thewheelssplashedhismotherandbrotherashewavedthemapatronizinggreeting。
　　“He’sgoingit，thatfellow！“saidJosephtohismother。
　　“Nevertheless，hemightsendussomethingbetterthanmudinourfaces。“
　　“Hehassuchafineposition，insuchhighsociety，thatweoughtnottoblamehimforforgettingus，“saidMadameBridau。“Whenamanrisestosogreataheight，hehasmanyobligationstorepay，manysacrificestomake；itisnaturalheshouldnotcometoseeus，thoughhemaythinkofusallthesame。“
　　“Mydearfellow，“saidtheDucdeMaufrigneuseoneevening，tothenewComtedeBrambourg，“Iamsurethatyouraddresseswillbefavorablyreceived；butinordertomarryAmeliedeSoulanges，youmustbefreetodoso。Whathaveyoudonewithyourwife？“
　　“Mywife？“saidPhilippe，withagesture，look，andaccentwhichFrederickLemaitrewasinspiredtouseinoneofhismostterribleparts。“Alas！Ihavethemelancholycertaintyoflosingher。Shehasnotaweektolive。Mydearduke，youdon’tknowwhatitistomarrybeneathyou。Awomanwhowasacook，andhasthetastesofacook！whodishonorsme——ah！Iammuchtobepitied。IhavehadthehonortoexplainmypositiontoMadamelaDauphine。Atthetimeofthemarriage，itwasaquestionofsavingtothefamilyamillionoffrancswhichmyunclehadleftbywilltothatperson。Happily，mywifetooktodrinking；atherdeath，Icomeintopossessionofthatmillion，whichisnowinthehandsofMongenodandSons。Ihavethirtythousandfrancsayearinthefivepercents，andmylandedproperty，whichisentailed，bringsmeinfortythousandmore。If，asIamledtosuppose，MonsieurdeSoulangesgetsamarshal’sbaton，Iamonthehigh-roadwithmytitleofComtedeBrambourg，tobecominggeneralandpeerofFrance。Thatwillbetheproperendofanaide-de-campoftheDauphin。“
　　AftertheSalonof1823，oneoftheleadingpaintersoftheday，amostexcellentman，obtainedthemanagementofalottery-officeneartheMarkets，forthemotherofJosephBridau。Agathewasfortunatelyable，soonafter，toexchangeitonequaltermswiththeincumbentofanotheroffice，situatedintheruedeSeine，inahousewhereJosephwasabletohavehisatelier。Thewidownowhiredanagentherself，andwasnolongeranexpensetoherson。Andyet，aslateas1828，thoughshewasthedirectressofanexcellentofficewhichsheowedentirelytoJoseph’sfame，MadameBridaustillhadnobeliefinthatfame，whichwashotlycontested，asalltruegloryeverwillbe。Thegreatpainter，strugglingwithhisgenius，hadenormouswants；hedidnotearnenoughtopayfortheluxurieswhichhisrelationstosociety，andhisdistinguishedpositionintheyoungSchoolofArtdemanded。ThoughpowerfullysustainedbyhisfriendsoftheCenacleandbyMademoiselledesTouches，hedidnotpleasetheBourgeois。Thatbeing，fromwhomcomesthemoneyofthesedays，neveruntiesitspurse-stringsforgeniusthatiscalledinquestion；unfortunately，JosephhadtheclassicsandtheInstitute，andthecriticswhocryupthosetwopowers，againsthim。Thebraveartist，thoughbackedbyGrosandGerard，bywhoseinfluencehewasdecoratedaftertheSalonof1827，obtainedfeworders。IftheministryoftheinteriorandtheKing’shouseholdwerewithdifficultyinducedtobuysomeofhisgreatestpictures，theshopkeepersandtherichforeignersnoticedthemstillless。Moreover，Josephgavewayrathertoomuch，aswemustallacknowledge，toimaginativefancies，andthatproducedacertaininequalityinhisworkwhichhisenemiesmadeuseoftodenyhistalent。
　　“Highartisatalowebb，“saidhisfriendPierreGrassou，whomadedaubstosuitthetasteofthebourgeoisie，inwhoseappartementsfinepaintingswereatadiscount。
