e, kind even in its despairing accents, touched the very
bottom of Raoul's perverted heart, and once more his soul was wrung
by remorse; so that he felt inclined to put back the stolen money, and
comfort the despairing woman whose life and reason he was destroying.
The thought of Clameran restrained him.

Finding his efforts to restore Mme. Fauvel fruitless, that, in spite
of all his affectionate regrets and promises, she still sat silent,
motionless, and death-like; and fearing that M. Fauvel or Madeleine
might enter at any moment, and demand an explanation, he hastily pressed
a kiss upon his mother's brow, and hurried from the house.

At the restaurant, in the room where they had dined, Clameran, tortured
by anxiety, awaited his accomplice.

He wondered if at the last moment, when he was not near to sustain him,
Raoul would prove a coward, and retreat; if any unforeseen trifle had
prevented his finding the key; if any visitors were there; and, if so,
would they depart before M. Fauvel's return from the dinner-party?

He had worked himself into such a state of excitement, that, when Raoul
returned, he flew to him with ashy face and trembling all over, and
could scarcely gasp out:

"Well?"

"The deed is done, uncle, thanks to you; and I am now the most
miserable, abject villain on the face of the earth."

He unbuttoned his vest, and, pulling out the four bundles of bank-notes,
angrily dashed them upon the table, saying, in a tone of scorn and
disgust:

"Now I hope you are satisfied. This is the price of the happiness,
honor, and perhaps the life of three people."

Clameran paid no attention to these angry words. With feverish eagerness
he seized the notes, and rattled them in his hand as if to convince
himself of the reality of success.

"Now Madeleine is mine!" he cried excitedly.

Raoul looked at Clameran in silent disgust. This exhibition of joy was
a shocking contrast to the scene in which he had just been an actor. He
was humiliated at being the tool of such a heartless scoundrel as he now
knew Clameran to be.

Louis misinterpreted this silence, and said gayly:

"Did you have much difficulty?"

"I forbid you ever to allude to this evening's work," cried Raoul
fiercely. "Do you hear me? I wish to forget it."

Clameran shrugged his shoulders at this outburst of anger, and said in a
bantering tone:

"Just as you please, my handsome nephew: I rather think you will want
to remember it though, when I