marriage；　it　was　a　question　of　saving　to　the　family　a　million　of
  francs　which　my　uncle　had　left　by　will　to　that　person。　Happily；　my
  wife　took　to　drinking；　at　her　death；　I　come　into　possession　of　that
  million；　which　is　now　in　the　hands　of　Mongenod　and　Sons。　I　have　thirty
  thousand　francs　a　year　in　the　five　per　cents；　and　my　landed　property；
  which　is　entailed；　brings　me　in　forty　thousand　more。　If；　as　I　am　led
  to　suppose；　Monsieur　de　Soulanges　gets　a　marshal's　baton；　I　am　on　the
  high…road　with　my　title　of　Comte　de　Brambourg；　to　becoming　general　and
  peer　of　France。　That　will　be　the　proper　end　of　an　aide…de…camp　of　the
  Dauphin。〃
  After　the　Salon　of　1823；　one　of　the　leading　painters　of　the　day；　a
  most　excellent　man；　obtained　the　management　of　a　lottery…office　near
  the　Markets；　for　the　mother　of　Joseph　Bridau。　Agathe　was　fortunately
  able；　soon　after；　to　exchange　it　on　equal　terms　with　the　incumbent　of
  another　office；　situated　in　the　rue　de　Seine；　in　a　house　where　Joseph
  was　able　to　have　his　atelier。　The　widow　now　hired　an　agent　herself；
  and　was　no　longer　an　expense　to　her　son。　And　yet；　as　late　as　1828；
  though　she　was　the　directress　of　an　excellent　office　which　she　owed
  entirely　to　Joseph's　fame；　Madame　Bridau　still　had　no　belief　in　that
  fame；　which　was　hotly　contested；　as　all　true　glory　ever　will　be。　The
  great　painter；　struggling　with　his　genius；　had　enormous　wants；　he　did
  not　earn　enough　to　pay　for　the　luxuries　which　his　relations　to
  society；　and　his　distinguished　position　in　the　young　School　of　Art
  demanded。　Though　powerfully　sustained　by　his　friends　of　the　Cenacle
  and　by　Mademoiselle　des　Touches；　he　did　not　please　the　Bourgeois。　That
  being；　from　whom　comes　the　money　of　these　days；　never　unties　its
  purse…strings　for　genius　that　is　called　in　question；　unfortunately；
  Joseph　had　the　classics　and　the　Institute；　and　the　critics　who　cry　up
  those　two　powers；　against　him。　The　brave　artist；　though　backed　by　Gros
  and　Gerard；　by　whose　influence　he　was　decorated　after　the　Salon　of
  1827；　obtained　few　orders。　If　the　ministry　of　the　interior　and　the
  King's　household　were　with　difficulty　induced　to　buy　some　of　his
  greatest　pictures；　the　shopkeepers　and　the　rich　foreigners　noticed
  them　still　less。　Moreover；　Joseph　gave　way　rather　too　much；　as　we　must
  all　acknowledge；　to　imaginative　fancies；　and　that　produced　a　certain
  inequality　in　his　work　which　his　enemies　made　use　of　to　deny　his
  talent。
  〃High　art　is　at　a　low　ebb；〃　said　his　friend　Pierre　Grassou；　who　made
  daubs　to　suit　the　taste　of　the　bourgeoisie；　in　whose　appartements　fine
  paintings　were　at　a　discount。
  〃You　ought　to　have　a　whole　cathedral　to　decorate；　that's　what　you
  want；〃　declared　Schinner；　〃then　you　would　silence　criticism　with　a
  master…stroke。〃
  Such　speeches；　which　alarmed　the　good　Agathe；　only　corroborated　the
  judgment　she　had　long　since　formed　upon　Philippe　and　Joseph。　Facts
  sustained　that　judgment　in　the　mind　of　a　woman　who　had　never　ceased　to
