One thing is certain though, she was not assassinated to prevent Noel recovering his rights.

She must have been suppressed for some analogous reason, by a bold and experienced scoundrel, prompted by similar motives to those of which I suspected Albert.

It is, then, in that direction that I must follow up the case now.

And, above all, I must obtain the past history of this obliging widow, and I will have it too, for in all probability the particulars which have been written for from her birthplace will arrive tomorrow." Returning to Albert, old Tabaret weighed the charges which were brought against the young man, and reckoned the chances which he still had in favour of his release.
"From the look of things," he murmured, "I see only luck and myself, that is to say absolutely nothing, in his favor at present.

As to the charges, they are countless.