Joseph，whowasnowtwenty-one，andmuchthoughtofbythefriendswhohadstoodbyhiminhisdaysoftrial，felthisownstrengthandwasawareofhistalent；herepresentedtheartofpaintinginacircleofyoungmenwhoselivesweredevotedtoscience，letters，politics，andphilosophy。Consequently，hewaswoundedbyhisbrother’scontempt，whichPhilippestillfurtheremphasizedwithagesture，pullinghisearsasifhewerestillachild。AgathenoticedthecoolnesswhichsucceededthefirstglowoftendernessonthepartofJosephandMadameDescoings；butshehastenedtotellthemofPhilippe’ssufferingsinexile，andsolessenedit。MadameDescoings，wishingtomakeafestivalofthereturnoftheprodigal，asshecalledhimunderherbreath，hadpreparedoneofhergooddinners，towhicholdClaparonandtheelderDesrocheswereinvited。Allthefamilyfriendsweretocome，anddidcome，intheevening。JosephhadinvitedLeonGiraud，d’Arthez，MichelChrestien，FulgenceRidal，andHoraceBianchon，hisfriendsofthefraternity。MadameDescoingshadpromisedBixiou，herso-calledstep-son，thattheyoungpeopleshouldplayatecarte。Desrochestheyounger，whohadnowtaken，underhisfather’ssternrule，hisdegreeatlaw，wasalsooftheparty。DuBruel，Claparon，Desroches，andtheAbbeLorauxcarefullyobservedthereturnedexile，whosemannersandcoarsefeatures，andvoiceroughenedbytheabuseofliquors，togetherwithhisvulgarglanceandphraseology，alarmedthemnotalittle。WhileJosephwasplacingthecard-tables，themoreintimateofthefamilyfriendssurroundedAgatheandasked，——
“WhatdoyouintendtomakeofPhilippe？“
“Idon’tknow，“sheanswered，“butheisdeterminednottoservetheBourbons。“
“ThenitwillbeverydifficultforyoutofindhimaplaceinFrance。
Ifhewon’tre-enterthearmy，hecan’tbereadilygotintogovernmentemploy，“saidoldDuBruel。“Andyouhaveonlytolistentohimtoseehecouldnever，likemyson，makehisfortunebywritingplays。“
ThemotionofAgathe’seyes，withwhichalonesherepliedtothisspeech，showedhowanxiousPhilippe’sfuturemadeher；theyallkeptsilence。Theexilehimself，Bixiou，andtheyoungerDesrocheswereplayingatecarte，agamewhichwasthentherage。
“MamanDescoings，mybrotherhasnomoneytoplaywith，“whisperedJosephinthegoodwoman’sear。
ThedevoteeoftheRoyalLotteryfetchedtwentyfrancsandgavethemtotheartist，whoslippedthemsecretlyintohisbrother’shand。Allthecompanywerenowassembled。Thereweretwotablesofboston；andthepartygrewlively。Philippeprovedabadplayer:afterwinningforawhile，hebegantolose；andbyeleveno’clockheowedfiftyfrancstoyoungDesrochesandtoBixiou。Theracketandthedisputesattheecartetableresoundedmorethanonceintheearsofthemorepeacefulbostonplayers，whowerewatchingPhilippesurreptitiously。TheexileshowedsuchsignsofbadtemperthatinhisfinaldisputewiththeyoungerDesroches，whowasnonetooamiablehimself，theelderDesrochesjoinedin，andthoughhissonwasdecidedlyintheright，hedeclaredhewasinthewrong，andforbadehimtoplayanymore。MadameDescoingsdidthesamewithhergrandson，whowasbeginningtoletflycertainwitticisms；andalthoughPhilippe，sofar，hadnotunderstoodhim，therewasalwaysachancethatoneofthebarbedarrowsmightpiecethecolonel’sthickskullandputthesharpjesterinperil。
“Youmustbetired，“whisperedAgatheinPhilippe’sear；“cometobed。“
“Traveleducatesyouth，“saidBixiou，grinning，whenMadameBridauandthecolonelhaddisappeared。
