"No," said Joseph, "that is how they are copied."

"How much do they pay you for that?"



"Eh! never enough; two hundred and fifty francs. But I study the

manner of the masters and learn a great deal; I found out the secrets



of their method. There's one of my own pictures," he added, pointing

with the end of his brush to a sketch with the colors still moist.



"How much do you pocket in a year?"

"Unfortunately, I am known only to painters. Schinner backs me; and he



has got me some work at the Chateau de Presles, where I am going in

October to do some arabesques, panels, and other decorations, for



which the Comte de Serizy, no doubt, will pay well. With such trifles

and with orders from the dealers, I may manage to earn eighteen



hundred to two thousand francs a year over and above the working

expenses. I shall send that picture to the next exhibition; if it hits



the public taste, my fortune is made. My friends think well of it."

"I don't know anything about such things," said Philippe, in a subdued



voice which caused Joseph to turn and look at him.

"What is the matter?" said the artist, seeing that his brother was



very pale.

"I should like to know how long it would take you to paint my



portrait?"

"If I worked steadily, and the weather were clear, I could finish it



in three or four days."

"That's too long; I have only one day to give you. My poor mother



loves me so much that I wished to leave her my likeness. We will say

no more about it."



"Why! are you going away again?"

"I am going never to return," replied Philippe with an air of forced



gayety.

"Look here, Philippe, what is the matter? If it is anything serious, I



am a man and not a ninny. I am accustomed to hard struggles, and if

discretion is needed, I have it."



"Are you sure?"

"On my honor."



"You will tell no one, no matter who?"

"No one."



"Well, I am going to blow my brains out."

"You!--are you going to fight a duel?"



"I am going to kill myself."

"Why?"



"I have taken eleven hundred francs from the funds in my hands; I have

got to send in my accounts to-morrow morning. Half my security is



lost; our poor mother will be reduced to six hundred francs a year.

That would be nothing! I could make a fortune for her later; but I am



dishonored! I cannot live under dishonor--"

"You will not be dishonored if it is paid back. To be sure, you will



lose your place, and you will only have the five hundred francs a year

from your cross; but you can live on five hundred francs."



"Farewell!" said Philippe, running rapidly downstairs, and not waiting

to hear another word.



Joseph left his studio and went down to breakfast with his mother; but

Philippe's confession had taken away his appetite. He took Madame



Descoings aside and told her the terrible news. The old woman made a

frightened exclamation, let fall the saucepan of milk she had in her



hand, and flung herself into a chair. Agathe rushed in; from one

exclamation to another the mother gathered the fatal truth.



"He! to fail in honor! the son of Bridau to take the money that was

trusted to him!"



The widow trembled in every limb; her eyes dilated and then grew

fixed; she sat down and burst into tears.



"Where is he?" she cried amid the sobs. "Perhaps he has flung himself

into the Seine."



"You must not give up all hope," said Madame Descoings, "because a

poor lad has met with a bad woman who has led him to do wrong. Dear



me! we see that every day. Philippe has had such misfortunes! he has

had so little chance to be happy and loved that we ought not to be



surprised at his passion for that creature. All passions lead to

excess. My own life is not without reproach of that kind, and yet I



call myself an honest woman. A single fault is not vice; and after

all, it is only those who do nothing that are never deceived."



Agathe's despairovercame her so much that Joseph and the Descoings

were obliged to lessen Philippe's wrong-doings by assuring her that



such things happened in all families.

"But he is twenty-eight years old," cried Agathe, "he is no longer a

• security [si´kjuəriti] n.安全；证券；抵押品 (初中英语单词)


• deposit [di´pɔzit] vt.存放，存储 n.存款 (初中英语单词)


• prospect [´prɔspekt, prəs´pekt] n.景色；境界 v.勘察 (初中英语单词)


• journal [´dʒə:nəl] n.日记；日报；杂志 (初中英语单词)


• remind [ri´maind] vt.提醒；使记(想)起 (初中英语单词)


• willing [´wiliŋ] a.情愿的，乐意的 (初中英语单词)


• celebrated [´selibreitid] a.著名的 (初中英语单词)


• moreover [mɔ:´rəuvə] ad.再者，此外，而且 (初中英语单词)


• ambassador [æm´bæsədə] n.大使 (初中英语单词)


• banker [´bæŋkə] n.银行家 (初中英语单词)


• funeral [´fju:nərəl] n.葬礼，丧葬；困难 (初中英语单词)


• behave [bi´heiv] v.举止；表现；举止端正 (初中英语单词)


• knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)


• motive [´məutiv] n.动机；主题 a.运动的 (初中英语单词)


• whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)


• singer [´siŋə] n.歌手，演唱者 (初中英语单词)


• passion [´pæʃən] n.激情；激怒；恋爱 (初中英语单词)


