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solemnly：
〃You will remember； my friend； that you were pitiless； and； by
subjecting me to a species of moral torture； you have forced me to
reveal to you a secret that is not mine。〃
〃Go on；〃 said Thuillier； 〃I take the whole responsibility upon myself。
Make me see the truth clearly in this darkness； and if I have done
wrong I will be the first to say so。〃
〃Well；〃 said la Peyrade； 〃those twenty…five thousand francs are the
savings of a servant…woman who came to me and asked me to take them
and to pay her interest。〃
〃A servant with twenty…five thousand francs of savings！ Nonsense； she
must serve in monstrously rich households。〃
〃On the contrary； she is the one servant of an infirm old savant； and
it was on account of the discrepancy which strikes your mind that she
wanted to put her money in my hands as a sort of trustee。〃
〃Bless me！ my friend；〃 said Thuillier； flippantly； 〃you said we were
in want of a romance…feuilletonist； but really； after this； I sha'n't
be uneasy。 Here's imagination for you！〃
〃What？〃 said la Peyrade； angrily； 〃you don't believe me？〃
〃No； I do not believe you。 Twenty…five thousand francs savings in the
service of an old savant！ that is about as believable as the officer
of La Dame Blanche buying a chateau with his pay。〃
〃But if I prove to you the truth of my words； if I let you put your
finger upon it？〃
〃In that case； like Saint Thomas； I shall lower my flag before the
evidence。 Meanwhile you must permit me； my noble friend； to wait until
you offer me that proof。〃
Thuillier felt really superb。
〃I'd give a hundred francs；〃 he said to himself； 〃if Brigitte could
have been here and heard me impeach him。〃
〃Well；〃 said la Peyrade； 〃suppose that without leaving this office；
and by means of a note which you shall read； I bring into your
presence the person from whom I received the money； if she confirms
what I say will you believe me？〃
This proposal and the assurance with which it was made rather
staggered Thuillier。
〃I shall know what to do when the time comes；〃 he replied； changing
his tone。 〃But this must be done at once； now； here。〃
〃I said； without leaving this office。 I should think that was clear
enough。〃
〃And who will carry the note you write？〃 asked Thuillier； believing
that by thus examining every detail he was giving proofs of amazing
perspicacity。
〃Carry the note！ why； your own porter of course；〃 replied la Peyrade；
〃you can send him yourself。〃
〃Then write it；〃 said Thuillier； determined to push him to the wall。
La Peyrade took a sheet of paper with the new heading and wrote as
follows； reading the note aloud：
Madame Lambert is requested to call at once； on urgent business；
at the office of the 〃Echo de la Bievre；〃 rue Saint…Dominique
d'Enfer。 The bearer of this note will conduct her。 She is awaited
impatiently by her devoted servant；
Theodose de la Peyrade。
〃There； will that suit you？〃 said the barrister； passing the paper to
Thuillier。
〃Perfectly；〃 replied Thuillier； taking the precaution to fold the
letter himself and seal it。 〃Put the address；〃 he added。
Then he rang the bell for the porter。
〃You will carry this letter to its address；〃 he said to the man； 〃and
bring back with you the person named。 But will she be there？〃 he
asked； on reflection。
〃It is more than probable；〃 replied la Peyrade； 〃in any case； neither
you nor I will leave this room until she comes。 This matter must be
cleared up。〃
〃Then go！〃 said Thuillier to the porter； in a theatrical tone。
When they were alone； la Peyrade took up a newspaper and appeared to
be absorbed in its perusal。
Thuillier； beginning to get uneasy as to the upshot of the affair；
regretted that he had not done something the idea of which had come to
him just too late。
〃Yes； I ought；〃 he said to himself； 〃to have torn up that letter； and
not driven him to prove his words。〃
Wishing to do something that might look like retaining la Peyrade in
the position of which he had threatened to deprive him； he remarked
presently：
〃By the bye； I have just come from the printing…office； the new type
has arrived； and I think we might make our first appearance
to…morrow。〃
La Peyrade did not answer； but he got up and took his paper nearer to
the window。
〃He is sulky；〃 thought Thuillier； 〃and if he is innocent； he may well
be。 But； after all； why did he ever bring a man like that Cerizet
here？〃
Then to hide his embarrassment and the preoccupation of his mind； he
sat down before the editor's table； took a sheet of the head…lined
paper and made himself write a letter。