Joseph，whogotupatdawnandwenttobedearly，didnotseetheendoftheparty。ThenextmorningAgatheandMadameDescoings，whilepreparingbreakfast，couldnothelpremarkingthatsoireswouldbeterriblyexpensiveifPhilippeweretogoonplayingthatsortofgame，astheDescoingsphrasedit。Theworthyoldwoman，thenseventy-
sixyearsofage，proposedtosellherfurniture，giveupherappartementonthesecondfloor(whichtheownerwasonlytoogladtooccupy)，andtakeAgathe’sparlorforherchamber，makingtheotherroomasitting-roomanddining-roomforthefamily。Inthiswaytheycouldsavesevenhundredfrancsayear；whichwouldenablethemtogivePhilippefiftyfrancsamonthuntilhecouldfindsomethingtodo。Agatheacceptedthesacrifice。Whenthecolonelcamedownandhismotherhadaskedhowhelikedhislittlebedroom，thetwowidowsexplainedtohimthesituationofthefamily。MadameDescoingsandAgathepossessed，byputtingalltheirresourcestogether，anincomeoffivethousandthreehundredfrancs，fourthousandofwhichbelongedtoMadameDescoingsandweremerelyalifeannuity。TheDescoingsmadeanallowanceofsixhundredayeartoBixiou，whomshehadacknowledgedashergrandsonduringthelastfewmonths，alsosixhundredtoJoseph；therestofherincome，togetherwiththatofAgathe，wasspentforthehouseholdwants。Alltheirsavingswerebythistimeeatenup。
“Makeyourselveseasy，“saidthelieutenant-colonel。“I’llfindasituationandputyoutonoexpense；allIneedforthepresentisboardandlodging。“
Agathekissedherson，andMadameDescoingsslippedahundredfrancsintohishandtopayforhislossesofthenightbefore。Intendaysthefurniturewassold，theappartementgivenup，andthechangeinAgathe’sdomesticarrangementsaccomplishedwithacelerityseldomseenoutsideofParis。Duringthosetendays，Philipperegularlydecampedafterbreakfast，camebackfordinner，wasoffagainfortheevening，andonlygothomeaboutmidnighttogotobed。Hecontractedcertainhabitshalfmechanically，andtheysoonbecamerootedinhim；
hegothisbootsblackedonthePontNeufforthetwosousitwouldhavecosthimtogobythePontdesArtstothePalais-Royal，whereheconsumedregularlytwoglassesofbrandywhilereadingthenewspapers，——anoccupationwhichemployedhimtillmidday；afterthathesaunteredalongtherueViviennetothecafeMinerve，wheretheLiberalscongregated，andwhereheplayedatbilliardswithanumberofoldcomrades。Whilewinningandlosing，Philippeswallowedfourorfivemoreglassesofdiversliquors，andsmokedtenoradozencigarsingoingandcoming，andidlingalongthestreets。Intheevening，afterconsumingafewpipesattheHollandaissmoking-rooms，hewouldgotosomegambling-placetowardsteno’clockatnight。Thewaiterhandedhimacardandapin；healwaysinquiredofcertainwell-
seasonedplayersaboutthechancesoftheredortheblack，andstakedtenfrancswhentheluckymomentseemedtocome；neverplayingmorethanthreetimes，winorlose。Ifhewon，whichusuallyhappened，hedrankatumblerofpunchandwenthometohisgarret；butbythattimehetalkedofsmashingtheultrasandtheBourbonbody-guard，andtrolledout，ashemountedthestaircase，“WewatchtosavetheEmpire！“Hispoormother，hearinghim，usedtothink“HowgayPhilippeisto-night！“andthenshewouldcreepupandkisshim，withoutcomplainingofthefetidodorsofthepunch，andthebrandy，andthepipes。
“Yououghttobesatisfiedwithme，mydearmother，“hesaid，towardstheendofJanuary；“Ileadthemostregularoflives。“
