December；　〃you　ought　to　get　yourself　new…clothed　from　head　to　foot。〃
  〃And　who　is　to　pay　for　it？〃　he　answered　sharply。　〃My　poor　mother
  hasn't　a　sou；　and　I　have　five　hundred　francs　a　year。　It　would　take　my
  whole　year's　pension　to　pay　for　the　clothes；　besides　I　have　mortgaged
  it　for　three　years〃
  〃What　for？〃　asked　Joseph。
  〃A　debt　of　honor。　Giroudeau　borrowed　a　thousand　francs　from　Florentine
  to　lend　me。　I　am　not　gorgeous；　that's　a　fact；　but　when　one　thinks　that
  Napoleon　is　at　Saint　Helena；　and　has　sold　his　plate　for　the　means　of
  living；　his　faithful　soldiers　can　manage　to　walk　on　their　bare　feet；〃
  he　said；　showing　his　boots　without　heels；　as　he　marched　away。
  〃He　is　not　bad；〃　said　Agathe；　〃he　has　good　feelings。〃
  〃You　can　love　the　Emperor　and　yet　dress　yourself　properly；〃　said
  Joseph。　〃If　he　would　take　any　care　of　himself　and　his　clothes；　he
  wouldn't　look　so　like　a　vagabond。〃
  〃Joseph！　you　ought　to　have　some　indulgence　for　your　brother；〃　cried
  Agathe。　〃You　do　the　things　you　like；　while　he　is　certainly　not　in　his
  right　place。〃
  〃What　did　he　leave　it　for？〃　demanded　Joseph。　〃What　can　it　matter　to
  him　whether　Louis　the　Eighteenth's　bugs　or　Napoleon's　cuckoos　are　on
  the　flag；　if　it　is　the　flag　of　his　country？　France　is　France！　For　my
  part；　I'd　paint　for　the　devil。　A　soldier　ought　to　fight；　if　he　is　a
  soldier；　for　the　love　of　his　art。　If　he　had　stayed　quietly　in　the
  army；　he　would　have　been　a　general　by　this　time。〃
  〃You　are　unjust　to　him；〃　said　Agathe；　〃your　father；　who　adored　the
  Emperor；　would　have　approved　of　his　conduct。　However；　he　has　consented
  to　re…enter　the　army。　God　knows　the　grief　it　has　caused　your　brother
  to　do　a　thing　he　considers　treachery。〃
  Joseph　rose　to　return　to　his　studio；　but　his　mother　took　his　hand　and
  said：
  〃Be　good　to　your　brother；　he　is　so　unfortunate。〃
  When　the　artist　got　back　to　his　painting…room；　followed　by　Madame
  Descoings；　who　begged　him　to　humor　his　mother's　feelings；　and　pointed
  out　to　him　how　changed　she　was；　and　what　inward　suffering　the　change
  revealed；　they　found　Philippe　there；　to　their　great　amazement。
  〃Joseph；　my　boy；〃　he　said；　in　an　off…hand　way；　〃I　want　some　money。
  Confound　it！　I　owe　thirty　francs　for　cigars　at　my　tobacconist's；　and　I
  dare　not　pass　the　cursed　shop　till　I've　paid　it。　I've　promised　to　pay
  it　a　dozen　times。〃
  〃Well；　I　like　your　present　way　best；〃　said　Joseph；　〃take　what　you　want
  out　of　the　skull。〃
  〃I　took　all　there　was　last　night；　after　dinner。〃
  〃There　was　forty…five　francs。〃
  〃Yes；　that's　what　I　made　it；〃　replied　Philippe。　〃I　took　them；　is　there
  any　objection？〃
  〃No；　my　friend；　no；〃　said　Joseph。　〃If　you　were　rich；　I　should　do　the
  same　by　you；　only；　before　taking　what　I　wanted；　I　should　ask　you　if　it
  were　convenient。〃
  〃It　is　very　humiliating　to　ask；〃　remarked　Philippe；　〃I　would　rather
  see　you　taking　as　I　do；　without　a　word；　it　shows　more　confidence。　In
  the　army；　if　a　comrade　dies；　and　has　a　good　pair　of　boots；　and　you
