the two brothers-第8章

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

glance　had　not　before　penetrated；　a　nude　woman　sitting　on　a　stool；　the

sight　of　whom　drove　her　away　horrified。



〃You　are　not　to　have　the　little　Bridau　here　any　more；〃　said　Chaudet　to

his　pupils；　〃it　annoys　his　mother。〃



〃Eugh！〃　they　all　cried；　as　Agathe　closed　the　door。



No　sooner　did　the　students　of　sculpture　and　painting　find　out　that

Madame　Bridau　did　not　wish　her　son　to　be　an　artist；　than　their　whole

happiness　centred　on　getting　Joseph　among　them。　In　spite　of　a　promise

not　to　go　to　the　Institute　which　his　mother　exacted　from　him；　the

child　often　slipped　into　Regnauld　the　painter's　studio；　where　he　was

encouraged　to　daub　canvas。　When　the　widow　complained　that　the　bargain

was　not　kept；　Chaudet's　pupils　assured　her　that　Regnauld　was　not

Chaudet；　and　they　hadn't　the　bringing　up　of　her　son；　with　other

impertinences；　and　the　atrocious　young　scamps　composed　a　song　with　a

hundred　and　thirty…seven　couplets　on　Madame　Bridau。



On　the　evening　of　that　sad　day　Agathe　refused　to　play　at　cards；　and

sat　on　her　sofa　plunged　in　such　grief　that　the　tears　stood　in　her

handsome　eyes。



〃What　is　the　matter；　Madame　Bridau？〃　asked　old　Claparon。



〃She　thinks　her　boy　will　have　to　beg　his　bread　because　he　has　got　the

bump　of　painting；〃　said　Madame　Descoings；　〃but；　for　my　part；　I　am　not

the　least　uneasy　about　the　future　of　my　step…son；　little　Bixiou；　who

has　a　passion　for　drawing。　Men　are　born　to　get　on。〃



〃You　are　right；〃　said　the　hard　and　severe　Desroches；　who；　in　spite　of

his　talents；　had　never　himself　got　on　in　the　position　of　assistant…

head　of　a　department。　〃Happily　I　have　only　one　son；　otherwise；　with　my

eighteen　hundred　francs　a　year；　and　a　wife　who　makes　barely　twelve

hundred　out　of　her　stamped…paper　office；　I　don't　know　what　would

become　of　me。　I　have　just　placed　my　boy　as　under…clerk　to　a　lawyer；　he

gets　twenty…　five　francs　a　month　and　his　breakfast。　I　give　him　as　much

more；　and　he　dines　and　sleeps　at　home。　That's　all　he　gets；　he　must

manage　for　himself；　but　he'll　make　his　way。　I　keep　the　fellow　harder

at　work　than　if　he　were　at　school；　and　some　day　he　will　be　a

barrister。　When　I　give　him　money　to　go　to　the　theatre；　he　is　as　happy

as　a　king　and　kisses　me。　Oh；　I　keep　a　tight　hand　on　him；　and　he

renders　me　an　account　of　all　he　spends。　You　are　too　good　to　your

children；　Madame　Bridau；　if　your　son　wants　to　go　through　hardships　and

privations；　let　him；　they'll　make　a　man　of　him。〃



〃As　for　my　boy；〃　said　Du　Bruel；　a　former　chief　of　a　division；　who　had

just　retired　on　a　pension；　〃he　is　only　sixteen；　his　mother　dotes　on

him；　but　I　shouldn't　listen　to　his　choosing　a　profession　at　his　age；

a　mere　fancy；　a　notion　that　may　pass　off。　In　my　opinion；　boys　should

be　guided　and　controlled。〃



〃Ah；　monsieur！　you　are　rich；　you　are　a　man；　and　you　have　but　one　son；〃

said　Agathe。



〃Faith！〃　said　Claparon；　〃children　do　tyrannize　over　usover　our

hearts；　I　mean。　Mine　makes　me　furious；　he　has　nearly　ruined　me；　and

now　I　won't　have　anything　to　do　with　himit's　a　sort　of　independence。

Well；　he　is　the　happier　for　it；　and　so　am　I。　That　fellow　was　partly

the　cause　of　his　mother's　death。　He　chose　to　be　a　commercial

traveller；　and　the　trade　just　suited　him；　for　he　was　no　sooner　in　the

house　than　he　wanted　to　be　out　of　it；　he　couldn't　keep　in　one　place；

and　he　wouldn't　learn　anything。　All　I　ask　of　God　is　that　I　may　die

before　he　dishonors　my　name。　Those　who　have　no　children　lose　many

pleasures；　but　they　escape　great　sufferings。〃



〃And　these　men　are　fathers！〃　thought　Agathe；　weeping　anew。



〃What　I　am　trying　to　show　you；　my　dear　Madame　Bridau；　is　that　you　had

better　let　your　boy　be　a　painter；　if　not；　you　will　only　waste　your

time。〃



〃If　you　were　able　to　coerce　him；〃　said　the　sour　Desroches；　〃I　should

advise　you　to　oppose　his　tastes；　but　weak　as　I　see　you　are；　you　had

better　let　him　daub　if　he　likes。〃



