awyer in Paris--"

"Ah! had they really a plan?"

"Why, of course,--a plan to get possession of old Rouget. But the
Parisians were not clever enough; that lawyer can't crow over us
Berrichons!"

"How abominable!"

"That's Paris for you!"

"The Rabouilleuse knew they came to attack her, and she defended
herself."

"She did gloriously right!"

To the townspeople at large the Bridaus were Parisians and foreigners;
they preferred Max and Flore.

We can imagine the satisfaction with which, after this campaign, Joseph
and Agathe re-entered their little lodging in the rue Mazarin. On the
journey, the artist recovered his spirits, which had, not unnaturally,
been put to flight by his arrest and twenty-four hours' confinement; but
he could not cheer up his mother. The Court of Peers was about to begin
the trial of the military conspirators, and that was sufficient to keep
Agathe from recovering her peace of mind. Philippe's conduct, in
spite of the clever defender whom Desroches recommended to him, roused
suspicions that were unfavorable to his character. In view of this,
Joseph, as soon as he had put Desroches in possession of all that was
going on at Issoudun, started with Mistigris for the chateau of the
Comte de Serizy, to escape hearing about the trial of the conspirators,
which lasted for twenty days.

It is useless to record facts that may be found in contemporaneous
histories. Whether it were that he played a part previously agreed upon,
or that he was really an informer, Philippe was condemned to five years'
surveillance by the police department, and ordered to leave Paris
the same day for Autun, the town which the director-general of police
selected as the place of his exile for five years. This punishment
resembled the detention of prisoners on parole who have a town for a
prison. Learning that the Comte de Serizy, one of the peers appointed by
the Chamber on the court-martial, was employing Joseph to decorate
his chateau at Presles, Desroches begged the minister to grant him an
audience, and found Monsieur de Serizy most amiably disposed toward
Joseph, with whom he had happened to make personal acquaintance.
Desroches explained the financial condition of the two brothers,
recalling the services of the father, and the neglect shown to them
under the Restoration.

"Such injustice, monseigneur," said the lawyer, "is a lasting cause of
irritation and discontent. You knew the father; give the sons a chance,