VII.

Blanche Pornic occupied a handsome suite of rooms on the first floor of

a stylish house in the Avenue de Messine, and when George arrived there

he found her reclining upon a divan, studying a part in a new play in

which she was shortly to perform. "So you have come to see me at last!"

she exclaimed. "You have done wisely, for I had about made up my mind to

pay you a visit, even at the risk of meeting your friend Puymirol, who

can't bear the sight of me. Take a seat here, near me," she continued,

"I have a host of things to tell you. I know now that the charming young

girl, who engrossed your attention the other day at the horse-show, is

Albert's sister, and I suppose she has introduced you to her brother."

"Never mind all that," said George, somewhat harshly. "I have come to

talk with you about Dargental's death. Do you know who is accused of the

murder?"

"His valet, I heard. But that's absurd unless, indeed, the fellow were

in the pay of that Madame de Lescombat."

"What! you think it was she who--"

"I haven't the slightest doubt of it. I told you so the other day, you

recollect?"

"Upon what is this opinion based?"

"Upon something I have seen, a letter of hers which Dargental himself

showed me one day after a quarrel he had with this woman. I'm sure too

that he kept it."

"What were its contents?"

"Oh! it alluded to a secret which she had confided to him. She had

poisoned her husband, I fancy, and feared that Dargental would denounce

her. It was only from fear that she consented to marry him, for though

she was crazy about him at first, she finally hated him. And so to

escape becoming his wife, she had him murdered, I'm sure of it."

"By whom, pray?"

"By some scoundrel who was no doubt instructed to secure the letter, as

Dargental's pocket-book is missing."

"Haven't you yourself ever written to Dargental?"

"Oh! yes I have. A hundred times, as I have already told you. I even

confessed to you that he had in his possession a letter which I had

often begged him to return to me, and which he had promised to give me

during the lunch at the Lion d'Or."

"And did this note contain anything of a compromising nature?"

"Decidedly. For I acknowledged in it that I had committed--well, a crime

to do him a service."

"And if this avowal should fall into the hands of an investigating

magistrate, what then?"

"He would naturally suppose that I instigated Dargental's murder. It

might cause me a great deal of trouble, still I think I should succeed

in proving my innocence. As for the matter to which I was stupid enough

to allude in the letter, would you like to know what it was?" George had

not expected to hear Blanche talk in this strain, but he was all ears.

"I am not trying to make myself out any better than I really am," she

continued, "and I frankly admit that I am capable of almost anything

when I am in love with any one; but what I did was simply this. One day

Dargental, whom I was then dreadfully in love with, came to me in a

state of mind bordering on frenzy. He had just lost forty thousand

francs, and he had not a penny left to meet his obligations. This meant

expulsion from his club, and utter ruin, for he lived by play. At any

other time, I would have given him a cheque upon my banker, as I had

often done before, but this happened just after the crash of two years

ago, when I feared that I myself was ruined, and a rascally picture

dealer had just attached some twenty thousand francs I had in the bank.

However, Dargental absolutely needed the money, and I did not know

which way to turn. To be sure, I might have asked old Prince Sourine for

it--he was an ardent admirer of mine, and worth his millions--but he was

furiously angry with me because I had preferred Pierre to him. His

signature was good for any amount, and I had numerous specimens of it in

my desk, for he was in the habit of writing me the most grandiloquent

epistles. Well, Dargental finally proposed that I should forge the

prince's signature upon a note which he was sure of being able to

discount with this indorsement."

"And you consented?" asked George in amazement.

"I would have done even worse, had he asked me. As it was, I forged the

name of Alexis Ivanovitch, Prince Sourine, on the back of the note.

Dargental obtained fifty thousand francs by it, and the money brought

him good luck. He won immense sums at baccarat shortly afterwards, and

was able to take up the note before it became due. But he did not return

it to me. He probably wished to retain it as a weapon against me, in

case I ever quarrelled with him. However, I finally discovered that he

was playing me false with that Madame de Lescombat, so one morning I

paid him a visit, and compelled him to burn the note in my presence. But

I was fool enough at the time not to ask for the letter in which I had

alluded to this affair. When I did remember it, I urged him to return it

to me. Did he really intend to give it to me at the Lion d'Or as he

promised? I doubt it. At all events, death prevented him from doing so,

and I suppose it is locked up somewhere with that note he showed me from

Madame de Lescombat, and it would not surprise me to hear that both of

them had been found."

