Now at last a terrible light broke upon Henrietta’s mind.

“Then,” she stammered, “these infamous slanders are only put out to conceal an impudent robbery?”

“Yes.”

The young girl’s face showed that she was making a great effort to comprehend; and then she said again,—­

“And in that case, the articles in the papers”—­

“Were written by the wretches who have robbed your father, yes, madam!” And, shaking his fist with a threatening air, he added,—­

“Oh! there is no mistaking it.  Since when does this journal exist?  Since about six months ago.  From the day on which it was established, it was the aim and purpose of the founders to publish in it the articles which you haven’t read.”

Even if she could not well understand by what ingenious combinations such enormous sums could be abstracted, Henrietta was conquered by Papa Ravinet’s sincere and earnest conviction.

“Then,” she went on, “these wretches who have robbed my father now mean to ruin him!”

“They must do it for their own safety.  The money has been stolen, you see; therefore there must be a thief.  For the world, for the courts, the guilty one will be Count Ville-Handry.”

“For the courts?”

“Alas, yes!”

The poor girl’s eyes went from the brother to the sister with a terrible expression of bewilderment.  At last she asked,—­

“And do you believe Sarah will allow my father’s name to be thus dishonored,—­the name which she bears, and of which she was so proud?”

“She will, perhaps, even insist upon it.”

“Great God!  What do you mean?  Why should she?”

Seeing her brother’s hesitation, the old lady took it upon herself to answer.  She touched the poor girl’s arm, and said in a subdued voice,—­

“Because, you see, my poor child, now that Sarah has gotten possession of the fortune she wanted, your father is in her way; because, you see, she wants to be free—­do you understand?—­free!”

Henrietta uttered a cry of such horror that both the brother and the sister saw at once that she had not misunderstood the horrible meaning of that word “free.”

But, since the blow had fallen, the old dealer did not think the rest need be concealed from Henrietta.  He got up, therefore, and, leaning against the mantlepiece, he addressed the poor girl, trembling in all her limbs with terror, and looking at him with a fixed and painful gaze, in these words,—­

“You must at last learn to know, madam, the execrable woman who has sworn to ruin you.  You see, I know, because I have experienced it myself, of what crimes she is capable; and I see clear in the dark night of her infernal intrigues.  I know that this woman with the chaste brow, the open smile, and the soft eyes, has the genius and the instinct of a murderess, and has never counted upon any thing else, but murder for the gratification of her lusts.”