“Where is my little niece?” Claire ran up to him, looked smilingly into his face and said, “Here I am, Uncle Maurice!” The old man’s gratification was touching. He kissed her cheek, he patted her hair and stroked her hand again and again; but he never let go of his bag. Monsieur Duval gazed mechanically at Uncle Maurice, while Delphine’s cordiality was second only to Claire’s. “Ah,” cried Uncle Maurice, beginning and shaking hands all round for the second time, “you can’t imagine how kindly I was received by these two fine fellows. They didn’t mind my shabby clothes; they treated me nobly. I sha’n’t forget it, my lads.” Madame Fleury at this found her tongue. “He doesn’t look as if his acquaintance would be much of an acquisition to his family,” she said scornfully. “Eh?” asked Uncle Maurice, and he seemed stung by her remark. “Well,” he continued with an unexpected twinkle in his eyes, “that’s as may be. I have in this bag a million francs’ worth of United States government bonds,--a part of what I made in that noble country. I intended some of it for my nephew, provided he received me kindly. I am proud and happy to say he did so, when he thought I hadn’t a decent coat to my back; so I’ll give him--let me see--I might as well do the thing handsomely--half a million francs, so he can get married.” He opened the bag and took out a parcel. “Monsieur Duval, you are a man of affairs; you know what these are.” The sight of the securities seemed to wake Monsieur Duval up. He examined the parcel carefully, while Fontaine brokenly expressed his thanks, and Claire kissed the old man with tears in her eyes. “And, Auguste,” she cried generously, “Monsieur Marsac must share in our good fortune; you know he has shared everything with you.” “Indeed he shall,” replied Fontaine, clasping Marsac’s hand. “Perhaps you don’t know,” said Madame Fleury to Uncle Maurice, stopping in a somewhat precipitate flight toward the door, “that it was that Marsac who started the story of your giving Fontaine a fortune.” “Did you then--ha! ha!” Uncle Maurice seemed tickled at the idea. “Yes,” replied Marsac, modestly; “when it was reported that you were dead, I determined to give Fontaine every franc of your fortune; and I gave you, sir, a very good character besides. I endowed you with every virtue of a man and a gentleman; and it seems I was clairvoyant.” Uncle Maurice laughed excessively at this, and handing a smaller roll out of the old bag to Marsac, he said: “Well, I would like to have you for a nephew too, for you were no less kind than my nephew, and with less obligation; so there is a hundred thousand francs for you,--a mere nest-egg. A fellow as clever as you can always make his way in the world.” [Illustration]