M。　Lantin　was　disturbed；　and　asked：
  〃How　much　is　it　worth？〃
  〃Well；　I　sold　it　for　twenty　thousand　francs。　I　am　willing　to　take
  it　back　for　eighteen　thousand　when　you　inform　me；　according　to
  our　legal　formality；　how　it　comes　to　be　in　your　possession。〃
  This　time　M。　Lantin　was　dumfounded。　He　replied：
  〃Butbutexamine　it　well。　Until　this　moment　I　was　under　the
  impression　that　it　was　paste。〃
  Said　the　jeweler：
  〃What　is　your　name；　sir？〃
  〃LantinI　am　in　the　employ　of　the　Minister　of　the　Interior。　I
  live　at　No。　16　Rue　des　Martyrs。〃
  The　merchant　looked　through　his　books；　found　the　entry；　and　said：
  〃That　necklace　was　sent　to　Mme。　Lantin's　address；　16　Rue　des
  Martyrs；　July　20；　1876。〃
  The　two　men　looked　into　each　other's　eyesthe　widower　speechless
  with　astonishment；　the　jeweler　scenting　a　thief。　The　latter　broke
  the　silence　by　saying：
  〃Will　you　leave　this　necklace　here　for　twenty…four　hours？　I　will
  give　you　a　receipt。〃
  〃Certainly；〃　answered　M。　Lantin；　hastily。　Then；　putting　the
  ticket　in　his　pocket；　he　left　the　store。
  He　wandered　aimlessly　through　the　streets；　his　mind　in　a　state　of
  dreadful　confusion。　He　tried　to　reason；　to　understand。　His　wife
  could　not　afford　to　purchase　such　a　costly　ornament。　Certainly
  not。　But；　then；　it　must　have　been　a　present！a　present！a
  present　from　whom？　Why　was　it　given　her？
  He　stopped　and　remained　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　street。　A
  horrible　doubt　entered　his　mindshe？　Then　all　the　other　gems
  must　have　been　presents；　too！　The　earth　seemed　to　tremble　beneath
  him；the　tree　before　him　was　fallingthrowing　up　his　arms；　he
  fell　to　the　ground；　unconscious。　He　recovered　his　senses　in　a
  pharmacy　into　which　the　passers…by　had　taken　him；　and　was　then
  taken　to　his　home。　When　he　arrived　he　shut　himself　up　in　his　room
  and　wept　until　nightfall。　Finally；　overcome　with　fatigue；　he
  threw　himself　on　the　bed；　where　he　passed　an　uneasy；　restless
  night。
  The　following　morning　he　arose　and　prepared　to　go　to　the　office。
  It　was　hard　to　work　after　such　a；　shock。　He　sent　a　letter　to　his
  employer　requesting　to　be　excused。　Then　he　remembered　that　he　had
  to　return　to　the　jeweler's。　He　did　not　like　the　idea；　but　he
  could　not　leave　the　necklace　with　that　man。　So　he　dressed　and
  went　out。
  It　was　a　lovely　day；　a　clear　blue　sky　smiled　on　the　busy　city
  below；　and　men　of　leisure　were　strolling　about　with　their　hands
  in　their　pockets。
  Observing　them；　M。　Lantin　said　to　himself：　〃The　rich；　indeed；　are
  happy。　With　money　it　is　possible　to　forget　even　the　deepest
  sorrow。　One　can　go　where　one　pleases；　and　in　travel　find　that
  distraction　which　is　the　surest　cure　for　grief。　Oh！　if　I　were
  only　rich！〃
  He　began　to　feel　hungry；　but　his　pocket　was　empty。　He　again
  remembered　the　necklace。　Eighteen　thousand　francs！　Eighteen
  thousand　francs！　What　a　sum！
  He　soon　arrived　in　the　Rue　de　la　Paix；　opposite　the　jeweler's。
  Eighteen　thousand　francs！　Twenty　times　he　resolved　to　go　in；　but
  shame　kept　him　back。　He　was　hungry；　however；very　hungry；　and
  had　not　a　cent　in　his　pocket。　He　decided　quickly；　ran　across　the
  street　in　order　not　to　have　time　for　reflection；　and　entered　the
  store。
  The　proprietor　immediately　came　forward；　and　politely　offered　him
  a　chair；　the　clerks　glanced　at　him　knowingly。
  〃I　have　made　inquiries；　M。　Lantin；〃　said　the　jeweler；　〃and　if　you
  are　still　resolved　to　dispose　of　the　gems；　I　am　ready　to　pay　you
  the　price　I　offered。〃
  〃Certainly；　sir；〃　stammered　M。　Lantin。
  Whereupon　the　proprietor　took　from　a　drawer　eighteen　large　bills；
  counted　and　handed　them　to　M。　Lantin；　who　signed　a　receipt　and
  with　a　trembling　hand　put　the　money　into　his　pocket。
