Year: 1860

of the correspondence. Other letters were,
undoubtedly, in the hands of the widow.


So convinced does he at length become OF
the reality of his fancies, that he determines
to go directly 20 Madame Nongenlet. The
basket will furnish an excuse for a visit. He
already knows the street of her residence.


His determination is Immediately carried
into effect. After few inquiries the house
is found, and he is soon ushered into a draw
ing-room where Madame Nogenlet receives
him with the warmcst expressions of graft
tude.


How very kipa of you, sir, to take so
much trouble to repair the effects of my in
excusable carelessness /! My poor aunt will
be delighted. You cannot imagine the pleas
ure which the return of this basket gives
me-


Il am very happy if this is so, as / trust it
will lead you to some indulgence in my favor


He then related simply that he had not
been able to resist the temptation of peep at
the cheese, and the discovery had been the
piece of paper, on which were written the
lines-"I shall never forget" etc, etc.


'Indeedw said Madame Nogenlet, laugh-
ing; was this on the envelope of my cheese !
A love-letter! 1t is charming! What a pity
that there is only the end of it,


The condemnment cannot be far off,


DO you think sop


Madame, the imprudent person who wrote
these ines-who never should have written
them-belongs to a respectable family with
whose friendship | am honored. You will
easily understand that the entire letter must
be of a still more compromising character,
especially if the WRITER'S married woman


i can imagine that such passage would
not sound pleasantly in the ears of husband


How the letters came into your hands
with Others, perhaps-I have certainly no
right to ask but permit me to represent to
you the grief which this secret, if Iivulgcd,
would excite in a respectable family. Let
me supplicate you, madame, to make the
generous sacrifice of this lettor-or rather of
those etters-it is to be presumed that there
are Others


Madame Nogenlet looked at him with some
surprise.


1t would give me the greatest pleasure
she said, to oblige you, if it were in my
power; the kinduess | have received from
you is assufcdly worth few scraps of paper;
but unfortunately the one you have shown
me is the only one that has been in my pos
session and that was without my knowledge


Then | was mistaken in my conjectures,'
cried Delannoy in tone Of vexation.


'And does this trouble you muchP


'Assuredly. What can l do, now' to
whom can applyF


TO the grocer who sold me the cheese, at
Corbeil, Rue St. Spire.'


True. / did not think of that. will go
there Immediately. A thousand pardons,
for having troubled you


The impotence of DcIannoy had yet to
suffer one trial. When he arrived at the
'ailroad station, the train for Corbeil had just
eft, and he was obliged to wait two hours.
While he was waiting, train arrived from
Corbei and one of the first persons who step
bed out of the cars was Mariette.



Where have you bcenP he asked.


ITO Corbeil'


who sent your


Madame


what forP


To get some articles which had been sent
m there which she wanted


The answer was so simple and probable !
hat Delannoy did not inquire further
You can CO. he said.


Mariette did not wait to be told twice, and
he haste which she showed in departing,
woke some suspicious in the mind of her
Master, who remembered now, or fancied,
hat she looked embarrassed, and that her
tCt uusiitu MiiCu SilC saw l1ul tllS 3
rain was about to start and he had no time
0 follow her. He stepped into a car, and
D an hour was at the grocer's, in the Rue
t. Spire.


Madame he said to the woman who stood
ehind the counter, you have a stock of old
apers in which you wrap mp your goods
low much are they worth 7


The woman looked across her spectacles
18th surprise at the person who asked this
nusual question.


you don't understand me
Perfectly, sir; but it would be difficult to
II the value without weighing
If should offer you twenty francs would
on be satisfedP


'Sirr
Hold, here are forty +; il you will give them
I to me Immediately without excepting the
nallest scrap
The best days at the grocery never brought :
er in the half of this and Delannoy soon .
'und his arms full of papers, which she as I
lred him, were all that she possessed. He !