第6章

thelastNapoleoneverheld，——andhebecameinfatuatedwiththeideaofasoldier’slife。Inthosedaysmilitarysplendor，theshowofuniforms，theauthorityofepaulets，offeredirresistibleseductionstoacertainstyleofyouth。PhilippethoughthehadthesamevocationforthearmythathisbrotherJosephshowedforart。Withouthismother’sknowledge，hewroteapetitiontotheEmperor，whichreadasfollows:——

Sire，——IamthesonofyourBridau；eighteenyearsofage，fivefeetsixinches；Ihavegoodlegs，agoodconstitution，andwishtobeoneofyoursoldiers。Iaskyoutoletmeenterthearmy，etc。

Withintwenty-fourhours，theEmperorhadsentPhilippetotheImperialLyceumatSaint-Cyr，andsixmonthslater，inNovember，1813，heappointedhimsub-lieutenantinaregimentofcavalry。Philippespentthegreaterpartofthatwinterincantonments，butassoonasheknewhowtorideahorsehewasdispatchedtothefront，andwenteagerly。DuringthecampaigninFrancehewasmadealieutenant，afteranaffairattheoutpostswherehisbraveryhadsavedhiscolonel’slife。TheEmperornamedhimcaptainatthebattleofLaFere-

Champenoise，andtookhimonhisstaff。Inspiredbysuchpromotion，PhilippewonthecrossatMontereau。HewitnessedNapoleon’sfarewellatFontainebleau，ravedatthesight，andrefusedtoservetheBourbons。Whenhereturnedtohismother，inJuly，1814，hefoundherruined。

Joseph’sscholarshipwaswithdrawnaftertheholidays，andMadameBridau，whosepensioncamefromtheEmperor’sprivypurse，vainlyentreatedthatitmightbeinscribedontherollsoftheministryoftheinterior。Joseph，moreofapainterthanever，wasdelightedwiththeturnofevents，andentreatedhismothertolethimgotoMonsieurRegnauld，promisingtoearnhisownliving。Hedeclaredhewasquitesufficientlyadvancedinthesecondclasstogetonwithoutrhetoric。

Philippe，acaptainatnineteenanddecorated，whohad，moreover，servedtheEmperorasanaide-de-campintwobattles，flatteredthemother’svanityimmensely。Coarse，blustering，andwithoutrealmeritbeyondthevulgarbraveryofacavalryofficer，hewastohermindamanofgenius；whereasJoseph，punyandsickly，withunkempthairandabsentmind，seekingpeace，lovingquiet，anddreamingofanartist’sglory，wouldonlybringher，shethought，worriesandanxieties。

Thewinterof1814-1815wasaluckyoneforJoseph。SecretlyencouragedbyMadameDescoingsandBixiou，apupilofGros，hewenttoworkinthecelebratedatelierofthatpainter，whenceavastvarietyoftalentissuedinitsday，andthereheformedtheclosestintimacywithSchinner。ThereturnfromElbacame；CaptainBridaujoinedtheEmperoratLyons，accompaniedhimtotheTuileries，andwasappointedtothecommandofasquadroninthedragoonsoftheGuard。AfterthebattleofWaterloo——inwhichhewasslightlywounded，andwherehewonthecrossofanofficeroftheLegionofhonor——hehappenedtobenearMarshalDavoustatSaint-Denis，andwasnotwiththearmyoftheLoire。Inconsequenceofthis，andthroughDavoust’sintercession，hiscrossandhisrankweresecuredtohim，buthewasplacedonhalf-pay。

Joseph，anxiousabouthisfuture，studiedallthroughthisperiodwithanardorwhichseveraltimesmadehimillinthemidstofthesetumultuousevents。

“Itisthesmellofthepaints，“AgathesaidtoMadameDescoings。“Heoughttogiveupabusinesssoinjurioustohishealth。“

However，allAgathe’sanxietieswereatthistimeforhersonthelieutenant-colonel。Whenshesawhimagainin1816，reducedfromthesalaryofninethousandfrancs(paidtoacommanderinthedragoonsoftheImperialGuard)toahalf-payofthreehundredfrancsamonth，shefittedupheratticroomsforhim，andspenthersavingsindoingso。

PhilippewasoneofthefaithfulBonapartesofthecafeLemblin，thatconstitutionalBoeotia；heacquiredthehabits，manners，style，andlifeofahalf-payofficer；indeed，likeanyotheryoungmanoftwenty-one，heexaggeratedthem，vowedingoodearnestamortalenmitytotheBourbons，neverreportedhimselfattheWardepartment，andevenrefusedopportunitieswhichwereofferedtohimforemploymentintheinfantrywithhisrankoflieutenant-colonel。Inhismother’seyes，Philippeseemedinallthistobedisplayinganoblecharacter。

“Thefatherhimselfcouldhavedonenomore，“shesaid。

Philippe’shalf-paysufficedhim；hecostnothingathome，whereasallJoseph’sexpenseswerepaidbythetwowidows。Fromthatmoment，Agathe’spreferenceforPhilippewasopenlyshown。Uptothattimeithadbeensecret；butthepersecutionofthisfaithfulservantoftheEmperor，therecollectionofthewoundreceivedbyhercherishedson，hiscourageinadversity，which，voluntarythoughitwere，seemedtoheragloriousadversity，drewforthallAgathe’stenderness。Theonesentence，“Heisunfortunate，“explainedandjustifiedeverything。

