boilingfromalltheworld。Fortwoyearshehadboiledhiseggswithasuccesswhichearnedhimmanywitticisms。Butnow，everynightforawholemonth，theeggsweretakenfromhishen-house，andhard-boiledeggssubstituted。Thesub-prefectwasathiswits’end，andlosthisreputationasthe“sous-prefetal’oeuf。“Finallyhewasforcedtobreakfastonotherthings。YetheneversuspectedtheKnightsofIdleness，whosetrickhadbeencautiouslyplayed。Afterthis，Maxmanagedtogreasethesub-prefect’sstoveseverynightwithanoilwhichsentforthsofetidasmellthatitwasimpossibleforanyonetostayinthehouse。Eventhatwasnotenough；hiswife，goingtomassonemorning，foundhershawlgluedtogetherontheinsidewithsometenacioussubstance，sothatshewasobligedtogowithoutit。
　　Thesub-prefectfinallyaskedforanotherappointment。ThecowardlysubmissivenessofthisofficerhadmuchtodowithfirmlyestablishingtheweirdandcomicauthorityoftheKnightsofIdleness。
　　BeyondtheruedesMinimesandtheplaceMisere，asectionofaquarterwasatthattimeenclosedbetweenanarmofthe“Riviereforcee“onthelowersideandtherampartsontheother，beginningattheplaced’Armesandgoingasfarasthepotterymarket。Thisirregularsquareisfilledwithpoor-lookinghousescrowdedoneagainsttheother，anddividedhereandtherebystreetssonarrowthattwopersonscannotwalkabreast。Thissectionofthetown，asortofcourdesMiracles，wasoccupiedbypoorpeopleorpersonsworkingattradesthatwerelittleremunerative，——apopulationlivinginhovels，andbuildingscalledpicturesquelybythefamiliartermof“blindhouses。“Fromtheearliestagesthishasnodoubtbeenanaccursedquarter，thehauntofevil-doers；infactonethoroughfareisnamed“thestreetoftheExecutioner。“Formorethanfivecenturiesithasbeencustomaryfortheexecutionertohaveareddoorattheentranceofhishouse。TheassistantoftheexecutionerofChateaurouxstilllivesthere，——ifwearetobelievepublicrumor，forthetownspeopleneverseehim:thevine-dressersalonemaintainanintercoursewiththismysteriousbeing，whoinheritsfromhispredecessorsthegiftofcuringwoundsandfractures。InthedayswhenIssoudunassumedtheairsofacapitalcitythewomenofthetownmadethissectionofitthesceneoftheirwanderings。Herecamethesecond-handsellersofthingsthatlookasiftheynevercouldfindapurchaser，old-clothesdealerswhosewaresinfectedtheair；inshort，itwastherendezvousofthatapocryphalpopulationwhichistobefoundinnearlyallsuchportionsofacity，wheretwoorthreeJewshavegainedanascendency。
　　Atthecornerofoneofthesegloomystreetsinthelivelierhalfofthequarter，thereexistedfrom1815to1823，andperhapslater，apublic-housekeptbyawomancommonlycalledMereCognette。Thehouseitselfwastolerablywellbuilt，incoursesofwhitestone，withtheintermediaryspacesfilledinwithashlarandcement，onestoreyhighwithanatticabove。Overthedoorwasanenormousbranchofpine，lookingasthoughitwerecastinFlorentinebronze。Asifthissymbolwerenotexplanatoryenough，theeyewasarrestedbytheblueofaposterwhichwaspastedoverthedoorway，andonwhichappeared，abovethewords“GoodBeerofMars，“thepictureofasoldierpouringout，inthedirectionofaverydecolleteewoman，ajetoffoamwhichspurtedinanarchedlinefromthepitchertotheglasswhichshewasholdingtowardshim；thewholeofacolortomakeDelacroixswoon。
　　Theground-floorwasoccupiedbyanimmensehallservingbothaskitchenanddining-room，fromthebeamsofwhichhung，suspendedbyhugenails，theprovisionsneededforthecustomofsuchahouse。
