“Really，MonsieurHochon，howcanamanofyoursenserepeatabsurditieswhich，unhappily，costmypoorfriendherpeaceofmind，andAgathethepropertywhichsheoughttohavehadfromherfather。
　　MaxGiletisnotthesonofmybrother，whomIoftenadvisedtosavethemoneyhepaidforhim。YouknowaswellasIdothatMadameRougetwasvirtueitself——“
　　“Andthedaughtertakesafterher；forshestrikesmeasuncommonlystupid。Afterlosingallherfortune，shebringshersonsupsowellthathereisoneinprisonandlikelytobebroughtuponacriminalindictmentbeforetheCourtofPeersforaconspiracyworthyofBerton。Asfortheother，heisworseoff；he’sapainter。IfyourprotegesaretostayheretilltheyhaveextricatedthatfoolofaRougetfromtheclawsofGiletandtheRabouilleuse，weshalleatagooddealmorethanhalfameasureofsaltwiththem。“
　　“That’senough，MonsieurHochon；youhadbetterwishtheymaynothavetwostringstotheirbow。“
　　MonsieurHochontookhishat，andhiscanewithanivoryknob，andwentawaypetrifiedbythatterriblespeech；forhehadnoideathathiswifecouldshowsuchresolution。MadameHochontookherprayer-
　　booktoreadtheservice，forheradvancedagepreventedherfromgoingdailytochurch；itwasonlywithdifficultythatshegotthereonSundaysandholidays。Sincereceivinghergoddaughter’slettershehadaddedapetitiontoherusualprayers，supplicatingGodtoopentheeyesofJean-JacquesRouget，andtoblessAgatheandprospertheexpeditionintowhichsheherselfhaddrawnher。Concealingthefactfromhergrandchildren，whomsheaccusedofbeing“parpaillots，“shehadaskedthecuratetosayamassforAgathe’ssuccessduringaneuvainewhichwasbeingheldbyhergranddaughter，AdolphineBorniche，whothusmadeherprayersinchurchbyproxy。
　　Adolphine，theneighteen，——whoforthelastsevenyearshadsewedatthesideofhergrandmotherinthatcoldhouseholdofmonotonousandmethodicalcustoms，——hadundertakenherneuvaineallthemorewillinglybecauseshehopedtoinspiresomefeelinginJosephBridau，inwhomshetookthedeepestinterestbecauseofthemonstrositieswhichhergrandfatherattributedinherhearingtotheyoungParisian。
　　Alltheoldpeopleandsensiblepeopleofthetown，andthefathersoffamiliesapprovedofMadameHochon’sconductinreceivinghergoddaughter；andtheirgoodwishesforthelatter’ssuccesswereinproportiontothesecretcontemptwithwhichtheconductofMaxenceGilethadlonginspiredthem。ThusthenewsofthearrivalofRouget’ssisterandnephewraisedtwopartiesinIssoudun，——thatofthehigherandolderbourgeoisie，whocontentedthemselveswithofferinggoodwishesandinwatchingeventswithoutassistingthem，andthatoftheKnightsofIdlenessandthepartisansofMax，who，unfortunately，werecapableofcommittingmanyhigh-handedoutragesagainsttheParisians。
　　AgatheandJosepharrivedatthecoach-officeoftheMessageries-
　　RoyalesintheplaceMisereatthreeo’clock。Thoughtiredwiththejourney，MadameBridaufeltheryouthreviveatsightofhernativeland，whereateverystepshecameuponmemoriesandimpressionsofhergirlishdays。InthethenconditionofpublicopinioninIssoudun，thearrivaloftheParisianswasknownalloverthetownintenminutes。MadameHochoncameoutuponherdoorsteptowelcomehergodchild，andkissedherasthoughshewerereallyadaughter。Afterseventy-twoyearsofabarrenandmonotonousexistence，exhibitingintheirretrospectthegravesofherthreechildren，allunhappyintheirlives，andalldead，shehadcometofeelasortoffictitiousmotherhoodfortheyounggirlwhomshehad，assheexpressedit，carriedinherpouchforsixteenyears。Throughthegloomofprovinciallifetheoldwomanhadcherishedthisearlyfriendship，thisgirlishmemory，ascloselyasifAgathehadremainednearher，andshehadalsotakenthedeepestinterestinBridau。AgathewasledintriumphtothesalonwhereMonsieurHochonwasstationed，chillingasatepidoven。
　　“HereisMonsieurHochon；howdoesheseemtoyou？“askedhiswife。
　　“PreciselythesameaswhenIlastsawhim，“saidtheParisianwoman。
　　“Ah！itiseasytoseeyoucomefromParis；youaresocomplimentary，“
　　remarkedtheoldman。
　　Thepresentationstookplace:first，youngBaruchBorniche，atallyouthoftwenty-two；thenFrancoisHochon，twenty-four；andlastlylittleAdolphine，whoblushedanddidnotknowwhattodowithherarms；shewasanxiousnottoseemtobelookingatJosephBridau，whoinhisturnwasnarrowlyobserved，thoughfromdifferentpointsofview，bythetwoyoungmenandbyoldHochon。Themiserwassayingtohimself，“Heisjustoutofthehospital；hewillbeashungryasaconvalescent。“Theyoungmenweresaying，“Whatahead！whatabrigand！weshallhaveourhandsfull！“
