ck
himself to see that the searching was undertaken without loss of time.

The Countess protested, but vainly, against this new indignity. What
could she do? A prisoner, practically friendless,--for the General was
not within reach,--to resist was out of the question. Indeed, she was
plainly told that force would be employed unless she submitted with a
good grace. There was nothing for it but to obey.

Mother Tontaine, as the female searcher called herself, was an
evil-visaged, corpulent old creature, with a sickly, soft, insinuating
voice, and a greasy, familiar manner that was most offensive. They had
given her the scrap of torn lace and the debris of the jet as a guide,
with very particular directions to see if they corresponded with any
part of the lady's apparel.

She soon showed her quality.

"Aha! oho! What is this, my pretty princess? How comes so great a lady
into the hands of Mother Tontaine? But I will not harm you, my beauty,
my pretty, my little one. Oh, no, no, I will not trouble you, dearie.
No, trust to me;" and she held out one skinny claw, and looked the other
way. The Countess did not or would not understand.

"Madame has money?" went on the old hag in a half-threatening,
half-coaxing whisper, as she came up quite close, and fastened on her
victim like a bird of prey.

"If you mean that I am to bribe you--"

"Fie, the nasty word! But just a small present, a pretty gift, one or
two yellow bits, twenty, thirty, forty francs--you'd better." She shook
the soft arm she held roughly, and anything seemed preferable than to be
touched by this horrible woman.

"Wait, wait!" cried the Countess, shivering all over, and, feeling
hastily for her purse, she took out several napoleons.

"Aha! oho! One, two, three," said the searcher in a fat, wheedling
voice. "Four, yes, four, five;" and she clinked the coins together in
her palm, while a covetous light came into her faded eyes at the joyous
sound. "Five--make it five at once, d'ye hear me?--or I'll call them in
and tell them. That will go against you, my princess. What, try to
bribe a poor old woman, Mother Tontaine, honest and incorruptible
Tontaine? Five, then, five!"

With trembling haste the Countess emptied the whole contents of her
purse in the old hag's hand.

"_Bon aubaine_. Nice pickings. It is a misery what they pay me here. I
am, oh, so poor, and I have children, many babies. You will not tell
them--the police--you dare not. No, no, no."