InspiteofthecoolnessanddiscretionwithwhichPhilippeplayedhistriflinggameeverynight，ithappenedeverynowandthenthathewaswhatgamblerscall“cleanedout。“Drivenbytheirresistiblenecessityofhavinghiseveningstakeoftenfrancs，heplunderedthehousehold，andlaidhandsonhisbrother’smoneyandonallthatMadameDescoingsorAgatheleftabout。Alreadythepoormotherhadhadadreadfulvisioninherfirstsleep:Philippeenteredtheroomandtookfromthepocketsofhergownallthemoneyhecouldfind。Agathepretendedtosleep，butshepassedtherestofthenightintears。Shesawthetruthonlytooclearly。“Onewrongactisnotavice，“MadameDescoingshaddeclared；butaftersomanyrepetitions，vicewasunmistakable。Agathecoulddoubtnolonger；herbest-belovedsonhadneitherdelicacynorhonor。
Onthemorrowofthatfrightfulvision，beforePhilippeleftthehouseafterbreakfast，shedrewhimintoherchamberandbeggedhim，inatoneofentreaty，toaskherforwhatmoneyheneeded。Afterthat，theapplicationsweresonumerousthatintwoweeksAgathewasdrainedofallhersavings。Shewasliterallywithoutapenny，andbegantothinkoffindingwork。ThemeansofearningmoneyhadbeendiscussedintheeveningsbetweenherselfandMadameDescoings，andshehadalreadytakenpatternsofworstedworktofillin，fromashopcalledthe“PeredeFamille，“——anemploymentwhichpaysabouttwentysousaday。
NotwithstandingAgathe’ssilenceonthesubject，MadameDescoingshadguessedthemotiveofthisdesiretoearnmoneybywomen’s-work。Thechangeinherappearancewaseloquent:herfreshfacehadwithered，theskinclungtothetemplesandthecheek-bones，andtheforeheadshoweddeeplines；hereyeslosttheirclearness；aninwardfirewasevidentlyconsumingher；sheweptthegreaterpartofthenight。A
chiefcauseoftheseoutwardravageswasthenecessityofhidingheranguish，hersufferings，herapprehensions。SheneverwenttosleepuntilPhilippecamein；shelistenedforhisstep，shehadlearnedtheinflectionsofhisvoice，thevariationsofhiswalk，theverylanguageofhiscaneasittouchedthepavement。Nothingescapedher。
Sheknewthedegreeofdrunkennesshehadreached，shetrembledassheheardhimstumbleonthestairs；onenightshepickedupsomepiecesofgoldatthespotwherehehadfallen。Whenhehaddrunkandwon，hisvoicewasgruffandhiscanedragged；butwhenhehadlost，hisstephadsomethingsharp，shortandangryaboutit；hehummedinaclearvoice，andcarriedhiscaneintheairasifpresentingarms。Atbreakfast，ifhehadwon，hisbehaviorwasgayandevenaffectionate；
hejokedroughly，butstillhejoked，withMadameDescoings，withJoseph，andwithhismother；gloomy，onthecontrary，whenhehadlost，hisbrusque，roughspeech，hishardglance，andhisdepression，frightenedthem。Alifeofdebauchandtheabuseofliquorsdebased，daybyday，acountenancethatwasoncesohandsome。Theveinsofthefacewereswollenwithblood，thefeaturesbecamecoarse，theeyeslosttheirlashesandgrewhardanddry。Nolongercarefulofhisperson，Philippeexhaledthemiasmasofatavernandthesmellofmuddyboots，which，toanobserver，stampedhimwithdebauchery。
“Youought，“saidMadameDescoingstoPhilippeduringthelastdaysofDecember，“yououghttogetyourselfnew-clothedfromheadtofoot。“
“Andwhoistopayforit？“heansweredsharply。“Mypoormotherhasn’tasou；andIhavefivehundredfrancsayear。Itwouldtakemywholeyear’spensiontopayfortheclothes；besidesIhavemortgageditforthreeyears——“
“Whatfor？“askedJoseph。
“Adebtofhonor。GiroudeauborrowedathousandfrancsfromFlorentinetolendme。Iamnotgorgeous，that’safact；butwhenonethinksthatNapoleonisatSaintHelena，andhassoldhisplateforthemeansofliving，hisfaithfulsoldierscanmanagetowalkontheirbarefeet，“
hesaid，showinghisbootswithoutheels，ashemarchedaway。
“Heisnotbad，“saidAgathe，“hehasgoodfeelings。“
“YoucanlovetheEmperorandyetdressyourselfproperly，“saidJoseph。“Ifhewouldtakeanycareofhimselfandhisclothes，hewouldn’tlooksolikeavagabond。“
“Joseph！yououghttohavesomeindulgenceforyourbrother，“criedAgathe。“Youdothethingsyoulike，whileheiscertainlynotinhisrightplace。“
