er to-morrow; in this way they will be paid
for."

The advocate began to remonstrate. He certainly did not refuse to pay,
only he thought he ought to be consulted when any purchases were made.
He didn't like this way of disposing of his money.

"What a fellow!" said the usurer, shrugging his shoulders; "do you want
to make the girl unhappy for nothing at all? She won't let you off yet,
my friend. You may be quite sure she will eat up your new fortune also.
And you know, if you need any money for the wedding, you have but to
give me some guarantee. Procure me an introduction to the notary, and
everything shall be arranged. But I must go. On Monday then."

Noel listened, to make sure that the usurer had actually gone. When he
heard him descending the staircase, "Scoundrel!" he cried, "miserable
thieving old skinflint! Didn't he need a lot of persuading? He had quite
made up his mind to sue me. It would have been a pleasant thing had
the count come to hear of it. Vile usurer! I was afraid, one moment, of
being obliged to tell him all."

While inveighing thus against the money-lender, the advocate looked at
his watch.

"Half-past five already," he said.

His indecision was great. Ought he to go and dine with his father? Could
he leave Madame Gerdy? He longed to dine at the de Commarin mansion;
yet, on the other hand, to leave a dying woman!

"Decidedly," he murmured, "I can't go."

He sat down at his desk, and with all haste wrote a letter of apology
to his father. Madame Gerdy, he said, might die at any moment; he must
remain with her. As he bade the servant give the note to a messenger, to
carry it to the count, a sudden thought seemed to strike him.

"Does madame's brother," he asked, "know that she is dangerously ill?"

"I do not know, sir," replied the servant, "at any rate, I have not
informed him."

"What, did you not think to send him word? Run to his house quickly.
Have him sought for, if he is not at home; he must come."

Considerably more at ease, Noel went and sat in the sick-room. The lamp
was lighted; and the nun was moving about the room as though quite at
home, dusting and arranging everything, and putting it in its place. She
wore an air of satisfaction, that Noel did not fail to notice.

"Have we any gleam of hope, sister?" he asked.

"Perhaps," replied the nun. "The priest has been here, sir; your dear
mother did not notice his presence; but he is coming back. That is not
all. Since the p