　　“Thisismyson，thepainter；mygoodJoseph，“saidAgatheatlast，presentingtheartist。
　　Therewasaneffortintheaccentthatsheputupontheword“good，“
　　whichrevealedthemother’sheart，whosethoughtswerereallyintheprisonoftheLuxembourg。
　　“Helooksill，“saidMadameHochon；“heisnotatalllikeyou。“
　　“No，madame，“saidJoseph，withthebrusquecandorofanartist；“Iamlikemyfather，andveryuglyatthat。“
　　MadameHochonpressedAgathe’shandwhichshewasholding，andglancedatherasmuchastosay，“Ah！mychild；Iunderstandnowwhyyoupreferyourgood-for-nothingPhilippe。“
　　“Ineversawyourfather，mydearboy，“shesaidaloud；“itisenoughtomakemeloveyouthatyouareyourmother’sson。Besides，youhavetalent，sothelateMadameDescoingsusedtowritetome；shewastheonlyoneoflateyearswhotoldmemuchaboutyou。“
　　“Talent！“exclaimedtheartist，“notasyet；butwithtimeandpatienceImaywinfameandfortune。“
　　“Bypainting？“saidMonsieurHochonironically。
　　“Come，Adolphine，“saidMadameHochon，“goandseeaboutdinner。“
　　“Mother，“saidJoseph，“Iwillattendtothetrunkswhichtheyarebringingin。“
　　“Hochon，“saidthegrandmothertoFrancois，“showtheroomstoMonsieurBridau。“
　　Asthedinnerwastobeservedatfouro’clockanditwasnowonlyhalfpastthree，BaruchrushedintothetowntotellthenewsoftheBridauarrival，describeAgathe’sdress，andmoreparticularlytopictureJoseph，whosehaggard，unhealthy，anddeterminedfacewasnotunliketheidealofabrigand。ThateveningJosephwasthetopicofconversationinallthehouseholdsofIssoudun。
　　“ThatsisterofRougetmusthaveseenamonkeybeforehersonwasborn，“saidone；“heistheimageofababoon。“
　　“Hehasthefaceofabrigandandtheeyesofabasilisk。“
　　“Allartistsarelikethat。“
　　“Theyareaswickedastheredass，andasspitefulasmonkeys。“
　　“Itispartoftheirbusiness。“
　　“IhavejustseenMonsieurBeaussier，andhesayshewouldnotliketomeethiminadarkwood；hesawhiminthediligence。“
　　“Hehasgothollowsovertheeyeslikeahorse，andhelaughslikeamaniac。“
　　“Thefellowlooksasthoughhewerecapableofanything；perhapsit’shisfaultthathisbrother，afinehandsomemantheytellme，hasgonetothebad。PoorMadameBridaudoesn’tseemasifshewereveryhappywithhim。“
　　“Supposewetakeadvantageofhisbeinghere，andhaveourportraitspainted？“
　　Theresultofalltheseobservations，scatteredthroughthetownwas，naturally，toexcitecuriosity。AllthosewhohadtherighttovisittheHochonsresolvedtocallthatverynightandexaminetheParisians。Thearrivalofthesetwopersonsinthestagnanttownwaslikethefallingofabeamintoacommunityoffrogs。
　　Afterstowinghismother’sthingsandhisownintothetwoatticchambers，whichheexaminedashedidso，Josephtooknoteofthesilenthouse，wherethewalls，thestair-case，thewood-work，weredevoidofdecorationandhumidwithfrost，andwheretherewasliterallynothingbeyondthemerestnecessaries。HefeltthebrusquetransitionfromhispoeticParistothedumbandaridprovince；andwhen，comingdownstairs，hechancedtoseeMonsieurHochoncuttingslicesofbreadforeachperson，heunderstood，forthefirsttimeinhislife，Moliere’sHarpagon。
　　“Weshouldhavedonebettertogotoaninn，“hesaidtohimself。
　　Theaspectofthedinnerconfirmedhisapprehensions。Afterasoupwhosewateryclearnessshowedthatquantitywasmoreconsideredthanquality，thebouilliwasserved，ceremoniouslygarnishedwithparsley；
　　thevegetables，inadishbythemselves，beingcountedintotheitemsoftherepast。Thebouilliheldtheplaceofhonorinthemiddleofthetable，accompaniedwiththreeotherdishes:hard-boiledeggsonsorreloppositetothevegetables；thenasaladdressedwithnut-oiltofacelittlecupsofcustard，whoseflavoringofburntoatsdidserviceasvanilla，whichitresemblesmuchascoffeemadeofchiccoryresemblesmocha。Butterandradishes，intwoplates，wereateachendofthetable；pickledgherkinsandhorse-radishcompletedthespread，whichwonMadamHochon’sapprobation。Thegoodoldwomangaveacontentedlittlenodwhenshesawthatherhusbandhaddonethingsproperly，forthefirstdayatleast。Theoldmanansweredwithaglanceandashrugofhisshoulders，whichitwaseasytotranslateinto——
　　“Seetheextravagancesyouforcemetocommit！“