straits that he had almost determined to blow his brains
out before the hope of marrying you entered his mind."

"Ah!" thought Chupin, "my employer is well under way."

This was indeed the case. The name of Valorsay was quite sufficient
to set all M. Fortunat's bile in motion. All thought of his ex-client
irritated him beyond endurance. Unfortunately for him, however, his
anger in the present instance had ruined his plans. He had intended to
take Mademoiselle Marguerite by surprise, to work upon her imagination,
to make her talk without saying anything himself, and to remain master
of the situation. But on the contrary he had revealed everything; and
he did not discover this until it was too late to retrieve his blunder.
"How the Marquis de Valorsay has kept his head above water is a wonder
to me," he continued. "His creditors have been threatening to sue him
for more than six months. How he has been able to keep them quiet since
M. de Chalusse's death, I cannot understand. However, this much is
certain, mademoiselle: the marquis has not renounced his intention of
becoming your husband; and to attain that object he won't hesitate to
employ any means that may promise to prove effectual."

Completely mistress of herself, Mademoiselle Marguerite listened with an
impassive face. "I know all this," she replied, in a frigid tone.

"What! you know----"

"Yes; but there is one thing that baffles my powers of comprehension. My
dowry was the only temptation to M. de Valorsay, was it not? Why does he
still wish to marry me, now that I have no fortune?"

M. Fortunat had gradually lost all his advantage. "I have asked myself
the same question," he replied, "and I think I have found an answer. I
believe that the marquis has in his possession a letter, or a will, or a
document of some sort, written by M. de Chalusse--in fact an instrument
in which the count acknowledges you as his daughter, and which
consequently establishes; your right to his property."

"And the marquis could urge this claim if he became my husband?"

"Certainly he could."

M. Fortunat explained M. de Valorsay's conduct exactly as the old
magistrate had done. However, Mademoiselle Marguerite discreetly
refrained from committing herself. The great interest that M. Fortunat
seemed to take in her affairs aroused her distrust; and she decided
to do what he had attempted in vain--that is, allow him to do all the
talking, and to conceal all that she knew herself