d been sent to the great Exposition at Manchester,
had received the gold medal, whereby its success was definitely
established. Madame Georges called Risler into the garden at the
luncheon hour, wishing to be the first to tell him the good news.

For the moment a proud smile relaxed his prematurely old, gloomy
features. His inventor's vanity, his pride in his renown, above all, the
idea of repairing thus magnificently the wrong done to the family by his
wife, gave him a moment of true happiness. He pressed Claire's hands and
murmured, as in the old days:

"I am very happy! I am very happy!"

But what a difference in tone! He said it without enthusiasm,
hopelessly, with the satisfaction of a task accomplished, and nothing
more.

The bell rang for the workmen to return, and Risler went calmly upstairs
to resume his work as on other days.

In a moment he came down again. In spite of all, that news had excited
him more than he cared to show. He wandered about the garden, prowled
around the counting-room, smiling sadly at Pere Planus through the
window.

"What ails him?" the old cashier wondered. "What does he want of me?"

At last, when night came and it was time to close the office, Risler
summoned courage to go and speak to him.

"Planus, my old friend, I should like--"

He hesitated a moment.

"I should like you to give me the--letter, you know, the little letter
and the package."

Sigismond stared at him in amazement. In his innocence, he had imagined
that Risler never thought of Sidonie, that he had entirely forgotten
her.

"What--you want--?"

"Ah! I have well earned it; I can think of myself a little now. I have
thought enough of others."

"You are right," said Planus. "Well, this is what we'll do. The letter
and package are at my house at Montrouge. If you choose, we will go
and dine together at the Palais-Royal, as in the good old times. I will
stand treat. We'll water your medal with a bottle of wine; something
choice! Then we'll go to the house together. You can get your trinkets,
and if it's too late for you to go home, Mademoiselle Planus, my sister,
shall make up a bed for you, and you shall pass the night with us. We
are very comfortable there--it's in the country. To-morrow morning at
seven o'clock we'll come back to the factory by the first omnibus. Come,
old fellow, give me this pleasure. If you don't, I shall think you still
bear your old Sigismond a grudge."

Risler accepted. He care