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-