essage to send to you, he was trying to find a person whom
he could trust to play the part of a dressmaker, as had been agreed upon
between you, when I offered my services, thinking he could find no one
more trusty than myself."

Tears glittered in Mademoiselle Marguerite's eyes. The slightest token
of sympathy is so sweet to the heart of the lonely and unfortunate! "How
can I ever thank you, madame?" she faltered.

"By not attempting to thank me at all, and by reading this letter as
soon as possible."

The note she now produced ran as follows:

"MY DEAR CHILD--At last I am on the track of the thieves. By conferring
with the people from whom M. de Chalusse received the money a couple of
days before his death, I have been fortunate enough to obtain from them
some minute details respecting the missing bonds, as well as the numbers
of the bank-notes which were deposited in the escritoire. With this
information, we cannot fail to prove the guilt of the culprits sooner or
later. You write me word that the Fondeges are spending money lavishly;
try and find out the names of the people they deal with, and communicate
them to me. Once more, I tell you that I am sure of success. Courage!"

"Well!" said the spurious dressmaker, when she saw that Marguerite
had finished reading the letter. "What answer shall I take my
brother-in-law?"

"Tell him that he shall certainly have the information he requires
to-morrow. To-day, I can only give him the name of the carriage builder,
from whom M. de Fondege has purchased his new carriages."

"Give it to me in writing, it is much the safest way."

Mademoiselle Marguerite did so, and her visitor who, as a woman,
was delighted to find herself mixed up in an intrigue, then went off
repeating the old magistrate's advice: "Courage!"

But it was no longer necessary to encourage Mademoiselle Marguerite.
The assurance of being so effectually helped, had already increased
her courage an hundredfold. The future that had seemed so gloomy only a
moment before, had now suddenly brightened. By means of the negative in
the keeping of the photographer, Carjat, she had the Marquis de
Valorsay in her power, and the magistrate, thanks to the numbers of the
bank-notes, could soon prove the guilt of the Fondeges. The protection
of Providence was made evident in an unmistakable manner. Thus it was
with a placid and almost smiling face that she successively greeted
Madame Leon, who returned home quite