and took his leave, once more
elated by the belief that he was on the eve of discovering Madeleine's
retreat.

The letter to his father written and dispatched, he sought Bertha, and
gave her full particulars of his interview with the Jew, delicately
forbearing to mention the compensation he expected.

Bertha, as sanguine of success as her cousin, was gayly discussing
probabilities, when the Marquis de Merrivale entered.

"Young heads laid together to plot mischief, I wager!" remarked the
nobleman, jocosely; for he was in a capital humor, having just partaken
of an epicurean _dejeuner a la fourchette_ at the celebrated "Madrid's."

"We are talking about our Cousin Madeleine. Maurice has a new plan for
prosecuting his search," said Bertha. "Ah, dear Madeleine! Why did she
forsake us so strangely? How could she have had the heart to cause us so
much sorrow?"

"My dear child, it was probably her _liver_ not her _heart_ that was in
fault. Her heart, I dare say, performed its grave duties properly, and
should not be aspersed; some bilious derangement was no doubt at the
bottom of her singular conduct. The greatest eccentricities may all be
traced back to _bile_ as their origin. Regulate the bile and you
regulate the brain from which mental vagaries proceed. If some judicious
friend had administered to your cousin Madeleine a little salutary
medicine, and forced her to diet for a few days, she would have acted
more reasonably. Talking of diet, that was a princely dinner the Marquis
de Fleury set before us. He is really a very able and estimable member
of society,--understands good living to perfection. I cordially
reciprocate his wish that a lasting bond of union should exist between
us. His brother-in-law, the young Duke de Montauban, is enchanted with
my little niece. I say nothing: arrange between yourselves; but, by all
means, marry into a family which knows how to value a good cook; take a
young man who has had his taste sufficiently cultivated to distinguish
of what ingredients a sauce is composed. Don't despise a blessing that
may be enjoyed three hundred and sixty-five times every year,--that's
my advice."

Bertha had not attached any importance to the attentions of the young
duke; but her manner of receiving this suggestion,--the

"half disdain
Perched on the pouted blossom of her lip,"--

convinced Maurice that, if she favored any suitor, her inclinations did
not turn towards the d