Josephlefthisstudioandwentdowntobreakfastwithhismother；butPhilippe’sconfessionhadtakenawayhisappetite。HetookMadameDescoingsasideandtoldhertheterriblenews。Theoldwomanmadeafrightenedexclamation，letfallthesaucepanofmilkshehadinherhand，andflungherselfintoachair。Agatherushedin；fromoneexclamationtoanotherthemothergatheredthefataltruth。
　　“He！tofailinhonor！thesonofBridautotakethemoneythatwastrustedtohim！“
　　Thewidowtrembledineverylimb；hereyesdilatedandthengrewfixed；shesatdownandburstintotears。
　　“Whereishe？“shecriedamidthesobs。“PerhapshehasflunghimselfintotheSeine。“
　　“Youmustnotgiveupallhope，“saidMadameDescoings，“becauseapoorladhasmetwithabadwomanwhohasledhimtodowrong。Dearme！weseethateveryday。Philippehashadsuchmisfortunes！hehashadsolittlechancetobehappyandlovedthatweoughtnottobesurprisedathispassionforthatcreature。Allpassionsleadtoexcess。Myownlifeisnotwithoutreproachofthatkind，andyetI
　　callmyselfanhonestwoman。Asinglefaultisnotvice；andafterall，itisonlythosewhodonothingthatareneverdeceived。“
　　Agathe’sdespairovercamehersomuchthatJosephandtheDescoingswereobligedtolessenPhilippe’swrong-doingsbyassuringherthatsuchthingshappenedinallfamilies。
　　“Butheistwenty-eightyearsold，“criedAgathe，“heisnolongerachild。“
　　Terriblerevelationoftheinwardthoughtofthepoorwomanontheconductofherson。
　　“Mother，Iassureyouhethoughtonlyofyoursufferingsandofthewronghehaddoneyou，“saidJoseph。
　　“Oh，myGod！lethimcomebacktome，lethimlive，andIwillforgiveall，“criedthepoormother，towhosemindahorriblevisionofPhilippedraggeddeadoutoftheriverpresenteditself。
　　Gloomysilencereignedforashorttime。Thedaywentbywithcruelalternationsofhopeandfear；allthreerantothewindowattheleastsound，andgavewaytoeverysortofconjecture。Whilethefamilywerethusgrieving，Philippewasquietlygettingmattersinorderathisoffice。Hehadtheaudacitytogiveinhisaccountswithastatementthat，fearingsomeaccident，hehadretainedelevenhundredfrancsathisownhouseforsafekeeping。Thescoundrellefttheofficeatfiveo’clock，takingfivehundredfrancsmorefromthedesk，andcoollywenttoagambling-house，whichhehadnotenteredsincehisconnectionwiththepaper，forheknewverywellthatacashiermustnotbeseentofrequentsuchaplace。Thefellowwasnotwantinginacumen。HispastconductprovedthathederivedmorefromhisgrandfatherRougetthanfromhisvirtuoussire，Bridau。Perhapshemighthavemadeagoodgeneral；butinprivatelife，hewasoneofthoseutterscoundrelswhosheltertheirschemesandtheirevilactionsbehindascreenofstrictlegality，andtheprivacyofthefamilyroof。
　　AtthisconjuncturePhilippemaintainedhiscoolness。Hewonatfirst，andgainedasmuchassixthousandfrancs；buthelethimselfbedazzledbytheideaofgettingoutofhisdifficultiesatonestroke。
　　Heleftthetrente-et-quarante，hearingthattheblackhadcomeupsixteentimesattheroulettetable，andwasabouttoputfivethousandfrancsonthered，whentheblackcameupfortheseventeenthtime。Thecolonelthenputathousandfrancsontheblackandwon。Inspiteofthisremarkablepieceofluck，hisheadgrewweary；hefeltit，thoughhecontinuedtoplay。Butthatdiviningsensewhichleadsagambler，andwhichcomesinflashes，wasalreadyfailinghim。
　　Intermittentperceptions，sofataltoallgamblers，setin。Lucidityofmind，liketheraysofthesun，canhavenoeffectexceptbythecontinuityofadirectline；itcandivineonlyonconditionofnotbreakingthatline；thecurvettingsofchancebemuddleit。Philippelostall。Aftersuchastrain，thecarelessmindaswellasthebravestweakens。WhenPhilippewenthomethatnighthewasnotthinkingofsuicide，forhehadneverreallymeanttokillhimself；henolongerthoughtofhislostplace，norofthesacrificedsecurity，norofhismother，norofMariette，thecauseofhisruin；hewalkedalongmechanically。Whenhegothome，hismotherintears，MadameDescoings，andJoseph，allfellonhisneckandkissedhimandbroughthimjoyfullytoaseatbythefire。
　　“Blessme！“thoughthe，“thethreathasworked。“
　　Thebruteatonceassumedanairsuitabletotheoccasion；allthemoreeasily，becausehisill-luckatcardshaddeeplydepressedhim。
　　SeeingheratrociousBenjaminsopaleandwoe-begone，thepoormotherkneltbesidehim，kissedhishands，pressedthemtoherheart，andgazedathimforalongtimewitheyesswimmingintears。
　　“Philippe，“shesaid，inachokingvoice，“promisenottokillyourself，andallshallbeforgotten。“
　　PhilippelookedathissorrowingbrotherandatMadameDescoings，whoseeyeswerefulloftears，andthoughttohimself，“Theyaregoodcreatures。“Thenhetookhismotherinhisarms，raisedherandputheronhisknee，pressedhertohisheartandwhisperedashekissedher，“Forthesecondtime，yougivemelife。“
