"'Sh!" breathed the widow softly; "listen, they are speaking."

She pointed to the place where he would find a peep-hole in one corner of
the room, and crept herself towards the corresponding corner.
Quennebert, who was by no means anxious to have her at his side, motioned
to her to blow out the light. This being done, he felt secure, for he
knew that in the intense darkness which now enveloped them she could not
move from her place without knocking against the furniture between them,
so he glued his face to the partition. An opening just large enough for
one eye allowed him to see everything that was going on in the next room.
Just as he began his observations, the treasurer at Mademoiselle de
Guerchi's invitation was about to take a seat near her, but not too near
for perfect respect. Both of them were silent, and appeared to labour
under great embarrassment at finding themselves together, and
explanations did not readily begin. The lady had not an idea of the
motive of the visit, and her quondam lover feigned the emotion necessary
to the success of his undertaking. Thus Maitre Quennebert had full time
to examine both, and especially Angelique. The reader will doubtless
desire to know what was the result of the notary's observation.




CHAPTER III

ANGELIQUE-LOUISE DE GUERCHI was a woman of about twenty-eight years of
age, tall, dark, and well made. The loose life she had led had, it is
true, somewhat staled her beauty, marred the delicacy of her complexion,
and coarsened the naturally elegant curves of her figure; but it is such