  have　a　bad　pair；　you　change；　that's　all。〃
  〃Yes；　but　you　don't　take　them　while　he　is　living。〃
  〃Oh；　what　meanness！〃　said　Philippe；　shrugging　his　shoulders。　〃Well；　so
  you　haven't　got　any　money？〃
  〃No；〃　said　Joseph；　who　was　determined　not　to　show　his　hiding…place。
  〃In　a　few　days　we　shall　be　rich；〃　said　Madame　Descoings。
  〃Yes；　you；　you　think　your　trey　is　going　to　turn　up　on　the　25th　at　the
  Paris　drawing。　You　must　have　put　in　a　fine　stake　if　you　think　you　can
  make　us　all　rich。〃
  〃A　paid…up　trey　of　two　hundred　francs　will　give　three　millions；
  without　counting　the　couplets　and　the　singles。〃
  〃At　fifteen　thousand　times　the　stakeyes；　you　are　right；　it　is　just
  two　hundred　you　must　pay　up！〃　cried　Philippe。
  Madame　Descoings　bit　her　lips；　she　knew　she　had　spoken　imprudently。　In
  fact；　Philippe　was　asking　himself　as　he　went　downstairs：
  〃That　old　witch！　where　does　she　keep　her　money？　It　is　as　good　as　lost；
  I　can　make　a　better　use　of　it。　With　four　pools　at　fifty　francs　each；　I
  could　win　two　hundred　thousand　francs；　and　that's　much　surer　than　the
  turning　up　of　a　trey。〃
  He　tried　to　think　where　the　old　woman　was　likely　to　have　hid　the
  money。　On　the　days　preceding　festivals；　Agathe　went　to　church　and
  stayed　there　a　long　time；　no　doubt　she　confessed　and　prepared　for　the
  communion。　It　was　now　the　day　before　Christmas；　Madame　Descoings　would
  certainly　go　out　to　buy　some　dainties　for　the　〃reveillon；〃　the
  midnight　meal；　and　she　might　also　take　occasion　to　pay　up　her　stake。
  The　lottery　was　drawn　every　five　days　in　different　localities；　at
  Bordeaux；　Lyons；　Lille；　Strasburg；　and　Paris。　The　Paris　lottery　was
  drawn　on　the　twenty…fifth　of　each　month；　and　the　lists　closed　on　the
  twenty…fourth；　at　midnight。　Philippe　studied　all　these　points　and　set
  himself　to　watch。　He　came　home　at　midday；　the　Descoings　had　gone　out；
  and　had　taken　the　key　of　the　appartement。　But　that　was　no　difficulty。
  Philippe　pretended　to　have　forgotten　something；　and　asked　the
  concierge　to　go　herself　and　get　a　locksmith；　who　lived　close　by；　and
  who　came　at　once　and　opened　the　door。　The　villain's　first　thought　was
  the　bed；　he　uncovered　it；　passed　his　hands　over　the　mattress　before　he
  examined　the　bedstead；　and　at　the　lower　end　felt　the　pieces　wrapped　up
  in　paper。　He　at　once　ripped　the　ticking；　picked　out　twenty　napoleons；
  and　then；　without　taking　time　to　sew　up　the　mattress；　re…made　the　bed
  neatly　enough；　so　that　Madame　Descoings　could　suspect　nothing。
  The　gambler　stole　off　with　a　light　foot；　resolving　to　play　at　three
  different　times；　three　hours　apart；　and　each　time　for　only　ten
  minutes。　Thorough…going　players；　ever　since　1786；　the　time　at　which
  public　gaming…houses　were　established；the　true　players　whom　the
  government　dreaded；　and　who　ate　up；　to　use　a　gambling　term；　the　money
  of　the　bank；never　played　in　any　other　way。　But　before　attaining　this
  measure　of　experience　they　lost　fortunes。　The　whole　science　of
  gambling…houses　and　their　gains　rests　upon　three　things：　the
