“Really，MonsieurHochon，howcanamanofyoursenserepeatabsurditieswhich，unhappily，costmypoorfriendherpeaceofmind，andAgathethepropertywhichsheoughttohavehadfromherfather。
MaxGiletisnotthesonofmybrother，whomIoftenadvisedtosavethemoneyhepaidforhim。YouknowaswellasIdothatMadameRougetwasvirtueitself——“
“Andthedaughtertakesafterher；forshestrikesmeasuncommonlystupid。Afterlosingallherfortune，shebringshersonsupsowellthathereisoneinprisonandlikelytobebroughtuponacriminalindictmentbeforetheCourtofPeersforaconspiracyworthyofBerton。Asfortheother，heisworseoff；he’sapainter。IfyourprotegesaretostayheretilltheyhaveextricatedthatfoolofaRougetfromtheclawsofGiletandtheRabouilleuse，weshalleatagooddealmorethanhalfameasureofsaltwiththem。“
“That’senough，MonsieurHochon；youhadbetterwishtheymaynothavetwostringstotheirbow。“
MonsieurHochontookhishat，andhiscanewithanivoryknob，andwentawaypetrifiedbythatterriblespeech；forhehadnoideathathiswifecouldshowsuchresolution。MadameHochontookherprayer-
booktoreadtheservice，forheradvancedagepreventedherfromgoingdailytochurch；itwasonlywithdifficultythatshegotthereonSundaysandholidays。Sincereceivinghergoddaughter’slettershehadaddedapetitiontoherusualprayers，supplicatingGodtoopentheeyesofJean-JacquesRouget，andtoblessAgatheandprospertheexpeditionintowhichsheherselfhaddrawnher。Concealingthefactfromhergrandchildren，whomsheaccusedofbeing“parpaillots，“shehadaskedthecuratetosayamassforAgathe’ssuccessduringaneuvainewhichwasbeingheldbyhergranddaughter，AdolphineBorniche，whothusmadeherprayersinchurchbyproxy。
Adolphine，theneighteen，——whoforthelastsevenyearshadsewedatthesideofhergrandmotherinthatcoldhouseholdofmonotonousandmethodicalcustoms，——hadundertakenherneuvaineallthemorewillinglybecauseshehopedtoinspiresomefeelinginJosephBridau，inwhomshetookthedeepestinterestbecauseofthemonstrositieswhichhergrandfatherattributedinherhearingtotheyoungParisian。
Alltheoldpeopleandsensiblepeopleofthetown，andthefathersoffamiliesapprovedofMadameHochon’sconductinreceivinghergoddaughter；andtheirgoodwishesforthelatter’ssuccesswereinproportiontothesecretcontemptwithwhichtheconductofMaxenceGilethadlonginspiredthem。ThusthenewsofthearrivalofRouget’ssisterandnephewraisedtwopartiesinIssoudun，——thatofthehigherandolderbourgeoisie，whocontentedthemselveswithofferinggoodwishesandinwatchingeventswithoutassistingthem，andthatoftheKnightsofIdlenessandthepartisansofMax，who，unfortunately，werecapableofcommittingmanyhigh-handedoutragesagainsttheParisians。
AgatheandJosepharrivedatthecoach-officeoftheMessageries-
RoyalesintheplaceMisereatthreeo’clock。Thoughtiredwiththejourney，MadameBridaufeltheryouthreviveatsightofhernativeland，whereateverystepshecameuponmemoriesandimpressionsofhergirlishdays。InthethenconditionofpublicopinioninIssoudun，thearrivaloftheParisianswasknownalloverthetownintenminutes。MadameHochoncameoutuponherdoorsteptowelcomehergodchild，andkissedherasthoughshewerereallyadaughter。Afterseventy-twoyearsofabarrenandmonotonousexistence，exhibitingintheirretrospectthegravesofherthreechildren，allunhappyintheirlives，andalldead，shehadcometofeelasortoffictitiousmotherhoodfortheyounggirlwhomshehad，assheexpressedit，carriedinherpouchforsixteenyears。Throughthegloomofprovinciallifetheoldwomanhadcherishedthisearlyfriendship，thisgirlishmemory，ascloselyasifAgathehadremainednearher，andshehadalsotakenthedeepestinterestinBridau。AgathewasledintriumphtothesalonwhereMonsieurHochonwasstationed，chillingasatepidoven。
“HereisMonsieurHochon；howdoesheseemtoyou？“askedhiswife。
“PreciselythesameaswhenIlastsawhim，“saidtheParisianwoman。
“Ah！itiseasytoseeyoucomefromParis；youaresocomplimentary，“
remarkedtheoldman。
Thepresentationstookplace:first，youngBaruchBorniche，atallyouthoftwenty-two；thenFrancoisHochon，twenty-four；andlastlylittleAdolphine，whoblushedanddidnotknowwhattodowithherarms；shewasanxiousnottoseemtobelookingatJosephBridau，whoinhisturnwasnarrowlyobserved，thoughfromdifferentpointsofview，bythetwoyoungmenandbyoldHochon。Themiserwassayingtohimself，“Heisjustoutofthehospital；hewillbeashungryasaconvalescent。“Theyoungmenweresaying，“Whatahead！whatabrigand！weshallhaveourhandsfull！“
