"Calm my inquietude.

How is your mother ?" "Madame Gerdy is as well as can be expected." "Madame Gerdy!" repeated the old fellow with an air of astonishment; but he continued, "It is plain you have been seriously alarmed." "In truth," replied the advocate, seating himself, "I have experienced a rude shock." Noel was making visibly the greatest efforts to appear calm, to listen to the old fellow, and to answer him.

Old Tabaret, as much disquieted on his side, perceived nothing.
"At least, my dear boy," said he, "tell me how this happened ?" The young man hesitated a moment, as if consulting with himself.

No doubt he was unprepared for this point blank question, and knew not what answer to make; at last he replied,-- "Madame Gerdy has suffered a severe shock in learning from a paragraph in this newspaper that a woman in whom she takes a strong interest has been assassinated." "Ah!" replied old Tabaret.
The old fellow was in a fever of embarrassment.

He wanted to question Noel, but was restrained by the fear of revealing the secret of his association with the police.