upon me by my age and my position as the mother of
a family, I tell you that you ought to accept. What other course can you
possibly think of? Where would you go, my poor, dear child? But we will
discuss this matter to-morrow. I shall find a way to persuade you to
love us, and to allow yourself to be loved. In MY heart you will fill
the place of the beloved and lamented daughter I have lost--my beautiful
and gentle Bathilde. Once more I say farewell until to-morrow--trusting
that you will accept the sympathy and affection of your best friend,

"ATHENAIS DE FONDEGE."

Mademoiselle Marguerite was thunderstruck, for the writer of this
epistle was a lady whom she had only met five or six times, who had
never visited her, and with whom she had scarcely exchanged twenty
words. Moreover, she well remembered certain glances with which Madame
de Fondege had, on one occasion, tried to crush her--glances so full of
cruel contempt that they had drawn bitter tears of sorrow, shame, and
anger, from the poor girl. The count himself had said to her at the
time: "Don't be so childish, Marguerite, as to trouble yourself about
this foolish and impudent woman."

And now this same woman sent her a letter overflowing with sympathy,
and claimed her affection and confidence in the tone of an old and tried
friend. Was such a change natural? Not being what is called a credulous
person, Mademoiselle Marguerite was unable to believe it. She divined
that Madame de Fondege must have had some hidden motive in writing such
a letter--but what motive was it? Alas! she divined this also only too
well. The General, suspecting that she had stolen the missing money, had
imparted his suspicions to his wife; and she, being as avaricious and as
unscrupulous as himself, was doing her best to secure the booty for her
son. Such a calculation is a common one nowadays. Steal yourself? Fie.
never! You would not dare. Besides, you are honest. But it is quite a
different thing to profit by other people's rascality. Besides, there
are no risks to be encountered.

On perusing the letter a second time, it seemed to Mademoiselle
Marguerite that she could hear the General and his wife discussing the
means of obtaining a share of the two millions. She could hear Madame de
Fondege saying to her husband: "You are a block-head! You frightened the
girl by your precipitancy and roughness. But fortunately, I'm here. Let
me manage the affair; and