"And what if Albert should hear this story?" asked George.

"You surely do not think of telling him!" cried Blanche. "That _would_

be mean. But now I understand. You have my letter, and you have come to

sell it to me. How much do you want for it?"

George started up, pale with anger. "Do you take me for Dargental?" he

asked, sternly. "You have associated so much with scoundrels of his

stamp, that you think all men are like him. I will convince you to the

contrary, and you shall bitterly repent having insulted me in this

manner."

"Forgive me," replied Blanche. "I care so much for Albert that the fear

of losing him upsets me completely. You mustn't tell him about my former

infatuation for this unscrupulous man, and that I committed a forgery to

save him. I confessed my crime, if crime it be, to you, because I

trusted in your honour."

"I did not ask you to do so," said George, quickly.

"That is true. I was imprudent enough to accuse myself, still, I am sure

that you won't betray my confidence. If you have my letter, take it to

the investigating magistrate, if you like, but not one word to Albert,

pray."

"It will be my duty to enlighten him."

"Because you expect to be his brother-in-law? Oh, don't deny it.

Mademoiselle Verdon would not have walked about with you, without her

mother, if the marriage was not decided upon. But is that any reason for

blighting my hopes? I, also, might say things against you--tell Albert

that your friend Puymirol isn't much better than Dargental, and that

your intimacy with him has got you into no end of scrapes. But I have no

idea of doing so. You have never injured me, why should I try to injure

you?"

"So be it," said George, who realised the danger of making an enemy of

Mademoiselle Pornic; "I will be silent so far as Albert is concerned,

but I must reserve my right to act, as I see fit, with other people."

"In other words, you reserve the right to denounce me if you like. That

amounts to the same thing. If I were arrested, even temporarily, Albert

would be sure to hear of it. What object can you possibly have in

ruining me?"

"None, but I can not allow an innocent person to be condemned. The truth

is, my friend Puymirol is accused of the crime, he is under arrest, and

I can't abandon him."

"No, certainly not, but it will be easy to prove his innocence, and I

will help you. I will testify that he was lunching with us when

Dargental was killed. The magistrate is aware of this, however, and I

don't see how any suspicion can possibly attach to Puymirol. If there

must be a victim, why don't you mention the Countess de Lescombat to the

magistrate? She, alone, was interested in having Dargental put out of

the way."

These words had scarcely passed Blanche's lips, when her maid entered

the room. "Excuse me, madame," she said, "but there is a lady here who

insists upon seeing you--the Countess de Lescombat she calls herself."

Blanche and George were both overcome with astonishment. The former

hesitated. Her first impulse was to close her doors in the face of the

woman whom she so bitterly hated, but she changed her mind. "Show her

in," she cried to her maid, who instantly turned to obey the order.

"I had better go," remarked George.

"No, no," replied Blanche. "It is just because you are here that I

consent to see her. I want you to hear what she says, for I am satisfied

that she has come here about the letters. Go in there, and don't come

out until I call you." As she spoke, she pushed George into an adjoining

boudoir, the entrance of which was screened by a heavy hanging of silken

fabric. George let her do so; the curtain fell; and he considered that

he had a perfect right to remain thus concealed, and listen to the

conversation which was now about to take place. It was, indeed, needful

he should know what part these women had really played in an affair

which was costing his friend Puymirol so dear. Presently he heard

Blanche ask, in a soft voice: "To what am I indebted for the honour of

your visit?"

"Can't you guess?" replied Madame de Lescombat, in a quiet tone, at once

steady and well modulated.

"No," replied Blanche, curtly, "though I understand very well that your

coming must be due to some pressing need of my assistance."

"I require no one's assistance, I assure you. I have simply an

explanation to ask of you."

"It must be of a decidedly dangerous nature, for you to take the trouble

to come here in person."

"I am in the habit of attending personally to all matters of a personal

nature."

"You are quite right, madame. It is always dangerous to write."

