Helefttheroomwithoutwaitingforananswer。WhenVediecamein，fifteenminuteslater，toclearthetable，shefoundhermistresspaleandmoistwithperspiration，inspiteoftheseason。Florefeltlikeawomanwhohadfallentothebottomofaprecipice；thefutureloomedblackbeforeher；andonitsblackness，inthefardistance，wereshapesofmonstrousthings，indistinctlyperceptible，andterrifying。
Shefeltthedampchillofvaults，instinctivefearofthemancrushedher；andyetavoicecriedinherearthatshedeservedtohavehimforhermaster。Shewashelplessagainstherfate。FloreBrazierhadhadaroomofherowninRouget’shouse；butMadameRougetbelongedtoherhusband，andwasnowdeprivedofthefree-willofaservant-
mistress。Inthehorriblesituationinwhichshenowfoundherself，thehopeofhavingachildcameintohermind；butshesoonrecognizeditsimpossibility。ThemarriagewastoJean-JacqueswhatthesecondmarriageofLouisXII。wastothatking。TheincessantwatchfulnessofamanlikePhilippe，whohadnothingtodoandneverquittedhispostofobservation，madeanyformofvengeanceimpossible。Benjaminwashisinnocentanddevotedspy。TheVedietrembledbeforehim。Florefeltherselfdesertedandutterlyhelpless。Shebegantofeardeath。
WithoutknowinghowPhilippemightmanagetokillher，shefeltcertainthatwheneverhesuspectedherofpregnancyherdoomwouldbesealed。Thesoundofthatvoice，theveiledglitterofthatgambler’seye，theslightestmovementofthesoldier，whotreatedherwithabrutalitythatwasstillpolite，madehershudder。Astothepowerofattorneydemandedbytheferociouscolonel，whointheeyesofallIssoudunwasahero，hehaditassoonashewantedit；forFlorefellundertheman’sdominionasFrancehadfallenunderthatofNapoleon。
Likeabutterflywhosefeetarecaughtintheincandescentwaxofataper，Rougetrapidlydissipatedhisremainingstrength。Inpresenceofthatdecay，thenephewremainedascoldandimpassibleasthediplomatistsof1814duringtheconvulsionsofimperialFrance。
Philippe，whodidnotbelieveinNapoleonII。，nowwrotethefollowinglettertotheministerofwar，whichMariettemadetheDucdeMaufrigneuseconveytothatfunctionary:——
Monseigneur，——Napoleonisnomore。Idesiredtoremainfaithfultohimaccordingtomyoath；nowIamfreetooffermyservicestoHisMajesty。IfyourExcellencydeignstoexplainmyconducttoHisMajesty，theKingwillseethatitisinkeepingwiththelawsofhonor，ifnotwiththoseofhisgovernment。TheKing，whothoughtitproperthathisaide-de-camp，GeneralRapp，shouldmournhisformermaster，willnodoubtfeelindulgentlyforme。
Napoleonwasmybenefactor。
IthereforeentreatyourExcellencytotakeintoconsiderationtherequestImakeforemploymentinmyproperrank；andIbegtoassureyouofmyentiresubmission。TheKingwillfindinmeafaithfulsubject。
DeigntoaccepttheassuranceofrespectwithwhichIhavethehonortobe，YourExcellency’sverysubmissiveandVeryhumbleservant，PhilippeBridauFormerlychiefofsquadroninthedragoonsoftheGuard；officeroftheLegionofhonor；nowunderpolicesurveillanceatIssoudun。
TothisletterwasjoinedarequestforpermissiontogotoParisonurgentfamilybusiness；andMonsieurMouilleronannexedlettersfromthemayor，thesub-prefect，andthecommissaryofpoliceatIssoudun，allbestowingmanypraisesonPhilippe’sconduct，anddwellinguponthenewspaperarticlerelatingtohisuncle’smarriage。
