of his life."

"Do not swear, madame."

"All our friends will tell you how parsimonious my husband was."

"Here, madame, towards yourself and your children, I have no doubt;
for seeing is believing: but elsewhere--"

He was interrupted by the arrival of the locksmith, who, in less
than five minutes, had picked all the locks of the old desk.

But in vain did the commissary search all the drawers. He found
only those useless papers which are made relics of by people who
have made order their religious faith,--uninteresting letters,
grocers' and butchers' bills running back twenty years.

"It is a waste of time to look for any thing here," he growled.

And in fact he was about to give up his perquisitions, when a bundle
thinner than the rest attracted his attention. He cut the thread
that bound it; and almost at once:

"I knew I was right," he said. And holding out a paper to Mme. Favoral:

"Read, madame, if you please."

It was a bill. She read thus:

"Sold to M. Favoral an India Cashmere, fr. 8,500.
Received payment, FORBE & Towler."

"Is it for you, madame," asked the commissary, "that this magnificent
shawl was bought?"

Stupefied with astonishment, the poor woman still refused to admit
the evidence.

"Madame de Thaller spends a great deal," she stammered. "My husband
often made important purchases for her account."

"Often, indeed!" interrupted the commissary of police; "for here
are many other receipted bills,--earrings, sixteen thousand francs;
a bracelet, three thousand francs; a parlor set, a horse, two velvet
dresses. Here is a part, at least, if not the whole, of the ten
millions."

V

Had the commissary received any information in advance? or was he
guided only by the scent peculiar to men of his profession, and the
habit of suspecting every thing, even that which seems most unlikely?

At any rate he expressed himself in a tone of absolute certainty.

The agents who had accompanied and assisted him in his researches
were winking at each other, and giggling stupidly. The situation
struck them as rather pleasant.

The others, M. Desclavettes, M. Chapelain, and the worthy M.
Desormeaux himself, could have racked their brains in vain to find
terms wherein to express the immensity of their astonishments.
Vincent Favoral, their old friend, paying for cashmeres, diamonds,
and parlor sets! Such an idea could not enter in their minds. For
whom could such princely