“Blessme！saytwoyears，andI’llleaveherwithyou，forshe’llbebetteroffwithyouthanwithus；mywifebeatsher，shecan’tabideher。There’snonebutItostandupforher，andthelittlesaintofacreatureisasinnocentasanew-bornbabe。“
Whenheheardthelastpartofthisspeech，thedoctor，struckbytheword“innocent，“madeasigntotheuncleandtookhimoutintothecourtyardandfromthencetothegarden；leavingtheRabouilleuseatthetablewithFanchetteandJean-Jacques，whoimmediatelyquestionedher，andtowhomshenaivelyrelatedhermeetingwiththedoctor。
“Therenow，mylittledarling，good-by，“saidUncleBrazier，comingbackandkissingFloreontheforehead；“youcanwellsayI’vemadeyourhappinessbyleavingyouwiththiskindandworthyfatherofthepoor；youmustobeyhimasyouwouldme。Beagoodgirl，andbehavenicely，anddoeverythinghetellsyou。“
“Gettheroomovermineready，“saidthedoctortoFanchette。“LittleFlore——Iamsuresheisworthyofthename——willsleepthereinfuture。To-morrow，we’llsendforashoemakerandadressmaker。Putanotherplateonthetable；sheshallkeepuscompany。“
Thatevening，allIssouduncouldtalkofnothingelsethanthesuddenappearanceofthelittle“rabouilleuse“inDoctorRouget’shouse。InthatregionofsatirethenicknamestucktoMademoiselleBrazierbefore，during，andaftertheperiodofhergoodfortune。
ThedoctornodoubtintendedtodowithFloreBrazier，inasmallway，whatLouisXV。didinalargeonewithMademoiselledeRomans；buthewastoolateaboutit；LouisXV。wasstillyoung，whereasthedoctorwasintheflowerofoldage。Fromtwelvetofourteen，thecharminglittleRabouilleuselivedalifeofunmixedhappiness。Alwayswell-
dressed，andoftenmuchbettertrickedoutthantherichestgirlsinIssoudun，shesportedagoldwatchandjewels，givenbythedoctortoencourageherstudies，andshehadamasterwhotaughthertoread，write，andcipher。ButthealmostanimallifeofthetruepeasanthadinstilledintoFloresuchdeeprepugnancetothebittercupofknowledge，thatthedoctorstoppedhereducationatthatpoint。Hisintentionswithregardtothechild，whomhecleansedandclothed，andtaught，andformedwithacarewhichwasallthemoreremarkablebecausehewasthoughttobeutterlydevoidoftenderness，wereinterpretedinavarietyofwaysbythecacklingsocietyofthetown，whosegossipoftengaverisetofatalblunders，likethoserelatingtothebirthofAgatheandthatofMax。Itisnoteasyforthecommunityofacountrytowntodisentanglethetruthfromthemassofconjectureandcontradictoryreportstowhichasinglefactgivesrise。Theprovincesinsist——asinformerdaysthepoliticiansofthelittleProvenceattheTuileriesinsisted——onfullexplanations，andtheyusuallyendbyknowingeverything。Buteachpersonclingstotheversionoftheeventwhichhe，orshe，likesbest；proclaimsit，arguesit，andconsidersittheonlytrueone。Inspiteofthestronglightcastuponpeople’slivesbytheconstantspyingofalittletown，truthisthusoftenobscured；andtoberecognized，itneedstheimpartialitywhichhistoriansorsuperiormindsacquirebylookingatthesubjectfromahigherpointofview。
“Whatdoyousupposethatoldgorillawantsathisagewithalittlegirlonlyfifteenyearsold？“societywasstillsayingtwoyearsafterthearrivaloftheRabouilleuse。
“Ah！that’strue，“theyanswered，“hisdaysofmerry-makingarelongpast。“
“Mydearfellow，thedoctorisdisgustedatthestupidityofhisson，andhepersistsinhatinghisdaughterAgathe；itmaybethathehasbeenlivingadecentlifeforthelasttwoyears，intendingtomarrylittleFlore；supposesheweretogivehimafine，active，strappingboy，fulloflifelikeMax？“saidoneofthewiseheadsofthetown。
“Bah！don’ttalknonsense！AftersuchalifeasRougetandLousteauledfrom1770to1787，isitlikelythateitherofthemwouldhavechildrenatsixty-fiveyearsofage？TheoldvillainhasreadtheScriptures，ifonlyasadoctor，andheisdoingasDaviddidinhisoldage；that’sall。“
“TheysaythatBrazier，whenheisdrunk，boastsinVatanthathecheatedhim，“criedoneofthosewhoalwaysbelievedtheworstofpeople。
“Goodheavens！neighbor；whatwon’ttheysayatIssoudun？“
From1800to1805，thatis，forfiveyears，thedoctorenjoyedallthepleasuresofeducatingFlorewithouttheannoyanceswhichtheambitionsandpretensionsofMademoiselledeRomansinflicted，itissaid，onLouisleBien-Aime。ThelittleRabouilleusewassosatisfiedwhenshecomparedthelifesheledatthedoctor’swiththatshewouldhaveledatheruncleBrazier’s，thatsheyieldednodoubttotheexactionsofhermasterasifshehadbeenanEasternslave。Withduedeferencetothemakersofidyllsandtophilanthropists，theinhabitantsoftheprovinceshaveverylittleideaofcertainvirtues；
