that, it seems to me that if you had written nothing the police
would have found nothing to bite."

"My dear Brigitte," said Thuillier, seeing la Peyrade shrug his
shoulders, "your argument is vicious in the sense that the writing was
not incriminating on any side. It is not la Peyrade's fault if persons
of high station have organized a persecution against me. You remember
that little substitute, Monsieur Olivier Vinet, whom Cardot brought to
one of our receptions. It seems that he and his father are furious that
we didn't want him for Celeste, and they've sworn my destruction."

"Well, why did we refuse him," said Brigitte, "if it wasn't for the fine
eyes of monsieur here? For, after all, a substitute in Paris is a very
suitable match."

"No doubt," said la Peyrade, nonchalantly. "Only, he did not happen to
bring you a million."

"Ah!" cried Brigitte, firing up. "If you are going to talk any more
about that house you helped us to buy, I shall tell you plainly that
if you had had the money to trick the notary you never would have come
after us. You needn't think I have been altogether your dupe. You spoke
just now of a bargain, but you proposed that bargain yourself. 'Give me
Celeste and I'll get you that house,'--that's what you said to us in so
many words. Besides which, we had to pay large sums on which we never
counted."

"Come, come, Brigitte," said Thuillier, "you are making a great deal out
of nothing."

"Nothing! nothing!" exclaimed Brigitte. "Did we, or did we not, have to
pay much more than we expected?"

"My dear Thuillier," said la Peyrade, "I think, with you, that the
matter is now settled, and it can only be embittered by discussing it
further. My course was decided on before I came here; all that I have
now heard can only confirm it. I shall not be the husband of Celeste,
but you and I can remain good friends."

He rose to leave the room.

"One moment, monsieur," said Brigitte, barring his way; "there is one
matter which I do not consider settled; and now that we are no longer to
have interests in common, I should not be sorry if you would be so good
as to tell me what has become of a sum of ten thousand francs which
Thuillier gave you to bribe those rascally government offices in order
to get the cross we have never got."

"Brigitte!" cried Thuillier, in anguish, "you have a devil of a tongue!
You ought to be silent about that; I told it to you in a moment of
ill-temper, and you promised me