  be　a　provincial。　Philippe；　her　favorite　child；　was　he　not　the　great
  man　of　the　family　at　last？　in　his　early　errors　she　saw　only　the
  ebullitions　of　youth。　Joseph；　to　the　merit　of　whose　productions　she
  was　insensible；　for　she　saw　them　too　long　in　process　of　gestation　to
  admire　them　when　finished；　seemed　to　her　no　more　advanced　in　1828　than
  he　was　in　1816。　Poor　Joseph　owed　money；　and　was　bowed　down　by　the
  burden　of　debt；　he　had　chosen；　she　felt；　a　worthless　career　that　made
  him　no　return。　She　could　not　conceive　why　they　had　given　him　the　cross
  of　the　Legion　of　honor。　Philippe；　on　the　other　hand；　rich　enough　to
  cease　gambling；　a　guest　at　the　fetes　of　MADAME；　the　brilliant　colonel
  who　at　all　reviews　and　in　all　processions　appeared　before　her　eyes　in
  splendid　uniforms；　with　his　two　crosses　on　his　breast；　realized　all
  her　maternal　dreams。　One　such　day　of　public　ceremony　effaced　from
  Agathe's　mind　the　horrible　sight　of　Philippe's　misery　on　the　Quai　de
  l'Ecole；　on　that　day　he　passed　his　mother　at　the　self…same　spot；　in
  attendance　on　the　Dauphin；　with　plumes　in　his　shako；　and　his　pelisse
  gorgeous　with　gold　and　fur。　Agathe；　who　to　her　artist　son　was　now　a
  sort　of　devoted　gray　sister；　felt　herself　the　mother　of　none　but　the
  dashing　aide…de…camp　to　his　Royal　Highness；　the　Dauphin　of　France。
  Proud　of　Philippe；　she　felt　he　made　the　ease　and　happiness　of　her
  life；forgetting　that　the　lottery…office；　by　which　she　was　enabled　to
  live　at　all；　came　through　Joseph。
  One　day　Agathe　noticed　that　her　poor　artist　was　more　worried　than
  usual　by　the　bill　of　his　color…man；　and　she　determined；　though　cursing
  his　profession　in　her　heart；　to　free　him　from　his　debts。　The　poor
  woman　kept　the　house　with　the　proceeds　of　her　office；　and　took　care
  never　to　ask　Joseph　for　a　farthing。　Consequently　she　had　no　money　of
  her　own；　but　she　relied　on　Philippe's　good　heart　and　well…filled
  purse。　For　three　years　she　had　waited　in　expectation　of　his　coming　to
  see　her；　she　now　imagined　that　if　she　made　an　appeal　to　him　he　would
  bring　some　enormous　sum；　and　her　thoughts　dwelt　on　the　happiness　she
  should　feel　in　giving　it　to　Joseph；　whose　judgment　of　his　brother；
  like　that　of　Madame　Descoings；　was　so　unfair。
  Saying　nothing　to　Joseph；　she　wrote　the　following　letter　to
  Philippe：
  To　Monsieur　le　comte　de　Brambourg：
  My　dear　Philippe；You　have　not　given　the　least　little　word　of
  remembrance　to　your　mother　for　five　years。　That　is　not　right。　You
  should　remember　the　past；　if　only　for　the　sake　of　your　excellent
  brother。　Joseph　is　now　in　need　of　money；　and　you　are　floating　in
  wealth；　he　works；　while　you　are　flying　from　fete　to　fete。　You　now
  possess；　all　to　yourself；　the　property　of　my　brother。　Little
  Borniche　tells　me　you　cannot　have　less　than　two　hundred　thousand
  francs　a　year。　Well；　then；　come　and　see　Joseph。　During　your　visit；
  slip　into　the　skull　a　few　thousand…franc　notes。　Philippe；　you　owe
