“WhereisAgathe？“
“Soundasleep。“
“Ah！somuchthebetter，“saidMadameHochon。“Iwishshemaysleepontillthematterisclearedup。Suchashockmightkillthepoorchild。“
ButAgathewokeupandcamedownhalf-dressed；fortheevasiveanswersofGritte，whomshequestioned，haddisturbedbothherheadandheart。
ShefoundMadameHochon，lookingverypale，withhereyesfulloftears，atoneofthewindowsofthesalonbesideherhusband。
“Courage，mychild。Godsendsusourafflictions，“saidtheoldlady。
“Josephisaccused——“
“Ofwhat？“
“Ofabadactionwhichhecouldneverhavecommitted，“answeredMadameHochon。
Hearingthewords，andseeingthelieutenantofgendarmes，whoatthismomententeredtheroomaccompaniedbythetwogentlemen，Agathefaintedaway。
“Therenow！“saidMonsieurHochontohiswifeandGritte，“carryoffMadameBridau；womenareonlyinthewayatthesetimes。Takehertoherroomandstaythere，bothofyou。Sitdown，gentlemen，“continuedtheoldman。“Themistaketowhichweoweyourvisitwillsoon，I
hope，beclearedup。“
“Evenifitshouldbeamistake，“saidMonsieurMouilleron，“theexcitementofthecrowdissogreat，andtheirmindsaresoexasperated，thatIfearforthesafetyoftheaccused。Ishouldliketogethimarrested，andthatmightsatisfythesepeople。“
“WhowouldeverhavebelievedthatMonsieurMaxenceGilethadinspiredsomuchaffectioninthistown？“askedLousteau-Prangin。
“Oneofmymensaysthere’sacrowdoftwelvehundredmorejustcominginfromthefaubourgdeRome，“saidthelieutenantofgendarmes，“andtheyarethreateningdeathtotheassassin。“
“Whereisyourguest？“saidMonsieurMouillerontoMonsieurHochon。
“Hehasgonetowalkinthecountry，Ibelieve。“
“CallGritte，“saidthejudgegravely。“Iwasinhopeshehadnotleftthehouse。Youareawarethatthecrimewascommittednotfarfromhere，atdaybreak。“
WhileMonsieurHochonwenttofindGritte，thethreefunctionarieslookedateachothersignificantly。
“Ineverlikedthatpainter’sface，“saidthelieutenanttoMonsieurMouilleron。
“Mygoodwoman，“saidthejudgetoGritte，whensheappeared，“theysayyousawMonsieurJosephBridauleavethehousethismorning？“
“Yes，monsieur，“sheanswered，tremblinglikealeaf。
“Atwhathour？“
“JustasIwasgettingup:hewalkedabouthisroomallnight，andwasdressedwhenIcamedownstairs。“
“Wasitdaylight？“
“Barely。“
“Didheseemexcited？“
“Yes，hewasallofatwitter。“
“Sendoneofyourmenformyclerk，“saidLousteau-Prangintothelieutenant，“andtellhimtobringwarrantswithhim——“
“GoodGod！don’tbeinsuchahurry，“criedMonsieurHochon。“Theyoungman’sagitationmayhavebeencausedbysomethingbesidesthepremeditationofthiscrime。HemeanttoreturntoParisto-day，toattendtoamatterinwhichGiletandMademoiselleBrazierhaddoubtedhishonor。“
“Yes，theaffairofthepictures，“saidMonsieurMouilleron。“Thosepicturescausedaveryhotquarrelbetweenthemyesterday，anditisawordandablowwithartists，theytellme。“
“WhoisthereinIssoudunwhohadanyobjectinkillingGilet？“saidLousteau。“Noone，——neitherajealoushusbandnoranybodyelse；forthefellowhasneverharmedasoul。“
“ButwhatwasMonsieurGiletdoinginthestreetsatfourinthemorning？“remarkedMonsieurHochon。
“Now，MonsieurHochon，youmustallowustomanagethisaffairinourownway，“answeredMouilleron；“youdon’tknowall:Giletrecognizedyourpainter。“
Atthisinstantaclamorwasheardfromtheotherendofthetown，growinglouderandlouder，liketherollofthunder，asitfollowedthecourseoftheGrande-Narette。
“Hereheis！hereheis！——he’sarrested！“
Thesewordsrosedistinctlyontheearabovethehoarseroarofthepopulace。PoorJoseph，returningquietlypastthemillatLandroleintendingtogethomeintimeforbreakfast，wasspiedbythevariousgroupsofpeople，assoonashereachedtheplaceMisere。Happilyforhim，acoupleofgendarmesarrivedonarunintimetosnatchhimfromtheinhabitantsofthefaubourgdeRome，whohadalreadypinionedhimbythearmsandwerethreateninghimwithdeath。
