InspiteofthecoolnessanddiscretionwithwhichPhilippeplayedhistriflinggameeverynight，ithappenedeverynowandthenthathewaswhatgamblerscall“cleanedout。“Drivenbytheirresistiblenecessityofhavinghiseveningstakeoftenfrancs，heplunderedthehousehold，andlaidhandsonhisbrother’smoneyandonallthatMadameDescoingsorAgatheleftabout。Alreadythepoormotherhadhadadreadfulvisioninherfirstsleep:Philippeenteredtheroomandtookfromthepocketsofhergownallthemoneyhecouldfind。Agathepretendedtosleep，butshepassedtherestofthenightintears。Shesawthetruthonlytooclearly。“Onewrongactisnotavice，“MadameDescoingshaddeclared；butaftersomanyrepetitions，vicewasunmistakable。Agathecoulddoubtnolonger；herbest-belovedsonhadneitherdelicacynorhonor。
Onthemorrowofthatfrightfulvision，beforePhilippeleftthehouseafterbreakfast，shedrewhimintoherchamberandbeggedhim，inatoneofentreaty，toaskherforwhatmoneyheneeded。Afterthat，theapplicationsweresonumerousthatintwoweeksAgathewasdrainedofallhersavings。Shewasliterallywithoutapenny，andbegantothinkoffindingwork。ThemeansofearningmoneyhadbeendiscussedintheeveningsbetweenherselfandMadameDescoings，andshehadalreadytakenpatternsofworstedworktofillin，fromashopcalledthe“PeredeFamille，“——anemploymentwhichpaysabouttwentysousaday。
NotwithstandingAgathe’ssilenceonthesubject，MadameDescoingshadguessedthemotiveofthisdesiretoearnmoneybywomen’s-work。Thechangeinherappearancewaseloquent:herfreshfacehadwithered，theskinclungtothetemplesandthecheek-bones，andtheforeheadshoweddeeplines；hereyeslosttheirclearness；aninwardfirewasevidentlyconsumingher；sheweptthegreaterpartofthenight。A
chiefcauseoftheseoutwardravageswasthenecessityofhidingheranguish，hersufferings，herapprehensions。SheneverwenttosleepuntilPhilippecamein；shelistenedforhisstep，shehadlearnedtheinflectionsofhisvoice，thevariationsofhiswalk，theverylanguageofhiscaneasittouchedthepavement。Nothingescapedher。
Sheknewthedegreeofdrunkennesshehadreached，shetrembledassheheardhimstumbleonthestairs；onenightshepickedupsomepiecesofgoldatthespotwherehehadfallen。Whenhehaddrunkandwon，hisvoicewasgruffandhiscanedragged；butwhenhehadlost，hisstephadsomethingsharp，shortandangryaboutit；hehummedinaclearvoice，andcarriedhiscaneintheairasifpresentingarms。Atbreakfast，ifhehadwon，hisbehaviorwasgayandevenaffectionate；