　　“Yououghttohaveawholecathedraltodecorate；that’swhatyouwant，“declaredSchinner；“thenyouwouldsilencecriticismwithamaster-stroke。“
　　Suchspeeches，whichalarmedthegoodAgathe，onlycorroboratedthejudgmentshehadlongsinceformeduponPhilippeandJoseph。Factssustainedthatjudgmentinthemindofawomanwhohadneverceasedtobeaprovincial。Philippe，herfavoritechild，washenotthegreatmanofthefamilyatlast？inhisearlyerrorsshesawonlytheebullitionsofyouth。Joseph，tothemeritofwhoseproductionsshewasinsensible，forshesawthemtoolonginprocessofgestationtoadmirethemwhenfinished，seemedtohernomoreadvancedin1828thanhewasin1816。PoorJosephowedmoney，andwasboweddownbytheburdenofdebt；hehadchosen，shefelt，aworthlesscareerthatmadehimnoreturn。ShecouldnotconceivewhytheyhadgivenhimthecrossoftheLegionofhonor。Philippe，ontheotherhand，richenoughtoceasegambling，aguestatthefetesofMADAME，thebrilliantcolonelwhoatallreviewsandinallprocessionsappearedbeforehereyesinsplendiduniforms，withhistwocrossesonhisbreast，realizedallhermaternaldreams。OnesuchdayofpublicceremonyeffacedfromAgathe’smindthehorriblesightofPhilippe’smiseryontheQuaidel’Ecole；onthatdayhepassedhismotherattheself-samespot，inattendanceontheDauphin，withplumesinhisshako，andhispelissegorgeouswithgoldandfur。Agathe，whotoherartistsonwasnowasortofdevotedgraysister，feltherselfthemotherofnonebutthedashingaide-de-camptohisRoyalHighness，theDauphinofFrance。
　　ProudofPhilippe，shefelthemadetheeaseandhappinessofherlife，——forgettingthatthelottery-office，bywhichshewasenabledtoliveatall，camethroughJoseph。
　　OnedayAgathenoticedthatherpoorartistwasmoreworriedthanusualbythebillofhiscolor-man，andshedetermined，thoughcursinghisprofessioninherheart，tofreehimfromhisdebts。Thepoorwomankeptthehousewiththeproceedsofheroffice，andtookcarenevertoaskJosephforafarthing。Consequentlyshehadnomoneyofherown；butshereliedonPhilippe’sgoodheartandwell-filledpurse。Forthreeyearsshehadwaitedinexpectationofhiscomingtoseeher；shenowimaginedthatifshemadeanappealtohimhewouldbringsomeenormoussum；andherthoughtsdweltonthehappinesssheshouldfeelingivingittoJoseph，whosejudgmentofhisbrother，likethatofMadameDescoings，wassounfair。
　　SayingnothingtoJoseph，shewrotethefollowinglettertoPhilippe:——
　　ToMonsieurlecomtedeBrambourg:
　　MydearPhilippe，——Youhavenotgiventheleastlittlewordofremembrancetoyourmotherforfiveyears。Thatisnotright。Youshouldrememberthepast，ifonlyforthesakeofyourexcellentbrother。Josephisnowinneedofmoney，andyouarefloatinginwealth；heworks，whileyouareflyingfromfetetofete。Younowpossess，alltoyourself，thepropertyofmybrother。LittleBornichetellsmeyoucannothavelessthantwohundredthousandfrancsayear。Well，then，comeandseeJoseph。Duringyourvisit，slipintotheskullafewthousand-francnotes。Philippe，youowethemtous；nevertheless，yourbrotherwillfeelgratefultoyou，nottospeakofthehappinessyouwillgiveYourmother，AgatheBridau，neeRougetTwodayslatertheconciergebroughttotheatelier，wherepoorAgathewasbreakfastingwithJoseph，thefollowingterribleletter:——
