下载辰思小说免费APP
“Monsieurlecomte，don’tgivehimyourdaughteruntilyouhavemadeeveryinquiry；interrogatehisformercomrades，——Bixiou，Giroudeau，andothers。“
Threemonthslater，theComtedeBrambourggaveasuppertoduTillet，Nucingen，EugenedeRastignac，MaximedeTrailles，andHenrideMarsay。Theamphitryonacceptedwithmuchnonchalancethehalf-
consolatorycondolencestheymadetohimastohisrupturewiththehouseofSoulanges。
“Youcandobetter，“saidMaximedeTrailles。
“HowmuchmoneymustamanhavetomarryademoiselledeGrandlieu？“
askedPhilippeofdeMarsay。
“You？Theywouldn’tgiveyoutheugliestofthesixforlessthantenmillions，“answereddeMarsayinsolently。
“Bah！“saidRastignac。“WithanincomeoftwohundredthousandfrancsyoucanhaveMademoiselledeLangeais，thedaughterofthemarquis；
sheisthirtyyearsold，andugly，andshehasn’tasou；thatoughttosuityou。“
“Ishallhavetenmillionstwoyearsfromnow，“saidPhilippeBridau。
“Itisnowthe16thofJanuary，1829，“criedduTillet，laughing。“I
havebeenhardatworkfortenyearsandIhavenotmadeasmuchasthatyet。“
“We’lltakecounselofeachother，“saidBridau；“youshallseehowwellIunderstandfinance。“
“Howmuchdoyoureallyown？“askedNucingen。
“Threemillions，excludingmyhouseandmyestate，whichIshallnotsell；infact，Icannot，forthepropertyisnowentailedandgoeswiththetitle。“
NucingenandduTilletlookedateachother；afterthatslyglanceduTilletsaidtoPhilippe，“Mydearcount，Ishallbedelightedtodobusinesswithyou。“
DeMarsayinterceptedthelookduTillethadexchangedwithNucingen，andwhichmeant，“Wewillhavethosemillions。“Thetwobankmagnateswereatthecentreofpoliticalaffairs，andcould，atagiventime，manipulatemattersattheBourse，soastoplayasuregameagainstPhilippe，whentheprobabilitiesmightallseemforhimandyetbesecretlyagainsthim。
Theoccasioncame。InJuly，1830，duTilletandNucingenhadhelpedtheComtedeBrambourgtomakefifteenhundredthousandfrancs；hecouldthereforefeelnodistrustofthosewhohadgivenhimsuchgoodadvice。Philippe，whoowedhisrisetotheRestoration，wasmisledbyhisprofoundcontemptfor“civilians“；hebelievedinthetriumphoftheOrdonnances，andwasbentonplayingforarise；duTilletandNucingen，whoweresureofarevolution，playedagainsthimforafall。ThecraftypairconfirmedthejudgmentoftheComtedeBrambourgandseemedtosharehisconvictions；theyencouragedhishopesofdoublinghismillions，andapparentlytookstepstohelphim。Philippefoughtlikeamanwhohadfourmillionsdependingontheissueofthestruggle。Hisdevotionwassonoticeable，thathereceivedorderstogotoSaint-CloudwiththeDucdeMaufrigneuseandattendacouncil。
ThismarkoffavorprobablysavedPhilippe’slife；forwhentheordercame，onthe25thofJuly，hewasintendingtomakeachargeandsweeptheboulevards，whenhewouldundoubtedlyhavebeenshotdownbyhisfriendGiroudeau，whocommandedadivisionoftheassailants。
Amonthlater，nothingwasleftofColonelBridau’simmensefortunebuthishouseandfurniture，hisestates，andthepictureswhichhadcomefromIssoudun。Hecommittedthestillfurtherfolly，ashesaidhimself，ofbelievingintherestorationoftheelderbranch，towhichheremainedfaithfuluntil1834。ThenotimcomprehensiblejealousyPhilippefeltonseeingGiroudeauacoloneldrovehimtore-entertheservice。Unluckilyforhimself，heobtained，in1835，thecommandofaregimentinAlgiers，whereheremainedthreeyearsinapostofdanger，alwayshopingfortheepauletsofageneral。Butsomemalignantinfluence——that，infact，ofGeneralGiroudeau，——continuallybalkedhim。Grownhardandbrutal，Philippeexceededtheordinaryseverityoftheservice，andwashated，inspiteofhisbraveryalaMurat。
Atthebeginningofthefatalyear1839，whilemakingasuddendashupontheArabsduringaretreatbeforesuperiorforces，heflunghimselfagainstt
