Honore de Balzac

The Two Brothers Honore de Balzac

The two brothers are Philippe and Joseph Bridau. Five years prior, Philippe, a dashing young officer, was Napoleon's aide-de-camp but he is now on half pay. Joseph is a poor aspiring artist. Their mother Agathe Bridau, a widow, has combined her resources with those of her aunt, Madame Descoings and set up a household in Paris. The story takes place in Paris and in Issoudun, one hundred miles south of Paris where Agathe's well-to-do brother, Jean-Jacques Rouget, lives. Some years ago, M. Rouget took a young peasant girl into his household. She is now grown and rules not only the household but the old gentleman who loves her passionately. She has fallen in love with Max, a thorough rake who calls himself the "Grand Master of the Order of Idleness." His main interest in Flore is the financial gain she might be able to obtain from M. Rouget.