taken anything, he could not have failed seeing the act.

A general impression prevailed among the people at the chateau that
Julia was innocent; that it was impossible for one so virtuous and
intelligent to commit so disgraceful and rash a theft. Indeed, the tide
of suspicion had been fast turning against Victor himself, when it
received a new direction by the discovery of the missing articles in
Julia's reticule. Another examination ensued, the distracted Julia, as
has been stated, being herself brought into the presence of the
magistrate. In intense affliction, she declared her innocence: that she
knew not how the articles had got into her reticule; she had not put
them there; did not know they were there; had, indeed, never touched
them at all. The portion of the letter in which they had been wrapped
was handed to her, and she was questioned concerning it. 'It was part of
a letter,' she said, 'which had been addressed to her by Victor
Colonne.' She remembered receiving it; but by what means it came to be
applied to its present purpose, she did not at all know. M. Morelle
sternly bade her tell the truth, and conceal nothing; it would be better
for her. In great agony, she earnestly reiterated what she had said. It
was useless; the evidence against her was too strong to be shaken by
merely her own denial. Moreover, the commissaire of police, in
delivering his evidence, laid much emphasis upon the embarrassment and
distress she had evinced whilst he was searching the little basket in
which the articles were found.

The case was on the point of being decided against her, when, by what
may be termed a providential interposition, the tables were suddenly
turned, and she was rescued from the jail, from infamy, and perhaps from
death! A young girl, one of the domestics at the chateau, having
examined the portion of the letter which formed a link in the
circumstantial evidence, produced from her pocket another fragment,
which exactly fitted to the first, and made the letter complete! With
much curiosity, and indeed excitement, all listened eagerly to what she
had to say. She stated that the fragment she produced, which formed the
remainder of the torn letter wrapped round the stolen articles, she had
picked up in the garden of the chateau, where it had been dropped by
Victor. Julia's reticule had been left on a seat under a tree; the
witness saw Victor open it, and take out a letter. He did not know she
was at hand; indeed