Agathe，muchalarmed，entreatedPhilippetotravelabroad，andputhimselfattheserviceofsomeforeignpowerwho，shethought，wouldgladlywelcomeastaffofficeroftheEmperor。
　　“Serveaforeignnation！“criedPhilippe，withhorror。
　　Agathekissedhersonwithenthusiasm。
　　“Hisfatherallover！“sheexclaimed。
　　“Heisright，“saidJoseph。“Franceistooproudofherheroestoletthembeheroicelsewhere。Napoleonmayreturnoncemore。“
　　However，tosatisfyhismother，PhilippetookupthedazzlingideaofjoiningGeneralLallemandintheUnitedStates，andhelpinghimtofoundwhatwascalledtheChampd’Asile，oneofthemostdisastrousswindlesthateverappearedunderthenameofnationalsubscription。
　　Agathegavetenthousandfrancstostartherson，andshewenttoHavretoseehimoff。Bytheendof1817，shehadaccustomedherselftoliveonthesixhundredfrancsayearwhichremainedtoherfromherpropertyintheFunds；then，byaluckychance，shemadeagoodinvestmentofthetenthousandfrancsshestillkeptofhersavings，fromwhichsheobtainedaninterestofsevenpercent。Josephwishedtoemulatehismother’sdevotion。Hedressedlikeabailiff；worethecommonestshoesandbluestockings；deniedhimselfgloves，andburnedcharcoal；helivedonbreadandmilkandBriecheese。Thepoorladgotnosympathy，exceptfromMadameDescoings，andfromBixiou，hisstudent-friendandcomrade，whowasthenmakingthoseadmirablecaricaturesofhis，andfillingasmallofficeintheministry。
　　“WithwhatjoyIwelcomedthesummerof1818！“saidJosephBridauinafter-years，relatinghistroubles；“thesunsavedmethecostofcharcoal。“
　　AsgoodacoloristbythistimeasGroshimself，Josephnowwenttohismasterforconsultationonly。Hewasalreadymeditatingatiltagainstclassicaltraditions，andGrecianconventionalities，inshort，againsttheleading-stringswhichhelddownanarttowhichNatureAS
　　SHEISbelongs，intheomnipotenceofhercreationsandherimagery。
　　Josephmadereadyforastrugglewhich，fromthedaywhenhefirstexhibitedintheSalon，hasneverceased。Itwasaterribleyear。
　　Roguin，thenotaryofMadameDescoingsandMadameBridau，abscondedwiththemoneysheldbackforsevenyearsfromMadameDescoings’sannuity，whichbythattimewereproducingtwothousandfrancsayear。
　　Threedaysafterthisdisaster，abillofexchangeforathousandfrancs，drawnbyPhilippeuponhismother，arrivedfromNewYork。Thepoorfellow，misledlikesomanyothers，hadlosthisallintheChampd’Asile。Aletter，whichaccompaniedthebill，droveAgathe，Joseph，andtheDescoingstotears，andtoldofdebtscontractedinNewYork，wherehiscomradesinmisfortuneshadindorsedforhim。
　　“ItwasIwhomadehimgo！“criedthepoormother，eagertodiverttheblamefromPhilippe。
　　“Iadviseyounottosendhimonmanysuchjourneys，“saidtheoldDescoingstoherniece。
　　MadameDescoingswasheroic。ShecontinuedtogivethethreethousandfrancsayeartoMadameBridau，butshestillpaidtheduesonhertreywhichhadneverturnedupsincetheyear1799。Aboutthistime，shebegantodoubtthehonestyofthegovernment，anddeclareditwascapableofkeepingthethreenumbersintheurn，soastoexcitetheshareholderstoputinenormousstakes。Afterarapidsurveyofalltheirresources，itseemedtothetwowomenimpossibletoraisethethousandfrancswithoutsellingoutthelittlethatremainedintheFunds。Theytalkedofpawningtheirsilverandpartofthelinen，andeventheneedlesspiecesoffurniture。Joseph，alarmedatthesesuggestions，wenttoseeGerardandtoldhimtheircircumstances。ThegreatpainterobtainedanorderfromthehouseholdofthekingfortwocopiesofaportraitofLouisXVIII。，atfivehundredfrancseach。
