La Roulante when she was thus left hesitated a moment.
"No," she said, "if I let him out I shall have to divide the money."
And without more thought of Robeccal she too went away.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
FACE TO FACE.
The hôtel of the Marquis de Fongereues was ablaze with lights. Magdalena having determined that her son's triumph should be dazzling, invitations had been sent to every one of distinction. For a long time rumors had been in circulation adverse to the Fongereues family, and the gay crowd, always ready to desert a falling house, had shown great coolness to them all. But as soon as the favors shown by the king became known at the clubs, the family were quickly reinstated in public opinion.
About nine o'clock carriages began to roll through the streets near the hôtel, the doors of which were thrown wide open to welcome the coming guests, who bore the oldest and noblest names of France.
Fongereues, under an air of great dignity, concealed the joy and pride that swelled his heart. Magdalena was superb in her matronly beauty and her diamonds. Talizac was excessively pale, his worn face telling the story of his excesses and the excitement of the previous night. Francine's flight, which he believed to have been arranged by the man and woman whom he had employed as his tools, had driven him nearly mad with rage, from which he had not yet recovered.