shall try to be reconciled with the Church."

"Suffer me to hope it," said the Abbe Taupin, for whose benefit Rigou
had raised his voice on the last words.

"Alas! the wrong I did in marrying prevents it," replied Rigou. "I
cannot kill off Madame Rigou."

"Meantime, let us think of Les Aigues," said Madame Soudry.

"Yes," said the ex-monk. "Do you know, I begin to think that our
associate at Ville-aux-Fayes may be cleverer than the rest of us. I
fancy that Gaubertin wants Les Aigues for himself, and that he means to
trick us in the end."

"But Les Aigues will not belong to any one of us; it will have to come
down, from roof to cellar," said Soudry.

"I shouldn't be surprised if there were treasure buried in those
cellars," observed Rigou, cleverly.

"Nonsense!"

"Well, in the wars of the olden time the great lords, who were often
besieged and surprised, did bury their gold until they should be able to
recover it; and you know that the Marquis de Soulanges-Hautemer (in whom
the younger branch came to an end) was one of the victims of the Biron
conspiracy. The Comtesse de Moret received the property from Henri IV.
when it was confiscated."

"See what it is to know the history of France!" said Soudry. "You are
right. It is time to come to an understanding with Gaubertin."

"If he shirks," said Rigou, "we must smoke him out."

"He is rich enough now," said Lupin, "to be an honest man."

"I'll answer for him as I would for myself," said Madame Soudry; "he's
the most loyal man in the kingdom."

"We all believe in his loyalty," said Rigou, "but nevertheless nothing
should be neglected, even among friends--By the bye, I think there is
some one in Soulanges who is hindering matters."

"Who's that?" asked Soudry.

"Plissoud," replied Rigou.

"Plissoud!" exclaimed Soudry. "Poor fool! Brunet holds him by the
halter, and his wife by the gullet; ask Lupin."

"What can he do?" said Lupin.

"He means to warn Montcornet," replied Rigou, "and get his influence and
a place--"

"It wouldn't bring him more than his wife earns for him at Soulanges,"
said Madame Soudry.

"He tells everything to his wife when he is drunk," remarked Lupin. "We
shall know it all in good time."

"The beautiful Madame Plissoud has no secrets from you," said Rigou; "we
may be easy about that."

"Besides, she's as stupid as she is beautiful," said Madame Soudry. "I
wouldn't change with her; for if I were a man I'd prefer an ugly woman
w