mother. We cannot talk at ease here. Allow me to request that you will
accompany me to Monsieur -----, the _avoue_. It is not very far from
this--and by the way--I will tell you some news that may sadden, and some
news that may rejoice.'

"There was an earnestness in the voice and look of this Monsieur that
impressed me. He did not offer me his arm; but I walked by his side in
the direction he chose. As we walked he told me in very few words that
my mother had been separated from her husband, and for certain family
reasons had found it so difficult to rear and provide for me herself,
that she had accepted the offer of Madame Surville to adopt me as her own
child. While he spoke, there came dimly back to me the remembrance of a
lady who had taken me from my first home, when I had been, as I
understood, at nurse, and left me with poor dear Madame Surville, saying,
'This is henceforth your mamma.'

"I never again saw that lady. It seems that many years afterwards my true
mother desired to regain me. Madame Surville was then dead. She failed
to trace me out, owing, alas! to my own faults and change of name. She
then entered a nunnery, but, before doing so, assigned a sum of 100,000
francs to this gentleman, who was distantly connected with her, with full
power to him to take it to himself, or give it to my use should he
discover me, at his discretion. 'I ask you,' continued the Monsieur,
'to go with me to Mons. N------'s, because the sum is still in his hands.
He will confirm my statement. All that I have now to say is this, If you
accept my guardianship, if you obey implicitly my advice, I shall
consider the interest of this sum which has accumulated since deposited
with M. ----- due to you; and the capital will be your dot on marriage,
if the marriage be with my consent.'"