The Two Brothers

en by the irresistible necessity of having his evening stake of ten francs, he plundered the household, and laid hands on his brother's money and on all that Madame Descoings or A

learly. "One wrong act is not a vice," Madame Descoings had declared; but after so many repetitions, v

ithered, the skin clung to the temples and the cheek-bones, and the forehead showed deep lines; her eyes lost their clearness; an inward fire was evidently consuming her; she wept the greater part of the night. A chief cause of these outward ravages was the necessity of hiding her anguish, her sufferings, her apprehensions. She never went to sleep until Philippe came in; she listened for his step, she had learned the inflections of his voice, the variations of his walk, the very language of his cane as it touched the pavement. Nothing escaped her. She knew the degree of drunkenness he had reached, she trembled as she heard him stumble on the stairs; one night she picked up some pieces of gold at the spot where he had fallen. When he had drunk and won, his voice was gruff and his cane dragged; but when he had l

during the last days of December, "you ought

ou; and I have five hundred francs a year. It would take my whole year's pe

r?" aske

t; but when one thinks that Napoleon is at Saint Helena, and has sold his plate for the means of living, his faith

said Agathe, "he

ly," said Joseph. "If he would take any care of himself

r brother," cried Agathe. "You do the things you l

are on the flag, if it is the flag of his country? France is France! For my part, I'd paint for the devil. A soldier ought to fi

have approved of his conduct. However, he has consented to re-enter the army. Go

his studio, but his mothe

brother; he is

im to humor his mother's feelings, and pointed out to him how changed she was, and what i

it! I owe thirty francs for cigars at my tobacconist's, and I dare not pas

y best," said Joseph; "take w

e was last night

forty-fiv

" replied Philippe. "I took

I should do the same by you; only, before taking wh

g as I do, without a word; it shows more confidence. In the army, if a comrade di

n't take them wh

pe, shrugging his shoulders. "We

was determined not to

shall be rich," sa

n the 25th at the Paris drawing. You must have put i

will give three millions, without co

yes, you are right; it is just two hu

e had spoken imprudently. In fact, Philipp

ake a better use of it. With four pools at fifty francs each, I could win two

localities, at Bordeaux, Lyons, Lille, Strasburg, and Paris. The Paris lottery was drawn on the twenty-fifth of each month, and the lists closed on the twenty-fourth, at midnight. Philippe studied all these points and set himself to watch. He came home at midday; the Descoings had gone out, and had taken the key of the appartement. But that was no difficulty. Philippe pretended to have forgotten something, and asked the concierge to go herself and g

k,-never played in any other way. But before attaining this measure of experience they lost fortunes. The whole science of gambling-houses and their gains rests upon three things: the impassibility of the bank; the even results called "drawn games," when half the money goes to the bank; and the notorious bad faith authorized by the government

At three o'clock he went to the gambling-house (which is now turned into the theatre of the Palais-Royal), where the bank accepted the largest sums. He came out half an hour later with seven thousand francs in his pocket. Then he went to see Florentine, paid the five hundred francs which he owed to her, and proposed a supper at the Rocher de Cancale after the theatre. Returning to his game, along the rue de Sentier, he stopped at Giroudeau's newspaper-office to notify him of the gala. By six o'clock Philippe had won twent

tay?" they said to each other by a

bling-house followed him, picked him up, and took him to one of those horrible houses at the door of which, on a hanging lamp, are the words: "Lodgings for the night." The waiter paid for the ruined gambler, who was put to bed, where he remained till Christmas night. The managers of gambling-houses have some consideration for their

oman asked the painter to add up the amount of her great stake, her monstrous stake, on the famous trey, which she was to pay that evening at the Lottery office. She wished to put in for the doubles and singles as well, so as to seize all chances. After feasting on the poetry of her hopes, and pouring the two horns of plenty at the feet of her adopted son, and relating to him her dreams which

ll see,"

man's breast, as though she were strangled by a rush of blood to the heart, Joseph instinctively held out his arms to catch the poor creature, and placed her fainting in a chair, calling to his mother to come to them. Agathe ro

ning; HE has taken them

at?" aske

my savings for two years; no one b

other, overwhelmed, "he has

lippe of my stakes, I had a presentiment. I did wrong not to go down and take my little all and pay for my stak

so infamous. I can't believe it. Philippe couldn't have watc

n I made my bed after breakfas

she walked as we might fancy a spectre walks, slowly, noiselessly, moved by some superhuman power, and yet mechanically. She held a candle in her hand, whose light fell full upon her face and showed her eyes, fixed with horror. Unconsciou

to make up the sum; I took your money for Philippe's sake; I though

dry, fixed eyes

it," whispered the

silver plate, sell it; it is usel

eph and the Descoings ran to her, saw the empty box, and her noble falsehood was of no avail. All three were silent, and avoided looking at each other; but the next momen

