little sealed box ten thousand francs worth of
diamonds. The paper said that in case he should not return, he left us
this money and these diamonds in trust to found masses to thank God for
his escape and for his salvation.

"'At that time I still had my husband, who ran off in search of him.
And this is the queer part of the story: he brought back the Spaniard's
clothes, which he had found under a big stone on a sort of breakwater
along the river bank, nearly opposite la Grande Breteche. My husband
went so early that no one saw him. After reading the letter, he burnt
the clothes, and, in obedience to Count Feredia's wish, we announced
that he had escaped.

"'The sub-prefect set all the constabulary at his heels; but, pshaw! he
was never caught. Lepas believed that the Spaniard had drowned himself.
I, sir, have never thought so; I believe, on the contrary, that he had
something to do with the business about Madame de Merret, seeing that
Rosalie told me that the crucifix her mistress was so fond of that she
had it buried with her, was made of ebony and silver; now in the early
days of his stay here, Monsieur Feredia had one of ebony and silver
which I never saw later.--And now, monsieur, do not you say that I need
have no remorse about the Spaniard's fifteen thousand francs? Are they
not really and truly mine?'

"'Certainly.--But have you never tried to question Rosalie?' said I.

"'Oh, to be sure I have, sir. But what is to be done? That girl is like
a wall. She knows something, but it is impossible to make her talk.'

"After chatting with me for a few minutes, my hostess left me a prey
to vague and sinister thoughts, to romantic curiosity, and a religious
dread, not unlike the deep emotion which comes upon us when we go into a
dark church at night and discern a feeble light glimmering under a lofty
vault--a dim figure glides across--the sweep of a gown or of a priest's
cassock is audible--and we shiver! La Grande Breteche, with its rank
grasses, its shuttered windows, its rusty iron-work, its locked doors,
its deserted rooms, suddenly rose before me in fantastic vividness. I
tried to get into the mysterious dwelling to search out the heart of
this solemn story, this drama which had killed three persons.

"Rosalie became in my eyes the most interesting being in Vendome. As
I studied her, I detected signs of an inmost thought, in spite of the
blooming health that glowed in her dimpled face. There was in her soul
s