never sat," she declared.

"Oh, don't be too sure."

"Never; wouldn't I remember it?"

"Perhaps not. One doesn't always remember everything."

She blushed through her smile. She had unconsciously yielded her hand
again.

They talked airy nothings that conceal the thoughts. Then, in a few
minutes, she discovered that his hand again covered hers and was
innocently caressing it. She drew it away in alarm.

"Do not take it away! Are we not cousins, mademoiselle?"

"Oh, yes; funny, isn't it? Long-lost cousins!" She laughed merrily.

"And now that we are found----"

"It seems to me as if I had known you a long time," she
continued,--"for years and years! Or, perhaps it is
because--because----"

"Come! let me show you something," he interrupted, still retaining the
hand, "some poor sketches of mine."

He led her to the portfolio-stand in the corner and seated himself at
her feet.

The elder connoisseurs, meanwhile, had taken the sketch in which they
were interested from its place on the wall to the better light at the
table.

"'La Petite Chatte.'"

"An expressive title, truly."

"Why, its Mademoiselle Fouchette!" exclaimed M. Marot, holding the
picture off at arm's length.

"It is, indeed! And the real Fouchette as I last beheld her at the
notorious Cafe Barrate. It's the 'Savatiere'! That solves a mystery."

Lerouge thereupon took M. Marot by the arm, replaced the picture on
the wall, and led the old gentleman to the corner farthest from that
occupied by the younger couple, and there the two conversed over their
cigars in a low tone for a long time.

In that time they had mutually disposed of the other couple,--Henri
Lerouge, as brother and legal custodian of Mlle. Andree Remy; M.
Marot, as father of Jean Marot. They had not only agreed that these
two should marry, but had arranged as to the amount of the "dot" of
the girl and the settlement upon the young man. Mlle. Andree had two
hundred and fifty thousand francs in her own right, but the chief
consideration in the case was, to M. Marot, the fact that she was the
daughter of the beautiful woman whom he had once loved. For this
consideration he agreed to double the amount of her dot and give his
son a junior partnership in the silk manufactory at Lyons.

This arrangement had no relation whatever to the sentiment existing
between the young couple. It would have been concluded, just the same,
if they had not loved.

In French matrimonial matters lo