In what sense has De Maupassant provided a false climax toward the end of The Piece of String by Guy de Maupassant?

The anti-hero, Haycorne, is portrayed convincingly, as a simpleton - and thus his neighbours must have known him. It is possible that nearby villagers who did not know him would mistake him to be a clever rogue in arranging for a sneaky return of the missing wallet, but surely his reputation would make itself known fairly quickly. His tormentors may have briefly enjoyed taunting a fool but it seems unlikely that no one who knew him would come to his rescue, particularly as the ridicule drove him into his death bed. The French are not so heartless.