ribbon　of　an　officer　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　which　met　with　difficulty
  over　a　gastronomic　stomach　in　keeping　with　a　mouth　that　stretched　from
  ear　to　ear；　and　a　pair　of　powerful　shoulders。　The　torso　was　supported
  by　a　spindling　pair　of　legs；　while　the　rubicund　tints　on　the　cheek…
  bones　bore　testimony　to　a　rollicking　life。　The　lower　part　of　the
  cheeks；　which　were　deeply　wrinkled；　overhung　a　coat…collar　of　velvet
  the　worse　for　wear。　Among　other　adornments；　the　ex…dragoon　wore
  enormous　gold　rings　in　his　ears。
  〃What　a　'noceur'！〃　thought　Joseph；　using　a　popular　expression；　meaning
  a　〃loose　fish；〃　which　had　lately　passed　into　the　ateliers。
  〃Madame；〃　said　Finot's　uncle　and　cashier；　〃your　son　is　in　so
  unfortunate　a　position　that　his　friends　find　it　absolutely　necessary
  to　ask　you　to　share　the　somewhat　heavy　expense　which　he　is　to　them。　He
  can　no　longer　do　his　work　at　the　office；　and　Mademoiselle　Florentine；
  of　the　Porte…Saint…Martin；　has　taken　him　to　lodge　with　her；　in　a
  miserable　attic　in　the　rue　de　Vendome。　Philippe　is　dying；　and　if　you
  and　his　brother　are　not　able　to　pay　for　the　doctor　and　medicines；　we
  shall　be　obliged；　for　the　sake　of　curing　him；　to　have　him　taken　to　the
  hospital　of　the　Capuchins。　For　three　hundred　francs　we　would　keep　him
  where　he　is。　But　he　must　have　a　nurse；　for　at　night；　when　Mademoiselle
  Florentine　is　at　the　theatre；　he　persists　in　going　out；　and　takes
  things　that　are　irritating　and　injurious　to　his　malady　and　its
  treatment。　As　we　are　fond　of　him；　this　makes　us　really　very　unhappy。
  The　poor　fellow　has　pledged　the　pension　of　his　cross　for　the　next
  three　years；　he　is　temporarily　displaced　from　his　office；　and　he　has
  literally　nothing。　He　will　kill　himself；　madame；　unless　we　can　put　him
  into　the　private　asylum　of　Doctor　Dubois。　It　is　a　decent　hospital；
  where　they　will　take　him　for　ten　francs　a　day。　Florentine　and　I　will
  pay　half；　if　you　will　pay　the　rest；　it　won't　be　for　more　than　two
  months。〃
  〃Monsieur；　it　is　difficult　for　a　mother　not　to　be　eternally　grateful
  to　you　for　your　kindness　to　her　son；〃　replied　Agathe；　〃but　this　son　is
  banished　from　my　heart；　and　as　for　money；　I　have　none。　Not　to　be　a
  burden　on　my　son　whom　you　see　here；　who　works　day　and　night　and
  deserves　all　the　love　his　mother　can　give　him；　I　am　the　assistant　in　a
  lottery…officeat　my　age！〃
  〃And　you；　young　man；〃　said　the　old　dragoon　to　Joseph；　〃can't　you　do　as
  much　for　your　brother　as　a　poor　dancer　at　the　Porte…Saint…Martin　and
  an　old　soldier？〃
  〃Look　here！〃　said　Joseph；　out　of　patience；　〃do　you　want　me　to　tell　you
  in　artist　language　what　I　think　of　your　visit？　Well；　you　have　come　to
  swindle　us　on　false　pretences。〃
  〃To…morrow　your　brother　shall　go　to　the　hospital。〃
  〃And　he　will　do　very　well　there；〃　answered　Joseph。　〃If　I　were　in　like
  case；　I　should　go　there　too。〃
  Giroudeau　withdrew；　much　disappointed；　and　also　really　mortified　at
  being　obliged　to　send　to　a　hospital　a　man　who　had　carried　the
