the two brothers-第6章

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

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

extract　from　her　pocket；　with　the　utmost　facility；　small　sums　of

money；　which　the　younger　used　for　pencils；　paper；　charcoal　and　prints；

the　elder　to　buy　tennis…shoes；　marbles；　twine；　and　pocket…knives。

Madame　Descoings's　passion　forced　her　to　be　content　with　fifty　francs

a　month　for　her　domestic　expenses；　so　as　to　gamble　with　the　rest。



On　the　other　hand；　Madame　Bridau；　motherly　love；　kept　her　expenses

down　to　the　same　sum。　By　way　of　penance　for　her　former　over…

confidence；　she　heroically　cut　off　her　own　little　enjoyments。　As　with

other　timid　souls　of　limited　intelligence；　one　shock　to　her　feelings

rousing　her　distrust　led　her　to　exaggerate　a　defect　in　her　character

until　it　assumed　the　consistency　of　a　virtue。　The　Emperor；　she　said　to

herself；　might　forget　them；　he　might　die　in　battle；　her　pension；　at

any　rate；　ceased　with　her　life。　She　shuddered　at　the　risk　her　children

ran　of　being　left　alone　in　the　world　without　means。　Quite　incapable　of

understanding　Roguin　when　he　explained　to　her　that　in　seven　years

Madame　Descoings's　assignment　would　replace　the　money　she　had　sold　out

of　the　Funds；　she　persisted　in　trusting　neither　the　notary　nor　her

aunt；　nor　even　the　government；　she　believed　in　nothing　but　herself　and

the　privations　she　was　practising。　By　laying　aside　three　thousand

francs　every　year　from　her　pension；　she　would　have　thirty　thousand

francs　at　the　end　of　ten　years；　which　would　give　fifteen　hundred　a

year　to　her　children。　At　thirty…six；　she　might　expect　to　live　twenty

years　longer；　and　if　she　kept　to　the　same　system　of　economy　she　might

leave　to　each　child　enough　for　the　bare　necessaries　of　life。



Thus　the　two　widows　passed　from　hollow　opulence　to　voluntary　poverty；

one　under　the　pressure　of　a　vice；　the　other　through　the　promptings

of　the　purest　virtue。　None　of　these　petty　details　are　useless　in

teaching　the　lesson　which　ought　to　be　learned　from　this　present

history；　drawn　as　it　is　from　the　most　commonplace　interests　of　life；

but　whose　bearings　are；　it　may　be；　only　the　more　widespread。　The　view

from　the　windows　into　the　student　dens；　the　tumult　of　the　rapins

below；　the　necessity　of　looking　up　at　the　sky　to　escape　the　miserable

sights　of　the　damp　angle　of　the　street；　the　presence　of　that　portrait；

full　of　soul　and　grandeur　despite　the　workmanship　of　an　amateur

painter；　the　sight　of　the　rich　colors；　now　old　and　harmonious；　in　that

calm　and　placid　home；　the　preference　of　the　mother　for　her　eldest

child；　her　opposition　to　the　tastes　of　the　younger；　in　short；　the

whole　body　of　facts　and　circumstances　which　make　the　preamble　of　this

history　are　perhaps　the　generating　causes　to　which　we　owe　Joseph

Bridau；　one　of　the　greatest　painters　of　the　modern　French　school　of

art。



Philippe；　the　elder　of　the　two　sons；　was　strikingly　like　his　mother。

Though　a　blond　lad；　with　blue　eyes；　he　had　the　daring　look　which　is

readily　taken　for　intrepidity　and　courage。　Old　Claparon；　who　entered

the　ministry　of　the　interior　at　the　same　time　as　Bridau；　and　was　one

of　the　faithful　friends　who　played　whist　every　night　with　the　two

widows；　used　to　say　of　Philippe　two　or　three　times　a　month；　giving　him

a　tap　on　the　cheek；　〃Here's　a　young　rascal　who'll　stand　to　his　guns！〃

The　boy；　thus　stimulated；　naturally　and　out　of　bravado；　assumed　a

resolute　manner。　That　turn　once　given　to　his　character；　he　became　very

adroit　at　all　bodily　exercises；　his　fights　at　the　Lyceum　taught　him

the　endurance　and　contempt　for　pain　which　lays　the　foundation　of

military　valor。　He　also　acquired；　very　naturally；　a　distaste　for

study；　public　education　being　unable　to　solve　the　difficult　problem　of

developing　〃pari　passu〃　the　body　and　the　mind。



Agathe　believed　that　the　purely　physical　resemblance　which　Philippe

bore　to　her　carried　with　it　a　moral　likeness；　and　she　confidently

