all hurried off to their
rooms to wash their hands before sitting down to table.

Ten minutes later they were at dinner in the little dining-room on the
ground-floor.

At first they were silent; but presently Roland began again in amazement
at this lawyer's visit.

"For after all, why did he not write? Why should he have sent his clerk
three times? Why is he coming himself?"

Pierre thought it quite natural.

"An immediate decision is required, no doubt; and perhaps there are
certain confidential conditions which it does not do to put into
writing."

Still, they were all puzzled, and all four a little annoyed at having
invited a stranger, who would be in the way of their discussing and
deciding on what should be done.

They had just gone upstairs again when the lawyer was announced. Roland
flew to meet him.

"Good-evening, my dear Maitre," said he, giving his visitor the title
which in France is the official prefix to the name of every lawyer.

Mme. Rosemilly rose.

"I am going," she said. "I am very tired."

A faint attempt was made to detain her; but she would not consent, and
went home without either of the three men offering to escort her, as
they always had done.

Mme. Roland did the honours eagerly to their visitor.

"A cup of coffee, monsieur?"

"No, thank you. I have just had dinner."

"A cup of tea, then?"

"Thank you, I will accept one later. First we must attend to business."

The deep silence which succeeded this remark was broken only by the
regular ticking of the clock, and below stairs the clatter of saucepans
which the girl was cleaning--too stupid even to listen at the door.

The lawyer went on:

"Did you, in Paris, know a certain M. Marechal--Leon Marechal?"

M. and Mme. Roland both exclaimed at once: "I should think so!"

"He was a friend of yours?"

Roland replied: "Our best friend, monsieur, but a fanatic for Paris;
never to be got away from the boulevard. He was a head clerk in the
exchequer office. I have never seen him since I left the capital, and
latterly we had ceased writing to each other. When people are far apart
you know----"

The lawyer gravely put in:

"M. Marechal is deceased."

Both man and wife responded with the little movement of pained surprise,
genuine or false, but always ready, with which such news is received.

Maitre Lecanu went on:

"My colleague in Paris has just communicated to me the main item of his
will, by which he makes your son Je