et your mind at
rest."

By this time the banker had contrived to reassure the doctor.

"Besides," he added, "everything is going on well, even our Tafila
mines. I have taxed our people, according to their means, from one to
twenty thousand francs, and we are certain of a million."

The doctor rubbed his hands, and a delicious prospect of enjoyments
stretched out before him.

"I have seen Catenac," continued Martin Rigal. "He has returned from
Vendome, and the Duke de Champdoce is wild with hope and expectation,
and is on the path which he thinks will take him to his son."

"And how about Perpignan?"

Mascarin laughed.

"Perpignan is just as much a dupe as the Duke is; he thinks absolutely
that he has discovered all the clues that I myself placed on his road.
Before, however, they have quite concluded their investigations,
Paul will be my daughter's husband and Flavia the future Duchess of
Champdoce, with an income that a monarch might envy."

He paused, for there was a light tap on the door, and Flavia entered.
She bowed to the doctor, and, with the graceful movement of a bird,
perched herself upon her father's knee, and, throwing her arms round his
neck, kissed him again and again.

"This is a very nice little preface," said the banker with a forced
smile. "The favor is granted in advance, for, of course, this means that
you have come to ask one."

The girl shook her head, and returned in the tone of one addressing a
naughty child,--

"Oh, you bad papa! Am I in the habit of selling my kisses? I am sure
that I have only to ask and to have."

"Of course not, only----"

"I came to tell you that dinner was ready, and that Paul and I are both
very hungry; and I only kissed you because I loved you; and if I had to
choose a father again, out of the whole it would be you."

He smiled fondly.

"But for the last six weeks," said he, "you have not loved me so well."

"No," returned she with charming simplicity, "not for so long--nearly
for fifteen days perhaps."

"And yet it is more than a month since the good doctor brought a certain
young man to dinner."

Flavia uttered a frank, girlish laugh.

"I love you dearly," said she, "but especially for one thing."

"And what is that, pray?"

"Ah! that is the secret; but I will tell it you for all that. It is only
within the last fortnight that I have found out how really good you have
been, and how much trouble you took in bringing Paul to me; but to think