expected　him　to　show　at　a　future　day　her　own　delicacy　of　feeling；

heightened　by　the　vigor　of　manhood。　Philippe　was　fifteen　years　old

when　his　mother　moved　into　the　melancholy　appartement　in　the　rue

Mazarin；　and　the　winning　ways　of　a　lad　of　that　age　went　far　to　confirm

the　maternal　beliefs。　Joseph；　three　years　younger；　was　like　his

father；　but　only　on　the　defective　side。　In　the　first　place；　his　thick

black　hair　was　always　in　disorder；　no　matter　what　pains　were　taken

with　it；　while　Philippe's；　notwithstanding　his　vivacity；　was

invariably　neat。　Then；　by　some　mysterious　fatality；　Joseph　could　not

keep　his　clothes　clean；　dress　him　in　new　clothes；　and　he　immediately

made　them　look　like　old　ones。　The　elder；　on　the　other　hand；　took　care

of　his　things　out　of　mere　vanity。　Unconsciously；　the　mother　acquired　a

habit　of　scolding　Joseph　and　holding　up　his　brother　as　an　example　to

him。　Agathe　did　not　treat　the　two　children　alike；　when　she　went　to

fetch　them　from　school；　the　thought　in　her　mind　as　to　Joseph　always

was；　〃What　sort　of　state　shall　I　find　him　in？〃　These　trifles　drove　her

heart　into　the　gulf　of　maternal　preference。



No　one　among　the　very　ordinary　persons　who　made　the　society　of　the　two

widowsneither　old　Du　Bruel　nor　old　Claparon；　nor　Desroches　the

father；　nor　even　the　Abbe　Loraux；　Agathe's　confessornoticed　Joseph's

faculty　for　observation。　Absorbed　in　the　line　of　his　own　tastes；　the

future　colorist　paid　no　attention　to　anything　that　concerned　himself。

During　his　childhood　this　disposition　was　so　like　torpor　that　his

father　grew　uneasy　about　him。　The　remarkable　size　of　the　head　and　the

width　of　the　brow　roused　a　fear　that　the　child　might　be　liable　to

water　on　the　brain。　His　distressful　face；　whose　originality　was

thought　ugliness　by　those　who　had　no　eye　for　the　moral　value　of　a

countenance；　wore　rather　a　sullen　expression　during　his　childhood。　The

features；　which　developed　later　in　life；　were　pinched；　and　the　close

attention　the　child　paid　to　what　went　on　about　him　still　further

contracted　them。　Philippe　flattered　his　mother's　vanity；　but　Joseph

won　no　compliments。　Philippe　sparkled　with　the　clever　sayings　and

lively　answers　that　lead　parents　to　believe　their　boys　will　turn　out

remarkable　men；　Joseph　was　taciturn；　and　a　dreamer。　The　mother　hoped

great　things　of　Philippe；　and　expected　nothing　of　Joseph。



Joseph's　predilection　for　art　was　developed　by　a　very　commonplace

incident。　During　the　Easter　holidays　of　1812；　as　he　was　coming　home

from　a　walk　in　the　Tuileries　with　his　brother　and　Madame　Descoings；　he

saw　a　pupil　drawing　a　caricature　of　some　professor　on　the　wall　of　the

Institute；　and　stopped　short　with　admiration　at　the　charcoal　sketch；

which　was　full　of　satire。　The　next　day　the　child　stood　at　the　window

watching　the　pupils　as　they　entered　the　building　by　the　door　on　the

rue　Mazarin；　then　he　ran　downstairs　and　slipped　furtively　into　the

long　courtyard　of　the　Institute；　full　of　statues；　busts；　half…finished

marbles；　plasters；　and　baked　clays；　at　all　of　which　he　gazed

feverishly；　for　his　instinct　was　awakened；　and　his　vocation　stirred

within　him。　He　entered　a　room　on　the　ground…floor；　the　door　of　which

was　half　open；　and　there　he　saw　a　dozen　young　men　drawing　from　a

statue；　who　at　once　began　to　make　fun　of　him。



〃Hi！　little　one；〃　cried　the　first　to　see　him；　taking　the　crumbs　of　his

bread　and　scattering　them　at　the　child。



〃Whose　child　is　he？〃



〃Goodness；　how　ugly！〃



For　a　quarter　of　an　hour　Joseph　stood　still　and　bore　the　brunt　of　much

teasing　in　the　atelier　of　the　great　sculptor；　Chaudet。　But　after

laughing　at　him　for　a　time；　the　pupils　were　struck　with　his

persistency　and　with　the　expression　of　his　face。　They　asked　him　what

he　wanted。　Joseph　answered　that　he　wished　to　know　how　to　draw；

thereupon　they　all　encouraged　him。　Won　by　such　friendliness；　the　child

told　them　he　was　Madame　Bridau's　son。



〃Oh！　if　you　are　Madame　Bridau's　son；〃　they　cried；　from　all　parts　of

the　room；　〃you　will　certainly　be　a　great　man。