Fariosatdownonthestepsofachapelaltar，holdinghisheadbetweenhishands。AfterhalfanhourofSpanishreflections，hespiedthesquirrel，whichGoddetcouldnotrefrainfromgivinghimasaguest，playingwithitstailuponacross-beam，onthemiddleofwhichrestedoneoftheuprightsthatsupportedtheroof。TheSpaniardroseandturnedtohiswatchmanwithafacethatwasascalmandcoldasanArab’s。Hemadenocomplaint，butwenthome，hiredlaborerstogatherintosackswhatremainedofthesoundgrain，andtospreadinthesunallthatwasmoist，soastosaveasmuchaspossible；then，afterestimatingthathislossesamountedtoaboutthreefifths，heattendedtofillinghisorders。Buthispreviousmanipulationsofthemarkethadraisedthepriceofcereals，andhelostonthethreefifthshewasobligedtobuytofillhisorders；sothathislossesamountedreallytomorethanhalf。TheSpaniard，whohadnoenemies，atonceattributedthisrevengetoGilet。HewasconvincedthatMaxenceandsomeothersweretheauthorsofallthenocturnalmischief，andhadinallprobabilitycarriedhiscartuptheembankmentofthetower，andnowintendedtoamusethemselvesbyruininghim。Itwasamattertohimofoverthreethousandfrancs，——verynearlythewholecapitalhehadscrapedtogethersincethepeace。Drivenbythedesireforvengeance，themannowdisplayedthecunningandstealthypersistenceofadetectivetowhomalargerewardisoffered。HidingatnightindifferentpartsofIssoudun，hesoonacquiredproofoftheproceedingsoftheKnightsofIdleness；hesawthemall，countedthem，watchedtheirrendezvous，andknewoftheirsuppersatMereCognette’s；afterthathelayinwaittowitnessoneoftheirdeeds，andthusbecamewellinformedastotheirnocturnalhabits。
InspiteofMax’sjourneysandpre-occupations，hehadnointentionofneglectinghisnightlyemployments，——first，becausehedidnotwishhiscomradestosuspectthesecretofhisoperationswithPereRouget’sproperty；andsecondly，tokeeptheKnightswellinhand。
Theywerethereforeconvenedforthepreparationofaprankwhichmightdeservetobetalkedofforyearstocome。Poisonedmeatwastobethrownonagivennighttoeverywatch-doginthetownandintheenvirons。Fariooverheardthemcongratulatingeachother，astheycameoutfromasupperattheCognettes’，ontheprobablesuccessoftheperformance，andlaughingoverthegeneralmourningthatwouldfollowthisnovelmassacreoftheinnocents，——revelling，moreover，intheapprehensionsitwouldexciteastothesinisterobjectofdeprivingallthehouseholdsoftheirguardianwatch-dogs。
“ItwillmakepeopleforgetFario’scart，“saidGoddet。
Fariodidnotneedthatspeechtoconfirmhissuspicions；besides，hismindwasalreadymadeup。