in order that her pretended charitable visit to the
house might assume a more convincing appearance in the eyes of her
husband.

Unfortunately, Rodolph was ignorant of Tortillard's having possessed
himself of the purse, although the reader has already been told how the
artful young thief contrived to effect the barefaced cheat.

About four o'clock the prince received the following letter, which was
brought by an old woman, who went away the instant she had delivered it
without awaiting any answer.

"MY LORD:

"I owe you more than life; and I would fain express my heartfelt
gratitude for the invaluable service you have rendered me to-day.
To-morrow shame would, perhaps, close my lips. If your royal
highness will honour me with a call this evening, you will finish
the day as you began it--by a generous action.

"D'ORBIGNY D'HARVILLE.

"P.S. Do not, my lord, take the trouble to write an answer. I
shall be at home all the evening."

However rejoiced Rodolph felt at having been the happy instrument of
good to Madame d'Harville, he yet could not help regretting the sort of
a forced intimacy which this circumstance all at once established
between himself and the marquise. Deeply struck with the graceful
vivacity and extreme beauty of Clemence, yet wholly incapable of
infringing upon the friendship which existed between himself and the
marquis, Rodolph, directly he became aware of the passion which was
springing up in his heart for the wife of his friend, almost denied
himself (after having previously devoted a whole month to the most
assiduous attentions) the pleasure of beholding her. And now, too, he
recollected with much emotion the conversation he had overheard at the
embassy between Tom and Sarah, when the latter, by way of accounting for
her hatred and jealousy, had affirmed, and not without truth, that
Madame d'Harville still felt, even unknown to herself, a serious
affection for Rodolph.

Sarah was too acute, too penetrating, too well versed in the knowledge
of the human heart, not to be well aware that Clemence, believing
herself scorned by a man who had made so deep an impression on her
heart, and yielding, from the effects of her irritated feelings, to the
importunities of a perfidious friend, might be induced to interest
herself in the imaginary woes of M. Charles Robert, without,
consequently, forgetting Rodolph. Other women, faithful