"Better kill her at once," said Mlle. Gilberte coldly. "She wouldsuffer less."It was by a torrent of invective that M. Favoral replied. His rage,dammed up for the past four days, finding at last an outlet, flowedin gross insults and insane threats. He spoke of throwing out inthe street his wife and children, or starving them out, or shuttingup his daughter in a house of correction; until at last, languagefailing his fury, beside himself, he left, swearing that he wouldbring M. Costeclar home himself, and then they would see.

"Very well, we shall see," said Mlle. Gilberte.

Motionless in his place, and white as a plaster cast, Maxence hadwitnessed this lamentable scene. A gleam of common-sense hadenabled him to control his indignation, and to remain silent. Hehad understood, that, at the first word, his father's fury wouldhave turned against him; and then what might have happened? Themost frightful dramas of the criminal courts have often had noother origin.

"No, this is no longer bearable!" he exclaimed.

Even at the time of his greatest follies, Maxence had always hadfor his sister a fraternal affection. He admired her from the dayshe had stood up before him to reproach him for his misconduct. Heenvied her her quiet determination, her patient tenacity, and thatcalm energy that never failed her.

"Have patience, my poor Gilberte," he added: "the day is not far,I hope, when I may commence to repay you all you have done for me.

I have not lost my time since you restored me my reason. I havearranged with my creditors. I have found a situation, which, ifnot brilliant, is at least sufficiently lucrative to enable mebefore long to offer you, as well as to our mother, a peacefulretreat.""But it is to-morrow," interrupted Mme. Favoral, "to-morrow thatyour father is to bring M. Costeclar. He has said so, and he willdo it."And so he did. About two o'clock in the afternoon M. Favoral andhis protege arrived in the Rue St. Gilles, in that famous coupewith the two horses, which excited the wonder of the neighbors.

But Mlle. Gilberte bad her plan ready. She was on the lookout;and, as soon as she heard the carriage stop, she ran to her room,undressed in a twinkling, and went to bed.

When her father came for her, and saw her in bed, he remainedsurprised and puzzled on the threshold of the door.

"And yet I'll make you come into the parlor!" he said in a hoarsevoice.

"Then you must carry me there as I am," she said in a tone ofdefiance; "for I shall certainly not get up."For the first time since his marriage, M. Favoral met in his ownhouse a more inflexible will than his own, and a more unyieldingobstinacy. He was baffled. He threatened his daughter with hisclinched fists, but could discover no means of making her obey.

He was compelled to surrender, to yield.

"This will be settled with the rest," he growled, as he went out.

"I fear nothing in the world, father," said the girl.

It was almost true, so much did the thought of Marius de Tregarsinflame her courage. Twice already she had heard from him throughthe Signor Gismondo Pulei, who never tired talking of this new pupil,to whom he had already given two lessons.

"He is the most gallant man in the world," he said, his eye sparklingwith enthusiasm, " and the bravest, and the most generous, and thebest; and no quality that can adorn one of God's creatures shall bewanting in him when I have taught him the divine art. It is notwith a little contemptible gold that he means to reward my zeal.

To him I am as a second father; and it is with the confidence of ason that he explains to me his labors and his hopes."Thus Mlle. Gilberte learned through the old maestro, that thenewspaper article she had read was almost exactly true, and thatM. de Tregars and M. Marcolet had become associated for the purposeof working, in joint account, certain recent discoveries, which bidfair to yield large profits in a near future.

"And yet it is for my sake alone that he has thus thrown himselfinto the turmoil of business, and has become as eager for gain asthat M. Marcolet himself."And, at the height of her father's persecutions, she felt glad ofwhat she had done, and of her boldness in placing her destiny in thehands of a stranger. The memory of Marius had become her refuge,the element of all her dreams and of all her hopes; in a word, herlife.

It was of Marius she was thinking, when her mother, surprising hergazing into vacancy, would ask her, "What are you thinking of?" And,at every new vexation she had to endure, her imagination decked himwith a new quality, and she clung to him with a more desperate grasp.

"How much he would grieve," thought she, "if he knew of whatpersecution I am the object!"And very careful was she not to allow the Signor Gismondo Pulei tosuspect any thing of it, affecting, on the contrary, in his presence,the most cheerful serenity.

And yet she was a prey to the most cruel anxiety, since she observeda new and most incredible transformation in her father.

That man so violent and so harsh, who flattered himself never tohave been bent, who boasted never to have forgotten or forgiven anything, that domestic tyrant, had become quite a debonair personage.

