hough I knew that it
soon would be. "I shall return it to Mme. d'Epernay, who entrusted me
with it. Beyond that I care nothing as to its ultimate destination,
though perhaps I can guess. Naturally I do not carry eight thousand
dollars about with me----"

"Ten thousand!" shouted Simon.

"Mme. d'Epernay gave me eight thousand," I said. "I do not know
anything about ten thousand. Probably Mr. Daly has the rest. But, as
I was saying, I shall give you a check----"

Leroux burst into loud laughter and slapped me heartily upon the
shoulder.

"Paul Hewlett," he said, with genuine admiration, "you are as good as a
play. My friend, it would have paid you to have accepted my own offer.
However, you declined it and I shall not renew it. Well, let us take
your check, and it shall be accepted in full settlement." He winked at
me and thrust his tongue into his cheek.

I was too sick at heart to pay attention to his buffoonery. I sat down
at the table and, taking up a pen which lay there, wrote a check for
eight thousand dollars, making it out to Jacqueline d'Epernay. This I
handed to her.

"_Adieu, madame_," I said.

"_Adieu, monsieur_," she answered almost inaudibly, her head bent low.

I went out of the room, still gripping my pistol, and I took care to
let Simon see it as we descended the stairs side by side. The noisy
laughter in the ballroom had ceased, but I heard Raoul and Jean
Petitjean quarrelling, and their thick voices told me that they were in
no condition to aid their master.

Then there were only Leroux and Philippe Lacroix to deal with. I could
have saved the situation.

What a fool I had been! What an irresolute fool! I never learned.

As we reached the bottom of the stairs Philippe Lacroix came out of the
ballroom carrying a candle. I saw his melancholy, pale face twist with
surprise as he perceived me.

"Philippe, this is M. Paul Hewlett," said Leroux. "To-morrow you will
convey him to the cabin of Pere Antoine, where he will be able to make
his own plans. You will go by way of _le Vieil Ange_."

Lacroix started violently, muttered something, and passed up the
stairs, often turning to stare, as I surmised from the brief occasions
of his footsteps.

"Now, M. Hewlett, I shall show you your sleeping-quarters for
to-night," Leroux continued to me, and conducted me out into the fenced
yard. A number of Eskimo-dogs were lying there, and one of them came
bounding up to me and began to s