And, breaking down under his excessive excitement, he sank into his
chair, covering his face with his hands. Henrietta was dumfounded; she
looked aghast at the old man, in whom she now placed all her hopes.
Already, the night before, she had had some suspicions that he was not
what he seemed to be; now she was quite sure. But who was he? She had
nothing to go by to solve that riddle.

This only she thought she saw clearly, that Sarah Brandon, Mrs. Brian,
and M. Thomas Elgin, as well as M. de Brevan, had at some time or other
come in personal contact with Papa Ravinet, and that he hated them
mortally.

"Unless he should try to deceive me," she thought, not having quite
shaken off all doubts yet.

He had in the meantime mastered his emotion, and was regaining all his
composure.

"Let no one, henceforth, deny Providence!" he exclaimed. "Ah! fools and
idiots alone can do so. M. de Brevan had every reason to think that this
house would keep the secret of his crime as safe as the grave, and so
brought you here. And here it happens I must chance to live,--of all
men, I,--and he remain unaware of it! By a kind of miracle we are
brought together under the same roof,--you, the daughter of Count
Ville-Handry, and I, one after the other, without knowing each other;
and, at the very moment when this Brevan is about to triumph, Providence
brings us together, and this meeting ruins him!"

His voice betrayed his fierce joy at approaching vengeance; his sallow
cheeks flushed up; and his eyes shone brilliantly.

"For M. de Brevan was triumphing last night. The woman Chevassat,
his confederate, had watched you, and noticing your preparations for
committing suicide, had said to him, 'Rejoice! at last we shall get rid
of her.'"

Henrietta shuddered, and stammered out,--

"Is it possible?"

Then the old man, looking at her half surprised, said,--

"What! after all you have seen of M. de Brevan, you have never suspected
him of meditating your death?"

"Why, yes! I sometimes thought so."

"Well, this time you were right, madam. Ah! you do not know your enemies
yet. But I know them, I; for I have had a chance of measuring the depth
of their wickedness. And there your safety would lie, if you would
follow my advice."

"I will, sir."

Papa Ravinet was evidently a little embarrassed. He said, however,--

"You see, madam, I shall have to ask you to trust me blindly."

"I will trust you blindly."

"It is of the utmost importan