would　be　the　same。
  The　fat　landlady　replied　from　her　seat　at　the　desk　that　she　did　not
  take　those　papers。　〃What　papers　do　you　take　then？〃　asked　one　of　the
  officers；　a　captain。　The　waiter；　a　little　fellow　in　a　blue　cloth
  jacket；　with　an　apron　of　coarse　linen　tied　over　it；　brought　the
  〃Commerce。〃
  〃Is　that　your　paper？　Have　you　no　other？〃
  〃No；〃　said　the　waiter；　〃that's　the　only　one。〃
  The　captain　tore　it　up；　flung　the　pieces　on　the　floor；　and　spat　upon
  them；　calling　out；
  〃Bring　dominos！〃
  In　ten　minutes　the　news　of　the　insult　offered　to　the　Constitution
  Opposition　and　the　Liberal　party；　in　the　supersacred　person　of　its
  revered　journal；　which　attacked　priests　with　courage　and　the　wit　we
  all　remember；　spread　throughout　the　town　and　into　the　houses　like
  light　itself；　it　was　told　and　repeated　from　place　to　place。　One　phrase
  was　on　everybody's　lips；
  〃Let　us　tell　Max！〃
  Max　soon　heard　of　it。　The　royalist　officers　were　still　at　their　game
  of　dominos　when　that　hero　entered　the　cafe；　accompanied　by　Major　Potel
  and　Captain　Renard；　and　followed　by　at　least　thirty　young　men；　curious
  to　see　the　end　of　the　affair；　most　of　whom　remained　outside　in　the
  street。　The　room　was　soon　full。
  〃Waiter；　MY　newspaper；〃　said　Max；　in　a　quiet　voice。
  Then　a　little　comedy　was　played。　The　fat　hostess；　with　a　timid　and
  conciliatory　air；　said；　〃Captain；　I　have　lent　it！〃
  〃Send　for　it；〃　cried　one　of　Max's　friends。
  〃Can't　you　do　without　it？〃　said　the　waiter；　〃we　have　not　got　it。〃
  The　young　royalists　were　laughing　and　casting　sidelong　glances　at　the
  new…comers。
  〃They　have　torn　it　up！〃　cried　a　youth　of　the　town；　looking　at　the　feet
  of　the　young　royalist　captain。
  〃Who　has　dared　to　destroy　that　paper？〃　demanded　Max；　in　a　thundering
  voice；　his　eyes　flashing　as　he　rose　with　his　arms　crossed。
  〃And　we　spat　upon　it；〃　replied　the　three　young　officers；　also　rising；
  and　looking　at　Max。
  〃You　have　insulted　the　whole　town！〃　said　Max；　turning　livid。
  〃Well；　what　of　that？〃　asked　the　youngest　officer。
  With　a　dexterity；　quickness；　and　audacity　which　the　young　men　did　not
  foresee；　Max　slapped　the　face　of　the　officer　nearest　to　him；　saying；
  〃Do　you　understand　French？〃
  They　fought　near　by；　in　the　allee　de　Frapesle；　three　against　three；
  for　Potel　and　Renard　would　not　allow　Max　to　deal　with　the　officers
  alone。　Max　killed　his　man。　Major　Potel　wounded　his　so　severely；　that
  the　unfortunate　young　man；　the　son　of　a　good　family；　died　in　the
  hospital　the　next　day。　As　for　the　third；　he　got　off　with　a　sword　cut；
  after　wounding　his　adversary；　Captain　Renard。　The　battalion　left　for
  Bourges　that　night。　This　affair；　which　was　noised　throughout　Berry；
  set　Max　up　definitely　as　a　hero。
  The　Knights　of　Idleness；　who　were　all　young；　the　eldest　not　more　than
  twenty…five　years　old；　admired　Maxence。　Some　among　them；　far　from
  sharing　the　prudery　and　strict　notions　of　their　families　concerning
  his　conduct；　envied　his　present　position　and　thought　him　fortunate。
  Under　such　a　leader；　the　Order　did　great　things。　After　the　month　of
  May；　1817；　never　a　week　passed　that　the　town　was　not　thrown　into　an
  uproar　by　some　new　piece　of　mischief。　Max；　as　a　matter　of　honor；
  imposed　certain　conditions　upon　the　Knights。　Statutes　were　drawn　up。
  These　young　demons　grew　as　vigilant　as　the　pupils　of　Amoros；bold　as
  hawks；　agile　at　all　exercises；　clever　and　strong　as　criminals。　They
  trained　themselves　in　climbing　roofs；　scaling　houses；　jumping　and
  walking　noiselessly；　mixing　mortar；　and　walling　up　doors。　They
  collected　an　arsenal　of　ropes；　ladders；　tools；　and　disguises。　After　a
  time　the　Knights　of　Idleness　attained　to　the　beau…ideal　of　malicious
  mischief；　not　only　as　to　the　accomplishment　but；　still　more；　in　the
  invention　of　their　pranks。　They　came　at　last　to　possess　the　genius　for
  evil　that　Panurge　so　much　delighted　in；　which　provokes　laughter；　and
  covers　its　victims　with　such　ridicule　that　they　dare　not　complain。
  Naturally；　these　sons　of　good　families　of　Issoudun　possessed　and
  obtained　information　in　their　households；　which　gave　them　the　ways　and
  means　for　the　perpetration　of　their　outrages。
  Sometimes　the　young　devils　incarnate　lay　in　ambush　along　the　Grand'rue
  or　the　Basse　rue；　two　streets　which　are；　as　it　were；　the　arteries　of
  the　town；　into　which　many　little　side　streets　open。　Crouching；　with
  their　heads　to　the　wind；　in　the　angles　of　the　wall　and　at　the　corners
  of　the　streets；　at　the　hour　when　all　the　households　were　hushed　in
