n the
thick of it all the afternoon! He had examined it,--interrogated them
like a juge d'instruction,--winnowed it, sifted it. And what was it
all? An attempt by these wretched priests and noblesse to revive in the
nineteenth century--the age of electricity and Pullman cars--a miserable
mediaeval legend of an apparition, a miracle! Yes; one is asked to
believe that at the chateau yonder was seen last night three times the
apparition of Armand de Fontonelles!

Dick started. "Armand de Fontonelles!" He remembered that she had
repeated that name.

"Who's he?" he demanded abruptly.

"The first Comte de Fontonelles! When monsieur knows that the first
comte has been dead three hundred years, he will see the imbecility of
the affair!"

"Wot did he come back for?" growled Dick.

"Ah! it was a legend. Consider its artfulness! The Comte Armand had been
a hard liver, a dissipated scoundrel, a reckless beast, but a mighty
hunter of the stag. It was said that on one of these occasions he had
been warned by the apparition of St. Hubert; but he had laughed,--for,
observe, HE always jeered at the priests too; hence this story!--and
had declared that the flaming cross seen between the horns of the sacred
stag was only the torch of a poacher, and he would shoot it! Good! the
body of the comte, dead, but without a wound, was found in the wood the
next day, with his discharged arquebus in his hand. The Archbishop of
Rouen refused his body the rites of the Church until a number of masses
were said every year and--paid for! One understands! one sees their
'little game;' the count now appears,--he is in purgatory! More
masses,--more money! There you are. Bah! One understands, too, that
the affair takes place, not in a cafe like this,--not in a public
place,--but at a chateau of the noblesse, and is seen by--the
proprietor checked the characters on his fingers--TWO retainers; one
young demoiselle of the noblesse, daughter of the chatelaine herself;
and, my faith, it goes without saying, by a fat priest, the Cure! In
effect, two interested ones! And the priest,--his lie is magnificent!
Superb! For he saw the comte in the picture-gallery,--in effect,
stepping into his frame!"

"Oh, come off the roof," said Dick impatiently; "they must have seen
SOMETHING, you know. The young lady wouldn't lie!"

Monsieur Ribaud leaned over, with a mysterious, cynical smile, and
lowering his voice said:--

"You have reason to say so. You have hit it,