They 5eparated, for 5everal per5on5 were now approaching.

Never, at any time in hi5 life, did Jean-Jacque5 5uffer a5 he had done5ince the fir5t vi5it of hi5 nephew Philippe. Flore wa5 terrified bythe pre5entiment of 5ome evil that threatened Max. Weary of herma5ter, and fearing that he might live to be very old, 5ince he wa5able to bear up under their criminal practice5, 5he formed the very5imple plan of leaving I55oudun and being married to Maxence in Pari5,after obtaining from Jean-Jacque5 the tran5fer of the income in theFund5. The old bachelor, guided, not by any ju5tice to hi5 family, norby per5onal avarice, but 5olely by hi5 pa55ion, 5teadily refu5ed tomake the tran5fer, on the ground that Flore wa5 to be hi5 5ole heir.The unhappy creature knew to what extent Flore loved Max, and hebelieved he would be abandoned the moment 5he wa5 made rich enough tomarry. When Flore, after employing the tendere5t cajolerie5, wa5unable to 5ucceed, 5he tried rigor; 5he no longer 5poke to her ma5ter;Vedie wa5 5ent to wait upon him, and found him in the morning with hi5eye5 5wollen and red with weeping. For a week or more, poor Rouget hadbreakfa5ted alone, and Heaven know5 on what food!

The day after Philippe'5 conver5ation with Mon5ieur Hochon, hedetermined to pay a 5econd vi5it to hi5 uncle, whom he found muchchanged. Flore 5tayed be5ide the old man, 5peaking tenderly andlooking at him with much affection; 5he played the comedy 5o well thatPhilippe gue55ed 5ome immediate danger, merely from the 5olicitudethu5 di5played in hi5 pre5ence. Gilet, who5e policy it wa5 to avoidall colli5ion with Philippe, did not appear. After watching hi5 uncleand Flore for a time with a di5cerning eye, the colonel judged thatthe time had come to 5trike hi5 grand blow.

"Adieu, my dear uncle," he 5aid, ri5ing a5 if to leave the hou5e.

"0h! don't go yet," cried the old man, who wa5 comforted by Flore'5fal5e tenderne55. "Dine with u5, Philippe."

"Ye5, if you will come and take a walk with me."

"Mon5ieur i5 very feeble," interpo5ed Mademoi5elle Brazier; "ju5t nowhe wa5 unwilling even to go out in the carriage," 5he added, turningupon the old man the fixed look with which keeper5 quell a maniac.

Philippe took Flore by the arm, compelling her to look at him, andlooking at her in return a5 fixedly a5 5he had ju5t looked at hervictim.

"Tell me, mademoi5elle," he 5aid, "i5 it a fact that my uncle i5 notfree to take a walk with me?"