“Howsillytoputyourselfinsuchawayaboutnothing。There，youoldgoose，thatwilldoyougood；ithasbeennextmyheart——“
“Whatagoodcreature！“saidRougettoMax，whileFlorewenttofetchablackvelvetcaptocoverthenearlybaldheadoftheoldbachelor。
“Asgoodassheisbeautiful“；answeredMax，“butsheisquick-
tempered，likeallpeoplewhocarrytheirheartsintheirhands。“
Thebaldnessofthissketchmaydispleasesome，whowillthinktheflashesofFlore’scharacterbelongtothesortofrealismwhichapainteroughttoleaveinshadow。Well！thisscene，playedagainandagainwithshockingvariations，is，initscoarsewayanditshorribleveracity，thetypeofsuchscenesplayedbywomenonwhateverrungofthesocialladdertheyareperched，whenanyinterest，nomatterwhat，drawsthemfromtheirownlineofobedienceandinducesthemtograspatpower。Intheireyes，asinthoseofpoliticians，allmeanstoanendarejustifiable。BetweenFloreBrazierandaduchess，betweenaduchessandtherichestbourgeoise，betweenabourgeoiseandthemostluxuriouslykeptmistress，therearenodifferencesexceptthoseoftheeducationtheyhavereceived，andthesurroundingsinwhichtheylive。ThepoutingofafineladyisthesamethingastheviolenceofaRabouilleuse。Atalllevels，bittersayings，ironicaljests，coldcontempt，hypocriticalcomplaints，falsequarrels，winasmuchsuccessasthelowoutburstsofthisMadameEverardofIssoudun。
Maxbegantorelate，withmuchhumor，thetaleofFarioandhisbarrow，whichmadetheoldmanlaugh。VedieandKouski，whocametolisten，explodedinthekitchen，andastoFlore，shelaughedconvulsively。Afterbreakfast，whileJean-Jacquesreadthenewspapersfortheysubscribedtothe“Constitutionel“andthe“Pandore“，MaxcarriedFloretohisownquarters。
“Areyouquitesurehehasnotmadeanyotherwillsincetheoneinwhichheleftthepropertytoyou？“
“Hehasn’tanythingtowritewith，“sheanswered。
“Hemighthavedictatedittosomenotary，“saidMax；“wemustlookoutforthat。ThereforeitiswelltobecordialtotheBridaus，andatthesametimeendeavortoturnthosemortgagesintomoney。Thenotarieswillbeonlytoogladtomakethetransfers；itisgristtotheirmill。TheFundsaregoingup；weshallconquerSpain，anddeliverFerdinandVII。andtheCortez，andthentheywillbeabovepar。YouandIcouldmakeagoodthingoutofitbyputtingtheoldfellow’ssevenhundredandfiftythousandfrancsintotheFundsateighty-nine。Onlyyoumusttrytogetitdoneinyourname；itwillbesomuchsecuredanyhow。“
“Acapitalidea！“saidFlore。
“Andastherewillbeanincomeoffiftythousandfrancsfromeighthundredandninetythousand，wemustmakehimborrowonehundredandfortythousandfrancsfortwoyears，tobepaidbackintwoinstalments。Intwoyears，weshallgetonehundredthousandfrancsIN
Paris，andninetythousandhere，andrisknothing。“
“Ifitwerenotforyou，myhandsomeMax，whatwouldbecomeofmenow？“shesaid。
“Oh！to-morrownightatMereCognette’s，afterIhaveseentheParisians，IshallfindawaytomaketheHochonsthemselvesgetridofthem。“
“Ah！whataheadyou’vegot，myangel！Youarealoveofaman。“
TheplaceSaint-JeanisatthecentreofalongstreetcalledattheupperendtherueGrandNarette，andatthelowertheruePetiteNarette。Theword“Narette“isusedinBerrytoexpressthesamelayofthelandastheGenoeseword“salita“indicates，——thatistosay，asteepstreet。TheGrandNaretterisesrapidlyfromtheplaceSaint-
JeantotheportVilatte。ThehouseofoldMonsieurHochonisexactlyoppositethatofJean-JacquesRouget。FromthewindowsoftheroomwhereMadameHochonusuallysat，itwaseasytoseewhatwentonattheRougethousehold，andviceversa，whenthecurtainsweredrawnbackorthedoorswereleftopen。TheHochonhousewasliketheRougethouse，andthetwoweredoubtlessbuiltbythesamearchitect。
MonsieurHochon，formerlytax-collectoratSellesinBerry，born，however，atIssoudun，hadreturnedtohisnativeplaceandmarriedthesisterofthesub-delegate，thegayLousteau，exchanginghisofficeatSellesforanotherofthesamekindatIssoudun。Havingretiredbefore1787，heescapedthedangersoftheRevolution，towhoseprinciples，however，hefirmlyadhered，likeallother“honestmen“whohowlwiththewinners。MonsieurHochoncamehonestlybythereputationofmiser。
butitwouldbemererepetitiontosketchhimhere。AsinglespecimenoftheavaricewhichmadehimfamouswillsufficetomakeyouseeMonsieurHochonashewas。
Attheweddingofhisdaughter，nowdead，whomarriedaBorniche，itwasnecessarytogiveadinnertotheBornichefamily。Thebridegroom，whowasheirtoalargefortune，hadsufferedgreatmortificationfromhavingmismanagedhisproperty，andstillmorebecausehisfatherandmotherrefusedtohelphimout。Theoldpeople，whowerelivingatthetimeofthemarriage，weredelightedtoseeMonsieurHochonstepinasguardian，——forthepurpose，ofcourse，ofmakinghisdaughter’sdowrysecure。Onthedayofthedinner，whichwasgiventocelebratethesigningofthemarriagecontract，thechiefrelationsofthetwofamilieswereassembledinthesalon，theHochonsononeside，theBornichesontheother，——allintheirbestclothes。WhilethecontractwasbeingsolemnlyreadaloudbyyoungHeron，thenotary，thecookcameintotheroomandaskedMonsieurHochonforsometwinetotrussuptheturkey，——anessentialfeatureoftherepast。Theoldmandoveintothepocketofhissurtout，pulledoutanendofstringwhichhadevidentlyalreadyservedtotieupaparcel，andgaveittoher；butbeforeshecouldleavetheroomhecalledout，“Gritte，mindyougiveitbacktome！“GritteistheabbreviationusedinBerryforMarguerite。