Presently la Peyrade returned to the table and sitting down； took
another sheet and with the feverish rapidity of a man stirred by some
emotion he drove his pen over the paper。
From the corner of his eye； Thuillier tried hard to see what la
Peyrade was writing； and noticing that his sentences were separated by
numbers placed between brackets； he said：
〃Tiens！ are you drawing up a parliamentary law？〃
〃Yes；〃 replied la Peyrade； 〃the law of the vanquished。〃
Soon after this； the porter opened the door and introduced Madame
Lambert； whom he had found at home； and who arrived looking rather
frightened。
〃You are Madame Lambert？〃 asked Thuillier； magisterially。
〃Yes； monsieur；〃 said the woman； in an anxious voice。
After requesting her to be seated and noticing that the porter was
still there as if awaiting further orders he said to the man：
〃That will do； you may go； and don't let any one disturb us。〃
The gravity and the lordly tone assumed by Thuillier only increased
Madame Lambert's uneasiness。 She came expecting to see only la
Peyrade； and she found herself received by an unknown man with a
haughty manner； while the barrister； who had merely bowed to her； said
not a word； moreover； the scene took place in a newspaper office； and
it is a well…known fact that to pious persons especially all that
relates to the press is infernal and diabolical。
〃Well；〃 said Thuillier to the barrister； 〃it seems to me that nothing
hinders you from explaining to madame why you have sent for her。〃
In order to leave no loophole for suspicion in Thuillier's mind la
Peyrade knew that he must put his question bluntly and without the
slightest preparation； he therefore said to her 〃ex abrupto〃：
〃We wish to ask you； madame； if it is not true that about two and a
half months ago you placed in my hands； subject to interest； the sum；
in round numbers； of twenty…five thousand francs。〃
Though she felt the eyes of Thuillier and those of la Peyrade upon
her； Madame Lambert； under the shock of this question fired at her
point…blank； could not restrain a start。
〃Heavens！〃 she exclaimed； 〃twenty…five thousand francs！ and where
should I get such a sum as that？〃
La Peyrade gave no sign on his face of the vexation he might be
supposed to feel。 As for Thuillier； who now looked at him with
sorrowful commiseration； he merely said：
〃You see； my friend！〃
〃So；〃 resumed la Peyrade； 〃you are very certain that you did not place
in my hands the sum of twenty…five thousand francs； you declare this；
you affirm it？〃
〃Why； monsieur！ did you ever hear of such a sum as that in the pocket
of a poor woman like me？ The little that I had； as everybody knows；
has gone to eke out the housekeeping of that poor dear gentleman whose
servant I have been for more than twenty years。〃
〃This；〃 said Thuillier； pompously； 〃seems to me categorical。〃
La Peyrade still did not show the slightest sign of annoyance； on the
contrary； he seemed to be playing into Thuillier's hand。
〃You hear； my dear Thuillier；〃 he said； 〃and if necessary I shall call
for your testimony； that madame here declares that she did not possess
twenty…five thousand francs and could not therefore have placed them
in my hands。 Now； as the notary Dupuis； in whose hands I fancied I had
placed them； left Paris this morning for Brussels carrying with him
the money of all his clients； I have no account with madame； by her
own showing； and the absconding of the notary〃
〃Has the notary Dupuis absconded？〃 screamed Madame Lambert； driven by
this dreadful news entirely out of her usual tones of dulcet sweetness
and Christian resignation。 〃Ah； the villain！ it was only this morning
that he was taking the sacrament at Saint…Jacques du Haut…Pas。〃
〃To pray for a safe journey； probably；〃 said la Peyrade。
〃Monsieur talks lightly enough；〃 continued Madame Lambert； 〃though
that brigand has carried off my savings。 But I gave them to monsieur；
and monsieur is answerable to me for them； he is the only one I know
in this transaction。〃
〃Hey？〃 said la Peyrade to Thuillier； pointing to Madame Lambert； whose
whole demeanor had something of the mother…wolf suddenly bereft of her
cubs； 〃is that nature？ tell me！ Do you think now that madame and I are
playing a comedy for your benefit？〃
〃I am thunderstruck at Cerizet's audacity；〃 said Thuillier。 〃I am
overwhelmed with my own stupidity； there is nothing for me to do but
to submit myself entirely to your discretion。〃
〃Madame；〃 said la Peyrade； gaily； 〃excuse me for thus frightening you；
the notary Dupuis is still a very saintly man；