gratuitous　distribution　of　comestibles　to　the　dogs　of　the　town。　This
  memorable　expedition　was　not　over　till　three　in　the　morning；　the　hour
  at　which　these　reprobates　went　to　sup　at　Cognette's。　At　half…past
  four；　in　the　early　dawn；　they　crept　home。　Just　as　Max　turned　the
  corner　of　the　rue　l'Avenier　into　the　Grande　rue；　Fario；　who　stood
  ambushed　in　a　recess；　struck　a　knife　at　his　heart；　drew　out　the　blade；
  and　escaped　by　the　moat　towards　Vilatte；　wiping　the　blade　of　his　knife
  on　his　handkerchief。　The　Spaniard　washed　the　handkerchief　in　the
  Riviere　forcee；　and　returned　quietly　to　his　lodgings　at　Saint…Paterne；
  where　he　got　in　by　a　window　he　had　left　open；　and　went　to　bed：　later；
  he　was　awakened　by　his　new　watchman；　who　found　him　fast　asleep。
  As　he　fell；　Max　uttered　a　fearful　cry　which　no　one　could　mistake。
  Lousteau…Prangin；　son　of　a　judge；　a　distant　relation　to　the　family　of
  the　sub…delegate；　and　young　Goddet；　who　lived　at　the　lower　end　of　the
  Grande　rue；　ran　at　full　speed　up　the　street；　calling　to　each　other；
  〃They　are　killing　Max！　Help！　help！〃
  But　not　a　dog　barked；　and　all　the　town；　accustomed　to　the　false　alarms
  of　these　nightly　prowlers；　stayed　quietly　in　their　beds。　When　his　two
  comrades　reached　him；　Max　had　fainted。　It　was　necessary　to　rouse
  Monsieur　Goddet；　the　surgeon。　Max　had　recognized　Fario；　but　when　he
  came　to　his　senses；　with　several　persons　about　him；　and　felt　that　his
  wound　was　not　mortal；　it　suddenly　occurred　to　him　to　make　capital　out
  of　the　attack；　and　he　said；　in　a　faint　voice；
  〃I　think　I　recognized　that　cursed　painter！〃
  Thereupon　Lousteau…Prangin　ran　off　to　his　father；　the　judge。　Max　was
  carried　home　by　Cognette；　young　Goddet；　and　two　other　persons。　Mere
  Cognette　and　Monsieur　Goddet　walked　beside　the　stretcher。　Those　who
  carried　the　wounded　man　naturally　looked　across　at　Monsieur　Hochon's
  door　while　waiting　for　Kouski　to　let　them　in；　and　saw　Monsieur
  Hochon's　servant　sweeping　the　steps。　At　the　old　miser's；　as　everywhere
  else　in　the　provinces；　the　household　was　early　astir。　The　few　words
  uttered　by　Max　had　roused　the　suspicions　of　Monsieur　Goddet；　and　he
  called　to　the　woman；
  〃Gritte；　is　Monsieur　Joseph　Bridau　in　bed？〃
  〃Bless　me！〃　she　said；　〃he　went　out　at　half…past　four。　I　don't　know
  what　ailed　him；　he　walked　up　and　down　his　room　all　night。〃
  This　simple　answer　drew　forth　such　exclamations　of　horror　that　the
  woman　came　over；　curious　to　know　what　they　were　carrying　to　old
  Rouget's　house。
  〃A　precious　fellow　he　is；　that　painter　of　yours！〃　they　said　to　her。
  And　the　procession　entered　the　house；　leaving　Gritte　open…mouthed　with
  amazement　at　the　sight　of　Max　in　his　bloody　shirt；　stretched　half…
  fainting　on　a　mattress。
  Artists　will　readily　guess　what　ailed　Joseph；　and　kept　him　restless
  all　night。　He　imagined　the　tale　the　bourgeoisie　of　Issoudun　would　tell
  of　him。　They　would　say　he　had　fleeced　his　uncle；　that　he　was
  everything　but　what　he　had　tried　to　be；a　loyal　fellow　and　an　honest
