ncs to pay, and afterward what
is to become of us?"

Then a long silence broken by the words once more, "Oh! how miserable I
am!" He paced his room like a prisoner in his cell.

"What am I to do? I am afraid to try anything. I might, to be sure, earn
a crust of bread for myself, but what is to become of her? Poor Jane!
and yet I would give my very life to spare her one pang. If she pleased
she might, with her talent, be as rich as a queen, but she cannot forget
the past, and that is my work!"

He counted the louis over and over again. Suddenly he started. It seemed
to him that he heard a sound without; he threw the bag and the
portfolio into the trunk and locked it, then rushed to the door. On
opening it there was no one to be seen.

"Is there any one here?" he asked.

There was no reply.

"I was mistaken, of course."

He returned to his room and there found that the sounds were repeated,
and came from the window. He went to it, and looking out saw the
outlines of a human being. No robber would have attracted attention
thus. Nevertheless Maslenes took down a revolver before he opened the
window.

"Who is there?" he asked.

"Some one who wishes to speak to you!" And with these words the person
jumped into the room.

Maslenes raised his revolver, but at this moment the light fell on the
face of the unknown. He uttered a cry of horror.

"You here! Ah! leave me, leave me at once, or I swear that I will blow
out your brains."

"No, sir, you will do nothing of the kind. It would be very inconvenient
for you to find yourself with a dead body to get rid of. You would be
obliged to give your name, and you certainly don't care for the police
to put their nose into your affairs."

And as the intendant did not reply, the new comer continued:

"That is right! You are becoming reasonable, I see. It is really droll
that we should meet again after all these years in this way!"

He seated himself, and drawing out a cigar, lighted it at the candle.

"Now listen to me," said Maslenes. "Why are you here? Go your way, and
let me go mine. I am doing my best to repair the evil that I have
committed in my life. I do not interfere with you, and I only ask that
you shall leave me alone. You call yourself Fagiano, and my name is
Maslenes. Now, go."

The other sneered:

"You have become very haughty, convict Sanselme."

Sanselme, for he it was, uttered an angry exclamation:

"And you, Benedetto, are still the same scound