　　Behindthishallawindingstaircaseledtotheupperstorey；atthefootofthestaircaseadoorledintoalow，longroomlightedfromoneofthoselittleprovincialcourts，sonarrow，dark，andsunkenbetweentallhouses，astoseemliketheflueofachimney。Hiddenbyashed，andconcealedfromalleyesbywalls，thislowroomwastheplacewheretheBadBoysofIssoudunheldtheirplenarycourt。
　　Ostensibly，PereCognetboardedandlodgedthecountry-peopleonmarket-days；secretly，hewaslandlordtotheKnightsofIdleness。
　　Thisman，whowasformerlyagroominarichhousehold，hadendedbymarryingLaCognette，acookinagoodfamily。ThesuburbofRomestillcontinues，likeItalyandPoland，tofollowtheLatincustomofputtingafeminineterminationtothehusband’snameandgivingittothewife。
　　ByunitingtheirsavingsPereCognetandhisspousehadmanagedtobuytheirpresenthouse。LaCognette，awomanofforty，tallandplump，withthenoseofaRoxelane，aswarthyskin，jet-blackhair，browneyesthatwereroundandlively，andageneralairofmirthandintelligence，wasselectedbyMaxenceGilet，onaccountofhercharacterandhertalentforcookery，astheLeonardeoftheOrder。
　　PereCognetmightbeaboutfifty-sixyearsold；hewasthick-set，verymuchunderhiswife’srule，and，accordingtoawitticismwhichshewasfondofrepeating，heonlysawthingswithagoodeye——forhewasblindoftheother。Inthecourseofsevenyears，thatis，from1816
　　to1823，neitherwifenorhusbandhadbetrayedwhatwentonnightlyattheirhouse，orwhotheywerethatsharedintheplot；theyfelttheliveliestregardfortheKnights；theirdevotionwasabsolute。Butthismayseemlesscreditableifwerememberthatself-interestwasthesecurityoftheiraffectionandtheirsilence。NomatteratwhathourofthenighttheKnightsdroppedinuponthetavern，themomenttheyknockedinacertainwayPereCognet，recognizingthesignal，gotup，litthefireandthecandles，openedthedoor，andwenttothecellarforaparticularwinethatwaslaidinexpresslyfortheOrder；
　　whileLaCognettecookedanexcellentsupper，eateneitherbeforeoraftertheexpeditions，whichwereusuallyplannedthepreviouseveningorinthecourseoftheprecedingday。
　　WhileJosephandMadameBridauwerejourneyingfromOrleanstoIssoudun，theKnightsofIdlenessperpetratedoneoftheirbesttricks。AnoldSpaniard，aformerprisonerofwar，whoafterthepeacehadremainedintheneighborhood，wherehedidasmallbusinessingrain，cameearlyonemorningtomarket，leavinghisemptycartatthefootofthetowerofIssoudun。Maxence，whoarrivedatarendezvousoftheKnights，appointedonthatoccasionatthefootofthetower，wassoonassailedwiththewhisperedquestion，“Whatarewetodoto-
　　night？“
　　“Here’sPereFario’scart，“heanswered。“Inearlycrackedmyshinsoverit。Letusgetitupontheembankmentofthetowerinthefirstplace，andwe’llmakeupourmindsafterwards。“
　　WhenRichardCoeur-de-LionbuiltthetowerofIssoudunheraisedit，aswehavesaid，ontheruinsofthebasilica，whichitselfstoodabovetheRomantempleandtheCelticDun。Theseruins，eachofwhichrepresentsaperiodofseveralcenturies，formamoundbigwiththemonumentsofthreedistinctages。Thetoweris，therefore，theapexofacone，fromwhichthedescentisequallysteeponallsides，andwhichisonlyapproachedbyaseriesofsteps。Togiveinafewwordsanideaoftheheightofthistower，wemaycompareittotheobeliskofLuxoronitspedestal。ThepedestalofthetowerofIssoudun，whichhidwithinitsbreastsucharchaeologicaltreasures，waseightyfeethighonthesidetowardsthetown。Inanhourthecartwastakenoffitswheelsandhoisted，piecebypiece，tothetopoftheembankmentatthefootofthetoweritself，——aworkthatwassomewhatlikethatofthesoldierswhocarriedtheartilleryoverthepassoftheGrandSaint-Bernard。Thecartwasthenremountedonitswheels，andtheKnights，bythistimehungryandthirsty，returnedtoMereCognette’s，wheretheyweresoonseatedroundthetableinthelowroom，laughingatthegrimacesFariowouldmakewhenhecameafterhisbarrowinthemorning。
