these mysterious expeditions, all smiles and rubbing his hands, he found a despairing let ter from M. de la Motte. The poor man, receiving no news from his wife, began to be seriously uneasy. Desrües handed the letter to his wife, and said to her: " There is a good husband. He must, however, feel reassured by this time, for Madame de la Motte wrote him a letter on the day of her departure for Versailles, and he must have received it ere this." After his mother's departure, young La Motte called frequently at the house. He had received no letter from Versailles, and could not understand why he heard nothing. On the ioth of February, upon the invita tion of Desrües, he came at an early hour. Desrües told him that he had received a letter from his mother; she desired his presence at Versailles, whither Desrües himself would conduct him. Desrües prepared a cup of chocolate which he gave to the youth, who, after drinking it, was seized with an attack of nausea. He speedily recovered, however, and left the house for his school, promising to return early the next day to go to Versailles with Desrües. The following morning Madame Desrües was still in bed when young La Motte ar rived. Desrües himself prepared the break fast; and after partaking of it the same symptoms manifested themselves in the boy which had been observed the day before. Desrües, however, hurried his departure; and the youth, making an effort to conquer his illness, gained the street, while Desrües went back to inform his wife of his intended journey. It was five days before Desrües reappeared in the Rue Beaubourg. He kissed his wife and shook hands with Bertin, whom he found in the house on his return. "What is the matter with you? " cried Madame Desrües. " Your shirt is soiled, your hat is covered with dust, and your muffler — have you lost it? I have been very uneasy about you."
"Wife, wife, business is business. Come, get me my dinner; I am as hungry as a wolf." Desrües was very gay, very confiding. He had entirely settled matters with Madame de la Motte; not without difficulty, for the dear woman was very exacting. He de scribed the meeting of the mother and son in the park. She was accompanied by an unknown, — a man about sixty years of age, who had brought her in his carriage, and appeared to be on very intimate terms with her. This man embraced young La Motte with a singular tenderness. "And had Madame de la Motte recovered from her indisposition?" asked Bertin. "Oh! what she received from me cured her, — a beautiful medicine consisting of a bag full of louis d'or. When she received them, she said : ' My husband will not get hold of this money.'" On the 17th of February, in obedience to her husband's instructions, Madame Desrües wrote to M. de la Motte informing him of his wife's departure. She added that young La Motte had been very ill at his school, and it had been necessary to take him away. On the same day Desrües sent his wife to the master of the school to tell him that the young man would not return, his mother having found another place for him. This done, Desrües repaired to the Rue de la Mortellerie, to the house bearing the sign of "The Pewter Pot," where, as we saw at the commencement of this narrative, a little man by the name of Du Coudray hired a cellar. On the way thither Desrües bought two bottles of Malaga wine. " Ah! here you are at last, M. du Coudray," cried Ma dame Masson, who happened to be in the house. " We really did not know what had become of you. That imbecile of a Rogeot has told me the most remarkable stories. He declares that every time he passes the door of your cellar his dog howls mournfully." "What nonsense!" replied Desrües, laugh ingly; but his voice trembled slightly. " Here, my dear madame, is a sample of what I have stored in the cellar, — a delicious Malaga