“Whatdidheleaveitfor？“demandedJoseph。“WhatcanitmattertohimwhetherLouistheEighteenth’sbugsorNapoleon’scuckoosareontheflag，ifitistheflagofhiscountry？FranceisFrance！Formypart，I’dpaintforthedevil。Asoldieroughttofight，ifheisasoldier，fortheloveofhisart。Ifhehadstayedquietlyinthearmy，hewouldhavebeenageneralbythistime。“
“Youareunjusttohim，“saidAgathe，“yourfather，whoadoredtheEmperor，wouldhaveapprovedofhisconduct。However，hehasconsentedtore-enterthearmy。Godknowsthegriefithascausedyourbrothertodoathingheconsiderstreachery。“
Josephrosetoreturntohisstudio，buthismothertookhishandandsaid:——
“Begoodtoyourbrother；heissounfortunate。“
Whentheartistgotbacktohispainting-room，followedbyMadameDescoings，whobeggedhimtohumorhismother’sfeelings，andpointedouttohimhowchangedshewas，andwhatinwardsufferingthechangerevealed，theyfoundPhilippethere，totheirgreatamazement。
“Joseph，myboy，“hesaid，inanoff-handway，“Iwantsomemoney。
Confoundit！Iowethirtyfrancsforcigarsatmytobacconist’s，andI
darenotpassthecursedshoptillI’vepaidit。I’vepromisedtopayitadozentimes。“
“Well，Ilikeyourpresentwaybest，“saidJoseph；“takewhatyouwantoutoftheskull。“
“Itookalltherewaslastnight，afterdinner。“
“Therewasforty-fivefrancs。“
“Yes，that’swhatImadeit，“repliedPhilippe。“Itookthem；isthereanyobjection？“
“No，myfriend，no，“saidJoseph。“Ifyouwererich，Ishoulddothesamebyyou；only，beforetakingwhatIwanted，Ishouldaskyouifitwereconvenient。“
“Itisveryhumiliatingtoask，“remarkedPhilippe；“IwouldratherseeyoutakingasIdo，withoutaword；itshowsmoreconfidence。Inthearmy，ifacomradedies，andhasagoodpairofboots，andyouhaveabadpair，youchange，that’sall。“
“Yes，butyoudon’ttakethemwhileheisliving。“
“Oh，whatmeanness！“saidPhilippe，shrugginghisshoulders。“Well，soyouhaven’tgotanymoney？“
“No，“saidJoseph，whowasdeterminednottoshowhishiding-place。
“Inafewdaysweshallberich，“saidMadameDescoings。
“Yes，you；youthinkyourtreyisgoingtoturnuponthe25thattheParisdrawing。Youmusthaveputinafinestakeifyouthinkyoucanmakeusallrich。“
“Apaid-uptreyoftwohundredfrancswillgivethreemillions，withoutcountingthecoupletsandthesingles。“
“Atfifteenthousandtimesthestake——yes，youareright；itisjusttwohundredyoumustpayup！“criedPhilippe。
MadameDescoingsbitherlips；sheknewshehadspokenimprudently。Infact，Philippewasaskinghimselfashewentdownstairs:——
“Thatoldwitch！wheredoesshekeephermoney？Itisasgoodaslost；
Icanmakeabetteruseofit。Withfourpoolsatfiftyfrancseach，I
couldwintwohundredthousandfrancs，andthat’smuchsurerthantheturningupofatrey。“
Hetriedtothinkwheretheoldwomanwaslikelytohavehidthemoney。Onthedaysprecedingfestivals，Agathewenttochurchandstayedtherealongtime；nodoubtsheconfessedandpreparedforthecommunion。ItwasnowthedaybeforeChristmas；MadameDescoingswouldcertainlygoouttobuysomedaintiesforthe“reveillon，“themidnightmeal；andshemightalsotakeoccasiontopayupherstake。
Thelotterywasdrawneveryfivedaysindifferentlocalities，atBordeaux，Lyons，Lille，Strasburg，andParis。TheParislotterywasdrawnonthetwenty-fifthofeachmonth，andthelistsclosedonthetwenty-fourth，atmidnight。Philippestudiedallthesepointsandsethimselftowatch。Hecamehomeatmidday；theDescoingshadgoneout，andhadtakenthekeyoftheappartement。Butthatwasnodifficulty。
Philippepretendedtohaveforgottensomething，andaskedtheconciergetogoherselfandgetalocksmith，wholivedcloseby，andwhocameatonceandopenedthedoor。Thevillain’sfirstthoughtwasthebed；heuncoveredit，passedhishandsoverthemattressbeforeheexaminedthebedstead，andatthelowerendfeltthepieceswrappedupinpaper。Heatoncerippedtheticking，pickedouttwentynapoleons，andthen，withouttakingtimetosewupthemattress，re-madethebedneatlyenough，sothatMadameDescoingscouldsuspectnothing。
