both to-night. You know the Baron's out at Neuilly?
Well, to-night, it quite----"

"Hush, Ralph! Madame----" his companion cried, glancing at Jean,
apprehensively.

"Oh, she may just as well know the truth at first as at last," laughed
Ansell roughly. Then, turning to his wife, he exclaimed, with a sinister
grin: "Perhaps, Jean, you may wonder how we live--how I have got my
money in the past. Well, I may as well tell you, for one day you will
surely discover our secret. We are burglars."

The girl started, staring blankly at her husband, and uttered a low
scream.

"Burglars!" she gasped, astounded.

"Yes. And now you know the truth, take care that you never blab out a
word to anyone, or, by Heaven, it will be the worse for you! If you say
a word," he added, fiercely, with knit brows and glaring eyes, "if you
let drop a hint to anybody, I'll break every bone in your body."

"Ralph!" she cried, starting up in horror. "Have you taken leave of your
senses?"

"Enough!" protested Adolphe, angrily. "I won't stand by and hear such
threats, Ralph."

"What, pray, is it to do with you?" asked Ansell, fiercely. "She's my
wife, and I can speak to her. I can tell her what home-truths I like
without your interference."

"I should have deemed it more prudent to have said nothing, Ralph,"
answered the other quietly.

Though Carlier was dressed also in a striped jacket and waistcoat and
black trousers, he wore no collar, and looked even a greater blackguard
than his friend.

His eyes met Jean's, and in them he saw an expression of silent thanks
for taking her part.

Then she turned and, covering her face with her hands, burst into
bitter, blinding tears, and disappeared into the little kitchen.

"Sit down," Ansell urged. "Now that little fool has gone, we can talk."

"You are a perfect idiot," declared the other, in disgust.

"That's my affair. She'll have to be brought to her senses and know the
truth."

"It has upset her."

"I can't help that," he laughed. "She must get over it. If she wants
fine dresses and a good time she must help us. And I mean that she shall
before long. Look at Tavernier's wife."

"She is of a different type to madame."

"Rubbish!" he laughed. "Wait and see what I'll do. She'll be a valuable
asset to us before long."

Adolphe leaned his elbows upon the table and shrugged his shoulders.

"_Bien!_" he said. "Let me hear the proposition."

"It is quite simple," the young adventurer said