mall cost out of his savings. Yet, on the whole, it
evinced the good taste of a man who had once been among the exquisites
of the polite world. You felt that you were in the apartment of a
gentleman, and a gentleman of somewhat severe tastes, and of sober
matured years. He was sitting the next morning in the room which he used
as a private study. Along the walls were arranged dwarf bookcases, as
yet occupied by few books, most of them books of reference, others cheap
editions of the French classics in prose--no poets, no romance-writers,
with a few Latin authors also in prose,--Cicero, Sallust, Tacitus. He
was engaged at his desk writing,--a book with its leaves open before
him, "Paul Louis Courier," that model of political irony and masculine
style of composition. There was a ring at his door-bell. The Vicomte
kept no servant. He rose and answered the summons. He recoiled a few
paces on recognizing his visitor in M. Hennequin.

The Prefet this time did not withdraw his hand; he extended it, but it
was with a certain awkwardness and timidity. "I thought it my duty to
call on you, Vicomte, thus early, having already seen M. Enguerrand de
Vandemar. He has shown me the copies of the pieces which were inspected
by your distinguished kinsmen, and which completely clear you of the
charge that--grant me your pardon when I say--seemed to me still to
remain unanswered when I had the honour to meet you last night."

"It appears to me, Monsieur Hennequin, that you, as an avocat so
eminent, might have convinced yourself very readily of that fact."

"Monsieur le Vicomte, I was in Switzerland with my wife at the time of
the unfortunate affair in which you were involved."

"But when you returned to Paris, you might perhaps have deigned to make
inquiries so affecting the honour of one you had called a friend, and
for whom you had professed"--De Mauleon paused; he disdained to add--"an
eternal gratitude."

Hennequin coloured slightly, but replied with self-possession.

"I certainly did inquire. I did hear that the charge against you with
regard to the abstraction of the jewels was withdrawn, that you were
therefore acquitted by law; but I heard also that society did not acquit
you, and that, finding this, you had quitted France. Pardon me again, no
one would listen to me when I attempted to speak on your behalf but
now that so many years have elapsed, that the story is imperfectly
remembered, that relations so high-placed receive y