There was a pause, and the two rivals exchanged anything but friendly

glances. Blanche had somewhat the advantage, however, for she was at

home, and the countess, who had called, must speak the first. "We need

not waste any more time on preliminaries," she said, quietly. "I came to

speak of Pierre Dargental, I admit it. That man betrayed us both, and he

has been justly punished. A man cannot trifle with a woman's honour

during years with impunity. Chastisement comes sooner or later. Still, I

foresee certain misfortunes which may result from his death."

"I do not understand you," replied Blanche, coldly.

"You think I came here as an enemy," resumed the countess. "What would

you say if I told you that Dargental once boasted to me of possessing a

letter from you, which he had only to show to have you sent before the

assizes?"

"The assizes!" repeated Blanche, scornfully. "Pierre made such a boast

as that! If he had sent me there, he would have been obliged to

accompany me."

"He is beyond the reach of justice now, for he is dead," replied Madame

de Lescombat, "but you are still alive."

"This time, I understand. Why do you use all this circumlocution to tell

me that he had the cowardice to show and give you the letter you speak

of?"

"And if that were true?"

"I no more fear you than I feared him. He could not denounce me without

ruining himself, for what I did was done to save him, and he alone

profited by it. With you, madame, the case is very different. If you

venture to send my letter to the public prosecutor I shall send him

yours."

"Mine!" exclaimed the countess.

"Yes, madame, you cannot have forgotten that you once sent Pierre an

impassioned missive in which you spoke of a terrible secret you had

confided to him. You placed yourself at his mercy to prove your love."

"And this letter is in your possession?"

"Why shouldn't Pierre have taken the same precautions against you as he

took against me? It was not so easy to subjugate me as you, however, for

I was in a position to defend myself if he had ventured to attack me."

"I also can defend myself," murmured Madame de Lescombat.

"I hope you will not be reduced to that extremity. Now, let us speak

plainly. You did not come here out of kindness of heart to offer to

restore me my letter; but I will tell you why you did come. You knew

that Pierre had your letter, and you anxiously asked yourself if he

might not have entrusted it to me. Well, your ruse has proved

successful. You know what to think now. What do you propose?"

"I think we ought to come to an understanding."

"I think so, too," replied Blanche. "We have nothing to gain by war, so

let us conclude a treaty of peace. We can exchange letters. Give me

mine, and I'll give you yours."

"I haven't yours about me," murmured the countess, visibly embarrassed.

"I am surprised that you left it at home. When a person goes to battle

she ought not to forget her weapons."

"I had no idea that our conversation would take such a turn."

"Well, as soon as I saw you come in, I guessed the object of your visit;

but, as you are not in a position to carry out your part of the compact,

we had better let the subject drop."

"You seem to have no confidence in me. Well, as you refuse to give me my

letter until I have returned you yours, why not accompany me home? My

carriage is at the door. Take my letter, and come with me. The exchange

shall take place in my bedroom. Your letter is locked up in my desk

there."

"I am greatly obliged to you for your kind offer, but it is impossible

for me to leave the house just now. I am expecting a visit."

"Then name some hour at which it will suit you to come and I will remain

at home."

"I shall not be at liberty to-day or to-morrow either, and as your

carriage is at the door, it would be better for you to go home and fetch

the letter."

"Confess that you refuse to accompany me, merely because you are

afraid."

"I do confess it," replied Blanche, calmly. "You have a crowd of

servants who would not hesitate to take the letter from me by force if

you ordered them to do so. To whom could I complain afterwards? The

police would laugh in my face, if I ventured to demand redress. No, I

shall not be foolish enough to place myself at your mercy."

"Nor will I place myself at _your_ mercy."

"The cases are not the same by any means. This house doesn't belong to

me. I am not its only occupant, and my servants are worthy people who

would not dare to lay violent hands upon you, a countess. A fine

countess, indeed! Octavia Crochard, who used to perform at fairs! Ah! if

that were all she ever did! I didn't poison my husband! I did not hire a

rascal to murder my lover!"

"What! you have the audacity to accuse me of Dargental's death?"

"I do, and if you persist in holding your head so high, I shall go to

the investigating magistrate and tell him so."

"You would make a great mistake, my dear. The murderer has already been

discovered--a Monsieur de Puymirol."

"That is absurd! We all know that Puymirol is innocent. The police have

made a mistake, that's all; and they would soon realise it if I told the

magistrate your story. I should repeat to him the terms of your letter

which Pierre showed to me, and which I know by heart. I would even

repeat the terms of mine, and confess what I did for Dargental's sake.

