“TheysayyouestimatedthemtoMonsieurHochonatonehundredandfiftythousandfrancs，“saidFlore；“isthattrue？“
“Yes，“saidthepainter，withchildlikehonesty。
“Anddidyouintend，“saidFloretotheoldman，“togiveahundredandfiftythousandfrancstoyournephew？“
“Never，never！“criedJean-Jacques，onwhomFlorehadfixedhereye。
“Thereisonewaytosettleallthis，“saidthepainter，“andthatistoreturnthemtoyou，uncle。“
“No，no，keepthem，“saidtheoldman。
“Ishallsendthembacktoyou，“saidJoseph，woundedbytheoffensivesilenceofMaxandFlore。“Thereissomethinginmybrusheswhichwillmakemyfortune，withoutowinganythingtoanyone，evenanuncle。Myrespectstoyou，mademoiselle；good-day，monsieur——“
AndJosephcrossedthesquareinastateofirritationwhichartistscanimagine。TheentireHochonfamilywereinthesalon。WhentheysawJosephgesticulatingandtalkingtohimself，theyaskedhimwhatwasthematter。Thepainter，whowasasopenastheday，relatedbeforeBaruchandFrancoisthescenethathadjusttakenplace；andwhich，twohourslater，thankstothetwoyoungmen，wasthetalkofthewholetown，embroideredwithvariouscircumstancesthatweremoreorlessridiculous。SomepersonsinsistedthatthepainterwasmaltreatedbyMax；othersthathehadmisbehavedtoFlore，andthatMaxhadturnedhimoutofdoors。
“Whatachildyoursonis！“saidHochontoMadameBridau；“theboobyisthedupeofascenewhichtheyhavebeenkeepingbackforthelastdayofhisvisit。MaxandtheRabouilleusehaveknownthevalueofthosepicturesforthelasttwoweeks，——eversincehehadthefollytotellitbeforemygrandsons，whoneverrestedtilltheyhadblurteditouttoalltheworld。Yourartisthadbetterhavetakenhimselfoffwithouttakingleave。“
“Mysonhasdonerighttoreturnthepicturesiftheyarereallysovaluable，“saidAgathe。
“Iftheyareworth，ashesays，twohundredthousandfrancs，“saidoldHochon，“itwasfollytoputhimselfinthewayofbeingobligedtoreturnthem。Youmighthavehadthat，atleast，outoftheproperty；
whereas，asthingsaregoingnow，youwon’tgetanything。AndthisscenewithJosephisalmostareasonwhyyourbrothershouldrefusetoseeyouagain。“
CHAPTERXIII
Betweenmidnightandoneo’clock，theKnightsofIdlenessbegantheirgratuitousdistributionofcomestiblestothedogsofthetown。Thismemorableexpeditionwasnotovertillthreeinthemorning，thehouratwhichthesereprobateswenttosupatCognette’s。Athalf-pastfour，intheearlydawn，theycrepthome。JustasMaxturnedthecorneroftheruel’AvenierintotheGranderue，Fario，whostoodambushedinarecess，struckaknifeathisheart，drewouttheblade，andescapedbythemoattowardsVilatte，wipingthebladeofhisknifeonhishandkerchief。TheSpaniardwashedthehandkerchiefintheRiviereforcee，andreturnedquietlytohislodgingsatSaint-Paterne，wherehegotinbyawindowhehadleftopen，andwenttobed:later，hewasawakenedbyhisnewwatchman，whofoundhimfastasleep。
Ashefell，Maxutteredafearfulcrywhichnoonecouldmistake。
Lousteau-Prangin，sonofajudge，adistantrelationtothefamilyofthesub-delegate，andyoungGoddet，wholivedatthelowerendoftheGranderue，ranatfullspeedupthestreet，callingtoeachother，——
“TheyarekillingMax！Help！help！“
Butnotadogbarked；andallthetown，accustomedtothefalsealarmsofthesenightlyprowlers，stayedquietlyintheirbeds。Whenhistwocomradesreachedhim，Maxhadfainted。ItwasnecessarytorouseMonsieurGoddet，thesurgeon。MaxhadrecognizedFario；butwhenhecametohissenses，withseveralpersonsabouthim，andfeltthathiswoundwasnotmortal，itsuddenlyoccurredtohimtomakecapitaloutoftheattack，andhesaid，inafaintvoice，——
“IthinkIrecognizedthatcursedpainter！“
ThereuponLousteau-Pranginranofftohisfather，thejudge。MaxwascarriedhomebyCognette，youngGoddet，andtwootherpersons。MereCognetteandMonsieurGoddetwalkedbesidethestretcher。ThosewhocarriedthewoundedmannaturallylookedacrossatMonsieurHochon’sdoorwhilewaitingforKouskitoletthemin，andsawMonsieurHochon’sservantsweepingthesteps。Attheoldmiser’s，aseverywhereelseintheprovinces，thehouseholdwasearlyastir。ThefewwordsutteredbyMaxhadrousedthesuspicionsofMonsieurGoddet，andhecalledtothewoman，——
“Gritte，isMonsieurJosephBridauinbed？“
“Blessme！“shesaid，“hewentoutathalf-pastfour。Idon’tknowwhatailedhim；hewalkedupanddownhisroomallnight。“
Thissimpleanswerdrewforthsuchexclamationsofhorrorthatthewomancameover，curioustoknowwhattheywerecarryingtooldRouget’shouse。
“Apreciousfellowheis，thatpainterofyours！“theysaidtoher。
Andtheprocessionenteredthehouse，leavingGritteopen-mouthedwithamazementatthesightofMaxinhisbloodyshirt，stretchedhalf-
faintingonamattress。
