than she will be fourteen months hence? You ought not to
deprive her of the benefits of her maternity."

"Mathias," cried Paul, in deep distress, "there are two sorts of ruin,
and you are bringing one upon me at this moment."

He made a step towards the old notary, no doubt intending to tell
him that the contract must be drawn at once. But Mathias stopped that
disaster with a glance which said, distinctly, "Wait!" He saw the tears
in Paul's eyes,--tears drawn from an honorable man by the shame of this
discussion as much as by the peremptory speech of Madame Evangelista,
threatening rupture,--and the old man stanched them with a gesture like
that of Archimedes when he cried, "Eureka!" The words "peer of France"
had been to him like a torch in a dark crypt.

Natalie appeared at this moment, dazzling as the dawn, saying, with
infantine look and manner, "Am I in the way?"

"Singularly so, my child," answered her mother, in a bitter tone.

"Come in, dear Natalie," said Paul, taking her hand and leading her to a
chair near the fireplace. "All is settled."

He felt it impossible to endure the overthrow of their mutual hopes.

"Yes, all can be settled," said Mathias, hastily interposing.

Like a general who, in a moment, upsets the plans skilfully laid and
prepared by the enemy, the old notary, enlightened by that genius which
presides over notaries, saw an idea, capable of saving the future of
Paul and his children, unfolding itself in legal form before his eyes.

Maitre Solonet, who perceived no other way out of these irreconcilable
difficulties than the resolution with which Paul's love inspired him,
and to which this conflict of feelings and thwarted interests had
brought him, was extremely surprised at the sudden exclamation of his
brother notary. Curious to know the remedy that Mathias had found in
a state of things which had seemed to him beyond all other relief, he
said, addressing the old man:--

"What is it you propose?"

"Natalie, my dear child, leave us," said Madame Evangelista.

"Mademoiselle is not in the way," replied Mathias, smiling. "I am going
to speak in her interests as well as in those of Monsieur le comte."

Silence reigned for a moment, during which time everybody present,
oppressed with anxiety, awaited the allocution of the venerable notary
with unspeakable curiosity.

"In these days," continued Maitre Mathias, after a pause, "the
profession of notary has changed from what it was. Poli