  artist！　Ah！　he　would　have　given　his　great　picture　to　have　flown　like　a
  swallow　to　Paris；　and　thrown　his　uncle's　paintings　at　Max's　nose。　To
  be　the　one　robbed；　and　to　be　thought　the　robber！what　irony！　So　at
  the　earliest　dawn；　he　had　started　for　the　poplar　avenue　which　led　to
  Tivoli；　to　give　free　course　to　his　agitation。
  While　the　innocent　fellow　was　vowing；　by　way　of　consolation；　never　to
  return　to　Issoudun；　Max　was　preparing　a　horrible　outrage　for　his
  sensitive　spirit。　When　Monsieur　Goddet　had　probed　the　wound　and
  discovered　that　the　knife；　turned　aside　by　a　little　pocket…book；　had
  happily　spared　Max's　life　（though　making　a　serious　wound）；　he　did　as
  all　doctors；　and　particularly　country　surgeons；　do；　he　paved　the　way
  for　his　own　credit　by　〃not　answering　for　the　patient's　life〃；　and
  then；　after　dressing　the　soldier's　wound；　and　stating　the　verdict　of
  science　to　the　Rabouilleuse；　Jean…Jacques　Rouget；　Kouski；　and　the
  Vedie；　he　left　the　house。　The　Rabouilleuse　came　in　tears　to　her　dear
  Max；　while　Kouski　and　the　Vedie　told　the　assembled　crowd　that　the
  captain　was　in　a　fair　way　to　die。　The　news　brought　nearly　two　hundred
  persons　in　groups　about　the　place　Saint…Jean　and　the　two　Narettes。
  〃I　sha'n't　be　a　month　in　bed；　and　I　know　who　struck　the　blow；〃
  whispered　Max　to　Flore。　〃But　we'll　profit　by　it　to　get　rid　of　the
  Parisians。　I　have　said　I　thought　I　recognized　the　painter；　so　pretend
  that　I　am　expected　to　die；　and　try　to　have　Joseph　Bridau　arrested。　Let
  him　taste　a　prison　for　a　couple　of　days；　and　I　know　well　enough　the
  mother　will　be　off　in　a　jiffy　for　Paris　when　she　gets　him　out。　And
  then　we　needn't　fear　the　priests　they　talk　of　setting　on　the　old
  fool。〃
  When　Flore　Brazier　came　downstairs；　she　found　the　assembled　crowd
  quite　prepared　to　take　the　impression　she　meant　to　give　them。　She　went
  out　with　tears　in　her　eyes；　and　related；　sobbing；　how　the　painter；
  〃who　had　just　the　face　for　that　sort　of　thing；〃　had　been　angry　with
  Max　the　night　before　about　some　pictures　he　had　〃wormed　out〃　of　Pere
  Rouget。
  〃That　brigandfor　you've　only　got　to　look　at　him　to　see　what　he　is
  thinks　that　if　Max　were　dead；　his　uncle　would　leave　him　his　fortune；
  as　if；〃　she　cried；　〃a　brother　were　not　more　to　him　than　a　nephew！　Max
  is　Doctor　Rouget's　son。　The　old　one　told　me　so　before　he　died！〃
  〃Ah！　he　meant　to　do　the　deed　just　before　he　left　Issoudun；　he　chose
  his　time；　for　he　was　going　away　to…day；〃　said　one　of　the　Knights　of
  Idleness。
  〃Max　hasn't　an　enemy　in　Issoudun；〃　said　another。
  〃Besides；　Max　recognized　the　painter；〃　said　the　Rabouilleuse。
  〃Where's　that　cursed　Parisian？　Let　us　find　him！〃　they　all　cried。
  〃Find　him？〃　was　the　answer；　〃why；　he　left　Monsieur　Hochon's　at
  daybreak。〃
  A　Knight　of　Idleness　ran　off　at　once　to　Monsieur　Mouilleron。　The　crowd
  increased；　and　the　tumult　became　threatening。　Excited　groups　filled　up
  the　whole　of　the　Grande…Narette。　Others　stationed　themselves　before