Twoweekslater，Philippereceivedthedesiredpermission，andaletter，inwhichtheministerofwarinformedhimthat，byorderoftheKing，hewas，asapreliminaryfavor，reinstatedlieutenant-
colonelintheroyalarmy。
Lieutenant-ColonelBridaureturnedtoParis，takingwithhimhisauntandthehelplessRouget，whomheescorted，threedaysaftertheirarrival，totheTreasury，whereJean-Jacquessignedthetransferoftheincome，whichhenceforthbecamePhilippe’s。TheexhaustedoldmanandtheRabouilleusewerenowplungedbytheirnephewintotheexcessivedissipationsofthedangerousandrestlesssocietyofactresses，journalists，artists，andtheequivocalwomenamongwhomPhilippehadalreadywastedhisyouth；whereoldRougetfoundexcitementsthatsoonafterkilledhim。InstigatedbyGiroudeau，Lolotte，oneofthehandsomestoftheOperaballet-girls，wastheamiableassassinoftheoldman。RougetdiedafterasplendidsupperatFlorentine’s，andLolottethrewtheblameofhisdeathuponasliceofpatedefoiegras；astheStrasburgmasterpiececouldmakenodefence，itwasconsideredsettledthattheoldmandiedofindigestion。
MadameRougetwasinherelementinthemidstofthisexcessivelydecolletesociety；butPhilippegaveherinchargeofMariette，andthatmonitressdidnotallowthewidow——whosemourningwasdiversifiedwithafewamusements——tocommitanyactualfollies。
InOctober，1823，PhilippereturnedtoIssoudun，furnishedwithapowerofattorneyfromhisaunt，toliquidatetheestateofhisuncle；
abusinessthatwassoonover，forhereturnedtoParisinMarch，1824，withsixteenhundredthousandfrancs，——thenetproceedsofoldRouget’sproperty，notcountingthepreciouspictures，whichhadneverleftMonsieurHochon’shands。PhilippeputthewholepropertyintothehandsofMongenodandSons，whereyoungBaruchBornichewasemployed，andonwhosesolvencyandbusinessprobityoldHochonhadgivenhimsatisfactoryassurances。Thishousetookhissixteenhundredthousandfrancsatsixpercentperannum，onconditionofthreemonths’noticeincaseofthewithdrawalofthemoney。
Onefineday，Philippewenttoseehismother，andinvitedhertobepresentathismarriage，whichwaswitnessedbyGiroudeau，Finot，Nathan，andBixiou。Bythetermsofthemarriagecontract，thewidowRouget，whoseportionofherlatehusband’spropertyamountedtoamillionoffrancs，securedtoherfuturehusbandherwholefortuneincaseshediedwithoutchildren。Noinvitationstotheweddingweresentout，norany“billetsdefairepart“；Philippehadhisdesigns。
HelodgedhiswifeinanappartementintherueSaint-Georges，whichheboughtready-furnishedfromLolotte。MadameBridautheyoungerthoughtitdelightful，andherhusbandrarelysetfootinit。Withoutherknowledge，PhilippepurchasedintheruedeClichy，atatimewhennoonesuspectedthevaluewhichpropertyinthatquarterwouldonedayacquire，amagnificenthotelfortwohundredandfiftythousandfrancs；ofwhichhepaidonehundredandfiftythousanddown，takingtwoyearstopaytheremainder。Hespentlargesumsinalteringtheinteriorandfurnishingit；infact，heputhisincomefortwoyearsintothisoutlay。Thepictures，nowrestored，andestimatedatthreehundredthousandfrancs，appearedinsuchsurroundingsinalltheirbeauty。
