me--my little one!"

He paused for a moment, and then went on, with a vehemence
that struggled for utterance, with his hoarse feeble voice and
failing breath.

"If this cursed accident had happened but one day sooner or
later, I could have left her a fortune--but a superb fortune;
only one day sooner--I had it two days ago--or to-morrow--I
should have had my revenge last night of that _scelerat_--that
devil--that Legros, and won back the money he cheated me of,
he--he--of all men, a mere beginner, a smatterer--ah! if I had
been the man I once was, it would have been a different
account to settle----"

He lay back panting, but began again before Graham could
speak.

"I only want time--give me a little time, and my little
Madeleine shall have such a fortune as shall make her
independent of every one; or stay, why not send for him now? I
will give you his address--yes, now--now at once, before it is
too late!"

"That is quite impossible, Monsieur," Graham answered with
decision; "and if you agitate yourself in this way, I must
refuse to listen to another word. You are doing all you can to
lessen your chances of recovery."

"You do not play, Monsieur?" said M. Linders, struck with a
new idea, and not in the least attending to what Graham was
saying.

"Do you want to win my money?" said the young man, half
smiling. "No, I do not play, nor, if I did, have I any money
to lose. Leave all these notions alone, I entreat of you; calm
yourself; you need not trouble yourself to speak much, but
just tell me what your wishes are concerning your little girl--
in any case it is always best to be prepared. Have you made
any will? Is there any one to whose care you would wish to
entrust her in the event of your death?"

M. Linders had exhausted his strength and his passion for the
moment, and answered quietly enough. No, he had made no will,
he said--of what use? Everything he had was hers, of course--
little enough too, as matters stood. He owned he did not know
what was to become of her; he had made no arrangements--he had
never thought of its coming to this, and then he had always
counted on leaving her a fortune. He had sometimes thought of
letting her be brought up for the stage; that might be
arranged now, if he could see S----, the manager of the Theatre
----. Could he be sent for at once?

"Certainly, if you really wish it," answered Graham with some
hesitation, and then added frankly, "I have no sort of right
t