　　MydearMother，——AmandoesnotmarryaMademoiselleAmeliedeSoulangeswithoutthepurseofFortunatus，ifunderthenameofComtedeBrambourghehidesthatofYourson，PhilippeBridauAsAgathefellhalf-faintingonthesofa，theletterdroppedtothefloor。Theslightnoisemadebythepaper，andthesmotheredbutdreadfulexclamationwhichescapedAgathestartledJoseph，whohadforgottenhismotherforamomentandwasvehementlyrubbinginasketch；heleanedhisheadroundtheedgeofhiscanvastoseewhathadhappened。Thesightofhismotherstretchedoutonthefloormadehimdroppaletteandbrushes，andrushtoliftwhatseemedalifelessbody。HetookAgatheinhisarmsandcarriedhertoherownbed，andsenttheservantforhisfriendHoraceBianchon。AssoonashecouldquestionhismothershetoldhimofherlettertoPhilippe，andoftheanswershehadreceivedfromhim。Theartistwenttohisatelierandpickeduptheletter，whoseconcisebrutalityhadbrokenthetenderheartofthepoormother，andshatteredtheedificeoftrusthermaternalpreferencehaderected。WhenJosephreturnedtoherbedsidehehadthegoodfeelingtobesilent。Hedidnotspeakofhisbrotherinthethreeweeksduringwhich——wewillnotsaytheillness，but——thedeathagonyofthepoorwomanlasted。Bianchon，whocameeverydayandwatchedhispatientwiththedevotionofatruefriend，toldJosephthetruthonthefirstdayofherseizure。
　　“Atherage，“hesaid，“andunderthecircumstanceswhichhavehappenedtoher，allwecanhopetodoistomakeherdeathaslittlepainfulaspossible。“
　　SheherselffeltsosurelycalledofGodthatsheaskedthenextdayforthereligioushelpofoldAbbeLoraux，whohadbeenherconfessorformorethantwenty-twoyears。Assoonasshewasalonewithhim，andhadpouredhergriefsintohisheart，shesaid——asshehadsaidtoMadameHochon，andhadrepeatedtoherselfagainandagainthroughoutherlife:——
　　“WhathaveIdonetodispleaseGod？HaveInotlovedHimwithallmysoul？HaveIwanderedfromthepathofgrace？Whatismysin？CanIbeguiltyofwrongwhenIknownotwhatitis？HaveIthetimetorepairit？“
　　“No，“saidtheoldman，inagentlevoice。“Alas！yourlifeseemstohavebeenpureandyoursoulspotless；buttheeyeofGod，poorafflictedcreature，iskeenerthanthatofhisministers。Iseethetruthtoolate；foryouhavemisledevenme。“
　　Hearingthesewordsfromlipsthathadneverspokenotherthanpeacefulandpleasantwordstoher，Agatherosesuddenlyinherbedandopenedhereyeswide，withterroranddistress。
　　“Tellme！tellme！“shecried。
　　“Becomforted，“saidthepriest。“Yourpunishmentisaproofthatyouwillreceivepardon。Godchastenshiselect。Woetothosewhosemisdeedsmeetwithfortunatesuccess；theywillbekneadedagaininhumanityuntiltheyintheirturnaresorelypunishedforsimpleerrors，andarebroughttothematurityofcelestialfruits。Yourlife，mydaughter，hasbeenonelongerror。Youhavefallenintothepitwhichyoudugforyourself；wefaileveronthesidewehaveourselvesweakened。Yougaveyourhearttoanunnaturalson，inwhomyoumadeyourglory，andyouhavemisunderstoodthechildwhoisyourtrueglory。Youhavebeensodeeplyunjustthatyouneverevensawthestrikingcontrastbetweenthebrothers。YouowethecomfortofyourlifetoJoseph，whileyourothersonhaspillagedyourepeatedly。Thepoorson，wholovesyouwithnoreturnofequaltenderness，givesyouallthecomfortthatyourlifehashad；therichson，whoneverthinksofyou，despisesyouanddesiresyourdeath——“
　　“Oh！no，“shecried。
　　“Yes，“resumedthepriest，“yourhumblepositionstandsinthewayofhisproudhopes。Mother，theseareyoursins！Woman，yoursorrowsandyouranguishforetellthatyoushallknowthepeaceofGod。YoursonJosephissonoblethathistendernesshasneverbeenlessenedbytheinjusticeyourmaternalpreferenceshavedonehim。Lovehimnow；givehimallyourheartduringyourremainingdays；prayforhim，asI