e inheritance?"

But even this argument could not suppress the "No" murmured by his
inmost conscience.

Then came the thought: "Since I am not the son of the man I always
believed to be my father, I can take nothing from him, neither during
his lifetime nor after his death. It would be neither dignified nor
equitable. It would be robbing my brother."

This new view of the matter having relieved him and quieted his
conscience, he went to the window again.

"Yes," he said to himself, "I must give up my share of the family
inheritance. I must let Pierre have the whole of it, since I am not
his father's son. That is but just. Then is it not just that I should
keep my father's money?"

Having discerned that he could take nothing of Roland's savings,
having decided on giving up the whole of this money, he agreed; he
resigned himself to keeping Marechal's; for if he rejected both he
would find himself reduced to beggary.

This delicate question being thus disposed of, he came back to that of
Pierre's presence in the family. How was he to be got rid of? He was
giving up his search for any practical solution when the whistle of a
steam-vessel coming into port seemed to blow him an answer by
suggesting a scheme.

Then he threw himself on his bed without undressing, and dozed and
dreamed until daybreak.

At a little before nine he went out to ascertain whether his plans
were feasible. Then, after making sundry inquiries and calls, he went
to his old home. His mother was waiting for him in her room.

"If you had not come," she said, "I should never have dared to go
down."

In a minute Roland's voice was heard on the stairs: "Are we to have
nothing to eat to-day, hang it all!"

There was no answer, and he roared out, with a thundering oath this
time: "Josephine, what the devil are you about?"

The girl's voice came up from the depths of the basement:

"Yes, m'sieu--what is it?"

"Where is your Miss'es?"

"Madame is upstairs with M'sieu Jean."

Then he shouted, looking up at the higher floor: "Louise!"

Mme. Roland half opened her door and answered:

"What is it, my dear?"

"Are we to have nothing to eat to-day, hang it all!"

"Yes, my dear, I am coming."

And she went down, followed by Jean.

Roland, as soon as he saw him, exclaimed:

"Hallo! There you are! Sick of your home already?"

"No, father, but I had something to talk over with mother this
morning."

Jean went forward holding out his hand,