We should see, then, which of us was in the worst scrape. Take my

advice, and don't try and put the blame on Puymirol. He has never been

my lover, but he is the intimate friend of my lover's brother-in-law,

and if you try to injure him, I swear that you shall repent of it,

countess though you are."

George listened to all this with great uneasiness. Madame de Lescombat

had just revealed the fact that she was aware of Puymirol's arrest, and

that she was inclined to cast upon him the suspicion which she feared

might fall upon herself. He was grateful to Blanche for defending

Adhémar, and felt a strong desire to interfere, and frighten the

countess into strict neutrality. He had the means of doing so in his

pocket, as he was the custodian of the letters about which the two

rivals were taunting each other. Still he had a lingering fear, that, if

he made use of these weapons, they might somehow be turned against

Puymirol.

"And now that I see your game," resumed Blanche to the countess, "I

shall just prevent it. As soon as you leave the house you mean to go

straight to the investigating magistrate and fill his ears with the

vilest slander against Puymirol and against me. You shall do nothing of

the kind. Before you leave this room you shall write the confession I

mean to dictate to you."

"You must be mad!" cried Madame de Lescombat.

"I am nothing of the kind. I am in my own house, and if you refuse to

obey me, I shall send word to the commissary of police, and inform him

that two old friends of Dargental's have some important revelations to

make to him about the murder on the Boulevard Haussmann. He will come

and find you here. You may rest assured of that."

"You wretch! do you mean to ruin me?" cried Madame de Lescombat, in

consternation.

"Oh! you are not quite so arrogant now. You are afraid of being sent to

prison. Ah, well, just state in writing that you came here to entreat me

to return you a letter which was written by you to Dargental, and which

deeply compromised you."

"No," said the countess, regaining courage. "I will not write a single

line. Send for all the commissaries in Paris, and tell them whatever you

please. No one will believe you."

"You are very much mistaken. My assertions may not have much weight, but

I will produce a witness to support them."

"A witness! what do you mean?" exclaimed Madame de Lescombat, turning

perceptibly paler.

Blanche, instead of replying, hastened to the silken curtain, dashed it

aside, caught hold of George by the arm, and dragged him into the

presence of the now terrified visitor. George was greatly disturbed, for

he had not expected this, and did not know what he should say to the

countess. He must be careful, at any rate, for an imprudent word might

ruin Puymirol. "Who are you, sir?" asked Madame de Lescombat, when she

had partially recovered from her alarm.

"I am Adhémar de Puymirol's most intimate friend, madame."

"Then you are George Caumont. I have often heard you spoken of, but I

never supposed that I should find you here, playing the part of a spy."

"I am no spy, madame. It was against my will that I entered that

boudoir, and that I listened to your conversation, but now I don't

regret having listened."

"You have the courage of your opinions, I see. Well, have the frankness

to tell me what use you intend to make of the information you have thus

obtained."

"I shall govern my conduct by yours, madame," replied George, looking

searchingly at the countess. "If you dare to accuse my friend of a crime

he has not committed, I shall accuse you."

"Oh! I merely mentioned that Monsieur de Puymirol had been arrested

because I was told so; but as for bothering myself about his affairs, I

take no interest in him whatever."

"Then, why did you ask him to go and see you after the show at the

Palais de l'Industrie? He went to your house, I know, and until I learn

what passed between you two, I have a right to suppose that he has been

compromised through your fault."

"Suppose whatever you like, but allow me to leave this house, unless you

mean to assist this person in detaining me here by force."

"That is not my intention, but I think she does right to exact guarantee

from you."

"I have no idea of writing anything at her dictation, for I scorn her

threats, and I defy you to go and tell a magistrate that you listened at

the door, or to repeat the conversation you just heard. Assertions are

not facts. As for that letter, if it were in mademoiselle's possession,

she would have used it against me long ago. If she has it, let her show

it. She boasted to several people about having it; but, plainly enough,

it was mere brag."

Madame de Lescombat's blow told this time; for Blanche was utterly

unable to produce the famous letter. "I boasted about having seen it!"

she replied. "Why, where can you have obtained your information? I have

never mentioned your letter to anyone excepting Monsieur Caumont, here."

