She held my dishonest account in her hand and quietly dropped it into the fire.
"You are right, mon ami," she said, with a smile.

"What we owe you cannot be set down on paper--but it was kind of you to try." Lucille had risen to her feet.

Her glance flashed from one to the other.
"Mother," she said coldly, "what have you done?
How can we now pay Mr.
Howard ?" Madame made no reply, reserving her defence--as the lawyers have it--until a fitter occasion.

This presented itself later in the evening when mother and daughter were alone.

Indeed, the Vicomtesse went to Lucille's room for the purpose.
"Lucille," she said, "I wish you would trust Mr.Howard as entirely as I do." "But no one trusts him," answered Lucille, and her slipper tapped the floor.