neithertoostoutnoryettoothin。Hishands，carefullykept，werewhiteandratherhandsome；buthisfeetrecalledthesuburbandthefoot-soldieroftheEmpire。Maxwouldcertainlyhavemadeagoodgeneralofdivision；hehadshouldersthatwereworthafortunetoamarshalofFrance，andabreastbroadenoughtowearalltheordersofEurope。Everymovementbetrayedintelligence；bornwithgraceandcharm，likenearlyallthechildrenoflove，thenoblebloodofhisrealfathercameoutinhim。
“Don’tyouknow，Max，“criedthesonofaformersurgeon-majornamedGoddet——nowthebestdoctorinthetown——fromtheotherendofthetable，“thatMadameHochon’sgoddaughteristhesisterofRouget？Ifsheiscomingherewithherson，nodoubtshemeanstomakesureofgettingthepropertywhenhedies，andthen——good-bytoyourharvest！“
Maxfrowned。Then，withalookwhichranfromonefacetoanotherallroundthetable，hewatchedtheeffectofthisannouncementonthemindsofthosepresent，andagainreplied，——
“What’sthattome？“
“But，“saidFrancois，“IshouldthinkthatifoldRougetrevokedhiswill，——incasehehasmadeoneinfavoroftheRabouilleuse——“
HereMaxcutshorthishenchman’sspeech。“I’vestoppedthemouthsofpeoplewhohavedaredtomeddlewithyou，mydearFrancois，“hesaid；
“andthisisthewayyoupayyourdebts？YouuseacontemptuousnicknameinspeakingofawomantowhomIamknowntobeattached。“
MaxhadneverbeforesaidasmuchasthisabouthisrelationswiththepersontowhomFrancoishadjustappliedanameunderwhichshewasknownatIssoudun。ThelateprisoneratCabrera——themajorofthegrenadiersoftheGuard——knewenoughofwhathonorwastojudgerightlyastothecausesofthedisesteeminwhichsocietyheldhim。
Hehadthereforeneverallowedanyone，nomatterwho，tospeaktohimonthesubjectofMademoiselleFloreBrazier，theservant-mistressofJean-JacquesRouget，soenergeticallytermeda“slut“bytherespectableMadameHochon。EverybodyknewitwastooticklishasubjectwithMax，evertospeakofitunlesshebeganit；andhithertohehadneverbegunit。Toriskhisangerorirritatehimwasaltogethertoodangerous；sothatevenhisbestfriendshadneverjokedhimabouttheRabouilleuse。WhentheytalkedofhisliaisonwiththegirlbeforeMajorPotelandCaptainRenard，withwhomhelivedonintimateterms，Potelwouldreply，——
“IfheisthenaturalbrotherofJean-JacquesRougetwhereelsewouldyouhavehimlive？“
“Besides，afterall，“addedCaptainRenard，“thegirlisaworthlesspiece，andifMaxdoeslivewithherwhere’stheharm？“
Afterthismeritedsnub，Francoiscouldnotatoncecatchupthethreadofhisideas；buthewasstilllessabletodosowhenMaxsaidtohim，gently，——
“Goon。“
“Faith，no！“criedFrancois。
“Youneedn’tgetangry，Max，“saidyoungGoddet；“didn’tweagreetotalkfreelytoeachotheratMereCognette’s？Shouldn’tweallbemortalenemiesifwerememberedoutsidewhatissaid，orthought，ordonehere？AllthetowncallsFloreBraziertheRabouilleuse；andifFrancoisdidhappentoletthenicknameslipout，isthatacrimeagainsttheOrderofIdleness？“
“No，“saidMax，“butagainstourpersonalfriendship。However，I
thoughtbetterofit；Irecollectedwewereinsession，andthatwaswhyIsaid，’Goon。’“
Adeepsilencefollowed。ThepausebecamesoembarrassingforthewholecompanythatMaxbrokeitbyexclaiming:——
“I’llgoonforhim，“[sensation]“——forallofyou，“[amazement]
“——andtellyouwhatyouarethinking“[profoundsensation]。“YouthinkthatFlore，theRabouilleuse，LaBrazier，thehousekeeperofPereRouget，——fortheycallhimso，thatoldbachelor，whocanneverhaveanychildren！——youthink，Isay，thatthatwomansuppliesallmywantseversinceIcamebacktoIssoudun。IfIamabletothrowthreehundredfrancsamonthtothedogs，andtreatyoutosuppers，——asIdoto-night，——andlendmoneytoallofyou，youthinkIgetthegoldoutofMademoiselleFloreBrazier’spurse？Well，yes“[profoundsensation]。“Yes，tenthousandtimesyes！Yes，MademoiselleBrazierisaimingstraightfortheoldman’sproperty。“
“Shegetsitfromfathertoson，“observedGoddet，inhiscorner。
“Youthink，“continuedMax，smilingatGoddet’sspeech，“thatIintendtomarryFlorewhenPereRougetdies，andsothissisterandherson，ofwhomIhearto-nightforthefirsttime，willendangermyfuture？“
“That’sjustit，“criedFrancois。
“Thatiswhateveryonethinkswhoissittingroundthistable，“saidBaruch。
