MadameRouget，or，tospeakmorecorrectly，thedoctor，inheritedalltheproperty，landedandpersonal，ofMonsieurandMadameDescoingstheelder，whodiedwithintwoyearsofeachother；andsoonafterthat，Rougetgotthebetter，aswemaysay，ofhiswife，forshediedatthebeginningoftheyear1799。Sohehadvineyardsandheboughtfarms，heownediron-worksandhesoldfleeces。Hiswell-belovedsonwasstupidlyincapableofdoinganything；butthefatherdestinedhimforthestateinlifeofalandproprietorandallowedhimtogrowupinwealthandsilliness，certainthattheladwouldknowasmuchasthewisestifhesimplylethimselfliveanddie。After1799，thecipherersofIssoudunput，attheveryleast，thirtythousandfrancs’
　　incometothedoctor’scredit。Fromthetimeofhiswife’sdeathheledadebauchedlife，thoughheregulatedit，sotospeak，andkeptitwithinthecloseddoorsofhisownhouse。Thisman，endowedwith“strengthofcharacter，“diedin1805，andGodonlyknowswhatthetownspeopleofIssoudunsaidabouthimthen，andhowmanyanecdotestheyrelatedofhishorribleprivatelife。Jean-JacquesRouget，whomhisfather，recognizinghisstupidity，hadlatterlytreatedwithseverity，remainedabachelorforcertainreasons，theexplanationofwhichwillformanimportantpartofthishistory。Hiscelibacywaspartlyhisfather’sfault，asweshallseelater。
　　Meantime，itiswelltoinquireintotheresultsofthesecretvengeancethedoctortookonadaughterwhomhedidnotrecognizeashisown，butwho，youmustunderstandatonce，waslegitimatelyhis。
　　NotapersoninIssoudunhadnoticedoneofthosecapriciousfactsthatmakethewholesubjectofgenerationavastabyssinwhichscienceflounders。AgatheboreastronglikenesstothemotherofDoctorRouget。Justasgoutissaidtoskipagenerationandpassfromgrandfathertograndson，resemblancesnotuncommonlyfollowthesamecourse。
　　Inlikemanner，theeldestofAgathe’schildren，whophysicallyresembledhismother，hadthemoralqualitiesofhisgrandfather，DoctorRouget。Wewillleavethesolutionofthisproblemtothetwentiethcentury，withafinecollectionofmicroscopicanimalculae；
　　ourdescendantsmayperhapswriteasmuchnonsenseasthescientificschoolsofthenineteenthcenturyhaveutteredonthismysteriousandperplexingquestion。
　　AgatheRougetattractedtheadmirationofeveryonebyafacedestined，likethatofMary，themotherofourLord，tocontinueevervirgin，evenaftermarriage。Herportrait，stilltobeseenintheatelierofBridau，showsaperfectovalandaclearwhitenessofcomplexion，withoutthefaintesttingeofcolor，inspiteofhergoldenhair。Morethanoneartist，lookingatthepurebrow，thediscreet，composedmouth，thedelicatenose，thesmallears，thelonglashes，andthedark-blueeyesfilledwithtenderness，——inshort，atthewholecountenanceexpressiveofplacidity，——hasaskedthegreatartist，“IsthatacopyofaRaphael？“Nomaneveractedunderatruerinspirationthantheminister’ssecretarywhenhemarriedthisyounggirl。Agathewasanembodimentoftheidealhousekeeperbroughtupintheprovincesandneverpartedfromhermother。Pious，thoughfarfromsanctimonious，shehadnoothereducationthanthatgiventowomenbytheChurch。Judged，byordinarystandards，shewasanaccomplishedwife，yetherignoranceoflifepavedthewayforgreatmisfortunes。
　　TheepitaphontheRomanmatron，“Shedidneedleworkandkeptthehouse，“givesafaithfulpictureofhersimple，pure，andtranquilexistence。
　　UndertheConsulate，BridauattachedhimselffanaticallytoNapoleon，whoplacedhimattheheadofadepartmentintheministryoftheinteriorin1804，ayearbeforethedeathofDoctorRouget。Withasalaryoftwelvethousandfrancsandveryhandsomeemoluments，BridauwasquiteindifferenttothescandaloussettlementofthepropertyatIssoudun，bywhichAgathewasdeprivedofherrightfulinheritance。