He had referred to the expedient imagined by Mlle. Gilberte only tolaugh at it, saying that it was a good trick, and he deserved it;for he repented bitterly, he protested, his past brutalities.

He owned that he had at heart his daughter's marriage with M.

Costeclar; but he acknowledged that he had made use of the surestmeans for making it fail. He should, he humbly confessed, haveexpected every thing of time and circumstances, of M. Costeclar'sexcellent qualities, and of his beautiful, darling daughter'sgood sense.

More than of all his violence, Mme. Favoral was terrified at thisaffected good nature.

"Dear me!" she sighed, "what does it all mean?"But the cashier of the Mutual Credit was not preparing any newsurprise to his family. If the means were different, it was stillthe same object that he was pursuing with the tenacity of an insect.

When severity had failed, he hoped to succeed by gentleness, that'sall. Only this assumption of hypocritical meekness was too newto him to deceive any one. At every moment the mask fell off, theclaws showed, and his voice trembled with ill-suppressed rage inthe midst of his most honeyed phrases.

Moreover, he entertained the strangest illusions. Because forforty-eight hours he had acted the part of a good-natured man,because one Sunday he had taken his wife and daughter out riding inthe Bois de Vincennes, because he had given Maxence a hundred-francnote, he imagined that it was all over, that the past was obliterated,forgotten, and forgiven.

And, drawing Gilberte upon his knees,"Well, daughter," he said, "you see that I don't importune you anymore, and I leave you quite free. I am more reasonable than you are."But on the other hand, and according to an expression which escapedhim later, he tried to turn the enemy.

He did every thing in his power to spread in the neighborhood therumor of Mlle. Gilberte's marriage with a financier of colossalwealth, - that elegant young man who came in a coupe with two horses.

Mme. Favoral could not enter a shop without being covertlycomplimented upon having found such a magnificent establishment forher daughter.

Loud, indeed, must have been the gossip; for its echo reached eventhe inattentive ears of the Signor Gismondo Pulei.

One day, suddenly interrupting his lesson, - "You are going to bemarried, signora?" he inquired.

Mlle. Gilberte started.

What the old Italian had heard, he would surely ere long repeat toMarius. It was therefore urgent to undeceive him.

"It is true," she replied, "that something has been said about amarriage, dear maestro.""Ah, ah!""Only my father had not consulted me. That marriage will nevertake place: I swear it."She expressed herself in a tone of such ardent conviction, that theold gentleman was quite astonished, little dreaming that it was notto him that this energetic denial was addressed.

"My destiny is irrevocably fixed," added Mlle. Gilberte. "When Imarry, I will consult the inspirations of my heart only."In the mean time, it was a veritable conspiracy against her. M.

Favoral had succeeded in interesting in the success of his designshis habitual guests, not M. and Mme. Desciavettes, who had beenseduced from the first, but M. Chapelain and old Desormeaux himself.

So that they all vied with each other in their efforts to bring the"dear child" to reason, and to enlighten her with their counsels.

"Father must have a still more considerable interest in this alliancethan he has allowed us to think," she remarked to her brother.

Maxence was also absolutely of the same opinion.

"And then," he added, "our father must be terribly rich; for, do notdeceive yourself, it isn't solely for your pretty blue eyes thatthis Costeclar persists in coming here twice a week to pocket a newmortification. What enormous dowry can he be hoping for? I amgoing to speak to him myself, and try to find out what he is after."But Mlle. Gilberte had but slight confidence in her brother'sdiplomacy.

"I beg of you," she said, "don't meddle with that business!""Yes, yes, I will! Fear nothing, I'll be prudent."Having taken his resolution, Maxence placed himself on the lookout;and the very next day, as M. Costeclar was stepping out of hiscarriage at the door, he walked straight up to him.

"I wish to speak to you, sir," he said. Self-possessed as he was,the brilliant financier succeeded but poorly in concealing a surprisethat looked very much like fright.

"I am going in to call on your parents, sir," he replied; "and whilstwaiting for your father, with whom I have an appointment, I shall beat your command.""No, no!" interrupted Maxence. "What I have to say must be heard byyou alone. Come along this way, and we shall not be interrupted."And he led M. Costeclar away as far as the Place Royal. Once there,"You are very anxious to marry my sister, sir," he commenced.

During their short walk M. Costeclar had recovered himself. He hadresumed all his impertinent assurance. Looking at Maxence from headto foot with any thing but a friendly look,"It is my dearest and my most ardent wish, sir," he replied.

