the two brothers-第59部分

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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；　he　has　many　obligations　to　repay；　many

sacrifices　to　make；　it　is　natural　he　should　not　come　to　see　us；　though

he　may　think　of　us　all　the　same。〃



〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　the　Duc　de　Maufrigneuse　one　evening；　to　the　new

Comte　de　Brambourg；　〃I　am　sure　that　your　addresses　will　be　favorably

received；　but　in　order　to　marry　Amelie　de　Soulanges；　you　must　be　free

to　do　so。　What　have　you　done　with　your　wife？〃



〃My　wife？〃　said　Philippe；　with　a　gesture；　look；　and　accent　which

Frederick　Lemaitre　was　inspired　to　use　in　one　of　his　most　terrible

parts。　〃Alas！　I　have　the　melancholy　certainty　of　losing　her。　She　has

not　a　week　to　live。　My　dear　duke；　you　don't　know　what　it　is　to　marry

beneath　you。　A　woman　who　was　a　cook；　and　has　the　tastes　of　a　cook！　who

dishonors　meah！　I　am　much　to　be　pitied。　I　have　had　the　honor　to

explain　my　position　to　Madame　la　Dauphine。　At　the　time　of　the

marriage；　it　was　a　question　of　saving　to　the　family　a　million　of

francs　which　my　uncle　had　left　by　will　to　that　person。　Happily；　my

wife　took　to　drinking；　at　her　death；　I　come　into　possession　of　that

million；　which　is　now　in　the　hands　of　Mongenod　and　Sons。　I　have　thirty

thousand　francs　a　year　in　the　five　per　cents；　and　my　landed　property；

which　is　entailed；　brings　me　in　forty　thousand　more。　If；　as　I　am　led

to　suppose；　Monsieur　de　Soulanges　gets　a　marshal's　baton；　I　am　on　the

high…road　with　my　title　of　Comte　de　Brambourg；　to　becoming　general　and

peer　of　France。　That　will　be　the　proper　end　of　an　aide…de…camp　of　the

Dauphin。〃



After　the　Salon　of　1823；　one　of　the　leading　painters　of　the　day；　a

most　excellent　man；　obtained　the　management　of　a　lottery…office　near

the　Markets；　for　the　mother　of　Joseph　Bridau。　Agathe　was　fortunately

able；　soon　after；　to　exchange　it　on　equal　terms　with　the　incumbent　of

another　office；　situated　in　the　rue　de　Seine；　in　a　house　where　Joseph

was　able　to　have　his　atelier。　The　widow　now　hired　an　agent　herself；

and　was　no　longer　an　expense　to　her　son。　And　yet；　as　late　as　1828；

though　she　was　the　directress　of　an　excellent　office　which　she　owed

entirely　to　Joseph's　fame；　Madame　Bridau　still　had　no　belief　in　that

fame；　which　was　hotly　contested；　as　all　true　glory　ever　will　be。　The

great　painter；　struggling　with　his　genius；　had　enormous　wants；　he　did

not　earn　enough　to　pay　for　the　luxuries　which　his　relations　to

society；　and　his　distinguished　position　in　the　young　School　of　Art

demanded。　Though　powerfully　sustained　by　his　friends　of　the　Cenacle

and　by　Mademoiselle　des　Touches；　he　did　not　please　the　Bourgeois。　That

being；　from　whom　comes　the　money　of　these　days；　never　unties　its

purse…strings　for　genius　that　is　called　in　question；　unfortunately；

Joseph　had　the　classics　and　the　Institute；　and　the　critics　who　cry　up

those　two　powers；　against　him。　The　brave　artist；　though　backed　by　Gros

and　Gerard；　by　whose　influence　he　was　decorated　after　the　Salon　of

1827；　obtained　few　orders。　If　the　ministry　of　the　interior　and　the

King's　household　were　with　difficulty　induced　to　buy　some　of　his

greatest　pictures；　the　shopkeepers　and　the　rich　foreigners　noticed

them　still　less。　Moreover；　Joseph　gave　way　rather　too　much；　as　we　must

all　acknowledge；　to　imaginative　fancies；　and　that　produced　a　certain

inequality　in　his　work　which　his　enemies　made　use　of　to　deny　his

talent。



〃High　art　is　at　a　low　ebb；〃　said　his　friend　Pierre　Grassou；　who　made

daubs　to　suit　the　taste　of　the　bourgeoisie；　in　whose　appartements　fine

paintings　were　at　a　discount。



〃You　ought　to　have　a　whole　cathedral　to　decorate；　that's　what　you

want；〃　declared　Schinner；　〃then　you　would　silence　criticism　with　a

master…stroke。〃



Such　speeches；　which　alarmed　the　good　Agathe；　only　corroborated　the

judgment　she　had　long　since　formed　upon　Philippe　and　Joseph。　Facts

sustained　that　judgment　in　the　mind　of　a　woman　who　had　never　ceased　to

be　a　provincial。　Philippe；　her　favorite　child；　was　he　not　the　great

man　of　the　family　at　last？　in　his　early　errors　she　saw　only　the

ebullitions　of　youth。　Joseph；　to　the　merit　of　whose　productions　she

was　insensible；　for　she　saw　them　too　long　in　process　of　gestation　to

admire　them　when　finished；　seemed　to　her　no　more　advanced　in　1828　than

he　was　in　1816。　Poor　Joseph　owed　money；　and　was　bowed　down　by　the

burden　of　debt；　he　had　chosen；　she　felt；　a　worthless　career　that　made

him　no　return。　She　could　not　conceive　why　they　had　given　him　the　cross

of　the　Legion　of　honor。　Philippe；　on　the　other　hand；　rich　enough　to

cease　gambling；　a　guest　at　the　fetes　of　MADAME；　the　brilliant　colonel

who　at　all　reviews　and　in　all　processions　appeared　before　her　eyes　in

splendid　uniforms；　with　his　two　crosses　on　his　breast；　realized　all

her　maternal　dreams。　One　such　day　of　public　ceremony　effaced　from

Agathe's　mind　the　horrible　sight　of　Philippe's　misery　on　the　Quai　de

l'Ecole；　on　that　day　he　passed　his　mother　at　the　self…same　spot；　in

attendance　on　the　Dauphin；　with　plumes　in　his　shako；　and　his　pelisse

gorgeous　with　gold　and　fur。　Agathe；　who　to　her　artist　son　was　now　a

sort　of　devoted　gray　sister；　felt　herself　the　mother　of　none　but　the

dashing　aide…de…camp　to　his　Royal　Highness；　the　Dauphin　of　France。

Proud　of　Philippe；　she　felt　he　made　the　ease　and　happiness　of　her

life；forgetting　that　the　lottery…office；　by　which　she　was　enabled　to

live　at　all；　came　through　Joseph。



One　day　Agathe　noticed　that　her　poor　artist　was　more　worried　than

usual　by　the　bill　of　his　color…man；　and　she　determined；　though　cursing

his　profession　in　her　heart；　to　free　him　from　his　debts。　The　poor

woman　kept　the　house　with　the　proceeds　of　her　office；　and　took　care

never　to　ask　Joseph　for　a　farthing。　Consequently　she　had　no　money　of

her　own；　but　she　relied　on　Philippe's　good　heart　and　well…filled

purse。　For　three　years　she　had　waited　in　expectation　of　his　coming　to

see　her；　she　now　imagined　that　if　she　made　an　appeal　to　him　he　would

bring　some　enor