　　SixmonthsbeforeDoctorRouget’sdeathhehadsoldone-halfofhispropertytohisson，towhomtheotherhalfwasbequeathedasagift，andalsoinaccordancewithhisrightsasheir。Anadvanceoffiftythousandfrancsonherinheritance，madetoAgatheatthetimeofhermarriage，representedhershareofthepropertyofherfatherandmother。
　　BridauidolizedtheEmperor，andservedhimwiththedevotionofaMohammedanforhisprophet；strivingtocarryoutthevastconceptionsofthemoderndemi-god，who，findingthewholefabricofFrancedestroyed，wenttoworktoreconstructeverything。Thenewofficialnevershowedfatigue，nevercried“Enough。“Projects，reports，notes，studies，heacceptedall，eventhehardestlabors，happyintheconsciousnessofaidinghisEmperor。Helovedhimasaman，headoredhimasasovereign，andhewouldneverallowtheleastcriticismofhisactsorhispurposes。
　　From1804to1808，theBridauslivedinahandsomesuiteofroomsontheQuaiVoltaire，afewstepsfromtheministryoftheinteriorandclosetotheTuileries。AcookandfootmanweretheonlyservantsofthehouseholdduringthisperiodofMadameBridau’sgrandeur。Agathe，earlyafoot，wenttomarketwithhercook。Whilethelatterdidtherooms，shepreparedthebreakfast。Bridauneverwenttotheministrybeforeeleveno’clock。Aslongastheirunionlasted，hiswifetookthesameunwearyingpleasureinpreparingforhimanexquisitebreakfast，theonlymealhereallyenjoyed。Atallseasonsandinallweathers，Agathewatchedherhusbandfromthewindowashewalkedtowardhisoffice，andneverdrewinherheaduntilshehadseenhimturnthecorneroftherueduBac。Thensheclearedthebreakfast-
　　tableherself，gaveaneyetothearrangementoftherooms，dressedfortheday，playedwithherchildrenandtookthemtowalk，orreceivedthevisitsoffriends；allthewhilewaitinginspiritforBridau’sreturn。Ifherhusbandbroughthimimportantbusinessthathadtobeattendedto，shewouldstationherselfclosetothewriting-
　　tableinhisstudy，silentasastatue，knittingwhilehewrote，sittingupaslateashedid，andgoingtobedonlyafewmomentsbeforehim。Occasionally，thepairwenttosometheatre，occupyingoneoftheministerialboxes。Onthosedays，theydinedatarestaurant，andthegayscenesofthatestablishmentneverceasedtogiveMadameBridauthesamelivelypleasuretheyaffordtoprovincialswhoarenewtoParis。Agathe，whowasobligedtoaccepttheformaldinnerssometimesgiventotheheadofadepartmentinaministry，paiddueattentiontotheluxuriousrequirementsofthethenmodeofdress，butshetookofftherichapparelwithdelightwhenshereturnedhome，andresumedthesimplegarbofaprovincial。Onedayintheweek，Thursday，Bridaureceivedhisfriends，andhealsogaveagrandball，annually，onShroveTuesday。
　　Thesefewwordscontainthewholehistoryoftheirconjugallife，whichhadbutthreeevents；thebirthsoftwochildren，bornthreeyearsapart，andthedeathofBridau，whodiedin1808，killedbyoverworkattheverymomentwhentheEmperorwasabouttoappointhimdirector-general，count，andcouncillorofstate。Atthisperiodofhisreign，Napoleonwasparticularlyabsorbedintheaffairsoftheinterior；heoverwhelmedBridauwithwork，andfinallywreckedthehealthofthatdauntlessbureaucrat。TheEmperor，ofwhomBridauhadneveraskedafavor，madeinquiriesintohishabitsandfortune。
　　Findingthatthisdevotedservantliterallyhadnothingbuthissituation，Napoleonrecognizedhimasoneoftheincorruptiblenatureswhichraisedthecharacterofhisgovernmentandgavemoralweighttoit，andhewishedtosurprisehimbythegiftofsomedistinguishedreward。Buttheefforttocompleteacertainwork，involvingimmenselabor，beforethedepartureoftheEmperorforSpaincausedthedeathofthedevotedservant，whowasseizedwithaninflammatoryfever。
