is house is secure only on
certain conditions, a peculiar arrangement in which I have personally
little influence. Some of my guests are ungracious enough to disbelieve
this. When the fees remain unpaid I have no choice in the matter. My
guest is removed elsewhere."

Jeanne showed not a trace of nervousness or alarm. The whirl of thoughts
and doubts in her brain caused the lines in her face to harden a little,
but there was no quiver in her eyes, no tremble in her voice.

"Is the money paid in advance?" she asked.

"Always, mademoiselle; that is one of the conditions."

"Then it is for the coming week that the money is due?"

"That is so."

"I do not know, Dr. Legrand, whether you are fully aware of Monsieur
Bruslart's position and my own?"

"I think so, mademoiselle. You were, I believe, to be man and wife."

His suggestion that such a thing was now impossible was not lost upon
Jeanne and was a little startling. Did he believe that Lucien Bruslart
was a scoundrel?

"Do you know that the fees paid to you by Lucien Bruslart are paid out
of my money?"

"Officially I only know that they are paid by a certain person, and I
ask no questions. Having some knowledge of Monsieur Bruslart's position,
I have imagined that the necessary money was supplied by you."

"I have only to authorize the banker who has funds of mine in hand to
pay the amount."

"Mademoiselle, I naturally thought of that. All that was necessary was a
form for your signature, so I called upon the banker. I regret to tell
you that he has no longer any funds of yours in hand. The whole amount
has been withdrawn."

"By whom?"

Legrand shrugged his shoulders.

"I do not know. If you wish me to make a guess, I should say by Lucien
Bruslart. You will know whether he had any document in his possession
giving him such power."

Jeanne knew that he had. She had trusted him fully. Even now she did not
jump to the hasty conclusion that he had betrayed that trust. There
might be a dozen good reasons why he had withdrawn the money; to save it
from being misappropriated by the State consequent on the banker's
possible arrest, or to spend carefully in arranging her escape. It was
probably an accident that the messenger had not arrived with the money
this week, and in preparation for escape it was quite likely that Lucien
might let it be understood that he had left Paris. He would not be
likely to confide in Monsieur Legrand. He would certainly not desert