“Youhavedoneverywrong，“shesaidtothem；“repairitbyfuturegoodconduct，andMonsieurHochonwillforgetit。“
So，whenFrancoishadreadtheletterwhichhadbeenbroughtforBaruch，overthelatter’sshoulder，hewhisperedinhisear，“Askgrandpapa’sadvice。“
“Readthis，“saidBaruch，takingthelettertooldHochon。
“Readittomeyourself；Ihaven’tmyspectacles。“
MydearFriend，——Ihopeyouwillnothesitate，undertheseriouscircumstancesinwhichIfindmyself，todometheserviceofreceivingapowerofattorneyfromMonsieurRouget。BeatVatanto-morrowmorningatnineo’clock。IshallprobablysendyoutoParis，butdon’tbeuneasy；Iwillfurnishyouwithmoneyforthejourney，andjoinyouthereimmediately。IamalmostsureIshallbeobligedtoleaveIssoudun，Decemberthird。
Adieu。Icountonyourfriendship；relyonthatofyourfriend，Maxence“Godbepraised！“exclaimedMonsieurHochon；“thepropertyofthatoldidiotissavedfromtheclawsofthedevil。“
“Itwillbeifyousayso，“saidMadameHochon；“andIthankGod，——whohasnodoubtheardmyprayers。Theprosperityofthewickedisalwaysfleeting。“
“YoumustgotoVatan，andacceptthepowerofattorneyfromMonsieurRouget，“saidtheoldmantoBaruch。“TheirobjectistogetfiftythousandfrancsayeartransferredtoMademoiselleBrazier。TheywillsendyoutoParis，andyoumustseemtogo；butyouaretostopatOrleans，andwaittheretillyouhearfromme。Letnoone——notasoul——knowwhereyoulodge；gotothefirstinnyoucometointhefaubourgBannier，nomatterifitisonlyapost-house——“
“Lookhere！“criedFrancois，whohadrushedtothewindowatthesuddennoiseofwheelsintheGrande-Narette。“Here’ssomethingnew！——
PereRougetandColonelBridaucomingbacktogetherinthecaleche，BenjaminandCaptainCarpentierfollowingonhorseback！“
“I’llgoover，“criedMonsieurHochon，whosecuriositycarriedthedayovereveryotherfeeling。
MonsieurHochonfoundoldRougetinhisbedroom，writingthefollowingletterathisnephew’sdictation:
Mademoiselle，——Ifyoudonotstarttoreturnherethemomentyoureceivethisletter，yourconductwillshowsuchingratitudeforallmygoodnessthatIshallrevokethewillIhavemadeinyourfavor，andgivemypropertytomynephewPhilippe。YouwillunderstandthatMonsieurGiletcannolongerbemyguestafterstayingwithyouatVatan。IsendthisletterbyCaptainCarpentier，whowillputitintoyourownhands。Ihopeyouwilllistentohisadvice；hewillspeaktoyouwithauthorityfromme。
YouraffectionateJ-J。Rouget。
“CaptainCarpentierandIMETmyuncle，whowassofoolishastofollowMademoiselleBrazierandMonsieurGilettoVatan，“saidPhilippe，withsarcasticemphasis，toMonsieurHochon。“Ihavemademyuncleseethathewasrunninghisheadintoanoose；forthatgirlwillabandonhimthemomentshegetshimtosignapowerofattorney，bywhichtheymeantoobtaintheincomeofhismoneyintheFunds。
Thatletterwillbringherbackunderhisroof，thehandsomerunaway！
thisverynight，orI’mmistaken。Ipromisetomakeheraspliableasabitofwhalebonefortherestofherdays，ifmyuncleallowsmetotakeMaxenceGilet’splace；which，inmyopinion，heoughtnevertohavehadinthefirstplace。AmInotright？——andyethere’smyunclebemoaninghimself！“
“Neighbor，“saidMonsieurHochon，“youhavetakenthebestmeanstogetpeaceinyourhousehold。Destroyyourwill，andFlorewillbeoncemorewhatsheusedtobeintheearlydays。“
“No，shewillneverforgivemeforwhatIhavemadehersuffer，“
whimperedtheoldman；“shewillnolongerloveme。“
“Sheshallloveyou，andcloselytoo；I’lltakecareofthat，“saidPhilippe。
“Come，openyoureyes！“exclaimedMonsieurHochon。“Theymeantorobyouandabandonyou。“
“Oh！Iwassureofit！“criedthepoorimbecile。
“See，hereisaletterMaxencehaswrittentomygrandsonBorniche，“
saidoldHochon。“Readit。“
“Whatinfamy！“exclaimedCarpentier，ashelistenedtotheletter，whichRougetreadaloud，weeping。
“Isthatplainenough，uncle？“demandedPhilippe。“Holdthathussybyherinterestsandshe’lladoreyouasyoudeserve。“
“ShelovesMaxencetoowell；shewillleaveme，“criedthefrightenedoldman。
“But，uncle，MaxenceorI，——oneortheotherofus——won’tleaveourfootstepsinthedustofIssoudunthreedayshence。“
