e garden.
I hastened there, very much surprised, for the weather was extremely
disagreeable. 'Dear Marguerite,' he said, on seeing me, 'help me to find
the fragments of that letter which I flung from the window this morning.
I would give half my fortune for an address which it must certainly have
contained, but which I quite overlooked in my anger.' I helped him as
he asked. He might have reasonably hoped to succeed, for it was raining
when the scraps of paper were thrown out, and instead of flying through
the air, they fell directly on to the ground. We succeeded in finding
a large number of the scraps, but what M. de Chalusse so particularly
wanted was not to be read on any one of them. Several times he spoke of
his regret, and cursed his precipitation."

M. Bourigeau, the concierge, and M. Casimir exchanged a significant
smile. They had seen the count searching for the remnants of this
letter, and had thought him little better than an idiot. But now
everything was explained.

"I was much grieved at the count's disappointment," continued
Mademoiselle Marguerite, "but suddenly he exclaimed, joyfully: 'That
address--why, such a person will give it to me--what a fool I am!'"

The physician evinced such absorbing interest in this narrative that he
forgot to retain his usual impassive attitude. "Such a person! Who--who
was this person?" he inquired eagerly, without apparently realizing the
impropriety of his question.

But the girl felt indignant. She silenced her indiscreet questioner
with a haughty glance, and in the driest possible tone, replied: "I have
forgotten the name."

Cut to the quick, the doctor suddenly resumed his master's pose; but all
the same his imperturbable sang-froid was sensibly impaired. "Believe
me, mademoiselle, that interest alone--a most respectful interest--"

She did not even seem to hear his excuse, but resumed: "I know, however,
monsieur, that M. de Chalusse intended applying to the police if he
failed to obtain this address from the person in question. After this he
appeared to be entirely at ease. At three o'clock he rang for his valet,
and ordered dinner two hours earlier than usual. We sat down to table
at about half-past four. At five he rose, kissed me gayly, and left the
house on foot, telling me that he was confident of success, and that he
did not expect to return before midnight." The poor child's firmness now
gave way; her eyes filled with tears, and it was in a voice choked