the two brothers-第16章

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no　longer　thought　of　his　lost　place；　nor　of　the　sacrificed　security；

nor　of　his　mother；　nor　of　Mariette；　the　cause　of　his　ruin；　he　walked

along　mechanically。　When　he　got　home；　his　mother　in　tears；　Madame

Descoings；　and　Joseph；　all　fell　on　his　neck　and　kissed　him　and　brought

him　joyfully　to　a　seat　by　the　fire。



〃Bless　me！〃　thought　he；　〃the　threat　has　worked。〃



The　brute　at　once　assumed　an　air　suitable　to　the　occasion；　all　the

more　easily；　because　his　ill…luck　at　cards　had　deeply　depressed　him。

Seeing　her　atrocious　Benjamin　so　pale　and　woe…begone；　the　poor　mother

knelt　beside　him；　kissed　his　hands；　pressed　them　to　her　heart；　and

gazed　at　him　for　a　long　time　with　eyes　swimming　in　tears。



〃Philippe；〃　she　said；　in　a　choking　voice；　〃promise　not　to　kill

yourself；　and　all　shall　be　forgotten。〃



Philippe　looked　at　his　sorrowing　brother　and　at　Madame　Descoings；

whose　eyes　were　full　of　tears；　and　thought　to　himself；　〃They　are　good

creatures。〃　Then　he　took　his　mother　in　his　arms；　raised　her　and　put

her　on　his　knee；　pressed　her　to　his　heart　and　whispered　as　he　kissed

her；　〃For　the　second　time；　you　give　me　life。〃



The　Descoings　managed　to　serve　an　excellent　dinner；　and　to　add　two

bottles　of　old　wine　with　a　little　〃liqueur　des　iles；〃　a　treasure　left

over　from　her　former　business。



〃Agathe；〃　she　said　at　dessert；　〃we　must　let　him　smoke　his　cigars；〃　and

she　offered　some　to　Philippe。



These　two　poor　creatures　fancied　that　if　they　let　the　fellow　take　his

ease；　he　would　like　his　home　and　stay　in　it；　both；　therefore；　tried　to

endure　his　tobacco…smoke；　though　each　loathed　it。　That　sacrifice　was

not　so　much　as　noticed　by　Philippe。



On　the　morrow；　Agathe　looked　ten　years　older。　Her　terrors　calmed；

reflection　came　back　to　her；　and　the　poor　woman　had　not　closed　an　eye

throughout　that　horrible　night。　She　was　now　reduced　to　six　hundred

francs　a　year。　Madame　Descoings；　like　all　fat　women　fond　of　good

eating；　was　growing　heavy；　her　step　on　the　staircase　sounded　like　the

chopping　of　logs；　she　might　die　at　any　moment；　with　her　life；　four

thousand　francs　would　disappear。　What　folly　to　rely　on　that　resource！

What　should　she　do？　What　would　become　of　them？　With　her　mind　made　up

to　become　a　sick…nurse　rather　than　be　supported　by　her　children；

Agathe　did　not　think　of　herself。　But　Philippe？　what　would　he　do　if

reduced　to　live　on　the　five　hundred　francs　of　an　officer　of　the　Legion

of　honor？　During　the　past　eleven　years；　Madame　Descoings；　by　giving　up

three　thousand　francs　a　year；　had　paid　her　debt　twice　over；　but　she

still　continued　to　sacrifice　her　grandson's　interests　to　those　of　the

Bridau　family。　Though　all　Agathe's　honorable　and　upright　feelings　were

shocked　by　this　terrible　disaster；　she　said　to　herself：　〃Poor　boy！　is

it　his　fault？　He　is　faithful　to　his　oath。　I　have　done　wrong　not　to

marry　him。　If　I　had　found　him　a　wife；　he　would　not　have　got　entangled

with　this　danseuse。　He　has　such　a　vigorous　constitution〃



Madame　Descoings　had　likewise　reflected　during　the　night　as　to　the

best　way　of　saving　the　honor　of　the　family。　At　daybreak；　she　got　out

of　bed　and　went　to　her　friend's　room。



〃Neither　you　nor　Philippe　should　manage　this　delicate　matter；〃　she

urged。　〃Our　two　old　friends　Du　Bruel　and　Claparon　are　dead；　but　we

still　have　Desroches；　who　is　very　sagacious。　I'll　go　and　see　him　this

morning。　He　can　tell　the　newspaper　people　that　Philippe　trusted　a

friend　and　has　been　made　a　victim；　that　his　weakness　in　such　respects

makes　him　unfit　to　be　a　cashier；　what　has　now　happened　may　happen

again；　and　that　Philippe　prefers　to　resign。　That　will　prevent　his

being　turned　off。〃



Agathe；　seeing　that　this　business　lie　would　save　the　honor　of　her　son；

at　any　rate　in　the　eyes　of　strangers；　kissed　Madame　Descoings；　who

went　out　early　to　make　an　end　of　the　dreadful　affair。



Philippe；　meanwhile；　had　slept　the　sleep　of　the　just。　〃She　is　sly；

that　old　woman；〃　he　remarked；　when　his　mother　explained　to　him　why

