activity；　without　a　taste　for　art；　or　for　learned　occupations；　and
  where　everybody　stayed　in　the　little　round　of　his　or　her　own　home；　it
  was　likely　to　happen；　and　did　happen　under　the　Restoration　in　1816
  when　the　war　was　over；　that　many　of　the　young　men　of　the　place　had　no
  career　before　them；　and　knew　not　where　to　turn　for　occupation　until
  they　could　marry　or　inherit　the　property　of　their　fathers。　Bored　in
  their　own　homes；　these　young　fellows　found　little　or　no　distraction
  elsewhere　in　the　city；　and　as；　in　the　language　of　that　region；　〃youth
  must　shed　its　cuticle〃　they　sowed　their　wild　oats　at　the　expense　of
  the　town　itself。　It　was　difficult　to　carry　on　such　operations　in　open
  day；　lest　the　perpetrators　should　be　recognized；　for　the　cup　of　their
  misdemeanors　once　filled；　they　were　liable　to　be　arraigned　at　their
  next　peccadillo　before　the　police　courts；　and　they　therefore
  judiciously　selected　the　night　time　for　the　performance　of　their
  mischievous　pranks。　Thus　it　was　that　among　the　traces　of　divers　lost
  civilizations；　a　vestige　of　the　spirit　of　drollery　that　characterized
  the　manners　of　antiquity　burst　into　a　final　flame。
  The　young　men　amused　themselves　very　much　as　Charles　IX。　amused
  himself　with　his　courtiers；　or　Henry　V。　of　England　and　his　companions；
  or　as　in　former　times　young　men　were　wont　to　amuse　themselves　in　the
  provinces。　Having　once　banded　together　for　purposes　of　mutual　help；　to
  defend　each　other　and　invent　amusing　tricks；　there　presently　developed
  among　them；　through　the　clash　of　ideas；　that　spirit　of　malicious
  mischief　which　belongs　to　the　period　of　youth　and　may　even　be　observed
  among　animals。　The　confederation；　in　itself；　gave　them　the　mimic
  delights　of　the　mystery　of　an　organized　conspiracy。　They　called
  themselves　the　〃Knights　of　Idleness。〃　During　the　day　these　young
  scamps　were　youthful　saints；　they　all　pretended　to　extreme　quietness；
  and；　in　fact；　they　habitually　slept　late　after　the　nights　on　which
  they　had　been　playing　their　malicious　pranks。　The　〃Knights〃　began　with
  mere　commonplace　tricks；　such　as　unhooking　and　changing　signs；　ringing
  bells；　flinging　casks　left　before　one　house　into　the　cellar　of　the
  next　with　a　crash；　rousing　the　occupants　of　the　house　by　a　noise　that
  seemed　to　their　frightened　ears　like　the　explosion　of　a　mine。　In
  Issoudun；　as　in　many　country　towns；　the　cellar　is　entered　by　an
  opening　near　the　door　of　the　house；　covered　with　a　wooden　scuttle；
  secured　by　strong　iron　hinges　and　a　padlock。
  In　1816；　these　modern　Bad　Boys　had　not　altogether　given　up　such　tricks
  as　these；　perpetrated　in　the　provinces　by　all　young　lads　and　gamins。
  But　in　1817　the　Order　of　Idleness　acquired　a　Grand　Master；　and
  distinguished　itself　by　mischief　which；　up　to　1823；　spread　something
  like　terror　in　Issoudun；　or　at　least　kept　the　artisans　and　the
  bourgeoisie　perpetually　uneasy。
  This　leader　was　a　certain　Maxence　Gilet；　commonly　called　Max；　whose
  antecedents；　no　less　than　his　youth　and　his　vigor；　predestined　him　for
  such　a　part。　Maxence　Gilet　was　supposed　by　all　Issoudun　to　be　the
  natural　son　of　the　sub…delegate　Lousteau；　that　brother　of　Madame
  Hochon　whose　gallantries　had　left　memories　behind　them；　and　who；　as　we
  have　seen；　drew　down　upon　himself　the　hatred　of　old　Doctor　Rouget
  about　the　time　of　Agathe's　birth。　But　the　friendship　which　bound　the
  two　men　together　before　their　quarrel　was　so　close　that；　to　use　an
  expression　of　that　region　and　that　period；　〃they　willingly　walked　the
  same　road。〃　Some　people　said　that　Maxence　was　as　likely　to　be　the　son
  of　the　doctor　as　of　the　sub…delegate；　but　in　fact　he　belonged　to
  neither　the　one　nor　the　other；his　father　being　a　charming　dragoon
  officer　in　garrison　at　Bourges。　Nevertheless；　as　a　result　of　their
  enmity；　and　very　fortunately　for　the　child；　Rouget　and　Lousteau　never
  ceased　to　claim　his　paternity。
  Max's　mother；　the　wife　of　a　poor　sabot…maker　in　the　Rome　suburb；　was
  possessed；　for　the　perdition　of　her　soul；　of　a　surprising　beauty；　a
  Trasteverine　beauty；　the　only　property　which　she　transmitted　to　her
  son。　Madame　Gilet；　pregnant　with　Maxence　in　1788；　had　long　desired
  that　blessing；　which　the　town　attributed　to　the　gallantries　of　the　two
  friends；probably　in　the　hope　of　setting　them　against　each　other。
  Gilet；　an　old　drunkard　with　a　triple　throat；　treated　his　wife's
  misconduct　with　a　collusion　that　is　not　uncommon　among　the　lower
  classes。　To　make　sure　of　protectors　for　her　son；　Madame　Gilet　was
