uite overpowered his previous one, and, in his present vexation, he, for
the moment, forgot his fears. He knelt at his wife's feet, begged her
pardon a thousand times, swore that he adored her, and declared that the
illness and the effect of the wine had been purely the consequences of
fasting and over-work. It was not the easiest thing in the world to
re-assure a woman whose pride, affection, and taste, had been so severely
wounded; but Natalie tried to believe, or to appear to do so, and a sort
of reconciliation ensued, not quite sincere on the part of the wife, and
very humbling on the part of the husband. Under these circumstances it
was impossible that he should recover his spirits or facility of manner;
his gaiety was forced, his tenderness constrained; his heart was heavy
within him; and ever and anon the source whence all this disappointment
and woe had sprung would recur to his perplexed and tortured mind.

Thus mutually pained and distrustful, they returned to Paris, which they
reached about nine o'clock. In spite of her depression, Natalie, who had
not seen her new apartments, felt some curiosity about them, whilst De
Chaulieu anticipated a triumph in exhibiting the elegant home he had
prepared for her. With some alacrity, therefore, they stepped out of the
carriage, the gates of the Hotel were thrown open, the _concierge_ rang
the bell which announced to the servants that their master and mistress
had arrived, and whilst these domestics appeared above, holding lights
over the balustrades, Natalie, followed by her husband, ascended the
stairs. But when they reached the landing-place of the first flight, they
saw the figure of a man standing in a corner as if to make way for them;
the flash from above fell upon his face, and again Antoine de Chaulieu
recognized the features of Jacques Rollet!

From the circumstance of his wife's preceding him, the figure was not
observed by De Chaulieu till he was lifting his foot to place it on the
top stair: the sudden shock caused him to miss the step, and, without
uttering a sound, he fell back, and never stopped till he reached the
stones at the bottom. The screams of Natalie brought the concierge from
below and the maids from above, and an attempt was made to raise the
unfortunate man from the ground; but with cries of anguish he besought
them to desist.

"Let me," he said, "die here! What a fearful vengeance is thine! O,
Natalie, Natalie!" he exclaimed to his wife, who