The most skillful are deceived." Samuel Brohl rose and made a movement to leave.Mme.de Lorcy insisted on his sitting down again.

She saw that she had made a bad beginning in the fulfilment of her office of examining magistrate, and of gaining the prisoner's confidence.

Fearing that Camille, in spite of his promise, would spoil everything by some insult, she found a pretext to send him away; she begged that he would go and examine a pair of horses that were a recent acquisition.
As soon as he was gone, she changed her manner; she grew amiable, she endeavoured to remove the ill impression of her first welcome; she put Count Abel at his ease, who felt that the air lost its chilliness about him.

Without appearing to do so, she made him undergo an examination--she asked him many questions; he replied promptly.

Visitors came in; it was an hour before he took leave, after having promised Mme.
de Lorcy to dine with her the next day.
She did not wait until then to write to M.Moriaz.Her letter was thus conceived: "August 16, 1875.
"You recommend me to be impartial, my dear friend.