strongly tempted to murder this man, who had discovered the
terrible, disgraceful secrets of his domestic life. But it was a
mere flash of energy. The terrible ordeal which he had just
passed through had exhausted him mentally and physically, and it
was in a faltering voice that he resumed: "Then you have not lost
a word--a word of what was said in the other room?"

"Not a word."

The baron sank on to the divan. "So the knowledge of my disgrace
is no longer confined to myself!" he exclaimed. "A stranger's eye
has penetrated the depths of misery I have fallen into! The secret
of my wretchedness and shame is mine no longer!"

"Oh, monsieur, monsieur!" interrupted Pascal. "Before I recross
the threshold of your home, all shall have been forgotten. I
swear it by all that is most sacred!"

He had raised his hand as if to take a solemn oath, when the baron
caught hold of it, and, pressing it with sorrowful gratitude,
exclaimed: "I believe you! You are a man of honor--I only needed
to see your home to be convinced of that. You will not laugh at
my misfortunes or my misery!" He must have been suffering
frightfully, for big tears rolled slowly down his cheeks. "What
have I done, my God! that I should be so cruelly punished?" he
continued. "I have always been generous and charitable, and ready
to help all who applied to me. I am utterly alone! I have a wife
and a daughter--but they hate me. They long for my death, which
would give them possession of my wealth. What torture! For months
together I dared not eat a morsel of food, either in my own house,