|M. THEOPHRASTE LONGUET had by this time quite forgotten the ties which bound him to the world above, and while M. Mifroid was abandoning himself to the fancies of Lady de Montfort, he was indulging in excesses of debauchery with the Talfa people. The time came when M. Mifroid became tired of this kind of life. They had been in the catacombs three weeks and had become acquainted with the habits of all the Talfa people. M. Mifroid longed to get into the open world, where people had public affairs and a properly organized society. He felt confused, and a feeling of weariness came over him. Théophraste was for stopping there altogether. He said he had never had such a time before. He had been playing the tricks of Cartouche on the Talfa people, and he felt more free in spirits than he had felt on earth. He was so persistent In his determination to stay that M. Mifroid decided to appeal to Mlle de Coucy. He felt that Théophraste was a nuisance to the Talfa, and the best way to get him out was to appeal to the people themselves. Théophraste had even suggested putting out his own eyes to be like these people. Upon telling Mlle, de Coucy, however, he got a totally different answer than he expected. She told him that the Talfa people had decided to let them go as soon as twenty thousand people had passed their fingers over their faces. She explained that the Talfa had forever been trying to get into the upper world, and therefore they must all visit these men from the coveted realms and see what they looked like before their departure. M. Mifroid calculated that it would take some time to complete this ceremony, and so he devised a plan by which they could deceive the people and escape. They were never long alone, and all day and all night fingers were feeling their faces and were thrust into their eyes, nose or mouth. It was during these operations one night that M. Mifroid devised his plan of escape. He would utilize his powers as a sculptor. Obtaining some clay from the bed of the lake he modeled two masks like those of the Talfa people with large noses and ears. Then under the pretense of acquiescing in Théophraste’s wishes, who dreamed only of becoming a Talfa, he put one of the masks on his face, and the other he wore himself. The deception was perfect, and although they met several Talfa they were not recognized, in spite of much finger feeling. M. Mifroid took the precaution of providing himself with food, and they both started out. Théophraste laughed with delight at the bold deception, and in his merriment he did not realize that M. Mifroid had led him out of the domains of the Talfa. They walked for five days. Their eyes had by this time become accustomed to the darkness, and they were able to make good headway. On the fifth day they came across some human bones, and M. Mifroid uttered a prayer of thankfulness, for here were signs of a civilized people. They were on the outskirts of the city of Ossarium.