  Emperor's　orders　at　the　battle　of　Montereau。　Three　months　later；　at
  the　end　of　July；　as　Agathe　one　morning　was　crossing　the　Pont　Neuf　to
  avoid　paying　a　sou　at　the　Pont　des　Arts；　she　saw；　coming　along　by　the
  shops　of　the　Quai　de　l'Ecole；　a　man　bearing　all　the　signs　of　second…
  class　poverty；　who；　she　thought；　resembled　Philippe。　In　Paris；　there
  are　three　distinct　classes　of　poverty。　First；　the　poverty　of　the　man
  who　preserves　appearances；　and　to　whom　a　future　still　belongs；　this　is
  the　poverty　of　young　men；　artists；　men　of　the　world；　momentarily
  unfortunate。　The　outward　signs　of　their　distress　are　not　visible；
  except　under　the　microscope　of　a　close　observer。　These　persons　are　the
  equestrian　order　of　poverty；　they　continue　to　drive　about　in
  cabriolets。　In　the　second　order　we　find　old　men　who　have　become
  indifferent　to　everything；　and；　in　June；　put　the　cross　of　the　Legion
  of　honor　on　alpaca　overcoats；　that　is　the　poverty　of　small　incomes；
  of　old　clerks；　who　live　at　Sainte…Perine　and　care　no　longer　about
  their　outward　man。　Then　comes；　in　the　third　place；　poverty　in　rags；
  the　poverty　of　the　people；　the　poverty　that　is　poetic；　which　Callot；
  Hogarth；　Murillo；　Charlet；　Raffet；　Gavarni；　Meissonier；　Art　itself
  adores　and　cultivates；　especially　during　the　carnival。　The　man　in　whom
  poor　Agathe　thought　she　recognized　her　son　was　astride　the　last　two
  classes　of　poverty。　She　saw　the　ragged　neck…cloth；　the　scurfy　hat；　the
  broken　and　patched　boots；　the　threadbare　coat；　whose　buttons　had　shed
  their　mould；　leaving　the　empty　shrivelled　pod　dangling　in　congruity
  with　the　torn　pockets　and　the　dirty　collar。　Scraps　of　flue　were　in　the
  creases　of　the　coat；　which　showed　plainly　the　dust　that　filled　it。　The
  man　drew　from　the　pockets　of　his　seam…rent　iron…gray　trousers　a　pair
  of　hands　as　black　as　those　of　a　mechanic。　A　knitted　woollen　waistcoat；
  discolored　by　use；　showed　below　the　sleeves　of　his　coat；　and　above　the
  trousers；　and　no　doubt　served　instead　of　a　shirt。　Philippe　wore　a
  green　silk　shade　with　a　wire　edge　over　his　eyes；　his　head；　which　was
  nearly　bald；　the　tints　of　his　skin；　and　his　sunken　face　too　plainly
  revealed　that　he　was　just　leaving　the　terrible　Hopital　du　Midi。　His
  blue　overcoat；　whitened　at　the　seams；　was　still　decorated　with　the
  ribbon　of　his　cross；　and　the　passers…by　looked　at　the　hero；　doubtless
  some　victim　of　the　government；　with　curiosity　and　commiseration；　the
  rosette　attracted　notice；　and　the　fiercest　〃ultra〃　was　jealous　for　the
  honor　of　the　Legion。　In　those　days；　however　much　the　government
  endeavored　to　bring　the　Order　into　disrepute　by　bestowing　its　cross
  right　and　left；　there　were　not　fifty…three　thousand　persons　decorated。
  Agathe　trembled　through　her　whole　being。　If　it　were　impossible　to　love
  this　son　any　longer；　she　could　still　suffer　for　him。　Quivering　with
  this　last　expression　of　motherhood；　she　wept　as　she　saw　the　brilliant
  staff　officer　of　the　Emperor　turn　to　enter　tobacconist's　and　pause　on
