on, M. Etienne Rambert
turned and looked at the person who had entered.

It was a lady.

"To what am I indebted----" he began with a bow; and then, having
approached the visitor, he broke off short. "Good heavens----!"

The bell rang a second time, and on this occasion the Baronne de Vibray
hurried into the room, a radiant incarnation of gaiety.

"I am most dreadfully late!" she exclaimed, and was hurrying towards M.
Etienne Rambert with outstretched hands, full of some amusing story she
had to tell him, when she too caught sight of the strange lady standing
stiffly in the corner of the room, with downcast eyes.

Etienne Rambert repressed his first emotion, smiled to the Baronne, and
then went towards the mysterious lady.

"Madame," he said, not a muscle of his face moving, "may I trouble you
to come into my study?"

"Who is that lady, M. Rambert?" said Therese when presently M. Rambert
came back into the drawing-room. "And how white you are!"

M. Rambert forced a smile.

"I am rather tired, dear. I have had a great deal to do these last few
days."

The Baronne de Vibray was full of instant apologies.

"It is all my fault," she exclaimed. "I am dreadfully sorry to have kept
you up so late," and in a few minutes more the Baronne's car was
speeding towards the rue Boissy-d'Anglais.

* * * * *

M. Rambert hurried back to his study, shut and locked the door behind
him, and almost sprang towards the unknown lady, his fists clenched, his
eyes starting out of his head.

"Charles!" he exclaimed.

"Papa!" the girl replied, and sank upon a sofa.

There was silence. Etienne Rambert seemed utterly dumbfounded.

"I won't, I won't remain disguised as a woman any longer. I've done with
it. I cannot bear it!" the strange creature murmured.

"You must!" said Rambert harshly, imperiously. "I insist!"

The pseudo Mlle. Jeanne slowly took off the heavy wig that concealed her
real features, and tore away the corsage that compressed her bosom,
revealing the strong and muscular frame of a young man.

"No, I will not," replied the strange individual, to whom M. Rambert had
not hesitated to give the name of Charles. "I would rather anything else
happened."

"You have got to expiate," Etienne Rambert said with the same harshness.

"The expiation is too great," the young fellow answered. "The torture is
unendurable."

"Charles," said M. Rambert very gravely, "do you forget that legally,