the two brothers-第7章

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the　room；　〃you　will　certainly　be　a　great　man。　Long　live　the　son　of

Madame　Bridau！　Is　your　mother　pretty？　If　you　are　a　sample　of　her；　she

must　be　stylish！〃



〃Ha！　you　want　to　be　an　artist？〃　said　the　eldest　pupil；　coming　up　to

Joseph；　〃but　don't　you　know　that　that　requires　pluck；　you'll　have　to

bear　all　sorts　of　trials；yes；　trials；enough　to　break　your　legs　and

arms　and　soul　and　body。　All　the　fellows　you　see　here　have　gone　through

regular　ordeals。　That　one；　for　instance；　he　went　seven　days　without

eating！　Let　me　see；　now；　if　you　can　be　an　artist。〃



He　took　one　of　the　child's　arms　and　stretched　it　straight　up　in　the

air；　then　he　placed　the　other　arm　as　if　Joseph　were　in　the　act　of

delivering　a　blow　with　his　fist。



〃Now　that's　what　we　call　the　telegraph　trial；〃　said　the　pupil。　〃If　you

can　stand　like　that；　without　lowering　or　changing　the　position　of　your

arms　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　then　you'll　have　proved　yourself　a

plucky　one。〃



〃Courage；　little　one；　courage！〃　cried　all　the　rest。　〃You　must　suffer

if　you　want　to　be　an　artist。〃



Joseph；　with　the　good　faith　of　his　thirteen　years；　stood　motionless

for　five　minutes；　all　the　pupils　gazing　solemnly　at　him。



〃There！　you　are　moving；〃　cried　one。



〃Steady；　steady；　confound　you！〃　cried　another。



〃The　Emperor　Napoleon　stood　a　whole　month　as　you　see　him　there；〃　said

a　third；　pointing　to　the　fine　statue　by　Chaudet；　which　was　in　the

room。



That　statue；　which　represents　the　Emperor　standing　with　the　Imperial

sceptre　in　his　hand；　was　torn　down　in　1814　from　the　column　it

surmounted　so　well。



At　the　end　of　ten　minutes　the　sweat　stood　in　drops　on　Joseph's

forehead。　At　that　moment　a　bald…headed　little　man；　pale　and　sickly　in

appearance；　entered　the　atelier；　where　respectful　silence　reigned　at

once。



〃What　you　are　about；　you　urchins？〃　he　exclaimed；　as　he　looked　at　the

youthful　martyr。



〃That　is　a　good　little　fellow；　who　is　posing；〃　said　the　tall　pupil　who

had　placed　Joseph。



〃Are　you　not　ashamed　to　torture　a　poor　child　in　that　way？〃　said

Chaudet；　lowering　Joseph's　arms。　〃How　long　have　you　been　standing

there？〃　he　asked　the　boy；　giving　him　a　friendly　little　pat　on　the

cheek。



〃A　quarter　of　an　hour。〃



〃What　brought　you　here？〃



〃I　want　to　be　an　artist。〃



〃Where　do　you　belong？　where　do　you　come　from？〃



〃From　mamma's　house。〃



〃Oh！　mamma！〃　cried　the　pupils。



〃Silence　at　the　easels！〃　cried　Chaudet。　〃Who　is　your　mamma？〃



〃She　is　Madame　Bridau。　My　papa；　who　is　dead；　was　a　friend　of　the

Emperor；　and　if　you　will　teach　me　to　draw；　the　Emperor　will　pay　all

you　ask　for　it。〃



〃His　father　was　head　of　a　department　at　the　ministry　of　the　Interior；〃

exclaimed　Chaudet；　struck　by　a　recollection。　〃So　you　want　to　be　an

artist；　at　your　age？〃



〃Yes；　monsieur。〃



〃Well；　come　here　just　as　much　as　you　like；　we'll　amuse　you。　Give　him　a

board；　and　paper；　and　chalks；　and　let　him　alone。　You　are　to　know；　you

young　scamps；　that　his　father　did　me　a　service。　Here；　Corde…a…puits；

go　and　get　some　cakes　and　sugar…plums；〃　he　said　to　the　pupil　who　had

tortured　Joseph；　giving　him　some　small　change。　〃We'll　see　if　you　are

to　be　artist　by　the　way　you　gobble　up　the　dainties；〃　added　the

sculptor；　chucking　Joseph　under　the　chin。



Then　he　went　round　examining　the　pupils'　works；　followed　by　the　child；

who　looked　and　listened；　and　tried　to　understand　him。　The　sweets　were

brought；　Chaudet；　himself；　the　child；　and　the　whole　studio　all　had

their　teeth　in　them；　and　Joseph　was　petted　quite　as　much　as　he　had

been　teased。　The　whole　scene；　in　which　the　rough　play　and　real　heart

of　artists　were　revealed；　and　which　the　boy　instinctively　understood；

made　a　great　impression　on　his　mind。　The　apparition　of　the　sculptor；

for　whom　the　Emperor's　protection　opened　a　way　to　future　glory；　closed

soon　after　by　his　premature　death；was　like　a　vision　to　little

Joseph。　The　child　said　nothing　to　his　mother　about　this　adventure；　but

