“Thatdoesn’tpreventherfrombeingasplendidmodel！——justplumpenoughnottospoilthehipsandthegeneralcontour——“
“Myson，youarenotinyourstudio，“saidAgathe。“Adolphineishere。“
“Ah，true！Ididwrong。ButyoumustrememberthateversinceleavingParisIhaveseennothingbutuglywomen——“
“Mydeargodmother，“saidAgathehastily，“howshallIbeabletomeetmybrother，ifthatcreatureisalwayswithhim？“
“Bah！“saidJoseph。“I’llgoandseehimmyself。Idon’tthinkhimsuchanidiot，nowIfindhehasthesensetorejoicehiseyeswithaTitian’sVenus。“
“Ifhewerenotanidiot，“saidMonsieurHochon，whohadcomein，“hewouldhavemarriedlongagoandhadchildren；andthenyouwouldhavenochanceattheproperty。Itisanillwindthatblowsnogood。“
“Yourson’sideaisverygood，“saidMadameHochon；“heoughttopaythefirstvisit。Hecanmakehisuncleunderstandthatifyoucalltherehemustbealone。“
“ThatwillaffrontMademoiselleBrazier，“saidoldHochon。“No，no，madame；swallowthepill。Ifyoucan’tgetthewholeproperty，secureasmalllegacy。“
TheHochonswerenotcleverenoughtomatchMax。InthemiddleofbreakfastKouskibroughtoveraletterfromMonsieurRouget，addressedtohissister，MadameBridau。MadameHochonmadeherhusbandreaditaloud，asfollows:——
MydearSister，——IlearnfromstrangersofyourarrivalinIssoudun。IcanguessthereasonwhichmadeyoupreferthehouseofMonsieurandMadameHochontomine；butifyouwillcometoseemeyoushallbereceivedasyououghttobe。Ishouldcertainlypayyouthefirstvisitifmyhealthdidnotcompelmejustnowtokeepthehouse；forwhichIoffermyaffectionateregrets。Ishallbedelightedtoseemynephew，whomIinvitetodinewithmeto-
morrow，——youngmenarelesssensitivethanwomenaboutthecompany。ItwillgivemepleasureifMessrs。BaruchBornicheandFrancoisHochonwillaccompanyhim。
Youraffectionatebrother，J-J。Rouget。
“Saythatweareatbreakfast，butthatMadameBridauwillsendananswerpresently，andtheinvitationsareallaccepted，“saidMonsieurHochontotheservant。
Theoldmanlaidafingeronhislips，torequiresilencefromeverybody。Whenthestreet-doorwasshut，MonsieurHochon，littlesuspectingtheintimacybetweenhisgrandsonsandMax，threwoneofhisslyestlooksathiswifeandAgathe，remarking，——
“HeisjustascapableofwritingthatnoteasIamofgivingawaytwenty-fivelouis；itisthesoldierwhoiscorrespondingwithus！“
“Whatdoesthatportend？“askedMadameHochon。“Well，nevermind；wewillanswerhim。Asforyou，monsieur，“sheadded，turningtoJoseph，“youmustdinethere；butif——“
Theoldladywasstoppedshortbyalookfromherhusband。KnowinghowwarmafriendshipshefeltforAgathe，oldHochonwasindreadlestsheshouldleavesomelegacytohergoddaughterincasethelatterlosttheRougetproperty。Thoughfifteenyearsolderthanhiswife，themiserhopedtoinheritherfortune，andtobecomeeventuallythesolemasteroftheirwholeproperty。Thathopewasafixedideawithhim。MadameHochonknewthatthebestmeansofobtainingafewconcessionsfromherhusbandwastothreatenhimwithherwill。
MonsieurHochonnowtooksideswithhisguests。Anenormousfortunewasatstake；withasenseofsocialjustice，hewishedittogotothenaturalheirs，insteadofbeingpillagedbyunworthyoutsiders。
Moreover，thesoonerthematterwasdecided，thesoonerheshouldgetridofhisguests。Nowthatthestrugglebetweentheinterlopersandtheheirs，hithertoexistingonlyinhiswife’smind，hadbecomeanactualfact，MonsieurHochon’skeenintelligence，lulledtosleepbythemonotonyofprovinciallife，wasfullyroused。MadameHochonhadbeenagreeablysurprisedthatmorningtoperceive，fromafewaffectionatewordswhichtheoldmanhadsaidtoheraboutAgathe，thatsoableandsubtleanauxiliarywasontheBridauside。
TowardsmiddaythebrainsofMonsieurandMadameHochon，ofAgathe，andJoseph(thelattermuchamazedatthescrupulouscareoftheoldpeopleinthechoiceofwords)，weredeliveredofthefollowinganswer，concoctedsolelyforthebenefitofMaxandFlore:——
MydearBrother，——IfIhavestayedawayfromIssoudun，andkeptupnointercoursewithanyone，notevenwithyou，thefaultliesnotmerelywiththestrangeandfalseideasmyfatherconceivedaboutme，butwiththejoysandsorrowsofmylifeinParis；forifGodmademeahappywife，hehasalsodeeplyafflictedmeasamother。
Youareawarethatmyson，yournephewPhilippe，liesunderaccusationofacapitaloffenceinconsequenceofhisdevotiontotheEmperor。Thereforeyoucanhardlybesurprisedifawidow，compelledtotakeahumblesituationinalottery-officeforaliving，shouldcometoseekconsolationfromthoseamongwhomshewasborn。
Theprofessionadoptedbythesonwhoaccompaniesmeisonethatrequiresgreattalent，manysacrifices，andprolongedstudiesbeforeanyresultscanbeobtained。Gloryforanartistprecedesfortune；isnotthattosaythatJoseph，thoughhemaybringhonortothefamily，willstillbepoor？Yoursister，mydearJean-