  the　church　of　Saint…Jean。　An　assemblage　gathered　at　the　porte　Vilatte；
  which　is　at　the　farther　end　of　the　Petite…Narette。　Monsieur　Lousteau…
  Prangin　and　Monsieur　Mouilleron；　the　commissary　of　police；　the
  lieutenant　of　gendarmes；　and　two　of　his　men；　had　some　difficulty　in
  reaching　the　place　Saint…Jean　through　two　hedges　of　people；　whose
  cries　and　exclamations　could　and　did　prejudice　them　against　the
  Parisian；　who　was；　it　is　needless　to　say；　unjustly　accused；　although；
  it　is　true；　circumstances　told　against　him。
  After　a　conference　between　Max　and　the　magistrates；　Monsieur
  Mouilleron　sent　the　commissary　of　police　and　a　sergeant　with　one
  gendarme　to　examine　what；　in　the　language　of　the　ministry　of　the
  interior；　is　called　〃the　theatre　of　the　crime。〃　Then　Messieurs
  Mouilleron　and　Lousteau…Prangin；　accompanied　by　the　lieutenant　of
  gendarmes　crossed　over　to　the　Hochon　house；　which　was　now　guarded　by
  two　gendarmes　in　the　garden　and　two　at　the　front　door。　The　crowd　was
  still　increasing。　The　whole　town　was　surging　in　the　Grande　rue。
  Gritte　had　rushed　terrified　to　her　master；　crying　out：　〃Monsieur；　we
  shall　be　pillaged！　the　town　is　in　revolt；　Monsieur　Maxence　Gilet　has
  been　assassinated；　he　is　dying！　and　they　say　it　is　Monsieur　Joseph　who
  has　done　it！〃
  Monsieur　Hochon　dressed　quickly；　and　came　downstairs；　but　seeing　the
  angry　populace；　he　hastily　retreated　within　the　house；　and　bolted　the
  door。　On　questioning　Gritte；　he　learned　that　his　guest　had　left　the
  house　at　daybreak；　after　walking　the　floor　all　night　in　great
  agitation；　and　had　not　yet　come　in。　Much　alarmed；　he　went　to　find
  Madame　Hochon；　who　was　already　awakened　by　the　noise；　and　to　whom　he
  told　the　frightful　news　which；　true　or　false；　was　causing　almost　a
  riot　in　Issoudun。
  〃He　is　innocent；　of　course；〃　said　Madame　Hochon。
  〃Before　his　innocence　can　be　proved；　the　crowd　may　get　in　here　and
  pillage　us；〃　said　Monsieur　Hochon；　livid　with　fear；　for　he　had　gold　in
  his　cellar。
  〃Where　is　Agathe？〃
  〃Sound　asleep。〃
  〃Ah！　so　much　the　better；〃　said　Madame　Hochon。　〃I　wish　she　may　sleep　on
  till　the　matter　is　cleared　up。　Such　a　shock　might　kill　the　poor
  child。〃
  But　Agathe　woke　up　and　came　down　half…dressed；　for　the　evasive　answers
  of　Gritte；　whom　she　questioned；　had　disturbed　both　her　head　and　heart。
  She　found　Madame　Hochon；　looking　very　pale；　with　her　eyes　full　of
  tears；　at　one　of　the　windows　of　the　salon　beside　her　husband。
  〃Courage；　my　child。　God　sends　us　our　afflictions；〃　said　the　old　lady。
  〃Joseph　is　accused〃
  〃Of　what？〃
  〃Of　a　bad　action　which　he　could　never　have　committed；〃　answered　Madame
  Hochon。
  Hearing　the　words；　and　seeing　the　lieutenant　of　gendarmes；　who　at　this
  moment　entered　the　room　accompanied　by　the　two　gentlemen；　Agathe
  fainted　away。
  〃There　now！〃　said　Monsieur　Hochon　to　his　wife　and　Gritte；　〃carry　off
  Madame　Bridau；　women　are　only　in　the　way　at　these　times。　Take　her　to
  her　room　and　stay　there；　both　of　you。