They descended to the drawing-room, where Paul Lisimon was seated in company with two of the most fashionable men in the city; guests who had been invited to witness the intended marriage ceremony. Every citizen in New Orleans had seen the advertisement in that morning's paper, an advertisement which declared the entire innocence of Paul Lisimon of the crime imputed to him, and described the whole affair as a practical joke. The young man rose as Pauline Corsi entered the room, and dropping his face, said to her, "I received your letter from the hands of Captain Prendergills, and am here in answer to your summons." "And you have seen the advertisement?" "Yes; tell me in Heaven's name--how did you work so great a miracle?" Pauline smiled with arch significance. "When a woman has a powerful will, there is scarcely anything she cannot accomplish. When last we met, Paul Lisimon, I made you a proposal, which you rejected with scorn. In spite of my anger I honored you for that rejection; I am now about to avenge myself." "How, mademoiselle?" "I no longer address you as Paul Lisimon; that name is in itself a lie; Paul Crivelli, read this document; it is the genuine will of your father, Don Tomaso." As she spoke, she placed the parchment which had been sent her by Silas Craig, in the hands of the bewildered young man. This brief dialogue had been spoken in so low a tone as to escape the ears of the two visitors standing by the chimney-piece. It was only overheard by Armand Tremlay, to whom the entire conversation was unintelligible. At this moment a young mulattress entered the room, and announced "Captain Prendergills." CHAPTER XXX. THE SUPPRESSED DOCUMENT. Augustus Horton left the plantation at daybreak on the morning after the scene between himself and Cora Leslie. He knew that he had the law on his side, and that Gilbert Margrave might be made to pay dearly for his abduction of the Octoroon. But what if Gilbert and Cora should escape, and make their way to the Free States of America? He was almost mad with fury as this thought arose to his brain. Immediately upon his arrival in New Orleans, he dispatched a messenger for his confederate and evil counselor, Silas Craig, and at nine o'clock the two men were seated opposite to each other at a well furnished breakfast table. Augustus was terrified at beholding the change which the last twelve hours had wrought in the appearance of the attorney. His face was almost ghastly in its corpse-like hue; purple circles surrounded his bloodshot eyes, and his lips were black and dry, like those of a sufferer in the worst stage of fever. Throughout the weary night he had never ceased to pace up and down the narrow space in his office, pondering upon his interview with Pauline Corsi. The whole scaffolding of his life had fallen away, leaving him well-nigh crushed amongst the ruins.