　　WhentheEmperor，whoremainedinParisforafewdaysafterhisreturntoprepareforthecampaignof1809，wastoldofBridau’sdeathhesaid:“Therearemenwhocanneverbereplaced。“Struckbythespectacleofadevotionwhichcouldreceivenoneofthebrilliantrecognitionsthatrewardasoldier，theEmperorresolvedtocreateanordertorequitecivilservices，justashehadalreadycreatedtheLegionofhonortorewardthemilitary。TheimpressionhereceivedfromthedeathofBridauledhimtoplantheorderoftheReunion。Hehadnottime，however，tomaturethisaristocraticscheme，therecollectionofwhichisnowsocompletelyeffacedthatmanyofmyreadersmayaskwhatwereitsinsignia:theorderwaswornwithablueribbon。TheEmperorcalledittheReunion，undertheideaofunitingtheorderoftheGoldenFleeceofSpainwiththeorderoftheGoldenFleeceofAustria。“Providence，“saidaPrussiandiplomatist，“tookcaretofrustratetheprofanation。“
　　AfterBridau’sdeaththeEmperorinquiredintothecircumstancesofhiswidow。HertwosonseachreceivedascholarshipintheImperialLyceum，andtheEmperorpaidthewholecostsoftheireducationfromhisprivypurse。HegaveMadameBridauapensionoffourthousandfrancs，intending，nodoubt，toadvancethefortuneofhersonsinfutureyears。
　　Fromthetimeofhermarriagetothedeathofherhusband，AgathehadheldnocommunicationwithIssoudun。Shelosthermotherjustasshewasonthepointofgivingbirthtoheryoungestson，andwhenherfather，who，asshewellknew，lovedherlittle，died，thecoronationoftheEmperorwasathand，andthateventgaveBridausomuchadditionalworkthatshewasunwillingtoleavehim。Herbrother，Jean-JacquesRouget，hadnotwrittentohersincesheleftIssoudun。
　　Thoughgrievedbythetacitrepudiationofherfamily，Agathehadcometothinkseldomofthosewhoneverthoughtofher。Onceayearshereceivedaletterfromhergodmother，MadameHochon，towhomsherepliedwithcommonplaces，payingnoheedtotheadvicewhichthatpiousandexcellentwomangavetoher，disguisedincautiouswords。
　　SometimebeforethedeathofDoctorRouget，MadameHochonhadwrittentohergoddaughterwarningherthatshewouldgetnothingfromherfather’sestateunlessshegaveapowerofattorneytoMonsieurHochon。Agathewasveryreluctanttoharassherbrother。WhetheritwerethatBridauthoughtthespoliationofhiswifeinaccordancewiththelawsandcustomsofBerry，orthat，high-mindedashewas，hesharedthemagnanimityofhiswife，certainitisthathewouldnotlistentoRoguin，hisnotary，whoadvisedhimtotakeadvantageofhisministerialpositiontocontestthedeedsbywhichthefatherhaddeprivedthedaughterofherlegitimateinheritance。HusbandandwifethustacitlysanctionedwhatwasdoneatIssoudun。Nevertheless，RoguinhadforcedBridautoreflectuponthefutureinterestsofhiswifewhichwerethuscompromised。Hesawthatifhediedbeforeher，Agathewouldbeleftwithoutproperty，andthisledhimtolookintohisownaffairs。Hefoundthatbetween1793and1805hiswifeandhehadbeenobligedtousenearlythirtythousandofthefiftythousandfrancsincashwhicholdRougethadgiventohisdaughteratthetimeofhermarriage。Heatonceinvestedtheremainingtwentythousandinthepublicfunds，thenquotedatforty，andfromthissourceAgathereceivedabouttwothousandfrancsayear。Asawidow，MadameBridaucouldlivesuitablyonanincomeofsixthousandfrancs。Withprovincialgoodsense，shethoughtofchangingherresidence，dismissingthefootman，andkeepingnoservantexceptacook；butherintimatefriend，MadameDescoings，whoinsistedonbeingconsideredheraunt，soldherownestablishmentandcametolivewithAgathe，turningthestudyofthelateBridauintoherbedroom。