Fariosatdownonthestepsofachapelaltar，holdinghisheadbetweenhishands。AfterhalfanhourofSpanishreflections，hespiedthesquirrel，whichGoddetcouldnotrefrainfromgivinghimasaguest，playingwithitstailuponacross-beam，onthemiddleofwhichrestedoneoftheuprightsthatsupportedtheroof。TheSpaniardroseandturnedtohiswatchmanwithafacethatwasascalmandcoldasanArab’s。Hemadenocomplaint，butwenthome，hiredlaborerstogatherintosackswhatremainedofthesoundgrain，andtospreadinthesunallthatwasmoist，soastosaveasmuchaspossible；then，afterestimatingthathislossesamountedtoaboutthreefifths，heattendedtofillinghisorders。Buthispreviousmanipulationsofthemarkethadraisedthepriceofcereals，andhelostonthethreefifthshewasobligedtobuytofillhisorders；sothathislossesamountedreallytomorethanhalf。TheSpaniard，whohadnoenemies，atonceattributedthisrevengetoGilet。HewasconvincedthatMaxenceandsomeothersweretheauthorsofallthenocturnalmischief，andhadinallprobabilitycarriedhiscartuptheembankmentofthetower，andnowintendedtoamusethemselvesbyruininghim。Itwasamattertohimofoverthreethousandfrancs，——verynearlythewholecapitalhehadscrapedtogethersincethepeace。Drivenbythedesireforvengeance，themannowdisplayedthecunningandstealthypersistenceofadetectivetowhomalargerewardisoffered。HidingatnightindifferentpartsofIssoudun，hesoonacquiredproofoftheproceedingsoftheKnightsofIdleness；hesawthemall，countedthem，watchedtheirrendezvous，andknewoftheirsuppersatMereCognette’s；afterthathelayinwaittowitnessoneoftheirdeeds，andthusbecamewellinformedastotheirnocturnalhabits。
InspiteofMax’sjourneysandpre-occupations，hehadnointentionofneglectinghisnightlyemployments，——first，becausehedidnotwishhiscomradestosuspectthesecretofhisoperationswithPereRouget’sproperty；andsecondly，tokeeptheKnightswellinhand。
Theywerethereforeconvenedforthepreparationofaprankwhichmightdeservetobetalkedofforyearstocome。Poisonedmeatwastobethrownonagivennighttoeverywatch-doginthetownandintheenvirons。Fariooverheardthemcongratulatingeachother，astheycameoutfromasupperattheCognettes’，ontheprobablesuccessoftheperformance，andlaughingoverthegeneralmourningthatwouldfollowthisnovelmassacreoftheinnocents，——revelling，moreover，intheapprehensionsitwouldexciteastothesinisterobjectofdeprivingallthehouseholdsoftheirguardianwatch-dogs。
“ItwillmakepeopleforgetFario’scart，“saidGoddet。
Fariodidnotneedthatspeechtoconfirmhissuspicions；besides，hismindwasalreadymadeup。
Afterthreeweeks’stayinIssoudun，Agathewasconvinced，andsowasMadameHochon，ofthetruthoftheoldmiser’sobservation，thatitwouldtakeyearstodestroytheinfluencewhichMaxandtheRabouilleusehadacquiredoverherbrother。ShehadmadenoprogressinJean-Jacques’sconfidence，andshewasneverleftalonewithhim。
Ontheotherhand，MademoiselleBraziertriumphedopenlyovertheheirsbytakingAgathetodriveinthecaleche，sittingbesideheronthebackseat，whileMonsieurRougetandhisnephewoccupiedthefront。MotherandsonimpatientlyawaitedananswertotheconfidentiallettertheyhadwrittentoDesroches。Thedaybeforethenightonwhichthedogsweretobepoisoned，Joseph，whowasnearlyboredtodeathinIssoudun，receivedtwoletters:thefirstfromthegreatpainterSchinner，——whoseageallowedhimacloserintimacythanJosephcouldhavewithGros，theirmaster，——andthesecondfromDesroches。
Hereisthefirst，postmarkedBeaumont-sur-Oise:——
MydearJoseph，——Ihavejustfinishedtheprincipalpanel-
paintingsatthechateaudePreslesfortheComtedeSerizy。I
haveleftallthemouldingsandthedecorativepainting；andI
haverecommendedyousostronglytothecount，andalsotoGridotthearchitect，thatyouhavenothingtodobutpickupyourbrushesandcomeatonce。Pricesarearrangedtopleaseyou。IamofftoItalywithmywife；soyoucanhaveMistigristohelpyoualong。Theyoungscamphastalent，andIputhimatyourdisposal。
HeistwitteringlikeasparrowattheveryideaofamusinghimselfatthechateaudePresles。
Adieu，mydearJoseph；ifIamstillabsent，andshouldsendnothingtonextyear’sSalon，youmusttakemyplace。Yes，dearJojo，Iknowyourpictureisamasterpiece，butamasterpiecewhichwillrouseahueandcryaboutromanticism；youaredoomedtoleadthelifeofadevilinholywater。Adieu。
Thyfriend，SchinnerHerefollowstheletterofDesroches:——
MydearJoseph，——YourMonsieurHochonstrikesmeasanoldmanfullofcommon-sense，andyougivemeahighideaofhismethods；
