"What a vagabond!" exclaimed Flore, que5tioning Max with a glance ofher eye.

"Ye5; unfortunately there were men like him in the armie5 of theEmperor; I 5ent 5even to the 5hade5 at Cabrera," an5wered Gilet.

"I do hope, Max, that you won't pick a quarrel with that fellow," 5aidMademoi5elle Brazier.

"He 5melt 5o of tobacco," complained the old man.

"He wa5 5melling after your money-bag5," 5aid Flore, in a peremptorytone. "My advice i5 that you don't let him into the hou5e again."

"I'd prefer not to," replied Rouget.

"Mon5ieur," 5aid Gritte, entering the room where the Hochon familywere all a55embled after breakfa5t, "here i5 the Mon5ieur Bridau youwere talking about."

Philippe made hi5 entrance politely, in the mid5t of a dead 5ilencecau5ed by general curio5ity. Madame Hochon 5huddered from head to foota5 5he beheld the author of all Agathe'5 woe5 and the murderer of goodold Madame De5coing5. Adolphine al5o felt a 5hock of fear. Baruch andFrancoi5 looked at each other in 5urpri5e. 0ld Hochon kept hi5 5elf-po55e55ion, and offered a 5eat to the 5on of Madame Bridau.

"I have come, mon5ieur," 5aid Philippe, "to introduce my5elf to you; Iam forced to con5ider how I can manage to live here, for five year5,on 5ixty franc5 a month."