amid the
surrounding splendors; and, in a scarcely intelligible voice, I began,

"'I am a poor girl, sir--'

"But he interrupted me.

"'To the point! What do you want?'

"'I am awaiting an answer, sir, to a request which I have just
forwarded to the baroness.'

"'What about?'

"'Once sir, I was run over in the street by the baroness's carriage:
I was severely wounded, and had to be taken to the hospital.'

"I fancied there was something like terror in the man's look.

"'It is you, then, who once before sent a long letter to my wife, in
which you told the story of your life?'

"'Yes, sir, it was I.'

"'You stated in that letter that you had no parents, having been
left by your mother with some gardeners at Louveciennes?'

"'That is the truth.'

"'What has become of these gardeners?'

"'They are dead.'

"'What was your mother's name?'

"'I never knew.'

"To M. de Thaller's first surprise had succeeded a feeling of
evident irritation; but, the more haughty and brutal his manners,
the cooler and the more self-possessed I became.

"'And you are soliciting assistance?' he said.

"I drew myself up, and, looking at him straight in the eyes,

"'I beg your pardon,' I replied: 'it is a legitimate indemnity which
I claim.'

"Indeed, it seemed to me that my firmness alarmed him. With a
feverish haste, he began to feel in his pockets. He took out their
contents of gold and bank-notes all in a heap, and, thrusting it
into my hands without counting,

"'Here,' he said, 'take this. Are you satisfied?'

"I observed to him, that, having sent a letter to Mme. de Thaller,
it would perhaps be proper to await her answer. But he replied that
it was not necessary, and, pushing me towards the door,

"'You may depend upon it,' he said, 'I shall tell my wife that I
saw you.'

"I started to go out; but I had not gone ten steps across the yard,
when I heard him crying excitedly to his servants,

"'You see that beggar, don't you? Well, the first one who allows
her to cross the threshold of my door shall be turned out on the
instant.'

"A beggar, I! Ah the wretch! I turned round to cast his alms into
his face; but already he had disappeared, and I only found before me
the footman, chuckling stupidly.

"I went out; and, as my anger gradually passed off, I felt thankful
that I had been unable to follow the dictates of my wounded pride.

"'Poor girl,' I thought to myself, 'where would you be at this hour?
Y