“Thisismyson，thepainter；mygoodJoseph，“saidAgatheatlast，presentingtheartist。
Therewasaneffortintheaccentthatsheputupontheword“good，“
whichrevealedthemother’sheart，whosethoughtswerereallyintheprisonoftheLuxembourg。
“Helooksill，“saidMadameHochon；“heisnotatalllikeyou。“
“No，madame，“saidJoseph，withthebrusquecandorofanartist；“Iamlikemyfather，andveryuglyatthat。“
MadameHochonpressedAgathe’shandwhichshewasholding，andglancedatherasmuchastosay，“Ah！mychild；Iunderstandnowwhyyoupreferyourgood-for-nothingPhilippe。“
“Ineversawyourfather，mydearboy，“shesaidaloud；“itisenoughtomakemeloveyouthatyouareyourmother’sson。Besides，youhavetalent，sothelateMadameDescoingsusedtowritetome；shewastheonlyoneoflateyearswhotoldmemuchaboutyou。“
“Talent！“exclaimedtheartist，“notasyet；butwithtimeandpatienceImaywinfameandfortune。“
“Bypainting？“saidMonsieurHochonironically。
“Come，Adolphine，“saidMadameHochon，“goandseeaboutdinner。“
“Mother，“saidJoseph，“Iwillattendtothetrunkswhichtheyarebringingin。“
“Hochon，“saidthegrandmothertoFrancois，“showtheroomstoMonsieurBridau。“
Asthedinnerwastobeservedatfouro’clockanditwasnowonlyhalfpastthree，BaruchrushedintothetowntotellthenewsoftheBridauarrival，describeAgathe’sdress，andmoreparticularlytopictureJoseph，whosehaggard，unhealthy，anddeterminedfacewasnotunliketheidealofabrigand。ThateveningJosephwasthetopicofconversationinallthehouseholdsofIssoudun。
“ThatsisterofRougetmusthaveseenamonkeybeforehersonwasborn，“saidone；“heistheimageofababoon。“
“Hehasthefaceofabrigandandtheeyesofabasilisk。“
“Allartistsarelikethat。“
“Theyareaswickedastheredass，andasspitefulasmonkeys。“
“Itispartoftheirbusiness。“
“IhavejustseenMonsieurBeaussier，andhesayshewouldnotliketomeethiminadarkwood；hesawhiminthediligence。“
“Hehasgothollowsovertheeyeslikeahorse，andhelaughslikeamaniac。“
“Thefellowlooksasthoughhewerecapableofanything；perhapsit’shisfaultthathisbrother，afinehandsomemantheytellme，hasgonetothebad。PoorMadameBridaudoesn’tseemasifshewereveryhappywithhim。“
“Supposewetakeadvantageofhisbeinghere，andhaveourportraitspainted？“
Theresultofalltheseobservations，scatteredthroughthetownwas，naturally，toexcitecuriosity。AllthosewhohadtherighttovisittheHochonsresolvedtocallthatverynightandexaminetheParisians。Thearrivalofthesetwopersonsinthestagnanttownwaslikethefallingofabeamintoacommunityoffrogs。
Afterstowinghismother’sthingsandhisownintothetwoatticchambers，whichheexaminedashedidso，Josephtooknoteofthesilenthouse，wherethewalls，thestair-case，thewood-work，weredevoidofdecorationandhumidwithfrost，andwheretherewasliterallynothingbeyondthemerestnecessaries。HefeltthebrusquetransitionfromhispoeticParistothedumbandaridprovince；andwhen，comingdownstairs，hechancedtoseeMonsieurHochoncuttingslicesofbreadforeachperson，heunderstood，forthefirsttimeinhislife，Moliere’sHarpagon。
“Weshouldhavedonebettertogotoaninn，“hesaidtohimself。
Theaspectofthedinnerconfirmedhisapprehensions。Afterasoupwhosewateryclearnessshowedthatquantitywasmoreconsideredthanquality，thebouilliwasserved，ceremoniouslygarnishedwithparsley；
thevegetables，inadishbythemselves，beingcountedintotheitemsoftherepast。Thebouilliheldtheplaceofhonorinthemiddleofthetable，accompaniedwiththreeotherdishes:hard-boiledeggsonsorreloppositetothevegetables；thenasaladdressedwithnut-oiltofacelittlecupsofcustard，whoseflavoringofburntoatsdidserviceasvanilla，whichitresemblesmuchascoffeemadeofchiccoryresemblesmocha。Butterandradishes，intwoplates，wereateachendofthetable；pickledgherkinsandhorse-radishcompletedthespread，whichwonMadamHochon’sapprobation。Thegoodoldwomangaveacontentedlittlenodwhenshesawthatherhusbandhaddonethingsproperly，forthefirstdayatleast。Theoldmanansweredwithaglanceandashrugofhisshoulders，whichitwaseasytotranslateinto——
“Seetheextravagancesyouforcemetocommit！“
