the two brothers-第4章

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pious　and　excellent　woman　gave　to　her；　disguised　in　cautious　words。



Some　time　before　the　death　of　Doctor　Rouget；　Madame　Hochon　had　written

to　her　goddaughter　warning　her　that　she　would　get　nothing　from　her

father's　estate　unless　she　gave　a　power　of　attorney　to　Monsieur

Hochon。　Agathe　was　very　reluctant　to　harass　her　brother。　Whether　it

were　that　Bridau　thought　the　spoliation　of　his　wife　in　accordance　with

the　laws　and　customs　of　Berry；　or　that；　high…minded　as　he　was；　he

shared　the　magnanimity　of　his　wife；　certain　it　is　that　he　would　not

listen　to　Roguin；　his　notary；　who　advised　him　to　take　advantage　of　his

ministerial　position　to　contest　the　deeds　by　which　the　father　had

deprived　the　daughter　of　her　legitimate　inheritance。　Husband　and　wife

thus　tacitly　sanctioned　what　was　done　at　Issoudun。　Nevertheless；

Roguin　had　forced　Bridau　to　reflect　upon　the　future　interests　of　his

wife　which　were　thus　compromised。　He　saw　that　if　he　died　before　her；

Agathe　would　be　left　without　property；　and　this　led　him　to　look　into

his　own　affairs。　He　found　that　between　1793　and　1805　his　wife　and　he

had　been　obliged　to　use　nearly　thirty　thousand　of　the　fifty　thousand

francs　in　cash　which　old　Rouget　had　given　to　his　daughter　at　the　time

of　her　marriage。　He　at　once　invested　the　remaining　twenty　thousand　in

the　public　funds；　then　quoted　at　forty；　and　from　this　source　Agathe

received　about　two　thousand　francs　a　year。　As　a　widow；　Madame　Bridau

could　live　suitably　on　an　income　of　six　thousand　francs。　With

provincial　good　sense；　she　thought　of　changing　her　residence；

dismissing　the　footman；　and　keeping　no　servant　except　a　cook；　but　her

intimate　friend；　Madame　Descoings；　who　insisted　on　being　considered

her　aunt；　sold　her　own　establishment　and　came　to　live　with　Agathe；

turning　the　study　of　the　late　Bridau　into　her　bedroom。



The　two　widows　clubbed　their　revenues；　and　so　were　in　possession　of　a

joint　income　of　twelve　thousand　francs　a　year。　This　seems　a　very

simple　and　natural　proceeding。　But　nothing　in　life　is　more　deserving

of　attention　than　the　things　that　are　called　natural；　we　are　on　our

guard　against　the　unnatural　and　extraordinary。　For　this　reason；　you

will　find　men　of　experiencelawyers；　judges；　doctors；　and　priests

attaching　immense　importance　to　simple　matters；　and　they　are　often

thought　over…scrupulous。　But　the　serpent　amid　flowers　is　one　of　the

finest　myths　that　antiquity　has　bequeathed　for　the　guidance　of　our

lives。　How　often　we　hear　fools；　trying　to　excuse　themselves　in　their

own　eyes　or　in　the　eyes　of　others；　exclaiming；　〃It　was　all　so　natural

that　any　one　would　have　been　taken　in。〃



In　1809；　Madame　Descoings；　who　never　told　her　age；　was　sixty…five。　In

her　heyday　she　had　been　popularly　called　a　beauty；　and　was　now　one　of

those　rare　women　whom　time　respects。　She　owed　to　her　excellent

constitution　the　privilege　of　preserving　her　good　looks；　which；

however；　would　not　bear　close　examination。　She　was　of　medium　height；

plump；　and　fresh；　with　fine　shoulders　and　a　rather　rosy　complexion。

Her　blond　hair；　bordering　on　chestnut；　showed；　in　spite　of　her

husband's　catastrophe；　not　a　tinge　of　gray。　She　loved　good　cheer；　and

liked　to　concoct　nice　little　made　dishes；　yet；　fond　as　she　was　of

eating；　she　also　adored　the　theatre　and　cherished　a　vice　which　she

wrapped　in　impenetrable　mysteryshe　bought　into　lotteries。　Can　that

be　the　abyss　of　which　mythology　warns　us　under　the　fable　of　the

Danaides　and　their　cask？　Madame　Descoings；　like　other　women　who　are

lucky　enough　to　keep　young　for　many　years；　spend　rather　too　much　upon

her　dress；　but　aside　from　these　trifling　defects　she　was　the

pleasantest　of　women　to　live　with。　Of　every　one's　opinion；　never

opposing　anybody；　her　kindly　and　communicative　gayety　gave　pleasure　to

all。　She　had；　moreover；　a　Parisian　quality　which　charmed　the　retired

clerks　and　elderly　merchants　of　her　circle；she　could　take　and　give　a