he　spent　two　hours　every　Sunday　and　every　Thursday　in　Chaudet's

atelier。　From　that　time　forth；　Madame　Descoings；　who　humored　the

fancies　of　the　two　cherubim；　kept　Joseph　supplied　with　pencils　and　red

chalks；　prints　and　drawing…paper。　At　school；　the　future　colorist

sketched　his　masters；　drew　his　comrades；　charcoaled　the　dormitories；

and　showed　surprising　assiduity　in　the　drawing…class。　Lemire；　the

drawing…master；　struck　not　only　with　the　lad's　inclination　but　also

with　his　actual　progress；　came　to　tell　Madame　Bridau　of　her　son's

faculty。　Agathe；　like　a　true　provincial；　who　knows　as　little　of　art　as

she　knows　much　of　housekeeping；　was　terrified。　When　Lemire　left　her；

she　burst　into　tears。



〃Ah！〃　she　cried；　when　Madame　Descoings　went　to　ask　what　was　the

matter。　〃What　is　to　become　of　me！　Joseph；　whom　I　meant　to　make　a

government　clerk；　whose　career　was　all　marked　out　for　him　at　the

ministry　of　the　interior；　where；　protected　by　his　father's　memory；　he

might　have　risen　to　be　chief　of　a　division　before　he　was　twenty…five；

he；　my　boy；　he　wants　to　be　a　painter；a　vagabond！　I　always　knew　that

child　would　give　me　nothing　but　trouble。〃



Madame　Descoings　confessed　that　for　several　months　past　she　had

encouraged　Joseph's　passion；　aiding　and　abetting　his　Sunday　and

Thursday　visits　to　the　Institute。　At　the　Salon；　to　which　she　had　taken

him；　the　little　fellow　had　shown　an　interest　in　the　pictures；　which

was；　she　declared；　nothing　short　of　miraculous。



〃If　he　understands　painting　at　thirteen；　my　dear；〃　she　said；　〃your

Joseph　will　be　a　man　of　genius。〃



〃Yes；　and　see　what　genius　did　for　his　father；killed　him　with

overwork　at　forty！〃



At　the　close　of　autumn；　just　as　Joseph　was　entering　his　fourteenth

year；　Agathe；　contrary　to　Madame　Descoings's　entreaties；　went　to　see

Chaudet；　and　requested　that　he　would　cease　to　debauch　her　son。　She

found　the　sculptor　in　a　blue　smock；　modelling　his　last　statue；　he

received　the　widow　of　the　man　who　formerly　had　served　him　at　a

critical　moment；　rather　roughly；　but；　already　at　death's　door；　he　was

struggling　with　passionate　ardor　to　do　in　a　few　hours　work　he　could

hardly　have　accomplished　in　several　months。　As　Madame　Bridau　entered；

he　had　just　found　an　effect　long　sought　for；　and　was　handling　his

tools　and　clay　with　spasmodic　jerks　and　movements　that　seemed　to　the

ignorant　Agathe　like　those　of　a　maniac。　At　any　other　time　Chaudet

would　have　laughed；　but　now；　as　he　heard　the　mother　bewailing　the

destiny　he　had　opened　to　her　child；　abusing　art；　and　insisting　that

Joseph　should　no　longer　be　allowed　to　enter　the　atelier；　he　burst　into

a　holy　wrath。



〃I　was　under　obligations　to　your　deceased　husband；　I　wished　to　help

his　son；　to　watch　his　first　steps　in　the　noblest　of　all　careers；〃　he

cried。　〃Yes；　madame；　learn；　if　you　do　not　know　it；　that　a　great　artist

is　a　king；　and　more　than　a　king；　he　is　happier；　he　is　independent；　he

lives　as　he　likes；　he　reigns　in　the　world　of　fancy。　Your　son　has　a

glorious　future　before　him。　Faculties　like　his　are　rare；　they　are　only

disclosed　at　his　age　in　such　beings　as　the　Giottos；　Raphaels；　Titians；

Rubens；　Murillos；for；　in　my　opinion；　he　will　make　a　better　painter

than　sculptor。　God　of　heaven！　if　I　had　such　a　son；　I　should　be　as

happy　as　the　Emperor　is　to　have　given　himself　the　King　of　Rome。　Well；

you　are　mistress　of　your　child's　fate。　Go　your　own　way；　madame；　make

him　a　fool；　a　miserable　quill…driver；　tie　him　to　a　desk；　and　you've

murdered　him！　But　I　hope；　in　spite　if　all　your　efforts；　that　he　will

stay　an　artist。　A　true　vocation　is　stronger　than　all　the　obstacles

that　can　be　opposed　to　it。　Vocation！　why　the　very　word　means　a　call；

ay；　the　election　of　God　himself！　You　will　make　your　child　unhappy；

that's　all。〃　He　flung　the　clay　he　no　longer　needed　violently　into　a

tub；　and　said　to　his　model；　〃That　will　do　for　to…day。〃



Agathe　raised　her　eyes　and　saw；　in　a　corner　of　the　atelier　where　her

glance　had　not　before　penetrated；　a　nude　woman　sitti