"It was Monsieur de Puymirol who informed me," said the countess.

"Puymirol!" exclaimed George. "That is false!"

"You might be a trifle less rude, sir," responded Madame de Lescombat,

coldly. "Your friend came to my house after the horse show. He alluded

to his financial worries--which were no news to me, however--and spoke

at some length of Pierre Dargental's tragic death. He gave me to

understand that I might find myself seriously compromised, but that it

was in his power to save me from any serious trouble. I had no fears of

that, however, so I declined his offers, but his manner was so strange

and his language so embarrassed, that it occurred to me, that he,

himself, was afraid of being compromised, and that he was trying to make

me share the responsibility of his own conduct. This explains why the

news of his arrest did not surprise me very much." George hung his head,

for he was afraid that this account of the interview might be true.

"This is what I shall tell the magistrate, if he questions me,"

concluded the countess, with an ironical glance at Blanche. "You, sir,

and you, mademoiselle, are at liberty to make use of the weapons you

pretend to hold. But your threats don't alarm me, for I know that you

have no such weapons at all."

"Are you sure of that?" retorted George. He had already forgotten all

his prudent resolutions, and longed to speak his mind freely to this

audacious creature. "Your language does not intimidate me, madame," he

continued. "You deny that you ever wrote Dargental a letter that might

ruin you. Well, I myself have seen that letter, and I am satisfied that

if the magistrate saw it, he would immediately issue a warrant for your

arrest."

"Was it Monsieur de Puymirol that showed it to you?"

"You have guessed correctly. It was Puymirol. In fact he and I found the

pocket-book. Puymirol made a great mistake in trying to profit by one of

the lottery tickets it contained, and he has been severely punished for

doing so. As for myself, I have made no use of the letters as yet, but I

shall, if you force me to do so."

"The letters! There are several, then?"

"There are three."

"Is mine one of them?" asked Blanche, eagerly.

"Yes," was the laconic reply.

"Then, madame here told a falsehood when she said that she had it. I

suspected as much," said the actress.

"You also told an untruth," retorted the countess. "And this gentleman

doubtless intends to exact hush-money from us."

"I scorn to notice your insults," replied George. "I kept the letters,

because I did not know what else to do with them. But now that my friend

is compromised, I must take them to the investigating magistrate at

once. I shall tell him the whole truth, and though he may blame me, the

worst consequences will fall upon the persons who were so deeply

interested in regaining possession of their letters. One of them, at

least, hasn't shrunk from a crime to recover her property."

"I'm not that one," said Blanche, "and you need no better proof of

that, than my earnest approval of your plan, and my wish that you should

see the magistrate as soon as possible."

"Do as you please, sir," said the countess, with pretended indifference.

"You mean to try and exculpate Monsieur de Puymirol and to inculpate me.

I think, however, that you will only aggravate your friend's situation,

for this story of the finding and keeping of the pocket-book does not

redound to his credit or to yours. Besides, a magistrate won't accuse a

person of my rank merely because a letter of hers is shown to him at the

same time as letters from other women of greatly inferior position. If

the magistrate suspects any one, it will be mademoiselle here, or else

the writer of the third letter; that is, unless the three correspondents

are only an invention--I shall only believe your story when I have proof

of it."

"I will furnish proof," cried George, yielding to a sudden impulse, and

as he spoke he drew the letters from his pocket, and spread them out in

his hand in the form of a fan. "Do you recognise yours?" he said to the

countess.

Madame de Lescombat turned pale, but made no reply. "I recognise mine,"

answered Blanche, promptly. "It is the one on the right. Madame's is the

one to the left. Dargental once showed it to me, and the handwriting is

not of a kind that one is likely to forget."

At this moment the door of the room opened and Albert Verdon swept in

like a whirlwind. "George!" he exclaimed, in astonishment. "Well, well,

I am delighted to see you! But what the deuce are you doing? Are you

playing cards with Blanche?"

At sight of a stranger, the countess lowered her veil, and turned

towards the door. As she did so, Albert perceived her, and hastily

doffing his hat, stammered: "Excuse me, madame. But I thought Blanche

was alone with this gentleman, who is my friend, and who will soon be my

brother-in-law."

