to the grandson of a former judge,--the
victim, no doubt, of youthful error. But the complaint has been made,
the delinquent admits his guilt, I have drawn up the proces-verbal,
and served the warrant of arrest; I cannot go back on that. As for the
incarceration, I will put him in the Conciergerie."

"Thank you, monsieur," said the unhappy Bourlac.

With the words he fell rigid on the snow, and rolled into one of the
hollows round the trees of the boulevard.

The commissary of police called for help, and Nepomucene ran up,
together with Madame Vauthier. The old man was carried to his room,
and Madame Vauthier begged the commissary to call on his way in the rue
d'Enfer, and send Doctor Berton as soon as possible.

"What is the matter with my grandfather?" asked poor Auguste.

"He is out of his head. You see what it is to steal," said the Vauthier.

Auguste made a movement as though he would dash out his brains. The two
agents caught him.

"Come, young man, be calm," said the commissary of police; "you have
done wrong, but it may not be irreparable--"

"Monsieur, will you tell that woman my grandfather hasn't had anything
to ear for twenty-four hours?"

"Oh! the poor things!" exclaimed the commissary under his breath.

He stopped the coach, which had started, and said a word in the ear
of one of his agents, who got out and ran to Madame Vauthier, and then
returned.

When Dr. Berton arrived he declared that Monsieur Bernard (he knew him
only under that name) had a high fever of great intensity. After hearing
from Madame Vauthier all the events which had brought on this crisis
(related after the manner of such women) he informed Monsieur Alain
the next morning, at Saint-Jacques du Haut-Pas, of the present state of
affairs; on which Monsieur Alain despatched a note in pencil by a street
messenger to Monsieur Joseph.

Godefroid had given Monsieur Joseph, on his return from the boulevard
du Mont-Parnasse the night before, the notes confided to him by Auguste,
and Monsieur Joseph had spent part of the night in reading the first
volume of Baron Bourlac's work.

The next morning after breakfast Madame de la Chanterie told her
neophyte that he should, if his resolution still held good, be put to
work at once. Godefroid, initiated by her into the financial secrets
of the society, worked steadily seven or eight hours a day for several
months, under the inspection of Frederic Mongenod, who came every
Sunday to examine