Though not naturally generous, Gros took his pupil to an artist-furnishing house and fitted him out with the necessary materials.
But the thousand francs could not be had till the copies were delivered, so Joseph painted four panels in ten days, sold them to the dealers and brought his mother the thousand francs with which to meet the bill of exchange when it fell due.

Eight days later, came a letter from the colonel, informing his mother that he was about to return to France on board a packet from New York, whose captain had trusted him for the passage-money.

Philippe announced that he should need at least a thousand francs on his arrival at Havre.
"Good," said Joseph to his mother, "I shall have finished my copies by that time, and you can carry him the money." "Dear Joseph!" cried Agathe in tears, kissing her son, "God will bless you.

You do love him, then, poor persecuted fellow?
He is indeed our glory and our hope for the future.

So young, so brave, so unfortunate! everything is against him; we three must always stand by him." "You see now that painting is good for something," cried Joseph, overjoyed to have won his mother's permission to be a great artist.
Madame Bridau rushed to meet her beloved son, Colonel Philippe, at Havre.