The countess gave him a keen glance and reflected: "So this young fellow

is this girl's lover, and Caumont is about to marry his sister. I am

saved. Caumont won't dare to hand the letters to a magistrate." Then,

instead of replying to Albert's apology, she bowed to the entire

company, and left the room. Blanche responded by a gesture that

signified "Good riddance," while George remained so entirely taken by

surprise, that he lacked the presence of mind to conceal the letters

which the young officer had mistaken for playing-cards. "Well, well,"

said Albert, "why do you all look so strange? Who was that lady dressed

in black? You seemed to be acting a tragedy, together."

"You are about right," said Blanche, gaily. "You have just seen the

Countess de Lescombat."

"The lady to whom you wished to send me as envoy extraordinary? And she

has paid you a visit? Have you signed a treaty of peace?"

"Oh, no; didn't you notice that she went off in a huff?"

"That's true. She looked furious; but you spoke the other day of a

letter she refused to return to you. Did she bring it back to you

to-day?"

"On the contrary, she came to ask me to return a letter of hers. But

don't try to solve the mystery. You will not succeed."

"But I must. If you won't tell me anything, I shall apply to George."

"Oh! he's free to tell you what he likes," rejoined Blanche.

George being thus referred to, felt that he could not remain silent, and

so, with the best grace he could muster, he began: "You have a right to

know the whole truth, my dear Albert. You recollect that I spoke to you

yesterday, and again this morning, about my friend Puymirol, and the

anxiety his prolonged absence caused me? Well, he has been arrested on

the charge of murdering that Monsieur Dargental, who, as you already

know, was formerly one of Blanche's admirers."

"Indeed! arrested!" exclaimed Albert. "How can that be? How can

suspicion have fallen on him?"

"Listen to me," said George. "I will explain everything;" and thereupon

he gave Albert a substantial account of all he knew; the dropping of the

pocket-book into the cab; the lunch at the Lion d'Or; the finding of

Dargental's dead body; Puymirol's determination to discover the writers

of the letters contained in the pocket-book; his subsequent

disappearance, his attempt to cash a winning lottery ticket, his arrest,

and the search made in the Rue de Medicis. "It was very foolish on

Puymirol's part," he added, "for him to conceive the idea of conducting

an investigation instead of reporting the facts to the authorities; but

it was in vain that I represented to him that he would place himself in

a very dangerous position. He first went to the house of the Countess de

Lescombat. Ah! I forgot to tell you that one of the letters found in the

pocket-book had evidently come from her."

"And was one of the others from Blanche?" asked Albert.

"Yes," replied Mademoiselle Pornic, promptly, "and I will explain it

after you have read it. Monsieur Caumont can show it to you."

"Are the letters in your possession?" asked the young officer, looking

searchingly at George.

"I have had them for two days past. Puymirol, before calling upon the

countess, intrusted them to my keeping, and I have not been able to

return them, as I have not seen him since."

"Read my letter," insisted Blanche.

"Are you willing to show it to me?" inquired Albert.

"Perfectly willing," replied George, "and the two others also. Besides,

I want your advice in this matter; but it must be given with a full

knowledge of all the circumstances. Here are the letters," he added

holding them out. "Begin with Mademoiselle Pornic's. The top one won't

be interesting to you, as we have no clue to the writer."

"It is very strange," exclaimed the officer, "but I am almost sure that

I recognise the handwriting." And at the same time he turned very pale.

George looked at him in surprise, and was suddenly seized with the idea

that the third missive must have been written by some one closely

connected with his future brother-in-law. Accordingly he hastily slipped

it between the others, and lowered his hand. He had not been mistaken,

for Albert, in a voice husky with emotion, resumed: "I am wrong of

course, but give me the letter. I should like to examine it more

closely. Why do you hesitate? You must know who wrote it?"

"No! I swear I don't."

"Then show it to me. I have good eyes, and I saw it only too well. I

can't remain in this cruel suspense. Give me the letter, I tell you."

George turned pale in his turn. He felt that matters were becoming

serious, and he asked himself anxiously how he could get out of the

scrape. "My dear Albert," he said, with an evident effort, "you must see

that you are placing me in a very embarrassing position. Give me, at

least, an explanation that will relieve me of any responsibility.

Convince me that you have some serious reason for reading that letter."

"It is so serious that if you refuse to give it me, I will have no

further connection with you."

