ildren,
Agathe did not think of herself. But Philippe? what would he do if
reduced to live on the five hundred francs of an officer of the Legion
of honor? During the past eleven years, Madame Descoings, by giving up
three thousand francs a year, had paid her debt twice over, but she
still continued to sacrifice her grandson's interests to those of the
Bridau family. Though all Agathe's honorable and upright feelings were
shocked by this terrible disaster, she said to herself: "Poor boy! is
it his fault? He is faithful to his oath. I have done wrong not to
marry him. If I had found him a wife, he would not have got entangled
with this danseuse. He has such a vigorous constitution--"

Madame Descoings had likewise reflected during the night as to the
best way of saving the honor of the family. At daybreak, she got out
of bed and went to her friend's room.

"Neither you nor Philippe should manage this delicate matter," she
urged. "Our two old friends Du Bruel and Claparon are dead, but we
still have Desroches, who is very sagacious. I'll go and see him this
morning. He can tell the newspaper people that Philippe trusted a
friend and has been made a victim; that his weakness in such respects
makes him unfit to be a cashier; what has now happened may happen
again, and that Philippe prefers to resign. That will prevent his
being turned off."

Agathe, seeing that this business lie would save the honor of her son,
at any rate in the eyes of strangers, kissed Madame Descoings, who
went out early to make an end of the dreadful affair.

Philippe, meanwhile, had slept the sleep of the just. "She is sly,
that old woman," he remarked, when his mother explained to him why
breakfast was late.

Old Desroches, the last remaining friend of these two poor women, who,
in spite of his harsh nature, never forgot that Bridau had obtained
for him his place, fulfilled like an accomplished diplomat the
delicate mission Madame Descoings had confided to him. He came to dine
that evening with the family, and notified Agathe that she must go the
next day to the Treasury, rue Vivienne, sign the transfer of the funds
involved, and obtain a coupon for the six hundred francs a year which
still remained to her. The old clerk did not leave the afflicted
household that night without obliging Philippe to sign a petition to
the minister of war, asking for his reinstatement in the active army.
Desroches promised the two women to follow up the petition a