　　Thoughnotnaturallygenerous，Grostookhispupiltoanartist-
　　furnishinghouseandfittedhimoutwiththenecessarymaterials。Butthethousandfrancscouldnotbehadtillthecopiesweredelivered，soJosephpaintedfourpanelsintendays，soldthemtothedealersandbroughthismotherthethousandfrancswithwhichtomeetthebillofexchangewhenitfelldue。Eightdayslater，camealetterfromthecolonel，informinghismotherthathewasabouttoreturntoFranceonboardapacketfromNewYork，whosecaptainhadtrustedhimforthepassage-money。PhilippeannouncedthatheshouldneedatleastathousandfrancsonhisarrivalatHavre。
　　“Good，“saidJosephtohismother，“Ishallhavefinishedmycopiesbythattime，andyoucancarryhimthemoney。“
　　“DearJoseph！“criedAgatheintears，kissingherson，“Godwillblessyou。Youdolovehim，then，poorpersecutedfellow？Heisindeedourgloryandourhopeforthefuture。Soyoung，sobrave，sounfortunate！
　　everythingisagainsthim；wethreemustalwaysstandbyhim。“
　　“Youseenowthatpaintingisgoodforsomething，“criedJoseph，overjoyedtohavewonhismother’spermissiontobeagreatartist。
　　MadameBridaurushedtomeetherbelovedson，ColonelPhilippe，atHavre。Oncethere，shewalkedeverydaybeyondtheroundtowerbuiltbyFrancoisI。，tolookoutfortheAmericanpacket，enduringthekeenestanxieties。Mothersaloneknowhowsuchsufferingsquickenmaternallove。ThevesselarrivedonafinemorninginOctober，1819，withoutdelay，andhavingmetwithnomishap。Thesightofamotherandtheairofone’snativelandproducesacertainaffectonthecoarsestnature，especiallyafterthemiseriesofasea-voyage。
　　Philippegavewaytoarushoffeeling，whichmadeAgathethinktoherself，“Ah！howhelovesme！“Alas，theherolovedbutonepersonintheworld，andthatpersonwasColonelPhilippe。HismisfortunesinTexas，hisstayinNewYork，——aplacewherespeculationandindividualismarecarriedtothehighestpitch，wherethebrutalityofself-interestattainstocynicism，whereman，essentiallyisolated，iscompelledtopushhiswayforhimselfandbyhimself，wherepolitenessdoesnotexist，——infact，eventheminoreventsofPhilippe’sjourneyhaddevelopedinhimtheworsttraitsofanoldcampaigner:hehadgrownbrutal，selfish，rude；hedrankandsmokedtoexcess；physicalhardshipsandpovertyhaddepravedhim。Moreover，heconsideredhimselfpersecuted；andtheeffectofthatideaistomakepersonswhoareunintelligentpersecutorsandbigotsthemselves。ToPhilippe’sconceptionoflife，theuniversebeganathisheadandendedathisfeet，andthesunshoneforhimalone。ThethingshehadseeninNewYork，interpretedbyhispracticalnature，carriedawayhislastscruplesonthescoreofmorality。Forsuchbeings，therearebuttwowaysofexistence。Eithertheybelieve，ortheydonotbelieve；theyhavethevirtuesofhonestmen，ortheygivethemselvesuptothedemandsofnecessity；inwhichcasetheyproceedtoturntheirslightestinterestsandeachpassingimpulseoftheirpassionsintonecessities。
　　Suchasystemoflifecarriesamanalongway。ItwasonlyinappearancethatColonelPhilipperetainedthefrankness，plain-
　　dealing，andeasy-goingfreedomofasoldier。Thismadehim，inreality，verydangerous；heseemedasguilelessasachild，but，thinkingonlyofhimself，heneverdidanythingwithoutreflectingwhathehadbetterdo，——likeawilylawyerplanningsometrick“alaMaitreGonin“；wordscosthimnothing，andhesaidasmanyashecouldtogetpeopletobelieve。If，unfortunately，someonerefusedtoaccepttheexplanationswithwhichhejustifiedthecontradictionsbetweenhisconductandhisprofessions，thecolonel，whowasagoodshotandcoulddefythemostadroitfencing-master，andpossessedthecoolnessofonetowhomlifeisindifferent，wasquitereadytodemandsatisfactionforthefirstsharpword；andwhenamanshowshimselfpreparedforviolencethereislittlemoretobesaid。