doubtless　concocted　together。　The　word　〃disgusting〃　is　a　positive　to
  which　no　superlative　exists；　and　we　must　therefore　use　it　to　convey
  the　impression　caused　by　this　sight。　When　the　dying　woman　saw　Joseph
  approaching　her；　two　great　tears　rolled　down　her　cheeks。
  〃She　can　still　weep！〃　whispered　Bixiou。　〃A　strange　sight；tears　from
  dominos！　It　is　like　the　miracle　of　Moses。〃
  〃How　burnt　up！〃　cried　Joseph。
  〃In　the　fires　of　repentance；〃　said　Flore。　〃I　cannot　get　a　priest；　I
  have　nothing；　not　even　a　crucifix；　to　help　me　see　God。　Ah；　monsieur！〃
  she　cried；　raising　her　arms；　that　were　like　two　pieces　of　carved　wood；
  〃I　am　a　guilty　woman；　but　God　never　punished　any　one　as　he　has
  punished　me！　Philippe　killed　Max；　who　advised　me　to　do　dreadful
  things；　and　now　he　has　killed　me。　God　uses　him　as　a　scourge！〃
  〃Leave　me　alone　with　her；〃　said　Bianchon；　〃and　let　me　find　out　if　the
  disease　is　curable。〃
  〃If　you　cure　her；　Philippe　Bridau　will　die　of　rage；〃　said　Desroches。
  〃I　am　going　to　draw　up　a　statement　of　the　condition　in　which　we　have
  found　his　wife。　He　has　not　brought　her　before　the　courts　as　an
  adulteress；　and　therefore　her　rights　as　a　wife　are　intact：　he　shall
  have　the　shame　of　a　suit。　But　first；　we　must　remove　the　Comtesse　de
  Brambourg　to　the　private　hospital　of　Doctor　Dubois；　in　the　rue　du
  Faubourg…Saint…Denis。　She　will　be　well　cared　for　there。　Then　I　will
  summon　the　count　for　the　restoration　of　the　conjugal　home。〃
  〃Bravo；　Desroches！〃　cried　Bixiou。　〃What　a　pleasure　to　do　so　much　good
  that　will　make　some　people　feel　so　badly！〃
  Ten　minutes　later；　Bianchon　came　down　and　joined　them。
  〃I　am　going　straight　to　Despleins；〃　he　said。　〃He　can　save　the　woman　by
  an　operation。　Ah！　he　will　take　good　care　of　the　case；　for　her　abuse　of
  liquor　has　developed　a　magnificent　disease　which　was　thought　to　be
  lost。〃
  〃Wag　of　a　mangler！　Isn't　there　but　one　disease　in　life？〃　cried　Bixiou。
  But　Bianchon　was　already　out　of　sight；　so　great　was　his　haste　to　tell
  Despleins　the　wonderful　news。　Two　hours　later；　Joseph's　miserable
  sister…in…law　was　removed　to　the　decent　hospital　established　by　Doctor
  Dubois；　which　was　afterward　bought　of　him　by　the　city　of　Paris。　Three
  weeks　later；　the　〃Hospital　Gazette〃　published　an　account　of　one　of　the
  boldest　operations　of　modern　surgery；　on　a　case　designated　by　the
  initials　〃F。　B。〃　The　patient　died；more　from　the　exhaustion　produced
  by　misery　and　starvation　than　from　the　effects　of　the　treatment。
  No　sooner　did　this　occur；　than　the　Comte　de　Brambourg　went；　in　deep
  mourning；　to　call　on　the　Comte　de　Soulanges；　and　inform　him　of　the　sad
  loss　he　had　just　sustained。　Soon　after；　it　was　whispered　about　in　the
  fashionable　world　that　the　Comte　de　Soulanges　would　shortly　marry　his
  daughter　to　a　parvenu　of　great　merit；　who　was　about　to　be　appointed
  brigadier…general　and　receive　command　of　a　regiment　of　the　Royal
  Guard。　De　Marsay　told　this　news　to　Eugene　de　Rastignac；　as　they　were
