ld man into giving away the pictures, and the rage he felt against the
heirs after hearing from Baruch old Hochon's ecclesiastical scheme, was
increased by what he termed his own stupidity. The influence of religion
upon such a feeble creature as Rouget was the one thing to fear. The
news brought by his two comrades decided Maxence Gilet to turn all
Rouget's investments into money, and to borrow upon his landed property,
so as to buy into the Funds as soon as possible; but he considered it
even more important to get rid of the Parisians at once. The genius of
the Mascarilles and Scapins out together would hardly have solved the
latter problem easily.

Flore, acting by Max's advice, pretended that Monsieur was too feeble
to take walks, and that he ought, at his age, to have a carriage. This
pretext grew out of the necessity of not exciting inquiry when they went
to Bourges, Vierzon, Chateauroux, Vatan, and all the other places where
the project of withdrawing investments obliged Max and Flore to betake
themselves with Rouget. At the close of the week, all Issoudun
was amazed to learn that the old man had gone to Bourges to buy a
carriage,--a step which the Knights of Idleness regarded as favorable
to the Rabouilleuse. Flore and Max selected a hideous "berlingot," with
cracked leather curtains and windows without glass, aged twenty-two
years and nine campaigns, sold on the decease of a colonel, the friend
of grand-marshal Bertrand, who, during the absence of that faithful
companion of the Emperor, was left in charge of the affairs of Berry.
This "berlingot," painted bright green, was somewhat like a caleche,
though shafts had taken the place of a pole, so that it could be driven
with one horse. It belonged to a class of carriages brought into vogue
by diminished fortunes, which at that time bore the candid name of
"demi-fortune"; at its first introduction it was called a "seringue."
The cloth lining of this demi-fortune, sold under the name of caleche,
was moth-eaten; its gimps looked like the chevrons of an old Invalide;
its rusty joints squeaked,--but it only cost four hundred and fifty
francs; and Max bought a good stout mare, trained to harness, from an
officer of a regiment then stationed at Bourges. He had the carriage
repainted a dark brown, and bought a tolerable harness at a bargain. The
whole town of Issoudun was shaken to its centre in expectation of Pere
Rouget's equipage; and on the occasion of its first appea