the two brothers-第22章

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legs　are　swollen。〃



Agathe　took　a　pair　of　scissors。　When　she　had　cut　down　the　boots；　which

in　those　days　were　worn　outside　the　clinging　trousers；　ten　pieces　of

gold　rolled　on　the　floor。



〃There　it　is；her　money；〃　murmured　Philippe。　〃Cursed　fool　that　I　was；

I　forgot　it。　I　too　have　missed　a　fortune。〃



He　was　seized　with　a　horrible　delirium　of　fever；　and　began　to　rave。

Joseph；　assisted　by　old　Desroches；　who　had　come　back；　and　by　Bixiou；

carried　him　to　his　room。　Doctor　Haudry　was　obliged　to　write　a　line　to

the　Hopital　de　la　Charite　and　borrow　a　strait…waistcoat；　for　the

delirium　ran　so　high　as　to　make　him　fear　that　Philippe　might　kill

himself；he　was　raving。　At　nine　o'clock　calm　was　restored。　The　Abbe

Loraux　and　Desroches　endeavored　to　comfort　Agathe；　who　never　ceased　to

weep　at　her　aunt's　bedside。　She　listened　to　them　in　silence；　and

obstinately　shook　her　head；　Joseph　and　the　Descoings　alone　knew　the

extent　and　depth　of　her　inward　wound。



〃He　will　learn　to　do　better；　mother；〃　said　Joseph；　when　Desroches　and

Bixiou　had　left。



〃Oh！〃　cried　the　widow；　〃Philippe　is　right；my　father　cursed　me：　I

have　no　right　to　Here；　here　is　your　money；〃　she　said　to　Madame

Descoings；　adding　Joseph's　three　hundred　francs　to　the　two　hundred

found　on　Philippe。　〃Go　and　see　if　your　brother　does　not　need

something；〃　she　said　to　Joseph。



〃Will　you　keep　a　promise　made　to　a　dying　woman？〃　asked　Madame

Descoings；　who　felt　that　her　mind　was　failing　her。



〃Yes；　aunt。〃



〃Then　swear　to　me　to　give　your　property　to　young　Desroches　for　a　life

annuity。　My　income　ceases　at　my　death；　and　from　what　you　have　just

said；　I　know　you　will　let　that　wretch　wring　the　last　farthing　out　of

you。〃



〃I　swear　it；　aunt。〃



The　old　woman　died　on　the　31st　of　December；　five　days　after　the

terrible　blow　which　old　Desroches　had　so　innocently　given　her。　The

five　hundred　francsthe　only　money　in　the　householdwere　barely

enough　to　pay　for　her　funeral。　She　left　a　small　amount　of　silver　and

some　furniture；　the　value　of　which　Madame　Bixiou　paid　over　to　her

grandson　Bixiou。　Reduced　to　eight　hundred　francs'　annuity　paid　to　her

by　young　Desroches；　who　had　bought　a　business　without　clients；　and

himself　took　the　capital　of　twelve　thousand　francs；　Agathe　gave　up　her

appartement　on　the　third　floor；　and　sold　all　her　superfluous

furniture。　When；　at　the　end　of　a　month；　Philippe　seemed　to　be

convalescent；　his　mother　coldly　explained　to　him　that　the　costs　of　his

illness　had　taken　all　her　ready　money；　that　she　should　be　obliged　in

future　to　work　for　her　living；　and　she　urged　him；　with　the　utmost

kindness；　to　re…enter　the　army　and　support　himself。



〃You　might　have　spared　me　that　sermon；〃　said　Philippe；　looking　at　his

mother　with　an　eye　that　was　cold　from　utter　indifference。　〃I　have　seen

all　along　that　neither　you　nor　my　brother　love　me。　I　am　alone　in　the

world；　I　like　it　best！〃



〃Make　yourself　worthy　of　our　affection；〃　answered　the　poor　mother；

struck　to　the　very　heart；　〃and　we　will　give　it　back　to　you〃



〃Nonsense！〃　he　cried；　interrupting　her。



He　took　his　old　hat；　rubbed　white　at　the　edges；　stuck　it　over　one　ear；

and　went　downstairs；　whistling。



〃Philippe！　where　are　you　going　without　any　money？〃　cried　his　mother；

who　could　not　repress　her　tears。　〃Here；　take　this〃



She　held　out　to　him　a　hundred　francs　in　gold；　wrapped　up　in　paper。

Philippe　came　up　the　stairs　he　had　just　descended；　and　took　the　money。



〃Well；　won't　you　kiss　me？〃　she　said；　bursting　into　tears。



He　pressed　his　mother　in　his　arms；　but　without　the　warmth　of　feeling

which　was　all　that　could　give　value　to　the　embrace。



〃Where　shall　you　go？〃　asked　Agathe。



〃To　Florentine；　Girodeau's　mistress。　Ah！　they　are　real　friends！〃　he

answered　brutally。



He　went　away。　Agathe　turned　back　with　trembling　limbs；　and　failing

eyes；　and　aching　heart。　She　fell　upon　her　knees；　prayed　God　to　take

her　unnatural　child　into　His　own　keeping；　and　abdicated　her　woeful

