of her
behavior to so impassioned a lover, and afraid besides that she might be
suspected of complicity. In her wish to prove that she had not touched
the money left in her keeping, she lost all regard for appearances; and
besides, it did not occur to her that the notary was a man. She flung
off the eider-down quilt, sprang to her desk (flitting past the lawyer
like an angel out of one of the vignettes which illustrate Lamartine's
books), held out the notes, and went back in confusion to bed.

"You are an angel, madame." (She was to be an angel for all the world,
it seemed.) "But this will not be the end of it. I count upon your
influence to save us."

"To save you! I will do it or die! Love that will not shrink from a
crime must be love indeed. Is there a woman in the world for whom such a
thing has been done? Poor boy! Come, do not lose time, dear M. Chesnel;
and count upon me as upon yourself."

"Mme. la Duchesse! Mme. la Duchesse!" It was all that he could say, so
overcome was he. He cried, he could have danced; but he was afraid of
losing his senses, and refrained.

"Between us, we will save him," she said, as he left the room.

Chesnel went straight to Josephin. Josephin unlocked the young Count's
desk and writing-table. Very luckily, the notary found letters which
might be useful, letters from du Croisier and the Kellers. Then he took
a place in a diligence which was just about to start; and by dint of
fees to the postilions, the lumbering vehicle went as quickly as the
coach. His two fellow-passengers on the journey happened to be in as
great a hurry as himself, and readily agreed to take their meals in
the carriage. Thus swept over the road, the notary reached the Rue du
Bercail, after three days of absence, an hour before midnight. And
yet he was too late. He saw the gendarmes at the gate, crossed the
threshold, and met the young Count in the courtyard. Victurnien had been
arrested. If Chesnel had had the power, he would beyond a doubt
have killed the officers and men; as it was, he could only fall on
Victurnien's neck.

"If I cannot hush this matter up, you must kill yourself before the
indictment is made out," he whispered. But Victurnien had sunk into such
stupor, that he stared back uncomprehendingly.

"Kill myself?" he repeated.

"Yes. If your courage should fail, my boy, count upon me," said Chesnel,
squeezing Victurnien's hand.

In spite of the anguish of mind and tottering limbs, he stood f