from which he had just come. He exaggerated the
proud assurance of the manager, and the confiding simplicity of the
stockholders. "That Baron de Thaller," he said to them, "is
certainly the most impudent scoundrel and the cleverest rascal I
have ever seen. You'll see that he'll get out of it with clean
hands and full pockets. Whether or not he has accomplices, Vincent
will be the scapegoat. We must make up our mind to that."

His positive intention was to console Mme. Favoral and Gilberte.
Had he sworn to drive them to distraction, he could not have
succeeded better.

"Poor woman!" he said, "what is to become of you? Maxence is a
good and honest fellow, I am sure, but so weak, so thoughtless, so
fond of pleasure! He finds it difficult enough to get along by
himself. Of what assistance will he be to you?"

Then came advice.

Mme. Favoral, he declared, should not hesitate to ask for a
separation, which the tribunal would certainly grant. For want
of this precaution, she would remain all her life under the burden
of her husband's debts, and constantly exposed to the annoyances of
the creditors.

And always he wound up by saying,

"Who could ever have expected such a thing from Vincent,--a friend
of twenty years' standing! A hundred and sixty thousand francs!
Who in the world can be trusted hereafter?"

Big tears were rolling slowly down Mme. Favoral's withered cheeks.
But Mlle. Gilberte was of those for whom the pity of others is the
worst misfortune and the most acute suffering.

Twenty times she was on the point of exclaiming,

"Keep your compassion, sir: we are neither so much to be pitied nor
so much forsaken as you think. Our misfortune has revealed to us a
true friend,--one who does not speak, but acts."

At last, as twelve o'clock struck, M. Chapelain withdrew, announcing
that he would return the next day to get the news, and to bring
further consolation.

"Thank Heaven, we are alone at last!" said Mlle. Gilberte.

But they had not much peace, for all that.

Great as had been the noise of Vincent Favoral's disaster, it had
not reached at once all those who had intrusted their savings to him.
All day long, the belated creditors kept coming in; and the scenes
of the morning were renewed on a smaller scale. Then legal summonses
began to pour in, three or four at a time. Mme. Favoral was losing
all courage.

"What disgrace!" she groaned. "Will it always be so hereafter?"

And she exhau