  impassibility　of　the　bank；　the　even　results　called　〃drawn　games；〃　when
  half　the　money　goes　to　the　bank；　and　the　notorious　bad　faith
  authorized　by　the　government；　in　refusing　to　hold　or　pay　the　player's
  stakes　except　optionally。　In　a　word；　the　gambling…house；　which　refuses
  the　game　of　a　rich　and　cool　player；　devours　the　fortune　of　the　foolish
  and　obstinate　one；　who　is　carried　away　by　the　rapid　movement　of　the
  machinery　of　the　game。　The　croupiers　at　〃trente　et　quarante〃　move
  nearly　as　fast　as　the　ball。
  Philippe　had　ended　by　acquiring　the　sang…froid　of　a　commanding
  general；　which　enables　him　to　keep　his　eye　clear　and　his　mind　prompt
  in　the　midst　of　tumult。　He　had　reached　that　statesmanship　of　gambling
  which　in　Paris；　let　us　say　in　passing；　is　the　livelihood　of　thousands
  who　are　strong　enough　to　look　every　night　into　an　abyss　without
  getting　a　vertigo。　With　his　four　hundred　francs；　Philippe　resolved　to
  make　his　fortune　that　day。　He　put　aside；　in　his　boots；　two　hundred
  francs；　and　kept　the　other　two　hundred　in　his　pocket。　At　three　o'clock
  he　went　to　the　gambling…house　（which　is　now　turned　into　the　theatre　of
  the　Palais…Royal）；　where　the　bank　accepted　the　largest　sums。　He　came
  out　half　an　hour　later　with　seven　thousand　francs　in　his　pocket。　Then
  he　went　to　see　Florentine；　paid　the　five　hundred　francs　which　he　owed
  to　her；　and　proposed　a　supper　at　the　Rocher　de　Cancale　after　the
  theatre。　Returning　to　his　game；　along　the　rue　de　Sentier；　he　stopped
  at　Giroudeau's　newspaper…office　to　notify　him　of　the　gala。　By　six
  o'clock　Philippe　had　won　twenty…five　thousand　francs；　and　stopped
  playing　at　the　end　of　ten　minutes　as　he　had　promised　himself　to　do。
  That　night；　by　ten　o'clock；　he　had　won　seventy…five　thousand　francs。
  After　the　supper；　which　was　magnificent；　Philippe；　by　that　time　drunk
  and　confident；　went　back　to　his　play　at　midnight。　In　defiance　of　the
  rule　he　had　imposed　upon　himself；　he　played　for　an　hour　and　doubled
  his　fortune。　The　bankers；　from　whom；　by　his　system　of　playing；　he　had
  extracted　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs；　looked　at　him　with
  curiosity。
  〃Will　he　go　away　now；　or　will　he　stay？〃　they　said　to　each　other　by　a
  glance。　〃If　he　stays　he　is　lost。〃
  Philippe　thought　he　had　struck　a　vein　of　luck；　and　stayed。　Towards
  three　in　the　morning；　the　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs　had　gone
  back　to　the　bank。　The　colonel；　who　had　imbibed　a　considerable　quantity
  of　grog　while　playing；　left　the　place　in　a　drunken　state；　which　the
  cold　of　the　outer　air　only　increased。　A　waiter　from　the　gambling…house
  followed　him；　picked　him　up；　and　took　him　to　one　of　those　horrible
  houses　at　the　door　of　which；　on　a　hanging　lamp；　are　the　words：
  〃Lodgings　for　the　night。〃　The　waiter　paid　for　the　ruined　gambler；　who
  was　put　to　bed；　where　he　remained　till　Christmas　night。　The　managers
  of　gambling…houses　have　some　consideration　for　their　customers；
  especially　for　high　player