第7章
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，hehadsimplybecomewhatpeople(nottomincematters)callablackguard。
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。“