the two brothers-第76章

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illusive　happiness。　Bixiou；　in　his　capacity　as　an　observing　and

misanthropical　scoffer；　desired　nothing　better　than　to　undertake　such

a　mission。　When　he　had　made　known　Madame　Bridau's　condition　to　the

Comte　de　Brambourg；　who　received　him　in　a　bedroom　hung　with　yellow

damask；　the　colonel　laughed。



〃What　the　devil　do　you　want　me　to　do　there？〃　he　cried。　〃The　only

service　the　poor　woman　can　render　me　is　to　die　as　soon　as　she　can；　she

would　be　rather　a　sorry　figure　at　my　marriage　with　Mademoiselle　de

Soulanges。　The　less　my　family　is　seen；　the　better　my　position。　You　can

easily　understand　that　I　should　like　to　bury　the　name　of　Bridau　under

all　the　monuments　in　Pere…Lachaise。　My　brother　irritates　me　by

bringing　the　name　into　publicity。　You　are　too　knowing　not　to　see　the

situation　as　I　do。　Look　at　it　as　if　it　were　your　own：　if　you　were　a

deputy；　with　a　tongue　like　yours；　you　would　be　as　much　feared　as

Chauvelin；　you　would　be　made　Comte　Bixiou；　and　director　of　the　Beaux…

Arts。　Once　there；　how　should　you　like　it　if　your　grandmother　Descoings

were　to　turn　up？　Would　you　want　that　worthy　woman；　who　looked　like　a

Madame　Saint…Leon；　to　be　hanging　on　to　you？　Would　you　give　her　an　arm

in　the　Tuileries；　and　present　her　to　the　noble　family　you　were　trying

to　enter？　Damn　it；　you'd　wish　her　six　feet　under　ground；　in　a　leaden

night…gown。　Come；　breakfast　with　me；　and　let　us　talk　of　something

else。　I　am　a　parvenu；　my　dear　fellow；　and　I　know　it。　I　don't　choose

that　my　swaddling…clothes　shall　be　seen。　My　son　will　be　more　fortunate

than　I；　he　will　be　a　great　lord。　The　scamp　will　wish　me　dead；　I　expect

it；or　he　won't　be　my　son。〃



He　rang　the　bell；　and　ordered　the　servant　to　serve　breakfast。



〃The　fashionable　world　wouldn't　see　you　in　your　mother's　bedroom；〃

said　Bixiou。　〃What　would　it　cost　you　to　seem　to　love　that　poor　woman

for　a　few　hours？〃



〃Whew！〃　cried　Philippe；　winking。　〃So　you　come　from　them；　do　you？　I'm

an　old　camel；　who　knows　all　about　genuflections。　My　mother　makes　the

excuse　of　her　last　illness　to　get　something　out　of　me　for　Joseph。　No；

thank　you！〃



When　Bixiou　related　this　scene　to　Joseph；　the　poor　painter　was　chilled

to　the　very　soul。



〃Does　Philippe　know　I　am　ill？〃　asked　Agathe　in　a　piteous　tone；　the　day

after　Bixiou　had　rendered　an　account　of　his　fruitless　errand。



Joseph　left　the　room；　suffocating　with　emotion。　The　Abbe　Loraux；　who

was　sitting　by　the　bedside　of　his　penitent；　took　her　hand　and　pressed

it；　and　then　he　answered；　〃Alas！　my　child；　you　have　never　had　but　one

son。〃



The　words；　which　Agathe　understood　but　too　well；　conveyed　a　shock

which　was　the　beginning　of　the　end。　She　died　twenty　hours　later。



In　the　delirium　which　preceded　death；　the　words；　〃Whom　does　Philippe

take　after？〃　escaped　her。



Joseph　followed　his　mother　to　the　grave　alone。　Philippe　had　gone；　on

business　it　was　said；　to　Orleans；　in　reality；　he　was　driven　from　Paris

by　the　following　letter；　which　Joseph　wrote　to　him　a　moment　after

their　mother　had　breathed　her　last　sigh：



　　Monster！　my　poor　mother　has　died　of　the　shock　your　letter　caused

　　her。　Wear　mourning；　but　pretend　illness；　I　will　not　suffer　her

　　assassin　to　stand　at　my　side　before　her　coffin。



　　Joseph　B。





The　painter；　who　no　longer　had　the　heart　to　paint；　though　his　bitter

grief　sorely　needed　the　mechanical　distraction　which　labor　is　wont　to

give；　was　surrounded　by　friends　who　agreed　with　one　another　never　to

leave　him　entirely　alone。　Thus　it　happened　that　Bixiou；　who　loved

Joseph　as　much　as　a　satirist　can　love　any　one；　was　sitting　in　the

atelier　with　a　group　of　other　friends　about　two　weeks　after　Agathe's

funeral。　The　servant　entered　with　a　letter；　brought　by　an　old　woman；

she　said；　who　was　waiting　below　for　the　answer。



　　Monsieur；To　you；　whom　I　scarcely　dare　to　call　my　brother；　I　am

　　forced　to　address　myself；　if　only　on　account　of　the　name　I　bear。