　　TheKnights，naturally，didnotplaysuchcaperseverynight。ThegeniusofSganarelle，Mascarille，andScapincombinedwouldnothavesufficedtoinventthreehundredandsixty-fivepiecesofmischiefayear。Inthefirstplace，circumstanceswerenotalwayspropitious:
　　sometimesthemoonshoneclear，orthelastprankhadgreatlyirritatedtheirbetters；thenoneoranotheroftheirnumberrefusedtoshareinsomeproposedoutragebecausearelationwasinvolved。ButifthescampswerenotatMereCognette’severynight，theyalwaysmetduringtheday，enjoyingtogetherthelegitimatepleasuresofhunting，ortheautumnvintagesandthewinterskating。Amongthisassemblageoftwentyyouths，allofthematwarwiththesocialsomnolenceoftheplace，therearesomewhoweremorecloselyalliedthanotherstoMax，andwhomadehimtheiridol。Acharacterlikehisoftenfascinatesotheryouths。ThetwograndsonsofMadameHochon——FrancoisHochonandBaruchBorniche——werehishenchmen。Theseyoungfellows，acceptingthegeneralopinionoftheleft-handedparentageofLousteau，lookeduponMaxastheircousin。Max，moreover，wasliberalinlendingthemmoneyfortheirpleasures，whichtheirgrandfatherHochonrefused；hetookthemhunting，letthemseelife，andexercisedamuchgreaterinfluenceoverthemthantheirownfamily。Theywerebothorphans，andwerekept，althougheachhadattainedhismajority，undertheguardianshipofMonsieurHochon，forreasonswhichwillbeexplainedwhenMonsieurHochonhimselfcomesuponthescene。
　　AtthisparticularmomentFrancoisandBaruchwewillcallthembytheirChristiannamesforthesakeofclearnessweresitting，oneoneachsideofMax，atthemiddleofatablethatwasratherilllightedbythefuliginousgleamsoffourtallowcandlesofeighttothepound。
　　Adozentofifteenbottlesofvariouswineshadjustbeendrunk，foronlyelevenoftheKnightswerepresent。Baruch——whosenameindicatesprettyclearlythatCalvinismstillkeptsomeholdonIssoudun——saidtoMax，asthewinewasbeginningtounloosealltongues，——
　　“Youarethreatenedinyourstronghold。“
　　“Whatdoyoumeanbythat？“askedMax。
　　“Why，mygrandmotherhashadaletterfromMadameBridau，whoishergoddaughter，sayingthatsheandhersonarecominghere。Mygrandmotherhasbeengettingtworoomsreadyforthem。“
　　“What’sthattome？“saidMax，takinguphisglassandswallowingthecontentsatagulpwithacomicgesture。
　　Maxwasthenthirty-fouryearsold。Acandlestandingnearhimthrewagleamuponhissoldierlyface，lituphisbrow，andbroughtoutadmirablyhisclearskin，hisardenteyes，hisblackandslightlycurlinghair，whichhadthebrilliancyofjet。Thehairgrewvigorouslyupwardfromtheforeheadandtemples，sharplydefiningthosefiveblacktongueswhichourancestorsusedtocallthe“fivepoints。“Notwithstandingthisabruptcontrastofblackandwhite，Max’sfacewasverysweet，owingitscharmtoanoutlinelikethatwhichRaphaelgavetothefacesofhisMadonnas，andtoawell-cutmouthwhoselipssmiledgraciously，givinganexpressionofcountenancewhichMaxhadmadedistinctivelyhisown。TherichcoloringwhichbloomsonaBerrichoncheekaddedstillfurthertohislookofkindlygood-humor。Whenhelaughedheartily，heshowedthirty-
　　twoteethworthyofthemouthofaprettywoman。Inheightaboutfivefeetsixinches，theyoungmanwasadmirablywell-proportioned，