Thus，attwenty-eightyearsofage，theRabouilleusefeltforthefirsttimeatruelove，anidolatrouslove，thelovewhichincludesallwaysofloving，——thatofGulnareandthatofMedora。AssoonasthepennilessofficerfoundouttherespectivesituationsofFloreandJean-JacquesRouget，hesawsomethingmoredesirablethanan“amourette“inanintimacywiththeRabouilleuse。HeaskednothingbetterforhisfutureprosperitythantotakeuphisabodeattheRouget’s，recognizingperfectlythefeeblenatureoftheoldbachelor。
Flore’spassionnecessarilyaffectedthelifeandhouseholdaffairsofhermaster。Foramonththeoldman，nowgrownexcessivelytimid，sawthelaughingandkindlyfaceofhismistresschangetosomethingterribleandgloomyandsullen。Hewasmadetoendureflashesofangrytemperpurposelydisplayed，preciselylikeamarriedmanwhosewifeismeditatinganinfidelity。When，aftersomecruelrebuff，henervedhimselftoaskFlorethereasonofthechange，hereyesweresofullofhatred，andhervoicesoaggressiveandcontemptuous，thatthepoorcreaturequailedunderthem。
“Goodheavens！“shecried；“youhaveneitherheartnorsoul！Here’ssixteenyearsthatIhavespentmyyouthinthishouse，andIhaveonlyjustfoundoutthatyouhavegotastonethere(strikingherbreast)。Fortwomonthsyouhaveseenbeforeyoureyesthatbravecaptain，avictimoftheBourbons，whowascutoutforageneral，andisdowninthedepthsofpoverty，huntedintoaholeofaplacewherethere’snowaytomakeapennyofmoney！He’sforcedtositonastoolalldayinthemayor’sofficetoearn——what？Sixhundredmiserablefrancs，——afinething，indeed！Andhereareyou，withsixhundredandfifty-ninethousandwellinvested，andsixtythousandfrancs’income，——thankstome，whoneverspendmorethanthreethousandayear，everythingincluded，evenmyownclothes，yes，everything！——andyouneverthinkofofferinghimahomehere，thoughthere’sthesecondfloorempty！You’drathertheratsandmiceranriotinitthanputahumanbeingthere，——andhealadyourfatheralwaysallowedtobehisownson！Doyouwanttoknowwhatyouare？I’lltellyou，——afratricide！AndIknowwhy，too。YouseeItakeaninterestinhim，andthatprovokesyou。Stupidasyouseem，youhavegotmorespiteinyouthanthespitefullestofmen。Well，yes！Idotakeaninterestinhim，andakeenone——“
“But，Flore——“
“’BUT，FLORE’，indeed！What’sthatgottodowithit？YoumaygoandfindanotherFlore(ifyoucan！)，forIhopethisglassofwinemaypoisonmeifIdon’tgetawayfromyourdungeonofahouse。Ihaven’t，Godbethanked！costyouonepennyduringthetwelveyearsI’vebeenwithyou，andyouhavehadthepleasureofmycompanyintothebargain。IcouldhaveearnedmyownlivinganywherewiththeworkthatI’vedonehere，——washing，ironing，lookingafterthelinen，goingtomarket，cooking，takingcareofyourinterestsbeforeeverything，slavingmyselftodeathfrommorningtillnight，——andthisismyreward！“
“But，Flore——“
“Oh，yes，’FLORE’！findanotherFlore，ifyoucan，atyourtimeoflife，fifty-oneyearsold，andgettingfeeble，——forthewayyourhealthisfailingisfrightful，Iknowthat！andbesides，youarenonetooamusing——“
“But，Flore——“
“Letmealone！“
Shewentout，slammingthedoorwithaviolencethatechoedthroughthehouse，andseemedtoshakeittoitsfoundations。Jean-Jacquessoftlyopenedthedoorandwent，stillmoresoftly，intothekitchenwhereshewasmutteringtoherself。
“But，Flore，“saidthepoorsheep，“thisisthefirsttimeIhaveheardofthiswishofyours；howdoyouknowwhetherIwillagreetoitornot？“
“Inthefirstplace，“shesaid，“thereoughttobeamaninthehouse。
Everybodyknowsyouhaveten，fifteen，twentythousandfrancshere；iftheycametorobyouweshouldbothbemurdered。Formypart，Idon’tcaretowakeupsomefinemorningchoppedinquarters，ashappenedtothatpoorservant-girlwhowassillyenoughtodefendhermaster。
Well！iftherobbersknewtherewasamaninthehouseasbraveasCaesarandwhowasn’tbornyesterday，——forMaxcouldswallowthreeburglarsasquickasaflash，——well，thenIshouldsleepeasy。Peoplemaytellyoualotofstuff，——thatIlovehim，thatIadorehim，——andsomesaythisandsomesaythat！Doyouknowwhatyououghttosay？
Yououghttoanswerthatyouknowit；thatyourfathertoldyouonhisdeathbedtotakecareofhispoorMax。Thatwillstoppeople’stongues；foreverystoneinIssouduncantellyouhepaidMax’sschooling——andso！Here’snineyearsthatIhaveeatenyourbread——“