TheaccessionofCharlesX。hadbroughtintostillgreatercourtfavorthefamilyoftheDucdeChaulieu，whoseeldestson，theDucdeRhetore，wasinthehabitofseeingPhilippeatTullia’s。UnderCharlesX。，theelderbranchoftheBourbons，believingitselfpermanentlyseatedonthethrone，followedtheadvicepreviouslygivenbyMarshalGouvion-Saint-CyrtoencouragetheadherenceofthesoldiersoftheEmpire。Philippe，whohadnodoubtmadeinvaluablerevelationsastotheconspiraciesof1820and1822，wasappointedlieutenant-colonelintheregimentoftheDucdeMaufrigneuse。ThatfascinatingnoblemanthoughthimselfboundtoprotectthemanfromwhomhehadtakenMariette。Thecorps-de-balletwentforsomething，therefore，intheappointment。Moreover，itwasdecidedintheprivatecouncilsofCharlesX。，togiveafainttingeofliberalismtothesurroundingsofMonseigneurtheDauphin。Philippe，nowasortofequerrytotheDucdeMaufrigneuse，waspresentednotonlytotheDauphin，butalsototheDauphine，whowasnotaversetobrusqueandsoldierlycharacterswhohadbecomenotedforapastfidelity。
PhilippethoroughlyunderstoodtheparttheDauphinhadtoplay；andheturnedthefirstexhibitionofthatspuriousliberalismtohisownprofit，bygettinghimselfappointedaide-de-camptoamarshalwhostoodwellatcourt。
InJanuary，1827，Philippe，whowasnowpromotedtotheRoyalGuardaslieutenant-colonelinaregimentthencommandedbytheDucdeMaufrigneuse，solicitedthehonorofbeingennobled。UndertheRestoration，nobilitybecameasortofperquisitetothe“roturiers“
whoservedintheGuard。ColonelBridauhadlatelyboughttheestateofBrambourg，andhenowaskedtobeallowedtoentailitunderthetitleofcount。Thisfavorwasaccordedthroughtheinfluenceofhismanyintimaciesinthehighestrankofsociety，wherehenowappearedinalltheluxuryofhorses，carriages，andliveries；inshort，withthesurroundingsofagreatlord。AssoonashesawhimselfgazettedintheAlmanackunderthetitleofComtedeBrambourg，hebegantofrequentthehouseofalieutenant-generalofartillery，theComtedeSoulanges。
Insatiableinhiswants，andbackedbythemistressesofinfluentialmen，PhilippenowsolicitedthehonorofbeingoneoftheDauphin’saides-de-camp。HehadtheaudacitytosaytotheDauphinthat“anoldsoldier，woundedonmanyabattle-fieldandwhoknewrealwarfare，might，onoccasion，beserviceabletoMonseigneur。“Philippe，whocouldtakethetoneofallvarietiesofsycophancy，becameintheregionsofthehighestsociallifeexactlywhatthepositionrequiredhimtobe；justasatIssoudun，hehadcopiedtherespectabilityofMignonnet。Hehad，moreover，afineestablishmentandgavefetesanddinners；admittingnoneofhisoldfriendstohishouseifhethoughttheirpositioninlifelikelytocompromisehisfuture。Hewaspitilesstothecompanionsofhisformerdebauches，andcurtlyrefusedBixiouwhenthatlivelysatiristaskedhimtosayawordinfavorofGiroudeau，whowantedtore-enterthearmyafterthedesertionofFlorentine。
“Themanhasneithermannersnormorals，“saidPhilippe。
“Ha！didhesaythatofme？“criedGiroudeau，“ofme，whohelpedhimtogetridofhisuncle！“
“We’llpayhimoffyet，“saidBixiou。
PhilippeintendedtomarryMademoiselleAmeliedeSoulanges，andbecomeageneral，incommandofaregimentoftheRoyalGuard。Heaskedsomanyfavorsthat，tokeephimquiet，theymadehimaCommanderoftheLegionofhonor，andalsoCommanderoftheorderofSaintLouis。Onerainyevening，asAgatheandJosephwerereturninghomealongthemuddystreets，theymetPhilippeinfulluniform，bedizenedwithorders，leaningbackinacornerofahandsomecoupelinedwithyellowsilk，whosearmorialbearingsweresurmountedwithacount’scoronet。HewasonhiswaytoafeteattheElysee-Bourbon；
