“Wewillkeepthetiresofthewheelsforyou，“shoutedawheelwright，whohadcometoinspectthedamagedonetothecart。
Oneoftheshaftswasstickinguprightintheground，asstraightasatree。Maxstoodby，paleandthoughtful，anddeeplyannoyedbyFario’sspeech。Forfivedaysafterthis，nothingwastalkedofinIssoudunbutthetaleoftheSpaniard’sbarrow；itwasevenfatedtotravelabroad，asGoddetremarked，——foritwenttheroundofBerry，wherethespeechesofFarioandMaxwererepeated，andattheendofaweektheaffair，greatlytotheSpaniard’ssatisfaction，wasstillthetalkofthethreedepartmentsandthesubjectofendlessgossip。InconsequenceofthevindictiveSpaniard’sterriblespeech，MaxandtheRabouilleusebecametheobjectofcertaincommentswhichweremerelywhisperedinIssoudun，thoughtheywerespokenaloudinBourges，Vatan，Vierzon，andChateauroux。MaxenceGiletknewenoughofthatregionofthecountrytoguesshowenvenomedsuchcommentswouldbecome。
“Wecan’tstoptheirtongues，“hesaidatlast。“Ah！Ididafoolishthing！“
“Max！“saidFrancois，takinghisarm。“Theyarecomingto-night。“
“They！Who！“
“TheBridaus。Mygrandmotherhasjusthadaletterfromhergoddaughter。“
“Listen，myboy，“saidMaxinalowvoice。“Ihavebeenthinkingdeeplyofthismatter。NeitherFlorenorIoughttoseemopposedtotheBridaus。Iftheseheirsaretobegotridof，itisforyouHochonstodrivethemoutofIssoudun。Findoutwhatsortofpeopletheyare。To-morrowatMereCognette’s，afterI’vetakentheirmeasure，wecandecidewhatistobedone，andhowwecansetyourgrandfatheragainstthem。“
“TheSpaniardfoundtheflawinMax’sarmor，“saidBaruchtohiscousinFrancois，astheyturnedintoMonsieurHochon’shouseandwatchedtheircomradeenteringhisowndoor。
WhileMaxwasthusemployed，Flore，inspiteofherfriend’sadvice，wasunabletorestrainherwrath；andwithoutknowingwhethershewouldhelporhinderMax’splans，sheburstforthuponthepoorbachelor。WhenJean-Jacquesincurredtheangerofhismistress，thelittleattentionsandvulgarfondlingswhichwereallhisjoyweresuddenlysuppressed。Floresenthermaster，asthechildrensay，intodisgrace。Nomoretenderglances，nomoreofthecaressinglittlewordsinvarioustoneswithwhichshedeckedherconversation，——“mykitten，““myolddarling，““mybibi，““myrat，“etc。A“you，“coldandsharpandironicallyrespectful，cutlikethebladeofaknifethroughtheheartofthemiserableoldbachelor。The“you“wasadeclarationofwar。Insteadofhelpingthepoormanwithhistoilet，handinghimwhathewanted，forestallinghiswishes，lookingathimwiththesortofadmirationwhichallwomenknowhowtoexpress，andwhich，insomecases，thecoarseritisthebetteritpleases，——saying，forinstance，“Youlookasfreshasarose！“or，“Whathealthyouhave！““Howhandsomeyouare，myoldJean！“——inshort，insteadofentertaininghimwiththelivelychatterandbroadjokesinwhichhedelighted，Florelefthimtodressalone。Ifhecalledher，sheansweredfromthefootofthestaircase，“Ican’tdoeverythingatonce；howcanIlookafteryourbreakfastandwaituponyouupthere？Arenotyoubigenoughtodressyourownself？“
“Oh，dear！whathaveIdonetodispleaseher？“theoldmanaskedhimselfthatmorning，ashegotoneoftheserebuffsaftercallingforhisshaving-water。
“Vedie，takeupthehotwater，“criedFlore。
“Vedie！“exclaimedthepoorman，stupefiedwithfearoftheangerthatwascrushinghim。“Vedie，whatisthematterwithMadamethismorning？“
FloreBrazierrequiredhermasterandVedieandKouskiandMaxtocallherMadame。
“Sheseemstohaveheardsomethingaboutyouwhichisn’ttoyourcredit，“answeredVedie，assuminganairofdeepconcern。“Youaredoingwrong，monsieur。I’monlyapoorservant-woman，andyoumaysayIhavenorighttopokemynoseintoyouraffairs；butIdosayyoumaysearchthroughallthewomenintheworld，likethatkinginholyScripture，andyouwon’tfindtheequalofMadame。Yououghttokissthegroundshestepson。Goodness！ifyoumakeherunhappy，you’llonlyspoilyourownlife。Theresheis，poorthing，withhereyesfulloftears。“
Vedieleftthepoormanutterlycastdown；hedroppedintoanarmchairandgazedintovacancylikethemelancholyimbecilethathewas，andforgottoshave。Thesealternationsoftendernessandseverityworkeduponthisfeeblecreaturewhoseonlylifewasthroughhisamorousfibre，thesamemorbideffectwhichgreatchangesfromtropicalheattoarcticcoldproduceuponthehumanbody。Itwasamoralpleurisy，whichworehimoutlikeaphysicaldisease。Florealonecouldthusaffecthim；fortoher，andtoheralone，hewasasgoodashewasfoolish。
“Well，haven’tyoushavedyet？“shesaid，appearingathisdoor。
Hersuddenpresencemadetheoldmanstartviolently；andfrombeingpaleandcastdownhegrewredforaninstant，without，however，daringtocomplainofhertreatment。
