the two brothers-第24章

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part　in　literature。　Philippe　and　his　friend　Giroudeau　lived　among　a

circle　of　journalists；　actresses；　and　booksellers；　where　they　were

regarded　in　the　light　of　cashiers。　Philippe；　who　had　been　drinking

kirsch　before　posing；　was　loquacious。　He　boasted　that　he　was　about　to

become　a　great　man。　But　when　Joseph　asked　a　question　as　to　his

pecuniary　resources　he　was　dumb。　It　so　happened　that　there　was　no

newspaper　on　the　following　day；　it　being　a　fete；　and　to　finish　the

picture　Philippe　proposed　to　sit　again　on　the　morrow。　Joseph　told　him

that　the　Salon　was　close　at　hand；　and　as　he　did　not　have　the　money　to

buy　two　frames　for　the　pictures　he　wished　to　exhibit；　he　was　forced　to

procure　it　by　finishing　a　copy　of　a　Rubens　which　had　been　ordered　by

Elie　Magus；　the　picture…dealer。　The　original　belonged　to　a　wealthy

Swiss　banker；　who　had　only　lent　it　for　ten　days；　and　the　next　day　was

the　last；　the　sitting　must　therefore　be　put　off　till　the　following

Sunday。



〃Is　that　it？〃　asked　Philippe；　pointing　to　a　picture　by　Rubens　on　an

easel。



〃Yes；〃　replied　Joseph；　〃it　is　worth　twenty　thousand　francs。　That's

what　genius　can　do。　It　will　take　me　all　to…morrow　to　get　the　tones　of

the　original　and　make　the　copy　look　so　old　it　can't　be　distinguished

from　it。〃



〃Adieu；　mother；〃　said　Philippe；　kissing　Agathe。　〃Next　Sunday；　then。〃



The　next　day　Elie　Magus　was　to　come　for　his　copy。　Joseph's　friend；

Pierre　Grassou；　who　was　working　for　the　same　dealer；　wanted　to　see　it

when　finished。　To　play　him　a　trick；　Joseph；　when　he　heard　his　knock；

put　the　copy；　which　was　varnished　with　a　special　glaze　of　his　own；　in

place　of　the　original；　and　put　the　original　on　his　easel。　Pierre

Grassou　was　completely　taken　in；　and　then　amazed　and　delighted　at

Joseph's　success。



〃Do　you　think　it　will　deceive　old　Magus？〃　he　said　to　Joseph。



〃We　shall　see；〃　answered　the　latter。



The　dealer　did　not　come　as　he　had　promised。　It　was　getting　late；

Agathe　dined　that　day　with　Madame　Desroches；　who　had　lately　lost　her

husband；　and　Joseph　proposed　to　Pierre　Grassou　to　dine　at　his　table

d'hote。　As　he　went　out　he　left　the　key　of　his　studio　with　the

concierge。



An　hour　later　Philippe　appeared　and　said　to　the　concierge；



〃I　am　to　sit　this　evening；　Joseph　will　be　in　soon；　and　I　will　wait　for

him　in　the　studio。〃



The　woman　gave　him　the　key；　Philippe　went　upstairs；　took　the　copy；

thinking　it　was　the　original；　and　went　down　again；　returned　the　key　to

the　concierge　with　the　excuse　that　he　had　forgotten　something；　and

hurried　off　to　sell　his　Rubens　for　three　thousand　francs。　He　had　taken

the　precaution　to　convey　a　message　from　his　brother　to　Elie　Magus；

asking　him　not　to　call　till　the　following　day。



That　evening　when　Joseph　returned；　bringing　his　mother　from　Madame

Desroches's；　the　concierge　told　him　of　Philippe's　freak；how　he　had

called　intending　to　wait；　and　gone　away　again　immediately。



〃I　am　ruinedunless　he　has　had　the　delicacy　to　take　the　copy；〃　cried

the　painter；　instantly　suspecting　the　theft。　He　ran　rapidly　up　the

three　flights　and　rushed　into　his　studio。　〃God　be　praised！〃　he

ejaculated。　〃He　is；　what　he　always　has　been；　a　vile　scoundrel。〃



Agathe；　who　had　followed　Joseph；　did　not　understand　what　he　was

saying；　but　when　her　son　explained　what　had　happened；　she　stood　still；

with　the　tears　in　her　eyes。



〃Have　I　but　one　son？〃　she　said　in　a　broken　voice。



〃We　have　never　yet　degraded　him　to　the　eyes　of　strangers；〃　said

Joseph；　〃but　we　must　now　warn　the　concierge。　In　future　we　shall　have

to　keep　the　keys　ourselves。　I'll　finish　his　blackguard　face　from

memory；　there's　not　much　to　do　to　it。〃



〃Leave　it　as　it　is；　it　will　pain　me　too　much　ever　to　look　at　it；〃

answered　the　mother；　heart…stricken　and　stupefied　at　such　wickedness。



Philippe　had　been　told　how　the　money　for　this　copy　was　to　be　expended；

moreover　he　knew　the　abyss　into　which　he　would　plunge　his　brother