  careful　not　to　enlighten　his　reputed　fathers　as　to　his　parentage。　In
  Paris；　she　would　have　turned　out　a　millionaire；　at　Issoudun　she　lived
  sometimes　at　her　ease；　more　often　miserably；　and；　in　the　long　run；
  despised。　Madame　Hochon；　Lousteau's　sister；　paid　sixty　francs　a　year
  for　the　lad's　schooling。　This　liberality；　which　Madame　Hochon　was
  quite　unable　to　practise　on　her　own　account　because　of　her　husband's
  stinginess；　was　naturally　attributed　to　her　brother；　then　living　at
  Sancerre。
  When　Doctor　Rouget；　who　certainly　was　not　lucky　in　sons；　observed
  Max's　beauty；　he　paid　the　board　of　the　〃young　rogue；〃　as　he　called
  him；　at　the　seminary；　up　to　the　year　1805。　As　Lousteau　died　in　1800；
  and　the　doctor　apparently　obeyed　a　feeling　of　vanity　in　paying　the
  lad's　board　until　1805；　the　question　of　the　paternity　was　left　forever
  undecided。　Maxence　Gilet；　the　butt　of　many　jests；　was　soon　forgotten；
  and　for　this　reason：　In　1806；　a　year　after　Doctor　Rouget's　death；
  the　lad；　who　seemed　to　have　been　created　for　a　venturesome　life；　and
  was　moreover　gifted　with　remarkable　vigor　and　agility；　got　into　a
  series　of　scrapes　which　more　or　less　threatened　his　safety。　He　plotted
  with　the　grandsons　of　Monsieur　Hochon　to　worry　the　grocers　of　the
  city；　he　gathered　fruit　before　the　owners　could　pick　it；　and　made
  nothing　of　scaling　walls。　He　had　no　equal　at　bodily　exercises；　he
  played　base　to　perfection；　and　could　have　outrun　a　hare。　With　a　keen
  eye　worthy　of　Leather…stocking；　he　loved　hunting　passionately。　His
  time　was　passed　in　firing　at　a　mark；　instead　of　studying；　and　he　spent
  the　money　extracted　from　the　old　doctor　in　buying　powder　and　ball　for
  a　wretched　pistol　that　old　Gilet；　the　sabot…maker；　had　given　him。
  During　the　autumn　of　1806；　Maxence；　then　seventeen；　committed　an
  involuntary　murder；　by　frightening　in　the　dusk　a　young　woman　who　was
  pregnant；　and　who　came　upon　him　suddenly　while　stealing　fruit　in　her
  garden。　Threatened　with　the　guillotine　by　Gilet；　who　doubtless　wanted
  to　get　rid　of　him；　Max　fled　to　Bourges；　met　a　regiment　then　on　its　way
  to　Egypt；　and　enlisted。　Nothing　came　of　the　death　of　the　young　woman。
  A　young　fellow　of　Max's　character　was　sure　to　distinguish　himself；　and
  in　the　course　of　three　campaigns　he　did　distinguish　himself　so　highly
  that　he　rose　to　be　a　captain；　his　lack　of　education　helping　him
  strenuously。　In　Portugal；　in　1809；　he　was　left　for　dead　in　an　English
  battery；　into　which　his　company　had　penetrated　without　being　able　to
  hold　it。　Max；　taken　prisoner　by　the　English；　was　sent　to　the　Spanish
  hulks　at　the　island　of　Cabrera；　the　most　horrible　of　all　stations　for
  prisoners　of　war。　His　friends　begged　that　he　might　receive　the　cross
  of　the　Legion　of　honor　and　the　rank　of　major；　but　the　Emperor　was　then
  in　Austria；　and　he　reserved　his　favors　for　those　who　did　brilliant
  deeds　under　his　own　eye：　he　did　not　like　officers　or　men　who　allowed
  themselves　to　be　taken　prisoner；　and　he　was；　moreover；　much
  dissatisfied　with　events　in　Portugal。　Max　was　held　at　Cabrera　from
  1810　to　1814。＇1＇　During　those　years　he　became　utterly　demoralized；　for
  the　hulks　were　like　galleys；　minus　crime　and　infamy。　At　the　outset；　to
  maintain　his　personal　free　will；　and　protect　himself　against　the
  corruption　which　made　that　horrible　prison　unworthy　of　a　civilized
  people；　the　handsome　young　captain　killed　in　a　duel　（for　duels　were
  fought　on　those　hulks　in　a　space　scarcely　six　feet　square）　seven
  bullies　among　his　fellow…prisoners；　thus　ridding　the　island　of　their
  tyranny　to　the　great　joy　of　the　other　victims。　After　this；　Max　reigned
  supreme　in　his　hulk；　thanks　to　the　wonderful　ease　and　address　with
  which　he　handled　weapons；　to　his　bodily　strength；　and　also　to　his
  extreme　cleverness。
  ＇1＇　The　cruelty　of　the　Spaniards　to　the　French　prisoners　at　Cabrera
  was　very　great。　In　the　spring　of　1811；　H。M。　brig　〃Minorca；〃
  Captain　Wormeley；　was　sent　by　Admiral　Sir　Charles　Cotton；　then
  commanding　the　Mediterranean　fleet；　to　make　a　report　of　their
  condition。　As　she　neared　the　island；　the　wretched　prisoners　swam
  out　to　meet　her。　They　were　reduced　to　skin　and　bone；　many　of　them
  were　naked；　and　their　miserable　condition　so　moved　the　seamen　of
  the　〃Minorca〃　that　they　came　aft　to　the　quarter…deck；　and　asked
  permission　to　subscribe　three　days'　rations　for　the　relief　of　the
  sufferers。　Captain　Wormeley　carried　away　some　of　the　prisoners；
  and　his　report　to　Sir　Charles　Cotton；　being　sent　to　the　Admiralty；
  was　made　the　basis　of　a　remonstran