"Monsieur le préfet," she added with dignity, "the matters enclosed in this portfolio are of little importance; but I desire to give them to you myself, so that I can tell you their intended destination." Whereupon she opened it.
"See," she said, "this is my correspondence.... This," she added, drawing out a little painted figure, is a Saint-Clément, to which I am particularly devoted, and now so more than ever."
"Does Madame know how much money she has?"
"There ought to be in the hiding-place about 30,000 francs, monsieur, of which 12,000 belong to persons of my suite."
As the préfet wanted to verify the sum, one of the two gendarmes brought him a bag, in which were nearly 13,000 francs in gold, one-half in Spanish money, which, in the confusion, he had taken the precaution of putting on one side.
"How did the bag get into your hands?" the préfet asked the gendarme.
"Madame gave it to me, saying it was for me."
"What! Madame gave it you and said it was for you?"
"Yes."
"How did she come to make you such a present?"