the two brothers-第5章

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

after　days　to　inhabit；　cast　chill　shadows　over　this　angle　of　the

street；　where　the　sun　seldom　shines；　and　the　north　wind　blows。　The

poor　ruined　widow　came　to　live　on　the　third　floor　of　a　house　standing

at　this　damp；　dark；　cold　corner。　Opposite；　rose　the　Institute

buildings；　in　which　were　the　dens　of　ferocious　animals　known　to　the

bourgeoisie　under　the　name　of　artists；under　that　of　tyro；　or　rapin；

in　the　studios。　Into　these　dens　they　enter　rapins；　but　they　may　come

forth　prix　de　Rome。　The　transformation　does　not　take　place　without

extraordinary　uproar　and　disturbance　at　the　time　of　year　when　the

examinations　are　going　on；　and　the　competitors　are　shut　up　in　their

cells。　To　win　a　prize；　they　were　obliged；　within　a　given　time；　to

make；　if　a　sculptor；　a　clay　model；　if　a　painter；　a　picture　such　as　may

be　seen　at　the　Ecole　des　Beaux…Arts；　if　a　musician；　a　cantata；　if　an

architect；　the　plans　for　a　public　building。　At　the　time　when　we　are

penning　the　words；　this　menagerie　has　already　been　removed　from　these

cold　and　cheerless　buildings；　and　taken　to　the　elegant　Palais　des

Beaux…Arts；　which　stands　near　by。



From　the　windows　of　Madame　Bridau's　new　abode；　a　glance　could

penetrate　the　depths　of　those　melancholy　barred　cages。　To　the　north；

the　view　was　shut　in　by　the　dome　of　the　Institute；　looking　up　the

street；　the　only　distraction　to　the　eye　was　a　file　of　hackney…coaches；

which　stood　at　the　upper　end　of　the　rue　Mazarin。　After　a　while；　the

widow　put　boxes　of　earth　in　front　of　her　windows；　and　cultivated　those

aerial　gardens　that　police　regulations　forbid；　though　their　vegetable

products　purify　the　atmosphere。　The　house；　which　backed　up　against

another　fronting　on　the　rue　de　Seine；　was　necessarily　shallow；　and　the

staircase　wound　round　upon　itself。　The　third　floor　was　the　last。　Three

windows　to　three　rooms；　namely；　a　dining…room；　a　small　salon；　and　a

chamber　on　one　side　of　the　landing；　on　the　other；　a　little　kitchen；

and　two　single　rooms；　above；　an　immense　garret　without　partitions。

Madame　Bridau　chose　this　lodging　for　three　reasons：　economy；　for　it

cost　only　four　hundred　francs　a　year；　so　that　she　took　a　lease　of　it

for　nine　years；　proximity　to　her　sons'　school；　the　Imperial　Lyceum

being　at　a　short　distance；　thirdly；　because　it　was　in　the　quarter　to

which　she　was　used。



The　inside　of　the　appartement　was　in　keeping　with　the　general　look　of

the　house。　The　dining…room；　hung　with　a　yellow　paper　covered　with

little　green　flowers；　and　floored　with　tiles　that　were　not　glazed；

contained　nothing　that　was　not　strictly　necessary；namely；　a　table；

two　sideboards；　and　six　chairs；　brought　from　the　other　appartement。

The　salon　was　adorned　with　an　Aubusson　carpet　given　to　Bridau　when　the

ministry　of　the　interior　was　refurnished。　To　the　furniture　of　this

room　the　widow　added　one　of　those　commonplace　mahogany　sofas　with　the

Egyptian　heads　that　Jacob　Desmalter　manufactured　by　the　gross　in　1806；

covering　them　with　a　silken　green　stuff　bearing　a　design　of　white

geometric　circles。　Above　this　piece　of　furniture　hung　a　portrait　of

Bridau；　done　in　pastel　by　the　hand　of　an　amateur；　which　at　once

attracted　the　eye。　Though　art　might　have　something　to　say　against　it；

no　one　could　fail　to　recognize　the　firmness　of　the　noble　and　obscure

citizen　upon　that　brow。　The　serenity　of　the　eyes；　gentle；　yet　proud；

was　well　given；　the　sagacious　mind；　to　which　the　prudent　lips　bore

testimony；　the　frank　smile；　the　atmosphere　of　the　man　of　whom　the

Emperor　had　said；　〃Justum　et　tenacem；〃　had　all　been　caught；　if　not

with　talent；　at　least　with　fidelity。　Studying　that　face；　an　observer

could　see　that　the　man　had　done　his　duty。　His　countenance　bore　signs

of　the　incorruptibility　which　we　attribute　to　several　men　who　served

the　Republic。　On　the　opposite　wall；　over　a　card…table；　flashed　a

picture　of　the　Emperor　in　brilliant　colors；　done　by　Vernet；　Napoleon

was　riding　rapidly；　attended　by　his　escort。



