aper from the floor. Upon it
was written--

"Un amant qui craint les voleurs
N'est point digne d'amour.

"Your sagacious mind, honoured lady, has saved us from great
persecution. We only exercise the right of the stronger over the weak
and the cowardly in order to appropriate to ourselves treasures that
would else be disgracefully squandered. Kindly accept these jewels as a
token of our gratitude. They are the most brilliant that we have been
enabled to meet with for a long time; and yet you, honoured lady, ought
to be adorned with jewellery even still finer than this is. We trust
you will not withdraw from us your friendship and kind remembrance.

"THE INVISIBLES."[14]

"Is it possible?" exclaimed De Scuderi after she had to some extent
recovered herself, "is it possible for men to carry their shameless
insolence, their godless scorn, to such lengths?" The sun shone
brightly through the dark-red silk window curtains and made the
brilliants which lay on the table beside the open casket to sparkle in
the reddish gleam. Chancing to cast her eyes upon them, De Scuderi hid
her face with abhorrence, and bade Martiniere take the fearful
jewellery away at once, that very moment, for the blood of the murdered
victims was still adhering to it. Martiniere at once carefully locked
the necklace and bracelets in the casket again, and thought that the
wisest plan would be to hand it over to the Minister of Police, and to
confide to him every thing connected with the appearance of the young
man who had caused them so much uneasiness, and the way in which he had
placed the casket in her hands.

De Scuderi rose to her feet and slowly paced up and down the room in
silence, as if she were only now reflecting what was to be done. She
then bade Baptiste fetch a sedan chair, while Martiniere was to dress
her, for she meant to go straight to the Marchioness de Maintenon.

She had herself carried to the Marchioness's just at the hour when she
knew she should find that lady alone in her salons. The casket with the
jewellery De Scuderi also took with her.

Of course the Marchioness was greatly astonished to see Mademoiselle,
who was generally a pattern of dignity, amiability (notwithstanding her
advanced age), and gracefulness, come in with tottering steps, pale,
and excessively agitated. "By all the saints, what's happened to you?"
she cried when she saw the poor troubled