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"Now stay quiet until we are ready for you," she said And Celia,

lifting her head, said in a whisper: "Water!"

The old wolass to Celia's

lips

"Thank you," whispered Celia gratefully, and Adele caht to Jeanne, and afterwards to

Hippolyte when he joined theained!" cried the older woman furiously "And we

have hardly a five-franc piece in the house"

"Yes, soood

rings, and bracelets And we shall find out where the rest is hid-

-from her" And she nodded at Celia

The three people ate their supper, and, while they ate it,

discussed Celia's fate She was lying with her head bowed upon her

arms at the same table, within a foot of them But they made no

more of her presence than if she had been an old shoe Only once

did one of thehly "We can hardly

hear ourselves talk"

He was for finishing with the business altogether to-night

"It's a le, and the sooner

we are rid of it the better There's a boat at the bottoarden"

Celia listened and shuddered He would have noher than he would have had over drowning a blind

kitten

"It's cursed luck," he said "But we have got the necklace--that's

so spark can look

for the rest"

But Helene Vauquier's wish prevailed She was the leader They

would keep the girl until she ca bedroo the lake

Adele opened the door of the closet, where a truckle-bed stood,

and thrust the girl in

"This isto the bedrooht shout yourself hoarse, my

pretty one; no one else would hear you But I should, and