"Very well. But you must have noticed the very slight success, touse no harsher word, of your assiduities.""Alas!""And, perhaps, you will judge, like myself, that it would be the actof a gentleman to withdraw in presence of such positive-repugnance?"An ugly smile was wandering upon M. Costeclar's pale lips.

"Is it at the request of your sister, sir, that you make me thiscommunication?""No, sir.""Are you aware whether your sister has some inclination that may bean obstacle to the realization of my hopes?""Sir!""Excuse me! What I say has nothing to offend. It might very wellbe that your sister, before I had the honor of being introduced toher, had already fixed her choice."He spoke so loud, that Maxence looked sharply around to see whetherthere was not some one within hearing. He saw no one but a youngman, who seemed quite absorbed reading a newspaper.

"But, sir," he resumed, "what would you answer, if I, the brotherof the young lady whom you wish to marry against her wishes, - Icalled upon you to cease your assiduities?

M. Costeclar bowed ceremoniously,"I would answer you, sir," he uttered, "that your father's assentis sufficient for me. My suit has nothing but is honorable. Yoursister may not like me: that is a misfortune; but it is notirreparable. When she knows me better, I venture to hope that shewill overcome her unjust prejudices. Therefore I shall persist."Maxence insisted no more. He was irritated at M. Costeclar'scoolness; but it was not his intention to push things further.

"There will always be time," he thought, "to resort to violentmeasures."But when he reported this conversation to his sister,"It is clear," he said, "that, between our father and that man,there is a community of interests which I am unable to discover.

What business have they together? In what respect can your marriageeither help or injure them? I must see, try and find out exactlywho is this Costeclar: the deuse take him!"He started out the same day, and had not far to go.

M. Costeclar was one of those personalities which only bloom inParis, and are only met in Paris, - the same as cab-horses, andyoung ladies with yellow chignons.

He knew everybody, and everybody knew him.

He was well known at the bourse, in all the principal restaurants,where he called the waiters by their first names, at the box-officeof the theatres, at all the pool-rooms, and at the European Club,otherwise called the Nomadic Club, of which he was a member.

He operated at the bourse: that was sure. He was said to own athird interest in a stock-broker's office. He had a good deal ofbusiness with M. Jottras, of the house of Jottras and Brother, andM. Saint Pavin, the manager of a very popular journal, "The FinancialPilot."It was further known that he had on Rue Vivienne, a magnificentapartment, and that he had successively honored with his liberalprotection Mlle. Sidney of the Varieties, and Mme. Jenny Fancy, alady of a certain age already, but so situated as to return to herlovers in notoriety what they gave her in good money. So much didMaxence learn without difficulty. As to any more precise details,it was impossible to obtain them. To his pressing questions uponM. Costeclar's antecedents,"He is a perfectly honest man," answered some.

"He is simply a speculator," affirmed others.

But all agreed that he was a sharp one," who would surely make hisfortune, and without passing through the police-courts, either.

"How can our father and such a man be so intimately connected?"wondered Maxence and his sister.

And they were lost in conjectures, when suddenly, at an hour whenhe never set his foot in the house, M. Favoral appeared.

Throwing a letter upon his daughter's lap,"See what I have just received from Costeclar," he said in a hoarsevoice. "Read."She read, "Allow me, dear friend, to release you from your engagement.

Owing to circumstances absolutely beyond my control, I find myselfcompelled to give up the honor of becoming a member of your family."What could have happened?

Standing in the middle of the parlor, the cashier of the Mutual Creditheld, bowed down beneath his glance, his wife and children, Mme.

Favoral trembling, Maxence starting in mute surprise, and Mlle.

Gilberte, who needed all the strength of her will to control theexplosion of her immense joy.

Every thing in M. Favoral betrayed, nevertheless, much more theexcitement of a disaster than the rage of a deception.

Never had his family seen him thus, - livid, his cravat undone, hishair wet with perspiration, and clinging to his temples.

"Will you please explain this letter? " he asked at last.

And, as no one answered him, he took up that letter again from thetable where Mlle. Gilberte bad laid it, and commenced reading itagain, scanning each syllable, as if in hopes of discovering in eachword some hidden meaning.

"What did you say to Costeclar?" he resumed, "what did you do tohim to make him take such a determination?""Nothing," answered Maxence and Mlle. Gilberte.

The hope of being at last rid of that man inspired Mme. Favoral withsomething like courage.

"He has doubtless understood," she meekly suggested, ............