“Flore，——Flore！“
“——andmanyaoneinthistownhaspaidcourttome，Icantellyou！
Goldchainshere，andwatchesthere，——whatdon’ttheyofferme？’MylittleFlore，’theysay，’whywon’tyouleavethatoldfoolofaRouget，’——forthat’swhattheycallyou。’Ileavehim！’Ialwaysanswer，’apoorinnocentlikethat？IthinkIseemyself！whatwouldbecomeofhim？No，no，wherethekidistethered，letherbrowse——’“
“Yes，Flore；I’venonebutyouinthisworld，andyoumakemehappy。
Ifitwillgiveyoupleasure，mydear，well，wewillhaveMaxenceGilethere；hecaneatwithus——“
“Heavens！Ishouldhopeso！“
“There，there！don’tgetangry——“
“Enoughforoneisenoughfortwo，“sheansweredlaughing。“I’lltellyouwhatyoucando，mylamb，ifyoureallymeantobekind；youmustgoandwalkupanddownneartheMayor’sofficeatfouro’clock，andmanagetomeetMonsieurGiletandinvitehimtodinner。Ifhemakesexcuses，tellhimitwillgivemepleasure；heistoopolitetorefuse。Andafterdinner，atdessert，ifhetellsyouabouthismisfortunes，andthehulksandsoforth——foryoucaneasilygethimtotalkaboutallthat——thenyoucanmakehimtheoffertocomeandlivehere。Ifhemakesanyobjection，nevermind，Ishallknowhowtosettleit。“
WalkingslowlyalongtheboulevardBaron，theoldcelibatereflected，asmuchashehadthemindtoreflect，overthisincident。IfheweretopartfromFlore(themerethoughtconfusedhim)wherecouldhefindanotherwoman？Shouldhemarry？Athisageheshouldbemarriedforhismoney，andalegitimatewifewouldusehimfarmorecruellythanFlore。Besides，thethoughtofbeingdeprivedofhertenderness，evenifitwereamerepretence，causedhimhorribleanguish。HewasthereforeaspolitetoCaptainGiletasheknewhowtobe。Theinvitationwasgiven，asFlorehadrequested，beforewitnesses，toguardthehero’shonorfromallsuspicion。
AreconciliationtookplacebetweenFloreandhermaster；butfromthatdayforthJean-Jacquesnoticedmanyatriflethatbetokenedatotalchangeinhismistress’saffections。FortwoorthreeweeksFloreBraziercomplainedtothetradespeopleinthemarkets，andtothewomenwithwhomshegossiped，aboutMonsieurRouget’styranny，——
howhehadtakenitintohisheadtoinvitehisself-stylednaturalbrothertolivewithhim。Noone，however，wastakeninbythiscomedy；andFlorewaslookeduponasawonderfullycleverandartfulcreature。OldRougetreallyfoundhimselfverycomfortableafterMaxbecamethemasterofhishouse；forhethusgainedacompanionwhopaidhimmanyattentions，without，however，showinganyservility。
Gilettalked，discussedpolitics，andsometimeswenttowalkwithRouget。AfterMaxwasfairlyinstalled，Floredidnotchoosetodothecooking；shesaiditspoiledherhands。AttherequestofthegrandmasteroftheOrderoftheKnightsofIdleness，MereCognetteproducedoneofherrelatives，anoldmaidwhosemaster，acurate，hadlatelydiedwithoutleavingheranything，——anexcellentcook，withal，——whodeclaredshewoulddevoteherselfforlifeordeathtoMaxandFlore。
Inthenameofthetwopowers，MereCognettepromisedheranannuityofthreehundredfrancsayearattheendoftenyears，ifsheservedthemloyally，honestly，anddiscreetly。TheVedie，asshewascalled，wasnoticeableforafacedeeplypittedbythesmall-pox，andcorrespondinglyugly。
Afterthenewcookhadentereduponherduties，theRabouilleusetookthetitleofMadameBrazier。Sheworecorsets；shehadsilk，orhandsomewoollenandcottondresses，accordingtotheseason，expensiveneckerchiefs，embroideredcapsandcollars，lacerufflesatherthroat，bootsinsteadofshoes，and，altogether，adoptedarichnessandeleganceofapparelwhichrenewedtheyouthfulnessofherappearance。Shewaslikearoughdiamond，thatneededcuttingandmountingbyajewellertobringoutitsfullvalue。HerdesirewastodohonortoMax。Attheendofthefirstyear，in1817，shebroughtahorse，styledEnglish，fromBourges，forthepoorcavalrycaptain，whowaswearyofgoingafoot。MaxhadpickedupinthepurlieusofIssoudunanoldlanceroftheImperialGuard，aPolenamedKouski，nowverypoor，whoaskednothingbetterthantoquarterhimselfinMonsieurRouget’shouseasthecaptain’sservant。MaxwasKouski’sidol，especiallyaftertheduelwiththethreeroyalists。So，from1817，thehouseholdoftheoldbachelorwasmadeupoffivepersons，threeofwhomweremasters，andtheexpensesadvancedtoabouteightthousandfrancsayear。
