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“Howsillytoputyourselfinsuchawayaboutnothing。There，youoldgoose，thatwilldoyougood；ithasbeennextmyheart——“
“Whatagoodcreature！“saidRougettoMax，whileFlorewenttofetchablackvelvetcaptocoverthenearlybaldheadoftheoldbachelor。
“Asgoodassheisbeautiful“；answeredMax，“butsheisquick-
tempered，likeallpeoplewhocarrytheirheartsintheirhands。“
Thebaldnessofthissketchmaydispleasesome，whowillthinktheflashesofFlore’scharacterbelongtothesortofrealismwhichapainteroughttoleaveinshadow。Well！thisscene，playedagainandagainwithshockingvariations，is，initscoarsewayanditshorribleveracity，thetypeofsuchscenesplayedbywomenonwhateverrungofthesocialladdertheyareperched，whenanyinterest，nomatterwhat，drawsthemfromtheirownlineofobedienceandinducesthemtograspatpower。Intheireyes，asinthoseofpoliticians，allmeanstoanendarejustifiable。BetweenFloreBrazierandaduchess，betweenaduchessandtherichestbourgeoise，betweenabourgeoiseandthemostluxuriouslykeptmistress，therearenodifferencesexceptthoseoftheeducationtheyhavereceived，andthesurroundingsinwhichtheylive。ThepoutingofafineladyisthesamethingastheviolenceofaRabouilleuse。Atalllevels，bittersayings，ironicaljests，coldcontempt，hypocriticalcomplaints，falsequarrels，winasmuchsuccessasthelowoutburstsofthisMadameEverardofIssoudun。
Maxbegantorelate，withmuchhumor，thetaleofFarioandhisbarrow，whichmadetheoldmanlaugh。VedieandKouski，whocametolisten，explodedinthekitchen，andastoFlore，shelaughedconvulsively。Afterbreakfast，whileJean-Jacquesreadthenewspapers(fortheysubscribedtothe“Constitutionel“andthe“Pandore“)，MaxcarriedFloretohisownquarters。
“Areyouquitesurehehasnotmadeanyotherwillsincetheoneinwhichheleftthepropertytoyou？“
“Hehasn’tanythingtowritewith，“sheanswered。
“Hemighthavedictatedittosomenotary，“saidMax；“wemustlookoutforthat。ThereforeitiswelltobecordialtotheBridaus，andatthesametimeendeavortoturnthosemortgagesintomoney。Thenotarieswillbeonlytoogladtomakethetransfers；itisgristtotheirmill。TheFundsaregoingup；weshallconquerSpain，anddeliverFerdinandVII。andtheCortez，andthentheywillbeabovepar。YouandIcouldmakeagoodthingoutofitbyputtingtheoldfellow’ssevenhundredandfiftythousandfrancsintotheFundsateighty-nine。Onlyyoumusttrytogetitdoneinyourname；itwillbesomuchsecuredanyhow。“
“Acapitalidea！“saidFlore。
“Andastherewillbeanincomeoffiftythousandfrancsfromeighthundredandninetythousand，wemustmakehimborrowonehundredandfortythousandfrancsfortwoyears，tobepaidbackintwoinstalments。Intwoyears，weshallgetonehundredthousandfrancsIN
Paris，andninetythousandhere，andrisknothing。“
“Ifitwerenotforyou，myhandsomeMax，whatwouldbecomeofmenow？“shesaid。
“Oh！to-morrownightatMereCognette’s，afterIhaveseentheParisians，IshallfindawaytomaketheHochonsthemselvesgetridofthem。“
“Ah！whataheadyou’vegot，myangel！Youarealoveofaman。“
TheplaceSaint-JeanisatthecentreofalongstreetcalledattheupperendtherueGrandNarette，andatthelowertheruePetiteNarette。Theword“Narette“isusedinBerrytoexpressthesamelayofthelandastheGenoeseword“salita“indicates，——thatist