Josephhimself，——withtheinnatesimplicitywhichsuperaboundsintheartist-soulinitsopeningyears，andwhowas，moreover，broughtuptoadmirehisbigbrother，——sofarfrombeinghurtbythepreferenceoftheirmother，encourageditbysharingherworshipoftheherowhohadcarriedNapoleon’sordersontwobattlefields，andwaswoundedatWaterloo。Howcouldhedoubtthesuperiorityofthegrandbrother，whomhehadbeheldinthegreenandgolduniformofthedragoonsoftheGuard，commandinghissquadronontheChampdeMars？

Agathe，notwithstandingthispreference，wasanexcellentmother。ShelovedJoseph，thoughnotblindly；shesimplywasunabletounderstandhim。Josephadoredhismother；Philippelethismotheradorehim。

Towardsher，thedragoonsoftenedhismilitarybrutality；butheneverconcealedthecontempthefeltforJoseph，——expressingit，however，inafriendlyway。Whenhelookedathisbrother，weakandsicklyashewasatseventeenyearsofage，shrunkenwithdeterminedtoil，andover-weightedwithhispowerfulhead，henicknamedhim“Cub。“

Philippe’spatronizingmannerswouldhavewoundedanyonelesscarelesslyindifferentthantheartist，whohad，moreover，afirmbeliefinthegoodnessofheartwhichsoldiershid，hethought，beneathabrutalexterior。Josephdidnotyetknow，poorboy，thatsoldiersofgeniusareasgentleandcourteousinmannerasothersuperiormeninanywalkoflife。Allgeniusisalike，whereverfound。

“Poorboy！“saidPhilippetohismother，“wemustn’tplaguehim；lethimdoashelikes。“

Tohismother’seyesthecolonel’scontemptwasamarkoffraternalaffection。

“Philippewillalwaysloveandprotecthisbrother，“shethoughttoherself。

In1816，Josephobtainedhismother’spermissiontoconvertthegarretwhichadjoinedhisatticroomintoanatelier，andMadameDescoingsgavehimalittlemoneyfortheindispensablerequirementsofthepainter’strade；——inthemindsofthetwowidows，theartofpaintingwasnothingbutatrade。Withthefeelingandardorofhisvocation，theladhimselfarrangedhishumbleatelier。MadameDescoingspersuadedtheownerofthehousetoputaskylightintheroof。Thegarretwasturnedintoavasthallpaintedinchocolate-colorbyJosephhimself。Onthewallshehungafewsketches。Agathecontributed，notwithoutreluctance，anironstove；sothathersonmightbeabletoworkathome，without，however，abandoningthestudioofGros，northatofSchinner。

Theconstitutionalparty，supportedchieflybyofficersonhalf-payandtheBonapartists，wereatthistimeinciting“emeutes“aroundtheChamberofDeputies，onbehalfoftheCharter，thoughnooneactuallywantedit。Severalconspiracieswerebrewing。Philippe，whodabbledinthem，wasarrested，andthenreleasedforwantofproof；buttheministerofwarcutshorthishalf-paybyputtinghimontheactivelist，——astepwhichmightbecalledaformofdiscipline。Francewasnolongersafe；Philippewasliabletofallintosometraplaidforhimbyspies，——provocativeagents，astheywerecalled，beingmuchtalkedofinthosedays。

WhilePhilippeplayedbilliardsindisaffectedcafes，losinghistimeandacquiringthehabitofwettinghiswhistlewith“littleglasses“

ofallsortsofliquors。Agathelivedinmortalterrorforthesafetyofthegreatmanofthefamily。TheGreciansagesweretoomuchaccustomedtowendtheirnightlywayupMadameBridau’sstaircase，findingthetwowidowsreadyandwaiting，andhearingfromthemallthenewsoftheirday，evertobreakupthehabitofcomingtothegreensalonfortheirgameofcards。Theministryoftheinterior，thoughpurgedofitsformeremployesin1816，hadretainedClaparon，oneofthosecautiousmen，whowhisperthenewsofthe“Moniteur，“

addinginvariably，“Don’tquoteme。“Desroches，whohadretiredfromactiveservicesometimeafteroldDuBruel，wasstillbattlingforhispension。Thethreefriends，whowerewitnessesofAgathe’sdistress，advisedhertosendthecoloneltotravelinforeigncountries。

“Theytalkaboutconspiracies，andyourson，withhisdisposition，willbecertaintofallavictiminsomeofthem；thereisplentyoftreacheryinthesedays。“

“PhilippeiscutfromthewoodtheEmperormadeintomarshals，“saidDuBruel，inalowvoice，lookingcautiouslyabouthim；“andhemustn’tgiveuphisprofession。LethimserveintheEast，inIndia——“

“Thinkofhishealth，“saidAgathe。

“Whydoesn’thegetsomeplace，orbusiness？“saidoldDesroches；

“thereareplentyofprivateofficestobehad。Iamgoingasheadofabureauinaninsurancecompany，assoonasIhavegotmypension。“

“Philippeisasoldier；hewouldnotliketobeanythingelse，“saidthewarlikeAgathe。

“Thenheoughttohavethesensetoaskforemployment——“

“AndserveTHESEOTHERS！“criedthewidow。“Oh！Iwillnevergivehimthatadvice。“

“Youarewrong，“saidDuBruel。“MysonhasjustgotanappointmentthroughtheDucdeNavarreins。TheBourbonsareverygoodtothosewhoaresincereinrallyingtothem。Yoursoncouldbeappointedlieutenant-coloneltoaregiment。“

“Theyonlyappointnoblesinthecavalry。Philippewouldneverrisetobeacolonel，“saidMadameDescoings。