boilingfromalltheworld。Fortwoyearshehadboiledhiseggswithasuccesswhichearnedhimmanywitticisms。Butnow，everynightforawholemonth，theeggsweretakenfromhishen-house，andhard-boiledeggssubstituted。Thesub-prefectwasathiswits’end，andlosthisreputationasthe“sous-prefetal’oeuf。“Finallyhewasforcedtobreakfastonotherthings。YetheneversuspectedtheKnightsofIdleness，whosetrickhadbeencautiouslyplayed。Afterthis，Maxmanagedtogreasethesub-prefect’sstoveseverynightwithanoilwhichsentforthsofetidasmellthatitwasimpossibleforanyonetostayinthehouse。Eventhatwasnotenough；hiswife，goingtomassonemorning，foundhershawlgluedtogetherontheinsidewithsometenacioussubstance，sothatshewasobligedtogowithoutit。
Thesub-prefectfinallyaskedforanotherappointment。ThecowardlysubmissivenessofthisofficerhadmuchtodowithfirmlyestablishingtheweirdandcomicauthorityoftheKnightsofIdleness。
BeyondtheruedesMinimesandtheplaceMisere，asectionofaquarterwasatthattimeenclosedbetweenanarmofthe“Riviereforcee“onthelowersideandtherampartsontheother，beginningattheplaced’Armesandgoingasfarasthepotterymarket。Thisirregularsquareisfilledwithpoor-lookinghousescrowdedoneagainsttheother，anddividedhereandtherebystreetssonarrowthattwopersonscannotwalkabreast。Thissectionofthetown，asortofcourdesMiracles，wasoccupiedbypoorpeopleorpersonsworkingattradesthatwerelittleremunerative，——apopulationlivinginhovels，andbuildingscalledpicturesquelybythefamiliartermof“blindhouses。“Fromtheearliestagesthishasnodoubtbeenanaccursedquarter，thehauntofevil-doers；infactonethoroughfareisnamed“thestreetoftheExecutioner。“Formorethanfivecenturiesithasbeencustomaryfortheexecutionertohaveareddoorattheentranceofhishouse。TheassistantoftheexecutionerofChateaurouxstilllivesthere，——ifwearetobelievepublicrumor，forthetownspeopleneverseehim:thevine-dressersalonemaintainanintercoursewiththismysteriousbeing，whoinheritsfromhispredecessorsthegiftofcuringwoundsandfractures。InthedayswhenIssoudunassumedtheairsofacapitalcitythewomenofthetownmadethissectionofitthesceneoftheirwanderings。Herecamethesecond-handsellersofthingsthatlookasiftheynevercouldfindapurchaser，old-clothesdealerswhosewaresinfectedtheair；inshort，itwastherendezvousofthatapocryphalpopulationwhichistobefoundinnearlyallsuchportionsofacity，wheretwoorthreeJewshavegainedanascendency。
Atthecornerofoneofthesegloomystreetsinthelivelierhalfofthequarter，thereexistedfrom1815to1823，andperhapslater，apublic-housekeptbyawomancommonlycalledMereCognette。Thehouseitselfwastolerablywellbuilt，incoursesofwhitestone，withtheintermediaryspacesfilledinwithashlarandcement，onestoreyhighwithanatticabove。Overthedoorwasanenormousbranchofpine，lookingasthoughitwerecastinFlorentinebronze。Asifthissymbolwerenotexplanatoryenough，theeyewasarrestedbytheblueofaposterwhichwaspastedoverthedoorway，andonwhichappeared，abovethewords“GoodBeerofMars，“thepictureofasoldierpouringout，inthedirectionofaverydecolleteewoman，ajetoffoamwhichspurtedinanarchedlinefromthepitchertotheglasswhichshewasholdingtowardshim；thewholeofacolortomakeDelacroixswoon。
Theground-floorwasoccupiedbyanimmensehallservingbothaskitchenanddining-room，fromthebeamsofwhichhung，suspendedbyhugenails，theprovisionsneededforthecustomofsuchahouse。