remarkedBenjamintothePole。
“Mymasterwillshutyourmouthforyou，“answeredKouski，departingtojoinMaxwhoestablishedhimselfatthehoteldelaPoste。
Onthemorrow，betweennineandeleveno’clock，allthewomentalkedtoeachotherfromdoortodoorthroughoutthetown。ThestoryofthewonderfulchangeintheRougethouseholdspreadeverywhere。Theupshotoftheconversationswasthesameonallsides，——
“WhatwillhappenatthebanquetbetweenMaxandColonelBridau？“
PhilippesaidbutfewwordstotheVedie，——“Sixhundredfrancs’
annuity，ordismissal。“Theywereenough，however，tokeepherneutral，foratime，betweenthetwogreatpowers，PhilippeandFlore。
KnowingMax’slifetobeindanger，FlorebecamemoreaffectionatetoRougetthaninthefirstdaysoftheiralliance。Alas！inlove，aself-interesteddevotionissometimesmoreagreeablethanatruthfulone；andthatiswhymanymenpaysomuchforcleverdeceivers。TheRabouilleusedidnotappeartillthenextmorning，whenshecamedowntobreakfastwithRougetonherarm。Tearsfilledhereyesasshebeheld，sittinginMax’splace，theterribleadversary，withhissombreblueeyes，andthecold，sinisterexpressiononhisface。
“Whatisthematter，mademoiselle？“hesaid，afterwishinghisunclegood-morning。
“Shecan’tenduretheideaofyourfightingMaxence，“saidoldRouget。
“IhavenottheslightestdesiretokillGilet，“answeredPhilippe。
“HeneedonlytakehimselfofffromIssoudunandgotoAmericaonaventure。Ishouldbethefirsttoadviseyoutogivehimanoutfit，andtowishhimasafevoyage。Hewouldsoonmakeafortunethere，andthatisfarmorehonorablethanturningIssouduntopsy-turvyatnight，andplayingthedevilinyourhousehold。“
“Well，that’sfairenough，“saidRouget，glancingatFlore。
“A-mer-i-ca！“sheejaculated，sobbing。
“ItisbettertokickhislegsaboutinafreecountrythanhavethemrotinapineboxinFrance。However，perhapsyouthinkheisagoodshot，andcankillme；it’sonthecards，“observedthecolonel。
“Willyouletmespeaktohim？“saidFlore，imploringPhilippeinahumbleandsubmissivetone。
“Certainly；hecancomehereandpackuphisthings。Iwillstaywithmyuncleduringthattime；forIshallnotleavetheoldmanagain，“
repliedPhilippe。
“Vedie，“criedFlore，“runtothehotel，andtellMonsieurGiletthatIbeghim——“
“——tocomeandgethisbelongings，“saidPhilippe，interruptingFlore’smessage。
“Yes，yes，Vedie；thatwillbeagoodpretexttoseeme；Imustspeaktohim。“
Terrorcontrolledherhatred；andtheshockwhichherwholebeingexperiencedwhenshefirstencounteredthisstrongandpitilessnaturewasnowsooverwhelmingthatshebowedbeforePhilippejustasRougethadbeeninthehabitofbendingbeforeher。SheanxiouslyawaitedVedie’sreturn。ThewomanbroughtaformalrefusalfromMax，whorequestedMademoiselleBraziertosendhisthingstothehoteldelaPoste。
“Willyouallowmetotakethemtohim？“shesaidtoJean-JacquesRouget。
“Yes，butwillyoucomeback？“saidtheoldman。
“IfMademoiselleisnotbackbymidday，youwillgivemeapowerofattorneytoattendtoyourproperty，“saidPhilippe，lookingatFlore。
“TakeVediewithyou，tosaveappearances，mademoiselle。Infutureyouaretothinkofmyuncle’shonor。“
FlorecouldgetnothingoutofMax。Desperateathavingallowedhimself，beforetheeyesofthewholetown，toberoutedoutofhisshamelessposition，GiletwastooproudtorunawayfromPhilippe。TheRabouilleusecombatedthisobjection，andproposedthattheyshouldflytogethertoAmerica；butMax，whodidnotwantFlorewithouthermoney，andyetdidnotwishthegirltoseethebottomofhisheart，insistedonhisintentionofkillingPhilippe。
“Wehavecommittedamonstrousfolly，“hesaid。“WeoughtallthreetohavegonetoParisandspentthewinterthere；buthowcouldoneguess，fromthemeresightofthatfellow’sbigcarcass，thatthingswouldturnoutastheyhave？Theturnofeventsisenoughtomakeonegiddy！Itookthecolonelforoneofthosefire-eaterswhohaven’ttwoideasintheirhead；thatwastheblunderImade。AsIdidn’thavethesensetodoublelikeahareinthebeginning，I’llnotbesuchacowardastobackdownbeforehim。Hehasloweredmeintheestimationofthistown，andIcannotgetbackwhatIhavelostunlessIkillhim。“
