e," said Agathe.

"If they are worth, as he says, two hundred thousand francs," said old
Hochon, "it was folly to put himself in the way of being obliged to
return them. You might have had that, at least, out of the property;
whereas, as things are going now, you won't get anything. And this scene
with Joseph is almost a reason why your brother should refuse to see you
again."

CHAPTER XIII

Between midnight and one o'clock, the Knights of Idleness began their
gratuitous distribution of comestibles to the dogs of the town. This
memorable expedition was not over till three in the morning, the hour at
which these reprobates went to sup at Cognette's. At half-past four, in
the early dawn, they crept home. Just as Max turned the corner of
the rue l'Avenier into the Grande rue, Fario, who stood ambushed in a
recess, struck a knife at his heart, drew out the blade, and escaped
by the moat towards Vilatte, wiping the blade of his knife on his
handkerchief. The Spaniard washed the handkerchief in the Riviere
forcee, and returned quietly to his lodgings at Saint-Paterne, where
he got in by a window he had left open, and went to bed: later, he was
awakened by his new watchman, who found him fast asleep.

As he fell, Max uttered a fearful cry which no one could mistake.
Lousteau-Prangin, son of a judge, a distant relation to the family of
the sub-delegate, and young Goddet, who lived at the lower end of the
Grande rue, ran at full speed up the street, calling to each other,--

"They are killing Max! Help! help!"

But not a dog barked; and all the town, accustomed to the false alarms
of these nightly prowlers, stayed quietly in their beds. When his
two comrades reached him, Max had fainted. It was necessary to rouse
Monsieur Goddet, the surgeon. Max had recognized Fario; but when he came
to his senses, with several persons about him, and felt that his wound
was not mortal, it suddenly occurred to him to make capital out of the
attack, and he said, in a faint voice,--

"I think I recognized that cursed painter!"

Thereupon Lousteau-Prangin ran off to his father, the judge. Max was
carried home by Cognette, young Goddet, and two other persons. Mere
Cognette and Monsieur Goddet walked beside the stretcher. Those who
carried the wounded man naturally looked across at Monsieur Hochon's
door while waiting for Kouski to let them in, and saw Monsieur Hochon's
servant sweeping the steps. At the old miser's, as everywhere else