e
she is living in for the last five years.'

"My brother, in astonishment, questioned the doorkeeper anew, and then
he pushed his investigation of the matter further. No child, no journey.

"I was prodigiously astonished, but without clearly understanding the
final meaning of this comedy.

"'I want,' said I to him, 'to have my mind perfectly clear about the
affair. I will ask her to come here to-morrow. You shall receive her
instead of me. If she has deceived me, you will hand her these ten
thousand francs, and I will never see her again. In fact, I am beginning
to find I have had enough of her.'

"Would you believe it? I had been grieved the night before because I had
a child by this woman; and I was now irritated, ashamed, wounded at
having no more of her. I found myself free, released from all
responsibility, from all anxiety, and yet I felt myself raging at the
position in which I was placed.

"Next morning my brother awaited her in my study. She came in as quickly
as usual, rushing towards him with outstretched arms, but when she saw
who it was she at once drew back.

"He bowed, and excused himself.

"'I beg your pardon, madame, for being here instead of my brother, but
he has authorized me to ask you for some explanations which he would
find it painful to seek from you himself.'

"Then, fixing on her face a searching glance, he said abruptly:

"'We know you have not a child by him.'

"After the first moment of stupor, she regained her composure, took a
seat, and gazed with a smile at this man who was sitting in judgment on
her.

"She answered simply:

"'No; I have no child.'

"'We know also that you have never been in Italy.'

"This time she burst out laughing in earnest.

"'No, I have never been in Italy.'

"My brother, quite stunned, went on:

"'The Comte has requested me to give you this money, and tell you that
it is all broken off.'

"She became serious again, calmly putting the money into her pocket,
and, in an ingenuous tone asked:

"'And I am not, then, to see the Comte any more?'

"'No, madame.'

"She appeared to be annoyed, and in a passionless voice she said:

"'So much the worse; I was very fond of him.'

"Seeing that she had made up her mind on the subject so resolutely, my
brother, smiling in his turn, said to her:

"'Look here, now, tell me why you invented all this tricky yarn,
complicating it by bringing in the sham journey to Italy and the child?'"

She gazed at