word chiffonait,—­meaning that he picked up rubbish as he walked, bits of straw, scraps of paper, rusty nails, and put them carefully into his pocket.  That, he informed me, is a marked symptom well known to those who study the first stages of insanity.  Enticing him to the subject of their conversations in Florence, he obtained the fact that the poor fellow meditated suicide, and the reason for it.  Every night, Gaston told him, his wife appeared to him, and he had now resolved to rejoin her, to use his own expression.  Instead of opposing this idea, Lord Lewin took a tone of approval.  “But,” he said, “men such as we ought not to die in a common way.  I myself have always had the idea of going to South America, where, not far from Paraguay, there is one of the greatest cataracts in the world, —­the Saut de Gayra.  The mists rising from it can be seen at a distance of many miles.  An enormous volume of water is suddenly forced through a narrow channel, and rushes with terrific force and the noise of a hundred thunder-claps into the gulf below.  There, indeed, one could find a noble death.”

  “Let us go there,” said Gaston.

  “Yes,” said Lord Lewin, “I am ready to go at once; we must sail
  from England; it will take a few weeks to get there.”

In this way, madame, he enticed our poor friend to England, where, as you will already have supposed, he has placed him in charge of Doctor Ellis, who, they say, has not his equal in Europe for the treatment of this particular form of mental aberration.

I joined them at Beauvais, and have followed them to Hanwell, taking care not to be seen by Marie-Gaston.  Here I shall be detained until the doctor is able to give a decided opinion as to the probable results of our friend’s condition.  I greatly fear, however, that I cannot possibly return to Paris in time for the opening of the session.  But I shall write to the president of the Chamber, and in case any questions regarding my absence should arise, may I ask Monsieur de l’Estorade to do me the favor of stating that, to his knowledge, I have been absolutely forced by sufficient reasons to absent myself?  He will, of course, understand that I ought not to explain under any circumstances the nature of the affair which has taken me out of the country at this unlucky time; but I am certain it will be all-sufficient if a man of Monsieur de l’Estorade’s position and character guarantees the necessity of my absence.

  I beg you to accept, madame, etc., etc.

As Madame de Camps finished reading the letter, the sound of a carriage entering the courtyard was heard.

“There are the gentlemen,” said the countess.  “Now, had I better show this letter to my husband or not?”

“You can’t avoid doing so,” replied Madame de Camps.  “In the first place, Nais will chatter about it.  Besides, Monsieur de Sallenauve addresses you in a most respectful manner, and there is nothing in the letter to feed your husband’s notion.”