the two brothers-第14章

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keeping　them　in　exile　for　two　years。



〃I　am　going　to　demand　an　account　of　the　moneys　collected　by　the

subscription　for　the　Champ　d'Asile；〃　he　said　to　one　of　the　frequenters

of　the　cafe；　who　repeated　it　to　the　journalists　of　the　Left。



Philippe　did　not　go　back　to　the　rue　Mazarin；　he　went　to　Mariette　and

told　her　of　his　forthcoming　appointment　on　a　newspaper　with　ten

thousand　subscribers；　in　which　her　choregraphic　claims　should　be

warmly　advanced。



Agathe　and　Madame　Descoings　waited　up　for　Philippe　in　fear　and

trembling；　for　the　Duc　de　Berry　had　just　been　assassinated。　The

colonel　came　home　a　few　minutes　after　breakfast；　and　when　his　mother

showed　her　uneasiness　at　his　absence；　he　grew　angry　and　asked　if　he

were　not　of　age。



〃In　the　name　of　thunder；　what's　all　this！　here　have　I　brought　you　some

good　news；　and　you　both　look　like　tombstones。　The　Duc　de　Berry　is

dead；　is　he？well；　so　much　the　better！　that's　one　the　less；　at　any

rate。　As　for　me；　I　am　to　be　cashier　of　a　newspaper；　with　a　salary　of

three　thousand　francs；　and　there　you　are；　out　of　all　your　anxieties　on

my　account。〃



〃Is　it　possible？〃　cried　Agathe。



〃Yes；　provided　you　can　go　security　for　me　in　twenty　thousand　francs；

you　need　only　deposit　your　shares　in　the　Funds；　you　will　draw　the

interest　all　the　same。〃



The　two　widows；　who　for　nearly　two　months　had　been　desperately　anxious

to　find　out　what　Philippe　was　about；　and　how　he　could　be　provided　for；

were　so　overjoyed　at　this　prospect　that　they　gave　no　thought　to　their

other　catastrophes。　That　evening；　the　Grecian　sages；　old　Du　Bruel；

Claparon；　whose　health　was　failing；　and　the　inflexible　Desroches　were

unanimous；　they　all　advised　Madame　Bridau　to　go　security　for　her　son。

The　new　journal；　which　fortunately　was　started　before　the

assassination　of　the　Duc　de　Berry；　just　escaped　the　blow　which

Monsieur　Decazes　then　launched　at　the　press。　Madame　Bridau's　shares　in

the　Funds；　representing　thirteen　hundred　francs'　interest；　were

transferred　as　security　for　Philippe；　who　was　then　appointed　cashier。

That　good　son　at　once　promised　to　pay　one　hundred　francs　every　month

to　the　two　widows；　for　his　board　and　lodging；　and　was　declared　by　both

to　be　the　best　of　sons。　Those　who　had　thought　ill　of　him　now

congratulated　Agathe。



〃We　were　unjust　to　him；〃　they　said。



Poor　Joseph；　not　to　be　behind　his　brother　in　generosity；　resolved　to

pay　for　his　own　support；　and　succeeded。







CHAPTER　IV



Three　months　later；　the　colonel；　who　ate　and　drank　enough　for　four

men；　finding　fault　with　the　food　and　compelling　the　poor　widows；　on

the　score　of　his　payments；　to　spend　much　money　on　their　table；　had　not

yet　paid　down　a　single　penny。　His　mother　and　Madame　Descoings　were

unwilling；　out　of　delicacy；　to　remind　him　of　his　promise。　The　year

went　by　without　one　of　those　coins　which　Leon　Gozlan　so　vigorously

called　〃tigers　with　five　claws〃　finding　its　way　from　Philippe's　pocket

to　the　household　purse。　It　is　true　that　the　colonel　quieted　his

conscience　on　this　score　by　seldom　dining　at　home。



〃Well；　he　is　happy；〃　said　his　mother；　〃he　is　easy　in　mind；　he　has　a

place。〃



Through　the　influence　of　a　feuilleton；　edited　by　Vernou；　a　friend　of

Bixiou；　Finot；　and　Giroudeau；　Mariette　made　her　appearance；　not　at　the

Panorama…Dramatique　but　at　the　Porte…Saint…Martin；　where　she　triumphed

beside　the　famous　Begrand。　Among　the　directors　of　the　theatre　was　a

rich　and　luxurious　general　officer；　in　love　with　an　actress；　for　whose

sake　he　had　made　himself　an　impresario。　In　Paris；　we　frequently　meet

with　men　so　fascinated　with　actresses；　singers；　or　ballet…dancers；

that　they　are　willing　to　become　directors　of　a　theatre　out　of　love。

This　officer　knew　Philippe　and　Giroudeau。　Mariette's　first　appearance；

heralded　already　by　Finot's　journal　and　also　by　Philippe's；　was

promptly　arranged　by　the　three　officers；　for　there　seems　to　be

solidarity　among　the　passions　in　a　matter　of　folly。



