la's house for the two important volumes and for
her own certificate of Funds; then, armed with the extract from the
inventory, he drove to Fontainebleau and had an interview with the
procureur du roi. Bongrand easily convinced that official of the theft
of the three certificates by one or other of the heirs,--presumably by
Minoret.

"His conduct is explained," said the procureur.

As a measure of precaution the magistrate at once notified the Treasury
to withhold transfer of the said certificates, and told Bongrand to go
to Paris and ascertain if the shares had ever been sold. He then wrote a
polite note to Madame Minoret requesting her presence.

Zelie, very uneasy about her son's duel, dressed herself at once,
had the horses put to her carriage and hurried to Fontainebleau. The
procureur's plan was simple enough. By separating the wife from the
husband, and bringing the terrors of the law to bear upon her, he
expected to learn the truth. Zelie found the official in his private
office and was utterly annihilated when he addressed her as follows:--

"Madame," he said; "I do not believe you are an accomplice in a theft
that has been committed upon the Minoret property, on the track of which
the law is now proceeding. But you can spare your husband the shame of
appearing in the prisoner's dock by making a full confession of what
you know about it. The punishment which your husband has incurred is,
moreover, not the only thing to be dreaded. Your son's career is to be
thought of; you must avoid destroying that. Half an hour hence will be
too late. The police are already under orders for Nemours, the warrant
is made out."

Zelie nearly fainted; when she recovered her senses she confessed
everything. After proving to her that she was in point of fact an
accomplice, the magistrate told her that if she did not wish to injure
either son or husband she must behave with the utmost prudence.

"You have now to do with me as an individual, not as a magistrate," he
said. "No complaint has been lodged by the victim, nor has any publicity
been given to the theft. But your husband has committed a great crime,
which may be brought before a judge less inclined than myself to be
considerate. In the present state of the affair I am obliged to make you
a prisoner--oh, in my own house, on parole," he added, seeing that
Zelie was about to faint. "You must remember that my official duty would
require me to issue a warrant at once and beg