　in　New　York；

where　his　comrades　in　misfortunes　had　indorsed　for　him。



〃It　was　I　who　made　him　go！〃　cried　the　poor　mother；　eager　to　divert　the

blame　from　Philippe。



〃I　advise　you　not　to　send　him　on　many　such　journeys；〃　said　the　old

Descoings　to　her　niece。



Madame　Descoings　was　heroic。　She　continued　to　give　the　three　thousand

francs　a　year　to　Madame　Bridau；　but　she　still　paid　the　dues　on　her

trey　which　had　never　turned　up　since　the　year　1799。　About　this　time；

she　began　to　doubt　the　honesty　of　the　government；　and　declared　it　was

capable　of　keeping　the　three　numbers　in　the　urn；　so　as　to　excite　the

shareholders　to　put　in　enormous　stakes。　After　a　rapid　survey　of　all

their　resources；　it　seemed　to　the　two　women　impossible　to　raise　the

thousand　francs　without　selling　out　the　little　that　remained　in　the

Funds。　They　talked　of　pawning　their　silver　and　part　of　the　linen；　and

even　the　needless　pieces　of　furniture。　Joseph；　alarmed　at　these

suggestions；　went　to　see　Gerard　and　told　him　their　circumstances。　The

great　painter　obtained　an　order　from　the　household　of　the　king　for　two

copies　of　a　portrait　of　Louis　XVIII。；　at　five　hundred　francs　each。

Though　not　naturally　generous；　Gros　took　his　pupil　to　an　artist…

furnishing　house　and　fitted　him　out　with　the　necessary　materials。　But

the　thousand　francs　could　not　be　had　till　the　copies　were　delivered；

so　Joseph　painted　four　panels　in　ten　days；　sold　them　to　the　dealers

and　brought　his　mother　the　thousand　francs　with　which　to　meet　the　bill

of　exchange　when　it　fell　due。　Eight　days　later；　came　a　letter　from　the

colonel；　informing　his　mother　that　he　was　about　to　return　to　France　on

board　a　packet　from　New　York；　whose　captain　had　trusted　him　for　the

passage…money。　Philippe　announced　that　he　should　need　at　least　a

thousand　francs　on　his　arrival　at　Havre。



〃Good；〃　said　Joseph　to　his　mother；　〃I　shall　have　finished　my　copies　by

that　time；　and　you　can　carry　him　the　money。〃



〃Dear　Joseph！〃　cried　Agathe　in　tears；　kissing　her　son；　〃God　will　bless

you。　You　do　love　him；