watchedtheducksforfiveorsixminutes，andthemiller’smenmusthavenoticedme。Isawthewomengoingtowash；theyareprobablystillthere。Theymadealittlefunofme，anddeclaredthatIwasnothandsome；Itoldthemitwasnotallgoldthatglittered。Fromthere，IfollowedthelongavenuetoTivoli，whereItalkedwiththegardener。Prayhavethesefactsverified；anddonotevenarrestme，forIgiveyoumywordofhonorthatIwillstayquietlyinthisofficetillyouareconvincedofmyinnocence。“
Thesesensiblewords，saidwithouttheleasthesitation，andwiththeeaseofamanwhoisperfectlysureofhisfacts，madesomeimpressiononthemagistrates。
“Yes，wemustfindallthesepersonsandsummonthem，“saidMonsieurMouilleron；“butitismorethantheaffairofaday。Makeupyourmind，therefore，inyourowninterests，tobeimprisonedinthePalais。“
“ProvidedIcanwritetomymother，soastoreassureher，poorwoman——oh！youcanreadtheletter，“headded。
Thisrequestwastoojustnottobegranted，andJosephwrotethefollowingletter:——
“Donotbeuneasy，dearmother；themistakeofwhichIamavictimcaneasilyberectified；Ihavealreadygiventhemthemeansofdoingso。To-morrow，orperhapsthisevening，Ishallbeatliberty。Ikissyou，andbegyoutosaytoMonsieurandMadameHochonhowgrievedIamatthisaffair；inwhich，however，Ihavehadnohand，——itistheresultofsomechancewhich，asyet，Idonotunderstand。“
WhenthenotereachedMadameBridau，shewassufferingfromanervousattack，andthepotionswhichMonsieurGoddetwastryingtomakeherswallowwerepowerlesstosootheher。Thereadingoftheletteractedlikebalm；afterafewquiverings，Agathesubsidedintothedepressionwhichalwaysfollowssuchattacks。Later，whenMonsieurGoddetreturnedtohispatienthefoundherregrettingthatshehadeverquittedParis。
“Well，“saidMadameHochontoMonsieurGoddet，“howisMonsieurGilet？“
“Hiswound，thoughserious，isnotmortal，“repliedthedoctor。“Withamonth’snursinghewillbeallright。IlefthimwritingtoMonsieurMouillerontorequesthimtosetyoursonatliberty，madame，“headded，turningtoAgathe。“Oh！Maxisafinefellow。Itoldhimwhatastateyouwerein，andhethenrememberedacircumstancewhichgoestoprovethattheassassinwasnotyourson；themanworelistshoes，whereasitiscertainthatMonsieurJosephleftthehouseinhisboots——“
“Ah！Godforgivehimtheharmhehasdoneme——“
Thefactwas，amanhadleftanoteforMax，afterdark，writtenintype-letters，whichranasfollows:——
“CaptainGiletoughtnottoletaninnocentmansuffer。HewhostrucktheblowpromisesnottostrikeagainifMonsieurGiletwillhaveMonsieurJosephBridausetatliberty，withoutnamingthemanwhodidit。“
Afterreadingthisletterandburningit，MaxwrotetoMonsieurMouilleronstatingthecircumstanceofthelistshoes，asreportedbyMonsieurGoddet，begginghimtosetJosephatliberty，andtocomeandseehimthathemightexplainthemattermoreatlength。
Bythetimethisletterwasreceived，MonsieurLousteau-Pranginhadverified，bythetestimonyofthebell-ringer，themarket-womenandwasherwomen，andthemiller’smen，thetruthofJoseph’sexplanation。
Max’slettermadehisinnocenceonlythemorecertain，andMonsieurMouilleronhimselfescortedhimbacktotheHochons’。Josephwasgreetedwithsuchoverflowingtendernessbyhismotherthatthepoormisunderstoodsongavethankstoill-luck——likethehusbandtothethief，inLaFontaine’sfable——foramishapwhichbroughthimsuchproofsofaffection。
“Oh，“saidMonsieurMouilleron，withaself-satisfiedair，“Iknewatoncebythewayyoulookedattheangrycrowdthatyouwereinnocent；
butwhateverImayhavethought，anyonewhoknowsIssoudunmustalsoknowthattheonlywaytoprotectyouwastomakethearrestaswedid。Ah！youcarriedyourheadhigh。“
“Iwasthinkingofsomethingelse，“saidtheartistsimply。“AnofficerinthearmytoldmethathewasoncestoppedinDalmatiaundersimilarcircumstancesbyanexcitedpopulace，intheearlymorningashewasreturningfromawalk。Thisrecollectioncameintomymind，andIlookedatallthoseheadswiththeideaofpaintingarevoltoftheyear1793。Besides，Ikeptsayingtomyself:BlackguardthatIam！I
