that poor,
destroyed mind there was no echo,--none. The paternal cords, always the
last broken, no longer vibrated.

* * * * *

The door of the garret opened; the commissary entered.

"My moments are numbered, sir," said he to Rodolph. "I declare to you
with much regret that I cannot allow this conversation to be protracted
any longer."

"This conversation is ended, sir," replied Rodolph, bitterly, and
pointing to the lapidary. "Louise has nothing more to say to her
father,--he has nothing more to hear from his daughter,--he is a
lunatic."

"I feared as much. It is really frightful!" exclaimed the magistrate.

And approaching the workman hastily, after a minute's scrutiny, he was
convinced of the sad reality.

"Ah, sir," said he sorrowfully to Rodolph, "I had already expressed my
sincerest wishes that the innocence of this young girl might be
discovered; but after such a misfortune I will not confine myself to
good wishes,--no,--no! I will speak of this honest and distressed
family; I will speak of this fearful and last blow which has overwhelmed
it; and do not doubt but that the judges will have an additional motive
to find the accused innocent."

"Thanks, thanks, sir!" said Rodolph; "by acting thus it will not be a
mere duty that you fulfil, but a holy office which you undertake."

"Believe me, sir, our duty is always such a painful one that it is most
grateful to us to be interested in any thing which is worthy and good."

"One word more, sir. The disclosures of Louise Morel have fully
convinced me of her innocence. Will you be so kind as inform me how her
pretended crime was discovered, or rather denounced?"

"This morning," said the magistrate, "a housekeeper in the service of M.
Ferrand, the notary, came and deposed before me that, after the hasty
departure of Louise Morel, whom she knew to be seven months advanced in
the family way, she went into the young girl's apartment, and was
convinced that she had been prematurely confined; footsteps had been
traced in the snow, which had led to the detection of the body of a
new-born child buried in the garden. After this declaration I went
myself to the Rue du Sentier, and found M. Jacques Ferrand most
indignant that such a scandalous affair should have happened in his
house. The cure of the church Bonne Nouvelle, whom he had sent for, also
declared to me that Louise Morel had owned her fault in his presence one
day, when, on