“Giveway！giveway！“criedthegendarmes，callingtosomeoftheircomradestohelpthem，andputtingthemselvesonebeforeandtheotherbehindBridau。
“Yousee，monsieur，“saidtheonewhoheldthepainter，“itconcernsourskinaswellasyoursatthismoment。Innocentorguilty，wemustprotectyouagainstthetumultraisedbythemurderofCaptainGilet。
Andthecrowdisnotsatisfiedwithsuspectingyou；theydeclare，hardasiron，thatyouarethemurderer。MonsieurGiletisadoredbyallthepeople，who——lookatthem！——wanttotakejusticeintotheirownhands。Ah！didn’tweseethem，in1830，dustingthejacketsofthetax-gatherers？whoselifeisn’tabedofroses，anyway！“
JosephBridaugrewpaleasdeath，andcollectedallhisstrengthtowalkonward。
“Afterall，“hesaid，“Iaminnocent。Goon！“
Poorartist！hewasforcedtobearhiscross。Amidthehootingandinsultsandthreatsfromthemob，hemadethedreadfultransitfromtheplaceMiseretotheplaceSaint-Jean。Thegendarmeswereobligedtodrawtheirsabresonthefuriousmob，whichpeltedthemwithstones。Oneoftheofficerswaswounded，andJosephreceivedseveralofthemissilesonhislegs，andshoulders，andhat。
“Hereweare！“saidoneofthegendarmes，astheyenteredMonsieurHochon’shall，“andnotwithoutdifficulty，lieutenant。“
“Wemustnowmanagetodispersethecrowd；andIseebutoneway，gentlemen，“saidthelieutenanttothemagistrates。“WemusttakeMonsieurBridautothePalaisaccompaniedbyallofyou；Iandmygendarmeswillmakeacircleroundyou。Onecan’tanswerforanythinginpresenceofafuriouscrowdofsixthousand——“
“Youareright，“saidMonsieurHochon，whowastremblingallthewhileforhisgold。
“Ifthat’syouronlywaytoprotectinnocenceinIssoudun，“saidJoseph，“Icongratulateyou。Icamenearbeingstoned——“
“Doyouwishyourfriend’shousetobetakenbyassaultandpillaged？“
askedthelieutenant。“Couldwebeatbackwithoursabresacrowdofpeoplewhoarepushedfrombehindbyanangrypopulacethatknowsnothingoftheformsofjustice？“
“Thatwilldo，gentlemen，letusgo；wecancometoexplanationslater，“saidJoseph，whohadrecoveredhisself-possession。
“Giveway，friends！“saidthelieutenanttothecrowd；“HEisarrested，andwearetakinghimtothePalais。“
“Respectthelaw，friends！“saidMonsieurMouilleron。
“Wouldn’tyouprefertoseehimguillotined？“saidoneofthegendarmestoanangrygroup。
“Yes，yes，theyshallguillotinehim！“shoutedonemadman。
“Theyaregoingtoguillotinehim！“criedthewomen。
BythetimetheyreachedtheendoftheGrande-Narettethecrowdwereshouting:“Theyaretakinghimtotheguillotine！““Theyfoundtheknifeuponhim！““That’swhatParisiansare！““Hecarriescrimeonhisface！“
ThoughallJoseph’sbloodhadflowntohishead，hewalkedthedistancefromtheplaceSaint-JeantothePalaiswithremarkablecalmnessandself-possession。Nevertheless，hewasverygladtofindhimselfintheprivateofficeofMonsieurLousteau-Prangin。
“Ineedhardlytellyou，gentlemen，thatIaminnocent，“saidJoseph，addressingMonsieurMouilleron，MonsieurLousteau-Prangin，andtheclerk。“Icanonlybegyoutoassistmeinprovingmyinnocence。I
knownothingofthisaffair。“
Whenthejudgehadstatedallthesuspiciousfactswhichwereagainsthim，endingwithMax’sdeclaration，Josephwasastounded。
“But，“saidhe，“itwaspastfiveo’clockwhenIleftthehouse。I
wentuptheGranderue，andathalf-pastfiveIwasstandinglookingupatthefacadeoftheparishchurchofSaint-Cyr。Italkedtherewiththesexton，whocametoringtheangelus，andaskedhimforinformationaboutthebuilding，whichseemstomefantasticandincomplete。ThenIpassedthroughthevegetable-market，wheresomewomenhadalreadyassembled。Fromthere，crossingtheplaceMisere，I
wentasfarasthemillofLandrolebythePontauxAnes，whereI