“Wellthengo，MonsieurCarpentier，“saidRouget；“ifyoupromisemetobringherback，go！Youareagoodman；saytoherinmynameallyouthinkyououghttosay。“
“CaptainCarpentierwillwhisperinherearthatIhavesenttoParisforawomanwhoseyouthandbeautyarecaptivating；thatwillbringthejadebackinahurry！“
Thecaptaindeparted，drivinghimselfintheoldcaleche；Benjaminaccompaniedhimonhorseback，forKouskiwasnowheretobefound。
Thoughthreatenedbytheofficerswitharrestandthelossofhissituation，thePolehadgonetoVatanonahiredhorse，towarnMaxandFloreoftheadversary’smove。Afterfulfillinghismission，Carpentier，whodidnotwishtodrivebackwithFlore，wastochangeplaceswithBenjamin，andtakethelatter’shorse。
WhenPhilippewastoldofKouski’sflighthesaidtoBenjamin，“YouwilltakethePole’splace，fromthistimeon。Itisallmappingout，papaHochon！“criedthelieutenant-colonel。“Thatbanquetwillbejovial！“
“Youwillcomeandlivehere，ofcourse，“saidtheoldmiser。
“IhavetoldFariotosendmeallmythings，“answeredPhilippe。“I
shallsleepintheroomadjoiningGilet’sapartment，——ifmyuncleconsents。“
“Whatwillcomeofallthis？“criedtheterrifiedoldman。
“MademoiselleFloreBrazieriscoming，gentleasapaschallamb，“
repliedMonsieurHochon。
“Godgrantit！“exclaimedRouget，wipinghiseyes。
“Itisnowseveno’clock，“saidPhilippe；“thesovereignofyourheartwillbehereathalf-pasteleven:you’llneverseeGiletagain，andyouwillbeashappyeverafterasapope——Ifyouwantmetosucceed，“hewhisperedtoMonsieurHochon，“stayheretillthehussycomes；youcanhelpmeinkeepingtheoldmanuptohisresolution；
and，together，we’llmakethatcrab-girlseeonwhichsideherbreadisbuttered。“
MonsieurHochonfeltthereasonablenessoftherequestandstayed:buttheyhadtheirhandsfull，foroldRougetgavewaytochildishlamentations，whichwereonlyquietedbyPhilippe’srepeatingoverandoveradozentimes:——
“Uncle，youwillseethatIamrightwhenFlorereturnstoyouastenderasever。Youshallbepetted；youwillsaveyourproperty:beguidedbymyadvice，andyou’llliveinparadisefortherestofyourdays。“
When，abouthalf-pasteleven，wheelswereheardintheGrande-Narette，thequestionwas，whetherthecarriagewerereturningfullorempty。
Rouget’sfaceworeanexpressionofagony，whichchangedtotheprostrationofexcessivejoywhenhesawthetwowomen，asthecarriageturnedtoenterthecourtyard。
“Kouski，“saidPhilippe，givingahandtoFloretohelpherdown。“YouarenolongerinMonsieurRouget’sservice。Youwillnotsleephereto-night；getyourthingstogether，andgo。Benjamintakesyourplace。“
“Areyouthemasterhere？“saidFloresarcastically。
“Withyourpermission，“repliedPhilippe，squeezingherhandasifinavice。“Come！wemusthaveanunderstanding，youandI“；andheledthebewilderedwomanoutintotheplaceSaint-Jean。
“Myfinelady，“begantheoldcampaigner，stretchingouthisrighthand，“threedayshence，MaxenceGiletwillbesenttotheshadesbythatarm，orhiswillhavetakenmeoffguard。IfIdie，youwillbethemistressofmypoorimbecileuncle；’benesit。’IfIremainonmypins，you’llhavetowalkstraight，andkeephimsuppliedwithfirst-
classhappiness。Ifyoudon’t，IknowgirlsinPariswhoare，withallduerespect，muchprettierthanyou；fortheyareonlyseventeenyearsold:theywouldmakemyuncleexcessivelyhappy，andtheyareinmyinterests。Beginyourattentionsthisveryevening；iftheoldmanisnotasgayasalarkto-morrowmorning，Ihaveonlyawordtosaytoyou；itisthis，payattentiontoit，——thereisbutonewaytokillamanwithouttheinterferenceofthelaw，andthatistofightaduelwithhim；butIknowthreewaystogetridofawoman:mindthat，mybeauty！“
Duringthisaddress，Floreshooklikeapersonwiththeague。
“KillMax——？“shesaid，gazingatPhilippeinthemoonlight。
“Come，here’smyuncle。“
OldRouget，turningadeafeartoMonsieurHochon’sremonstrances，nowcameoutintothestreet，andtookFlorebythehand，asamisermighthavegraspedhistreasure；hedrewherbacktothehouseandintohisownroomandshutthedoor。
“ThisisSaint-Lambert’sday，andhewhodesertshisplace，losesit，“