“WhereisAgathe？“
　　“Soundasleep。“
　　“Ah！somuchthebetter，“saidMadameHochon。“Iwishshemaysleepontillthematterisclearedup。Suchashockmightkillthepoorchild。“
　　ButAgathewokeupandcamedownhalf-dressed；fortheevasiveanswersofGritte，whomshequestioned，haddisturbedbothherheadandheart。
　　ShefoundMadameHochon，lookingverypale，withhereyesfulloftears，atoneofthewindowsofthesalonbesideherhusband。
　　“Courage，mychild。Godsendsusourafflictions，“saidtheoldlady。
　　“Josephisaccused——“
　　“Ofwhat？“
　　“Ofabadactionwhichhecouldneverhavecommitted，“answeredMadameHochon。
　　Hearingthewords，andseeingthelieutenantofgendarmes，whoatthismomententeredtheroomaccompaniedbythetwogentlemen，Agathefaintedaway。
　　“Therenow！“saidMonsieurHochontohiswifeandGritte，“carryoffMadameBridau；womenareonlyinthewayatthesetimes。Takehertoherroomandstaythere，bothofyou。Sitdown，gentlemen，“continuedtheoldman。“Themistaketowhichweoweyourvisitwillsoon，I
　　hope，beclearedup。“
　　“Evenifitshouldbeamistake，“saidMonsieurMouilleron，“theexcitementofthecrowdissogreat，andtheirmindsaresoexasperated，thatIfearforthesafetyoftheaccused。Ishouldliketogethimarrested，andthatmightsatisfythesepeople。“
　　“WhowouldeverhavebelievedthatMonsieurMaxenceGilethadinspiredsomuchaffectioninthistown？“askedLousteau-Prangin。
　　“Oneofmymensaysthere’sacrowdoftwelvehundredmorejustcominginfromthefaubourgdeRome，“saidthelieutenantofgendarmes，“andtheyarethreateningdeathtotheassassin。“
　　“Whereisyourguest？“saidMonsieurMouillerontoMonsieurHochon。
　　“Hehasgonetowalkinthecountry，Ibelieve。“
　　“CallGritte，“saidthejudgegravely。“Iwasinhopeshehadnotleftthehouse。Youareawarethatthecrimewascommittednotfarfromhere，atdaybreak。“
　　WhileMonsieurHochonwenttofindGritte，thethreefunctionarieslookedateachothersignificantly。
　　“Ineverlikedthatpainter’sface，“saidthelieutenanttoMonsieurMouilleron。
　　“Mygoodwoman，“saidthejudgetoGritte，whensheappeared，“theysayyousawMonsieurJosephBridauleavethehousethismorning？“
　　“Yes，monsieur，“sheanswered，tremblinglikealeaf。
　　“Atwhathour？“
　　“JustasIwasgettingup:hewalkedabouthisroomallnight，andwasdressedwhenIcamedownstairs。“
　　“Wasitdaylight？“
　　“Barely。“
　　“Didheseemexcited？“
　　“Yes，hewasallofatwitter。“
　　“Sendoneofyourmenformyclerk，“saidLousteau-Prangintothelieutenant，“andtellhimtobringwarrantswithhim——“
　　“GoodGod！don’tbeinsuchahurry，“criedMonsieurHochon。“Theyoungman’sagitationmayhavebeencausedbysomethingbesidesthepremeditationofthiscrime。HemeanttoreturntoParisto-day，toattendtoamatterinwhichGiletandMademoiselleBrazierhaddoubtedhishonor。“
　　“Yes，theaffairofthepictures，“saidMonsieurMouilleron。“Thosepicturescausedaveryhotquarrelbetweenthemyesterday，anditisawordandablowwithartists，theytellme。“
　　“WhoisthereinIssoudunwhohadanyobjectinkillingGilet？“saidLousteau。“Noone，——neitherajealoushusbandnoranybodyelse；forthefellowhasneverharmedasoul。“
　　“ButwhatwasMonsieurGiletdoinginthestreetsatfourinthemorning？“remarkedMonsieurHochon。
　　“Now，MonsieurHochon，youmustallowustomanagethisaffairinourownway，“answeredMouilleron；“youdon’tknowall:Giletrecognizedyourpainter。“
　　Atthisinstantaclamorwasheardfromtheotherendofthetown，growinglouderandlouder，liketherollofthunder，asitfollowedthecourseoftheGrande-Narette。
　　“Hereheis！hereheis！——he’sarrested！“
　　Thesewordsrosedistinctlyontheearabovethehoarseroarofthepopulace。PoorJoseph，returningquietlypastthemillatLandroleintendingtogethomeintimeforbreakfast，wasspiedbythevariousgroupsofpeople，assoonashereachedtheplaceMisere。Happilyforhim，acoupleofgendarmesarrivedonarunintimetosnatchhimfromtheinhabitantsofthefaubourgdeRome，whohadalreadypinionedhimbythearmsandwerethreateninghimwithdeath。
