of　his　woes；　she　had　not　the　heart　to　stop　his　drinking　and　eating　and
  amusing　himself　as　a　man　just　returned　from　the　Champ　d'Asile　was
  likely　to　eat　and　drink　and　divert　himself。　It　was　certainly　a　fine
  conception；that　of　conquering　Texas　with　the　remains　of　the　imperial
  army。　The　failure　was　less　in　the　idea　than　in　the　men　who　conceived
  it；　for　Texas　is　to…day　a　republic；　with　a　future　full　of　promise。
  This　scheme　of　Liberalism　under　the　Restoration　distinctly　proves　that
  the　interests　of　the　party　were　purely　selfish　and　not　national；
  seeking　power　and　nothing　else。　Neither　men；　nor　occasion；　nor　cause；
  nor　devotion　were　lacking；　only　the　money　and　the　support　of　the
  hypocritical　party　at　home　who　dispensed　enormous　sums；　but　gave
  nothing　when　it　came　to　recovering　empire。　Household　managers　like
  Agathe　have　a　plain　common…sense　which　enables　them　to　perceive　such
  political　chicane：　the　poor　woman　saw　the　truth　through　the　lines　of
  her　son's　tale；　for　she　had　read；　in　the　exile's　interests；　all　the
  pompous　editorials　of　the　constitutional　journals；　and　watched　the
  management　of　the　famous　subscription；　which　produced　barely　one
  hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs　when　it　ought　to　have　yielded　five
  or　six　millions。　The　Liberal　leaders　soon　found　out　that　they　were
  playing　into　the　hands　of　Louis　XVIII。　by　exporting　the　glorious
  remnants　of　our　grand　army；　and　they　promptly　abandoned　to　their　fate
  the　most　devoted；　the　most　ardent；　the　most　enthusiastic　of　its
  heroes；those；　in　short；　who　had　gone　in　the　advance。　Agathe　was
  never　able；　however；　to　make　her　son　see　that　he　was　more　duped　than
  persecuted。　With　blind　belief　in　her　idol；　she　supposed　herself
  ignorant；　and　deplored；　as　Philippe　did；　the　evil　times　which　had　done
  him　such　wrong。　Up　to　this　time　he　was；　to　her　mind；　throughout　his
  misfortunes；　less　faulty　than　victimized　by　his　noble　nature；　his
  energy；　the　fall　of　the　Emperor；　the　duplicity　of　the　Liberals；　and
  the　rancor　of　the　Bourbons　against　the　Bonapartists。　During　the　week
  at　Havre；　a　week　which　was　horribly　costly；　she　dared　not　ask　him　to
  make　terms　with　the　royal　government　and　apply　to　the　minister　of　war。
  She　had　hard　work　to　get　him　away　from　Havre；　where　living　is　very
  expensive；　and　to　bring　him　back　to　Paris　before　her　money　gave　out。
  Madame　Descoings　and　Joseph；　who　were　awaiting　their　arrival　in　the
  courtyard　of　the　coach…office　of　the　Messageries　Royales；　were　struck
  with　the　change　in　Agathe's　face。
  〃Your　mother　has　aged　ten　years　in　two　months；〃　whispered　the
  Descoings　to　Joseph；　as　they　all　embraced；　and　the　two　trunks　were
  being　handed　down。
  〃How　do　you　do；　mere　Descoings？〃　was　the　cool　greeting　the　colonel
  bestowed　on　the　old　woman　whom　Joseph　was　in　the　habit　of　calling
  〃maman　Descoings。〃
  〃I　have　no　money　to　pay　for　a　hackney…coach；〃　said　Agathe；　in　a　sad
  voice。
  〃I　have；〃　replied　the　young　painter。　〃What　a　splendid　color　Philippe
  has　turned！〃　he　cried；　looking　at　his　brother。
  〃Yes；　I've　browned　like　a　pipe；〃　said　Philippe。　〃But　as　for　you；
  you're　not　a　bit　changed；　little　man。〃
  Joseph；　who　was　now　twenty…one；　and　much　thought　of　by　the　friends　who
  had　stood　by　him　in　his　days　of　trial；　felt　his　own　strength　and　was
  aware　of　his　talent；　he　represented　the　art　of　painting　in　a　circle　of
  young　men　whose　lives　were　devoted　to　science；　letters；　politics；　and
  philosophy。　Consequently；　he　was　wounded　by　his　brother's　contempt；
  which　Philippe　still　further　emphasized　with　a　gesture；　pulling　his
  ears　as　if　he　were　still　a　child。　Agathe　noticed　the　coolness　which
  succeeded　the　first　glow　of　tenderness　on　the　part　of　Joseph　and
  Madame　Descoings；　but　she　hastened　to　tell　them　of　Philippe's
  sufferings　in　exile；　and　so　lessened　it。　Madame　Descoings；　wishing　to
  make　a　festival　of　the　return　of　the　prodigal；　as　she　called　him　under
  her　breath；　had　prepared　one　of　her　good　dinners；　to　which　old
  Claparon　and　the　elder　Desroches　were　invited。　All　the　family　friends
  were　to　come；　and　did　come；　in　the　evening。　Joseph　had　invited　Leon
  Giraud；　d'Arthez；　Michel　Chrestien；　Fulgence　Ridal；　and　Horace
  Bianchon；　his　friends　of　the　fraternity。　Madame　Descoings　had　promised
  Bixiou；　her　so…called　step…son；　that　the　young　people　should　play　at
  ecarte。　Desroches　the　younger；　who　had　now　taken；　under　his　father's
  stern　rule；　his　degree　at　law；　was　also　of　the　party。　Du　Bruel；
  Claparon；　Desroches；　and　the　Abbe　Loraux　carefully　observed　the
