the two brothers-第77章

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

sous；　beside　thirty　francs　for　the　nursing。　She　wants　to　kill　herself

with　charcoal。　I　tell　her　it　ain't　right；　and；　indeed；　I've　had　to　get

the　concierge　to　look　after　her　while　I'm　gone；　or　she's　likely　to

jump　out　of　the　window。〃



〃But　what's　the　matter　with　her？〃　said　Joseph。



〃Ah！　monsieur；　the　doctor　from　the　Sisters'　hospital　came；　but　as　to

the　disease；〃　said　Madame　Gruget；　assuming　a　modest　air；　〃he　told　me

she　must　go　to　the　hospital。　The　case　is　hopeless。〃



〃Let　us　go　and　see　her；〃　said　Bixiou。



〃Here；〃　said　Joseph　to　the　woman；　〃take　these　ten　francs。〃



Plunging　his　hand　into　the　skull　and　taking　out　all　his　remaining

money；　the　painter　called　a　coach　from　the　rue　Mazarin　and　went　to

find　Bianchon；　who　was　fortunately　at　home。　Meantime　Bixiou　went　off

at　full　speed　to　the　rue　de　Bussy；　after　Desroches。　The　four　friends

reached　Flore's　retreat　in　the　rue　du　Houssay　an　hour　later。



〃That　Mephistopheles　on　horseback；　named　Philippe　Bridau；〃　said

Bixiou；　as　they　mounted　the　staircase；　〃has　sailed　his　boat　cleverly

to　get　rid　of　his　wife。　You　know　our　old　friend　Lousteau？　well；

Philippe　paid　him　a　thousand　francs　a　month　to　keep　Madame　Bridau　in

the　society　of　Florine；　Mariette；　Tullia；　and　the　Val…Noble。　When

Philippe　saw　his　crab…girl　so　used　to　pleasure　and　dress　that　she

couldn't　do　without　them；　he　stopped　paying　the　money；　and　left　her　to

get　it　as　she　couldit　is　easy　to　know　how。　By　the　end　of　eighteen

months；　the　brute　had　forced　his　wife；　stage　by　stage；　lower　and

lower；　till　at　last；　by　the　help　of　a　young　officer；　he　gave　her　a

taste　for　drinking。　As　he　went　up　in　the　world；　his　wife　went　down；

and　the　countess　is　now　in　the　mud。　The　girl；　bred　in　the　country；　has

a　strong　constitution。　I　don't　know　what　means　Philippe　has　lately

taken　to　get　rid　of　her。　I　am　anxious　to　study　this　precious　little

drama；　for　I　am　determined　to　avenge　Joseph　here。　Alas；　friends；〃　he

added；　in　a　tone　which　left　his　three　companions　in　doubt　whether　he

was　jesting　or　speaking　seriously；　〃give　a　man　over　to　a　vice　and

you'll　get　rid　of　him。　Didn't　Hugo　say：　'She　loved　a　ball；　and　died　of

it'？　So　it　is。　My　grandmother　loved　the　lottery。　Old　Rouget　loved　a

loose　life；　and　Lolotte　killed　him。　Madame　Bridau；　poor　woman；　loved

Philippe；　and　perished　of　it。　Vice！　vice！　my　dear　friends；　do　you　want

to　know　what　vice　is？　It　is　the　Bonneau　of　death。〃



〃Then　you'll　die　of　a　joke；〃　said　Desroches；　laughing。



Above　the　fourth　floor；　the　young　men　were　forced　to　climb　one　of　the

steep；　straight　stairways　that　are　almost　ladders；　by　which　the　attics

of　Parisian　houses　are　often　reached。　Though　Joseph；　who　remembered

Flore　in　all　her　beauty；　expected　to　see　some　frightful　change；　he　was

not　prepared　for　the　hideous　spectacle　which　now　smote　his　artist's

eye。　In　a　room　with　bare；　unpapered　walls；　under　the　sharp　pitch　of　an

attic　roof；　on　a　cot　whose　scanty　mattress　was　filled；　perhaps；　with

refuse　cotton；　a　woman　lay；　green　as　a　body　that　has　been　drowned　two

days；　thin　as　a　consumptive　an　hour　before　death。　This　putrid　skeleton

had　a　miserable　checked　handkerchief　bound　about　her　head；　which　had

lost　its　hair。　The　circle　round　the　hollow　eyes　was　red；　and　the

eyelids　were　like　the　pellicle　of　an　egg。　Nothing　remained　of　the

body；　once　so　captivating；　but　an　ignoble；　bony　structure。　As　Flore

caught　sight　of　the　visitors；　she　drew　across　her　breast　a　bit　of

muslin　which　might　have　been　a　fragment　of　a　window…curtain；　for　it

was　edged　with　rust　as　from　a　rod。　The　young　men　saw　two　chairs；　a

broken　bureau　on　which　was　a　tallow…candle　stuck　into　a　potato；　a　few

dishes　on　the　floor；　and　an　earthen　fire…pot　in　a　corner　of　the

chimney；　in　which　there　was　no　fire；　this　was　all　the　furniture　of　the

room。　Bixiou　noticed　the　remaining　sheets　of　writing…paper；　brought

from　some　neighboring　grocery　for　the　letter　which　the　two　women　had