The　mischievous　Bixiou　was　not　long　in　revealing　to　his　grandmother

and　the　devoted　Agathe　that　Philippe；　the　cashier；　the　hero　of　heroes；

was　in　love　with　Mariette；　the　celebrated　ballet…dancer　at　the　Porte…

Saint…Martin。　The　news　was　a　thunder…clap　to　the　two　widows；　Agathe's

religious　principles　taught　her　to　think　that　all　women　on　the　stage

were　brands　in　the　burning；　moreover；　she　thought；　and　so　did　Madame

Descoings；　that　women　of　that　kind　dined　off　gold；　drank　pearls；　and

wasted　fortunes。



〃Now　do　you　suppose；〃　said　Joseph　to　his　mother；　〃that　my　brother　is

such　a　fool　as　to　spend　his　money　on　Mariette？　Such　women　only　ruin

rich　men。〃



〃They　talk　of　engaging　Mariette　at　the　Opera；〃　said　Bixiou。　〃Don't　be

worried；　Madame　Bridau；　the　diplomatic　body　often　comes　to　the　Porte…

Saint…Martin；　and　that　handsome　girl　won't　stay　long　with　your　son。　I

did　hear　that　an　ambassador　was　madly　in　love　with　her。　By　the　bye；

another　piece　of　news！　Old　Claparon　is　dead；　and　his　son；　who　has

become　a　banker；　has　ordered　the　cheapest　kind　of　funeral　for　him。

That　fellow　has　no　education；　they　wouldn't　behave　like　that　in

China。〃



Philippe；　prompted　by　mercenary　motives；　proposed　to　Mariette　that　she

should　marry　him；　but　she；　knowing　herself　on　the　eve　of　an　engagement

at　the　Grand　Opera；　refused　the　offer；　either　because　she　guessed　the

colonel's　motive；　or　because　she　saw　how　important　her　independence

would　be　to　her　future　fortune。　For　the　remainder　of　this　year；

Philippe　never　came　more　than　twice　a　month　to　see　his　mother。　Where

was　he？　Either　at　his　office；　or　the　theatre；　or　with　Mariette。　No

light　whatever　as　to　his　conduct　reached　the　household　of　the　rue

Mazarin。　Giroudeau；　Finot；　Bixiou；　Vernou；　Lousteau；　saw　him　leading　a

life　of　pleasure。　Philippe　shared　the　gay　amusements　of　Tullia；　a

leading　singer　at　the　Opera；　of　Florentine；　who　took　Mariette's　place

at　the　Porte…Saint…Martin；　of　Florine　and　Matifat；　Coralie　and

Camusot。　After　four　o'clock；　when　he　left　his　office；　until　midnight；

he　amused　himself；　some　party　of　pleasure　had　usually　been　arranged

the　night　before；a　good　dinner；　a　card…party；　a　supper　by　some　one

or　other　of　the　set。　Philippe　was　in　his　element。



This　carnival；　which　lasted　eighteen　months；　was　not　altogether

without　its　troubles。　The　beautiful　Mariette　no　sooner　appeared　at　the

Opera；　in　January；　1821；　than　she　captured　one　of　the　most

distinguished　dukes　of　the　court　of　Louis　XVIII。　Philippe　tried　to

make　head　against　the　peer；　and　by　the　month　of　April　he　was　compelled

by　his　passion；　notwithstanding　some　luck　at　cards；　to　dip　into　the

funds　of　which　he　was　cashier。　By　May　he　had　taken　eleven　hundred

francs。　In　that　fatal　month　Mariette　started　for　London；　to　see　what

could　be　done　with　the　lords　while　the　temporary　opera　house　in　the

Hotel　Choiseul；　rue　Lepelletier；　was　being　prepared。　The　luckless

Philippe　had　ended；　as　often　happens；　in　loving　Mariette

notwithstanding　her　flagrant　infidelities；　she　herself　had　never

thought　him　anything　but　a　dull…minded；　brutal　soldier；　the　first　rung

of　a　ladder　on　which　she　had　never　intended　to　remain　long。　So；

foreseeing　the　time　when　Philippe　would　have　spent　all　his　money；　she

captured　other　journalistic　support　which　released　her　from　the

necessity　of　depending　on　him；　nevertheless；　she　did　feel　the　peculiar

gratitude　that　class　of　women　acknowledge　towards　the　first　man　who

smooths　their　way；　as　it　were；　among　the　difficulties　and　horrors　of　a

theatrical　career。



Forced　to　let　his　terrible　mistress　go　to　London　without　him；　Philippe

went　into　winter　quarters；　as　he　called　it；that　is；　he　returned　to

his　attic　room　in　his　mother's　appartement。　He　made　some　gloomy

reflections　as　he　went　to　bed　that　night；　and　when　he　got　up　again。　He

was　conscious　within　himself　of　the　inability　to　live　otherwise　than

as　he　had　been　living　the　last　year。　The　luxury　that　surrounded

Mariette；　the　dinners；　the　suppers；　the　evenings　in　the