Monsieur，here，cantellyou，“shewenton，lookingfixedlyathervictim，“thattheonlyquarrelswehaveeverhadwereaboutyou。I
havealwaystoldhimthatheowesyoupartofthefortunehereceivedfromhisfather，andyourfather，mybenefactor，——forhewasmybenefactor，“sheaddedinatearfulvoice；“Ishalleverrememberhim！
Butyourbrother，madame，haslistenedtoreason——“
“Yes，“saidtheoldman，“whenImakemywillyoushallnotbeforgotten。“
“Don’ttalkofthesethings，mydearbrother；youdonotyetknowmynature。“
Aftersuchabeginning，itiseasytoimaginehowthevisitwenton。
Rougetinvitedhissistertodinneronthenextdaybutone。
WemayherementionthatduringthesethreedaystheKnightsofIdlenesscapturedanimmensequantityofratsandmice，whichwerekepthalf-famisheduntiltheywereletlooseinthegrainonefinenight，tothenumberoffourhundredandthirty-six，ofwhichsomewerebreedingmothers。NotcontentwithprovidingFario’sstore-housewiththeseboarders，theKnightsmadeholesintheroofoftheoldchurchandputinadozenpigeons，takenfromasmanydifferentfarms。
Thesefour-footedandfeatheredcreaturesheldhighrevels，——allthemoresecurelybecausethewatchmanwasenticedawaybyafellowwhokepthimdrunkfrommorningtillnight，sothathetooknocareofhismaster’sproperty。
MadameBridaubelieved，contrarytotheopinionofoldHochon，thatherbrotherhasasyetmadenowill；sheintendedaskinghimwhatwerehisintentionsrespectingMademoiselleBrazier，assoonasshecouldtakeawalkwithhimalone，——ahopewhichFloreandMaxencewerealwaysholdingouttoher，and，ofcourse，alwaysdisappointing。
MeantimetheKnightsweresearchingforawaytoputtheParisianstoflight，andfindingnonethatwerenotimpracticablefollies。
Attheendofaweek——halfthetimetheParisiansweretostayinIssoudun——theBridauswerenofartheradvancedintheirobjectthanwhentheycame。
“Yourlawyerdoesnotunderstandtheprovinces，“saidoldHochontoMadameBridau。“Whatyouhavecometodocan’tbedoneintwoweeks，norintwoyears；yououghtnevertoleaveyourbrother，butlivehereandtrytogivehimsomeideasofreligion。YoucannotcounterminethefortificationsofFloreandMaxencewithoutgettingapriesttosapthem。Thatismyadvice，anditishightimetosetaboutit。“
“Youcertainlyhaveverysingularideasabouttheclergy，“saidMadameHochontoherhusband。
“Bah！“exclaimedtheoldman，“that’sjustlikeyoupiouswomen。“
“Godwouldneverblessanenterpriseundertakeninasacrilegiousspirit，“saidMadameBridau。“Usereligionforsuchapurpose！Why，weshouldbemorecriminalthanFlore。“
Thisconversationtookplaceatbreakfast，——FrancoisandBaruchlisteningwithalltheirears。
“Sacrilege！“exclaimedoldHochon。“Ifsomegoodabbe，keenasIhaveknownmanyofthemtobe，knewwhatadilemmayouarein，hewouldnotthinkitsacrilegetobringyourbrother’slostsoulbacktoGod，andcallhimtorepentanceforhissins，byforcinghimtosendawaythewomanwhocausesthescandal(withaproperprovision，ofcourse)，andshowinghimhowtosethisconscienceatrestbygivingafewthousandfrancsayeartotheseminaryofthearchbishopandleavinghispropertytotherightfulheirs。“
Thepassiveobediencewhichtheoldmiserhadalwaysexactedfromhischildren，andnowfromhisgrandchildren(whowereunderhisguardianshipandforwhomhewasamassingasmallfortune，doingforthem，hesaid，justashewouldforhimself)，preventedBaruchandFrancoisfromshowingsignsofsurpriseordisapproval；buttheyexchangedsignificantglancesexpressinghowdangerousandfatalsuchaschemewouldbetoMax’sinterest。
