“Youhavedoneverywrong，“shesaidtothem；“repairitbyfuturegoodconduct，andMonsieurHochonwillforgetit。“
　　So，whenFrancoishadreadtheletterwhichhadbeenbroughtforBaruch，overthelatter’sshoulder，hewhisperedinhisear，“Askgrandpapa’sadvice。“
　　“Readthis，“saidBaruch，takingthelettertooldHochon。
　　“Readittomeyourself；Ihaven’tmyspectacles。“
　　MydearFriend，——Ihopeyouwillnothesitate，undertheseriouscircumstancesinwhichIfindmyself，todometheserviceofreceivingapowerofattorneyfromMonsieurRouget。BeatVatanto-morrowmorningatnineo’clock。IshallprobablysendyoutoParis，butdon’tbeuneasy；Iwillfurnishyouwithmoneyforthejourney，andjoinyouthereimmediately。IamalmostsureIshallbeobligedtoleaveIssoudun，Decemberthird。
　　Adieu。Icountonyourfriendship；relyonthatofyourfriend，Maxence“Godbepraised！“exclaimedMonsieurHochon；“thepropertyofthatoldidiotissavedfromtheclawsofthedevil。“
　　“Itwillbeifyousayso，“saidMadameHochon；“andIthankGod，——whohasnodoubtheardmyprayers。Theprosperityofthewickedisalwaysfleeting。“
　　“YoumustgotoVatan，andacceptthepowerofattorneyfromMonsieurRouget，“saidtheoldmantoBaruch。“TheirobjectistogetfiftythousandfrancsayeartransferredtoMademoiselleBrazier。TheywillsendyoutoParis，andyoumustseemtogo；butyouaretostopatOrleans，andwaittheretillyouhearfromme。Letnoone——notasoul——knowwhereyoulodge；gotothefirstinnyoucometointhefaubourgBannier，nomatterifitisonlyapost-house——“
　　“Lookhere！“criedFrancois，whohadrushedtothewindowatthesuddennoiseofwheelsintheGrande-Narette。“Here’ssomethingnew！——
　　PereRougetandColonelBridaucomingbacktogetherinthecaleche，BenjaminandCaptainCarpentierfollowingonhorseback！“
　　“I’llgoover，“criedMonsieurHochon，whosecuriositycarriedthedayovereveryotherfeeling。
　　MonsieurHochonfoundoldRougetinhisbedroom，writingthefollowingletterathisnephew’sdictation:
　　Mademoiselle，——Ifyoudonotstarttoreturnherethemomentyoureceivethisletter，yourconductwillshowsuchingratitudeforallmygoodnessthatIshallrevokethewillIhavemadeinyourfavor，andgivemypropertytomynephewPhilippe。YouwillunderstandthatMonsieurGiletcannolongerbemyguestafterstayingwithyouatVatan。IsendthisletterbyCaptainCarpentier，whowillputitintoyourownhands。Ihopeyouwilllistentohisadvice；hewillspeaktoyouwithauthorityfromme。
　　YouraffectionateJ-J。Rouget。
　　“CaptainCarpentierandIMETmyuncle，whowassofoolishastofollowMademoiselleBrazierandMonsieurGilettoVatan，“saidPhilippe，withsarcasticemphasis，toMonsieurHochon。“Ihavemademyuncleseethathewasrunninghisheadintoanoose；forthatgirlwillabandonhimthemomentshegetshimtosignapowerofattorney，bywhichtheymeantoobtaintheincomeofhismoneyintheFunds。
　　Thatletterwillbringherbackunderhisroof，thehandsomerunaway！
　　thisverynight，orI’mmistaken。Ipromisetomakeheraspliableasabitofwhalebonefortherestofherdays，ifmyuncleallowsmetotakeMaxenceGilet’splace；which，inmyopinion，heoughtnevertohavehadinthefirstplace。AmInotright？——andyethere’smyunclebemoaninghimself！“
　　“Neighbor，“saidMonsieurHochon，“youhavetakenthebestmeanstogetpeaceinyourhousehold。Destroyyourwill，andFlorewillbeoncemorewhatsheusedtobeintheearlydays。“
　　“No，shewillneverforgivemeforwhatIhavemadehersuffer，“
　　whimperedtheoldman；“shewillnolongerloveme。“
　　“Sheshallloveyou，andcloselytoo；I’lltakecareofthat，“saidPhilippe。
　　“Come，openyoureyes！“exclaimedMonsieurHochon。“Theymeantorobyouandabandonyou。“
　　“Oh！Iwassureofit！“criedthepoorimbecile。
　　“See，hereisaletterMaxencehaswrittentomygrandsonBorniche，“
　　saidoldHochon。“Readit。“
　　“Whatinfamy！“exclaimedCarpentier，ashelistenedtotheletter，whichRougetreadaloud，weeping。
　　“Isthatplainenough，uncle？“demandedPhilippe。“Holdthathussybyherinterestsandshe’lladoreyouasyoudeserve。“
　　“ShelovesMaxencetoowell；shewillleaveme，“criedthefrightenedoldman。
　　“But，uncle，MaxenceorI，——oneortheotherofus——won’tleaveourfootstepsinthedustofIssoudunthreedayshence。“
