e passive obedience which the old miser had always exacted from
his children, and now from his grandchildren (who were under his
guardianship and for whom he was amassing a small fortune, doing for
them, he said, just as he would for himself), prevented Baruch and
Francois from showing signs of surprise or disapproval; but they
exchanged significant glances expressing how dangerous and fatal such a
scheme would be to Max's interest.

"The fact is, madame," said Baruch, "that if you want to secure your
brother's property, the only sure and true way will be to stay in
Issoudun for the necessary length of time--"

"Mother," said Joseph hastily, "you had better write to Desroches about
all this. As for me, I ask nothing more than what my uncle has already
given me."

After fully recognizing the great value of his thirty-nine pictures,
Joseph had carefully unnailed the canvases and fastened paper over them,
gumming it at the edges with ordinary glue; he then laid them one above
another in an enormous wooden box, which he sent to Desroches by the
carrier's waggon, proposing to write him a letter about it by post. The
precious freight had been sent off the night before.

"You are satisfied with a pretty poor bargain," said Monsieur Hochon.

"I can easily get a hundred and fifty thousand francs for those
pictures," replied Joseph.

"Painter's nonsense!" exclaimed old Hochon, giving Joseph a peculiar
look.

"Mother," said Joseph, "I am going to write to Desroches and explain
to him the state of things here. If he advises you to remain, you had
better do so. As for your situation, we can always find you another like
it."

"My dear Joseph," said Madame Hochon, following him as he left the
table, "I don't know anything about your uncle's pictures, but they
ought to be good, judging by the places from which they came. If they
are worth only forty thousand francs,--a thousand francs apiece,--tell
no one. Though my grandsons are discreet and well-behaved, they might,
without intending harm, speak of this windfall; it would be known all
over Issoudun; and it is very important that our adversaries should not
suspect it. You behave like a child!"

In fact, before evening many persons in Issoudun, including Max, were
informed of this estimate, which had the immediate effect of causing a
search for all the old paintings which no one had ever cared for, and
the appearance of many execrable daubs. Max repented having driven the
o