rs; but Madame de
Saint-Esteve is in business, and will attend to your orders," replied
this famous police officer.

On his return home, the unhappy lawyer was told that his mother's
reason was in danger. Doctor Bianchon, Doctor Larabit, and Professor
Angard had met in consultation, and were prepared to apply heroic
remedies to hinder the rush of blood to the head. At the moment when
Victorin was listening to Doctor Bianchon, who was giving him, at some
length, his reasons for hoping that the crisis might be got over, the
man-servant announced that a client, Madame de Saint-Esteve, was
waiting to see him. Victorin left Bianchon in the middle of a sentence
and flew downstairs like a madman.

"Is there any hereditary lunacy in the family?" said Bianchon,
addressing Larabit.

The doctors departed, leaving a hospital attendant, instructed by
them, to watch Madame Hulot.

"A whole life of virtue!----" was the only sentence the sufferer had
spoken since the attack.

Lisbeth never left Adeline's bedside; she sat up all night, and was
much admired by the two younger women.

"Well, my dear Madame de Saint-Esteve," said Victorin, showing the
dreadful old woman into his study and carefully shutting the doors,
"how are we getting on?"

"Ah, ha! my dear friend," said she, looking at Victorin with cold
irony. "So you have thought things over?"

"Have you done anything?"

"Will you pay fifty thousand francs?"

"Yes," replied Victorin, "for we must get on. Do you know that by one
single phrase that woman has endangered my mother's life and reason?
So, I say, get on."

"We have got on!" replied the old woman.

"Well?" cried Victorin, with a gulp.

"Well, you do not cry off the expenses?"

"On the contrary."

"They run up to twenty-three thousand francs already."

Victorin looked helplessly at the woman.

"Well, could we hoodwink you, you, one of the shining lights of the
law?" said she. "For that sum we have secured a maid's conscience and
a picture by Raphael.--It is not dear."

Hulot, still bewildered, sat with wide open eyes.

"Well, then," his visitor went on, "we have purchased the honesty of
Mademoiselle Reine Tousard, a damsel from whom Madame Marneffe has no
secrets--"

"I understand!"

"But if you shy, say so."

"I will play blindfold," he replied. "My mother has told me that that
couple deserve the worst torments--"

"The rack is out of date," said the old woman.

"You answer for the result?"