w frantic, and the situation of things approached a crisis.
During his walk through the town, Maxence Gilet was avoided by many
persons who a day or two earlier would have hastened to shake hands with
him. A general reaction had set in against him. The deeds of the Knights
of Idleness were ringing on every tongue. The tale of Joseph Bridau's
arrest, now cleared up, disgraced Max in the eyes of all; and his life
and conduct received in one day their just award. Gilet met Captain
Potel, who was looking for him, and seemed almost beside himself.

"What's the matter with you, Potel?"

"My dear fellow, the Imperial Guard is being black-guarded all over the
town! These civilians are crying you down! and it goes to the bottom of
my heart."

"What are they complaining of?" asked Max.

"Of what you do at night."

"As if we couldn't amuse ourselves a little!"

"But that isn't all," said Potel.

Potel belonged to the same class as the officer who replied to the
burgomasters: "Eh! your town will be paid for, if we do burn it!" So he
was very little troubled about the deeds of the Order of Idleness.

"What more?" inquired Gilet.

"The Guard is against the Guard. It is that that breaks my heart. Bridau
has set all these bourgeois on you. The Guard against the Guard! no, it
ought not to be! You can't back down, Max; you must meet Bridau. I had a
great mind to pick a quarrel with the low scoundrel myself and send him
to the shades; I wish I had, and then the bourgeois wouldn't have seen
the spectacle of the Guard against the Guard. In war times, I don't
say anything against it. Two heroes of the Guard may quarrel, and
fight,--but at least there are no civilians to look on and sneer. No, I
say that big villain never served in the Guard. A guardsman would never
behave as he does to another guardsman, under the very eyes of the
bourgeois; impossible! Ah! it's all wrong; the Guard is disgraced--and
here, at Issoudun! where it was once so honored."

"Come, Potel, don't worry yourself," answered Max; "even if you do not
see me at the banquet--"

"What! do you mean that you won't be there the day after to-morrow?"
cried Potel, interrupting his friend. "Do you wish to be called a
coward? and have it said you are running away from Bridau? No, no! The
unmounted grenadiers of the Guard can not draw back before the dragoons
of the Guard. Arrange your business in some other way and be there!"

"One more to send to the shades!" said Ma