doubtless　concocted　together。　The　word　〃disgusting〃　is　a　positive　to

which　no　superlative　exists；　and　we　must　therefore　use　it　to　convey

the　impression　caused　by　this　sight。　When　the　dying　woman　saw　Joseph

approaching　her；　two　great　tears　rolled　down　her　cheeks。



〃She　can　still　weep！〃　whispered　Bixiou。　〃A　strange　sight；tears　from

dominos！　It　is　like　the　miracle　of　Moses。〃



〃How　burnt　up！〃　cried　Joseph。



〃In　the　fires　of　repentance；〃　said　Flore。　〃I　cannot　get　a　priest；　I

have　nothing；　not　even　a　crucifix；　to　help　me　see　God。　Ah；　monsieur！〃

she　cried；　raising　her　arms；　that　were　like　two　pieces　of　carved　wood；

〃I　am　a　guilty　woman；　but　God　never　punished　any　one　as　he　has

punished　me！　Philippe　killed　Max；　who　advised　me　to　do　dreadful

things；　and　now　he　has　killed　me。　God　uses　him　as　a　scourge！〃



〃Leave　me　alone　with　her；〃　said　Bianchon；　〃and　let　me　find　out　if　the

disease　is　curable。〃



〃If　you　cure　her；　Philippe　Bridau　will　die　of　rage；〃　said　Desroches。

〃I　am　going　to　draw　up　a　statement　of　the　condition　in　which　we　have

found　his　wife。　He　has　not　brought　her　before　the　courts　as　an

adulteress；　and　therefore　her　rights　as　a　wife　are　intact：　he　shall

have　the　shame　of　a　suit。　But　first；　we　must　remove　the　Comtesse　de

Brambourg　to　the　private　hospital　of　Doctor　Dubois；　in　the　rue　du

Faubourg…Saint…Denis。　She　will　be　well　cared　for　there。　Then　I　will

summon　the　count　for　the　restoration　of　the　conjugal　home。〃



〃Bravo；　Desroches！〃　cried　Bixiou。　〃What　a　pleasure　to　do　so　much　good

that　will　make　some　people　feel　so　badly！〃



Ten　minutes　later；　Bianchon　came　down　and　joined　them。



〃I　am　going　straight　to　Despleins；〃　he　said。　〃He　can　save　the　woman　by

an　operation。　Ah！　he　will　take　good　care　of　the　case；　for　her　abuse　of

liquor　has　developed　a　magnificent　disease　which　was　thought　to　be

lost。〃



〃Wag　of　a　mangler！　Isn't　there　but　one　disease　in　life？〃　cried　Bixiou。



But　Bianchon　was　already　out　of　sight；　so　great　was　his　haste　to　tell

Despleins　the　wonderful　news。　Two　hours　later；　Joseph's　miserable

sister…in…law　was　removed　to　the　decent　hospital　established　by　Doctor

Dubois；　which　was　afterward　bought　of　him　by　the　city　of　Paris。　Three

weeks　later；　the　〃Hospital　Gazette〃　published　an　account　of　one　of　the

boldest　operations　of　modern　surgery；　on　a　case　designated　by　the

initials　〃F。　B。〃　The　patient　died；more　from　the　exhaustion　produced

by　misery　and　starvation　than　from　the　effects　of　the　treatment。



No　sooner　did　this　occur；　than　the　Comte　de　Brambourg　went；　in　deep

mourning；　to　call　on　the　Comte　de　Soulanges；　and　inform　him　of　the　sad

loss　he　had　just　sustained。　Soon　after；　it　was　whispered　about　in　the

fashionable　world　that　the　Comte　de　Soulanges　would　shortly　marry　his

daughter　to　a　parvenu　of　great　merit；　who　was　about　to　be　appointed

brigadier…general　and　receive　command　of　a　regiment　of　the　Royal

Guard。　De　Marsay　told　this　news　to　Eugene　de　Rastignac；　as　they　were

supping　together　at　the　Rocher　de　Cancale；　where　Bixiou　happened　to

be。



〃It　shall　not　take　place！〃　said　the　witty　artist　to　himself。



Among　the　many　old　friends　whom　Philippe　now　refused　to　recognize；

there　were　some；　like　Giroudeau；　who　were　unable　to　revenge

themselves；　but　it　happened　that　he　had　wounded　Bixiou；　who；　thanks　to

his　brilliant　qualities；　was　everywhere　received；　and　who　never

forgave　an　insult。　One　day　at　the　Rocher　de　Cancale；　before　a　number

of　well…bred　persons　who　were　supping　there；　Philippe　had　replied　to

Bixiou；　who　spoke　of　visiting　him　at　the　hotel　de　Brambourg：　〃You　can

come　and　see　me　when　you　are　made　a　minister。〃



〃Am　I　to　turn　Protestant　before　I　can　visit　you？〃　said　Bixiou；

pretending　to　misunderstand　the　speech；　but　he　said　to　himself；　〃You

may　be　Goliath；　but　I　have　got　my　sling；　and　plenty　of　stones。〃



The　next　day　he　went　to　an　actor；　who　was　one　of　his　friends；　and

metamorphosed　himself；　by　the　all…powerful　aid　of　dress；　into　a

secularized