the two brothers-第78章

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

secularized　priest　with　green　spectacles；　then　he　took　a　carriage　and

drove　to　the　hotel　de　Soulanges。　Received　by　the　count；　on　sending　in

a　message　that　he　wanted　to　speak　with　him　on　a　matter　of　serious

importance；　he　related　in　a　feigned　voice　the　whole　story　of　the　dead

countess；　the　secret　particulars　of　whose　horrible　death　had　been

confided　to　him　by　Bianchon；　the　history　of　Agathe's　death；　the

history　of　old　Rouget's　death；　of　which　the　Comte　de　Brambourg　had

openly　boasted；　the　history　of　Madame　Descoings's　death；　the　history

of　the　theft　from　the　newspaper；　and　the　history　of　Philippe's　private

morals　during　his　early　days。



〃Monsieur　le　comte；　don't　give　him　your　daughter　until　you　have　made

every　inquiry；　interrogate　his　former　comrades；Bixiou；　Giroudeau；

and　others。〃



Three　months　later；　the　Comte　de　Brambourg　gave　a　supper　to　du　Tillet；

Nucingen；　Eugene　de　Rastignac；　Maxime　de　Trailles；　and　Henri　de

Marsay。　The　amphitryon　accepted　with　much　nonchalance　the　half…

consolatory　condolences　they　made　to　him　as　to　his　rupture　with　the

house　of　Soulanges。



〃You　can　do　better；〃　said　Maxime　de　Trailles。



〃How　much　money　must　a　man　have　to　marry　a　demoiselle　de　Grandlieu？〃

asked　Philippe　of　de　Marsay。



〃You？　They　wouldn't　give　you　the　ugliest　of　the　six　for　less　than　ten

millions；〃　answered　de　Marsay　insolently。



〃Bah！〃　said　Rastignac。　〃With　an　income　of　two　hundred　thousand　francs

you　can　have　Mademoiselle　de　Langeais；　the　daughter　of　the　marquis；

she　is　thirty　years　old；　and　ugly；　and　she　hasn't　a　sou；　that　ought　to

suit　you。〃



〃I　shall　have　ten　millions　two　years　from　now；〃　said　Philippe　Bridau。



〃It　is　now　the　16th　of　January；　1829；〃　cried　du　Tillet；　laughing。　〃I

have　been　hard　at　work　for　ten　years　and　I　have　not　made　as　much　as

that　yet。〃



〃We'll　take　counsel　of　each　other；〃　said　Bridau；　〃you　shall　see　how

well　I　understand　finance。〃



〃How　much　do　you　really　own？〃　asked　Nucingen。



〃Three　millions；　excluding　my　house　and　my　estate；　which　I　shall　not

sell；　in　fact；　I　cannot；　for　the　property　is　now　entailed　and　goes

with　the　title。〃



Nucingen　and　du　Tillet　looked　at　each　other；　after　that　sly　glance　du

Tillet　said　to　Philippe；　〃My　dear　count；　I　shall　be　delighted　to　do

business　with　you。〃



De　Marsay　intercepted　the　look　du　Tillet　had　exchanged　with　Nucingen；

and　which　meant；　〃We　will　have　those　millions。〃　The　two　bank　magnates

were　at　the　centre　of　political　affairs；　and　could；　at　a　given　time；

manipulate　matters　at　the　Bourse；　so　as　to　play　a　sure　game　against

Philippe；　when　the　probabilities　might　all　seem　for　him　and　yet　be

secretly　against　him。



The　occasion　came。　In　July；　1830；　du　Tillet　and　Nucingen　had　helped

the　Comte　de　Brambourg　to　make　fifteen　hundred　thousand　francs；　he

could　therefore　feel　no　distrust　of　those　who　had　given　him　such　good

advice。　Philippe；　who　owed　his　rise　to　the　Restoration；　was　misled　by

his　profound　contempt　for　〃civilians〃；　he　believed　in　the　triumph　of

the　Ordonnances；　and　was　bent　on　playing　for　a　rise；　du　Tillet　and

Nucingen；　who　were　sure　of　a　revolution；　played　against　him　for　a

fall。　The　crafty　pair　confirmed　the　judgment　of　the　Comte　de　Brambourg

and　seemed　to　share　his　convictions；　they　encouraged　his　hopes　of

doubling　his　millions；　and　apparently　took　steps　to　help　him。　Philippe

fought　like　a　man　who　had　four　millions　depending　on　the　issue　of　the

struggle。　His　devotion　was　so　noticeable；　that　he　received　orders　to

go　to　Saint…Cloud　with　the　Duc　de　Maufrigneuse　and　attend　a　council。

This　mark　of　favor　probably　saved　Philippe's　life；　for　when　the　order

came；　on　the　25th　of　July；　he　was　intending　to　make　a　charge　and　sweep

the　boulevards；　when　he　would　undoubtedly　have　been　shot　down　by　his

friend　Giroudeau；　who　commanded　a　division　of　the　assailants。