“Thefactis，madame，“saidBaruch，“thatifyouwanttosecureyourbrother’sproperty，theonlysureandtruewaywillbetostayinIssoudunforthenecessarylengthoftime——“
“Mother，“saidJosephhastily，“youhadbetterwritetoDesrochesaboutallthis。Asforme，Iasknothingmorethanwhatmyunclehasalreadygivenme。“
Afterfullyrecognizingthegreatvalueofhisthirty-ninepictures，Josephhadcarefullyunnailedthecanvasesandfastenedpaperoverthem，gummingitattheedgeswithordinaryglue；hethenlaidthemoneaboveanotherinanenormouswoodenbox，whichhesenttoDesrochesbythecarrier’swaggon，proposingtowritehimaletteraboutitbypost。Thepreciousfreighthadbeensentoffthenightbefore。
“Youaresatisfiedwithaprettypoorbargain，“saidMonsieurHochon。
“Icaneasilygetahundredandfiftythousandfrancsforthosepictures，“repliedJoseph。
“Painter’snonsense！“exclaimedoldHochon，givingJosephapeculiarlook。
“Mother，“saidJoseph，“IamgoingtowritetoDesrochesandexplaintohimthestateofthingshere。Ifheadvisesyoutoremain，youhadbetterdoso。Asforyoursituation，wecanalwaysfindyouanotherlikeit。“
“MydearJoseph，“saidMadameHochon，followinghimasheleftthetable，“Idon’tknowanythingaboutyouruncle’spictures，buttheyoughttobegood，judgingbytheplacesfromwhichtheycame。Iftheyareworthonlyfortythousandfrancs，——athousandfrancsapiece，——tellnoone。Thoughmygrandsonsarediscreetandwell-behaved，theymight，withoutintendingharm，speakofthiswindfall；itwouldbeknownalloverIssoudun；anditisveryimportantthatouradversariesshouldnotsuspectit。Youbehavelikeachild！“
Infact，beforeeveningmanypersonsinIssoudun，includingMax，wereinformedofthisestimate，whichhadtheimmediateeffectofcausingasearchforalltheoldpaintingswhichnoonehadevercaredfor，andtheappearanceofmanyexecrabledaubs。Maxrepentedhavingdriventheoldmanintogivingawaythepictures，andtheragehefeltagainsttheheirsafterhearingfromBarucholdHochon’secclesiasticalscheme，wasincreasedbywhathetermedhisownstupidity。TheinfluenceofreligionuponsuchafeeblecreatureasRougetwastheonethingtofear。ThenewsbroughtbyhistwocomradesdecidedMaxenceGilettoturnallRouget’sinvestmentsintomoney，andtoborrowuponhislandedproperty，soastobuyintotheFundsassoonaspossible；butheconsidereditevenmoreimportanttogetridoftheParisiansatonce。ThegeniusoftheMascarillesandScapinsouttogetherwouldhardlyhavesolvedthelatterproblemeasily。
Flore，actingbyMax’sadvice，pretendedthatMonsieurwastoofeebletotakewalks，andthatheought，athisage，tohaveacarriage。ThispretextgrewoutofthenecessityofnotexcitinginquirywhentheywenttoBourges，Vierzon，Chateauroux，Vatan，andalltheotherplaceswheretheprojectofwithdrawinginvestmentsobligedMaxandFloretobetakethemselveswithRouget。Atthecloseoftheweek，allIssoudunwasamazedtolearnthattheoldmanhadgonetoBourgestobuyacarriage，——astepwhichtheKnightsofIdlenessregardedasfavorabletotheRabouilleuse。FloreandMaxselectedahideous“berlingot，“
withcrackedleathercurtainsandwindowswithoutglass，agedtwenty-
twoyearsandninecampaigns，soldonthedeceaseofacolonel，thefriendofgrand-marshalBertrand，who，duringtheabsenceofthatfaithfulcompanionoftheEmperor，wasleftinchargeoftheaffairsofBerry。This“berlingot，“paintedbrightgreen，wassomewhatlikeacaleche，thoughshaftshadtakentheplaceofapole，sothatitcouldbedrivenwithonehorse。Itbelongedtoaclassofcarriagesbroughtintovoguebydiminishedfortunes，whichatthattimeborethecandidnameof“demi-fortune“；atitsfirstintroductionitwascalleda“seringue。“Theclothliningofthisdemi-fortune，soldunderthenameofcaleche，wasmoth-eaten；itsgimpslookedlikethechevronsofanoldInvalide；itsrustyjointssqueaked，——butitonlycostfourhundredandfiftyfrancs；andMaxboughtagoodstoutmare，trainedtoharness，fromanofficerofaregimentthenstationedatBourges。Hehadthecarriagerepaintedadarkbrown，andboughtatolerableharnessatabargain。ThewholetownofIssoudunwasshakentoitscentreinexpectationofPereRouget’sequipage；andontheoccasionofitsfirstappearance，everyhouseholdwasonitsdoor-stepandcuriousfaceswereatallthewindows。
ThesecondtimetheoldbachelorwentouthedrovetoBourges，where，toescapethetroubleofattendingpersonallytothebusiness，or，ifyoupreferit，beingorderedtodosobyFlore，hewentbeforeanotaryandsignedapowerofattorneyinfavorofMaxenceGilet，enablinghimtomakeallthetransfersenumeratedinthedocument。
FlorereservedtoherselfthebusinessofmakingMonsieursellouttheinvestmentsinIssoudunanditsimmediateneighborhood。TheprincipalnotaryinBourgeswasrequestedbyRougettogethimaloanofonehundredandfortythousandfrancsonhislandedestate。NothingwasknownatIssoudunoftheseproceedings，whichweresecretlyandcleverlycarriedout。Maxence，whowasagoodrider，wentwithhisownhorsetoBourgesandbackbetweenfiveinthemorningandfiveintheafternoon。Floreneverlefttheoldbachelor。RougetconsentedwithoutobjectiontotheactionFloredictatedtohim；butheinsistedthattheinvestmentintheFunds，producingfiftythousandfrancsayear，shouldstandinFlore’snameasholdingalife-interestonly，andinhisasowneroftheprincipal。ThetenacitytheoldmandisplayedinthedomesticdisputeswhichthisideacreatedcausedMaxagooddealofanxiety；hethoughthecouldseetheresultofreflectionsinspiredbythesightofthenaturalheirs。
Amidallthesemovements，whichMaxconcealedfromtheknowledgeofeveryone，heforgottheSpaniardandhisgranary。FariocamebacktoIssouduntodeliverhiscorn，aftervarioustripsandbusinessmanoeuvresundertakentoraisethepriceofcereals。ThemorningafterhisarrivalhenoticedthattheroofthechurchoftheCapuchinswasblackwithpigeons。Hecursedhimselfforhavingneglectedtoexamineitscondition，andhurriedovertolookintohisstorehouse，wherehefoundhalfhisgraindevoured。Thousandsofmice-marksandrat-marksscatteredaboutshowedasecondcauseofruin。ThechurchwasaNoah’s-ark。ButangerturnedtheSpaniardwhiteasabitofcambricwhen，tryingtoestimatetheextentofthedestructionandhisconsequencelosses，henoticedthatthegrainatthebottomoftheheap，nearthefloor，wassproutingfromtheeffectsofwater，whichMaxhadmanagedtointroducebymeansoftintubesintotheverycentreofthepileofwheat。Thepigeonsandtheratscouldbeexplainedbyanimalinstinct；butthehandofmanwasplainlyvisibleinthislastsignofmalignity。
