The brigadier at first evaded the request, by pretending not to hear what Cæsar said. But the boy reiterated his request, and the brigadier had to reply.
"I must tell you, then," he said, "that your Madame Pradère has made no reply, and this goes to confirm my suspicions."
"What!" cried Cæsar, incredulously. "No reply? You say that Madame Pradère has not answered! But that is impossible! She knows perfectly well that we didn't steal the money."
And, refusing to credit it, he was so importunate that at last for very peace' sake the brigadier took him to the magistrate.
"Is it true, sir!" he asked, with anxious, apprehensive face and tone, "that Madame Pradère has not answered the letter you wrote to her more than a month ago?"
"Yes, my boy, it is true," responded the magistrate kindly. "But just to-day came the explanation of her silence. She has suffered a great calamity. On the very day the gendarmes put you in prison at Beaulieu, Monsieur Pradère was killed by a fiery horse that he was training."
"M. Pradère killed!" murmured Cæsar sadly. "Oh! how sorry I am, and Nadine will be so sorry too. They were such good friends to us!"
"You can easily understand," continued the magistrate, "that under such circumstances the poor lady would not be giving attention to her correspondence. But here now is the brief communication that she has made to me:
"Dear Sir:
"It is quite true that I gave the Tamby children the envelope containing the two hundred francs. They are thoroughly honest and very intelligent children, and I commend them to your kind consideration.
"V. Pradère."