Your good heart will pardon my pitying her.' "That one was my mother," cried the advocate in a trembling voice.

"A saint! And he asks pardon for the pity she inspires! Poor woman." He passed his hands over his eyes, as if to force back his tears, and added,-- "She is dead!" In spite of his impatience, old Tabaret dared not utter a word.

Besides he felt keenly the profound sorrow of his young friend, and respected it.

After a rather long silence, Noel raised his head, and returned to the correspondence.
"All the letters which follow," said he, "carry traces of the preoccupation of my father's mind on the subject of his bastard son.

I lay them, however, aside.