Beg pardon, but I don't stand on ceremony with him; and he'll permit me to finish my job."

"Certainly!" said Laboissière with a sneer. "I never disturb an artist. If I am not deceived, it is fresco-painting!"

"Come down, Chaudieu," said M. Bailleul, in his turn; "here is a letter for you!"

"A letter !" replied Chaudieu, turning round afresh.

"From Marseilles," said Laboissière, at the same time drawing a letter from his pocket.

"Um-from Marseilles !" cried Adolphine's husband, in a peculiar tone. "And you bring it to me !"

Without another word, he dropped his brush into the can of colour, which he hung on one of the rails of the ladder, and came down, with the deliberation that characterized all his movements. Having descended, he took the letter from M. Laboissière's hand, looked attentively at the address, and put it into his pocket without opening it.

"Are you not more curious than that about the letter?" said the fatherin-law.

"I know what's in it," responded Chaudieu laconically, pulling down his garments from the branch where he had deposited them.

"Now," he replied, in a jovial tone, when he had put on his coat, "I hope you will come and see my asparagus.”

"Your asparagus is a monument of human ingenuity!" said Mademoiselle Bailleul, turning on her heel with an ironical smilė.

Adolphine promptly imitated the action of her aunt, and M. Bailleul, fearful of being scolded if he encouraged, by the slightest condescension, the horticul tural propensities of his son-in-law, walked off after his daughter and sister. Laboissière alone submitted to be led away; and, resolved to do nothing by halves, pronounced the asparagus to be marvels of gardening art. This little excursion terminated, the husband and his visitor returned to the house, where dinner was quickly served.

Notwithstanding the little curiosity he had shown with regard to the contents of the letter that had been brought to him, Chaudicu opened it secretly before he sat down to dinner. On catching sight of a slip of paper which was inclosed within it, his features, ordinarily so impassive, displayed a lively satisfaction; but when he had rejoined the rest at table, every trace of this emotion had disappeared.

After dinner, Mademoiselle Bailleul, who every moment discovered some fresh evidence of the flirtation between her niece and Laboissière, unable longer to conceal the emotions to which she was a prey, retired to her chamber, on the pretext of a renewed attack of headache. The only person who felt her absence was M. Laboissière, who, totally unconscious of the furious resentment with which the elderly maiden had been inspired towards him during the last few hours, counted upon her assistance in obtaining the second 10,000 francs. He waited some time, in the hope that she would reappear before he took his departure. At length, constrained to dispense with his female ally, he resolved, as he had a pressing necessity for terminating the business as soon as possible, to address himself at once to M. Bailleul.

"has your

"By the bye," he said, in a careless tone, after taking him aside, sister informed you that I am about to draw upon you immediately to the extent of 10,000 francs?"

"She spoke to me about it this morning," responded the old man, his face becoming clouded.

"Then I may reckon on receiving the cash the day after to-morrow?"

At this question, delivered with as much ease as if it had been a request for the loan of a franc, M. Bailleul reflected for a moment-the corners of his mouth drawn down, and his lips closed.

66 Listen, my dear M. Laboissière !" he said, with visible embarrassment. "I desire nothing better than to render you a service; but the matter is delicate, very delicate. There is no way of arguing with my sister—not that I have anything to reproach her with. She is a woman of the greatest merit; but the slightest contradiction irritates her highly-nervous temperament, and so, out of regard for her health, I give way. I am certain that this headache is the actual result of a little conversation we had together this morning, on the subject of these very 10,000 francs!"

"Do you imagine the money incurs any risk in my hands ?" demanded Laboissière, with one of those haughty smiles which a monarch of finance might be supposed to put on, in a similar case.

"Not at all-not at all. Were the money my own, you should have it at once; but it is my daughter's, and I am responsible to my son-in-law for it."

"I am sure M. Chaudieu would have no objection to an investment which, in addition to yielding double the interest that any ordinary speculation would produce, presents so many other advantages. Just remember that my transatlantic ships-—-—-”

"We

"Well, we will do one thing," interrupted M. Bailleul, with the eagerness of one who suddenly perceives a way of escaping from an equivocal position. will speak of this business with M. Chaudieu; if he consents, the thing is settled; if he says no, there's an end to the transaction. But in this last case you must promise me that you will let my sister know it was you who broke off the transaction-not that I am afraid of her, but her blood has such a tendency to fly to the head, that I am anxious she may not be excited."

