MadameRouget，or，tospeakmorecorrectly，thedoctor，inheritedalltheproperty，landedandpersonal，ofMonsieurandMadameDescoingstheelder，whodiedwithintwoyearsofeachother；andsoonafterthat，Rougetgotthebetter，aswemaysay，ofhiswife，forshediedatthebeginningoftheyear1799。Sohehadvineyardsandheboughtfarms，heownediron-worksandhesoldfleeces。Hiswell-belovedsonwasstupidlyincapableofdoinganything；butthefatherdestinedhimforthestateinlifeofalandproprietorandallowedhimtogrowupinwealthandsilliness，certainthattheladwouldknowasmuchasthewisestifhesimplylethimselfliveanddie。After1799，thecipherersofIssoudunput，attheveryleast，thirtythousandfrancs’
incometothedoctor’scredit。Fromthetimeofhiswife’sdeathheledadebauchedlife，thoughheregulatedit，sotospeak，andkeptitwithinthecloseddoorsofhisownhouse。Thisman，endowedwith“strengthofcharacter，“diedin1805，andGodonlyknowswhatthetownspeopleofIssoudunsaidabouthimthen，andhowmanyanecdotestheyrelatedofhishorribleprivatelife。Jean-JacquesRouget，whomhisfather，recognizinghisstupidity，hadlatterlytreatedwithseverity，remainedabachelorforcertainreasons，theexplanationofwhichwillformanimportantpartofthishistory。Hiscelibacywaspartlyhisfather’sfault，asweshallseelater。
Meantime，itiswelltoinquireintotheresultsofthesecretvengeancethedoctortookonadaughterwhomhedidnotrecognizeashisown，butwho，youmustunderstandatonce，waslegitimatelyhis。
NotapersoninIssoudunhadnoticedoneofthosecapriciousfactsthatmakethewholesubjectofgenerationavastabyssinwhichscienceflounders。AgatheboreastronglikenesstothemotherofDoctorRouget。Justasgoutissaidtoskipagenerationandpassfromgrandfathertograndson，resemblancesnotuncommonlyfollowthesamecourse。
Inlikemanner，theeldestofAgathe’schildren，whophysicallyresembledhismother，hadthemoralqualitiesofhisgrandfather，DoctorRouget。Wewillleavethesolutionofthisproblemtothetwentiethcentury，withafinecollectionofmicroscopicanimalculae；