the two brothers-第25章

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

the　end　of　July；　as　Agathe　one　morning　was　crossing　the　Pont　Neuf　to

avoid　paying　a　sou　at　the　Pont　des　Arts；　she　saw；　coming　along　by　the

shops　of　the　Quai　de　l'Ecole；　a　man　bearing　all　the　signs　of　second…

class　poverty；　who；　she　thought；　resembled　Philippe。　In　Paris；　there

are　three　distinct　classes　of　poverty。　First；　the　poverty　of　the　man

who　preserves　appearances；　and　to　whom　a　future　still　belongs；　this　is

the　poverty　of　young　men；　artists；　men　of　the　world；　momentarily

unfortunate。　The　outward　signs　of　their　distress　are　not　visible；

except　under　the　microscope　of　a　close　observer。　These　persons　are　the

equestrian　order　of　poverty；　they　continue　to　drive　about　in

cabriolets。　In　the　second　order　we　find　old　men　who　have　become

indifferent　to　everything；　and；　in　June；　put　the　cross　of　the　Legion

of　honor　on　alpaca　overcoats；　that　is　the　poverty　of　small　incomes；

of　old　clerks；　who　live　at　Sainte…Perine　and　care　no　longer　about

their　outward　man。　Then　comes；　in　the　third　place；　poverty　in　rags；

the　poverty　of　the　people；　the　poverty　that　is　poetic；　which　Callot；

Hogarth；　Murillo；　Charlet；　Raffet；　Gavarni；　Meissonier；　Art　itself

adores　and　cultivates；　especially　during　the　carnival。　The　man　in　whom

poor　Agathe　thought　she　recognized　her　son　was　astride　the　last　two

classes　of　poverty。　She　saw　the　ragged　neck…cloth；　the　scurfy　hat；　the

broken　and　patched　boots；　the　threadbare　coat；　whose　buttons　had　shed

their　mould；　leaving　the　empty　shrivelled　pod　dangling　in　congruity

with　the　torn　pockets　and　the　dirty　collar。　Scraps　of　flue　were　in　the

creases　of　the　coat；　which　showed　plainly　the　dust　that　filled　it。　The

man　drew　from　the　pockets　of　his　seam…rent　iron…gray　trousers　a　pair

of　hands　as　black　as　those　of　a　mechanic。　A　knitted　woollen　waistcoat；

discolored　by　use；　showed　below　the　sleeves　of　his　coat；　and　above　the

trousers；　and　no　doubt　served　instead　of　a　shirt。　Philippe　wore　a

green　silk　shade　with　a　wire　edge　over　his　eyes；　his　head；　which　was

nearly　bald；　the　tints　of　his　skin；　and　his　sunken　face　too　plainly

revealed　that　he　was　just　leaving　the　terrible　Hopital　du　Midi。　His

blue　overcoat；　whitened　at　the　seams；　was　still　decorated　with　the

ribbon　of　his　cross；　and　the　passers…by　looked　at　the　hero；　doubtless

some　victim　of　the　government；　with　curiosity　and　commiseration；　the

rosette　attracted　notice；　and　the　fiercest　〃ultra〃　was　jealous　for　the

honor　of　the　Legion。　In　those　days；　however　much　the　government

endeavored　to　bring　the　Order　into　disrepute　by　bestowing　its　cross

right　and　left；　there　were　not　fifty…three　thousand　persons　decorated。



Agathe　trembled　through　her　whole　being。　If　it　were　impossible　to　love

this　son　any　longer；　she　could　still　suffer　for　him。　Quivering　with

this　last　expression　of　motherhood；　she　wept　as　she　saw　the　brilliant

staff　officer　of　the　Emperor　turn　to　enter　tobacconist's　and　pause　on

the　threshold；　he　had　felt　in　his　pocket　and　found　nothing。　Agathe

left　the　bridge；　crossed　the　quai　rapidly；　took　out　her　purse；　thrust

it　into　Philippe's　hand；　and　fled　away　as　if　she　had　committed　a

crime。　After　that；　she　ate　nothing　for　two　days；　before　her　was　the

horrible　vision　of　her　son　dying　of　hunger　in　the　streets　of　Paris。



〃When　he　has　spent　all　the　money　in　my　purse；　who　will　give　him　any？〃

she　thought。　〃Giroudeau　did　not　deceive　us；　Philippe　is　just　out　of

that　hospital。〃



She　no　longer　saw　the　assassin　of　her　poor　aunt；　the　scourge　of　the

family；　the　domestic　thief；　the　gambler；　the　drunkard；　the　low　liver

of　a　bad　life；　she　saw　only　the　man　recovering　from　illness；　yet

doomed　to　die　of　starvation；　the　smoker　deprived　of　his　tobacco。　At

forty…seven　years　of　age　she　grew　to　look　like　a　woman　of　seventy。　Her

eyes　were　dimmed　with　tears　and　prayers。　Yet　it　was　not　the　last　grief

this　son　was　to　bring　upon　her；　her　worst　apprehensions　were　destined

