a brilliant address, useful to his reputation."

"Whether or not he has made this calculation," Saniel said, "things are
thus. I, also, I should have preferred the 'ordonnance de non-lieu',
which has the great advantage of finishing everything immediately.
Nougarede does not believe that this would be a good plan to follow, so
we must follow the one that he traces out for us."

"We will follow it," Phillis said, "and I believe that it may bring
about the result Monsieur Nougarede expects, as Madame Dammauville would
have spoken to but few persons. When I tried to make her explain herself
on this point, without asking her the question directly, she told me
that she had only spoken to the concierge of the non-resemblance of the
portrait to the man she saw draw the curtains, so that the concierge,
who had often spoken to her of Florentin and of my efforts to save
him, might warn me. I shall see, then, to-morrow, how far her story has
spread, and I will go to see you about it at five o'clock, unless you
prefer that I should go at once to see Monsieur Nougarede."

"Begin with me, and we will go together to see him, if there is
occasion. I am going to write to him."

"If I understand Monsieur Nougarde's plan, it seems that it rests
on Madame Dammauville's appearance in court. Will this appearance be
possible? That is what I could not learn; only a physician could tell."

Saniel did not wish to let it appear that he understood this new
challenge.

"I forgot to tell you," Phillis continued, "that the physician who
attends her is Doctor Balzajette of the Rue de l'Echelle. Do you know
him?"

"A prig, who conceals his ignorance under dignified manners."

No sooner had these words left his lips than he realized his error.
Madame Dammauville should have an excellent physician, one who was so
high in the estimation of his 'confreres' that, if he did not cure her,
it was because she was incurable.

"Then how can you hope that he will cure her in time for her to go to
court?" Phillis asked.

He did not answer, and rose to go. Timidly, Madame Cormier repeated her
invitation, but he did not accept it, in spite of the tender glance that
Phillis gave him.

CHAPTER XXVII. A NEW PERIL

Would he be able to resist the pressure which from all sides at once
pushed him toward the Rue Sainte Anne?

It seemed that nothing was easier than not to commit the folly of
yielding, and yet such was the persistence of the efforts that