at stake."

"Pray, madame, do not suppose that I have forgotten the respect due
you," said Camusot. "If Monsieur Popinot, for instance, had undertaken
this case, you would have had worse luck than you have found with me;
for he would not have come to consult Monsieur de Granville; no one
would have heard anything about it. I tell you, madame, everything has
been seized in Monsieur Lucien's lodging, even your letters----"

"What! my letters!"

"Here they are, madame, in a sealed packet."

The Countess in her agitation rang as if she had been at home, and the
office-boy came in.

"A light," said she.

The boy lighted a taper and placed it on the chimney-piece, while the
Countess looked through the letters, counted them, crushed them in her
hand, and flung them on the hearth. In a few minutes she set the whole
mass in a blaze, twisting up the last note to serve as a torch.

Camusot stood, looking rather foolish as he watched the papers burn,
holding the legal documents in his hand. The Countess, who seemed
absorbed in the work of destroying the proofs of her passion, studied
him out of the corner of her eye. She took her time, she calculated
her distance; with the spring of a cat she seized the two documents and
threw them on the flames. But Camusot saved them; the Countess rushed
on him and snatched back the burning papers. A struggle ensued, Camusot
calling out: "Madame, but madame! This is contempt--madame!"

A man hurried into the room, and the Countess could not repress a scream
as she beheld the Comte de Serizy, followed by Monsieur de Granville and
the Comte de Bauvan. Leontine, however, determined to save Lucien at
any cost, would not let go of the terrible stamped documents, which she
clutched with the tenacity of a vise, though the flame had already burnt
her delicate skin like a moxa.

At last Camusot, whose fingers also were smarting from the fire, seemed
to be ashamed of the position; he let the papers go; there was nothing
left of them but the portions so tightly held by the antagonists that
the flame could not touch them. The whole scene had taken less time than
is needed to read this account of it.

"What discussion can have arisen between you and Madame de Serizy?" the
husband asked of Camusot.

Before the lawyer could reply, the Countess held the fragments in the
candle and threw them on the remains of her letters, which were not
entirely consumed.

"I shall be compelled," said Camusot, "t