the two brothers-第17章

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

after　between　the　ages　of　twenty　and　thirty。　Agathe；　seeing　very

little　of　Joseph；　and　feeling　no　uneasiness　about　him；　lived　only　for

Philippe；　who　gave　her　the　alternations　of　fears　excited　and　terrors

allayed；　which　seem　the　life；　as　it　were；　of　sentiment；　and　to　be　as

necessary　to　maternity　as　to　love。　Desroches；　who　came　once　a　week　to

see　the　widow　of　his　patron　and　friend；　gave　her　hopes。　The　Duc　de

Maufrigneuse　had　asked　to　have　Philippe　in　his　regiment；　the　minister

of　war　had　ordered　an　inquiry；　and　as　the　name　of　Bridau　did　not

appear　on　any　police　list；　nor　an　any　record　at　the　Palais　de　Justice；

Philippe　would　be　reinstated　in　the　army　early　in　the　coming　year。



To　arrive　at　this　result；　Desroches　set　all　the　powers　that　he　could

influence　in　motion。　At　the　prefecture　of　police　he　learned　that

Philippe　spent　his　evenings　in　the　gambling…house；　and　he　thought　it

best　to　tell　this　fact　privately　to　Madame　Descoings；　exhorting　her

keep　an　eye　on　the　lieutenant…colonel；　for　one　outbreak　would　imperil

all；　as　it　was；　the　minister　of　war　was　not　likely　to　inquire　whether

Philippe　gambled。　Once　restored　to　his　rank　under　the　flag　of　his

country；　he　would　perhaps　abandon　a　vice　only　taken　up　from　idleness。

Agathe；　who　no　longer　received　her　friends　in　the　evening；　sat　in　the

chimney…corner　reading　her　prayers；　while　Madame　Descoings　consulted

the　cards；　interpreted　her　dreams；　and　applied　the　rules　of　the

〃cabala〃　to　her　lottery　ventures。　This　jovial　fanatic　never　missed　a

single　drawing；　she　still　pursued　her　trey；which　never　turned　up。　It

was　nearly　twenty…one　years　old；　just　approaching　its　majority；　on

this　ridiculous　idea　the　old　woman　now　pinned　her　faith。　One　of　its

three　numbers　had　stayed　at　the　bottom　of　all　the　wheels　ever　since

the　institution　of　the　lottery。　Accordingly；　Madame　Descoings　laid

heavy　stakes　on　that　particular　number；　as　well　as　on　all　the

combinations　of　the　three　numbers。　The　last　mattress　remaining　to　her

bed　was　the　place　where　she　stored　her　savings；　she　unsewed　the

ticking；　put　in　from　time　to　time　the　bit　of　gold　saved　from　her

needs；　wrapped　carefully　in　wool；　and　then　sewed　the　mattress　up

again。　She　intended；　at　the　last　drawing；　to　risk　all　her　savings　on

the　different　combinations　of　her　treasured　trey。



This　passion；　so　universally　condemned；　has　never　been　fairly　studied。

No　one　has　understood　this　opium　of　poverty。　The　lottery；　all…powerful

fairy　of　the　poor；　bestowed　the　gift　of　magic　hopes。　The　turn　of　the

wheel　which　opens　to　the　gambler　a　vista　of　gold　and　happiness；　lasts

no　longer　than　a　flash　of　lightning；　but　the　lottery　gave　five　days'

