"Now, sir, what will there be to pay?"
But the rude fellow gave a significant wink at his companion as he said:
"Ah! ha! young lady, a moment ago you were pretending that you had been robbed of all your money, and now you bring out bank-notes for a large amount with which to try and bribe the gendarmes! You have been trying to deceive us. Very well—we shall see. You must at once tell us where you got that money."
"This money," faltered Nadine, not yet recovered from her surprise and joy at its discovery, "was given me by a very kind-hearted lady who told me I was not to use it until I was in great trouble."
"Oh! yes, of course," sneered the insolent creature. "We know lots of kind-hearted ladies who are in the way of giving one hundred franc notes to strolling performers, don't we? We shall have to clear all this up. I shall take charge of that money in order to restore it to the proper owner. And now, without wasting any more words, do you put your things in order right away, and come with me to the sous-préfet right away, where, without being impertinent, you shall explain to the authorities the meaning of all this. Get to work now. No more excuses. I have taken too much time with you already."
CHAPTER XIV.
BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE.
Neither tears nor entreaties had any effect upon the brigadier, and a little later the van of the Tamby family, with a gendarme at either side, was on its way to the court-house.