  the　threshold；　he　had　felt　in　his　pocket　and　found　nothing。　Agathe
  left　the　bridge；　crossed　the　quai　rapidly；　took　out　her　purse；　thrust
  it　into　Philippe's　hand；　and　fled　away　as　if　she　had　committed　a
  crime。　After　that；　she　ate　nothing　for　two　days；　before　her　was　the
  horrible　vision　of　her　son　dying　of　hunger　in　the　streets　of　Paris。
  〃When　he　has　spent　all　the　money　in　my　purse；　who　will　give　him　any？〃
  she　thought。　〃Giroudeau　did　not　deceive　us；　Philippe　is　just　out　of
  that　hospital。〃
  She　no　longer　saw　the　assassin　of　her　poor　aunt；　the　scourge　of　the
  family；　the　domestic　thief；　the　gambler；　the　drunkard；　the　low　liver
  of　a　bad　life；　she　saw　only　the　man　recovering　from　illness；　yet
  doomed　to　die　of　starvation；　the　smoker　deprived　of　his　tobacco。　At
  forty…seven　years　of　age　she　grew　to　look　like　a　woman　of　seventy。　Her
  eyes　were　dimmed　with　tears　and　prayers。　Yet　it　was　not　the　last　grief
  this　son　was　to　bring　upon　her；　her　worst　apprehensions　were　destined
  to　be　realized。　A　conspiracy　of　officers　was　discovered　at　the　heart
  of　the　army；　and　articles　from　the　〃Moniteur〃　giving　details　of　the
  arrests　were　hawked　about　the　streets。
  In　the　depths　of　her　cage　in　the　lottery…office　of　the　rue　Vivienne；
  Agathe　heard　the　name　of　Philippe　Bridau。　She　fainted；　and　the
  manager；　understanding　her　trouble　and　the　necessity　of　taking　certain
  steps；　gave　her　leave　of　absence　for　two　weeks。
  〃Ah！　my　friend；〃　she　said　to　Joseph；　as　she　went　to　bed　that　night；
  〃it　is　our　severity　which　drove　him　to　it。〃
  〃I'll　go　and　see　Desroches；〃　answered　Joseph。
  While　the　artist　was　confiding　his　brother's　affairs　to　the　younger
  Desroches；who　by　this　time　had　the　reputation　of　being　one　of　the
  keenest　and　most　astute　lawyers　in　Paris；　and　who；　moreover；　did
  sundry　services　for　personages　of　distinction；　among　others　for　des
  Lupeaulx；　then　secretary　of　a　ministry；Giroudeau　called　upon　the
  widow。　This　time；　Agathe　believed　him。
  〃Madame；〃　he　said；　〃if　you　can　produce　twelve　thousand　francs　your　son
  will　be　set　at　liberty　for　want　of　proof。　It　is　necessary　to　buy　the
  silence　of　two　witnesses。〃
  〃I　will　get　the　money；〃　said　the　poor　mother；　without　knowing　how　or
  where。
  Inspired　by　this　danger；　she　wrote　to　her　godmother；　old　Madame
  Hochon；　begging　her　to　ask　Jean…Jacques　Rouget　to　send　her　the　twelve
  thousand　francs　and　save　his　nephew　Philippe。　If　Rouget　refused；　she
  entreated　Madame　Hochon　to　lend　them　to　her；　promising　to　return　them
  in　two　years。　By　return　of　courier；　she　received　the　following
  letter：
  My　dear　girl：　Though　your　brother　has　an　income　of　not　less　than
  forty　thousand　francs　a　year；　without　counting　the　sums　he　has
  laid　by　for　the　last　seventeen　years；　and　which　Monsieur　Hochon
  estimates　at　more　than　six　hundred　thousand　francs；　he　will　not
  give　one　penny　to　nephews　whom　he　has　never　seen。　As　for　me；　you
  know　I　cannot　dispose　of　a　farthing　while　my　husband　lives。　Hochon
  is　the　greatest　miser　in　Issoudun。