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"But," exclaiirl, "why aood--so unsuspicious of ill, that you cannot understand, Valentine?"

"No, I have never injured her"

"But you are rich, Valentine; you have 200,000 livres a year, and you prevent her son fro these 200,000 livres"

"How so? The fortune is not her gift, but is inherited from my relations"

"Certainly; and that is why M and Madame de Saint-Meran have died; that is why M Noirtier was sentenced the day he made you his heir; that is why you, in your turn, are to die--it is because your father would inherit your property, and your brother, his only son, succeed to his"

"Edward? Poor child! Are all these crith understand?"

"Heaven grant that this el!"

"But why is randfather allowed to live?"

"It was considered, that you dead, the fortune would naturally revert to your brother, unless he were disinherited; and besides, the cri useless, it would be folly to cohtful combination of crimes has been invented by a woman?"

"Do you recollect in the arbor of the Hotel des Postes, at Perugia, seeing aupon aqua tofana? Well, ever since then, the infernal project has been ripening in her brain"

"Ah, then, indeed, sir," said the sweet girl, bathed in tears, "I see that I am condemned to die!"

"No, Valentine, for I have foreseen all their plots; no, your enemy is conquered since we know her, and you will live, Valentine--live to be happy yourself, and to confer happiness upon a noble heart; but to insure this you must rely on me"

"Command ive you"

"Alas, were it only for my own sake, I should prefer to die!"

"You must not confide in any one--not even in your father"

"My father is not engaged in this fearful plot, is he, sir?" asked Valentine, clasping her hands

"No; and yet your father, a ht to have known that all these deaths have not happened naturally; it is he who should have watched over you--he should have occupied lass--he should have risen against the assassin Spectre against spectre!" he murmured in a low voice, as he concluded his sentence

"Sir," said Valentine, "I will do all I can to live, for there are two beings whose existence depends upon randfather and Maximilian"