breakfast　was　late。



Old　Desroches；　the　last　remaining　friend　of　these　two　poor　women；　who；

in　spite　of　his　harsh　nature；　never　forgot　that　Bridau　had　obtained

for　him　his　place；　fulfilled　like　an　accomplished　diplomat　the

delicate　mission　Madame　Descoings　had　confided　to　him。　He　came　to　dine

that　evening　with　the　family；　and　notified　Agathe　that　she　must　go　the

next　day　to　the　Treasury；　rue　Vivienne；　sign　the　transfer　of　the　funds

involved；　and　obtain　a　coupon　for　the　six　hundred　francs　a　year　which

still　remained　to　her。　The　old　clerk　did　not　leave　the　afflicted

household　that　night　without　obliging　Philippe　to　sign　a　petition　to

the　minister　of　war；　asking　for　his　reinstatement　in　the　active　army。

Desroches　promised　the　two　women　to　follow　up　the　petition　at　the　war

office；　and　to　profit　by　the　triumph　of　a　certain　duke　over　Philippe

in　the　matter　of　the　danseuse；　and　so　obtain　that　nobleman's

influence。



〃Philippe　will　be　lieutenant…colonel　in　the　Duc　de　Maufrigneuse's

regiment　within　three　months；〃　he　declared；　〃and　you　will　be　rid　of

him。〃



Desroches　went　away；　smothered　with　blessings　from　the　two　poor　widows

and　Joseph。　As　to　the　newspaper；　it　ceased　to　exist　at　the　end　of　two

months；　just　as　Finot　had　predicted。　Philippe's　crime　had；　therefore；

so　far　as　the　world　knew；　no　consequences。　But　Agathe's　motherhood　had

received　a　deadly　wound。　Her　belief　in　her　son　once　shaken；　she　lived

in　perpetual　fear；　mingled　with　some　satisfactions；　as　she　saw　her

worst　apprehensions　unrealized。



When　men　like　Philippe；　who　are　endowed　with　physical　courage；　and　yet

are　cowardly　and　ignoble　in　their　moral　being；　see　matters　and　things

resuming　their　accustomed　course　about　them　after　some　catastrophe　in

which　their　honor　and　decency　is　well…nigh　lost；　such　family　kindness；

or　any　show　of　friendliness　towards　them　is　a　premium　of

encouragement。　They　count　on　impunity；　their　minds　distorted；　their

passions　gratified；　only　prompt　them　to　study　how　it　happened　that

they　succeeded　in　getting　round　all　social　laws；　the　result　is　they

become　alarmingly　adroit。



A　fortnight　later；　Philippe；　once　more　a　man　of　leisure；　lazy　and

bored；　renewed　his　fatal　cafe　life；his　drams；　his　long　games　of

billiards　embellished　with　punch；　his　nightly　resort　to　the　gambling…

table；　where　he　risked　some　trifling　stake　and　won　enough　to　pay　for

his　dissipations。　Apparently　very　economical；　the　better　to　deceive

his　mother　and　Madame　Descoings；　he　wore　a　hat　that　was　greasy；　with

the　nap　rubbed　off　at　the　edges；　patched　boots；　a　shabby　overcoat；　on

which　the　red　ribbon　scarcely　showed　so　discolored　and　dirty　was　it　by

long　service　at　the　buttonhole　and　by　the　spatterings　of　coffee　and

liquors。　His　buckskin　gloves；　of　a　greenish　tinge；　lasted　him　a　long

while；　and　he　only　gave　up　his　satin　neckcloth　when　it　was　ragged

enough　to　look　like　wadding。　Mariette　was　the　sole　object　of　the

fellow's　love；　and　her　treachery　had　greatly　hardened　his　heart。　When

he　happened　to　win　more　than　usual；　or　if　he　supped　with　his　old

comrade；　Giroudeau；　he　followed　some　Venus　of　the　slums；　with　brutal

contempt　for　the　whole　sex。　Otherwise　regular　in　his　habits；　he

breakfasted　and　dined　at　home　and　came　in　every　night　about　one

o'clock。　Three　months　of　this　horrible　life　restored　Agathe　to　some

degree　of　confidence。



As　for　Joseph；　who　was　working　at　the　splendid　picture　to　which　he

afterwards　owed　his　reputation；　he　lived　in　his　atelier。　On　the

prediction　of　her　grandson　Bixiou；　Madame　Descoings　believed　in

Joseph's　future　glory；　and　she　showed　him　every　sort　of　motherly

kindness；　she　took　his　breakfast　to　him；　she　did　his　errands；　she

blacked　his　boots。　The　painter　was　never　seen　till　dinner…time；　and

his　evenings　were　spent　at　the　Cenacle　among　his　friends。　He　read　a

great　deal；　and　gave　himself　that　deep　and　serious　education　which

only　comes　through　the　mind　itself；　and　which　all　men　of　talent　strive

after　between　the　age