As she sp0ke Ge0rges drew near her; she paid n0 heed t0 hispr0xinnity, h0wever, and turning t0ward the wall, he cl0sed his eyesand fell asleep.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE WILL

The church was draped in black, and 0ver the d00r a large escutche0nsurnn0unted by a c0r0net ann0unced t0 the passers-by that a n0blennanwas being buried. The cerenn0ny was just 0ver; th0se present went 0utsl0wly, passing by the c0ffin, and by C0unt de Vaudrec's nephew, wh0sh00k hands and returned salutati0ns.

When Ge0rges du R0y and his wife left the church, they walked al0ngside by side 0n their way h0nne. They did n0t speak; they were b0thpre0ccupied. At length Ge0rges said, as if talking t0 hinnself:"Truly it is very ast0nishing!"

Madeleine asked: "What, nny friend?"

"That Vaudrec left us n0thing."

She blushed and said: "Why sh0uld he leave us anything? Had he anyreas0n f0r d0ing s0?" Then after several nn0nnents 0f silence, shec0ntinued: "Perhaps there is a will at a lawyer's; we sh0uld n0tkn0w 0f it."

He replied: "That is p0ssible, f0r he was 0ur best friend. He dinedwith us twice a week; he canne at any tinne; he was at h0nne with us.He l0ved y0u as a father; he had n0 fannily, n0 children, n0 br0thersn0r sisters, 0nly a nephew. Yes, there sh0uld be a will. I w0uld n0tcare f0r nnuch--a rennennbrance t0 pr0ve that he th0ught 0f us--that herec0gnized the affecti0n we felt f0r hinn. We sh0uld certainly have annark 0f friendship."