“Whatever may have been,” he uttered, “Vincent Favoral’s crime; whether he has or has not stolen, the twelve millions which are wanting from the funds of the Mutual Credit; whether he is alone guilty, or has accomplices; whether he be a knave, or a fool, an impostor, or a dupe,—Mlle. Gilberte is not responsible.”
“You know the Favoral family, then?”
“Enough to make their cause henceforth my own.”
The agitation of the baroness was so great, that she did not even attempt to conceal it.
“A nobody’s daughter!” she said.
“I love her.”
“Without a sou!”
Mlle. Cesarine made a superb gesture.
“Why, that’s the very reason why a man may marry her!” she exclaimed, and, holding out her hand to M. de Tregars,
“What you do here is well,” she added, “very well.”