of her daughter, had proposed to
the notary to pass off the dead child as living, whom, living, he had
declared to have died fourteen years before. He was too clever, and too
well acquainted with the perils of his position, not to understand the
effect of all Sarah's threats. His reputation, although admirably and
laboriously built up, was based on a substructure of sand. The public
detaches itself as easily as it becomes infatuated, liking to have the
right to trample under foot him whom but just now it elevated to the
skies. How could the consequences of the first assault on the reputation
of Jacques Ferrand be foreseen? However absurd the attack might be, its
very boldness might give rise to suspicions. Wishing to gain time to
determine on the mode by which he would seek to parry the dangerous
blow, the notary said, frigidly, to Sarah:

"You have given me, madame, until to-morrow at noon; I give you until
the next day to renounce a plot whose serious nature you do not seem to
have contemplated. If, between this and then, I do not receive from you
a letter informing me that you have abandoned this criminal and crazy
enterprise, you will learn to your cost that Justice knows how to
protect honest people who refuse guilty associations, and what may
happen to the concoctors of hateful machinations."

"You mean to say, sir, that you ask from me one more day to reflect on
my proposals? That is a good sign, and I grant the delay. The day after
to-morrow, at this hour, I will come here again, and it shall be between
us peace or war,--I repeat it,--but a 'war to the knife,' without mercy
or pity."

And Sarah left the room.

* * * * *

"All goes well," she said. "This miserable girl, in whom Rodolph
capriciously takes so much interest, and has sent to the farm at
Bouqueval, in order, no doubt, to make her his mistress hereafter, is no
longer to be feared,--thanks to the one-eyed woman who has freed me from
her. Rodolph's adroitness has saved Madame d'Harville from the snare
into which I meant she should fall; but it is impossible that she can
escape from the fresh plot I have laid for her, and thus she must be for
ever lost to Rodolph. Thus, saddened, discouraged, isolated from all
affection, will he not be in a frame of mind such as will best suit my
purpose of making him the dupe of a falsehood to which, by the notary's
aid, I can give every impress of truth? And the notary will aid me, f