  their　first　sleep；　they　called　to　each　other　in　tones　of　terror　from
  ambush　to　ambush　along　the　whole　length　of　the　town：　〃What's　the
  matter？〃　〃What　is　it？〃　till　the　repeated　cries　woke　up　the　citizens；
  who　appeared　in　their　shirts　and　cotton　night…caps；　with　lights　in
  their　hands；　asking　questions　of　one　another；　holding　the　strangest
  colloquies；　and　exhibiting　the　queerest　faces。
  A　certain　poor　bookbinder；　who　was　very　old；　believed　in　hobgoblins。
  Like　most　provincial　artisans；　he　worked　in　a　small　basement　shop。　The
  Knights；　disguised　as　devils；　invaded　the　place　in　the　middle　of　the
  night；　put　him　into　his　own　cutting…press；　and　left　him　shrieking　to
  himself　like　the　souls　in　hell。　The　poor　man　roused　the　neighbors；　to
  whom　he　related　the　apparitions　of　Lucifer；　and　as　they　had　no　means
  of　undeceiving　him；　he　was　driven　nearly　insane。
  In　the　middle　of　a　severe　winter；　the　Knights　took　down　the　chimney　of
  the　collector　of　taxes；　and　built　it　up　again　in　one　night　apparently
  as　it　was　before；　without　making　the　slightest　noise；　or　leaving　the
  least　trace　of　their　work。　But　they　so　arranged　the　inside　of　the
  chimney　as　to　send　all　the　smoke　into　the　house。　The　collector
  suffered　for　two　months　before　he　found　out　why　his　chimney；　which　had
  always　drawn　so　well；　and　of　which　he　had　often　boasted；　played　him
  such　tricks；　he　was　then　obliged　to　build　a　new　one。
  At　another　time；　they　put　three　trusses　of　hay　dusted　with　brimstone；
  and　a　quantity　of　oiled　paper　down　the　chimney　of　a　pious　old　woman
  who　was　a　friend　of　Madame　Hochon。　In　the　morning；　when　she　came　to
  light　her　fire；　the　poor　creature；　who　was　very　gentle　and　kindly；
  imagined　she　had　started　a　volcano。　The　fire…engines　came；　the　whole
  population　rushed　to　her　assistance。　Several　Knights　were　among　the
  firemen；　and　they　deluged　the　old　woman's　house；　till　they　had
  frightened　her　with　a　flood；　as　much　as　they　had　terrified　her　with
  the　fire。　She　was　made　ill　with　fear。
  When　they　wished　to　make　some　one　spend　the　night　under　arms　and　in
  mortal　terror；　they　wrote　an　anonymous　letter　telling　him　that　he　was
  about　to　be　robbed；　then　they　stole　softly；　one　by　one；　round　the
  walls　of　his　house；　or　under　his　windows；　whistling　as　if　to　call　each
  other。
  One　of　their　famous　performances；　which　long　amused　the　town；　where　in
  fact　it　is　still　related；　was　to　write　a　letter　to　all　the　heirs　of　a
  miserly　old　lady　who　was　likely　to　leave　a　large　property；　announcing
  her　death；　and　requesting　them　to　be　promptly　on　hand　when　the　seals
  were　affixed。　Eighty　persons　arrived　from　Vatan；　Saint…Florent；
  Vierzon　and　the　neighboring　country；　all　in　deep　mourning；widows
  with　sons；　children　with　their　fathers；　some　in　carrioles；　some　in
  wicker　gigs；　others　in　dilapidated　carts。　Imagine　the　scene　between
  the　old　woman's　servants　and　the　first　arrivals！　and　the　consultations
  among　the　notaries！　It　created　a　sort　of　riot　in　Issoudun。
  At　last；　one　day　the　sub…prefect　woke　up　to　a　sense　that　this　state　of
  things　was　all　the　more　intolerable　because　it　seemed　impossible　to
  find　out　who　was　at　the　bottom　of　it。　Suspicion　fell　on　several　young
  men；　but　as　the　National　Guard　was　a　mere　name　in　Issoudun；　and　there
  was　no　garrison；　and　the　lieutenant　of　police　had　only　eight　gendarmes
  under　him；　so　that　there　were　no　patrols；　it　was　impossible　to　get　any
  proof　against　them。　The　sub…prefect　was　immediately　posted　in　the
  〃order　of　the　night；〃　and　considered　thenceforth　fair　game。　This
  functionary　made　a　practice　of　breakfasting　on　two　fresh　eggs。　He　kept
  chickens　in　his　yard；　and　added　to　his　mania　for　eating　fresh　eggs
  that　of　boiling　them　himself。　Neither　his　wife　nor　his　servant；　in
  fact　no　one；　according　to　him；　knew　how　to　boil　an　egg　properly；　he
  did　it　watch　in　hand；　and　boasted　that　he　carried　off　the　palm　of　egg…
  boiling　from　all　the　world。　For　two　years　he　had　boiled　his　eggs　with
  a　success　which　earned　him　many　witticisms。　But　now；　every　night　for　a
  whole　month；　the　eggs　were　taken　from　his　hen…house；　and　hard…boiled
  eggs　substituted。　The　sub…prefect　was　at　his　wits'　end；　and　lost　his
  reputation　as　the　〃sous…prefet　a　l'oeuf。〃　Finally　he　was　forced　to
  breakfast　on　other　things。　Yet　he　never　suspected　the　Knights　of
  Idleness；　whose　trick　had　been　cautiously　played。　After　this；　Max
  managed　to　grease　the　sub…prefect's　stoves　every　night　with　an　oil
  which　sent　forth　so　fe