hundred thousand
francs' worth to Monsieur. I am certain yours are the most beautiful."

"When can you do so?"

"In less than three days' time."

"Very well, the remainder you will dispose of among private individuals.
For the present, make me out a contract of sale, payment to be made in
four days."

"I entreat you to reflect, madame; for if you force the sale, you will
lose a hundred thousand francs."

"If necessary, I will lose two hundred; I wish everything to be settled
this evening. Do you accept?"

"I do, your ladyship. I will not conceal from you that I shall make
fifty thousand francs by the transaction."

"So much the better for you. In what way shall I have the money?"

"Either in gold, or in bills of the bank of Lyons, payable at M.
Colbert's."

"I agree," said the marquise, eagerly; "return home and bring the sum in
question in notes, as soon as possible."

"Yes, madame, but for Heaven's sake----"

"Not a word, M. Faucheux. By the by, I was forgetting the silver plate.
What is the value of that which I have?"

"Fifty thousand francs, madame."

"That makes a million," said the marquise to herself. "M. Faucheux, you
will take away with you both the gold and silver plate. I can assign, as
a pretext, that I wish it remodelled on patterns more in accordance with
my own taste. Melt it down, and return me its value in money, at once."

"It shall be done, your ladyship."

"You will be good enough to place the money in a chest, and direct one
of your clerks to accompany the chest, and without my servants seeing
him; and order him to wait for me in a carriage."

"In Madame de Faucheux's carriage?" said the jeweler.

"If you will allow it, and I will call for it at your house."

"Certainly, your ladyship."

"I will direct some of my servants to convey the plate to your house."
The marquise rung. "Let the small van be placed at M. Faucheux's
disposal," she said. The jeweler bowed and left the house, directing
that the van should follow him closely, saying aloud that the marquise
was about to have her plate melted down in order to have other plate
manufactured of a more modern style. Three hours afterwards she went to
M. Faucheux's house and received from him eight hundred thousand francs
in gold inclosed in a chest, which one of the clerks could hardly
carry towards Madame Faucheux's carriage--for Madame Faucheux kept her
carriage. As the daughter of a president of accounts, she had brought
a m