“I told him that I had given my assassin some cause to waylay me; that he was a dangerous man and likely, if I followed up the affair, to kill me like a dog before he could be captured. Consequently, I begged Mouilleron and Prangin to make the most active search ostensibly, but really to let the assassin go in peace, unless they wished to see me a dead man.” “I do hope, Max,” said Flore, “that you will be quiet at night for some time to come.” “At any rate, we are delivered from the Parisians!” cried Max. “The fellow who stabbed me had no idea what a service he was doing us.” The next day, the departure of the Parisians was celebrated as a victory of the provinces over Paris by every one in Issoudun, except the more sober and staid inhabitants, who shared the opinions of Monsieur and Madame Hochon. A few of Max’s friends spoke very harshly of the Bridaus. “Do those Parisians fancy we are all idiots,” cried one, “and think they have only got to hold their hats and catch legacies?” “They came to fleece, but they have got shorn themselves,” said another; “the nephew is not to the uncle’s taste.” “And, if you please, they actually consulted a lawyer in Paris--” “Ah! had they really a plan?” “Why, of course,--a plan to get possession of old Rouget. But the Parisians were not clever enough; that lawyer can’t crow over us Berrichons!” “How abominable!” “That’s Paris for you!” “The Rabouilleuse knew they came to attack her, and she defended herself.” “She did gloriously right!” To the townspeople at large the Bridaus were Parisians and foreigners; they preferred Max and Flore. We can imagine the satisfaction with which, after this campaign, Joseph and Agathe re-entered their little lodging in the rue Mazarin. On the journey, the artist recovered his spirits, which had, not unnaturally, been put to flight by his arrest and twenty-four hours’ confinement; but he could not cheer up his mother. The Court of Peers was about to begin the trial of the military conspirators, and that was sufficient to keep Agathe from recovering her peace of mind. Philippe’s conduct, in spite of the clever defender whom Desroches recommended to him, roused suspicions that were unfavorable to his character. In view of this, Joseph, as soon as he had put Desroches in possession of all that was going on at Issoudun, started with Mistigris for the chateau of the Comte de Serizy, to escape hearing about the trial of the conspirators, which lasted for twenty days.