Thedayafterhisarrival，Philippecalleduponhisuncleaboutteno’clockinthemorning，anxioustopresenthimselfinhisdilapidatedclothing。WhentheconvalescentoftheHopitalduMidi，theprisoneroftheLuxembourg，enteredtheroom，FloreBrazierfeltashiverpassoverherattherepulsivesight。Gilethimselfwasconsciousofthatparticulardisturbancebothofmindandbody，bywhichNaturesometimeswarnsusofalatentenmity，oracomingdanger。IftherewassomethingindescribablysinisterinPhilippe’scountenance，duetohisrecentmisfortunes，theeffectwasheightenedbyhisclothes。Hisforlornbluegreat-coatwasbuttonedinmilitaryfashiontothethroat，forpainfulreasons；andyetitshowedmuchthatitpretendedtoconceal。Thebottomedgesofthetrousers，raggedlikethoseofanalmshousebeggar，werethesignofabjectpoverty。Thebootsleftwetsplashesonthefloor，asthemudoozedfromfissuresinthesoles。
Thegrayhat，whichthecolonelheldinhishand，washorriblygreasyroundtherim。Themalaccacane，fromwhichthepolishhadlongdisappeared，musthavestoodinallthecornersofallthecafesinParis，andpokeditsworn-outendintomanyacorruption。Abovethevelvetcollar，rubbedandworntilltheframeshowedthroughit，roseaheadlikethatwhichFrederickLemaitremakesupforthelastactin“TheLifeofaGambler，“——wheretheexhaustionofamanstillintheprimeoflifeisbetrayedbythemetallic，brassyskin，discoloredasifwithverdigris。Suchtintsareseenonthefacesofdebauchedgamblerswhospendtheirnightsinplay:theeyesaresunkeninaduskycircle，thelidsarereddenedratherthanred，thebrowismenacingfromthewreckandruinitreveals。Philippe’scheeks，whichweresunkenandwrinkled，showedsignsoftheillnessfromwhichhehadscarcelyrecovered。Hisheadwasbald，exceptforafringeofhairatthebackwhichendedattheears。Thepureblueofhisbrillianteyeshadacquiredthecoldtonesofpolishedsteel。
“Good-morning，uncle，“hesaid，inahoarsevoice。“Iamyournephew，PhilippeBridau，——aspecimenofhowtheBourbonstreatalieutenant-
colonel，anoldsoldieroftheoldarmy，onewhocarriedtheEmperor’sordersatthebattleofMontereau。Ifmycoatweretoopen，IshouldbeputtoshameinpresenceofMademoiselle。Well，itistheruleofthegame！Wehopedtobeginitagain；wetriedit，andwehavefailed！
Iamtoresideinyourcitybytheorderofthepolice，withafullpayofsixtyfrancsamonth。Sotheinhabitantsneedn’tfearthatI
shallraisethepriceofprovisions！Iseeyouareingoodandlovelycompany。“
“Ah！youaremynephew，“saidJean-Jacques。
“Invitemonsieurlecoloneltobreakfastwithus，“saidFlore。
“No，Ithankyou，madame，“answeredPhilippe，“Ihavebreakfasted。
Besides，Iwouldcutoffmyhandsoonerthanaskabitofbreadorafarthingfrommyuncle，afterthetreatmentmymotherandbrotherreceivedinthistown。Itdidnotseemproper，however，thatIshouldsettlehere，inIssoudun，withoutpayingmyrespectstohimfromtimetotime。Youcandowhatyoulike，“headded，offeringtheoldmanhishand，intowhichRougetputhisown，whichPhilippeshook，“——whateveryoulike。Ishallhavenothingtosayagainstit；providedthehonoroftheBridausisuntouched。“
Giletcouldlookatthelieutenant-colonelasmuchashepleased，forPhilippepointedlyavoidedcastinghiseyesinhisdirection。Max，thoughthebloodboiledinhisveins，wastoowellawareoftheimportanceofbehavingwithpoliticalprudence——whichoccasionallyresemblescowardice——totakefirelikeayoungman；heremained，therefore，perfectlycalmandcold。
“Itwouldn’tberight，monsieur，“saidFlore，“toliveonsixtyfrancsamonthunderthenoseofanunclewhohasfortythousandfrancsayear，andwhohasalreadybehavedsokindlytoCaptainGilet，hisnaturalrelation，herepresent——“
“Yes，Philippe，“criedtheoldman，“youmustseethat！“
OnFlore’spresentation，Philippemadeahalf-timidbowtoMax。
“Uncle，Ihavesomepicturestoreturntoyou；theyarenowatMonsieurHochon’s。Willyoubekindenoughtocomeoversomedayandidentifythem。“
Sayingtheselastwordsinacurttone，lieutenant-colonelPhilippeBridaudeparted。Thetoneofhisvisitmade，ifpossible，adeeperimpressiononFlore’smind，andalsoonthatofMax，thantheshocktheyhadfeltatthefirstsightofthathorriblecampaigner。AssoonasPhilippehadslammedthedoor，withtheviolenceofadisinheritedheir，MaxandFlorehidbehindthewindow-curtainstowatchhimashecrossedtheroad，totheHochons’。
“Whatavagabond！“exclaimedFlore，questioningMaxwithaglanceofhereye。
“Yes；unfortunatelythereweremenlikehiminthearmiesoftheEmperor；IsentseventotheshadesatCabrera，“answeredGilet。
“Idohope，Max，thatyouwon’tpickaquarrelwiththatfellow，“saidMademoiselleBrazier。
“Hesmeltsooftobacco，“complainedtheoldman。
“Hewassmellingafteryourmoney-bags，“saidFlore，inaperemptorytone。“Myadviceisthatyoudon’tlethimintothehouseagain。“
