rstand that we are desirous of profiting
as much as possible by your generosity."

"And turn your bargain to the best advantage? Nothing can be plainer!
Let us see,--what's the price?"

"The whole, two hundred and sixty thousand francs (10,400_l._), my
lord."

"And you and Edwards will thus clear--"

"About forty thousand francs (1,600_l._), my lord."

"A very nice sum! But so much the better, for, after all, I am very much
satisfied with you, and, if I had to make my will, I should have
bequeathed that sum to you and Edwards."

And the vicomte went out, first to call on his creditor, then on Madame
de Lucenay, whom he did not suspect of having been present at his
conversation with Badinot.

CHAPTER XII.

THE SEARCH.

The Hotel de Lucenay was one of those royal residences of the Faubourg
St. Germain, which the space employed, and, as it were, lost, make so
vast. A modern house might, with ease, be contained in the limits
devoted to the staircase of one of these palaces, and a whole quarter
might be built in the extent they occupy.

About nine o'clock in the evening of this day the two vast folding-doors
of this hotel opened on the arrival of a magnificent chariot, which,
after having taken a dashing turn in the spacious courtyard, stopped
before the large covered flight of steps which led to the first
antechamber. Whilst the hoofs of two powerful and high-couraged horses
sounded on the echoing pavement, a gigantic footman opened the door,
emblazoned with armorial bearings, and a young man alighted gracefully
from this brilliant carriage, and no less gracefully walked up the five
or six steps of the entrance. This young man was the Vicomte de
Saint-Remy.

On leaving his creditor, who, satisfied with the undertaking of
Florestan's father, had granted the required delay, and was to come and
receive his money at ten o'clock in the Rue de Chaillot, M. de
Saint-Remy had gone to Madame de Lucenay's, to thank her for the fresh
service she had rendered him, and, not having seen the duchess during
the morning, he came triumphant, certain of finding her in _prima sera_,
the hour which she constantly reserved for him.

By the attention of the footmen in the antechamber, who hastened to open
the glass door as soon as they saw Florestan's carriage, by the
profoundly respectful air with which the rest of the livery all rose as
the vicomte passed by, and by certain, yet almost imperceptible touches,
it was evid