the two brothers-第73章

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all　bestowing　many　praises　on　Philippe's　conduct；　and　dwelling　upon

the　newspaper　article　relating　to　his　uncle's　marriage。



Two　weeks　later；　Philippe　received　the　desired　permission；　and　a

letter；　in　which　the　minister　of　war　informed　him　that；　by　order　of

the　King；　he　was；　as　a　preliminary　favor；　reinstated　lieutenant…

colonel　in　the　royal　army。







CHAPTER　XVII



Lieutenant…Colonel　Bridau　returned　to　Paris；　taking　with　him　his　aunt

and　the　helpless　Rouget；　whom　he　escorted；　three　days　after　their

arrival；　to　the　Treasury；　where　Jean…Jacques　signed　the　transfer　of

the　income；　which　henceforth　became　Philippe's。　The　exhausted　old　man

and　the　Rabouilleuse　were　now　plunged　by　their　nephew　into　the

excessive　dissipations　of　the　dangerous　and　restless　society　of

actresses；　journalists；　artists；　and　the　equivocal　women　among　whom

Philippe　had　already　wasted　his　youth；　where　old　Rouget　found

excitements　that　soon　after　killed　him。　Instigated　by　Giroudeau；

Lolotte；　one　of　the　handsomest　of　the　Opera　ballet…girls；　was　the

amiable　assassin　of　the　old　man。　Rouget　died　after　a　splendid　supper

at　Florentine's；　and　Lolotte　threw　the　blame　of　his　death　upon　a　slice

of　pate　de　foie　gras；　as　the　Strasburg　masterpiece　could　make　no

defence；　it　was　considered　settled　that　the　old　man　died　of

indigestion。



Madame　Rouget　was　in　her　element　in　the　midst　of　this　excessively

decollete　society；　but　Philippe　gave　her　in　charge　of　Mariette；　and

that　monitress　did　not　allow　the　widowwhose　mourning　was　diversified

with　a　few　amusementsto　commit　any　actual　follies。



In　October；　1823；　Philippe　returned　to　Issoudun；　furnished　with　a

power　of　attorney　from　his　aunt；　to　liquidate　the　estate　of　his　uncle；

a　business　that　was　soon　over；　for　he　returned　to　Paris　in　March；

1824；　with　sixteen　hundred　thousand　francs；the　net　proceeds　of　old

Rouget's　property；　not　counting　the　precious　pictures；　which　had　never

left　Monsieur　Hochon's　hands。　Philippe　put　the　whole　property　into　the

hands　of　Mongenod　and　Sons；　where　young　Baruch　Borniche　was　employed；

and　on　whose　solvency　and　business　probity　old　Hochon　had　given　him

satisfactory　assurances。　This　house　took　his　sixteen　hundred　thousand

francs　at　six　per　cent　per　annum；　on　condition　of　three　months'　notice

in　case　of　the　withdrawal　of　the　money。



One　fine　day；　Philippe　went　to　see　his　mother；　and　invited　her　to　be

present　at　his　marriage；　which　was　witnessed　by　Giroudeau；　Finot；

Nathan；　and　Bixiou。　By　the　terms　of　the　marriage　contract；　the　widow

Rouget；　whose　portion　of　her　late　husband's　property　amounted　to　a

million　of　francs；　secured　to　her　future　husband　her　whole　fortune　in

case　she　died　without　children。　No　invitations　to　the　wedding　were

sent　out；　nor　any　〃billets　de　faire　part〃；　Philippe　had　his　designs。

He　lodged　his　wife　in　an　appartement　in　the　rue　Saint…Georges；　which

he　bought　ready…furnished　from　Lolotte。　Madame　Bridau　the　younger

thought　it　delightful；　and　her　husband　rarely　set　foot　in　it。　Without

her　knowledge；　Philippe　purchased　in　the　rue　de　Clichy；　at　a　time　when

no　one　suspected　the　value　which　property　in　that　quarter　would　one

day　acquire；　a　magnificent　hotel　for　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand

francs；　of　which　he　paid　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　down；　taking