“Well，don’tbeuneasy，friends，“answeredMax。“Forewarnedisforearmed！Nowthen，IaddresstheKnightsofIdleness。If，togetridoftheseParisiansIneedthehelpoftheOrder，willyoulendmeahand？Oh！withinthelimitswehavemarkedoutforourfooleries，“headdedhastily，perceivingageneralhesitation。“DoyousupposeIwanttokillthem，——poisonthem？ThankGodI’mnotanidiot。Besides，iftheBridaussucceed，andFlorehasnothingbutwhatshestandsin，I
shouldbesatisfied；doyouunderstandthat？IloveherenoughtopreferhertoMademoiselleFichet，——ifMademoiselleFichetwouldhaveme。“
MademoiselleFichetwastherichestheiressinIssoudun，andthehandofthedaughtercountedformuchinthereportedpassionoftheyoungerGoddetforthemother。FranknessofspeechisapearlofsuchpricethatalltheKnightsrosetotheirfeetasoneman。
“Youareafinefellow，Max！“
“Wellsaid，Max；we’llstandbyyou！“
“AfigfortheBridaus！“
“We’llbridlethem！“
“Afterall，itisonlythreeswainstoashepherdess。“
“Thedeuce！PereLousteaulovedMadameRouget；isn’titbettertoloveahousekeeperwhoisnotyoked？“
“IfthedefunctRougetwasMax’sfather，theaffairisinthefamily。“
“Libertyofopinionnow-a-days！“
“HurrahforMax！“
“Downwithallhypocrites！“
“Here’sahealthtothebeautifulFlore！“
Suchweretheelevenresponses，acclamations，andtoastsshoutedforthbytheKnightsofIdleness，andcharacteristic，wemayremark，oftheirexcessivelyrelaxedmorality。ItisnoweasytoseewhatinterestMaxhadinbecomingtheirgrandmaster。Byleadingtheyoungmenofthebestfamiliesintheirfolliesandamusements，andbydoingthemservices，hemeanttocreateasupportforhimselfwhenthedayforrecoveringhispositioncame。Herosegracefullyandwavedhisglassofclaret，whilealltheotherswaitedeagerlyforthecomingallocution。
“Asamarkoftheill-willIbearyou，IwishyouallamistresswhoisequaltothebeautifulFlore！Astothisirruptionofrelations，I
don’tfeelanypresentuneasiness；andastothefuture，we’llseewhatcomes——“
“Don’tletusforgetFario’scart！“
“Hangit！that’ssafeenough！“saidGoddet。
“Oh！I’llengagetosettlethatbusiness，“criedMax。“Beinthemarket-placeearly，allofyou，andletmeknowwhentheoldfellowgoesforhiscart。“
Itwasstrikinghalf-pastthreeinthemorningastheKnightsslippedoutinsilencetogototheirhomes；glidingclosetothewallsofthehouseswithoutmakingtheleastnoise，shodastheywereinlistshoes。MaxslowlyreturnedtotheplaceSaint-Jean，situatedintheupperpartofthetown，betweentheportSaint-JeanandtheportVilatte，thequarteroftherichbourgeoisie。MaxenceGilethadconcealedhisfears，butthenewshadstruckhome。HisexperienceonthehulksatCabrerahadtaughthimadissimulationasdeepandthoroughashiscorruption。First，andaboveallelse，thefortythousandfrancsayearfromlandedpropertywhicholdRougetownedwas，letitbeclearlyunderstood，theconstituentelementofMax’spassionforFloreBrazier。Byhispresentbearingitiseasytoseehowmuchconfidencethewomanhadgivenhiminthefinancialfuturesheexpectedtoobtainthroughtheinfatuationoftheoldbachelor。
Nevertheless，thenewsofthearrivalofthelegitimateheirswasofanaturetoshakeMax’sfaithinFlore’sinfluence。Rouget’ssavings，accumulatingduringthelastseventeenyears，stillstoodinhisownname；andevenifthewill，whichFloredeclaredhadlongbeenmadeinherfavor，wererevoked，thesesavingsatleastmightbesecuredbyputtingtheminthenameofMademoiselleBrazier。
“Thatfoolofagirlnevertoldme，inallthesesevenyears，awordaboutthesisterandnephews！“criedMax，turningfromtheruedelaMarmouseintotheruel’Avenier。“SevenhundredandfiftythousandfrancsplacedwithdifferentnotariesatBourges，andVierzon，andChateauroux，can’tbeturnedintomoneyandputintotheFundsinaweek，withouteverybodyknowingitinthisgossipingplace！Themostimportantthingistogetridoftheserelations；assoonastheyaredrivenawayweoughttomakehastetosecuretheproperty。Imustthinkitover。“
Maxwastired。Bythehelpofapass-key，helethimselfintoPereRouget’shouse，andwenttobedwithoutmakinganynoise，sayingtohimself，——
“To-morrow，mythoughtswillbeclear。“
ItisnownecessarytorelatewherethesultanaoftheplaceSaint-
Jeanpickedupthenicknameof“Rabouilleuse，“andhowshecametobethequasi-mistressofJean-JacquesRouget’shome。