through　the　loss　of　the　Rubens；　but　nothing　restrained　him。　After　this

last　crime　Agathe　never　mentioned　him；　her　face　acquired　an　expression

of　cold　and　concentrated　and　bitter　despair；　one　thought　took

possession　of　her　mind。



〃Some　day；〃　she　said　to　herself；　〃we　shall　hear　of　a　Bridau　in　the

police　courts。〃



Two　months　later；　as　Agathe　was　about　to　start　for　her　office；　an　old

officer；　who　announced　himself　as　a　friend　of　Philippe　on　urgent

business；　called　on　Madame　Bridau；　who　happened　to　be　in　Joseph's

studio。



When　Giroudeau　gave　his　name；　mother　and　son　trembled；　and　none　the

less　because　the　ex…dragoon　had　the　face　of　a　tough　old　sailor　of　the

worst　type。　His　fishy　gray　eyes；　his　piebald　moustache；　the　remains　of

his　shaggy　hair　fringing　a　skull　that　was　the　color　of　fresh　butter；

all　gave　an　indescribably　debauched　and　libidinous　expression　to　his

appearance。　He　wore　an　old　iron…gray　overcoat　decorated　with　the　red

ribbon　of　an　officer　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　which　met　with　difficulty

over　a　gastronomic　stomach　in　keeping　with　a　mouth　that　stretched　from

ear　to　ear；　and　a　pair　of　powerful　shoulders。　The　torso　was　supported

by　a　spindling　pair　of　legs；　while　the　rubicund　tints　on　the　cheek…

bones　bore　testimony　to　a　rollicking　life。　The　lower　part　of　the

cheeks；　which　were　deeply　wrinkled；　overhung　a　coat…collar　of　velvet

the　worse　for　wear。　Among　other　adornments；　the　ex…dragoon　wore

enormous　gold　rings　in　his　ears。



〃What　a　'noceur'！〃　thought　Joseph；　using　a　popular　expression；　meaning

a　〃loose　fish；〃　which　had　lately　passed　into　the　ateliers。



〃Madame；〃　said　Finot's　uncle　and　cashier；　〃your　son　is　in　so

unfortunate　a　position　that　his　friends　find　it　absolutely　necessary

to　ask　you　to　share　the　somewhat　heavy　expense　which　he　is　to　them。　He

can　no　longer　do　his　work　at　the　office；　and　Mademoiselle　Florentine；

of　the　Porte…Saint…Martin；　has　taken　him　to　lodge　with　her；　in　a

miserable　attic　in　the　rue　de　Vendome。　Philippe　is　dying；　and　if　you

and　his　brother　are　not　able　to　pay　for　the　doctor　and　medicines；　we

shall　be　obliged；　for　the　sake　of　curing　him；　to　have　him　taken　to　the

hospital　of　the　Capuchins。　For　three　hundred　francs　we　would　keep　him

where　he　is。　But　he　must　have　a　nurse；　for　at　night；　when　Mademoiselle

Florentine　is　at　the　theatre；　he　persists　in　going　out；　and　takes

things　that　are　irritating　and　injurious　to　his　malady　and　its

treatment。　As　we　are　fond　of　him；　this　makes　us　really　very　unhappy。

The　poor　fellow　has　pledged　the　pension　of　his　cross　for　the　next

three　years；　he　is　temporarily　displaced　from　his　office；　and　he　has

literally　nothing。　He　will　kill　himself；　madame；　unless　we　can　put　him

into　the　private　asylum　of　Doctor　Dubois。　It　is　a　decent　hospital；

where　they　will　take　him　for　ten　francs　a　day。　Florentine　and　I　will

pay　half；　if　you　will　pay　the　rest；　it　won't　be　for　more　than　two

months。〃



〃Monsieur；　it　is　difficult　for　a　mother　not　to　be　eternally　grateful

to　you　for　your　kindness　to　her　son；〃　replied　Agathe；　〃but　this　son　is

banished　from　my　heart；　and　as　for　money；　I　have　none。　Not　to　be　a

burden　on　my　son　whom　you　see　here；　who　works　day　and　night　and

deserves　all　the　love　his　mother　can　give　him；　I　am　the　assistant　in　a

lottery…officeat　my　age！〃



〃And　you；　young　man；〃　said　the　old　dragoon　to　Joseph；　〃can't　you　do　as

much　for　your　brother　as　a　poor　dancer　at　the　Porte…Saint…Martin　and

an　old　soldier？〃



〃Look　here！〃　said　Joseph；　out　of　patience；　〃do　you　want　me　to　tell　you

in　artist　language　what　I　think　of　your　visit？　Well；　you　have　come　to

swindle　us　on　false　pretences。〃



〃To…morrow　your　brother　shall　go　to　the　hospital。〃



〃And　he　will　do　very　well　there；〃　answered　Joseph。　〃If　I　were　in　like

case；　I　should　go　there　too。〃



Giroudeau　withdrew；　much　disappointed；　and　also　really　mortified　at

being　obliged　to　send　to　a　hospital　a　man　who　had　carried　the

Emperor's　orders　at　the　battle　of　Montereau。　Three　months　later；　at

the　end　of　July；　as　Agathe　one　mo