; "he does not love you after all that you have done for him. If you do not protect yourself against him he will bring you to beggary. Promise me to sell out your Funds and buy a life-annuity. Joseph has a good profes

ick, rushed up to his studio, and c

re, "it is no business of ours what you do with your money; w

unhappy! are you mad, Joseph?" cried the old woman, visibly torn between her do

Agathe, who was moved to tears

seph by the head, and ki

pt me. I might only lose it. The

of domestic life. It was, indeed, affection triumphant over

e now," said M

, "here are your c

n the staircase to pay the stakes. When he was no longe

d the old gambler; "but it shall a

ours. The painter ran along, reading the street names upon the lamps. When he asked the passers-by to show him a lottery-office, he was told they were all

rs of tickets, whose beat was under the portico, where he vociferated this singu

He found none, and returned home grieved at having done his best in vain for the old woman, to whom he related his ill-luck. Agathe and her aunt went together to the midn

es. If Madame Descoings had paid her stake and held her ticket, she would have gone by half-past nine o'clock to learn her fate at a building close to the ministry of Finance, in the rue Neuve-des-Petits Champs, a situation now occupied by the Theatre Ventadour in the place of the

ld Desroches, coming into the room just as the

mean?" crie

rs written on a bit of paper, such as the officials of the lot

hes and Joseph carried her to her bed. Agathe went for a doctor. The poor woman was seized with apoplexy, and she only recovered consciousness at four in the afternoon; ol

e mil

their stakes; but he thoroughly understood that such a blow might be fatal when it came after twenty years' perseverance. About five o'clock, as a deep silence reigned in the little appartement, and the sick woman, watched

Descoings, sitting up in bed and sud

painful suspense was soon ended by the sight of Philippe's convulsed and purple face, his staggering walk, and the horrible

my throat on fire! Well, what's the matter? The devil is always meddling in our affa

athe, rising. "At least, respe

is mother. "My dear little mother, that wo

find yourself another home; you cannot live with us any longer,-that is, af

? You are all a pretty set! What harm have I done? I've cleaned out the old woman's mattress. What the devil is the good of money kept in wool? Do y

the dying woman, claspin

springing at his brother and pu

hand on Joseph's head, and twirling him round, as he flung him on a sofa. "Don't da

r son; "and besides, that is my affair. You have killed her. Go away, my son," she added, with a

ill

cried Joseph, "and you sto

st trey, it isn't I who have k

l me with horror; you have ever

Madame Descoings's throat

to your father, that he should drive you away and disinherit you? If you had not displeased him, we should all be rich now, and I should not be reduced to misery. What

of it!" cried

ll kill me!" cried Joseph, springing o

ed Agathe, trying to

r entered. Joseph had just knocked his bro

st," he cried. "Don't spe

for this!" r

lanation," re

im. "He is as ill as Madame Descoings; undre

Bixiou, "but they must be cu

he boots, which in those days were worn outside the cli

ilippe. "Cursed fool that I was, I fo

tal de la Charite and borrow a strait-waistcoat; for the delirium ran so high as to make him fear that Philippe might kill himself,-he was raving. At nine o'clock calm was restored. The Abbe Loraux and Desroches end

mother," said Joseph, when

your money," she said to Madame Descoings, adding Joseph's three hundred francs to the two hund

ing woman?" asked Madame Descoings, w

, au

annuity. My income ceases at my death; and from what you have just sai

ar it,

Bixiou paid over to her grandson Bixiou. Reduced to eight hundred francs' annuity paid to her by young Desroches, who had bought a business without clients, and himself took the capital of twelve thousand francs, Agathe gave up her appartement on the third floor, and sold all her superfluous furniture. Wh

with an eye that was cold from utter indifference. "I have seen all along tha

nswered the poor mother, struck to the ver

e cried, inte

at the edges, stuck it over one ea

ny money?" cried his mother, who could n

wrapped up in paper. Philippe came up the st

ss me?" she said, b

ithout the warmth of feeling which was a

l you go?"

istress. Ah! they are real f

, and aching heart. She fell upon her knees, prayed God to take her unn