Madame de Grangeville had no sooner torn the envelope than several bank notes fell out; she uttered a cry of surprise, while Mademoiselle Lizida began to dance about the room, crying: "What did I tell you, madame? Bank notes! fortune is smiling on us again! oh joy!" "One thousand, two thousand, five hundred--somebody has sent me two thousand five hundred francs!" "Good! we can go on for some time with that." "By the way, Lizida, don't burn the mushroom boxes." "That's so; we may use them again." "Ah! here's a short letter with the notes; let me see who sends me this money--'Madame, one of your old acquaintances, knowing that fortune is not propitious at this moment, begs you to deign to accept this sum. Every six months the same person will take the liberty of sending you the same amount.'--And no signature." "Every six months as much! that is rather nice; that makes five thousand francs a year for madame.--Ah! there's an agreeable acquaintance. But still, it doesn't surprise me; for madame is so kind, so noble, so generous when she has money, that it's no more than fair that somebody should treat her in the same way. I will bet that this comes from someone whom you have previously benefited. Does madame know the writing?" "Dear me, no! the letter is written in the same hand as the address. It is perfect writing--too good to be the writing of anyone who does not make a business of it." "So madame does not know, does not guess, from whom this money comes?" "Oh! I guessed instantly. It's from the same man who obliged me once before: dear De Merval! what a delicate creature! he does not want to name himself now, he is afraid that I would refuse his help. Ah! how that man loved me, Lizida! why didn't I marry him?" "Oh! it's a gentleman who was once in love with madame, is it?" "Yes, indeed, much in love!" "In that case, madame, this means that he is still. He must be a fine man! to send bank notes, and not even be willing to be thanked! there are not many friends so unselfish." Thanks to this gift, which Madame de Grangeville attributed to Monsieur de Merval, that lady recovered her peace of mind. She had no more anxiety for the future, and she could once more give all her attention to her toilet, while Mademoiselle Lizida became as flattering as before. It was a few days after this event that Madame de Grangeville received the bouquet which Roncherolle sent her by Chicotin. The name of Roncherolle could not fail to quicken the beating of the woman's heart, who for that man's sake had lost the place in society which she had occupied. For many years she had not heard her former lover's name; she did not know whether he was still alive; and on learning that he was in Paris, on receiving the bouquet which proved to her that Roncherolle was still gallant, she fancied herself once more in the days of her love-affairs; she persuaded herself that she had not grown old, and she expected to find her lover still as deeply in love as before.