　　“Giveway！giveway！“criedthegendarmes，callingtosomeoftheircomradestohelpthem，andputtingthemselvesonebeforeandtheotherbehindBridau。
　　“Yousee，monsieur，“saidtheonewhoheldthepainter，“itconcernsourskinaswellasyoursatthismoment。Innocentorguilty，wemustprotectyouagainstthetumultraisedbythemurderofCaptainGilet。
　　Andthecrowdisnotsatisfiedwithsuspectingyou；theydeclare，hardasiron，thatyouarethemurderer。MonsieurGiletisadoredbyallthepeople，who——lookatthem！——wanttotakejusticeintotheirownhands。Ah！didn’tweseethem，in1830，dustingthejacketsofthetax-gatherers？whoselifeisn’tabedofroses，anyway！“
　　JosephBridaugrewpaleasdeath，andcollectedallhisstrengthtowalkonward。
　　“Afterall，“hesaid，“Iaminnocent。Goon！“
　　Poorartist！hewasforcedtobearhiscross。Amidthehootingandinsultsandthreatsfromthemob，hemadethedreadfultransitfromtheplaceMiseretotheplaceSaint-Jean。Thegendarmeswereobligedtodrawtheirsabresonthefuriousmob，whichpeltedthemwithstones。Oneoftheofficerswaswounded，andJosephreceivedseveralofthemissilesonhislegs，andshoulders，andhat。
　　“Hereweare！“saidoneofthegendarmes，astheyenteredMonsieurHochon’shall，“andnotwithoutdifficulty，lieutenant。“
　　“Wemustnowmanagetodispersethecrowd；andIseebutoneway，gentlemen，“saidthelieutenanttothemagistrates。“WemusttakeMonsieurBridautothePalaisaccompaniedbyallofyou；Iandmygendarmeswillmakeacircleroundyou。Onecan’tanswerforanythinginpresenceofafuriouscrowdofsixthousand——“
　　“Youareright，“saidMonsieurHochon，whowastremblingallthewhileforhisgold。
　　“Ifthat’syouronlywaytoprotectinnocenceinIssoudun，“saidJoseph，“Icongratulateyou。Icamenearbeingstoned——“
　　“Doyouwishyourfriend’shousetobetakenbyassaultandpillaged？“
　　askedthelieutenant。“Couldwebeatbackwithoursabresacrowdofpeoplewhoarepushedfrombehindbyanangrypopulacethatknowsnothingoftheformsofjustice？“
　　“Thatwilldo，gentlemen，letusgo；wecancometoexplanationslater，“saidJoseph，whohadrecoveredhisself-possession。
　　“Giveway，friends！“saidthelieutenanttothecrowd；“HEisarrested，andwearetakinghimtothePalais。“
　　“Respectthelaw，friends！“saidMonsieurMouilleron。
　　“Wouldn’tyouprefertoseehimguillotined？“saidoneofthegendarmestoanangrygroup。
　　“Yes，yes，theyshallguillotinehim！“shoutedonemadman。
　　“Theyaregoingtoguillotinehim！“criedthewomen。
　　BythetimetheyreachedtheendoftheGrande-Narettethecrowdwereshouting:“Theyaretakinghimtotheguillotine！““Theyfoundtheknifeuponhim！““That’swhatParisiansare！““Hecarriescrimeonhisface！“
　　ThoughallJoseph’sbloodhadflowntohishead，hewalkedthedistancefromtheplaceSaint-JeantothePalaiswithremarkablecalmnessandself-possession。Nevertheless，hewasverygladtofindhimselfintheprivateofficeofMonsieurLousteau-Prangin。
　　“Ineedhardlytellyou，gentlemen，thatIaminnocent，“saidJoseph，addressingMonsieurMouilleron，MonsieurLousteau-Prangin，andtheclerk。“Icanonlybegyoutoassistmeinprovingmyinnocence。I
　　knownothingofthisaffair。“
　　Whenthejudgehadstatedallthesuspiciousfactswhichwereagainsthim，endingwithMax’sdeclaration，Josephwasastounded。
　　“But，“saidhe，“itwaspastfiveo’clockwhenIleftthehouse。I
　　wentuptheGranderue，andathalf-pastfiveIwasstandinglookingupatthefacadeoftheparishchurchofSaint-Cyr。Italkedtherewiththesexton，whocametoringtheangelus，andaskedhimforinformationaboutthebuilding，whichseemstomefantasticandincomplete。ThenIpassedthroughthevegetable-market，wheresomewomenhadalreadyassembled。Fromthere，crossingtheplaceMisere，I
　　wentasfarasthemillofLandrolebythePontauxAnes，whereI