of their existence, and caused them to welcome anything that
took them from the home where they had barely sufficient to deceive
society, and not enough to impose upon their creditors. "And they keep
three servants," thought Mademoiselle Marguerite--"three enemies who
spend their time in ridiculing them, and torturing their vanity."

Thus, on the very first day after her arrival, she realized the real
situation of the General and his wife. They were certainly on the
verge of ruin when Mademoiselle Marguerite accepted their hospitality.
Everything went to prove this: the coachman's insolent demand, the
servants' impudence, the grocer's refusal to furnish a single bottle of
wine on credit, the milliner's persistence, and, lastly, the new
sheets on the visitors' beds. "Yes," thought Mademoiselle Marguerite to
herself, "the Fondeges were ruined when I came here. They would never
have sunk so low if they had not been utterly destitute of resources.
So, if they rise again, if money and credit come back again, then the
old magistrate is right--they have obtained possession of the Chalusse
millions!"

IX

On this side, at least, Mademoiselle Marguerite had no very wide field
of investigation to explore. Her common sense told her that her task
would merely consist in carefully watching the behavior of the General
and his wife, in noting their expenditure, and so on. It was a matter
of close attention, and of infinitesimal trifles. Nor was she much
encouraged by her first success. It was, perhaps, important; and yet
it might be nothing. For she felt that the real difficulties would not
begin until she became morally certain that the General had stolen the
millions that were missing from the count's escritoire. Even then it
would remain for her to discover how he had obtained possession of
this money. And when she had succeeded in doing this, would her task be
ended? Certainly not. She must obtain sufficient evidence to give her
the right of accusing the General openly, and in the face of every one.
She must have material and indisputable proofs before she could say: "A
robbery has been committed. I was accused of it. I was innocent. Here is
the culprit!"

What a long journey must be made before this goal was reached! No
matter! Now that she had a positive and fixed point of departure, she
felt that she possessed enough energy to sustain her in her endeavors
for years, if need be. What troubled her most was that she co