FromyeartoyearoldHochongrewmorepettyinhismeanness，andmorepenurious；andatthistimehewaseighty-fiveyearsold。Hebelongedtotheclassofmenwhostopshortinthestreet，inthemiddleofalivelydialogue，andstooptopickupapin，remarking，astheystickitinthesleeveoftheircoat，“There’sthewife’sstipend。“Hecomplainedbitterlyofthepoorqualityoftheclothmanufacturednow-
a-days，andcalledattentiontothefactthathiscoathadlastedonlytenyears。Tall，gaunt，thin，andsallow；sayinglittle，readinglittle，anddoingnothingtofatiguehimself；asobservantofformsasanoriental，——heenforcedinhisownhouseadisciplineofstrictabstemiousness，weighingandmeasuringoutthefoodanddrinkofthefamily，which，indeed，wasrathernumerous，andconsistedofhiswife，neeLousteau，hisgrandsonBornichewithasisterAdolphine，theheirsofoldBorniche，andlastly，hisothergrandson，FrancoisHochon。
Hochon’seldestsonwastakenbythedraftof1813，whichdrewinthesonsofwell-to-dofamilieswhohadescapedtheregularconscription，andwerenowformedintoacorpsstyledthe“guardsofhonor。“Thisheir-presumptive，whowaskilledatHanau，hadmarriedearlyinlifearichwoman，intendingtherebytoescapeallconscriptions；butafterhewasenrolled，hewastedhissubstance，underapresentimentofhisend。Hiswife，whofollowedthearmyatadistance，diedatStrasburgin1814，leavingdebtswhichherfather-in-lawHochonrefusedtopay，——answeringthecreditorswithanaxiomofancientlaw，“Womenareminors。“
Thehouse，thoughlarge，wasscantilyfurnished；onthesecondfloor，however，thereweretworoomssuitableforMadameBridauandJoseph。
OldHochonnowrepentedthathehadkeptthemfurnishedwithtwobeds，eachbedaccompaniedbyanoldarmchairofnaturalwoodcoveredwithneedlework，andawalnuttable，onwhichfiguredawater-pitcherofthewide-mouthedkindcalled“gueulard，“standinginabasinwithablueborder。Theoldmankepthiswinterstoreofapplesandpears，medlarsandquincesonheapsofstrawintheserooms，wheretheratsandmiceranriot，sothattheyexhaledamingledodoroffruitandvermin。MadameHochonnowdirectedthateverythingshouldbecleaned；
thewall-paper，whichhadpeeledoffinplaces，wasfastenedupagainwithwafers；andshedecoratedthewindowswithlittlecurtainswhichshepiecedtogetherfromoldhoardsofherown。Herhusbandhavingrefusedtoletherbuyastripofdrugget，shelaiddownherownbedsidecarpetforherlittleAgathe，——“Poorlittlething！“asshecalledthemother，whowasnowoverforty-sevenyearsold。MadameHochonborrowedtwonight-tablesfromaneighbor，andboldlyhiredtwochestsofdrawerswithbrasshandlesfromadealerinsecond-handfurniturewholivednexttoMereCognette。Sheherselfhadpreservedtwopairsofcandlesticks，carvedinchoicewoodsbyherownfather，whohadthe“turning“mania。From1770to1780itwasthefashionamongrichpeopletolearnatrade，andMonsieurLousteau，thefather，wasaturner，justasLouisXVI。wasalocksmith。Thesecandlestickswereornamentedwithcircletsmadeoftherootsofrose，peach，andapricottrees。MadameHochonactuallyriskedtheuseofherpreciousrelics！ThesepreparationsandthissacrificeincreasedoldHochon’sanxiety；uptothistimehehadnotbelievedinthearrivaloftheBridaus。
ThemorningofthedaythatwascelebratedbythetrickonFario，MadameHochonsaidtoherhusbandafterbreakfast:——
“Ihope，Hochon，thatyouwillreceivemygoddaughter，MadameBridau，properly。“Then，aftermakingsurethathergrandchildrenwereoutofhearing，sheadded:“Iammistressofmyownproperty；don’tobligemetomakeuptoAgatheinmywillforanyincivilityonyourpart。“
“Doyouthink，madame，“answeredHochon，inamildvoice，“that，atmyage，Idon’tknowtheformsofdecentcivility？“
“YouknowverywellwhatImean，youcraftyoldthing！Befriendlytoourguests，andrememberthatIloveAgathe。“
“AndyouloveMaxenceGiletalso，whoisgettingthepropertyawayfromyourdearAgathe！Ah！you’vewarmedaviperinyourbosomthere；
butafterall，theRougetmoneyisboundtogotoaLousteau。“
AftermakingthisallusiontothesupposedparentageandbothMaxandAgathe，Hochonturnedtoleavetheroom；butoldMadameHochon，awomanstillerectandspare，wearingaroundcapwithribbonknotsandherhairpowdered，ataffetpetticoatofchangeablecolorslikeapigeon’sbreast，tightsleeves，andherfeetinhigh-heeledslippers，depositedhersnuff-boxonalittletable，andsaid: