“I have no preconceived opinion on the subject of this young lady,” said the Prefect of Police, in an authoritative voice.  “But it is my duty to question her about the circumstances that brought her here; and I shall certainly do so.”

He released the girl from Don Luis’s grasp and made her take a seat.  He himself sat down at his desk; and it was easy to see how great an impression the girl’s presence made upon him.  It afforded so to speak an illustration of Don Luis’s argument.

The appearance on the scene of a new person, laying claim to the inheritance, was undeniably, to any logical mind, the appearance on the scene of a criminal who herself brought with her the proofs of her crimes.  Don Luis felt this clearly and, from that moment, did not take his eyes off the Prefect of Police.

Florence looked at them by turns as though the whole thing was the most insoluble mystery to her.  Her beautiful dark eyes retained their customary serenity.  She no longer wore her nurse’s uniform; and her gray gown, very simply cut and devoid of ornaments, showed her graceful figure.  She was grave and unemotional as usual.

M. Desmalions said: 

“Explain yourself, Mademoiselle.”

She answered: 

“I have nothing to explain, Monsieur le Prefet.  I have come to you on an errand which I am fulfilling without knowing exactly what it is about.”

“What do you mean?  Without knowing what it is about?”

“I will tell you, Monsieur le Prefet.  Some one in whom I have every confidence and for whom I entertain the greatest respect asked me to hand you certain papers.  They appear to concern the question which is the object of your meeting to-day.”

“The question of awarding the Mornington inheritance?”

“Yes.”

“You know that, if this claim had not been made in the course of the present sitting, it would have had no effect?”

“I came as soon as the papers were handed to me.”

“Why were they not handed to you an hour or two earlier?”

“I was not there.  I had to leave the house where I am staying, in a hurry.”

Perenna did not doubt that it was his intervention that upset the enemy’s plans by causing Florence to take to flight.

The Prefect continued: 

“So you are ignorant of the reasons why you received the papers?”

“Yes, Monsieur le Prefet.”

“And evidently you are also ignorant of how far they concern you?”

“They do not concern me, Monsieur le Prefet.”

M. Desmalions smiled and, looking into Florence’s eyes, said, plainly: 

“According to the letter that accompanies them, they concern you intimately.  It seems that they prove, in the most positive manner, that you are descended from the Roussel family and that you consequently have every right to the Mornington inheritance.”

“I?”

The cry was a spontaneous exclamation of astonishment and protest.