a
loud oath.

"Did you think," asked Mascarin, "that I should feel so much at my ease
if I found that there was the slightest risk? Let us consider what it
is that Caroline can say. Who is it that she can accuse of having stolen
her secret from her? Why, only a poor old wretch named Tantaine. How can
the Duke possibly trace any connection between this miserable writer and
Catenac?"

"Yes, I think that it would be a difficult task."

"Besides," pursued Mascarin, "what have we to fear from the Duke de
Champdoce? Nothing, as far as I can see. Is he not as much in our power
as the woman he formerly loved--Diana de Mussidan? Do we not hold the
letters of both of them, and do we not know in what corner of his garden
to dig to discover a damning piece of evidence? Remember that there will
be no difficulty in identifying the skeleton, for at the time of his
disappearance, Croisenois had about him several Spanish doubloons, a
fact which was given to the police."

"Well," said Catenac, "I will act faithfully. Tell me your plans, and I
will let you know all that I hear from the Duke."

For a moment a smile hovered upon Mascarin's lips, for this time he
placed firm reliance upon the good faith of the lawyer.

"Before we go further," said he, "let me conclude this narrative which
Paul has just read. It is sad and simple. The united ages of the Duke
and Duchess did not exceed fifty years; they had unlimited wealth, and
bore one of the grandest historic names of France; they were surrounded
with every appliance of luxury, and yet their lives were a perfect
wreck. They simply dragged on an existence and had lost all hopes of
happiness, but they made up their minds to conceal the skeleton of their
house in the darkest cupboard, and the world knew nothing of their inner
life. The Duchess suffered much in health, and merely went out to visit
the sick and poor. The Duke worked hard to make up for the deficiencies
of his early education, and made a name and reputation throughout
Europe."

"And how about Madame de Mussidan?" asked Catenac.

"I am coming to that," returned Mascarin. "With that strange
determination that fills the hearts of our women, she did not consider
her revenge complete until Norbert learned that she was the sole
instrument in heaping the crowing sorrow of his life on his head; and
on her return from Italy, she sent for him and told him everything. Yes,
she absolutely had the audacity to tell him that it was sh