Joseph　turned　the　page　and　read　the　signature。　The　name　〃Comtesse

Flore　de　Brambourg〃　made　him　shudder。　He　foresaw　some　new　atrocity　on

the　part　of　his　brother。



〃That　brigand；〃　he　cried；　〃is　the　devil's　own。　And　he　calls　himself　a

man　of　honor！　And　he　wears　a　lot　of　crosses　on　his　breast！　And　he

struts　about　at　court　instead　of　being　bastinadoed！　And　the　scoundrel

is　called　Monsieur　le　Comte！〃



〃There　are　many　like　him；〃　said　Bixiou。



〃After　all；〃　said　Joseph；　〃the　Rabouilleuse　deserves　her　fate；

whatever　it　is。　She　is　not　worth　pitying；　she'd　have　had　my　neck　wrung

like　a　chicken's　without　so　much　as　saying；　'He's　innocent。'〃



Joseph　flung　away　the　letter；　but　Bixiou　caught　it　in　the　air；　and

read　it　aloud；　as　follows：



　　Is　it　decent　that　the　Comtesse　Bridau　de　Brambourg　should　die　in　a

　　hospital；　no　matter　what　may　have　been　her　faults？　If　such　is　to

　　be　my　fate；　if　such　is　your　determination　and　that　of　monsieur　le

　　comte；　so　be　it；　but　if　so；　will　you；　who　are　the　friend　of　Doctor

　　Bianchon；　ask　him　for　a　permit　to　let　me　enter　a　hospital？



　　The　person　who　carries　this　letter　has　been　eleven　consecutive

　　days　to　the　hotel　de　Brambourg；　rue　de　Clichy；　without　getting　any

　　help　from　my　husband。　The　poverty　in　which　I　now　am　prevents　my

　　employing　a　lawyer　to　make　a　legal　demand　for　what　is　due　to　me；

　　that　I　may　die　with　decency。　Nothing　can　save　me；　I　know　that。　In

　　case　you　are　unwilling　to　see　your　unhappy　sister…in…law；　send　me；

　　at　least；　the　money　to　end　my　days。　Your　brother　desires　my　death；

　　he　has　always　desired　it。　He　warned　me　that　he　knew　three　ways　of

　　killing　a　woman；　but　I　had　not　the　sense　to　foresee　the　one　he　has

　　employed。



　　In　case　you　will　consent　to　relieve　me；　and　judge　for　yourself　the

　　misery　in　which　I　now　am；　I　live　in　the　rue　du　Houssay；　at　the

　　corner　of　the　rue　Chantereine；　on　the　fifth　floor。　If　I　cannot　pay

　　my　rent　to…morrow　I　shall　be　put　outand　then；　where　can　I　go？

　　May　I　call　myself；



　　Your　sister…in…law；



　　Comtesse　Flore　de　Brambourg。





〃What　a　pit　of　infamy！〃　cried　Joseph；　〃there　is　something　under　it

all。〃



〃Let　us　send　for　the　woman　who　brought　the　letter；　we　may　get　the

preface　of　the　story；〃　said　Bixiou。



The　woman　presently　appeared；　looking；　as　Bixiou　observed；　like

perambulating　rags。　She　was；　in　fact；　a　mass　of　old　gowns；　one　on　top

of　another；　fringed　with　mud　on　account　of　the　weather；　the　whole

mounted　on　two　thick　legs　with　heavy　feet　which　were　ill…covered　by

ragged　stockings　and　shoes　from　whose　cracks　the　water　oozed　upon　the

floor。　Above　the　mound　of　rags　rose　a　head　like　those　that　Charlet　has

given　to　his　scavenger…women；　caparisoned　with　a　filthy　bandanna

handkerchief　slit　in　the　folds。



〃What　is　your　name？〃　said　Joseph；　while　Bixiou　sketched　her；　leaning

on　an　umbrella　belonging　to　the　year　II。　of　the　Republic。



〃Madame　Gruget；　at　your　service。　I've　seen　better　days；　my　young

gentleman；〃　she　said　to　Bixiou；　whose　laugh　affronted　her。　〃If　my　poor

girl　hadn't　had　the　ill…luck　to　love　some　one　too　much；　you　wouldn't

see　me　what　I　am。　She　drowned　herself　in　the　river；　my　poor　Ida；

saving　your　presence！　I've　had　the　folly　to　nurse　up　a　quaterne；　and

that's　why；　at　seventy…seven　years　of　age；　I'm　obliged　to　take　care　of

sick　folks　for　ten　sous　a　day；　and　go〃



〃without　clothes？〃　said　Bixiou。　〃My　grandmother　nursed　up　a　trey；

but　she　dressed　herself　properly。〃



〃Out　of　my　ten　sous　I　have　to　pay　for　a　lodging〃



〃What's　the　matter　with　the　lady　you　are　nursing？〃



〃In　the　first　place；　she　hasn't　got　any　money；　and　then　she　has　a

disease　that　scares　the　doctors。　She　owes　me　for　sixty　days'　nursing；

that's　why　I　keep　on　nursing　her。　The　husband；　who　is　a　count；she　is

really　a　countess；will　no　doubt　pay　me　when　she　is　dead；　and　so　I've

lent　her　all　I　had。　And　now　I　haven't　anything；　all　I　did　have　has

gone　to　the　pawn…brokers。　She　owes　me　forty…seven　francs　and　twelve

sous；　beside　thirty　francs　for　the　nursing。　Sh