“Dagobert.”

“You—­the generous, devoted friend of my son!” cried the marshal’s father, pressing the hands of Dagobert in his own with strong emotion; “but did you not speak of Simon’s daughter?”

“Of his daughters; for he is more fortunate than he imagines,” said Dagobert.  “The poor children are twins.”

“And where are they?” asked the old man.

“In a convent.”

“In a convent?”

“Yes; by the treachery of this man, who keeps them there in order to disinherit them.”

“What man?”

“The Marquis d’Aigrigny.”

“My son’s mortal enemy!” cried the old workman, as he threw a glance of aversion at Father d’Aigrigny, whose audacity did not fail him.

“And that is not all,” added Agricola.  “M.  Hardy, my worthy and excellent master, has also lost his right to this immense inheritance.”

“What?” cried Marshal Simon’s father; “but M. Hardy did not know that such important interests were concerned.  He set out hastily to join one of his friends who was in want of him.”

At each of these successive revelations, Samuel felt his trouble increase:  but he could only sigh over it, for the will of the testator was couched, unhappily, in precise and positive terms.

Father d’Aigrigny, impatient to end this scene, which caused him cruel embarrassment, in spite of his apparent calmness, said to the notary, in a grave and expressive voice:  “It is necessary, sir, that all this should have an end.  If calumny could reach me, I would answer victoriously by the facts that have just come to light.  Why attribute to odious conspiracies the absence of the heirs, in whose names this soldier and his son have so uncourteously urged their demands?  Why should such absence be less explicable than the young Indian’s, or than M. Hardy’s, who, as his confidential man has just told us, did not even know the importance of the interests that called him hither?  Is it not probable, that the daughters of Marshal Simon, and Mdlle. de Cardoville have been prevented from coming here to-day by some very natural reasons?  But, once again, this has lasted too long.  I think M. Notary will agree with me, that this discovery of new heirs does not at all affect the question, which I had the honor to propose to him just now; namely whether, as trustee for the poor, to whom Abbe Gabriel made a free gift of all he possessed, I remain notwithstanding his tardy and illegal opposition, the only possessor of this property, which I have promised, and which I now again promise, in presence of all here assembled, to employ for the Greater Glory of the Lord?  Please to answer me plainly, M. Notary; and thus terminate the scene which must needs be painful to us all.”

“Sir,” replied the notary, in a solemn tone, “on my soul and conscience, and in the name of law and justice—­as a faithful and impartial executor of the last will of M. Marius de Rennepont, I declare that, by virtue of the deed of gift of Abbe Gabriel de Rennepont, you, M. l’Abbe d’Aigrigny, are the only possessor of this property, which I place at your immediate disposal, that you may employ the same according to the intention of the donor.”