ArtistswillreadilyguesswhatailedJoseph，andkepthimrestlessallnight。HeimaginedthetalethebourgeoisieofIssoudunwouldtellofhim。Theywouldsayhehadfleecedhisuncle；thathewaseverythingbutwhathehadtriedtobe，——aloyalfellowandanhonestartist！Ah！hewouldhavegivenhisgreatpicturetohaveflownlikeaswallowtoParis，andthrownhisuncle’spaintingsatMax’snose。Tobetheonerobbed，andtobethoughttherobber！——whatirony！Soattheearliestdawn，hehadstartedforthepoplaravenuewhichledtoTivoli，togivefreecoursetohisagitation。
Whiletheinnocentfellowwasvowing，bywayofconsolation，nevertoreturntoIssoudun，Maxwaspreparingahorribleoutrageforhissensitivespirit。WhenMonsieurGoddethadprobedthewoundanddiscoveredthattheknife，turnedasidebyalittlepocket-book，hadhappilysparedMax’slifethoughmakingaseriouswound，hedidasalldoctors，andparticularlycountrysurgeons，do；hepavedthewayforhisowncreditby“notansweringforthepatient’slife“；andthen，afterdressingthesoldier’swound，andstatingtheverdictofsciencetotheRabouilleuse，Jean-JacquesRouget，Kouski，andtheVedie，heleftthehouse。TheRabouilleusecameintearstoherdearMax，whileKouskiandtheVedietoldtheassembledcrowdthatthecaptainwasinafairwaytodie。ThenewsbroughtnearlytwohundredpersonsingroupsabouttheplaceSaint-JeanandthetwoNarettes。
“Isha’n’tbeamonthinbed；andIknowwhostrucktheblow，“
whisperedMaxtoFlore。“Butwe’llprofitbyittogetridoftheParisians。IhavesaidIthoughtIrecognizedthepainter；sopretendthatIamexpectedtodie，andtrytohaveJosephBridauarrested。Lethimtasteaprisonforacoupleofdays，andIknowwellenoughthemotherwillbeoffinajiffyforPariswhenshegetshimout。Andthenweneedn’tfeartheprieststheytalkofsettingontheoldfool。“
WhenFloreBraziercamedownstairs，shefoundtheassembledcrowdquitepreparedtotaketheimpressionshemeanttogivethem。Shewentoutwithtearsinhereyes，andrelated，sobbing，howthepainter，“whohadjustthefaceforthatsortofthing，“hadbeenangrywithMaxthenightbeforeaboutsomepictureshehad“wormedout“ofPereRouget。
“Thatbrigand——foryou’veonlygottolookathimtoseewhatheis——
thinksthatifMaxweredead，hisunclewouldleavehimhisfortune；
asif，“shecried，“abrotherwerenotmoretohimthananephew！MaxisDoctorRouget’sson。Theoldonetoldmesobeforehedied！“
“Ah！hemeanttodothedeedjustbeforeheleftIssoudun；hechosehistime，forhewasgoingawayto-day，“saidoneoftheKnightsofIdleness。
“Maxhasn’tanenemyinIssoudun，“saidanother。
“Besides，Maxrecognizedthepainter，“saidtheRabouilleuse。
“Where’sthatcursedParisian？Letusfindhim！“theyallcried。
“Findhim？“wastheanswer，“why，heleftMonsieurHochon’satdaybreak。“
AKnightofIdlenessranoffatoncetoMonsieurMouilleron。Thecrowdincreased；andthetumultbecamethreatening。ExcitedgroupsfilledupthewholeoftheGrande-Narette。OthersstationedthemselvesbeforethechurchofSaint-Jean。AnassemblagegatheredattheporteVilatte，whichisatthefartherendofthePetite-Narette。MonsieurLousteau-
PranginandMonsieurMouilleron，thecommissaryofpolice，thelieutenantofgendarmes，andtwoofhismen，hadsomedifficultyinreachingtheplaceSaint-Jeanthroughtwohedgesofpeople，whosecriesandexclamationscouldanddidprejudicethemagainsttheParisian；whowas，itisneedlesstosay，unjustlyaccused，although，itistrue，circumstancestoldagainsthim。
AfteraconferencebetweenMaxandthemagistrates，MonsieurMouilleronsentthecommissaryofpoliceandasergeantwithonegendarmetoexaminewhat，inthelanguageoftheministryoftheinterior，iscalled“thetheatreofthecrime。“ThenMessieursMouilleronandLousteau-Prangin，accompaniedbythelieutenantofgendarmescrossedovertotheHochonhouse，whichwasnowguardedbytwogendarmesinthegardenandtwoatthefrontdoor。Thecrowdwasstillincreasing。ThewholetownwassurgingintheGranderue。
Grittehadrushedterrifiedtohermaster，cryingout:“Monsieur，weshallbepillaged！thetownisinrevolt；MonsieurMaxenceGilethasbeenassassinated；heisdying！andtheysayitisMonsieurJosephwhohasdoneit！“
MonsieurHochondressedquickly，andcamedownstairs；butseeingtheangrypopulace，hehastilyretreatedwithinthehouse，andboltedthedoor。OnquestioningGritte，helearnedthathisguesthadleftthehouseatdaybreak，afterwalkingthefloorallnightingreatagitation，andhadnotyetcomein。Muchalarmed，hewenttofindMadameHochon，whowasalreadyawakenedbythenoise，andtowhomhetoldthefrightfulnewswhich，trueorfalse，wascausingalmostariotinIssoudun。
“Heisinnocent，ofcourse，“saidMadameHochon。
“Beforehisinnocencecanbeproved，thecrowdmaygetinhereandpillageus，“saidMonsieurHochon，lividwithfear，forhehadgoldinhiscellar。