t interest could she have in ruining my father? Evidently
none. To ruin him was to ruin herself, since she was absolute mistress
of her fortune, and free to dispose of it as she chose."

Proud of the accuracy of her decision, she was looking triumphantly at
the old dealer. The latter saw now that he must strike a decisive blow;
and his sister encouraged him by a gesture. He said,--

"Pray, listen to me, madam. So far I have only repeated to you the
report on 'Change. I told you: They say the capital of the Pennsylvania
Petroleum _Company_ has been swallowed up by unlucky speculations on
'Change. But I do not believe these reports. I am, on the contrary,
convinced, I am quite sure even, that these millions were not lost on
'Change, because they never were used for the purpose of speculating."

"Still"--

"Still they have disappeared, none the less; and your father is
probably the last man in the world to tell us how and where they have
disappeared. But I know it; and, when the question is raised how to
recover these enormous sums, I shall cry out, 'Search Sarah Brandon,
Countess Ville-Handry; search M. Thomas Elgin and Mrs. Brian; search
Maxime de Brevan,' the wretched tool of these wicked women!"

Now at last a terrible light broke upon Henrietta's mind.

"Then," she stammered, "these infamous slanders are only put out to
conceal an impudent robbery?"

"Yes."

The young girl's face showed that she was making a great effort to
comprehend; and then she said again,--

"And in that case, the articles in the papers"--

"Were written by the wretches who have robbed your father, yes, madam!"
And, shaking his fist with a threatening air, he added,--

"Oh! there is no mistaking it. Since when does this journal exist? Since
about six months ago. From the day on which it was established, it was
the aim and purpose of the founders to publish in it the articles which
you haven't read."

Even if she could not well understand by what ingenious combinations
such enormous sums could be abstracted, Henrietta was conquered by Papa
Ravinet's sincere and earnest conviction.

"Then," she went on, "these wretches who have robbed my father now mean
to ruin him!"

"They must do it for their own safety. The money has been stolen, you
see; therefore there must be a thief. For the world, for the courts, the
guilty one will be Count Ville-Handry."

"For the courts?"

"Alas, yes!"

The poor girl's eyes went from the brother to