　　TheDescoingsmanagedtoserveanexcellentdinner，andtoaddtwobottlesofoldwinewithalittle“liqueurdesiles，“atreasureleftoverfromherformerbusiness。
　　“Agathe，“shesaidatdessert，“wemustlethimsmokehiscigars，“andsheofferedsometoPhilippe。
　　Thesetwopoorcreaturesfanciedthatiftheyletthefellowtakehisease，hewouldlikehishomeandstayinit；both，therefore，triedtoendurehistobacco-smoke，thougheachloathedit。ThatsacrificewasnotsomuchasnoticedbyPhilippe。
　　Onthemorrow，Agathelookedtenyearsolder。Herterrorscalmed，reflectioncamebacktoher，andthepoorwomanhadnotclosedaneyethroughoutthathorriblenight。Shewasnowreducedtosixhundredfrancsayear。MadameDescoings，likeallfatwomenfondofgoodeating，wasgrowingheavy；hersteponthestaircasesoundedlikethechoppingoflogs；shemightdieatanymoment；withherlife，fourthousandfrancswoulddisappear。Whatfollytorelyonthatresource！
　　Whatshouldshedo？Whatwouldbecomeofthem？Withhermindmadeuptobecomeasick-nurseratherthanbesupportedbyherchildren，Agathedidnotthinkofherself。ButPhilippe？whatwouldhedoifreducedtoliveonthefivehundredfrancsofanofficeroftheLegionofhonor？Duringthepastelevenyears，MadameDescoings，bygivingupthreethousandfrancsayear，hadpaidherdebttwiceover，butshestillcontinuedtosacrificehergrandson’sintereststothoseoftheBridaufamily。ThoughallAgathe’shonorableanduprightfeelingswereshockedbythisterribledisaster，shesaidtoherself:“Poorboy！isithisfault？Heisfaithfultohisoath。Ihavedonewrongnottomarryhim。IfIhadfoundhimawife，hewouldnothavegotentangledwiththisdanseuse。Hehassuchavigorousconstitution——“
　　MadameDescoingshadlikewisereflectedduringthenightastothebestwayofsavingthehonorofthefamily。Atdaybreak，shegotoutofbedandwenttoherfriend’sroom。
　　“NeitheryounorPhilippeshouldmanagethisdelicatematter，“sheurged。“OurtwooldfriendsDuBruelandClaparonaredead，butwestillhaveDesroches，whoisverysagacious。I’llgoandseehimthismorning。HecantellthenewspaperpeoplethatPhilippetrustedafriendandhasbeenmadeavictim；thathisweaknessinsuchrespectsmakeshimunfittobeacashier；whathasnowhappenedmayhappenagain，andthatPhilippepreferstoresign。Thatwillpreventhisbeingturnedoff。“
　　Agathe，seeingthatthisbusinessliewouldsavethehonorofherson，atanyrateintheeyesofstrangers，kissedMadameDescoings，whowentoutearlytomakeanendofthedreadfulaffair。
　　Philippe，meanwhile，hadsleptthesleepofthejust。“Sheissly，thatoldwoman，“heremarked，whenhismotherexplainedtohimwhybreakfastwaslate。
　　OldDesroches，thelastremainingfriendofthesetwopoorwomen，who，inspiteofhisharshnature，neverforgotthatBridauhadobtainedforhimhisplace，fulfilledlikeanaccomplisheddiplomatthedelicatemissionMadameDescoingshadconfidedtohim。Hecametodinethateveningwiththefamily，andnotifiedAgathethatshemustgothenextdaytotheTreasury，rueVivienne，signthetransferofthefundsinvolved，andobtainacouponforthesixhundredfrancsayearwhichstillremainedtoher。TheoldclerkdidnotleavetheafflictedhouseholdthatnightwithoutobligingPhilippetosignapetitiontotheministerofwar，askingforhisreinstatementintheactivearmy。
　　Desrochespromisedthetwowomentofollowupthepetitionatthewaroffice，andtoprofitbythetriumphofacertaindukeoverPhilippeinthematterofthedanseuse，andsoobtainthatnobleman’sinfluence。
　　“Philippewillbelieutenant-colonelintheDucdeMaufrigneuse’sregimentwithinthreemonths，“hedeclared，“andyouwillberidofhim。“
　　Desrocheswentaway，smotheredwithblessingsfromthetwopoorwidowsandJoseph。Astothenewspaper，itceasedtoexistattheendoftwomonths，justasFinothadpredicted。Philippe’scrimehad，therefore，sofarastheworldknew，noconsequences。ButAgathe’smotherhoodhadreceivedadeadlywound。Herbeliefinhersononceshaken，shelivedinperpetualfear，mingledwithsomesatisfactions，asshesawherworstapprehensionsunrealized。
　　WhenmenlikePhilippe，whoareendowedwithphysicalcourage，andyetarecowardlyandignobleintheirmoralbeing，seemattersandthingsresumingtheiraccustomedcourseaboutthemaftersomecatastropheinwhichtheirhonoranddecencyiswell-nighlost，suchfamilykindness，oranyshowoffriendlinesstowardsthemisapremiumofencouragement。Theycountonimpunity；theirmindsdistorted，theirpassionsgratified，onlypromptthemtostudyhowithappenedthattheysucceededingettingroundallsociallaws；theresultistheybecomealarminglyadroit。
　　Afortnightlater，Philippe，oncemoreamanofleisure，lazyandbored，renewedhisfatalcafelife，——hisdrams，hislonggamesofbilliardsembellishedwithpunch，hisnightlyresorttothegambling-