The instrument having been drawn up and executed, the lady withdrew, after desiring M. Pourra to forward the same to BuissonSoiief. On the same evening Desrües announced to the clerk of the hotel that he had com pleted his business and should depart that night. What was taking place at Paris during the absence of the little man? The complaint of M. de la Motte seemed sufficiently grave to authorize a search of Desrües's house. The commissary Mutel, who had charge of the investigation, vainly sought throughout the premises for some trace of a double crime. He seized all Desrües's papers, and obliged his wife to submit to a lengthy examination. While there seems to be no doubt that Madame Desrües was entirely ignorant of her husband's crime, it is evident that she had been fully instructed by him as to what course she should pursue, and like an obedient wife, she followed those instructions to the letter. To the questions put to her, she replied that her husband had gone to Versailles and to Palaiseau to seek for Madame de la Motte and her son. She told the story of the departure of that lady immediately after signing the deed of sale. Madame de la Motte had taken with her all her wearingapparel, and had wrapped up the money she received in a nightdress. "Then you saw Madame de la Motte depart for Versailles?" "I saw her, and bade her adieu." "And you saw the money paid to Madame de la Motte." "Yes, Monsieur; about 100,000 livres were counted out by my husband on the table in the salon. I was lying down, as I did not feel well that day." "And you doubtless saw Madame de la Motte sign the instrument, since you signed it yourself?" "No, Monsieur; the curtains of my bed were drawn. Madame de la Motte brought two papers to the bed for me to sign."

"How do you account for the disappear ance of Madame de la Motte?" "I do not understand it. She said, ' I do not wish my husband to spend this money, as he has already spent 100,000 livres of mine. He is a spendthrift, and I wish to make some provision for my son.'" The commissary Mutel withdrew. He did not judge it best as yet to arrest Desrües's wife. He contented himself with keeping a close watch upon the house. The Lieutenant-Criminel at Chatelet also thought it necessary first to find Desrües. There was doubtless fraud somewhere in this transaction, but nothing proved that there had been any crime. For a few days matters seemed to be at a stand-still; but on the 13 th of March the Lieutenant-General of police received from Buisson-Soiief the instrument which had been forwarded there by M. Pourra, the notary at Lyons. At Chatelet the power of attorney, drawn up at Lyons, seemed at first a reassuring proof of the existence of the two persons sought. M. de la Motte, however, insisted that his wife was incapable of acting in this manner; and besides, no letter accompanied the instrument. While the authorities were hesitating, the police announced the presence of Desrües in Paris. The little man had returned tran quilly to his domicile in the Rue Beaubourg. He was scarcely installed there, when the commissary Mutel arrived at the house, accompanied by two police-officers, to arrest him. Interrogated by the Procureur du Roi at Chatelet, Desrües seemed greatly surprised at being suspected of the suppression of Madame de la Motte and her son. He stated, in the most innocent manner, that at the moment when he was most troubled at the non-appearance of that lady, whose con tinued absence was most prejudicial to his interests, he received a letter from her post marked Lyons, in which she announced her arrival in that city. Happy at seeing the veil raised which had so long concealed Madame