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to your house expressly to nade you that I wouid be ab- b till tosmorrow. This falde- d had 'an object. If J had nob you by a miracle, I should not have seen you to-day, and Villagos calculated that ' to-morrow jor ul ng longer belong to this eld"? "What! Villagos who boasts of his devotion to yon; Villages con: _ Bgire against youl: I dare uot say shgnor of including me in the pro: ription you accuse him of medi tating." : "Do not jest. Nothing is more serious; T will prove it to you pres: 1X In the meanwhile let us talk «§ something else. Have you seen your cousin since the events of last night 1" *'1 have just seen her." "Alone?! No; her father was present. ie scene was a very painful one. X did not conceal from her what I thought of M. de' Carnoel. Alice did not contradict' me. but she de- olared positively that she would never marry." "That signifies that she does not believe a word of your allegations, and that she intends to be constant 10 the absent one until his inno: cence shall appear. 'She is a wom- an; she has faith." / "You approve, then, of her per severing in her allusions?' Assuredly." "'And I have "been counting on you to make her listen to reason!" hor us, though you do me the: " "Not'a word 'more. We will re-]. sume our conversation in a few ments, for here we are." iThe Russian trotter had van. quished 'the distance, and thongh ame Yalta had taken the long- route, they were entering the iFenue de Friédlandsby the Place x Etoile. 'Bhe' stopped Nedii before the le gate by which Maxime had t. entered with Dr. Villagss. fis private entrance opened at a froke of the bell by the valet de pied, who took the reins and ro- reived from -his mistress an or ier io a foreign tongue. The countess passed in first and took a 'wide walk which 'wound dghrough a lawn and ended in an dmmense conservatory. "Here," sdid Madame Yalta, 'we may speak freely; no one will anterrupt us." "Not, 'even the doctor?' asked Maxime, laughing. + "No; af he comes he will be told od have not returned.' "Do you intend never to receive him again?' "1 hall see him once more for dhe last time." "He has, then, decided to paks «ver to the enemy?' The. question to which Maximé attached no importance made. the wountess start. . 'No;'! she replied, slowly; "it ia il who wish to separate from him.' And as: Maxime sesmed astonish+ i #d, she added, "Come, you shall know all." + At one of the extremities of the dcnservatory, was a rendézvons _Aurnidhed in a manner appropriate a Sylvan boudoir; divans cover with Japanese stuff, whairs and a bamboo able. "Bo," said Madame Yalta when ey were seated, 'You saw M. de ~ @ does not know hem last night, forthe fi ¢ woman who rescued hi 'But she at least is, beyond doubt, a thief." = 5% "No more than he ] "You are' not aware | found on 'this wretch the | «and francs taken from the safe "It was risoff who found them; was it not?' bil ; {'He hus just placed them in 'my aincle's hands together with a let- tor written by Carnoel to account for being in possession of 'this sum. It was sent to him, he clainis, by a friend of his father, an anony- mous friend." Sr "Or by an enemy. who invented bir ruse %o ruin him. One of the two explanations is true, I grant." At this moment a sound at- jracted Maxime's attention; and turning he saw a gardener ap- proaching, a rake on his shoulder and watering-pot in his hand. The height and broad shoulders of this man attracted his attention! antl on looking at his face, he re- cognized him immediately as the person who liad been sucoessively porter in the house in Rue Joufiroy. and protector of the false Madame Bergent. This singular apparition drew from Mlaxime a cry. of surprise, which 'made the suspicious garden: €r raise his head. "What is = the = makter?"' asked the countess, quietly." "That man!" 'He has the charge of my fow- £re He came to make the rund oi 'the conservatory, and is going| oft for fear of disturbing us." In fact, the man with the yake, after resbectfully Naking off his} straw bat, was retracing his dteps. | 'But he--he too knows the thief. It 'was he who formerly kept the house in Rue Jouffroy, and after: ward played . the role of foreign [ford, protector of 'this jade.' I fquarrellell with him, and we were Lio fight next day." 'You see it is well you did not do. %0.. You would have: erossed swords with a domestic." "Aid you. are not wetonished 10 learn that your gardener is also the accomplice of this worthy friend of 'M. de Carnoel?"' "I 'am. 'astonished. at nothing; but I understand that éverything will 'be a surprise to you, and the Lime 'has come' to make known what I should 'have 'preferred to] keep from you. Learn, then, that I know by whom and why this theft was committed." "You knew it, and you did pob tell 1" 'Listen before you judge. And firet remember that they took from your uncles safe only a casket be- longing to a Russian spy. You will object 'that they took also a sum of money. I will gome to that presently, and will grove to you that things were not as has been supposed.' Gilg by "Then the thieves were Nihil-|' ists?" "The government which employs Col. Borisoff has r enemies than Nihilists. All the proscribed; all who defended the independence of Poland, and who live. in exile far from their ponquered country. This Borisoff's: 'mission was to "They 'went together one ing," resumed the. éounte reached your uncle's offices without | 1 * difficulty. Bome one awaited them there who had procured a ki indicated the word to open i and you know what it, cost her. He who gave her the information was ignorant of the terrible mechanism, whase claws seized her hand as she introduced the key ine the l5¢k." "1 had po'difficulty in guessing the beginning of the story, and I|can't trust a victim out of sight know the end. - But I have often wondered what came fo pass when the 'thief found herself canght:"' "Ble whom you call the thief tried to extricate herself," 'replied | face. the countess. "Her Yriends tried to deliver her. They could not discover the spring that had Yo be touched to withdraw tha apparatus, Time was passing; Some one might have come in, and if she had been surprisad all was logt, She did not hesitate. - She commanded the man who accompanied her to out oft her hand." we '"And he consented to render $his frightful service?" 'He was under her orders; h obeyed. He had a poniand; large and sharp; with one blow the hand was severed." © . vrs "And this strange ' heroine did roi diel She did not fall fainting on' the floor?" iE 'She had strength to stand, and conquered her pain, Her compan: ion, who had served in war, knew something about 'wounds: he tied up the wrist, "and led = off the wounded woman, who was ecarce- ly able to stand." ¥ "She was dressed as a man, was! she not?' wv fe "Yes." % 'Then it was she and her accom} plice whom Vignory and I met in the gateway. We saw the light, and entered the office"? = x "Where you found the hand. To. remove it your friend Vignory}i touched the spring. You believed] yourselver alone; but some one saw woman wanted to operate herself, |. = Beware of your victims. "Since 'Mand's engagen "Ya you--heard you. This thief, as you} call her, knew that you had taken her bracelet, and that it was your intention to search for her, to con- duct by yourself an inquest which belonged of right to the agents off 3 » the prefecture of police. i "Good! the traitor heard my conversation' with * Vignory 'a Made: hip report to her who p "You are partly right. Only he was not paid, bub he told what he us whose destruc-14 had heard, and she whi tion you: swore, swore to regail possession of the bracelet. all the forces of 'the bright and = happy 8: a match lights up a the Mine Which Coming Shipper watch and 'denounge the Nihilists,|