"Good Babet," said he, soothingly, "if you are
aware of anything untoward of Monsieur's ward, and
will declare it, I guarantee to you, not only a condo-
nation for your son, if he have in any shape conspired
against her, but a reward so weighty for yourself,
that you shall bless the hour that you were awoke so
early to be scolded. What do you know of the lost
lady of Stillyside?"

At these words a smile covered her face, as if of
satisfaction at good news; then, shrugging her shoul-
ders, she languidly asked: "Is she missing?" and
added, "Helas! then others have an absent child, as
well as I," and shook her head; and, with another
shrug, continued, as if subsiding into herself, and in
a tone of combined decision and sadness: "I know
nothing of the lady, nothing of my boy. Heaven
grant my son is safe, my poor Narcisse, and that he
may not return and meet his cruel father, who so
hates him;" and she brushed away a tear from her
cheek.

"Heaven grant indeed we do not meet at present!"
ejaculated the foiled advocate; "for if we did, I
might so far exceed a parent's punitory privilege, that
I should win but blame from the blind world instead
of sympathy. Begone, vampire," and she vanished
like a ghost at cockcrow.

That smile of her's at the mention of Amanda mis-
sing, had been caught by the advocate's keen eye, and
convinced him that she and her son were accessories
to the felony of the night. Brief consultation now
sufficed between him and Claude, who also felt con-
vinced of her complicity. Light began to glimmer
amidst the darkness of the situation, and, as it kind-

[[110]]

p109 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p110w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p111

v?