dun, all
bestowing many praises on Philippe's conduct, and dwelling upon the
newspaper article relating to his uncle's marriage.

Two weeks later, Philippe received the desired permission, and a letter,
in which the minister of war informed him that, by order of the King, he
was, as a preliminary favor, reinstated lieutenant-colonel in the royal
army.

CHAPTER XVII

Lieutenant-Colonel Bridau returned to Paris, taking with him his aunt
and the helpless Rouget, whom he escorted, three days after their
arrival, to the Treasury, where Jean-Jacques signed the transfer of the
income, which henceforth became Philippe's. The exhausted old man and
the Rabouilleuse were now plunged by their nephew into the excessive
dissipations of the dangerous and restless society of actresses,
journalists, artists, and the equivocal women among whom Philippe had
already wasted his youth; where old Rouget found excitements that
soon after killed him. Instigated by Giroudeau, Lolotte, one of the
handsomest of the Opera ballet-girls, was the amiable assassin of
the old man. Rouget died after a splendid supper at Florentine's, and
Lolotte threw the blame of his death upon a slice of pate de foie gras;
as the Strasburg masterpiece could make no defence, it was considered
settled that the old man died of indigestion.

Madame Rouget was in her element in the midst of this excessively
decollete society; but Philippe gave her in charge of Mariette, and that
monitress did not allow the widow--whose mourning was diversified with a
few amusements--to commit any actual follies.

In October, 1823, Philippe returned to Issoudun, furnished with a power
of attorney from his aunt, to liquidate the estate of his uncle; a
business that was soon over, for he returned to Paris in March, 1824,
with sixteen hundred thousand francs,--the net proceeds of old Rouget's
property, not counting the precious pictures, which had never left
Monsieur Hochon's hands. Philippe put the whole property into the hands
of Mongenod and Sons, where young Baruch Borniche was employed, and
on whose solvency and business probity old Hochon had given him
satisfactory assurances. This house took his sixteen hundred thousand
francs at six per cent per annum, on condition of three months' notice
in case of the withdrawal of the money.

One fine day, Philippe went to see his mother, and invited her to
be present at his marriage, which was witnessed by Giroudeau, Finot,
Nathan, and