“Yourbreakfastiswaiting，“sheadded。“Youcancomedownasyouare，indressing-gownandslippers；foryou’llbreakfastalone，Icantellyou。“
Withoutwaitingforananswer，shedisappeared。Tomakehimbreakfastalonewasthepunishmenthedreadedmost；helovedtotalktoherasheatehismeals。Whenhegottothefootofthestaircasehewastakenwithafitofcoughing；foremotionexcitedhiscatarrh。
“Coughaway！“saidFloreinthekitchen，withoutcaringwhetherheheardherornot。“Confoundtheoldwretch！heisableenoughtogetoveritwithoutbotheringothers。Ifhecoughsuphissoul，itwillonlybeafter——“
SuchweretheamenitiestheRabouilleuseaddressedtoRougetwhenshewasangry。Thepoormansatdownindeepdistressatacornerofthetableinthemiddleoftheroom，andlookedathisoldfurnitureandtheoldpictureswithadisconsolateair。
“Youmightatleasthaveputonacravat，“saidFlore。“Doyouthinkitispleasantforpeopletoseesuchaneckasyours，whichisredderandmorewrinkledthanaturkey’s？“
“ButwhathaveIdone？“heasked，liftinghisbiglight-greeneyes，fulloftears，tohistormentor，andtryingtofaceherhardcountenance。
“Whathaveyoudone？“sheexclaimed。“Asifyoudidn’tknow？Oh，whatahypocrite！YoursisterAgathe——whoisasmuchyoursisterasIamsisterofthetowerofIssoudun，ifone’stobelieveyourfather，andwhohasnoclaimatalluponyou——iscomingherefromPariswithherson，amiserabletwo-pennypainter，toseeyou。“
“MysisterandmynephewscomingtoIssoudun！“hesaid，bewildered。
“Oh，yes！playthesurprised，do；trytomakemebelieveyoudidn’tsendforthem！sewingyourlieswithwhitebread，indeed！Don’tfashyourself；wewon’ttroubleyourParisians——beforetheysettheirfeetinthishouse，weshallhaveshakenthedustofitoffours。MaxandI
willbegone，nevertoreturn。Asforyourwill，I’lltearitinquartersunderyournose，andtoyourverybeard——doyouhear？Leaveyourpropertytoyourfamily，ifyoudon’tthinkweareyourfamily；
andthenseeifyou’llbelovedforyourselfbyalotofpeoplewhohavenotseenyouforthirtyyears，——whoinfacthaveneverseenyou！
Isitthatsortofsisterwhocantakemyplace？Apinchbecksaint！“
“Ifthat’sall，mylittleFlore，“saidtheoldman，“Iwon’treceivemysister，ormynephews。IsweartoyouthisisthefirstwordIhaveheardoftheircoming。ItisallgotupbythatMadameHochon——asanctimoniousold——“
Max，whohadoverheardoldRouget’swords，enteredsuddenly，andsaidinamasterfultone，——
“What’sallthis？“
“MygoodMax，“saidtheoldman，gladtogettheprotectionofthesoldierwho，byagreementwithFlore，alwaystookhissideinadispute，“Iswearbyallthatismostsacred，thatInowhearthisnewsforthefirsttime。Ihaveneverwrittentomysister；myfathermademepromisenottoleaveheranyofmyproperty；toleaveittotheChurchsoonerthantoher。Well，Iwon’treceivemysisterAgathetothishouse，orhersons——“
“Yourfatherwaswrong，mydearJean-Jacques，andMadameBrazierisstillmorewrong，“answeredMax。“Yourfathernodoubthadhisreasons，butheisdead，andhishatredshoulddiewithhim。Yoursisterisyoursister，andyournephewsareyournephews。Youoweittoyourselftowelcomethem，andyouoweittousaswell。WhatwouldpeoplesayinIssoudun？Thunder！I’vegotenoughuponmyshouldersasitis，withouthearingpeoplesaythatweshutyouupanddon’tallowyouawillofyourown，orthatweinfluenceyouagainstyourrelationsandaretryingtogetholdofyourproperty。ThedeviltakemeifIdon’tpullupstakesandbeoff，ifthatsortofcalumnyistobeflungatme！theotherisbadenough！Let’seatourbreakfast。“
Flore，whowasnowasmildasaweasel，helpedVedietosetthetable。
OldRouget，fullofadmirationforMax，tookhimbybothhandsandledhimintotherecessofawindow，sayinginalowvoice:——
“Ah！Max，ifIhadason，Icouldn’tlovehimbetterthanIloveyou。
Floreisright:youtwoaremyrealfamily。Youareamanofhonor，Max，andwhatyouhavejustsaidistrue。“
“Yououghttoreceiveandentertainyoursisterandherson，butnotchangethearrangementsyouhavemadeaboutyourproperty，“saidMax。
“Inthatwayyouwilldowhatisrightintheeyesoftheworld，andyetkeepyourpromisetoyourfather。“
“Well！mydearloves！“criedFlore，gayly，“thesalmiisgettingcold。
Come，myoldrat，here’sawingforyou，“shesaid，smilingonJean-
Jacques。
Atthewords，thelong-drawnfaceofthepoorcreaturelostitscadaveroustints，thesmileofaTheriakiflickeredonhispendentlips；buthewasseizedwithanotherfitofcoughing；forthejoyofbeingtakenbacktofavorexcitedasviolentanemotionasthepunishmentitself。Florerose，pulledalittlecashmereshawlfromherownshoulders，andtieditroundtheoldman’sthroat，exclaiming:
