decade；　for　the　Republic　had　then　been　proclaimed）　he　was　imprisoned
  on　a　hint　from　Robespierre　given　to　Fouquier…Tinville。　Descoings；　who
  was　imprudent　enough　to　think　the　famine　fictitious；　had　the
  additional　folly；　under　the　impression　that　opinions　were　free；　to
  express　that　opinion　to　several　of　his　male　and　female　customers　as　he
  served　them　in　the　grocery。　The　citoyenne　Duplay；　wife　of　a　cabinet…
  maker　with　whom　Robespierre　lodged；　and　who　looked　after　the　affairs
  of　that　eminent　citizen；　patronized；　unfortunately；　the　Descoings
  establishment。　She　considered　the　opinions　of　the　grocer　insulting　to
  Maximilian　the　First。　Already　displeased　with　the　manners　of
  Descoings；　this　illustrious　〃tricoteuse〃　of　the　Jacobin　club　regarded
  the　beauty　of　his　wife　as　a　kind　of　aristocracy。　She　infused　a　venom
  of　her　own　into　the　grocer's　remarks　when　she　repeated　them　to　her
  good　and　gentle　master；　and　the　poor　man　was　speedily　arrested　on　the
  well…worn　charge　of　〃accaparation。〃
  No　sooner　was　he　put　in　prison；　than　his　wife　set　to　work　to　obtain
  his　release。　But　the　steps　she　took　were　so　ill…judged　that　any　one
  hearing　her　talk　to　the　arbiters　of　his　fate　might　have　thought　that
  she　was　in　reality　seeking　to　get　rid　of　him。　Madame　Descoings　knew
  Bridau；　one　of　the　secretaries　of　Roland；　then　minister　of　the
  interior；the　right…hand　man　of　all　the　ministers　who　succeeded　each
  other　in　that　office。　She　put　Bridau　on　the　war…path　to　save　her
  grocer。　That　incorruptible　officialone　of　the　virtuous　dupes　who　are
  always　admirably　disinterestedwas　careful　not　to　corrupt　the　men　on
  whom　the　fate　of　the　poor　grocer　depended；　on　the　contrary；　he
  endeavored　to　enlighten　them。　Enlighten　people　in　those　days！　As　well
  might　he　have　begged　them　to　bring　back　the　Bourbons。　The　Girondist
  minister；　who　was　then　contending　against　Robespierre；　said　to　his
  secretary；　〃Why　do　you　meddle　in　the　matter？〃　and　all　others　to　whom
  the　worthy　Bridau　appealed　made　the　same　atrocious　reply：　〃Why　do　you
  meddle？〃　Bridau　then　sagely　advised　Madame　Descoings　to　keep　quiet　and
  await　events。　But　instead　of　conciliating　Robespierre's　housekeeper；
  she　fretted　and　fumed　against　that　informer；　and　even　complained　to　a
  member　of　the　Convention；　who；　trembling　for　himself；　replied　hastily；
  〃I　will　speak　of　it　to　Robespierre。〃　The　handsome　petitioner　put　faith
  in　this　promise；　which　the　other　carefully　forgot。　A　few　loaves　of
  sugar；　or　a　bottle　or　two　of　good　liqueur；　given　to　the　citoyenne
  Duplay　would　have　saved　Descoings。
  This　little　mishap　proves　that　in　revolutionary　times　it　is　quite　as
  dangerous　to　employ　honest　men　as　scoundrels；　we　should　rely　on
  ourselves　alone。　Descoings　perished；　but　he　had　the　glory　of　going　to
  the　scaffold　with　Andre　Chenier。　There；　no　doubt；　grocery　and　poetry
  embraced　for　the　first　time　in　the　flesh；　although　they　have；　and　ever
  have　had；　intimate　secret　relations。　The　death　of　Descoings　produced
  far　more　sensation　than　that　of　Andre　Chenier。　It　has　taken　thirty
  years　to　prove　to　France　that　she　lost　more　by　the　death　of　Chenier
  than　by　that　of　Descoings。
  This　act　of　Robespierre　led　to　one　good　result：　the　terrified　grocers
  let　politics　alone　until　1830。　Descoings's　shop　was　not　a　hundred
  yards　from　Robespierre's　lodging。　His　successor　was　scarcely　more
  fortunate　than　himself。　Cesar　Birotteau；　the　celebrated　perfumer　of
  the　〃Queen　of　Roses；〃　bought　the　premises；　but；　as　if　the　scaffold　had
  left　some　inexplicable　contagion　behind　it；　the　inventor　of　the　〃Paste
  of　Sultans〃　and　the　〃Carminative　Balm〃　came　to　his　ruin　in　that　very
  shop。　The　solution　of　the　problem　here　suggested　belongs　to　the　realm
  of　occult　science。
  During　the　visits　which　Roland's　secretary　paid　to　the　unfortunate
  Madame　Descoings；　he　was　struck　with　the　cold；　calm；　innocent　beauty
  of　Agathe　Rouget。　While　consoling　the　widow；　who；　however；　was　too
  inconsolable　to　carry　on　the　business　of　her　second　deceased　husband；
  he　married　the　charming　girl；　with　the　consent　of　her　father；　who
  hastened　to　give　his　approval　to　the　match。　Doctor　Rouget；　delighted
  to　hear　that　matters　were　going　beyond　his　expectations；for　his
  wife；　on　the　death　of　her　brother；　had　become　sole　heiress　of　the
  Descoings；rushed　to　Paris；　not　so　much　to　be　present　at　the　wedding
  as　to　see　that　the　marriage　contract　was　drawn　to　suit　him。　The　ardent
  and　disinterested　love　of　citizen　Bridau　gave　carte　blanche　to　the
  perfidious　doctor；　who　made　the　most　of　his　son…in…law's　blindness；　as
  the　following　history　will　show。
  Madame　Rouget；　or；　to　speak　more　correctly；　the　doctor；　inherited　all
  the　property；　landed　and　personal；　of　Monsieur　and　Madame　Descoings
  the　elder；　who　died　within　two　years　of　each　other；　and　soon　after
  that；　Rouget　got　the　better；　as　we　may　say；　of　his　wife；　for　she　died
  at　the　beginning　of　the　year　1799。　So　he　had　vineyards　and　he　bought
  farms；　he　owned　iron…works　and　he　sold　fleeces。　His　well…beloved　son
  was　stupidly　incapable　of　doing　anything；　but　the　father　destined　him
  for　the　state　in　life　of　a　land　proprietor　and　allowed　him　to　grow　up
  in　wealth　and　silliness；　certain　that　the　lad　would　know　as　much　as
  the　wisest　if　he　simply　let　himself　live　and　die。　After　1799；　the
  cipherers　of　Issoudun　put；　at　the　very　least；　thirty　thousand　francs'
  income　to　the　doctor's　credit。　From　the　time　of　his　wife's　death　he
  led　a　debauched　life；　though　he　regulated　it；　so　to　speak；　and　kept　it
  within　the　closed　doors　of　his　own　house。　This　man；　endowed　with　〃strength
  of　character；〃　died　in　1805；　and　God　only　knows　what　the　townspeople
  of　Issoudun　said　about　him　then；　and　how　many　anecdotes　they　related
  of　his　horrible　private　life。　Jean…Jacques　Rouget；　whom　his　father；
  recognizing　his　stupidity；　had　latterly　treated　with　severity；
  remained　a　bachelor　for　certain　reasons；　the　explanation　of　which　will
  form　an　important　part　of　this　history。　His　celibacy　was　partly　his
  father's　fault；　as　we　shall　see　later。
  Meantime；　it　is　well　to　inquire　into　the　results　of　the　secret
  vengeance　the　doctor　took　on　a　daughter　whom　he　did　not　recognize　as
  his　own；　but　who；　you　must　understand　at　once；　was　legitimately　his。
  Not　a　person　in　Issoudun　had　noticed　one　of　those　capricious　facts
  that　make　the　whole　subject　of　generation　a　vast　abyss　in　which
  science　flounders。　Agathe　bore　a　strong　likeness　to　the　mother　of
  Doctor　Rouget。　Just　as　gout　is　said　to　skip　a　generation　and　pass　from
  grandfather　to　grandson；　resemblances　not　uncommonly　follow　the　same
  course。
  In　like　manner；　the　eldest　of　Agathe's　children；　who　physically
  resembled　his　mother；　had　the　moral　qualities　of　his　grandfather；
  Doctor　Rouget。　We　will　leave　the　solution　of　this　problem　to　the
  twentieth　century；　with　a　fine　collection　of　microscopic　animalculae；
  our　descendants　may　perhaps　write　as　much　nonsense　as　the　scientific
  schools　of　the　nineteenth　century　have　uttered　on　this　mysterious　and
  perplexing　question。
  Agathe　Rouget　attracted　the　admiration　of　everyone　by　a　face　destined；
  like　that　of　Mary；　the　mother　of　our　Lord；　to　continue　ever　virgin；
  even　after　marriage。　Her　portrait；　still　to　be　seen　in　the　atelier　of
  Bridau；　shows　a　perfect　oval　and　a　clear　whiteness　of　complexion；
  without　the　faintest　tinge　of　color；　in　spite　of　her　golden　hair。　More
  than　one　artist；　looking　at　the　pure　brow；　the　discreet；　composed
  mouth；　the　delicate　nose；　the　small　ears；　the　long　lashes；　and　the
  dark…blue　eyes　filled　with　tenderness；in　short；　at　the　whole
  countenance　expressive　of　placidity；has　asked　the　great　artist；　〃Is
  that　a　copy　of　a　Raphael？〃　No　man　ever　acted　under　a　truer　inspiration
  than　the　minister's　secretary　when　he　married　this　young　girl。　Agathe
  was　an　embodiment　of　the　ideal　housekeeper　brought　up　in　the　provinces
  and　never　parted　from　her　mother。　Pious；　though　far　from
  sanctimonious；　she　had　no　other　education　than　that　given　to　women　by
  the　Church。　Judged；　by　ordinary　standards；　she　was　an　accomplished
  wife；　yet　her　ignorance　of　life　paved　the　way　for　great　misfortunes。
  The　epitaph　on　the　Roman　matron；　〃She　did　needlework　and　kept　the
  house；〃　gives　a　faithful　picture　of　her　simple；　pure；　and　tranquil
  existence。
  Under　the　Consulate；　Bridau　attached　himself　fanatically　to　Napoleon；
  who　placed　him　at　the　head　of　a　department　in　the　ministry　of　the
  interior　in　1804；　a　year　before　the　death　of　Doctor　Rouget。　With　a
  salary　of　twelve　thousand　francs　and　very　handsome　emoluments；　Bridau
  was　quite　indifferent　to　the　scandalous　settlement　of　the　property　at
  Issoudun；　by　which　Agathe　was　deprived　of　her　rightful　inheritance。
  Six　months　before　Doctor　Rouget's　death　he　had　sold　one…half　of　his
  property　to　his　son；　to　whom　the　other　half　was　bequeathed　as　a　gift；
  and　also　in　accordance　with　his　rights　as　heir。　An　advance　of　fifty
  thousand　francs　on　her　inheritance；　made　to　Agathe　at　the　time　of　her
  marriage；　represented　her　share　of　the　property　of　her　fathe