andtheirscruplesareofakindthatisrousedbyself-interest，andnotbyanysentimentoftherightorthebecoming。Raisedfrominfancywithnoprospectbeforethembutpovertyandceaselesslabor，theyareledtoconsideranythingthatsavesthemfromthehellofhungerandeternaltoilaspermissible，particularlyifitisnotcontrarytoanylaw。Exceptionstothisrulearerare。Virtue，sociallyspeaking，isthecompanionofacomfortablelife，andcomesonlywitheducation。
ThustheRabouilleusewasanobjectofenvytoalltheyoungpeasant-
girlswithinacircuitoftenmiles，althoughherconduct，fromareligiouspointofview，wassupremelyreprehensible。Flore，bornin1787，grewupinthemidstofthesaturnaliasof1793and1798，whoseluridgleamspenetratedthesecountryregions，thendeprivedofpriestsandfaithandaltarsandreligiousceremonies；wheremarriagewasnothingmorethanlegalcoupling，andrevolutionarymaximsleftadeepimpression。ThiswasmarkedlythecaseatIssoudun，alandwhere，aswehaveseen，revoltofallkindsistraditional。In1802，Catholicworshipwasscarcelyre-established。TheEmperorfounditadifficultmattertoobtainpriests。In1806，manyparishesalloverFrancewerestillwidowed；soslowlyweretheclergy，decimatedbythescaffold，gatheredtogetheragainaftertheirviolentdispersion。
In1802，therefore，nothingwaslikelytoreproachFloreBrazier，unlessitmightbeherconscience；andconsciencewassuretobeweakerthanself-interestinthewardofUncleBrazier。If，aseverybodychosetosuppose，thecynicaldoctorwascompelledbyhisagetorespectachildoffifteen，theRabouilleusewasnonethelessconsideredvery“wideawake，“atermmuchusedinthatregion。Still，somepersonsthoughtshecouldclaimacertificateofinnocencefromthecessationofthedoctor’scaresandattentionsinthelasttwoyearsofhislife，duringwhichtimeheshowedhersomethingmorethancoldness。
OldRougethadkilledtoomanypeoplenottoknowwhenhisownendwasnigh；andhisnotary，findinghimonhisdeath-bed，drapedasitwere，inthemantleofencyclopaedicphilosophy，pressedhimtomakeaprovisioninfavoroftheyounggirl，thenseventeenyearsold。
“SoIdo，“hesaid，cynically；“mydeathsetsheratliberty。“
Thisspeechpaintsthenatureoftheoldman。Coveringhisevildoingswithwittysayings，heobtainedindulgenceforthem，inalandwherewitisalwaysapplauded，——especiallywhenaddressedtoobviousself-
interest。InthosewordsthenotaryreadtheconcentratedhatredofamanwhosecalculationshadbeenbalkedbyNatureherself，andwhorevengedhimselfupontheinnocentobjectofanimpotentlove。ThisopinionwasconfirmedtosomeextentbytheobstinateresolutionofthedoctortoleavenothingtotheRabouilleuse，sayingwithabittersmile，whenthenotaryagainurgedthesubjectuponhim，——
“Herbeautywillmakeherrichenough！“
Jean-JacquesRougetdidnotmournhisfather，thoughFloreBrazierdid。Theolddoctorhadmadehissonextremelyunhappy，especiallysincehecameofage，whichhappenedin1791；buthehadgiventhelittlepeasant-girlthematerialpleasureswhicharetheidealofhappinesstocountry-folk。WhenFanchetteaskedFlore，afterthefuneral，“Well，whatistobecomeofyou，nowthatmonsieurisdead？“
Jean-Jacques’seyeslightedup，andforthefirsttimeinhislifehisdullfacegrewanimated，showedfeeling，andseemedtobrightenundertheraysofathought。
“Leavetheroom，“hesaidtoFanchette，whowasclearingthetable。
Atseventeen，Floreretainedthatdelicacyoffeatureandform，thatdistinctionofbeautywhichattractedthedoctor，andwhichwomenoftheworldknowhowtopreserve，thoughitfadesamongthepeasant-
girlsliketheflowersofthefield。Nevertheless，thetendencytoembonpoint，whichhandsomecountrywomendevelopwhentheynolongerlivealifeoftoilandhardshipinthefieldsandinthesunshine，wasalreadynoticeableabouther。Herbusthaddeveloped。Theplumpwhiteshouldersweremodelledonrichlinesthatharmoniouslyblendedwiththoseofthethroat，alreadyshowingafewfoldsofflesh。Buttheoutlineofthefacewasstillfaultless，andthechindelicate。
“Flore，“saidJean-Jacques，inatremblingvoice，“youfeelathomeinthishouse？“
“Yes，MonsieurJean。“
Astheheirwasabouttomakehisdeclaration，hefelthistonguestiffenattherecollectionofthedeadman，justputawayinhisgrave，andadoubtseizedhimastowhatlengthshisfather’sbenevolencemighthavegone。Flore，whowasquiteunableeventosuspecthissimplicityofmind，lookedatherfuturemasterandwaitedforatime，expectingJean-Jacquestogoonwithwhathewassaying；
butshefinallylefthimwithoutknowingwhattothinkofsuchobstinatesilence。WhateverteachingtheRabouilleusemayhavereceivedfromthedoctor，itwasmanyalongdaybeforeshefinallyunderstoodthecharacterofJean-Jacques，whosehistorywenowpresentinafewwords。
Atthedeathofhisfather，Jacques，thenthirty-seven，wasastimidandsubmissivetopaternaldisciplineasachildoftwelveyearsold。