A　month　later；　nothing　was　left　of　Colonel　Bridau's　immense　fortune

but　his　house　and　furniture；　his　estates；　and　the　pictures　which　had

come　from　Issoudun。　He　committed　the　still　further　folly；　as　he　said

himself；　of　believing　in　the　restoration　of　the　elder　branch；　to　which

he　remained　faithful　until　1834。　The　not　imcomprehensible　jealousy

Philippe　felt　on　seeing　Giroudeau　a　colonel　drove　him　to　re…enter　the

service。　Unluckily　for　himself；　he　obtained；　in　1835；　the　command　of　a

regiment　in　Algiers；　where　he　remained　three　years　in　a　post　of

danger；　always　hoping　for　the　epaulets　of　a　general。　But　some

malignant　influencethat；　in　fact；　of　General　Giroudeau；continually

balked　him。　Grown　hard　and　brutal；　Philippe　exceeded　the　ordinary

severity　of　the　service；　and　was　hated；　in　spite　of　his　bravery　a　la

Murat。



At　the　beginning　of　the　fatal　year　1839；　while　making　a　sudden　dash

upon　the　Arabs　during　a　retreat　before　superior　forces；　he　flung

himself　against　the　enemy；　followed　by　only　a　single　company；　and　fell

in；　unfortunately；　with　the　main　body　of　the　enemy。　The　battle　was

bloody　and　terrible；　man　to　man；　and　only　a　few　horsemen　escaped

alive。　Seeing　that　their　colonel　was　surrounded；　these　men；　who　were

at　some　distance；　were　unwilling　to　perish　uselessly　in　attempting　to

rescue　him。　They　heard　his　cry：　〃Your　colonel！　to　me！　a　colonel　of　the

Empire！〃　but　they　rejoined　the　regiment。　Philippe　met　with　a　horrible

death；　for　the　Arabs；　after　hacking　him　to　pieces　with　their

scimitars；　cut　off　his　head。



Joseph；　who　was　married　about　this　time；　through　the　good　offices　of

the　Comte　de　Serizy；　to　the　daughter　of　a　millionaire　farmer；

inherited　his　brother's　house　in　Paris　and　the　estate　of　Brambourg；　in

consequence　of　the　entail；　which　Philippe；　had　he　foreseen　this

result；　would　certainly　have　broken。　The　chief　pleasure　the　painter

derived　from　his　inheritance　was　in　the　fine　collection　of　paintings

from　Issoudun。　He　now　possesses　an　income　of　sixty　thousand　francs；

and　his　father…in…law；　the　farmer；　continues　to　pile　up　the　five…franc

pieces。　Though　Joseph　Bridau　paints　magnificent　pictures；　and　renders

important　services　to　artists；　he　is　not　yet　a　member　of　the

Institute。　As　the　result　of　a　clause　in　the　deed　of　entail；　he　is　now

Comte　de　Brambourg；　a　fact　which　often　makes　him　roar　with　laughter

among　his　friends　in　the　atelier。









ADDENDUM



The　following　personages　appear　in　other　stories　of　the　Human　Comedy。



Note：　The　Two　Brothers　is　also　known　as　A　Bachelor's　Establishment　and

The　Black　Sheep。　In　other　Addendum　appearances　it　is　referred　to　as　A

Bachelor's　Establishment。



Bianchon；　Horace

　　Father　Goriot

　　The　Atheist's　Mass

　　Cesar　Birotteau

　　The　Commission　in　Lunacy

　　Lost　Illusions

　　A　Distinguished　Provincial　at　Paris

　　The　Secrets　of　a　Princess

　　The　Government　Clerks

　　Pierrette

　　A　Study　of　Woman

　　Scenes　from　a　Courtesan's　Life

　　Honorine

　　The　Seamy　Side　of　History

　　The　Magic　Skin

　　A　Second　Home

　　A　Prince　of　Bohemia

　　Letters　of　Two　Brides

　　The　Muse　of　the　Department

　　The　Imaginary　Mistress

　　The　Middle　Classes

　　Cousin　Betty

　　The　Country　Parson

In　addition；　M。　Bianchon　narrated　the　following：

　　Another　Study　of　Woman

　　La　Grande　Breteche



Birotteau；　Cesar

　　Cesar　Birotteau

　　At　the　Sign　of　the　Cat　and　Racket



Bixiou；　Jean…Jacques

　　The　Purse

　　The　Government　Clerks

　　Modeste　Mignon

　　Scenes　from　a　Courtesan's　Life

　　The　Firm　of　Nucingen

　　The　Muse　of　the　Department

　　Cousin　Betty

　　The　Member　for　Arcis

　　Beatrix

　　A　Man　of　Business

　　Gaudissart　II。

　　The　Unconscious　Humorists

　　Cousin　Pons



Brambourg；　Comte　de　（Title　of　Philippe　Bridau；　later　Joseph）

　　The　Unconscious　Humorists



Bridau；　Philippe

　　Scenes　from　a　Courtesan's　Life



Bridau；　Joseph

　　The　Purse

　　A　Distinguished　Provincial　at　Paris

　　A　Start　in　Life

　　Modeste　Mignon

　　Another　Study　of　Woman

　　Pierre　Grassou

　　Letters　of　Two　Brides