Laboissière felt that he could come to no better arrangement with the old man, who, in the absence of his sister, became a species of free agent; accordingly, like all good diplomatists, he frankly accepted the necessity.

A few moments afterwards, M. Bailleul, who had sought his son-in-law in the garden, accosted him with a very awkward attempt at gaiety—

"Well, my lad, when shall we have finished our trellis ?"

"To-morrow, I hope," said Chaudieu, evidently thinking of something else. "Do you know, you're a first-rate painter? I am certain you could paint a picture if you liked!"

"It is possible?"

"As for that vine, I see it will produce such grapes as I, for one, will not give

to the cat."

"Speaking of cats, I must place some mouse-traps along that trellis." "And your monster asparagus, when shall we taste it?"

The tone and manner of his father-in-law were so courteous and flattering,

that his son-in-law, quite unaccustomed to such condescension, suddenly stopped short in his walk, and stared at M. Bailleul in the face.

"You have not come here to speak of grapes and asparagus," said he. "What do you want to say to me?"

Appealed to in this direct fashion, M. Bailleul abandoned the insinuating preamble with which he intended to conciliate his son-in-law.

"My dear Chaudieu, you are quite right," he said, endeavouring to overcome the trepidation which almost checked the flow of his words. "We will leave the grapes and the asparagus, for the present; we will say a few words about them by-and-bye. Let us, at present, confine ourselves to a trifling matter of business. You are aware that I owe you forty thousand francs, and that, according to the terms of the marriage-settlement, I should have paid you the money two months since."

"I know it!" replied Chaudieu, with his habitual, sleepy air.

"Well, my dear friend, let us see how the case stands," pursued Adolphine's father, screwing up all his courage. "You are, perhaps, aware that our friend Laboissière is at the head of a magnificent enterprise-the creation of a regular line of non-explosive steamers between France and America ?"

"I know it."

"This speculation presents an excessively advantageous field for investment. I-that is, myself and my sister-have ventured to embrace this opportunity-one unique in the annals of industry, and-" continued the old man, in a confused tone, "and-as the only fund at our immediate disposal was Adolphine's dowry, we fancied you might have no objection to our investing some of it in this speculation. We have, accordingly, taken shares to the amount of ten thousand francs in the non-explosive transatlantics."

"I know it," repeated, for the third time, the calm and imperturbable Chandieu.

"Then you know everything?" replied M. Bailleul, beginning to feel more at his ease.

"No, not everything."

"But who could have told you that I had invested ten thousand francs in M. Laboissière's speculation ?"

“Laboissière himself, who, wishing to prove to me the soundness of his scheme, thought he could cite no better argument than that you had co-operated in it.” "Then he has been asking you to invest money?"

"If I understand you clearly, you would have no serious objection to withdraw yours?" said Chaudieu, avoiding a direct answer.

“Well—ah !——————” replied M. Bailleul, with increased embarrassment. "Well, you see, the case stands thus: my sister is so fascinated with these ships that she wants to take another ten thousand francs' worth of shares; and, as these would have to be paid for out of the money I owe you, she thought you might consent to receive, meanwhile, the interest instead of the principal."

The old man took a pinch of snuff to hide his embarrassment, as he impatiently awaited his son-in-law's answer. The latter reflected a moment, with the air of a man who carefully considers both sides of a question.

"I have no objection to make against this arrangement," he said presently, with his accustomed phlegm.

"Then you authorize me to hand over the money to Laboissière ?" "More than that. I have, myself, some fifty thousand francs lying idle; I well profit by this opportunity for obtaining a good interest; I shall ask Laboissière to take my cash on the same terms as yours."

At this unexpected proposal, M. Bailleul, whose features had suddenly cleared up, became disagreeably surprised, and his face again assumed a gloomy expression.

"The deuce!" said he; "you do things on a large scale! But I would advise you not to be rash. Fifty thousand francs! That's a sum of money; and you know it's not wise to risk all one's eggs in the same basket."

"To begin with, these fifty thousand francs are not all my eggs; and, besides, from what you have told me, the basket's a strong one."

"No doubt; it's a magnificent speculation; but

"But what?"

"In your case it seems to me that an investment in a good mortgage, although yielding small interest

"One word, my dear father-in-law. If you consider the speculation safe, why do you try to dissuade me from it; if you consider it a bad one, why have you engaged in it?"