jest。　If　she　did　not　marry　a　third　time　it　was　no　doubt　the　fault　of

the　times。　During　the　wars　of　the　Empire；　marrying　men　found　rich　and

handsome　girls　too　easily　to　trouble　themselves　about　women　of　sixty。



Madame　Descoings；　always　anxious　to　cheer　Madame　Bridau；　often　took

the　latter　to　the　theatre；　or　to　drive；　prepared　excellent　little

dinners　for　her　delectation；　and　even　tried　to　marry　her　to　her　own

son　by　her　first　husband；　Bixiou。　Alas！　to　do　this；　she　was　forced　to

reveal　a　terrible　secret；　carefully　kept　by　her；　by　her　late　husband；

and　by　her　notary。　The　young　and　beautiful　Madame　Descoings；　who

passed　for　thirty…six　years　old；　had　a　son　who　was　thirty…five；　named

Bixiou；　already　a　widower；　a　major　in　the　Twenty…Fourth　Infantry；　who

subsequently　perished　at　Lutzen；　leaving　behind　him　an　only　son。

Madame　Descoings；　who　only　saw　her　grandson　secretly；　gave　out　that　he

was　the　son　of　the　first　wife　of　her　first　husband。　The　revelation　was

partly　a　prudential　act；　for　this　grandson　was　being　educated　with

Madame　Bridau's　sons　at　the　Imperial　Lyceum；　where　he　had　a　half…

scholarship。　The　lad；　who　was　clever　and　shrewd　at　school；　soon　after

made　himself　a　great　reputation　as　draughtsman　and　designer；　and　also

as　a　wit。



Agathe；　who　lived　only　for　her　children；　declined　to　re…marry；　as　much

from　good　sense　as　from　fidelity　to　her　husband。　But　it　is　easier　for

a　woman　to　be　a　good　wife　than　to　be　a　good　mother。　A　widow　has　two

tasks　before　her；　whose　duties　clash：　she　is　a　mother；　and　yet　she

must　exercise　parental　authority。　Few　women　are　firm　enough　to

understand　and　practise　this　double　duty。　Thus　it　happened　that

Agathe；　notwithstanding　her　many　virtues；　was　the　innocent　cause　of

great　unhappiness。　In　the　first　place；　through　her　lack　of

intelligence　and　the　blind　confidence　to　which　such　noble　natures　are

prone；　Agathe　fell　a　victim　to　Madame　Descoings；　who　brought　a

terrible　misfortune　on　the　family。　That　worthy　soul　was　nursing　up　a

combination　of　three　numbers　called　a　〃trey〃　in　a　lottery；　and

lotteries　give　no　credit　to　their　customers。　As　manager　of　the　joint

household；　she　was　able　to　pay　up　her　stakes　with　the　money　intended

for　their　current　expenses；　and　she　went　deeper　and　deeper　into　debt；

with　the　hope　of　ultimately　enriching　her　grandson　Bixiou；　her　dear

Agathe；　and　the　little　Bridaus。　When　the　debts　amounted　to　ten

thousand　francs；　she　increased　her　stakes；　trusting　that　her　favorite

trey；　which　had　not　turned　up　in　nine　years；　would　come　at　last；　and

fill　to　overflowing　the　abysmal　deficit。



From　that　moment　the　debt　rolled　up　rapidly。　When　it　reached　twenty

thousand　francs；　Madame　Descoings　lost　her　head；　still　failing　to　win

the　trey。　She　tried　to　mortgage　her　own　property　to　pay　her　niece；　but

Roguin；　who　was　her　notary；　showed　her　the　impossibility　of　carrying

out　that　honorable　intention。　The　late　Doctor　Rouget　had　laid　hold　of

the　property　of　the　brother…in…law　after　the　grocer's　execution；　and

had；　as　it　were；　disinherited　Madame　Descoings　by　securing　to　her　a

life…interest　on　the　property　of　his　own　son；　Jean…Jacques　Rouget。　No

money…lender　would　think　of　advancing　twenty　thousand　francs　to　a

woman　sixty…six　years　of　age；　on　an　annuity　of　about　four　thousand；　at

a　period　when　ten　per　cent　could　easily　be　got　for　an　investment。　So

one　morning　Madame　Descoings　fell　at　the　feet　of　her　niece；　and　with

sobs　confessed　the　state　of　things。　Madame　Bridau　did　not　reproach

her；　she　sent　away　the　footman　and　cook；　sold　all　but　the　bare

necessities　of　her　furniture；　sold　also　three…fourths　of　her

government　funds；　paid　off　the　debts；　and　bade　farewell　to　her

appartement。







CHAPTER　II



One　of　the　worst　corners　in　all　Paris　is　undoubtedly　that　part　of　the

rue　Mazarin　which　lies　between　the　rue　Guenegard　and　its　junction　with

the　rue　de　Seine；　behind　the　palace　of　the　Institute。　The　high　gray

walls　of　the　college　and　of　the　library　which　Cardinal　Mazarin

presented　to　the　city　of　Paris；　and　which　the　French　Academy　was　in

a