y have been executed, monsieur."

"Did you see the baroness?"

"She made me wait two hours to tell me that the viscount need not be
worried in the least; that she would certainly be able to comply with
his request to-morrow."

M. de Coralth seemed to breathe more freely. "And the other party?" he
inquired.

"Gave me this for monsieur."

The viscount seized the missive, with an eager hand, tore it open, read
it at one glance, and flew into such a paroxysm of passion that he
quite forgot those around him, and began to tear the letter, and utter
a string of oaths which would have astonished a cab-driver. But suddenly
realizing his imprudence, he mastered his rage, and exclaimed, with a
forced laugh: "Ah! these women! they are enough to drive one mad!" And
deeming this a sufficient explanation, he added, addressing Florent.
"Come and undress me; I must be up early to-morrow morning."

This remark was not lost upon Chupin, and at seven o'clock the next
morning he mounted guard at M. de Coralth's door. All through the day he
followed the viscount about, first to the Marquis de Valorsay's, then
to the office of a business agent, then to M. Wilkie's, then, in the
afternoon, to Baroness Trigault's, and finally, in the evening, to
the house of Madame d'Argeles. Here, by making himself useful to the
servants, by his zeal in opening and shutting the doors of the carriages
that left the house, he succeeded in gathering some information
concerning the frightful scene which had taken place between the mother
and the son. He perceived M. Wilkie leave the house with his clothes in
disorder, and subsequently he saw the viscount emerge. He followed
him, first to the house of the Marquis de Valorsay, and afterward to M.
Wilkie's rooms, where he remained till nearly daybreak.

Thus, when Chupin presented himself in M. Fortunat's office at two
o'clock on the Tuesday afternoon, he felt that he held every possible
clue to the shameful intrigue which would ruin the viscount as soon as
it was made public.

M. Fortunat knew that his agent was shrewd, but he had not done justice
to his abilities; and it was, indeed, with something very like envy that
he listened to Chupin's clear and circumstantial report. "I have not
been as successful," he remarked, when Chupin's story was ended. But he
had not time to explain how or why, for just as he was about to do so,
Madame Dodelin appeared, and announced that the young lady he expected
was there