  returned　exile；　whose　manners　and　coarse　features；　and　voice　roughened
  by　the　abuse　of　liquors；　together　with　his　vulgar　glance　and
  phraseology；　alarmed　them　not　a　little。　While　Joseph　was　placing　the
  card…tables；　the　more　intimate　of　the　family　friends　surrounded　Agathe
  and　asked；
  〃What　do　you　intend　to　make　of　Philippe？〃
  〃I　don't　know；〃　she　answered；　〃but　he　is　determined　not　to　serve　the
  Bourbons。〃
  〃Then　it　will　be　very　difficult　for　you　to　find　him　a　place　in　France。
  If　he　won't　re…enter　the　army；　he　can't　be　readily　got　into　government
  employ；〃　said　old　Du　Bruel。　〃And　you　have　only　to　listen　to　him　to　see
  he　could　never；　like　my　son；　make　his　fortune　by　writing　plays。〃
  The　motion　of　Agathe's　eyes；　with　which　alone　she　replied　to　this
  speech；　showed　how　anxious　Philippe's　future　made　her；　they　all　kept
  silence。　The　exile　himself；　Bixiou；　and　the　younger　Desroches　were
  playing　at　ecarte；　a　game　which　was　then　the　rage。
  〃Maman　Descoings；　my　brother　has　no　money　to　play　with；〃　whispered
  Joseph　in　the　good　woman's　ear。
  The　devotee　of　the　Royal　Lottery　fetched　twenty　francs　and　gave　them
  to　the　artist；　who　slipped　them　secretly　into　his　brother's　hand。　All
  the　company　were　now　assembled。　There　were　two　tables　of　boston；　and
  the　party　grew　lively。　Philippe　proved　a　bad　player：　after　winning　for
  awhile；　he　began　to　lose；　and　by　eleven　o'clock　he　owed　fifty　francs
  to　young　Desroches　and　to　Bixiou。　The　racket　and　the　disputes　at　the
  ecarte　table　resounded　more　than　once　in　the　ears　of　the　more　peaceful
  boston　players；　who　were　watching　Philippe　surreptitiously。　The　exile
  showed　such　signs　of　bad　temper　that　in　his　final　dispute　with　the
  younger　Desroches；　who　was　none　too　amiable　himself；　the　elder
  Desroches　joined　in；　and　though　his　son　was　decidedly　in　the　right；　he
  declared　he　was　in　the　wrong；　and　forbade　him　to　play　any　more。　Madame
  Descoings　did　the　same　with　her　grandson；　who　was　beginning　to　let　fly
  certain　witticisms；　and　although　Philippe；　so　far；　had　not　understood
  him；　there　was　always　a　chance　that　one　of　the　barbed　arrows　might
  piece　the　colonel's　thick　skull　and　put　the　sharp　jester　in　peril。
  〃You　must　be　tired；〃　whispered　Agathe　in　Philippe's　ear；　〃come　to
  bed。〃
  〃Travel　educates　youth；〃　said　Bixiou；　grinning；　when　Madame　Bridau　and
  the　colonel　had　disappeared。
  Joseph；　who　got　up　at　dawn　and　went　to　bed　early；　did　not　see　the　end
  of　the　party。　The　next　morning　Agathe　and　Madame　Descoings；　while
  preparing　breakfast；　could　not　help　remarking　that　soires　would　be
  terribly　expensive　if　Philippe　were　to　go　on　playing　that　sort　of
  game；　as　the　Descoings　phrased　it。　The　worthy　old　woman；　then　seventy…
  six　years　of　age；　proposed　to　sell　her　furniture；　give　up　her
  appartement　on　the　second　floor　（which　the　owner　was　only　too　glad　to
  occupy）；　and　take　Agathe's　parlor　for　her　chamber；　making　the　other
  room　a　sitting…room　and　dining…room　for　the　family。　In　this　way　they
  could　save　seven　hundred　francs　a　year；　which　would　enable　them　to
  give　Philippe　fifty　francs　a　month　until　he　could　find　something　to
  do。　Agathe　accepted　the　sacrifice。　When　the　colonel　came　down　and　his
  mother　had　asked　how　he　liked　his　little　bedroom；　the　two　widows
  explained　to　him　the　situation　of　the　family。　Madame　Descoings　and
  Agathe　possessed；　by　putting　all　their　resources　together；　an　income
  of　five　thousand　three　hundred　francs；　four　thousand　of　which　belonged
  to　Madame　Descoings　and　were　merely　a　life　annuity。　The　Descoings　made
  an　allowance　of　six　hundred　a　year　to　Bixiou；　whom　she　had
  acknowledged　as　her　grandson　during　the　last　few　months；　also　six
  hundred　to　Joseph；　the　rest　of　her　income；　together　with　that　of
  Agathe；　was　spent　for　the　household　wants。　All　their　savings　were　by
  this　time　eaten　up。
  〃Make　yourselves　easy；〃　said　the　lieutenant…colonel。　〃I'll　find　a
  situation　and　put　you　to　no　expense；　all　I　need　for　the　present　is
  board　and　lodging。〃
  Agathe　kissed　her　son；　and　Madame　Descoings　slipped　a　hundred　francs
  into　his　hand　to　pay　for　his　losses　of　the　night　before。　In　ten　days
  the　furniture　was　sold；　the　appartement　given　up；　and　the　change　in
  Agathe's　domestic　arrangements　accomplished　with　a　celerity　seldom
  seen　outside　of　Paris。　During　those　ten　days；　Philippe　regularly
  decamped　after　breakfast；　came　back　for　dinner；　was　off　again　for　the
  evening；　and　only　got　home　about　midnight　to　go　to　bed。　He　contracted
  certain　habits　half　mechanic