but thrust the dishonoring doubts from him, as might
a suffering saint dismiss hard thoughts of the dealings
of Providence towards himself. Each thought more
than he expressed to the other, but at length the
advocate communicated to Claude his injurious suspi-
cions, acquainting him with the fact and nature of
his father's visits to his office; when Claude, in turn,
informed the advocate of the long cherished project
of an alliance between the houses of Duchatel and
Montigny. This information not only confirmed,
but widened the field of the advocate's fears. He
was aware also of the lawless character of Duchatel's
sons; and recollected to have heard that the youngest
was a comrade of Narcisse, who, he likewise knew,
entertained a covert spite against Amanda, and, for
his mother's sake, a rankling dislike of Mona Mac-
donald. Against both of these his umbrage might
be supposed to have been heated by his recent ignom-
inious expulsion from Stillyside; and to gratify this
resentment he might now be executing some scheme
of revenge, wherein, from his intimacy with the
young Duchatel, he could know that that family had
cause to be ready to assist him. Here was a clue to
the recovery of his ward: -- in legal parlance, here
was a prima facie case; and it but remained to find
and prosecute the criminals. To seize his son, and,
by threats or promises, extract a confession from him
was the first idea. But where was the errant and
suspected Narcisse to be found? His father knew
he was absent, so the mother was summoned. She
came, but advanced no further than the threshold of
the room, and fell a trembling with fear, behaviour
that she would fain have dissembled to be from cold,

[[105]]

p104 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p105w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p106

v?