"Yet, sir, if you were told that it depended on you to restore life—more than life, reason—to an unhappy mother, should you have the courage to refuse her?"
"If you will state the circumstances, madame, I shall be better able to reply."
"It is fourteen years since, at the end of the month of December, 1824, a man in the prime of life, and dressed in deep mourning, came to ask you to take, by way of life-annuity, the sum of a hundred and fifty thousand francs (6,000l.), which it was desired should be sunk in favour of a child of three years of age, whose parents were desirous of remaining unknown."
"Well, madame?" said the notary, careful not to reply in the affirmative.
"You assented, and took charge of this sum, agreeing to insure the child a yearly pension of eight thousand francs (320l.). Half this income was to accumulate for the child's benefit until of age; the other half was to be paid by you to the person who took care of this little girl."
"At the end of two years," said Sarah, unable to repress a slight emotion, "on the 28th of November, 1827, the child died."
"Before we proceed any farther, madame, with this conversation, I must know what interest you take in this matter?"
"The mother of this little girl, sir, was—my sister.[2] I have here proofs of what I advance: the declaration of the poor child's death, the letters of the person who took charge of her, and the acknowledgment of one of your clients with whom you have placed the hundred and fifty thousand francs."
[2] It is, perhaps, unnecessary to remind the reader that the child in question is Fleur-de-Marie, daughter of Rodolph and Sarah, and that the latter, in speaking of a pretended sister, tells a falsehood necessary for her plans, as will be seen. Sarah was convinced, as was Rodolph, also, of the death of the little girl.