“I’dprefernotto，“repliedRouget。
“Monsieur，“saidGritte，enteringtheroomwheretheHochonfamilywereallassembledafterbreakfast，“hereistheMonsieurBridauyouweretalkingabout。“
Philippemadehisentrancepolitely，inthemidstofadeadsilencecausedbygeneralcuriosity。MadameHochonshudderedfromheadtofootasshebeheldtheauthorofallAgathe’swoesandthemurdererofgoodoldMadameDescoings。Adolphinealsofeltashockoffear。BaruchandFrancoislookedateachotherinsurprise。OldHochonkepthisself-
possession，andofferedaseattothesonofMadameBridau。
“Ihavecome，monsieur，“saidPhilippe，“tointroducemyselftoyou；I
amforcedtoconsiderhowIcanmanagetolivehere，forfiveyears，onsixtyfrancsamonth。“
“Itcanbedone，“saidtheoctogenarian。
Philippetalkedaboutthingsingeneral，withperfectpropriety。HementionedthejournalistLousteau，nephewoftheoldlady，asa“raraavis，“andwonhergoodgracesfromthemomentsheheardhimsaythatthenameofLousteauwouldbecomecelebrated。Hedidnothesitatetoadmithisfaultsofconduct。ToafriendlyadmonitionwhichMadameHochonaddressedtohiminalowvoice，herepliedthathehadreflecteddeeplywhileinprison，andcouldpromisethatinfuturehewouldliveanotherlife。
OnahintfromPhilippe，MonsieurHochonwentoutwithhimwhenhetookhisleave。WhenthemiserandthesoldierreachedtheboulevardBaron，aplacewherenoonecouldoverhearthem，thecolonelturnedtotheoldman，——
“Monsieur，“hesaid，“ifyouwillbeguidedbyme，wewillneverspeaktogetherofmattersandthings，orpeopleeither，unlesswearewalkingintheopencountry，orinplaceswherewecannotbeheard。
MaitreDesrocheshasfullyexplainedtometheinfluenceofthegossipofalittletown。ThereforeIdon’twishyoutobesuspectedofadvisingme；thoughDesrocheshastoldmetoaskforyouradvice，andIbegyounottobecharyofgivingit。Wehaveapowerfulenemyinourfront，anditwon’tdotoneglectanyprecautionwhichmayhelptodefeathim。Inthefirstplace，therefore，excusemeifIdonotcalluponyouagain。Alittlecoldnessbetweenuswillclearyouofallsuspicionofinfluencingmyconduct。WhenIwanttoconsultyou，I
willpassalongthesquareathalf-pastnine，justasyouarecomingoutafterbreakfast。Ifyouseemecarrymycaneonmyshoulder，thatwillmeanthatwemustmeet——accidentally——insomeopenspacewhichyouwillpointouttome。“
“Iseeyouareaprudentman，bentonsuccess，“saidoldHochon。
“Ishallsucceed，monsieur。Firstofall，givemethenamesoftheofficersoftheoldarmynowlivinginIssoudun，whohavenottakensideswithMaxenceGilet；Iwishtomaketheiracquaintance。“
“Well，there’sacaptainoftheartilleryoftheGuard，MonsieurMignonnet，amanaboutfortyyearsofage，whowasbroughtupattheEcolePolytechnique，andlivesinaquietway。Heisaveryhonorableman，andopenlydisapprovesofMax，whoseconductheconsidersunworthyofatruesoldier。“
“Good！“remarkedthelieutenant-colonel。
“Therearenotmanysoldiershereofthatstripe，“resumedMonsieurHochon；“theonlyotherthatIknowisanoldcavalrycaptain。“
“Thatismyarm，“saidPhilippe。“WasheintheGuard？“
“Yes，“repliedMonsieurHochon。“Carpentierwas，in1810，sergeant-
majorinthedragoons；thenherosetobesub-lieutenantintheline，andsubsequentlycaptainofcavalry。“
“Giroudeaumayknowhim，“thoughtPhilippe。
“ThisMonsieurCarpentiertooktheplaceinthemayor’sofficewhichGiletthrewup；heisafriendofMonsieurMignonnet。“
“HowcanIearnmylivinghere？“
“Theyaregoing，Ithink，toestablishamutualinsuranceagencyinIssoudun，forthedepartmentoftheCher；youmightgetaplaceinit，butthepaywon’tbemorethanfiftyfrancsamonthattheoutside。“
“Thatwillbeenough。“
AttheendofaweekPhilippehadanewsuitofclothes，——coat，waistcoat，andtrousers，——ofgoodblueElbeufcloth，boughtoncredit，tobepaidforatsomuchamonth；alsonewboots，buckskingloves，andahat。Giroudeausenthimsomelinen，withhisweaponsandaletterforCarpentier，whohadformerlyservedunderGiroudeau。ThelettersecuredhimCarpentier’sgood-will，andthelatterpresentedhimtohisfriendMignonnetasamanofgreatmeritandthehighestcharacter。Philippewontheadmirationoftheseworthyofficersbyconfidingtothemafewfactsaboutthelateconspiracy，whichwas，aseverybodyknows，thelastattemptoftheoldarmyagainsttheBourbons；fortheaffairofthesergeantsatLaRochellebelongstoanotherorderofideas。
Warnedbythefateoftheconspiracyofthe19thofAugust，1820，andofthoseofBertonandCaron，thesoldiersoftheoldarmyresignedthemselves，aftertheirfailurein1822，toawaitevents。Thislastconspiracy，whichgrewoutofthatofthe19thofAugust，wasreallyacontinuationofthelatter，carriedonbyabetterelement。Likeitspredecessor，itwasabsolutelyunknowntotheroyalgovernment。
