t what I
am about to say is in nowise intended as a justification."

"It requires one, however," said Madame de Saint-Dizier, with a
disdainful smile; "a man concealed by you in your own bedroom."

"A man concealed in her bedroom!" cried the Marquis d'Aigrigny, raising
his head with apparent indignation, which only covered a cruel joy.

"A man! in the bedroom of Mademoiselle!" added Baron Tripeaud. "I hope
this also was inserted in the report."

"Yes, yes, baron," said the princess with a triumphant air.

"But this man," said the doctor, in a hypocritical tone, "must have
been a robber? Any other supposition would be in the highest degree
improbable. This explains itself."

"Your indulgence deceives you, M. Baleinier," answered the princess,
dryly.

"We knew the sort of thieves," said Tripeaud; "they are generally young
men, handsome, and very rich."

"You are wrong, sir," resumed Madame de Saint-Dizier. "Mademoiselle does
not raise her views so high. She proves that a dereliction from duty
may be ignoble as well as criminal. I am no longer astonished at the
sympathy which was just now professed for the lower orders. It is the
more touching and affecting, as the man concealed by her was dressed in
a blouse."

"A blouse!" cried the baron, with an air of extreme disgust; "then he is
one of the common people? It really makes one's hair stand on end."

"The man is a working smith--he confessed it," said the princess; "but
not to be unjust--he is really a good-looking fellow. It was doubtless
that singular worship which Mademoiselle pays to the beautiful--"

"Enough, madame, enough!" said Adrienne suddenly, for, hitherto
disdaining to answer, she had listened to her aunt with growing and
painful indignation; "I was just now on the point of defending myself
against one of your odious insinuations--but I will not a second time
descend to any such weakness. One word only, madame; has this honest and
worthy artisan been arrested?"

"To be sure, he has been arrested and taken to prison, under a strong
escort. Does not that pierce your heart?" sneered the princess, with a
triumphant air. "Your tender pity for this interesting smith must indeed
be very great, since it deprives you of your sarcastic assurance."

"Yes, madame; for I have something better to do than to satirize that
which is utterly odious and ridiculous," replied Adrienne, whose eyes
grew dim with tears at the thought of the cruel hurt to Agricola's
f