Thecolonelhaddinedfivetimesatarestaurantwithsomeofhisarmycomrades。Theseoldsoldierswerequitefrankwitheachotheronthestateoftheirownaffairs，allthewhiletalkingofcertainhopeswhichtheybasedonthebuildingofasubmarinevessel，expectedtobringaboutthedeliveranceoftheEmperor。Amongtheseformercomrades，PhilippeparticularlylikedanoldcaptainofthedragoonsoftheGuard，namedGiroudeau，inwhosecompanyhehadseenhisfirstservice。ThisfriendshipwiththelatedragoonledPhilippeintocompletingwhatRabelaiscalled“thedevil’sequipage“；andheaddedtohisdrams，andhistobacco，andhisplay，a“fourthwheel。“
OneeveningatthebeginningofFebruary，GiroudeautookPhilippeafterdinnertotheGaite，occupyingafreeboxsenttoatheatricaljournalbelongingtohisnephewFinot，inwhoseofficeGiroudeauwascashierandsecretary。BothweredressedafterthefashionoftheBonapartistofficerswhonowbelongedtotheConstitutionalOpposition；theyworeampleovercoatswithsquarecollars，buttonedtothechinandcomingdowntotheirheels，anddecoratedwiththerosetteoftheLegionofhonor；andtheycarriedmalaccacaneswithloadedknobs，whichtheyheldbystringsofbraidedleather。Thelatetroopershadjust(touseoneoftheirownexpressions)“madeaboutofit，“andweremutuallyunbosomingtheirheartsastheyenteredthebox。Throughthefumesofacertainnumberofbottlesandvariousglassesofvariousliquors，GiroudeaupointedouttoPhilippeaplumpandagilelittleballet-girlwhomhecalledFlorentine，whosegoodgracesandaffection，togetherwiththebox，belongedtohimastherepresentativeofanall-powerfuljournal。
“But，“saidPhilippe，“Ishouldliketoknowhowfarhergoodgracesgoforsuchaniron-grayoldtrooperasyou。“
“ThankGod，“repliedGiroudeau，“I’vestucktothetraditionsofourgloriousuniform。Ihaveneverwastedafarthinguponawomaninmylife。“
“What’sthat？“saidPhilippe，puttingafingeronhislefteye。
“Thatisso，“answeredGiroudeau。“But，betweenourselves，thenewspapercountsforagooddeal。To-morrow，inacoupleoflines，weshalladvisethemanagerstoletMademoiselleFlorentinedanceaparticularstep，andsoforth。Faith，mydearboy，I’muncommonlylucky！“
“Well！“thoughtPhilippe；“ifthisworthyGiroudeau，withaskullaspolishedasmyknee，forty-eightyears，abigstomach，afacelikeaploughman，andanoselikeapotato，cangetaballet-girl，IoughttobetheloverofthefirstactressinParis。Wheredoesonefindsuchluck？“hesaidaloud。
“I’llshowyouFlorentine’splaceto-night。MyDulcineaonlyearnsfiftyfrancsamonthatthetheatre，“addedGiroudeau，“butsheisveryprettilysetup，thankstoanoldsilkdealernamedCardot，whogivesherfivehundredfrancsamonth。“
“Well，but——？“exclaimedthejealousPhilippe。
“Bah！“saidGiroudeau；“trueloveisblind。“
WhentheplaywasoverGiroudeautookPhilippetoMademoiselleFlorentine’sappartement，whichwasclosetothetheatre，intheruedeCrussol。
“Wemustbehaveourselves，“saidGiroudeau。“Florentine’smotherishere。Yousee，Ihaven’tthemeanstopayforone，sotheworthywomanisreallyherownmother。Sheusedtobeaconcierge，butshe’snotwithoutintelligence。CallherMadame；shemakesapointofit。“
Florentinehappenedthatnighttohaveafriendwithher，——acertainMarieGodeschal，beautifulasanangel，coldasadanseuse，andapupilofVestris，whoforetoldforheragreatchoregraphicdestiny。