  supping　together　at　the　Rocher　de　Cancale；　where　Bixiou　happened　to
  be。
  〃It　shall　not　take　place！〃　said　the　witty　artist　to　himself。
  Among　the　many　old　friends　whom　Philippe　now　refused　to　recognize；
  there　were　some；　like　Giroudeau；　who　were　unable　to　revenge
  themselves；　but　it　happened　that　he　had　wounded　Bixiou；　who；　thanks　to
  his　brilliant　qualities；　was　everywhere　received；　and　who　never
  forgave　an　insult。　One　day　at　the　Rocher　de　Cancale；　before　a　number
  of　well…bred　persons　who　were　supping　there；　Philippe　had　replied　to
  Bixiou；　who　spoke　of　visiting　him　at　the　hotel　de　Brambourg：　〃You　can
  come　and　see　me　when　you　are　made　a　minister。〃
  〃Am　I　to　turn　Protestant　before　I　can　visit　you？〃　said　Bixiou；
  pretending　to　misunderstand　the　speech；　but　he　said　to　himself；　〃You
  may　be　Goliath；　but　I　have　got　my　sling；　and　plenty　of　stones。〃
  The　next　day　he　went　to　an　actor；　who　was　one　of　his　friends；　and
  metamorphosed　himself；　by　the　all…powerful　aid　of　dress；　into　a
  secularized　priest　with　green　spectacles；　then　he　took　a　carriage　and
  drove　to　the　hotel　de　Soulanges。　Received　by　the　count；　on　sending　in
  a　message　that　he　wanted　to　speak　with　him　on　a　matter　of　serious
  importance；　he　related　in　a　feigned　voice　the　whole　story　of　the　dead
  countess；　the　secret　particulars　of　whose　horrible　death　had　been
  confided　to　him　by　Bianchon；　the　history　of　Agathe's　death；　the
  history　of　old　Rouget's　death；　of　which　the　Comte　de　Brambourg　had
  openly　boasted；　the　history　of　Madame　Descoings's　death；　the　history
  of　the　theft　from　the　newspaper；　and　the　history　of　Philippe's　private
  morals　during　his　early　days。
  〃Monsieur　le　comte；　don't　give　him　your　daughter　until　you　have　made
  every　inquiry；　interrogate　his　former　comrades；Bixiou；　Giroudeau；
  and　others。〃
  Three　months　later；　the　Comte　de　Brambourg　gave　a　supper　to　du　Tillet；
  Nucingen；　Eugene　de　Rastignac；　Maxime　de　Trailles；　and　Henri　de
  Marsay。　The　amphitryon　accepted　with　much　nonchalance　the　half…
  consolatory　condolences　they　made　to　him　as　to　his　rupture　with　the
  house　of　Soulanges。
  〃You　can　do　better；〃　said　Maxime　de　Trailles。
  〃How　much　money　must　a　man　have　to　marry　a　demoiselle　de　Grandlieu？〃
  asked　Philippe　of　de　Marsay。
  〃You？　They　wouldn't　give　you　the　ugliest　of　the　six　for　less　than　ten
  millions；〃　answered　de　Marsay　insolently。
  〃Bah！〃　said　Rastignac。　〃With　an　income　of　two　hundred　thousand　francs
  you　can　have　Mademoiselle　de　Langeais；　the　daughter　of　the　marquis；
  she　is　thirty　years　old；　and　ugly；　and　she　hasn't　a　sou；　that　ought　to
  suit　you。〃
  〃I　shall　have　ten　millions　two　years　from　now；〃　said　Philippe　Bridau。
  〃It　is　now　the　16th　of　January；　1829；〃　cried　du　Tillet；　laughing。　〃I
  have　been　hard　at　work　for　ten　years　and　I　have　not　made　as　much　as
  that　yet。〃
  〃We'll　take　counsel　of　each　other；〃　said　Bridau；　〃you　shall　see　how
  well　I　understand　finance。〃
  〃How　much　do　you　really　own？〃　asked　Nucingen。
  〃Three　millions；　excluding　my　house　and　my　estate；　which　I　shall　not
