f gloom and horror over the rest of his days. What a
terrible future to come after so hideous a past!

He had another source of anxiety, and frequently rang the bell to
inquire for Jean.

"Send him to me as soon as he comes," was his order.

At last Jean made his appearance, and his master led him into a
deeply-recessed window.

"Well?" asked he.

"All is settled, my lord; be easy."

"And Caroline?"

"Has left. I gave her twenty thousand francs, and saw her into the train
myself. She is going to the States, where she hopes to find a cousin who
will marry her; at least, that is her intention."

Norbert heaved a deep sigh of relief, for the thought of Caroline
Schimmel had laid like a heavy burden upon his heart.

"And how about the other matter?" asked he.

The old man shook his head.

"What has been done?"

"I have got hold of a young fellow who believes that I wish to send him
to Egypt, to purchase cotton. He will start to-morrow, and will post the
two letters written by the Marquis de Croisenois, one at Marseilles, and
the other at Cairo."

"Do you not think that these letters will insure my perfect security?"

"I see that any indiscretion on our agent's part, or a mere act of
carelessness, may ruin us."

"And yet it must be done."

After consulting together, the doctors had given some slight hope, but
the position of the patient was still very precarious. It was suggested
that her intellect might be permanently affected; and during all these
long and anxious hours Norbert did not even dare to close his eyes, and
it was with feelings of secret terror that he permitted the maids to
perform their duties around their invalid mistress.

Upon the fourth day the fever took a favorable turn, and Marie slept,
giving Norbert time to review his position.

How was it that Madame de Mussidan, who was a daily visitor, had
not appeared at the house since that eventful night? He was so much
surprised at this that he ventured to dispatch a short note, acquainting
her of the sudden illness of his wife.

In an hour he received a reply, merely containing these words:--

"Can you account for M. de Mussidan's sudden determination to spend the
winter in Italy? We leave this evening. Farewell.--D."

And so she, too, had abandoned him, taking with her all the hopes he had
in the world. Still, however, his infatuation held its sway over him,
and he forced himself to believe that she felt this separation as keenly
a