Agathe　had　bestowed　upon　herself　two　large　birdcages；　one　filled　with

canaries；　the　other　with　Java　sparrows。　She　had　given　herself　up　to

this　juvenile　fancy　since　the　loss　of　her　husband；　irreparable　to　her；

as；　in　fact；　it　was　to　many　others。　By　the　end　of　three　months；　her

widowed　chamber　had　become　what　it　was　destined　to　remain　until　the

appointed　day　when　she　left　it　forever；a　litter　of　confusion　which

words　are　powerless　to　describe。　Cats　were　domiciled　on　the　sofa。　The

canaries；　occasionally　let　loose；　left　their　commas　on　the　furniture。

The　poor　dear　woman　scattered　little　heaps　of　millet　and　bits　of

chickweed　about　the　room；　and　put　tidbits　for　the　cats　in　broken

saucers。　Garments　lay　everywhere。　The　room　breathed　of　the　provinces

and　of　constancy。　Everything　that　once　belonged　to　Bridau　was

scrupulously　preserved。　Even　the　implements　in　his　desk　received　the

care　which　the　widow　of　a　paladin　might　have　bestowed　upon　her

husband's　armor。　One　slight　detail　here　will　serve　to　bring　the　tender

devotion　of　this　woman　before　the　reader's　mind。　She　had　wrapped　up　a

pen　and　sealed　the　package；　on　which　she　wrote　these　words；　〃Last　pen

used　by　my　dear　husband。〃　The　cup　from　which　he　drank　his　last　draught

was　on　the　fireplace；　caps　and　false　hair　were　tossed；　at　a　later

period；　over　the　glass　globes　which　covered　these　precious　relics。

After　Bridau's　death　not　a　trace　of　coquetry；　not　even　a　woman's

ordinary　care　of　her　person；　was　left　in　the　young　widow　of　thirty…

five。　Parted　from　the　only　man　she　had　ever　known；　esteemed；　and

loved；　from　one　who　had　never　caused　her　the　slightest　unhappiness；

she　was　no　longer　conscious　of　her　womanhood；　all　things　were　as

nothing　to　her；　she　no　longer　even　thought　of　her　dress。　Nothing　was

ever　more　simply　done　or　more　complete　than　this　laying　down　of

conjugal　happiness　and　personal　charm。　Some　human　beings　obtain

through　love　the　power　of　transferring　their　selftheir　Ito　the

being　of　another；　and　when　death　takes　that　other；　no　life　of　their

own　is　possible　for　them。



Agathe；　who　now　lived　only　for　her　children；　was　infinitely　sad　at　the

thought　of　the　privations　this　financial　ruin　would　bring　upon　them。

From　the　time　of　her　removal　to　the　rue　Mazarin　a　shade　of　melancholy

came　upon　her　face；　which　made　it　very　touching。　She　hoped　a　little　in

the　Emperor；　but　the　Emperor　at　that　time　could　do　no　more　than　he　was

already　doing；　he　was　giving　three　hundred　francs　a　year　to　each　child

from　his　privy　purse；　besides　the　scholarships。



As　for　the　brilliant　Descoings；　she　occupied　an　appartement　on　the

second　floor　similar　to　that　of　her　niece　above　her。　She　had　made

Madame　Bridau　an　assignment　of　three　thousand　francs　out　of　her

annuity。　Roguin；　the　notary；　attended　to　this　in　Madame　Bridau's

interest；　but　it　would　take　seven　years　of　such　slow　repayment　to　make

good　the　loss。　The　Descoings；　thus　reduced　to　an　income　of　twelve

hundred　francs；　lived　with　her　niece　in　a　small　way。　These　excellent

but　timid　creatures　employed　a　woman…of…all…work　for　the　morning　hours

only。　Madame　Descoings；　who　liked　to　cook；　prepared　the　dinner。　In　the

evenings　a　few　old　friends；　persons　employed　at　the　ministry　who　owed

their　places　to　Bridau；　came　for　a　game　of　cards　with　the　two　widows。

Madame　Descoings　still　cherished　her　trey；　which　she　declared　was

obstinate　about　turning　up。　She　expected；　by　one　grand　stroke；　to

repay　the　enforced　loan　she　had　made　upon　her　niece。　She　was　fonder　of

the　little　Bridaus　than　she　was　of　her　grandson　Bixiou；partly　from　a

sense　of　the　wrong　she　had　done　them；　partly　because　she　felt　the

kindness　of　her　niece；　who；　under　her　worst　deprivations；　never

uttered　a　word　of　reproach。　So　Philippe　and　Joseph　were　cossetted；　and

the　old　gambler　in　the　Imperial　Lottery　of　France　（like　others　who

have　a　vice　or　a　weakness　to　atone　for）　cooked　them　nice　little

dinners　with　plenty　of　sweets。　Later　on；　Philippe　and　Joseph　could

extr