heisperfectlyright。Myadvice，sinceyouaskit，isthatyourmothershouldremainatIssoudunwithMadameHochon，payingasmallboard，——sayfourhundredfrancsayear，——toreimburseherhostsforwhatsheeats。MadameBridauought，inmyopinion，tofollowMonsieurHochon’sadviceineverything；foryourexcellentmotherwillhavemanyscruplesindealingwithpersonswhohavenoscrupleatall，andwhosebehaviortoherisamaster-strokeofpolicy。ThatMaxence，youarerightenough，isdangerous。HeisanotherPhilippe，butofadifferentcalibre。Thescoundrelmakeshisvicesservehisfortunes，andgetshisamusementgratis；
whereasyourbrother’sfolliesareneverusefultohim。Allthatyousayalarmsme，butIcoulddonogoodbygoingtoIssoudun。
MonsieurHochon，actingbehindyourmother，willbemoreusefultoyouthanI。Asforyou，youhadbettercomebackhere；youaregoodfornothinginamatterwhichrequirescontinualattention，carefulobservation，servilecivilities，discretioninspeech，andadissimulationofmannerandgesturewhichiswhollyagainstthegrainofartists。
Iftheyhavetoldyounowillhasbeenmade，youmaybequitesuretheyhavepossessedoneforalongtime。Butwillscanberevoked，andaslongasyourfoolofanunclelivesheisnodoubtsusceptibleofbeingworkeduponbyremorseandreligion。YourinheritancewillbetheresultofacombatbetweentheChurchandtheRabouilleuse。Therewillinevitablycomeatimewhenthatwomanwilllosehergripontheoldman，andreligionwillbeall-
powerful。Solongasyourunclemakesnogiftofthepropertyduringhislifetime，anddoesnotchangethenatureofhisestate，allmaycomerightwheneverreligiongetstheupperhand。Forthisreason，youmustbegMonsieurHochontokeepaneye，aswellashecan，ontheconditionofyouruncle’sproperty。Itisnecessarytoknowiftherealestateismortgaged，andifso，whereandinwhosenametheproceedsareinvested。Itissoeasytoterrifyanoldmanwithfearsabouthislife，incaseyoufindhimdespoilinghisownpropertyforthesakeoftheseinterlopers，thatalmostanyheirwithalittleadroitnesscouldstopthespoliationatitsoutset。Buthowshouldyourmother，withherignoranceoftheworld，herdisinterestedness，andherreligiousideas，knowhowtomanagesuchanaffair？However，Iamnotabletothrowanylightonthematter。Allthatyouhavedonesofarhasprobablygiventhealarm，andyouradversariesmayalreadyhavesecuredthemselves——
“ThatiswhatIcallanopinioningoodshape，“exclaimedMonsieurHochon，proudofbeinghimselfappreciatedbyaParisianlawyer。
“Oh！Desrochesisafamousfellow，“answeredJoseph。
“Itwouldbewelltoreadthatlettertothetwowomen，“saidtheoldman。
“Thereitis，“saidJoseph，givingittohim；“astome，Iwanttobeoffto-morrow；andIamnowgoingtosaygood-bytomyuncle。“
“Ah！“saidMonsieurHochon，“IseethatMonsieurDesrochestellsyouinapostscripttoburntheletter。“
“Youcanburnitaftershowingittomymother，“saidthepainter。
Josephdressed，crossedthelittlesquare，andcalledonhisuncle，whowasjustfinishingbreakfast。MaxandFlorewereattable。
“Don’tdisturbyourself，mydearuncle；Ihaveonlycometosaygood-
by。“
“Youaregoing？“saidMax，exchangingglanceswithFlore。
“Yes；IhavesomeworktodoatthechateauofMonsieurdeSerizy，andIamallthemoregladofitbecausehisarmislongenoughtodoaservicetomypoorbrotherintheChamberofPeers。“
“Well，well，goandwork“；saidoldRouget，withasillyair。Josephthoughthimextraordinarilychangedwithinafewdays。“Menmustwork——Iamsorryyouaregoing。“
“Oh！mymotherwillbeheresometimelonger，“remarkedJoseph。
MaxmadeamovementwithhislipswhichtheRabouilleuseobserved，andwhichsignified:“TheyaregoingtotrytheplanBaruchwarnedmeof。“
“IamverygladIcame，“saidJoseph，“forIhavehadthepleasureofmakingyouracquaintanceandyouhaveenrichedmystudio——“
“Yes，“saidFlore，“insteadofenlighteningyouruncleonthevalueofhispictures，whichisnowestimatedatoveronehundredthousandfrancs，youhavepackedthemoffinahurrytoParis。Poordearman！
heisnobetterthanababy！WehavejustbeentoldofalittletreasureatBourges，——whatdidtheycallit？aPoussin，——whichwasinthechoirofthecathedralbeforetheRevolutionandisnowworth，allbyitself，thirtythousandfrancs。“
“Thatwasnotrightofyou，mynephew，“saidJean-Jacques，atasignfromMax，whichJosephcouldnotsee。
“Comenow，frankly，“saidthesoldier，laughing，“onyourhonor，whatshouldyousaythosepictureswereworth？You’vemadeaneasyhauloutofyouruncle！andrightenough，too，——unclesaremadetobepillaged。
Naturedeprivedmeofuncles，butdamnit，ifI’dhadanyIshouldhaveshownthemnomercy。“
“Didyouknow，monsieur，“saidFloretoRouget，“whatYOURpictureswereworth？Howmuchdidyousay，MonsieurJoseph？“
“Well，“answeredthepainter，whohadgrownasredasabeetroot，——
“thepicturesarecertainlyworthsomething。“