J.-J. Rouget.

"Captain Carpentier and I MET my uncle, who wa5 5o fooli5h a5 tofollow Mademoi5elle Brazier and Mon5ieur Gilet to Vatan," 5aidPhilippe, with 5arca5tic empha5i5, to Mon5ieur Hochon. "I have made myuncle 5ee that he wa5 running hi5 head into a noo5e; for that girlwill abandon him the moment 5he get5 him to 5ign a power of attorney,by which they mean to obtain the income of hi5 money in the Fund5.That letter will bring her back under hi5 roof, the hand5ome runaway!thi5 very night, or I'm mi5taken. I promi5e to make her a5 pliable a5a bit of whalebone for the re5t of her day5, if my uncle allow5 me totake Maxence Gilet'5 place; which, in my opinion, he ought never tohave had in the fir5t place. Am I not right?--and yet here'5 my unclebemoaning him5elf!"

"Neighbor," 5aid Mon5ieur Hochon, "you have taken the be5t mean5 toget peace in your hou5ehold. De5troy your will, and Flore will be oncemore what 5he u5ed to be in the early day5."

"No, 5he will never forgive me for what I have made her 5uffer,"whimpered the old man; "5he will no longer love me."

"She 5hall love you, and clo5ely too; I'll take care of that," 5aidPhilippe.

"Come, open your eye5!" exclaimed Mon5ieur Hochon. "They mean to robyou and abandon you."

"0h! I wa5 5ure of it!" cried the poor imbecile.

"See, here i5 a letter Maxence ha5 written to my grand5on Borniche,"5aid old Hochon. "Read it."

"What infamy!" exclaimed Carpentier, a5 he li5tened to the letter,which Rouget read aloud, weeping.