ces, Victor Chupin, with the patience and the
tenacity of an Indian following a scent, began beating about the
districts of Grenelle, Vargirard, and the Invalids. And not in
vain; for, after a week of investigations he brought me a nurse,
residing Rue de l'Universite, who remembered perfectly having once
attended, on the occasion of her confinement, a remarkably pretty
young woman, living in the Rue des Bergers, and nicknamed the
Marquise de Javelle. And as she was a very orderly woman, who at
all times had kept a very exact account of her receipts, she brought
me a little book in which I read this entry: 'For attending Euphrasie
Taponnet, alias the Marquise de Javelle (a girl), one hundred francs.'
And this is not all. This woman informed me, moreover, that she had
been requested to present the child at the mayor's office, and that
she had been duly registered there under the names of Euphrasie
Cesarine Taponnet, born of Euphrasie Taponnet, laundress, and an
unknown father. Finally she placed at my disposal her account-book
and her testimony."

Taxed beyond measure, the energy of the baroness was beginning to
fail her; she was turning livid under her rice-powder. Still in
the same icy tone,

"You can understand, madame," said Marius de Tregars, "that this
woman's testimony, together with the letters which are in my
possession, enables me to establish before the courts the exact
date of the birth of a daughter whom my father had of his mistress.
But that's nothing yet. With renewed zeal, Victor Chupin had
resumed his investigations. He had undertaken the examination of
the marriage-registers in all the parishes of Paris, and, as early
as the following week, he discovered at Notre Dame des Lorettes the
entry of the marriage of Euphrasie Taponnet with Frederic de
Thaller."

Though she must have expected that name, the baroness started up
violently and livid, and with a haggard look.

"It's false!" she began in a choking voice.

A smile of ironical pity passed over Marius' lips.

"Five minutes' reflection will prove to you that it is useless to
deny," he interrupted. "But wait. In the books of that same church,
Victor Chupin has found registered the baptism of a daughter of M.
and Mme de Thaller, bearing the same names as the first one,
--Euphrasie Cesarine."

With a convulsive motion the baroness shrugged her shoulder.

"What does all that prove?" she said.

"That proves, madame, the well-settled int