Produced by David Edwards, Christine Aldridge and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (Stanford University, SUL Books in the Public Domain) Transcriber's Notes: 1. Passages in italics are surrounded by _underscores_. 2. Passages in Gothic Bold are surrounded by +plus+ signs. 3. Other transcription notes appear at the end of this e-text. [Illustration: _The Abduction._ Original Etching by Mercier.] +The Mysteries of Paris.+ _ILLUSTRATED WITH ETCHINGS BY MERCIER, BICKNELL, POITEAU, AND ADRIAN MARCEL._ _BY EUGENE SUE_ _IN SIX VOLUMES VOLUME IV._ _PRINTED FOR FRANCIS A. NICCOLLS & CO. BOSTON_ +Edition de Luxe+ _This edition is limited to one thousand copies, of which this is_ No.____ CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I. RIGOLETTE'S FIRST SORROW 11 II. THE WILL 33 III. L'ILE DU RAVAGEUR 48 IV. THE FRESHWATER PIRATE 60 V. THE MOTHER AND SON 82 VI. FRANCOIS AND AMANDINE 101 VII. A LODGING-HOUSE 119 VIII. THE VICTIMS OF MISPLACED CONFIDENCE 132 IX. THE RUE DE CHAILLOT 156 X. THE COMTE DE SAINT-REMY 170 XI. THE INTERVIEW 185 XII. THE SEARCH 204 XIII. THE ADIEUX 226 XIV. RECOLLECTIONS 239 XV. THE BOATS 262 XVI. THE HAPPINESS OF MEETINGS 273 XVII. DOCTOR GRIFFON 298 XVIII. THE PORTRAIT 305 XIX. THE AGENT OF SAFETY 315 XX. THE CHOUETTE 321 ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE THE ABDUCTION _Frontispiece_ THE BRIGAND DASHED AT HIS BROTHER 87 HE EXHIBITED SUCH FEROCIOUS JOY 168 WAS ABOUT TO EMBRACE HIS FATHER 199 THE MYSTERIES OF PARIS. CHAPTER I. RIGOLETTE'S FIRST SORROW. Rigolette's apartment was still in all its extreme nicety; the large silver watch placed over the mantelpiece, in a small boxwood stand, denoted the hour of four. The severe cold weather having ceased, the thrifty little needlewoman had not lighted her stove.