  sell；　in　fact；　I　cannot；　for　the　property　is　now　entailed　and　goes
  with　the　title。〃
  Nucingen　and　du　Tillet　looked　at　each　other；　after　that　sly　glance　du
  Tillet　said　to　Philippe；　〃My　dear　count；　I　shall　be　delighted　to　do
  business　with　you。〃
  De　Marsay　intercepted　the　look　du　Tillet　had　exchanged　with　Nucingen；
  and　which　meant；　〃We　will　have　those　millions。〃　The　two　bank　magnates
  were　at　the　centre　of　political　affairs；　and　could；　at　a　given　time；
  manipulate　matters　at　the　Bourse；　so　as　to　play　a　sure　game　against
  Philippe；　when　the　probabilities　might　all　seem　for　him　and　yet　be
  secretly　against　him。
  The　occasion　came。　In　July；　1830；　du　Tillet　and　Nucingen　had　helped
  the　Comte　de　Brambourg　to　make　fifteen　hundred　thousand　francs；　he
  could　therefore　feel　no　distrust　of　those　who　had　given　him　such　good
  advice。　Philippe；　who　owed　his　rise　to　the　Restoration；　was　misled　by
  his　profound　contempt　for　〃civilians〃；　he　believed　in　the　triumph　of
  the　Ordonnances；　and　was　bent　on　playing　for　a　rise；　du　Tillet　and
  Nucingen；　who　were　sure　of　a　revolution；　played　against　him　for　a
  fall。　The　crafty　pair　confirmed　the　judgment　of　the　Comte　de　Brambourg
  and　seemed　to　share　his　convictions；　they　encouraged　his　hopes　of
  doubling　his　millions；　and　apparently　took　steps　to　help　him。　Philippe
  fought　like　a　man　who　had　four　millions　depending　on　the　issue　of　the
  struggle。　His　devotion　was　so　noticeable；　that　he　received　orders　to
  go　to　Saint…Cloud　with　the　Duc　de　Maufrigneuse　and　attend　a　council。
  This　mark　of　favor　probably　saved　Philippe's　life；　for　when　the　order
  came；　on　the　25th　of　July；　he　was　intending　to　make　a　charge　and　sweep
  the　boulevards；　when　he　would　undoubtedly　have　been　shot　down　by　his
  friend　Giroudeau；　who　commanded　a　division　of　the　assailants。
  A　month　later；　nothing　was　left　of　Colonel　Bridau's　immense　fortune
  but　his　house　and　furniture；　his　estates；　and　the　pictures　which　had
  come　from　Issoudun。　He　committed　the　still　further　folly；　as　he　said
  himself；　of　believing　in　the　restoration　of　the　elder　branch；　to　which
  he　remained　faithful　until　1834。　The　not　imcomprehensible　jealousy
  Philippe　felt　on　seeing　Giroudeau　a　colonel　drove　him　to　re…enter　the
  service。　Unluckily　for　himself；　he　obtained；　in　1835；　the　command　of　a
  regiment　in　Algiers；　where　he　remained　three　years　in　a　post　of
  danger；　always　hoping　for　the　epaulets　of　a　general。　But　some
  malignant　influencethat；　in　fact；　of　General　Giroudeau；continually
  balked　him。　Grown　hard　and　brutal；　Philippe　exceeded　the　ordinary
  severity　of　the　service；　and　was　hated；　in　spite　of　his　bravery　a　la
  Murat。
  At　the　beginning　of　the　fatal　year　1839；　while　making　a　sudden　dash
  upon　the　Arabs　during　a　retreat　before　superior　forces；　he　flung
  himself　against　the　enemy；　followed　by　only　a　single　company；　and　fell
  in；　unfortunately；　with　the　main　body　of　the　enemy。　The　battle　was
  bloody　and　terrible；　man　to　man；　a