eed more than that," said the lawyer, shuddering as he looked at
his client. "You will receive a quarterly stipend which will clothe you
decently."

"Bless me! are you here, Godeschal?" cried Philippe, recognizing in
Desroches's head-clerk, as they passed out, the brother of Mariette.

"Yes, I have been with Monsieur Desroches for the last two months."

"And he will stay with me, I hope, till he gets a business of his own,"
said Desroches.

"How is Mariette?" asked Philippe, moved at his recollections.

"She is getting ready for the opening of the new theatre."

"It would cost her little trouble to get my sentence remitted," said
Philippe. "However, as she chooses!"

After a meagre dinner, given by Desroches who boarded his head-clerk,
the two lawyers put the political convict in the diligence, and wished
him good luck.

CHAPTER XIV

On the second of November, All-Souls' day, Philippe Bridau appeared
before the commissary of police at Issoudun, to have the date of his
arrival recorded on his papers; and by that functionary's advice he went
to lodge in the rue l'Avenier. The news of the arrival of an officer,
banished on account of the late military conspiracy, spread rapidly
through the town, and caused all the more excitement when it was known
that this officer was a brother of the painter who had been falsely
accused. Maxence Gilet, by this time entirely recovered from his wound,
had completed the difficult operation of turning all Pere Rouget's
mortgages into money, and putting the proceeds in one sum, on the
"grand-livre." The loan of one hundred and forty thousand francs
obtained by the old man on his landed property had caused a great
sensation,--for everything is known in the provinces. Monsieur Hochon,
in the Bridau interest, was much put about by this disaster, and
questioned old Monsieur Heron, the notary at Bourges, as to the object
of it.

"The heirs of old Rouget, if old Rouget changes his mind, ought to make
me a votive offering," cried Monsieur Heron. "If it had not been for me,
the old fellow would have allowed the fifty thousand francs' income to
stand in the name of Maxence Gilet. I told Mademoiselle Brazier that
she ought to look to the will only, and not run the risk of a suit
for spoliation, seeing what numerous proofs these transfers in every
direction would give against them. To gain time, I advised Maxence and
his mistress to keep quiet, and let this sudden change in the usual