The old lady now told her granddaughter
to leave her alone with Madame Bridau and Joseph until the arrival of
visitors.
"For," she said, turning to the Parisians, "I know my Issoudun by
heart; we shall have ten or twelve batches of inquisitive folk here
to-night."
In fact Madame Hochon had hardly related the events and the details
concerning the astounding influence obtained by Maxence Gilet and the
Rabouilleuse over Jean-Jacques Rouget (without, of course, following
the synthetical method with which they have been presented here),
adding the many comments, descriptions, and hypotheses with which the
good and evil tongues of the town embroidered them, before Adolphine
announced the approach of the Borniche, Beaussier, Lousteau-Prangin,
Fichet, Goddet-Herau families; in all, fourteen persons looming in the
distance.
"You now see, my dear child," said the old lady, concluding her tale,
"that it will not be an easy matter to get this property out of the
jaws of the wolf--"
"It seems to me so difficult--with a scoundrel such as you represent
him, and a daring woman like that crab-girl--as to be actually
impossible," remarked Joseph. "We should have to stay a year in
Issoudun to counteract their influence and overthrow their dominion
over my uncle. Money isn't worth such a struggle,--not to speak of the
meannesses to which we should have to condescend. My mother has only
two weeks' leave of absence; her place is a permanent one, and she
must not risk it.
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