at a man married to a woman only by a
religious ceremony was not legally her husband, and that his children
had neither name nor rights unless he went through the legal form of
recognising them before the proper authorities. If the parents died
without making a will, the children had no claim whatever on the
estate unless they had been properly recognised. If there was a will,
however, they might inherit, even if they had not been legitimised,
provided that no lawful heirs of the testators were living, ascendants
or descendants. The Commendatore had expressed great surprise that the
late Prince should not have been warned of his daughter's irregular
position by his legal advisers. It only showed, he said, how necessary
the law was, since people who disregarded it got into such terrible
trouble.

The French teacher instinctively felt that there was something wrong
with the final syllogism, but it was only too clear that the
Commendatore knew his business, and that unless a legally executed
will were found on the morrow Angela had not the smallest chance of
getting a penny from the great estate her father had left.

'If they are so inhuman as to turn you out of your home without
providing for you,' Madame Bernard said, with tears in her eyes, 'I do
not see what you are to do, my dear child. I am ashamed to offer you
the little spare room I sometimes let to single foreign ladies--and
yet--if you would take it--ah, you would be so welcome! It is not a bad
exposure--it has the sun on it all day, though there is only one
window. The carpet is getting a little threadbare, but the curtains
are new and match the furniture--a pretty flowered chintz, you know.
And I will make little dishes for you, since you have no appetite! A
"navarin," my dear, I make it well, and a real "fricassee"! We
Frenchwomen can all cook! The "navarin" was my poor husband's
predilection--when he had eaten one made by me, he used to say that the
fleshpots of Egypt were certainly the "navarin" and nothing else. But
when I am alone it is not worth while to take so much trouble. An egg,
five sous' worth of ham and brawn, and a roll--that suffices me when I
am alone! But if you will accept the little room--ah, then I will put
on an apron and go into the kitchen, and you shall taste the French
cookery of a Frenchwoman!'

Angela was not listening to all this, for she was too much touched by
the generous intention to hear half of what Madame Bernard said, and