M. Bailleul made no reply.

"The simple fellow seems determined to commit this act of folly," he presently said to himself. "And all this is owing to my sister's infatuation for this con founded speculation."

At this moment Laboissière came into the garden.

"It appears to me that we have had a very lively argument here," he began, with his presumptuous smile. "M. Bailleul looks like a debater called to order. Well, which is it? black ball or white ball?"

"White ball," answered the old man, affecting to participate in the gaiety of the first speaker.

"Then M. Chaudieu agrees to our little arrangement ?”

"On one condition," said Adolphine's husband drily.

"Let us hear that condition," replied the speculator.

"That, in addition to the shares taken by my father-in-law, you put me down for fifty thousand francs' worth.”

On beholding, thus unexpectedly, this new fly, plump and succulent, entering his web, the speculative spider experienced a thrill of pleasure very hard to hide; but, perfection of art! instead of showing the least appetite, he affected a kind of disdainful satiety.

"Fifty thousand francs! I'm not certain that it can be managed. I wish you had spoken to me earlier."

"What! are all the shares taken up?" asked M. Bailleul in some surprise. "We have but a very few shares left," continued Laboissière, without noticing the interruption; "but I must see that my friend M. Chaudieu shall not be disappointed in his investment. Can you call on me to-morrow ?".

"I was going to ask you at what hour to-morrow you would be disengaged? I shall go to Paris in the morning; will one o'clock suit you?"

"Perfectly."

"In that case I will be at your office at one o'clock. My money is accessible at any time. I shall meet you with the cash in my pocket. Adieu.”

1

After the speculator's departure, no incident broke the habitual monotony of the evening. Chaudieu, informing the company that he had some private matters to arrange, preparatory to his departure for Paris in the morning, which would occupy him for many hours, retired to his study; Mademoiselle Bailleul did not make her appearance; and, about ten o'clock, Adolphine and her father each sought their own chamber. By degrees, silence reigned throughout the house, and, as eleven o'clock struck, everybody appeared to be sound asleep. But, at that moment, the door of an apartment on the first floor silently opened, and a woman came forth, lamp in hand, and descended to the ground floor, making no more noise than a shadow. Crossing first the dining-room, and afterwards a little corridor, she arrived at a door, the handle of which she turned so quickly that the act was perfectly noiseless.

At this sudden and unexpected intrusion, Adolphine, who had also been lying awake, could hardly refrain from a terrified cry; for, although threatened with a siege, and, doubtless, prepared to defend herself heroically, she scarcely anticipated to be attacked from the interior of the house. On recognizing her aunt, whose features, clearly revealed by the lamp, presented a stern and sombre aspect, this first emotion of alarm was exchanged for a more serious inquietude.

"Is that you, aunt ?" she asked, quickly lifting herself up in bed. the matter? Are you ill?"

"What is

Mademoiselle Bailleul's first glance was towards the window, but the closed shutters would not permit her to see whether it was open or shut.

"Are you in want of any assistance?" continued the young woman, alarmed at the strange silence of her aunt. "Shall I call Madeleine ?"

“You must awake no one," answered Mademoiselle Bailleul gravely. "What I have to say to you must be heard by you alone. Come!"

"Where?" cried Madame Chaudieu, more and more disquieted.

"To my chamber. We shall be safer there than here."

Adolphine was constrained to obey; for the presence of her aunt in her apartment at the time when Laboissière threatened to make his appearance outside, might lead to a catastrophe. This peril averted, the disagreeable interview which she felt awaited her, appeared of little importance. She accordingly obeyed her aunt with an exemplary submission, and followed in her conductor's steps.

On reaching her own chamber, Mademoiselle Bailleul locked the door and seated herself in front of Adolphine, whom she regarded with the fixed glance of a judge who is about to interrogate a criminal.

"Really, aunt," said Adolphine, with a forced smile, "if you look so at me, I shall fancy myself a little girl again, and that you are going to punish me by sending me to the dark closet."

"Adolphine!" answered Mademoiselle Bailleul sternly, "would to Heaven that your fault was one that called only for such a childish punishment. My heart would not then be lacerated with grief; and, while I punished, I might still esteem you!"

"Aunt,” cried the young woman, excited by the pathetic severity of the words she had heard," what have I done, that you treat me thus ?"

"What have you done, unhappy woman !" repeated Mademoiselle Bailleul, with a glance that penetrated the soul of her niece. "Dare you ask me what you have done? Do you think me blind? Do you think you can deceive me, as you have