the two brothers-第7部分

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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…1815　was　a　lucky　one　for　Joseph。　Secretly

encouraged　by　Madame　Descoings　and　Bixiou；　a　pupil　of　Gros；　he　went　to

work　in　the　celebrated　atelier　of　that　painter；　whence　a　vast　variety

of　talent　issued　in　its　day；　and　there　he　formed　the　closest　intimacy

with　Schinner。　The　return　from　Elba　came；　Captain　Bridau　joined　the

Emperor　at　Lyons；　accompanied　him　to　the　Tuileries；　and　was　appointed

to　the　command　of　a　squadron　in　the　dragoons　of　the　Guard。　After　the

battle　of　Waterlooin　which　he　was　slightly　wounded；　and　where　he　won

the　cross　of　an　officer　of　the　Legion　of　honorhe　happened　to　be　near

Marshal　Davoust　at　Saint…Denis；　and　was　not　with　the　army　of　the

Loire。　In　consequence　of　this；　and　through　Davoust's　intercession；　his

cross　and　his　rank　were　secured　to　him；　but　he　was　placed　on　half…pay。



Joseph；　anxious　about　his　future；　studied　all　through　this　period　with

an　ardor　which　several　times　made　him　ill　in　the　midst　of　these

tumultuous　events。



〃It　is　the　smell　of　the　paints；〃　Agathe　said　to　Madame　Descoings。　〃He

ought　to　give　up　a　business　so　injurious　to　his　health。〃



However；　all　Agathe's　anxieties　were　at　this　time　for　her　son　the

lieutenant…colonel。　When　she　saw　him　again　in　1816；　reduced　from　the

salary　of　nine　thousand　francs　（paid　to　a　commander　in　the　dragoons　of

the　Imperial　Guard）　to　a　half…pay　of　three　hundred　francs　a　month；　she

fitted　up　her　attic　rooms　for　him；　and　spent　her　savings　in　doing　so。

Philippe　was　one　of　the　faithful　Bonapartes　of　the　cafe　Lemblin；　that

constitutional　Boeotia；　he　acquired　the　habits；　manners；　style；　and

life　of　a　half…pay　officer；　indeed；　like　any　other　young　man　of

twenty…one；　he　exaggerated　them；　vowed　in　good　earnest　a　mortal　enmity

to　the　Bourbons；　never　reported　himself　at　the　War　department；　and

even　refused　opportunities　which　were　offered　to　him　for　employment　in

the　infantry　with　his　rank　of　lieutenant…colonel。　In　his　mother's

eyes；　Philippe　seemed　in　all　this　to　be　displaying　a　noble　character。



〃The　father　himself　could　have　done　no　more；〃　she　said。



Philippe's　half…pay　sufficed　him；　he　cost　nothing　at　home；　whereas　all

Joseph's　expenses　were　paid　by　the　two　widows。　From　that　moment；

Agathe's　preference　for　Philippe　was　openly　shown。　Up　to　that　time　it

had　been　secret；　but　the　persecution　of　this　faithful　servant　of　the

Emperor；　the　recollection　of　the　wound　received　by　her　cherished　son；

his　courage　in　adversity；　which；　voluntary　though　it　were；　seemed　to

her　a　glorious　adversity；　drew　forth　all　Agathe's　tenderness。　The　one

sentence；　〃He　is　unfortunate；〃　explained　and　justified　everything。

Joseph　himself；with　the　innate　simplicity　which　superabounds　in　the

artist…soul　in　its　opening　years；　and　who　was；　moreover；　brought　up　to

admire　his　big　brother；so　far　from　being　hurt　by　the　preference　of

their　mother；　encouraged　it　by　sharing　her　worship　of　the　hero　who　had

carried　Napoleon's　orders　on　two　battlefields；　and　was　wounded　at

Waterloo。　How　could　he　doubt　the　superiority　of　the　grand　brother；

whom　he　had　beheld　in　the　green　and　gold　uniform　of　the　dragoons　of

the　Guard；　commanding　his　squadron　on　the　Champ　de　Mars？



Agathe；　notwithstanding　this　preference；　was　an　excellent　mother。　She

loved　Joseph；　though　not　blindly；　she　simply　was　unable　to　understand

him。　Joseph　adored　his　mother；　Philippe　let　his　mother　adore　him。

Towards　her；　the　dragoon　softened　his　military　brutality；　but　he　never

concealed　the　contempt　he　felt　for　Joseph；expressing　it；　however；　in

a　friendly　way。　When　he　looked　at　his　brother；　weak　and　sickly　as　he

was　at　seventeen　years　of　age；　shrunken　with　determined　toil；　and

over…weighted　with　his　powerful　head；　he　nicknamed　him　〃Cub。〃

Philippe's　patronizing　manners　would　have　wounded　any　one　less

carelessly　indifferent　than　the　artist；　who　had；　moreover；　a　firm

belief　in　the　goodness　of　heart　which　soldiers　hid；　he　thought；

beneath　a　brutal　exterior。　Joseph　did　not　yet　know；　poor　boy；　that

soldiers　of　genius　are　as　gentle　and　courteous　in　manner　as　other

superior　men　in　any　walk　of　life。　All　genius　is　alike；　wherever　found。



〃Poor　boy！〃　said　Philippe　to　his　mother；　〃we　mustn't　plague　him；　let

him　do　as　he　likes。〃



To　his　mother's　eyes　the　colonel's　contempt　was　a　mark　of　fraternal

affection。



〃Philippe　will　always　love　and　protect　his　brother；〃　she　thought　to

herself。







CHAPTER　III



In　1816；　Joseph　obtained　his　mother's　permission　to　convert　the　garret

which　adjoined　his　attic　room　into　an　atelier；　and　Madame　Descoings

gave　him　a　little　money　for　the　indispensable　requirements　of　the

painter's　trade；in　the　minds　of　the　two　widows；　the　art　of　painting

was　nothing　but　a　trade。　With　the　feeling　and　ardor　of　his　vocation；

the　lad　himself　arranged　his　humble　atelier。　Madame　Descoings

persuaded　the　owner　of　the　house　to　put　a　skylight　in　the　roof。　The

garret　was　turned　into　a　vast　hall　painted　in　chocolate…color　by

Joseph　himself。　On　the　walls　he　hung　a　few　sketches。　Agathe

contributed；　not　without　reluctance；　an　iron　stove；　so　that　her　son

might　be　able　to　work　at　home；　without；　however；　abandoning　the　studio

of　Gros；　nor　that　of　Schinner。



The　constitutional　party；　supported　chiefly　by　officers　on　half…pay

and　the　Bonapartists；　were　at　this　time　inciting　〃emeutes〃　around　the

Chamber　of　Deputies；　on　behalf　of　the　Charter；　though　no　one　actually

wanted　it。　Several　conspiracies　were　brewing。　Philippe；　who　dabbled　in

them；　was　arrested；　and　then　released　for　want　of　proof；　but　the

minister　of　war　cut　short　his　half…pay　by　putting　him　on　the　active

list；a　step　which　might　be　called　a　form　of　discipline。　France　was

no　longer　safe；　Philippe　was　liable　to　fall　into　some　trap　laid　for

him　by　spies；provocative　agents；　as　they　were　called；　being　much

talked　of　in　those　days。



While　Philippe　played　billiards　in　disaffected　cafes；　losing　his　time

and