motherhood。







CHAPTER　VI



By　February；　1822；　Madame　Bridau　had　settled　into　the　attic　room

recently　occupied　by　Philippe；　which　was　over　the　kitchen　of　her

former　appartement。　The　painter's　studio　and　bedroom　was　opposite；　on

the　other　side　of　the　staircase。　When　Joseph　saw　his　mother　thus

reduced；　he　was　determined　to　make　her　as　comfortable　as　possible。

After　his　brother's　departure　he　assisted　in　the　re…arrangement　of　the

garret　room；　to　which　he　gave　an　artist's　touch。　He　added　a　rug；　the

bed；　simple　in　character　but　exquisite　in　taste；　had　something

monastic　about　it；　the　walls；　hung　with　a　cheap　glazed　cotton　selected

with　taste；　of　a　color　which　harmonized　with　the　furniture　and　was

newly　covered；　gave　the　room　an　air　of　elegance　and　nicety。　In　the

hallway　he　added　a　double　door；　with　a　〃portiere〃　to　the　inner　one。

The　window　was　shaded　by　a　blind　which　gave　soft　tones　to　the　light。

If　the　poor　mother's　life　was　reduced　to　the　plainest　circumstances

that　the　life　of　any　woman　could　have　in　Paris；　Agathe　was　at　least

better　off　than　all　others　in　a　like　case；　thanks　to　her　son。



To　save　his　mother　from　the　cruel　cares　of　such　reduced　housekeeping；

Joseph　took　her　every　day　to　dine　at　a　table…d'hote　in　the　rue　de

Beaune；　frequented　by　well…bred　women；　deputies；　and　titled　people；

where　each　person's　dinner　cost　ninety　francs　a　month。　Having　nothing

but　the　breakfast　to　provide；　Agathe　took　up　for　her　son　the　old

habits　she　had　formerly　had　with　the　father。　But　in　spite　of　Joseph's

pious　lies；　she　discovered　the　fact　that　her　dinner　was　costing　him

nearly　a　hundred　francs　a　month。　Alarmed　at　such　enormous　expense；　and

not　imaging　that　her　son　could　earn　much　money　by　painting　naked

women；　she　obtained；　thanks　to　her　confessor；　the　Abbe　Loraux；　a　place

worth　seven　hundred　francs　a　year　in　a　lottery…office　belonging　to　the

Comtesse　de　Bauvan；　the　widow　of　a　Chouan　leader。　The　lottery…offices

of　the　government；　the　lot；　as　one　might　say；　of　privileged　widows；

ordinarily　sufficed　for　the　support　of　the　family　of　each　person　who

managed　them。　But　after　the　Restoration　the　difficulty　of　rewarding；

within　the　limits　of　constitutional　government；　all　the　services

rendered　to　the　cause；　led　to　the　custom　of　giving　to　reduced　women　of

title　not　only　one　but　two　lottery…offices；　worth；　usually；　from　six

to　ten　thousand　a　year。　In　such　cases；　the　widow　of　a　general　or

nobleman　thus　〃protected〃　did　not　keep　the　lottery…office　herself；　she

employed　a　paid　manager。　When　these　managers　were　young　men　they　were

obliged　to　employ　an　assistant；　for；　according　to　law；　the　offices　had

to　be　kept　open　till　midnight；　moreover；　the　reports　required　by　the

minister　of　finance　involved　considerable　writing。　The　Comtesse　de

Bauvan；　to　whom　the　Abbe　Loraux　explained　the　circumstances　of　the

widow　Bridau；　promised；　in　case　her　manager　should　leave；　to　give　the

place　to　Agathe；　meantime　she　stipulated　that　the　widow　should　be

taken　as　assistant；　and　receive　a　salary　of　six　hundred　francs。　Poor

Agathe；　who　was　obliged　to　be　at　the　office　by　ten　in　the　morning；　had

scarcely　time　to　get　her　dinner。　She　returned　to　her　work　at　seven　in

the　evening；　remaining　there　till　midnight。　Joseph　never；　for　two

years；　failed　to　fetch　his　mother　at　night；　and　bring　her　back　to　the

rue　Mazarin；　and　often　he　went　to　take　her　to　dinner；　his　friends

frequently　saw　him　leave　the　opera　or　some　brilliant　salon　to　be

punctually　at　midnight　at　the　office　in　the　rue　Vivienne。



Agathe　soon　acquired　the　monotonous　regularity　of　life　which　becomes　a

stay　and　a　support　to　those　who　have　endured　the　shock　of　violent

sorrows。　In　the　morning；　after　doing　up　her　room；　in　which　there　were

no　longer　cats　and　little　birds；　she　prepared　the　breakfast　at　her　own

fire　and　carried　it　into　the　studio；　where　she　ate　it　with　her　son。

She　then　arranged　Joseph's　bedroom；　put　out　the　fire　in　her　own

chamber；　and　brought　her　sewing　to　the　studio；　wh