es Folies, and to whom I am going to send word
immediately."

Maxence started off on a run.

"Poor fellow!" murmured Marius, "I know where your father is. What
are we going to learn now?"

He had scarcely had time to communicate the information he had
received from Mme. Cadelle, when the first of the commissary's
emissaries made his appearance.

"The commission is done," he said, in that confident tone of a man
who thinks he has successfully accomplished a difficult task.

"You know the name of the individual who sought a quarrel with M.
de Tregars?"

"His name is Corvi. He is well known in all the tables d'hote,
where there are women, and where they deal a healthy little game
after dinner. I know him well too. He is a bad fellow, who passes
himself off for a former superior officer in the Italian army."

"His address?"

"He lives at Rue de la Michodiere, in a furnished house. I went
there. The porter told me that my man had just gone out with an
ill-looking individual, and that they must be in a little cafe on
the corner of the next street. I ran there, and found my two
fellows drinking beer."

"Won't they give us the slip?"

"No danger of that: I have got them fixed."

"How is that?"

"It is an idea of mine. I just thought, 'Suppose they put off?'
And at once I went to notify some policemen, and I returned to
station myself near the cafe. It was just closing up. My two
fellows came out: I picked a quarrel with them; and now they are
in the station-house, well recommended."

The commissary knit his brows.

"That's almost too much zeal," he murmured. "Well, what's done is
done. Did you make any inquiries about the Saint Pavin and Jottras
matter?"

"I had no time, it was too late. You forget, perhaps, sir, that it
is nearly two o'clock."

Just as he got through, the secretary who had been sent to the Rue
de la Pepiniere came in.

"Well?" inquired the commissary, not without evident anxiety.

"I waited for Mme. de Thaller over an hour," he said. "When she
came home, I gave her the letter. She read it; and, in presence of
a number of her servants, she handed me these two thousand francs."

At the sight of the bank notes, the commissary jumped to his feet.

"Now we have it!" he exclaimed. "Here is the proof that we wanted."

X

It was after four o'clock when M. de Tregars was at last permitted
to return home. He had minutely, and at length, arranged every
thing with the c