〃Console　yourself；　Agathe；〃　said　Madame　Descoings；　〃Joseph　will　turn

out　a　great　man。〃



After　this　discussion；　which　was　like　all　discussions；　the　widow's

friends　united　in　giving　her　one　and　the　same　advice；　which　advice　did

not　in　the　least　relieve　her　anxieties。　They　advised　her　to　let　Joseph

follow　his　bent。



〃If　he　doesn't　turn　out　a　genius；〃　said　Du　Bruel；　who　always　tried　to

please　Agathe；　〃you　can　then　get　him　into　some　government　office。〃



When　Madame　Descoings　accompanied　the　old　clerks　to　the　door　she

assured　them；　at　the　head　of　the　stairs；　that　they　were　〃Grecian

sages。〃



〃Madame　Bridau　ought　to　be　glad　her　son　is　willing　to　do　anything；〃

said　Claparon。



〃Besides；〃　said　Desroches；　〃if　God　preserves　the　Emperor；　Joseph　will

always　be　looked　after。　Why　should　she　worry？〃



〃She　is　timid　about　everything　that　concerns　her　children；〃　answered

Madame　Descoings。　〃Well；　my　good　girl；〃　she　said；　returning　to　Agathe；

〃you　see　they　are　unanimous；　why　are　you　still　crying？〃



〃If　it　was　Philippe；　I　should　have　no　anxiety。　But　you　don't　know　what

goes　on　in　that　atelier；　they　have　naked　women！〃



〃I　hope　they　keep　good　fires；〃　said　Madame　Descoings。



A　few　days　after　this；　the　disasters　of　the　retreat　from　Moscow　became

known。　Napoleon　returned　to　Paris　to　organize　fresh　troops；　and　to　ask

further　sacrifices　from　the　country。　The　poor　mother　was　then　plunged

into　very　different　anxieties。　Philippe；　who　was　tired　of　school；

wanted　to　serve　under　the　Emperor；　he　saw　a　review　at　the　Tuileries；

the　last　Napoleon　ever　held；and　he　became　infatuated　with　the　idea

of　a　soldier's　life。　In　those　days　military　splendor；　the　show　of

uniforms；　the　authority　of　epaulets；　offered　irresistible　seductions

to　a　certain　style　of　youth。　Philippe　thought　he　had　the　same　vocation

for　the　army　that　his　brother　Joseph　showed　for　art。　Without　his

mother's　knowledge；　he　wrote　a　petition　to　the　Emperor；　which　read　as

follows：



　　Sire；I　am　the　son　of　your　Bridau；　eighteen　years　of　age；　five

　　feet　six　inches；　I　have　good　legs；　a　good　constitution；　and　wish

　　to　be　one　of　your　soldiers。　I　ask　you　to　let　me　enter　the　army；

　　etc。



Within　twenty…four　hours；　the　Emperor　had　sent　Philippe　to　the

Imperial　Lyceum　at　Saint…Cyr；　and　six　months　later；　in　November；　1813；

he　appointed　him　sub…lieutenant　in　a　regiment　of　cavalry。　Philippe

spent　the　greater　part　of　that　winter　in　cantonments；　but　as　soon　as

he　knew　how　to　ride　a　horse　he　was　dispatched　to　the　front；　and　went

eagerly。　During　the　campaign　in　France　he　was　made　a　lieutenant；　after

an　affair　at　the　outposts　where　his　bravery　had　saved　his　colonel's

life。　The　Emperor　named　him　captain　at　the　battle　of　La　Fere…

Champenoise；　and　took　him　on　his　staff。　Inspired　by　such　promotion；

Philippe　won　the　cross　at　Montereau。　He　witnessed　Napoleon's　farewell

at　Fontainebleau；　raved　at　the　sight；　and　refused　to　serve　the

Bourbons。　When　he　returned　to　his　mother；　in　July；　1814；　he　found　her

ruined。



Joseph's　scholarship　was　withdrawn　after　the　holidays；　and　Madame

Bridau；　whose　pension　came　from　the　Emperor's　privy　purse；　vainly

entreated　that　it　might　be　inscribed　on　the　rolls　of　the　ministry　of

the　interior。　Joseph；　more　of　a　painter　than　ever；　was　delighted　with

the　turn　of　events；　and　entreated　his　mother　to　let　him　go　to　Monsieur

Regnauld；　promising　to　earn　his　own　living。　He　declared　he　was　quite

sufficiently　advanced　in　the　second　class　to　get　on　without　rhetoric。

Philippe；　a　captain　at　nineteen　and　decorated；　who　had；　moreover；

served　the　Emperor　as　an　aide…de…camp　in　two　battles；　flattered　the

mother's　vanity　immensely。　Coarse；　blustering；　and　without　real　merit

beyond　the　vulgar　bravery　of　a　cavalry　officer；　he　was　to　her　mind　a

man　of　genius；　whereas　Joseph；　puny　and　sickly；　with　unkempt　hair　and

absent　mind；　seeking　peace；　loving　quiet；　and　dreaming　of　an　artist's

glory；　would　only　bring　her；　she　thought；　worries　and　anxieties。



The　winter　of　1814…1