The next day, more than one inhabitant must have said to his neighbor: "Did you hear those frightful cries last night, about one o'clock?
I thought there was surely a fire somewhere." A supper worthy of La Cognette brightened the faces of the twenty-two guests; for the whole Order was present.

At two in the morning, as they were beginning to "siroter" (a word in the vocabulary of the Knights which admirably expresses the act of sipping and tasting the wine in small quantities), Max rose to speak:-- "My dear fellows! the honor of your grand master was grossly attacked this morning, after our memorable joke with Fario's cart,--attacked by a vile peddler, and what is more, a Spaniard (oh, Cabrera!); and I have resolved to make the scoundrel feel the weight of my vengeance; always, of course, within the limits we have laid down for our fun.

After reflecting about it all day, I have found a trick which is worth putting into execution,--a famous trick, that will drive him crazy.

While avenging the insult offered to the Order in my person, we shall be feeding the sacred animals of the Egyptians,--little beasts which are, after all, the creatures of God, and which man unjustly persecutes.
Thus we see that good is the child of evil, and evil is the offspring of good; such is the paramount law of the universe! I now order you all, on pain of displeasing your very humble grand master, to procure clandestinely, each one of you, twenty rats, male or female as heaven pleases.

Collect your contingent within three days.