Hisimposingstaturehadtakenonacertainrotundity，hisfacewasbronzedfromexposureinTexas，hewasstillsuccinctinspeech，andhadacquiredthedecisivetoneofamanobligedtomakehimselffearedamongthepopulationsofanewworld。Thusdeveloped，plainlydressed，hisbodytrainedtoendurancebyhisrecenthardships，Philippeintheeyesofhismotherwasahero；inpointoffact，hehadsimplybecomewhatpeoplenottomincematterscallablackguard。
　　Shockedatthedestitutionofhercherishedson，MadameBridauboughthimacompleteoutfitofclothesatHavre。Afterlisteningtothetaleofhiswoes，shehadnotthehearttostophisdrinkingandeatingandamusinghimselfasamanjustreturnedfromtheChampd’Asilewaslikelytoeatanddrinkanddiverthimself。Itwascertainlyafineconception，——thatofconqueringTexaswiththeremainsoftheimperialarmy。Thefailurewaslessintheideathaninthemenwhoconceivedit；forTexasisto-dayarepublic，withafuturefullofpromise。
　　ThisschemeofLiberalismundertheRestorationdistinctlyprovesthattheinterestsofthepartywerepurelyselfishandnotnational，seekingpowerandnothingelse。Neithermen，noroccasion，norcause，nordevotionwerelacking；onlythemoneyandthesupportofthehypocriticalpartyathomewhodispensedenormoussums，butgavenothingwhenitcametorecoveringempire。HouseholdmanagerslikeAgathehaveaplaincommon-sensewhichenablesthemtoperceivesuchpoliticalchicane:thepoorwomansawthetruththroughthelinesofherson’stale；forshehadread，intheexile’sinterests，allthepompouseditorialsoftheconstitutionaljournals，andwatchedthemanagementofthefamoussubscription，whichproducedbarelyonehundredandfiftythousandfrancswhenitoughttohaveyieldedfiveorsixmillions。TheLiberalleaderssoonfoundoutthattheywereplayingintothehandsofLouisXVIII。byexportingthegloriousremnantsofourgrandarmy，andtheypromptlyabandonedtotheirfatethemostdevoted，themostardent，themostenthusiasticofitsheroes，——those，inshort，whohadgoneintheadvance。Agathewasneverable，however，tomakehersonseethathewasmoredupedthanpersecuted。Withblindbeliefinheridol，shesupposedherselfignorant，anddeplored，asPhilippedid，theeviltimeswhichhaddonehimsuchwrong。Uptothistimehewas，tohermind，throughouthismisfortunes，lessfaultythanvictimizedbyhisnoblenature，hisenergy，thefalloftheEmperor，theduplicityoftheLiberals，andtherancoroftheBourbonsagainsttheBonapartists。DuringtheweekatHavre，aweekwhichwashorriblycostly，shedarednotaskhimtomaketermswiththeroyalgovernmentandapplytotheministerofwar。
　　ShehadhardworktogethimawayfromHavre，wherelivingisveryexpensive，andtobringhimbacktoParisbeforehermoneygaveout。
　　MadameDescoingsandJoseph，whowereawaitingtheirarrivalinthecourtyardofthecoach-officeoftheMessageriesRoyales，werestruckwiththechangeinAgathe’sface。
　　“Yourmotherhasagedtenyearsintwomonths，“whisperedtheDescoingstoJoseph，astheyallembraced，andthetwotrunkswerebeinghandeddown。
　　“Howdoyoudo，mereDescoings？“wasthecoolgreetingthecolonelbestowedontheoldwomanwhomJosephwasinthehabitofcalling“mamanDescoings。“
　　“Ihavenomoneytopayforahackney-coach，“saidAgathe，inasadvoice。
　　“Ihave，“repliedtheyoungpainter。“WhatasplendidcolorPhilippehasturned！“hecried，lookingathisbrother。
　　“Yes，I’vebrownedlikeapipe，“saidPhilippe。“Butasforyou，you’renotabitchanged，littleman。“