sumed his seat at the table, and was
again busy with his papers.

"You may retire," he said. "You will be notified if I need you."

Maxence felt much discouraged when he joined M. de Tregars at the
entrance of the gallery.

"The judge is convinced of M. de Thaller's entire innocence," he
said.

But as soon as he had narrated, with a fidelity that did honor to
his memory, all that had just occurred,

"Nothing is lost yet," declared M. de Tregars. And, taking from
his pocket the bill for two trunks, which had been found in M.
Favoral's portfolio,

"There," he said, "we shall know our fate."

IV

M. de Tregars and Maxence were in luck. They had a good driver and
a fair horse; and in twenty minutes they were at the trunk store.
As soon as the cab stopped,

"Well," exclaimed M. de Tregars, "I suppose it has to be done."

And, with the look of a man who has made up his mind to do something
which is extremely repugnant to him, he jumped out, and, followed
by Maxence, entered the shop.

It was a modest establishment; and the people who kept it, husband
and wife, seeing two customers coming in, rushed to meet them, with
that welcoming smile which blossoms upon the lips of every Parisian
shopkeeper.

"What will you have, gentlemen?"

And, with wonderful volubility, they went on enumerating every
article which they had for sale in their shop,--from the
"indispensable-necessary," containing seventy-seven pieces of solid
silver, and costing four thousand francs, down to the humblest
carpet-bag at thirty-nine cents.

But Marius de Tregars interrupted them as soon as he could get an
opportunity, and, showing them their bill,

"It was here, wasn't it," he inquired, "that the two trunks were
bought which are charged in this bill?"

"Yes, sir," answered simultaneously both husband and wife.

"When were they delivered?"

"Our porter went to deliver them, less than two hours after they
were bought."

"Where?"

By this time the shopkeepers were beginning to exchange uneasy looks.

"Why do you ask?" inquired the woman in a tone which indicated that
she had the settled intention not to answer, unless for good and
valid reason.

To obtain the simplest information is not always as easy as might
be supposed. The suspicion of the Parisian tradesman is easily
aroused; and, as his head is stuffed with stories of spies and
robbers, as soon as he is questioned he becomes as dumb as an oyster.

But M. de Trega