young man were sure she
did not. But he--he worshipped her; he loved her passionately, madly,
and was so absurdly jealous, that he became desperate if she stayed out
an hour longer than he expected. Hence she often complained of his love,
which restrained her cherished liberty; and still she bore it patiently
till fate threw in her way Maxime de Brevan."

At the name of the wretch who had been so bent upon ruining them both,
and who had been so nearly successful, Henrietta and Daniel trembled,
and looked at each other. But Papa Ravinet did not give them, time to
ask any questions, and continued, as calmly as if he had been reading a
report,--

"It was several years before this, that Justin Chevassat, released from
the galleys, had made a nobleman of himself, and claimed before all the
world to be Maxime de Brevan. We need not be surprised, in this age of
ours, where impudence takes the place of everything else, that he should
have promptly succeeded in making his way into high life, and in being
admitted to many houses which were considered more or less exclusive.
In a society which seems to have adopted for its motto the words
'Toleration and Discretion,' and where, consequently, anybody is
admitted without question, Justin Chevassat very naturally had a great
success. He had carefully prepared his way, like those adventurers who
never appear abroad without having their passports in much better order
than most honest travellers. He had learned prudence by experience; for
his antecedents were stormy enough, though less so than Sarah's.

"Justin's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Chevassat, now concierges of No. 23
Water Street, were, some thirty-eight or forty years ago, living in the
upper part of the suburb of Saint Honore. They had a very modest little
shop, partly restaurant, partly bar: their customers were generally the
servants of the neighborhood. They were people of easy principles and
loose morals,--as there are so many in our day,--honest enough as long
as there is nothing to be gained by being otherwise. As their trade
prospered, they were not dishonest; and, when any of their customers
forgot their portemonnaies at the shop, they always returned them. The
husband was twenty-four, and the wife nineteen years old, when, to their
great joy, a son was born. There was rejoicing in the shop; and the
child was christened Justin, in honor of his godfather, who was no less
a personage than the valet of the Marquis de Brevan