burning the larger part of the
covers, and only by accident, or rather by reason of her haste, was,
as I shall tell you, lucky enough to leave unburned a bit of the outer
cover. However, she piled on more twigs, and had settled herself by
the fire when her nurse entered in company with a man in civilian
dress and two of the police. They used little ceremony and said simply
that she was believed to have certain papers. Best to give them up and
save trouble. Of course, she denied the charge and was indignant. Then
they made a very complete search, after which two of them remained
with her, and the other, leaving, came back in an hour with a woman
who went with her to her room and there made a very rigorous personal
search of her own and her nurse's garments. She, of course, protested
vigorously. At last, returning to her boudoir, she found the man in
civilian dress kneeling beside the fire. She was in an agony of
alarm. The man had gathered the fragments of half-burned paper, and
when she entered was staring at the unconsumed corner of the outer
official envelop. Without a word, he raked away the fire and a part of
the ashes, but seeing there no evidence of interest, contented himself
with what proof he had of the destruction of the documents he sought.
The appearance of much burned paper and the brightly blazing fire, I
suppose, helped to confirm his belief. To her angry protests he
replied civilly that it was a matter for his superiors. Finally, an
officer was left in charge, but she was allowed to send for a carriage
and to return home. It is clear that they are not satisfied, and the
house has been watched ever since. Of course, the man who found the
charred fragments of the official envelop concluded that she had
burned the contents. But some one else who knows their value will
doubt."

"I suppose so. They were less clever than usual."

"No; her haste saved her. The unburned corner of the envelop fooled
the man. How could he dream that under a hot fire, cool and safe, were
papers worth a fortune?"

"Certainly this time the luck is hers," said I; "but this will not
satisfy them."

"No. More than once since they have been over the house and garden and
utterly devastated it, so says her nurse. They searched a tool-house
and a small conservatory. Madame Bellegarde has been cool enough to go
there for flowers, but is in the utmost apprehension. And now ten days
have passed."

"Is that all?"

"No. She has been que