"But whom do you suppose the writer to be?"

"I won't answer you--I can't."

"Then you must excuse me from yielding to a whim which you don't even

take the trouble to justify. You threaten to withdraw your friendship,

well, I appeal to your reason. If need be, I will leave the matter to

umpires of your own selection."

"I cannot explain here."

"That means you distrust me," exclaimed Blanche. "Ah, well, my friend,

don't let me stand in your way. I will leave you alone with Monsieur

Caumont, and you can talk without fear of being overheard. There is no

one in the adjoining boudoir, and I will go to my dressing room, at the

other end of the flat."

George and the young lieutenant were left standing face to face, equally

agitated and embarrassed. "You promised to show me that letter if I

would name the writer," finally said the officer in a hoarse voice.

"But how can you do that? You scarcely saw the letter, and all feminine

handwriting is more or less alike."

"This is so familiar, that I cannot possibly be mistaken. It is as well

known to me as my sister's."

"Pray don't speak of your sister in connection with this matter," said

George entreatingly.

"Would you rather I spoke of my mother?"

"Your mother! What do you mean?"

"She wrote that letter. I am certain of it."

"Impossible! You must be mistaken."

"I should recognise the hand among a thousand."

"You forget that the writer of this missive instigated Dargental's

murder," insisted George, imprudently, "for it seems almost certain that

she was the guilty party, since it was neither Blanche nor the Countess

de Lescombat; and how can you think Madame Verdon capable of such a

crime? You never met Dargental. You never even heard of him prior to

your arrival in Paris."

"I have not lived with my mother since I was a child."

"But your sister has never left her, and she only heard of Dargental

through the papers. Your mother obtained her information about his death

from the same source, and it did not affect her in the least."

"How do you know?"

"We at least know that Madame Verdon is preparing for her approaching

marriage. Besides, where could she have found a scoundrel willing to

risk his life for her sake, in order to kill Dargental?"

"Rochas is capable of any crime," said Albert. George hung his head. He

had not been prepared for this reply, and he felt the horror of the

situation more keenly than ever. "I am grateful to you for defending

her," continued the young officer, gravely, "but I entreat you not to

leave me in this cruel uncertainty. Show me the letter."

"If it comes from her, what shall you do?"

"I don't know; but one thing is certain, my sister must know nothing of

this."

"You can depend upon my silence. But really I cannot allow you to read

the letter."

"So be it," said Albert, with an evident effort. "I shall be satisfied

if you will merely show it to me. A single glance will suffice to dispel

my doubts. That is enough," he said, bitterly, as George held it out for

his inspection, with a trembling hand. "I can no longer doubt."

"Let me burn it here and now," pleaded George.

"Why burn it? On the contrary, you must keep it. It will help you in

proving that your friend is innocent."

"Can you suppose I would show it to the investigating magistrate? I

bless the chance that brought you here. But for this conversation with

you, I should have handed this correspondence to the magistrate in the

hope of saving my friend. Now, I would rather die than show him these

letters. If you insist upon my keeping them, instead of destroying them,

I will submit to your decision; but I fear that they may be taken from

me. The search in Puymirol's apartments may be repeated to-morrow, and

this time perhaps in my rooms as well."

"You are right; but I am anxious that you should remain armed. Intrust

these letters to some one."

"To whom could I safely intrust them?"

"Place them in an envelope, seal it securely, and intrust the packet to

a man who would rather let himself be hacked to pieces than give it up,

or even open it--in short, give it to Roch Plancoët."

"I scarcely know him."

"But I know him, and I will send him to you."

"I will do as you wish, but--"

"My decision is formed. My mother must leave France immediately, never

to return. I will see that she does so, and I will make Gabrielle

understand that from this day forth, she and I no longer have a mother.

You must devote yourself to your friend. Save him, if you can, and when

he is at liberty, advise him, also, to disappear. If he should be

obliged to speak of the letters in order to get himself out of the

scrape, he can only denounce Blanche and the countess as he does not

know the writer of the other letter. If the magistrate questions you,

tell him you have burned them all. Now go. I must invent some story to

prevent Blanche from guessing the truth. You may expect a visit from me

to-morrow morning. I shall have something fresh to tell you then."

George, overcome with emotion, made no response, but staggered out of

the house like a drunken man.