　　“Wellthengo，MonsieurCarpentier，“saidRouget；“ifyoupromisemetobringherback，go！Youareagoodman；saytoherinmynameallyouthinkyououghttosay。“
　　“CaptainCarpentierwillwhisperinherearthatIhavesenttoParisforawomanwhoseyouthandbeautyarecaptivating；thatwillbringthejadebackinahurry！“
　　Thecaptaindeparted，drivinghimselfintheoldcaleche；Benjaminaccompaniedhimonhorseback，forKouskiwasnowheretobefound。
　　Thoughthreatenedbytheofficerswitharrestandthelossofhissituation，thePolehadgonetoVatanonahiredhorse，towarnMaxandFloreoftheadversary’smove。Afterfulfillinghismission，Carpentier，whodidnotwishtodrivebackwithFlore，wastochangeplaceswithBenjamin，andtakethelatter’shorse。
　　WhenPhilippewastoldofKouski’sflighthesaidtoBenjamin，“YouwilltakethePole’splace，fromthistimeon。Itisallmappingout，papaHochon！“criedthelieutenant-colonel。“Thatbanquetwillbejovial！“
　　“Youwillcomeandlivehere，ofcourse，“saidtheoldmiser。
　　“IhavetoldFariotosendmeallmythings，“answeredPhilippe。“I
　　shallsleepintheroomadjoiningGilet’sapartment，——ifmyuncleconsents。“
　　“Whatwillcomeofallthis？“criedtheterrifiedoldman。
　　“MademoiselleFloreBrazieriscoming，gentleasapaschallamb，“
　　repliedMonsieurHochon。
　　“Godgrantit！“exclaimedRouget，wipinghiseyes。
　　“Itisnowseveno’clock，“saidPhilippe；“thesovereignofyourheartwillbehereathalf-pasteleven:you’llneverseeGiletagain，andyouwillbeashappyeverafterasapope——Ifyouwantmetosucceed，“hewhisperedtoMonsieurHochon，“stayheretillthehussycomes；youcanhelpmeinkeepingtheoldmanuptohisresolution；
　　and，together，we’llmakethatcrab-girlseeonwhichsideherbreadisbuttered。“
　　MonsieurHochonfeltthereasonablenessoftherequestandstayed:buttheyhadtheirhandsfull，foroldRougetgavewaytochildishlamentations，whichwereonlyquietedbyPhilippe’srepeatingoverandoveradozentimes:——
　　“Uncle，youwillseethatIamrightwhenFlorereturnstoyouastenderasever。Youshallbepetted；youwillsaveyourproperty:beguidedbymyadvice，andyou’llliveinparadisefortherestofyourdays。“
　　When，abouthalf-pasteleven，wheelswereheardintheGrande-Narette，thequestionwas，whetherthecarriagewerereturningfullorempty。
　　Rouget’sfaceworeanexpressionofagony，whichchangedtotheprostrationofexcessivejoywhenhesawthetwowomen，asthecarriageturnedtoenterthecourtyard。
　　“Kouski，“saidPhilippe，givingahandtoFloretohelpherdown。“YouarenolongerinMonsieurRouget’sservice。Youwillnotsleephereto-night；getyourthingstogether，andgo。Benjamintakesyourplace。“
　　“Areyouthemasterhere？“saidFloresarcastically。
　　“Withyourpermission，“repliedPhilippe，squeezingherhandasifinavice。“Come！wemusthaveanunderstanding，youandI“；andheledthebewilderedwomanoutintotheplaceSaint-Jean。
　　“Myfinelady，“begantheoldcampaigner，stretchingouthisrighthand，“threedayshence，MaxenceGiletwillbesenttotheshadesbythatarm，orhiswillhavetakenmeoffguard。IfIdie，youwillbethemistressofmypoorimbecileuncle；’benesit。’IfIremainonmypins，you’llhavetowalkstraight，andkeephimsuppliedwithfirst-
　　classhappiness。Ifyoudon’t，IknowgirlsinPariswhoare，withallduerespect，muchprettierthanyou；fortheyareonlyseventeenyearsold:theywouldmakemyuncleexcessivelyhappy，andtheyareinmyinterests。Beginyourattentionsthisveryevening；iftheoldmanisnotasgayasalarkto-morrowmorning，Ihaveonlyawordtosaytoyou；itisthis，payattentiontoit，——thereisbutonewaytokillamanwithouttheinterferenceofthelaw，andthatistofightaduelwithhim；butIknowthreewaystogetridofawoman:mindthat，mybeauty！“
　　Duringthisaddress，Floreshooklikeapersonwiththeague。
　　“KillMax——？“shesaid，gazingatPhilippeinthemoonlight。
　　“Come，here’smyuncle。“
　　OldRouget，turningadeafeartoMonsieurHochon’sremonstrances，nowcameoutintothestreet，andtookFlorebythehand，asamisermighthavegraspedhistreasure；hedrewherbacktothehouseandintohisownroomandshutthedoor。
　　“ThisisSaint-Lambert’sday，andhewhodesertshisplace，losesit，“