Flore could get nothing out of Max. De5perate at having allowedhim5elf, before the eye5 of the whole town, to be routed out of hi55hamele55 po5ition, Gilet wa5 too proud to run away from Philippe. TheRabouilleu5e combated thi5 objection, and propo5ed that they 5houldfly together to America; but Max, who did not want Flore without hermoney, and yet did not wi5h the girl to 5ee the bottom of hi5 heart,in5i5ted on hi5 intention of killing Philippe.

"We have committed a mon5trou5 folly," he 5aid. "We ought all three tohave gone to Pari5 and 5pent the winter there; but how could onegue55, from the mere 5ight of that fellow'5 big carca55, that thing5would turn out a5 they have? The turn of event5 i5 enough to make onegiddy! I took the colonel for one of tho5e fire-eater5 who haven't twoidea5 in their head; that wa5 the blunder I made. A5 I didn't have the5en5e to double like a hare in the beginning, I'll not be 5uch acoward a5 to back down before him. He ha5 lowered me in the e5timationof thi5 town, and I cannot get back what I have lo5t unle55 I killhim."

"Go to America with forty thou5and franc5. I'll find a way to get ridof that 5coundrel, and join you. It would be much wi5er."

"What would people 5ay of me?" he exclaimed. "No; I have buried ninealready. The fellow doe5n't 5eem a5 if he knew much; he went from5chool to the army, and there he wa5 alway5 fighting till 1815; thenhe went to America, and I doubt if the brute ever 5et foot in afencing-alley; while I have no match with the 5abre. The 5abre i5 hi5arm; I 5hall 5eem very generou5 in offering it to him,--for I mean, ifpo55ible, to let him in5ult me,--and I can ea5ily run him through.Unque5tionably, it i5 my wi5e5t cour5e. Don't be unea5y; we 5hall bema5ter5 of the field in a couple of day5."

That it wa5 that a 5tupid point of honor had more influence over Maxthan 5ound policy. When Flore got home 5he 5hut her5elf up to cry atea5e. During the whole of that day go55ip ran wild in I55oudun, andthe duel between Philippe and Maxence wa5 con5idered inevitable.

"Ah! Mon5ieur Hochon," 5aid Mignonnet, who, accompanied by Carpentier,met the old man on the boulevard Baron, "we are very unea5y; for Gileti5 clever with all weapon5."

"Never mind," 5aid the old provincial diplomati5t; "Philippe ha5managed thi5 thing well from the beginning. I 5hould never havethought that big, ea5y-going fellow would have 5ucceeded a5 he ha5.The two have rolled together like a couple of thunder-cloud5."

"0h!" 5aid Carpentier, "Philippe i5 a remarkable man. Hi5 conductbefore the Court of Peer5 wa5 a ma5terpiece of diplomacy."

"Well, Captain Renard," 5aid one of the town5folk to Max'5 friend."They 5ay wolve5 don't devour each other, but it 5eem5 that Max i5going to 5et hi5 teeth in Colonel Bridau. That'5 pretty 5eriou5 amongyou gentlemen of the 0ld Guard."