  them　to　us；　nevertheless；　your　brother　will　feel　grateful　to　you；
  not　to　speak　of　the　happiness　you　will　give
  Your　mother；
  Agathe　Bridau；　nee　Rouget
  Two　days　later　the　concierge　brought　to　the　atelier；　where　poor　Agathe
  was　breakfasting　with　Joseph；　the　following　terrible　letter：
  My　dear　Mother；A　man　does　not　marry　a　Mademoiselle　Amelie　de
  Soulanges　without　the　purse　of　Fortunatus；　if　under　the　name　of
  Comte　de　Brambourg　he　hides　that　of
  Your　son；
  Philippe　Bridau
  As　Agathe　fell　half…fainting　on　the　sofa；　the　letter　dropped　to　the
  floor。　The　slight　noise　made　by　the　paper；　and　the　smothered　but
  dreadful　exclamation　which　escaped　Agathe　startled　Joseph；　who　had
  forgotten　his　mother　for　a　moment　and　was　vehemently　rubbing　in　a
  sketch；　he　leaned　his　head　round　the　edge　of　his　canvas　to　see　what
  had　happened。　The　sight　of　his　mother　stretched　out　on　the　floor　made
  him　drop　palette　and　brushes；　and　rush　to　lift　what　seemed　a　lifeless
  body。　He　took　Agathe　in　his　arms　and　carried　her　to　her　own　bed；　and
  sent　the　servant　for　his　friend　Horace　Bianchon。　As　soon　as　he　could
  question　his　mother　she　told　him　of　her　letter　to　Philippe；　and　of　the
  answer　she　had　received　from　him。　The　artist　went　to　his　atelier　and
  picked　up　the　letter；　whose　concise　brutality　had　broken　the　tender
  heart　of　the　poor　mother；　and　shattered　the　edifice　of　trust　her
  maternal　preference　had　erected。　When　Joseph　returned　to　her　bedside
  he　had　the　good　feeling　to　be　silent。　He　did　not　speak　of　his　brother
  in　the　three　weeks　during　whichwe　will　not　say　the　illness；　butthe
  death　agony　of　the　poor　woman　lasted。　Bianchon；　who　came　every　day　and
  watched　his　patient　with　the　devotion　of　a　true　friend；　told　Joseph
  the　truth　on　the　first　day　of　her　seizure。
  〃At　her　age；〃　he　said；　〃and　under　the　circumstances　which　have
  happened　to　her；　all　we　can　hope　to　do　is　to　make　her　death　as　little
  painful　as　possible。〃
  She　herself　felt　so　surely　called　of　God　that　she　asked　the　next　day
  for　the　religious　help　of　old　Abbe　Loraux；　who　had　been　her　confessor
  for　more　than　twenty…two　years。　As　soon　as　she　was　alone　with　him；　and
  had　poured　her　griefs　into　his　heart；　she　saidas　she　had　said　to
  Madame　Hochon；　and　had　repeated　to　herself　again　and　again　throughout
  her　life：
  〃What　have　I　done　to　displease　God？　Have　I　not　loved　Him　with　all　my
  soul？　Have　I　wandered　from　the　path　of　grace？　What　is　my　sin？　Can　I　be
  guilty　of　wrong　when　I　know　not　what　it　is？　Have　I　the　time　to　repair
  it？〃
  〃No；〃　said　the　old　man；　in　a　gentle　voice。　〃Alas！　your　life　seems　to
  have　been　pure　and　your　soul　spotless；　but　the　eye　of　God；　poor
  afflicted　creature；　is　keener　than　that　of　his　ministers。　I　see　the
  truth　too　late；　for　you　have　misled　even　me。〃
  Hearing　these　words　from　lips　that　had　never　spoken　other　than
  peaceful　and　pleasant　words　to　her；　Agathe　rose　suddenly　in　her　bed
  and　opened　her　eyes　wide；　with　terror　and　distress。
  〃Tell　me！　tell　me！〃　she　cried。
  〃Be　comforte