to　be　realized。　A　conspiracy　of　officers　was　discovered　at　the　heart

of　the　army；　and　articles　from　the　〃Moniteur〃　giving　details　of　the

arrests　were　hawked　about　the　streets。



In　the　depths　of　her　cage　in　the　lottery…office　of　the　rue　Vivienne；

Agathe　heard　the　name　of　Philippe　Bridau。　She　fainted；　and　the

manager；　understanding　her　trouble　and　the　necessity　of　taking　certain

steps；　gave　her　leave　of　absence　for　two　weeks。



〃Ah！　my　friend；〃　she　said　to　Joseph；　as　she　went　to　bed　that　night；

〃it　is　our　severity　which　drove　him　to　it。〃



〃I'll　go　and　see　Desroches；〃　answered　Joseph。



While　the　artist　was　confiding　his　brother's　affairs　to　the　younger

Desroches；who　by　this　time　had　the　reputation　of　being　one　of　the

keenest　and　most　astute　lawyers　in　Paris；　and　who；　moreover；　did

sundry　services　for　personages　of　distinction；　among　others　for　des

Lupeaulx；　then　secretary　of　a　ministry；Giroudeau　called　upon　the

widow。　This　time；　Agathe　believed　him。



〃Madame；〃　he　said；　〃if　you　can　produce　twelve　thousand　francs　your　son

will　be　set　at　liberty　for　want　of　proof。　It　is　necessary　to　buy　the

silence　of　two　witnesses。〃



〃I　will　get　the　money；〃　said　the　poor　mother；　without　knowing　how　or

where。



Inspired　by　this　danger；　she　wrote　to　her　godmother；　old　Madame

Hochon；　begging　her　to　ask　Jean…Jacques　Rouget　to　send　her　the　twelve

thousand　francs　and　save　his　nephew　Philippe。　If　Rouget　refused；　she

entreated　Madame　Hochon　to　lend　them　to　her；　promising　to　return　them

in　two　years。　By　return　of　courier；　she　received　the　following

letter：



　　My　dear　girl：　Though　your　brother　has　an　income　of　not　less　than

　　forty　thousand　francs　a　year；　without　counting　the　sums　he　has

　　laid　by　for　the　last　seventeen　years；　and　which　Monsieur　Hochon

　　estimates　at　more　than　six　hundred　thousand　francs；　he　will　not

　　give　one　penny　to　nephews　whom　he　has　never　seen。　As　for　me；　you

　　know　I　cannot　dispose　of　a　farthing　while　my　husband　lives。　Hochon

　　is　the　greatest　miser　in　Issoudun。　I　do　not　know　what　he　does　with

　　his　money；　he　does　not　give　twenty　francs　a　year　to　his

　　grandchildren。　As　for　borrowing　the　money；　I　should　have　to　get

　　his　signature；　and　he　would　refuse　it。　I　have　not　even　attempted

　　to　speak　to　your　brother；　who　lives　with　a　concubine；　to　whom　he

　　is　a　slave。　It　is　pitiable　to　see　how　the　poor　man　is　treated　in

　　his　own　home；　when　he　might　have　a　sister　and　nephews　to　take　care

　　of　him。



　　I　have　hinted　to　you　several　times　that　your　presence　at　Issoudun

　　might　save　your　brother；　and　rescue　a　fortune　of　forty；　perhaps

　　sixty；　thousand　francs　a　year　from　the　claws　of　that　slut；　but　you

　　either　do　not　answer　me；　or　you　seem　never　to　understand　my

　　meaning。　So　to…day　I　am　obliged　to　write　without　epistolary

　　circumlocution。　I　feel　for　the　misfortune　which　has　overtaken　you；

　　but；　my　dearest；　I　can　do　no　more　than　pity　you。　And　this　is　why：

　　Hochon；　at　eighty…five　years　of　age；　takes　four　meals　a　day；　eats

　　a　salad　with　hard…boiled　eggs　every　night；　and　frisks　about　like　a

　　rabbit。　I　shall　have　spent　my　whole　lifefor　he　will　live　to

　　write　my　epitaphwithout　ever　having　had　twenty　francs　in　my

　　purse。　If　you　will　come　to　Issoudun　and　counteract　the　influence

　　of　that　concubine　over　your　brother；　you　must　stay　with　me；　for

　　there　are　reasons　why　Rouget　cannot　receive　you　in　his　own　house；

　　but　even　then；　I　shall　have　hard　work　to　get　my　husband　to　let　me

　　have　you　here。　However；　you　can　safely　come；　I　can　make　him　mind

　　me　as　to　that。　I　know　a　way　to　get　what　I　want　out　of　him；　I　have

　　only　to　speak　of　making　my　will。　It　seems　such　a　horrid　thing　to

　　do　that　I　do　not　often　have　recourse　to　it；　but　for　you；　dear

　　Agathe；　I　will　do　the　impossible。



　　I　hope　your　Philippe　will　get　out　of　his　trouble；　and　I　beg　you　to

　　employ　a　good　lawyer。　In　any　case；　come　to　Issoudun　as　soon　as　you

　　can。　Remember　that　your　imbecile　of　a　brother　at　fifty…seven　is　an

　　older　and　weaker　man　than　M