Tell me your plans, and I will let you know all that I hear from the Duke." For a moment a smile hovered upon Mascarin's lips, for this time he placed firm reliance upon the good faith of the lawyer.
"Before we go further," said he, "let me conclude this narrative which Paul has just read.

It is sad and simple.

The united ages of the Duke and Duchess did not exceed fifty years; they had unlimited wealth, and bore one of the grandest historic names of France; they were surrounded with every appliance of luxury, and yet their lives were a perfect wreck.

They simply dragged on an existence and had lost all hopes of happiness, but they made up their minds to conceal the skeleton of their house in the darkest cupboard, and the world knew nothing of their inner life.

The Duchess suffered much in health, and merely went out to visit the sick and poor.