er."

Fanferlot hastily opened the bundles.

They contained three calico dresses, some coarse shoes, and some linen
caps.

"Well," said the detective in a vexed tone, "now she is going to
disguise herself. Upon my word, I am getting puzzled! What can she be up
to?"

When Fanferlot was sulkily walking down the Faubourg St. Martin, he
had fully made up his mind that he would not tell his wife of his
discomfiture.

But once at home, confronted with a new fact of a nature to negative all
his conjectures, his vanity disappeared. He confessed everything--his
hopes so nearly realized, his strange mischance, and his suspicions.

They talked the matter over, and finally decided that they would not
go to bed until Mme. Gypsy, from whom Mme. Alexandre was determined to
obtain an explanation of what had happened, returned. At one o'clock the
worthy couple were about giving over all hope of her re-appearance, when
they heard the bell ring.

Fanferlot instantly slipped into the closet, and Mme. Alexandre remained
in the office to received Gypsy.

"Here you are at last, my dear child!" she cried. "Oh, I have been so
uneasy, so afraid lest some misfortune had happened!"

"Thanks for your kind interest, madame. Has a bundle been sent here for
me?"

Poor Gypsy's appearance had strikingly changed; she was very sad, but
not as before dejected. To her melancholy of the last few days, had
succeeded a firm and generous resolution, which was betrayed in her
sparkling eyes and resolute step.

"Yes, two bundles came for you; here they are. I suppose you saw M.
Bertomy's friend?"

"Yes, madame; and his advice has so changed my plans, that, I regret to
say, I must leave you to-morrow."

"Going away to-morrow! then something must have happened."

"Oh! nothing that would interest you, madame."

After lighting her candle at the gas-burner, Mme. Gypsy said
"Good-night" in a very significant way, and left the room.

"And what do you think of that, Mme. Alexandre?" questioned Fanferlot,
emerging from his hiding-place.

"It is incredible! This girl writes to M. de Clameran to meet her here,
and then does not wait for him."

"She evidently mistrusts us; she knows who I am."

"Then this friend of the cashier must have told her."

"Nobody knows who told her. I shall end by believing that I am among
a gang of thieves. They think I am on their track, and are trying to
escape me. I should not be at all surprised if this little rogue