haveonlygotmydesertsforcomingheretolookafteraninheritance，insteadofpaintinginmystudio。“
“Ifyouwillallowmetoofferyouapieceofadvice，“saidtheprocureurduroi，“youwilltakeacarriageto-night，whichthepostmasterwilllendyou，andreturntoParisbythediligencefromBourges。“
“Thatismyadvicealso，“saidMonsieurHochon，whowasburningwithadesireforthedepartureofhisguests。
“MymostearnestwishistogetawayfromIssoudun，thoughIleavemyonlyfriendhere，“saidAgathe，kissingMadameHochon’shand。“WhenshallIseeyouagain？“
“Ah！mydear，neveruntilwemeetabove。Wehavesufferedenoughherebelow，“sheaddedinalowvoice，“forGodtotakepityuponus。“
Shortlyafter，whileMonsieurMouilleronhadgoneacrossthewaytotalkwithMax，GrittegreatlyastonishedMonsieurandMadameHochon，Agathe，Joseph，andAdolphinebyannouncingthevisitofMonsieurRouget。Jean-Jacquescametobidhissistergood-by，andtoofferherhiscalecheforthedrivetoBourges。
“Ah！yourpictureshavebeenagreateviltous，“saidAgathe。
“Keepthem，mysister，“saidtheoldman，whodidnotevennowbelieveintheirvalue。
“Neighbor，“remarkedMonsieurHochon，“ourbestfriends，oursurestdefenders，areourownrelations；aboveall，whentheyaresuchasyoursisterAgathe，andyournephewJoseph。“
“Perhapsso，“saidoldRougetinhisdullway。
“WeoughtalltothinkofendingourdaysinaChristianmanner，“saidMadameHochon。
“Ah！Jean-Jacques，“saidAgathe，“whatadaythishasbeen！“
“Willyouacceptmycarriage？“askedRouget。
“No，brother，“answeredMadameBridau，“Ithankyou，andwishyouhealthandcomfort。“
Rougetlethissisterandnephewkisshim，andthenhewentawaywithoutmanifestinganyfeelinghimself。Baruch，atahintfromhisgrandfather，hadbeentoseethepostmaster。Ateleveno’clockthatnight，thetwoParisians，ensconcedinawickercabrioletdrawnbyonehorseandriddenbyapostilion，quittedIssoudun。AdolphineandMadameHochonpartedfromthemwithtearsintheireyes；theyaloneregrettedJosephandAgathe。
“Theyaregone！“saidFrancoisHochon，going，withtheRabouilleuse，intoMax’sbedroom。
“Welldone！thetricksucceeded，“answeredMax，whowasnowtiredandfeverish。
“ButwhatdidyousaytooldMouilleron？“askedFrancois。
“ItoldhimthatIhadgivenmyassassinsomecausetowaylayme；thathewasadangerousmanandlikely，ifIfolloweduptheaffair，tokillmelikeadogbeforehecouldbecaptured。Consequently，IbeggedMouilleronandPrangintomakethemostactivesearchostensibly，butreallytolettheassassingoinpeace，unlesstheywishedtoseemeadeadman。“
“Idohope，Max，“saidFlore，“thatyouwillbequietatnightforsometimetocome。“
“Atanyrate，wearedeliveredfromtheParisians！“criedMax。“Thefellowwhostabbedmehadnoideawhataservicehewasdoingus。“
Thenextday，thedepartureoftheParisianswascelebratedasavictoryoftheprovincesoverParisbyeveryoneinIssoudun，exceptthemoresoberandstaidinhabitants，whosharedtheopinionsofMonsieurandMadameHochon。AfewofMax’sfriendsspokeveryharshlyoftheBridaus。
“DothoseParisiansfancyweareallidiots，“criedone，“andthinktheyhaveonlygottoholdtheirhatsandcatchlegacies？“
“Theycametofleece，buttheyhavegotshornthemselves，“saidanother；“thenephewisnottotheuncle’staste。“
“And，ifyouplease，theyactuallyconsultedalawyerinParis——“
“Ah！hadtheyreallyaplan？“
“Why，ofcourse，——aplantogetpossessionofoldRouget。ButtheParisianswerenotcleverenough；thatlawyercan’tcrowoverusBerrichons！“
“Howabominable！“
“That’sParisforyou！“
“TheRabouilleuseknewtheycametoattackher，andshedefendedherself。“
“Shedidgloriouslyright！“
TothetownspeopleatlargetheBridauswereParisiansandforeigners；
theypreferredMaxandFlore。
Wecanimaginethesatisfactionwithwhich，afterthiscampaign，JosephandAgathere-enteredtheirlittlelodgingintherueMazarin。
Onthejourney，theartistrecoveredhisspirits，whichhad，notunnaturally，beenputtoflightbyhisarrestandtwenty-fourhours’
confinement；buthecouldnotcheeruphismother。TheCourtofPeerswasabouttobeginthetrialofthemilitaryconspirators，andthatwassufficienttokeepAgathefromrecoveringherpeaceofmind。