Jacques，wouldhaveborneinsilencethepenaltiesofpaternalinjustice，butyouwillpardonamotherforremindingyouthatyouhavetwonephews；oneofwhomcarriedtheEmperor’sordersatthebattleofMontereauandservedintheGuardatWaterloo，andisnowinprisonforhisdevotiontoNapoleon；theother，fromhisthirteenthyear，hasbeenimpelledbynaturalgiftstoenteradifficultthoughgloriouscareer。
Ithankyouforyourletter，mydearbrother，withheart-feltwarmth，formyownsake，andalsoforJoseph’s，whowillcertainlyacceptyourinvitation。Illnessexcuseseverything，mydearJean-
Jacques，andIshallthereforegotoseeyouinyourownhouse。A
sisterisalwaysathomewithabrother，nomatterwhatmaybethelifehehasadopted。
Iembraceyoutenderly。
AgatheRouget“There’sthematterstarted。Now，whenyouseehim，“saidMonsieurHochontoAgathe，“youmustspeakplainlytohimabouthisnephews。“
TheletterwascarriedoverbyGritte，whoreturnedtenminuteslatertorenderanaccounttohermastersofallthatshehadseenandheard，accordingtoasettledprovincialcustom。
“SinceyesterdayMadamehashadthewholehousecleanedup，whichsheleft——“
“WhomdoyoumeanbyMadame？“askedoldHochon。
“That’swhattheycalltheRabouilleuseoverthere，“answeredGritte。
“SheleftthesalonandallMonsieurRouget’spartofthehouseinapitiablestate；butsinceyesterdaytheroomshavebeenmadetolooklikewhattheywerebeforeMonsieurMaxencewenttolivethere。Youcanseeyourfaceonthefloors。LaVedietoldmethatKouskiwentoffonhorsebackatfiveo’clockthismorning，andcamebackatnine，bringingprovisions。Itisgoingtobeagranddinner！——adinnerfitforthearchbishopofBourges！There’safinebustleinthekitchen，andtheyareasbusyasbees。Theoldmansays，’Iwanttodohonortomynephew，’andhepokeshisnoseintoeverything。ItappearsTHE
ROUGETSarehighlyflatteredbytheletter。Madamecameandtoldmeso。Oh！shehadonsuchadress！Ineversawanythingsohandsomeinmylife。Twodiamondsinherears！——twodiamondsthatcost，Vedietoldme，threethousandfrancsapiece；andsuchlace！ringsonherfingers，andbracelets！you’dthinkshewasashrine；andasilkdressasfineasanaltar-cloth。Sothenshesaidtome，’Monsieurisdelightedtofindhissistersoamiable，andIhopeshewillpermitustopayheralltheattentionshedeserves。Weshallcountonhergoodopinionafterthewelcomewemeantogiveherson。Monsieurisveryimpatienttoseehisnephew。’Madamehadlittleblacksatinslippers；andherstockings！my！theyweremarvels，——flowersinsilkandopenwork，justlikelace，andyoucouldseeherrosylittlefeetthroughthem。Oh！
she’sinhighfeather，andshehadalovelylittleaproninfrontofherwhich，Vediesays，costmorethantwoyearsofourwagesputtogether。“
“Welldone！Weshallhavetodressup，“saidtheartistlaughing。
“Whatdoyouthinkofallthis，MonsieurHochon？“saidtheoldladywhenGrittehaddeparted。
MadameHochonmadeAgatheobserveherhusband，whowassittingwithhisheadinhishands，hiselbowsonthearmsofhischair，plungedinthought。
“YouhavetodowithaMaitreBonin！“saidtheoldmanatlast。“Withyourideas，youngman，“headded，lookingatJoseph，“youhaven’tforceenoughtostrugglewithapractisedscoundrellikeMaxenceGilet。NomatterwhatIsaytoyou，youwillcommitsomefolly。But，atanyrate，tellmeeverythingyousee，andhear，anddoto-night。
Go，andGodbewithyou！Trytogetalonewithyouruncle。If，inspiteofallyourgenius，youcan’tmanageit，thatinitselfwillthrowsomelightupontheirscheme。Butifyoudogetamomentalonewithhim，outofear-shot，damnit，youmustpullthewoolfromhiseyesastothesituationthosetwohaveputhimin，andpleadyourmother’scause。“
Atfouro’clock，JosephcrossedtheopenspacewhichseparatedtheRougethousefromtheHochonhouse，——asortofavenueofweaklylindens，twohundredfeetlongandofthesamewidthastherueGrandeNarette。Whenthenephewarrived，Kouski，inpolishedboots，blackclothtrousers，whitewaistcoat，andblackcoat，announcedhim。Thetablewassetinthelargehall，andJoseph，whoeasilydistinguishedhisuncle，wentuptohim，kissedhim，andbowedtoFloreandMax。
“WehavenotseeneachothersinceIcameintotheworld，mydearuncle，“saidthepaintergayly；“butbetterlatethannever。“
“Youareverywelcome，myfriend，“saidtheoldman，lookingathisnephewinadullway。
“Madame，“JosephsaidtoFlorewithanartist’svivacity，“thismorningIwasenvyingmyunclethepleasureheenjoysinbeingabletoadmireyoueveryday。“
“Isn’tshebeautiful？“saidtheoldman，whosedimeyesbegantoshine。
“Beautifulenoughtobethemodelofagreatpainter。“
“Nephew，“saidRouget，whoseelbowFlorewasnudging，“thisisMonsieurMaxenceGilet；amanwhoservedtheEmperor，likeyourbrother，intheImperialGuard。“