“GotoAmericawithfortythousandfrancs。I’llfindawaytogetridofthatscoundrel，andjoinyou。Itwouldbemuchwiser。“
“Whatwouldpeoplesayofme？“heexclaimed。“No；Ihaveburiedninealready。Thefellowdoesn’tseemasifheknewmuch；hewentfromschooltothearmy，andtherehewasalwaysfightingtill1815；thenhewenttoAmerica，andIdoubtifthebruteeversetfootinafencing-alley；whileIhavenomatchwiththesabre。Thesabreishisarm；Ishallseemverygenerousinofferingittohim，——forImean，ifpossible，tolethiminsultme，——andIcaneasilyrunhimthrough。
Unquestionably，itismywisestcourse。Don’tbeuneasy；weshallbemastersofthefieldinacoupleofdays。“
ThatitwasthatastupidpointofhonorhadmoreinfluenceoverMaxthansoundpolicy。WhenFloregothomesheshutherselfuptocryatease。DuringthewholeofthatdaygossipranwildinIssoudun，andtheduelbetweenPhilippeandMaxencewasconsideredinevitable。
“Ah！MonsieurHochon，“saidMignonnet，who，accompaniedbyCarpentier，mettheoldmanontheboulevardBaron，“weareveryuneasy；forGiletiscleverwithallweapons。“
“Nevermind，“saidtheoldprovincialdiplomatist；“Philippehasmanagedthisthingwellfromthebeginning。Ishouldneverhavethoughtthatbig，easy-goingfellowwouldhavesucceededashehas。
Thetwohaverolledtogetherlikeacoupleofthunder-clouds。“
“Oh！“saidCarpentier，“Philippeisaremarkableman。HisconductbeforetheCourtofPeerswasamasterpieceofdiplomacy。“
“Well，CaptainRenard，“saidoneofthetownsfolktoMax’sfriend。
“Theysaywolvesdon’tdevoureachother，butitseemsthatMaxisgoingtosethisteethinColonelBridau。That’sprettyseriousamongyougentlemenoftheOldGuard。“
“Youmakefunofit，doyou？Becausethepoorfellowamusedhimselfalittleatnight，youareallagainsthim，“saidPotel。“ButGiletisamanwhocouldn’tstayinaholelikeIssoudunwithoutfindingsomethingtodo。“
“Well，gentlemen，“remarkedanother，“Maxandthecolonelmustplayouttheirgame。Bridauhadtoavengehisbrother。Don’tyourememberMax’streacherytothepoorlad？“
“Bah！nothingbutanartist，“saidRenard。
“Buttherealquestionisabouttheoldman’sproperty，“saidathird。
“TheysayMonsieurGiletwaslayinghandsonfiftythousandfrancsayear，whenthecolonelturnedhimoutofhisuncle’shouse。“
“Giletrobaman！Come，don’tsaythattoanyonebutme，MonsieurCanivet，“criedPotel。“Ifyoudo，I’llmakeyouswallowyourtongue，——andwithoutanysauce。“
EveryhouseholdintownofferedprayersforthehonorableColonelBridau。
Towardsfouro’clockthefollowingday，theofficersoftheoldarmywhowereatIssoudunoritsenvirons，weresaunteringabouttheplaceduMarche，infrontofaneating-housekeptbyamannamedLacroix，andwaitingthearrivalofColonelPhilippeBridau。Thebanquetinhonorofthecoronationwastotakeplacewithmilitarypunctualityatfiveo’clock。VariousgroupsofpersonsweretalkingofMax’sdiscomfiture，andhisdismissalfromoldRouget’shouse；fornotonlyweretheofficerstodineatLacroix’s，butthecommonsoldiershaddeterminedonameetingataneighboringwine-shop。Amongtheofficers，PotelandRenardweretheonlyoneswhoattemptedtodefendMax。
“Isitanyofourbusinesswhattakesplaceamongtheoldman’sheirs？“saidRenard。
“Maxisweakwithwomen，“remarkedthecynicalPotel。
“There’llbesabresunsheathedbeforelong，“saidanoldsub-
lieutenant，whocultivatedakitchen-gardenintheupperBaltan。“IfMonsieurMaxenceGiletcommittedthefollyofgoingtoliveunderoldRouget’sroof，hewouldheacowardifheallowedhimselftobeturnedofflikeavaletwithoutaskingwhy。“
“Ofcourse，“saidMignonnetdryly。“Afollythatdoesn’tsucceedbecomesacrime。“
AtthismomentMaxjoinedtheoldsoldiersofNapoleon，andwasreceivedinsignificantsilence。PotelandRenardeachtookanarmoftheirfriend，andwalkedaboutwithhim，conversing。PresentlyPhilippewasseenapproachinginfulldress；hetrailedhiscaneafterhimwithanimperturbableairwhichcontrastedwiththeforcedattentionMaxwaspayingtotheremarksofhistwosupporters。