• nevertheless [,nevəðə´les] conj.&ad.然而；不过 (初中英语单词)


• acknowledge [ək´nɔlidʒ] vt.(公开)承认；感谢 (初中英语单词)


• mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)


• conscious [´kɔnʃəs] a.意识的；自觉的 (初中英语单词)


• otherwise [´ʌðəwaiz] ad.另外 conj.否则 (初中英语单词)


• luxury [´lʌkʃəri] n.奢侈(品)；享受 (初中英语单词)


• tobacco [tə´bækəu] n.烟草(叶)；卷烟 (初中英语单词)


• plainly [´pleinli] ad.平坦地；简单地 (初中英语单词)


• account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)


• atmosphere [´ætməsfiə] n.大气；空气；气氛 (初中英语单词)


• sketch [sketʃ] n.素描；短剧 v.草拟 (初中英语单词)


• steadily [´stedili] ad.坚定地；不断地 (初中英语单词)


• running [´rʌniŋ] a.奔跑的；流动的 (初中英语单词)


• downstairs [,daun´steəz] ad.在楼下 a.楼下的 (初中英语单词)


• appetite [´æpitait] n.欲望；食欲 (初中英语单词)


• despair [di´speə] vi.&n.绝望 (初中英语单词)


• desperately [´despəritli] ad.绝望地；拼命地 (高中英语单词)


• fortunately [´fɔ:tʃənətli] ad.幸运地 (高中英语单词)


• lodging [´lɔdʒiŋ] n.寄宿，住宿 (高中英语单词)


• generosity [,dʒenə´rɔsiti] n.慷慨；慷慨的行为 (高中英语单词)


• colonel [´kə:nəl] n.海(陆)军上校 (高中英语单词)


• finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)


• delicacy [´delikəsi] n.精美；娇弱，微妙 (高中英语单词)


• actress [´æktris] n.女演员 (高中英语单词)


• remainder [ri´meində] n.剩余物；残余部分 (高中英语单词)


• notwithstanding [,nɔtwiθ´stændiŋ] prep.&conj.虽然；还是 (高中英语单词)


• temporary [´tempərəri] a.暂时的 n.临时工 (高中英语单词)


• loving [´lʌviŋ] a.爱的，有爱情的 (高中英语单词)


• ladder [´lædə] n.梯子；阶梯 (高中英语单词)


• racket [´rækit] n.(网球等的)拍；球拍 (高中英语单词)


• offering [´ɔfəriŋ] n.提供；礼物；捐献 (高中英语单词)


• continual [kən´tinjuəl] a.不断的，频繁的 (高中英语单词)


• gloomy [´glu:mi] a.昏暗的；忧郁的 (高中英语单词)


• exhibition [eksi´biʃ(ə)n] n.展览；显示；表演 (高中英语单词)


• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)


• likeness [´laiknis] n.相似；肖像；外表 (高中英语单词)


• studio [´stju:diəu] n.画室；照相室 (高中英语单词)


• confession [kən´feʃən] n.招供；认错；交待 (高中英语单词)


• reproach [ri´prəutʃ] vt.&n.责备；指责；耻辱 (高中英语单词)


• lessen [´lesən] v.减少；缩小 (高中英语单词)


• cashier [kæ´ʃiə] n.出纳员 (英语四级单词)


• unjust [ʌn´dʒʌst] a.不公平(正)的 (英语四级单词)


• resolved [ri´zɔlvd] a.决心的；坚定的 (英语四级单词)


• luxurious [lʌg´zjuəriəs] a.奢侈的；豪华的 (英语四级单词)


• mischievous [´mistʃivəs] a.有害的；淘气的 (英语四级单词)


• devoted [di´vəutid] a.献身…的，忠实的 (英语四级单词)


• diplomatic [,diplə´mætik] a.外交的 (英语四级单词)


• brutal [´bru:tl] a.兽性的；残暴的 (英语四级单词)


• brandy [´brændi] n.白兰地酒 (英语四级单词)


• blouse [blauz] n.女衬衫；短上衣 (英语四级单词)


• chateau [´ʃætəu] n.城堡；公馆，邸宅 (英语四级单词)


• exclamation [,eksklə´meiʃən] n.喊(惊)叫；感叹词 (英语四级单词)


• saucepan [´sɔ:spən] n.长柄有盖的深平底锅 (英语四级单词)


• overcame [,əuvə´keim] overcome的过去式 (英语四级单词)


• grecian [´gri:ʃən] a.古希腊的 n.希腊人 (英语六级单词)


• mercenary [´mə:sinəri] a.唯利是图的；雇佣的 (英语六级单词)


• inability [,inə´biliti] n.无能，无力 (英语六级单词)


• deficit [´defisit] n.缺乏，赤字，亏空 (英语六级单词)