one of his friends procured him an
engagement in Russia.

The engagement was nothing; but the poor comedian was afterward
fortunate enough to obtain an interest in a theatrical enterprise, from
which he realized a fortune of one hundred thousand francs in less than
six years.

"Now," said he, "I can give up this life. I am rich enough, now, to
begin the warfare."

And six weeks later he arrived in his native village.

Before carrying any of his atrocious designs into execution, he went
to Sairmeuse to visit Marie-Anne's grave, in order to obtain there an
increase of animosity, as well as the relentless _sang-froid_ of a stern
avenger of crime.

That was his only motive in going, but, on the very evening of his
arrival, he learned through a garrulous old peasant woman that ever
since his departure--that is to say, for a period of twenty years--two
parties had been making persistent inquiries for a child which had been
placed somewhere in the neighborhood.

Jean knew that it was Marie-Anne's child they were seeking. Why they had
not succeeded in finding it, he knew equally well.

But why were there two persons seeking the child? One was Maurice
d'Escorval, of course, but who was the other?

Instead of remaining at Sairmeuse a week, Jean Lacheneur tarried there a
month; and by the expiration of that month he had traced these inquiries
concerning the child to the agent of Chelteux. Through him, he reached
Fouche's former spy; and, finally, succeeded in discovering that the
search had been instituted by no less a person than the Duchesse de
Sairmeuse.

This discovery bewildered him. How could Mme. Blanche have known that
Marie-Anne had given birth to a child; and knowing it, what possible
interest could she have had in finding it?

These two questions tormented Jean's mind continually; but he could
discover no satisfactory answer.

"Chupin's son could tell me, perhaps," he thought. "I must pretend to be
reconciled to the sons of the wretch who betrayed my father."

But the traitor's children had been dead for several years, and after a
long search, Jean found only the Widow Chupin and her son, Polyte.

They were keeping a drinking-saloon not far from the
Chateau-des-Rentiers; and their establishment, known as the Poivriere,
bore anything but an enviable reputation.

Lacheneur questioned the widow and her son in vain; they could give him
no information whatever on the subject. He told them his name, but eve