existence　to　that　magnificent　flash。　What　social　power　can　to…day；　for

the　sum　of　five　sous；　give　us　five　days'　happiness　and　launch　us

ideally　into　all　the　joys　of　civilization？　Tobacco；　a　craving　far　more

immoral　than　play；　destroys　the　body；　attacks　the　mind；　and　stupefies

a　nation；　while　the　lottery　did　nothing　of　the　kind。　This　passion；

moreover；　was　forced　to　keep　within　limits　by　the　long　periods　that

occurred　between　the　drawings；　and　by　the　choice　of　wheels　which　each

investor　individually　clung　to。　Madame　Descoings　never　staked　on　any

but　the　〃wheel　of　Paris。〃　Full　of　confidence　that　the　trey　cherished

for　twenty…one　years　was　about　to　triumph；　she　now　imposed　upon

herself　enormous　privations；　that　she　might　stake　a　large　amount　of

savings　upon　the　last　drawing　of　the　year。　When　she　dreamed　her

cabalistic　visions　（for　all　dreams　did　not　correspond　with　the　numbers

of　the　lottery）；　she　went　and　told　them　to　Joseph；　who　was　the　sole

being　who　would　listen；　and　not　only　not　scold　her；　but　give　her　the

kindly　words　with　which　an　artist　knows　how　to　soothe　the　follies　of

the　mind。　All　great　talents　respect　and　understand　a　real　passion；

they　explain　it　to　themselves　by　finding　the　roots　of　it　in　their　own

hearts　or　minds。　Joseph's　ideas　was；　that　his　brother　loved　tobacco

and　liquors；　Maman　Descoings　loved　her　trey；　his　mother　loved　God；

Desroches　the　younger　loved　lawsuits；　Desroches　the　elder　loved

angling；in　short；　all　the　world；　he　said；　loved　something。　He

himself　loved　the　〃beau　ideal〃　in　all　things；　he　loved　the　poetry　of

Lord　Byron；　the　painting　of　Gericault；　the　music　of　Rossini；　the

novels　of　Walter　Scott。　〃Every　one　to　his　taste；　maman；〃　he　would　say；

〃but　your　trey　does　hang　fire　terribly。〃



〃It　will　turn　up；　and　you　will　be　rich；　and　my　little　Bixiou　as　well。〃



〃Give　it　all　to　your　grandson；〃　cried　Joseph；　〃at　any　rate；　do　what

you　like　best　with　it。〃



〃Hey！　when　it　turns　up　I　shall　have　enough　for　everybody。　In　the　first

place；　you　shall　have　a　fine　atelier；　you　sha'n't　deprive　yourself　of

going　to　the　opera　so　as　to　pay　for　your　models　and　your　colors。　Do

you　know；　my　dear　boy；　you　make　me　play　a　pretty　shabby　part　in　that

picture　of　yours？〃



By　way　of　economy；　Joseph　had　made　the　Descoings　pose　for　his

magnificent　painting　of　a　young　courtesan　taken　by　an　old　woman　to　a

Doge　of　Venice。　This　picture；　one　of　the　masterpieces　of　modern

painting；　was　mistaken　by　Gros　himself　for　a　Titian；　and　it　paved　the

way　for　the　recognition　which　the　younger　artists　gave　to　Joseph's

talent　in　the　Salon　of　1823。



〃Those　who　know　you　know　very　well　what　you　are；〃　he　answered　gayly。

〃Why　need　you　trouble　yourself　about　those　who　don't　know　you？〃



For　the　last　ten　years　Madame　Descoings　had　taken　on　the　ripe　tints　of

a　russet　apple　at　Easter。　Wrinkles　had　formed　in　her　superabundant

flesh；　now　grown　pallid　and　flabby。　Her　eyes；　full　of　life；　were

bright　with　thoughts　that　were　still　young　and　vivacious；　and　might　be

considered　grasping；　for　there　is　always　something　of　that　spirit　in　a

gambler。　Her　fat　face　bore　traces　of　dissimulation　and　of　the　mental

reservations　hidden　in　the　depths　of　her　heart。　Her　vice　necessitated

secrecy。　There　were　also　indications　of　gluttony　in　the　motion　of　her

lips。　And　thus；　although　she　was；　as　we　have　seen；　an　excellent　and

upright　woman；　the　eye　might　be　misled　by　her　appearance。　She　was　an

admirable　model　for　the　old　woman　Joseph　wished　to　paint。　Coralie；　a

young　actress　of　exquisite　beauty　who　died　in　the　flower　of　her　youth；

the　mistress　of　Lucien　de　Rubempre；　one　of　Joseph's　friends；　had　given

him　the　idea　of　the　picture。　This　noble　painting　has　been　called　a

plagiarism　of　other　pictures；　while　in　fact　it　was　a　splendid

arrangement　of　three　portraits。　Michel　Chrestien；　one　of　his

companions　at　the　Cenacle；　lent　his　republican　head　for　the　senator；

to　which　Joseph　added　a　few　mature　tints；　just　as　he　exaggerated　the

expression　of　Madame　Descoings's　features。　This　fine　picture；　which

was　destined　to　make　a　great　noise　and　bring　the　artist　much　hatred；

jealousy；　and　admiration；　was　just　sketched　out；　but；　compelled　as　he

was　to　work　for　a　living；　he　laid　it　aside　to　make　copies　of　the　old

masters　for　the　dealers；　thus　he　penetrated　the　secrets　of　their

processes；　and　his　brush　is　therefore　one　of　the　best　trained　of　the

modern　school。　The　shrewd　sense　of　an　artist　led　him　to　conceal　the

profits　he　was　beginning　to　lay　by　from　his　mother　and　Madame

Descoings；　aware　that　each　had　her　road　to　ruin；the　one　in　Philippe；

the　other　in　the　lottery。　This　astuteness　is　seldom　wanting　among

painters；　busy　for　days　together　in　the　solitude　of　their　studios；

engaged　in　work　which；　up　to　a　certain　point；　leaves　the　mind　free；

they　are　in　some　respects　like　women；their　thoughts　turn　about　the

little　events　of　life；　and　they　contrive　to　get　at　their　hidden

meaning。



Joseph　had　bought　one　of　those　magnificent　chests　or　coffers　of　a　past

age；　then　ignored　by　fashion；　with　which　he　decorated　a　corner　of　his

studio；　where　the　light　danced　upon　the　bas…reliefs　and　gave　full

lustre　to　a　masterpiece　of　the　sixteenth　century　artisans。　He　saw　the

necessity　for　a　hiding…place；　and　in　this