two　years　to　pay　the　remainder。　He　spent　large　sums　in　altering　the

interior　and　furnishing　it；　in　fact；　he　put　his　income　for　two　years

into　this　outlay。　The　pictures；　now　restored；　and　estimated　at　three

hundred　thousand　francs；　appeared　in　such　surroundings　in　all　their

beauty。



The　accession　of　Charles　X。　had　brought　into　still　greater　court　favor

the　family　of　the　Duc　de　Chaulieu；　whose　eldest　son；　the　Duc　de

Rhetore；　was　in　the　habit　of　seeing　Philippe　at　Tullia's。　Under

Charles　X。；　the　elder　branch　of　the　Bourbons；　believing　itself

permanently　seated　on　the　throne；　followed　the　advice　previously　given

by　Marshal　Gouvion…Saint…Cyr　to　encourage　the　adherence　of　the

soldiers　of　the　Empire。　Philippe；　who　had　no　doubt　made　invaluable

revelations　as　to　the　conspiracies　of　1820　and　1822；　was　appointed

lieutenant…colonel　in　the　regiment　of　the　Duc　de　Maufrigneuse。　That

fascinating　nobleman　thought　himself　bound　to　protect　the　man　from

whom　he　had　taken　Mariette。　The　corps…de…ballet　went　for　something；

therefore；　in　the　appointment。　Moreover；　it　was　decided　in　the　private

councils　of　Charles　X。；　to　give　a　faint　tinge　of　liberalism　to　the

surroundings　of　Monseigneur　the　Dauphin。　Philippe；　now　a　sort　of

equerry　to　the　Duc　de　Maufrigneuse；　was　presented　not　only　to　the

Dauphin；　but　also　to　the　Dauphine；　who　was　not　averse　to　brusque　and

soldierly　characters　who　had　become　noted　for　a　past　fidelity。

Philippe　thoroughly　understood　the　part　the　Dauphin　had　to　play；　and

he　turned　the　first　exhibition　of　that　spurious　liberalism　to　his　own

profit；　by　getting　himself　appointed　aide…de…camp　to　a　marshal　who

stood　well　at　court。



In　January；　1827；　Philippe；　who　was　now　promoted　to　the　Royal　Guard　as

lieutenant…colonel　in　a　regiment　then　commanded　by　the　Duc　de

Maufrigneuse；　solicited　the　honor　of　being　ennobled。　Under　the

Restoration；　nobility　became　a　sort　of　perquisite　to　the　〃roturiers〃

who　served　in　the　Guard。　Colonel　Bridau　had　lately　bought　the　estate

of　Brambourg；　and　he　now　asked　to　be　allowed　to　entail　it　under　the

title　of　count。　This　favor　was　accorded　through　the　influence　of　his

many　intimacies　in　the　highest　rank　of　society；　where　he　now　appeared

in　all　the　luxury　of　horses；　carriages；　and　liveries；　in　short；　with

the　surroundings　of　a　great　lord。　As　soon　as　he　saw　himself　gazetted

in　the　Almanack　under　the　title　of　Comte　de　Brambourg；　he　began　to

frequent　the　house　of　a　lieutenant…general　of　artillery；　the　Comte　de

Soulanges。



Insatiable　in　his　wants；　and　backed　by　the　mistresses　of　influential

men；　Philippe　now　solicited　the　honor　of　being　one　of　the　Dauphin's

aides…de…camp。　He　had　the　audacity　to　say　to　the　Dauphin　that　〃an　old

soldier；　wounded　on　many　a　battle…field　and　who　knew　real　warfare；

might；　on　occasion；　be　serviceable　to　Monseigneur。〃　Philippe；　who

could　take　the　tone　of　all　varieties　of　sycophancy；　became　in　the

regions　of　the　highest　social　life　exactly　what　the　position　required

him　to　be；　just　as　at　Issoudun；　he　had　copied　the　respectability　of

Mignonnet。　He　had；　moreover；　a　fine　establishment　and　gave　fetes　and

dinners；　admitting　none　of　his　old　friends　to　his　house　if　he　thought

their　position　in　life　likely　to　compromise　his　future。　He　was

pitiless　to　the　companions　of　his　former　debauches；　and　curtly　refused

Bixiou　when　that　lively　satirist　asked　him　to　say　a　word　in　favor　of

Giroudeau；　who　wanted　to　re…enter　the　army　after　the　desertion　of

Florentine。



〃The　man　has　neither　manners　nor　morals；〃　said　Philippe。



〃Ha！　did　he　say　that　of　me？〃　cried　Giroudeau；　〃of　me；　who　helped　him

to　get　rid　of　his　uncle！〃



〃We'll　pay　him　off　yet；〃　said　Bixiou。



Philippe　intended　to　marry　Mademoiselle　Amelie　de　Soulanges；　and

become　a　general；　in　command　of　a　regiment　of　the　Royal　Guard。　He

asked　so　many　favors　that；　to　keep　him　quiet；　they　made　him　a

Commander　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　and　also　Commander　of　the　order　of

Saint　Louis。　One　rainy　evening；　as　Agathe　and　Joseph　were　returning

home　along　the　muddy　streets；　they　met　Philippe　in　full　uniform；

bedizened　with　orders；　leaning　back　in　a　corner　of　a　handsome　coupe

lined　with　yellow　silk；　whose　armorial　bearings　were　surmounted　with　a

count's　coronet。　He　was　on　his　way　to　a　fete　at　the　Elysee…Bourbon；

the　wheels　splashed　his　mother　and　brother　as　he　waved　them　a

patronizing　greeting。



〃He's　going　it；　that　fellow！〃　said　Joseph　to　his　mother。

〃Nevertheless；　he　might　send　us　something　better　than　mud　in　our

faces。〃



〃He　has　such　a　fine　position；　in　such　high　society；　that　we　ought　not

to　blame　him　for　forgetting　us；〃　said　Madame　Bridau。　〃When　a　man　rises

to　so　great　a　height；