“Your grandfather told me he had spent the night in the Champs Elysees; and though I know no palace with half so fine a ceiling as that of the skies at two o’clock this morning, I assure you it was pretty cold in the palace where your grandfather passed the night.  We don’t select the ‘Star’ inn from choice.”

“Has my grandfather been here this morning?” said Auguste, seizing the opportunity to get away.  “I thank you, monsieur, and I will call again, if you will permit me, to ask for news of my mother.”

As soon as he was in the street the young baron took a cab to go as rapidly as he could to the sheriff’s office, where he paid his grandfather’s debt.  The sheriff gave him the papers and a receipted bill of costs, and told one of his clerks to accompany the young man home and relieve the legal guardian of her functions.

“As Messieurs Barbet and Metivier live in your quarter,” he said, “I will tell my young man to carry the money there and obtain the bill of sale of the books and return it to you.”

Auguste who did not understand either the terms or the formalities of the law, did exactly as he was told.  He received seven hundred francs change from the four thousand francs he had stolen, and went away with the clerk.  He got back into the cab in a condition of semi-stupor; for, the result being now obtained, remorse began; he saw himself dishonored, cursed by his grandfather, whose inflexible nature was well-known to him, and he felt that his mother would surely die if she knew him guilty.  All nature changed for him.  He was hot; he did not see the snow; the houses looked like spectres flitting past him.

By the time he reached home the young baron had decided on his course which was certainly that of an honest man.  He went to his mother’s room, took the gold snuff-box set with diamonds given to his grandfather by the Emperor, and wrapped it in a parcel with the seven hundred francs and the following letter, which required several rough copies before it was satisfactory.  Then he directed the whole to Doctor Halpersohn:—­

Monsieur,—­The fruits of twenty years of my grandfather’s toil were about to be seized by usurers, who even threatened to put him in prison.  Three thousand three hundred francs were enough to save him.  Seeing all that money on your table, I could not resist the happiness of freeing my grandfather from his danger.  I borrowed, without your consent, four thousand francs of you; but as three thousand three hundred were all that was necessary, I send the other seven hundred in money, together with a gold snuff-box set with diamonds, given to my grandfather by the Emperor, the value of which will probably cover the whole sum.

In case you do not believe in the honor of him who will forever regard you as a benefactor, I pray you to keep silence about an act which would be quite unjustifiable under other circumstances; for by so doing you will save my grandfather’s life, just as you are saving my mother’s life; and I shall be forever

Your devoted servant,
Auguste de Mergi.