il action."

"Oh, it is clear, if you take du Croisier's version for truth, that
the signature was diverted from its purpose to obtain a sum of money
in spite of du Croisier's contrary injunction to his bankers," Camusot
answered.

"Gentlemen," said Blondet, "this seems to me to be a mere trifle, a
quibble.--Suppose you had the money, I ought perhaps to have waited
until I had your authorization; but I, Comte d'Esgrignon, was pressed
for money, so I---- Come, come, your prosecution is a piece of
revengeful spite. Forgery is defined by the law as an attempt to obtain
any advantage which rightfully belongs to another. There is no forgery
here, according to the letter of the Roman law, nor according to the
spirit of modern jurisprudence (always from the point of a civil action,
for we are not here concerned with the falsification of public or
authentic documents). Between private individuals the essence of a
forgery is the intent to defraud; where is it in this case? In what
times are we living, gentlemen? Here is the President going away to balk
a preliminary examination which ought to be over by this time! Until
to-day I did not know M. le President, but he shall have the benefit of
arrears; from this time forth he shall draft his decisions himself. You
must set about this affair with all possible speed, M. Camusot."

"Yes," said Michu. "In my opinion, instead of letting the young man out
on bail, we ought to pull him out of this mess at once. Everything turns
on the examination of du Croisier and his wife. You might summons
them to appear while the court is sitting, M. Camusot; take down their
depositions before four o'clock, send in your report to-night, and we
will give our decision in the morning before the court sits."

"We will settle what course to pursue while the barristers are
pleading," said Vice-President Blondet, addressing Camusot.

And with that the three judges put on their robes and went into court.

At noon Mlle. Armande and the Bishop reached the Hotel d'Esgrignon;
Chesnel and M. Couturier were there to meet them. There was a
sufficiently short conference between the prelate and Mme. du Croisier's
director, and the latter set out at once to visit his charge.

At eleven o'clock that morning du Croisier received a summons to
appear in the examining magistrate's office between one and two in
the afternoon. Thither he betook himself, consumed by well-founded
suspicions. It was impossible that the Pr