the contrary, I shall certainly expect you."

"In that case, very well." Thereupon he bowed and left the room.

But Mademoiselle Marguerite followed him on to the landing. "You know,
monsieur," she said, speaking rapidly in an undertone, "that I am not
M. de Chalusse's daughter. You may, therefore, tell me the truth. Is his
condition hopeless?"

"Alarming--yes; hopeless--no."

"But, monsieur, this terrible unconsciousness----"

"It usually follows such an attack as he has been the victim of. Still
we may hope that the paralysis will gradually disappear, and the power
of motion return after a time."

Mademoiselle Marguerite was listening, pale, agitated, and embarrassed.
It was evident that she had a question on her lips which she scarcely
dared to ask. At last, however, summoning all her courage, she
exclaimed: "And if M. de Chalusse should not recover, will he die
without regaining consciousness--without being able to speak?"

"I am unable to say, mademoiselle--the count's malady is one of those
which set at naught all the hypotheses of science."

She thanked him sadly, sent a servant to summon Madame Leon, and
returned to the count's room.

As for the doctor, he said to himself as he went downstairs, "What a
strange girl! Is she afraid that the count will regain consciousness?
or, on the contrary, does she wish him to speak? Is there any question
of a will under all this? What else can it be? What is at stake?" His
preoccupation was so intense that he almost forgot where he was going,
and he paused on every step. It was not until the fresh air of the
courtyard blew upon his face, reminding him of the realities of life,
that the charlatanesque element in his nature regained the ascendency.
"My friend," he said, addressing M. Casimir, who was lighting him out,
"you must at once have some straw spread over the street so as to deaden
the sound of the vehicles. And to-morrow, you must inform the commissary
of police."

Ten minutes later a thick bed of straw had been strewed across the
thoroughfare, and the drivers of passing vehicles involuntarily
slackened their speed, for every one in Paris knows what this signifies.
M. Casimir personally superintended the work which was intrusted to the
grooms, and he was about to return indoors again, when a young man, who
had been walking up and down in front of the mansion for more than an
hour, hastily approached him. He was a beardless fellow with a strangely
wrinkled