the two brothers-第62部分

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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　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　f