re till I
come back, or you will go to the hulks. Do you understand, M. le Comte?
Yes, _to the hulks_! if anybody in a town like this knows that you are
here."

With that Chesnel went out, first telling his housekeeper to give
out that he was ill, to allow no one to come into the house, to send
everybody away, and to postpone business of every kind for three days.
He wheedled the manager of the coach-office, made up a tale for his
benefit--he had the makings of an ingenious novelist in him--and
obtained a promise that if there should be a place, he should have
it, passport or no passport, as well as a further promise to keep
the hurried departure a secret. Luckily, the coach was empty when it
arrived.

In the middle of the following night Chesnel was set down in Paris. At
nine o'clock in the morning he waited on the Kellers, and learned that
the fatal draft had returned to du Croisier three days since; but while
obtaining this information, he in no way committed himself. Before he
went away he inquired whether the draft could be recovered if the amount
were refunded. Francois Keller's answer was to the effect that the
document was du Croisier's property, and that it was entirely in his
power to keep or return it. Then, in desperation, the old man went to
the Duchess.

Mme. de Maufrigneuse was not at home to any visitor at that hour.
Chesnel, feeling that every moment was precious, sat down in the hall,
wrote a few lines, and succeeded in sending them to the lady by dint of
wheedling, fascinating, bribing, and commanding the most insolent and
inaccessible servants in the world. The Duchess was still in bed;
but, to the great astonishment of her household, the old man in black
knee-breeches, ribbed stockings, and shoes with buckles to them, was
shown into her room.

"What is it, monsieur?" she asked, posing in her disorder. "What does he
want of me, ungrateful that he is?"

"It is this, Mme. la Duchesse," the good man exclaimed, "you have a
hundred thousand crowns belonging to us."

"Yes," began she. "What does it signify----?"

"The money was gained by a forgery, for which we are going to the hulks,
a forgery which we committed for love of you," Chesnel said quickly.
"How is it that you did not guess it, so clever as you are? Instead
of scolding the boy, you ought to have had the truth out of him, and
stopped him while there was time, and saved him."

At the first words the Duchess understood; she felt ashamed