clenching her teeth; "I saw him slip it into your hand.
As true as there's a God in Heaven, I'll go to the gaol and tell him
everything, if you don't treat me properly."

"Of course I shall treat you properly, aunt, dear," replied La
Sarriette, with an embarrassed smile.

"Very well, then, let us go to his rooms at once. It's of no use to give
the police time to poke their dirty hands in the cupboards."

Mademoiselle Saget, who had been listening with gleaming eyes, followed
them, running along in the rear as quickly as her short legs could
carry her. She had no thought, now, of waiting for Florent. From the Rue
Rambuteau to the Rue de la Cossonnerie she manifested the most humble
obsequiousness, and volunteered to explain matters to Madame Leonce, the
doorkeeper.

"We'll see, we'll see," the butter dealer curtly replied.

However, on reaching the house a preliminary parley--as Mademoiselle
Saget had opined--proved to be necessary. Madame Leonce refused to allow
the women to go up to her tenant's room. She put on an expression
of severe austerity, and seemed greatly shocked by the sight of La
Sarriette's loosely fastened fichu. However, after the old maid had
whispered a few words to her and she was shown the key, she gave way.
When they got upstairs she surrendered the rooms and furniture to the
others article by article, apparently as heartbroken as if she had been
compelled to show a party of burglars the place where her own money was
secreted.

"There, take everything and have done with it!" she cried at last,
throwing herself into an arm-chair.

La Sarriette was already eagerly trying the key in the locks of
different closets. Madame Lecoeur, all suspicion, pressed her so closely
that she exclaimed: "Really, aunt, you get in my way. Do leave my arms
free, at any rate."

At last they succeeded in opening a wardrobe opposite the window,
between the fireplace and the bed. And then all four women broke into
exclamations. On the middle shelf lay some ten thousand francs in
gold, methodically arranged in little piles. Gavard, who had prudently
deposited the bulk of his fortune in the hands of a notary, had kept
this sum by him for the purposes of the coming outbreak. He had been
wont to say with great solemnity that his contribution to the revolution
was quite ready. The fact was that he had sold out certain stock, and
every night took an intense delight in contemplating those ten thousand
francs, gloating over