the two brothers-第6部分

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had　placed　Joseph。



〃Are　you　not　ashamed　to　torture　a　poor　child　in　that　way？〃　said

Chaudet；　lowering　Joseph's　arms。　〃How　long　have　you　been　standing

there？〃　he　asked　the　boy；　giving　him　a　friendly　little　pat　on　the

cheek。



〃A　quarter　of　an　hour。〃



〃What　brought　you　here？〃



〃I　want　to　be　an　artist。〃



〃Where　do　you　belong？　where　do　you　come　from？〃



〃From　mamma's　house。〃



〃Oh！　mamma！〃　cried　the　pupils。



〃Silence　at　the　easels！〃　cried　Chaudet。　〃Who　is　your　mamma？〃



〃She　is　Madame　Bridau。　My　papa；　who　is　dead；　was　a　friend　of　the

Emperor；　and　if　you　will　teach　me　to　draw；　the　Emperor　will　pay　all

you　ask　for　it。〃



〃His　father　was　head　of　a　department　at　the　ministry　of　the　Interior；〃

exclaimed　Chaudet；　struck　by　a　recollection。　〃So　you　want　to　be　an

artist；　at　your　age？〃



〃Yes；　monsieur。〃



〃Well；　come　here　just　as　much　as　you　like；　we'll　amuse　you。　Give　him　a

board；　and　paper；　and　chalks；　and　let　him　alone。　You　are　to　know；　you

young　scamps；　that　his　father　did　me　a　service。　Here；　Corde…a…puits；

go　and　get　some　cakes　and　sugar…plums；〃　he　said　to　the　pupil　who　had

tortured　Joseph；　giving　him　some　small　change。　〃We'll　see　if　you　are

to　be　artist　by　the　way　you　gobble　up　the　dainties；〃　added　the

sculptor；　chucking　Joseph　under　the　chin。



Then　he　went　round　examining　the　pupils'　works；　followed　by　the　child；

who　looked　and　listened；　and　tried　to　understand　him。　The　sweets　were

brought；　Chaudet；　himself；　the　child；　and　the　whole　studio　all　had

their　teeth　in　them；　and　Joseph　was　petted　quite　as　much　as　he　had

been　teased。　The　whole　scene；　in　which　the　rough　play　and　real　heart

of　artists　were　revealed；　and　which　the　boy　instinctively　understood；

made　a　great　impression　on　his　mind。　The　apparition　of　the　sculptor；

for　whom　the　Emperor's　protection　opened　a　way　to　future　glory；　closed

soon　after　by　his　premature　death；was　like　a　vision　to　little

Joseph。　The　child　said　nothing　to　his　mother　about　this　adventure；　but

he　spent　two　hours　every　Sunday　and　every　Thursday　in　Chaudet's

atelier。　From　that　time　forth；　Madame　Descoings；　who　humored　the

fancies　of　the　two　cherubim；　kept　Joseph　supplied　with　pencils　and　red

chalks；　prints　and　drawing…paper。　At　school；　the　future　colorist

sketched　his　masters；　drew　his　comrades；　charcoaled　the　dormitories；

and　showed　surprising　assiduity　in　the　drawing…class。　Lemire；　the

drawing…master；　struck　not　only　with　the　lad's　inclination　but　also

with　his　actual　progress；　came　to　tell　Madame　Bridau　of　her　son's

faculty。　Agathe；　like　a　true　provincial；　who　knows　as　little　of　art　as

she　knows　much　of　housekeeping；　was　terrified。　When　Lemire　left　her；

she　burst　into　tears。



〃Ah！〃　she　cried；　when　Madame　Descoings　went　to　ask　what　was　the

matter。　〃What　is　to　become　of　me！　Joseph；　whom　I　meant　to　make　a

government　clerk；　whose　career　was　all　marked　out　for　him　at　the

ministry　of　the　interior；　where；　protected　by　his　father's　memory；　he

might　have　risen　to　be　chief　of　a　division　before　he　was　twenty…five；

he；　my　boy；　he　wants　to　be　a　painter；a　vagabond！　I　always　knew　that

child　would　give　me　nothing　but　trouble。〃



Madame　Descoings　confessed　that　for　several　months　past　she　had

encouraged　Joseph's　passion；　aiding　and　abetting　his　Sunday　and

Thursday　visits　to　the　Institute。　At　the　Salon；　to　which　she　had　taken

him；　the　little　fellow　had　shown　an　interest　in　the　pictures；　which

was；　she　declared；　nothing　short　of　miraculous。



〃If　he　understands　painting　at　thirteen；　my　dear；〃　she　said；　〃your

Joseph　will　be　a　man　of　genius。〃



〃Yes；　and　see　what　genius　did　for　his　father；killed　him　with

overwork　at　forty！〃



At　the　close　of　autumn；　just　as　Joseph　was　entering　his　fourteenth

year；　Agathe；　contrary　to　Madame　Descoings's　entreaties；　went　to　see

Chaudet；　and　requested　that　he　would　cease　to　debauch　her　son。　She

found　the　sculptor　in　a　blue　smock；　modelling　his　last　statue；　he

received　the　widow　of　the　man　who　formerly　had　served　him　at　a

critical　moment；　rather　roughly；　but；　already　at　death's　door；　he　was

struggling　with　passionate　ardor　to　do　in　a　few　hours　work　he　could

hardly　have　accomplished　in　several　months。　As　Madame　Bridau　entered；

he　had　just　found　an　effect　long　sought　for；　and　was　handling　his

tools　and　clay　with　spasmodic　jerks　and　movements　that　seemed　to　the

ignorant　Agathe　like　those　of　a　maniac。　At　any　other　time　Chaudet

would　have　laughed；　but　now；　as　he　heard　the　mother　bewailing　the

destiny　he　had　opened　to　her　child；　abusing　art；　and　insisting　that

Joseph　should　no　longer　be　allowed　to　enter　the　atelier；　he　burst　into

a　holy　wrath。



〃I　was　under　obligations　to　your　deceased　husband；　I　wished　to　help

his　son；　to　watch　his　first　steps　in　the　noblest　of　all　careers；〃　he

cried。　〃Yes；　madame；　learn；　if　you　do　not　know　it；　that　a　great　artist

is　a　king；　and　more　than　a　king；　he　is　happier；　he　is　independent；　he

lives　as　he　likes；　he　reigns　in　the　world　of　fancy。　Your　son　has　a

glorious　future　before　him。　Faculties　like　his　are　rare；　they　are　only

disclosed　at　his　age　in　such　beings　as　the　Giottos；　Raphaels；　Titians；

Rubens；　Murillos；for；　in　my　opinion；　he　will　make　a　better　painter

than　sculptor。　God　of　heaven！　if　I　had　such　a　son；　I　should　be　as

happy　as　the　Emperor　is　to　have　given　himself　the　King　of　Rome。　Well；

you　are　mistress　of　your　child's　fate。　Go　your　own　way；　madame；　make

him　a　fool；　a　miserable　quill…driver；　tie　him　to　a　desk；　and　you've

murdered　him！　But　I　hope；　in　spite　if　all　your　efforts；　that　he　will

stay　an　artist。　A　true　vocation　is　stronger　than　all　the　obstacles

that　can　be　opposed　to　it。　Vocation！　why　the　very　word　means　a　call；

ay；　the　election　of　God　himself！　You　will　make　your　child　unhappy；

that's　all。〃　He　flung　the　clay　he　no　longer　needed　violently　into　a

tub；　and　said　to　his　model；　〃That　will　do　for　to…day。〃



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　d