  As　he　was　about　to　leave　the　store；　he　turned　toward　the
  merchant；　who　still　wore　the　same　knowing　smile；　and　lowering　his
  eyes；　said：
  〃I　haveI　have　other　gems　which　I　have　received　from　the　same
  source。　Will　you　buy　them　also？〃
  The　merchant　bowed：　〃Certainly；　sir。〃
  M。　Lantin　said　gravely：　〃I　will　bring　them　to　you。〃　An　hour　later
  he　returned　with　the　gems。
  The　large　diamond　earrings　were　worth　twenty　thousand　francs；　the
  bracelets　thirty…five　thousand；　the　rings；　sixteen　thousand；　a
  set　of　emeralds　and　sapphires；　fourteen　thousand；　a　gold　chain
  with　solitaire　pendant；　forty　thousandmaking　the　sum　of　one
  hundred　and　forty…three　thousand　francs。
  The　jeweler　remarked；　jokingly：
  〃There　was　a　person　who　invested　all　her　earnings　in　precious
  stones。〃
  M。　Lantin　replied；　seriously：
  〃It　is　only　another　way　of　investing　one's　money。〃
  That　day　he　lunched　at　Voisin's　and　drank　wine　worth　twenty
  francs　a　bottle。　Then　he　hired　a　carriage　and　made　a　tour　of　the
  Bois；　and　as　he　scanned　the　various　turn…outs　with　a　contemptuous
  air　he　could　hardly　refrain　from　crying　out　to　the　occupants：
  〃I；　too；　am　rich！I　am　worth　two　hundred　thousand　francs。〃
  Suddenly　he　thought　of　his　employer。　He　drove　up　to　the　office；
  and　entered　gaily；　saying：
  〃Sir；　I　have　come　to　resign　my　position。　I　have　just　inherited
  three　hundred　thousand　francs。〃
  He　shook　hands　with　his　former　colleagues　and　confided　to　them
  some　of　his　projects　for　the　future；　then　he　went　off　to　dine　at
  the　Cafe　Anglais。
  He　seated　himself　beside　a　gentleman　of　aristocratic　bearing；　and
  during　the　meal　informed　the　latter　confidentially　that　he　had
  just　inherited　a　fortune　of　four　hundred　thousand　francs。
  For　the　first　time　in　his　life　he　was　not　bored　at　the　theater；
  and　spent　the　remainder　of　the　night　in　a　gay　frolic。
  Six　months　afterward　he　married　again。　His　second　wife　was　a　very
  virtuous　woman；　with　a　violent　temper。　She　caused　him　much
  sorrow。
  COUNTESS　SATAN
  I。
  They　were　discussing　dynamite；　the　social　revolution；　Nihilism；
  and　even　those　who　cared　least　about　politics　had　something　to
  say。　Some　were　alarmed；　others　philosophized；　and　others　again
  tried　to　smile。
  〃Bah！〃　Nsaid；　〃when　we　are　all　blown　up；　we　shall　see　what　it
  is　like。　Perhaps；　after　all；　it　may　be　an　amusing　sensation；
  provided　one　goes　high　enough。〃
  〃But　we　shall　not　be　blown　up　at　all；〃　G；　the　optimist；　said；
  interrupting　him。　〃It　is　all　a　romance。〃
  〃You　are　mistaken；　my　dear　fellow；〃　Jules　de　Creplied。　〃It　is
  like　a　romance；　but　with　this　confounded　Nihilism；　everything　is
  the　same；　it　would　be　a　mistake　to　trust　to　it。　For　instance；　the
  manner　in　which　I　made　Bakounine's　acquaintance〃
  They　knew　that　he　was　a　good　narrator；　and　it　was　no　secret　that
  his　life　had　been　an　adventurous　one；　so　they　drew　closer　to　him；
  and　listened　intently。　This　is　what　he　told　them：
  II
  〃I　met　Countess　Nioska　W；　that　strange　woman　who　was　usually
  called　Countess　Satan；　in　Naples。　I　immediately　attached　myself
  to　her　out　of　curiosity；　and　soon　fell　in　love　with　her。　Not　that
  she　was　beautiful；　for　she　was　a　Russian　with　the　bad
  characteristics　of　the　Russian　type。　She　was　thin　and　squat　at
  the　same　time；　while　her　face　was　sallow　and　puffy；　with　high
  cheek…bones　and　a　Cossack's　nose。　But　her　conversation　bewitched
  everyone。
  〃She　was　many…sided；　learned；　a　philosopher；　scientifically
  depraved；　satanic。　Perhaps　the　word　is　rather　pretentious；　but　it
  exactly　expresses　what　I　want　to　say；　for　in　other　words　she
  loved　evil　for　the　sake　of　evil。　She　rejoiced　in　other　people's
  vices；　she　liked　to　sow　the　seeds　of　evil；　in　order　to　see　it
  flourish。　And　that；　too；　by　fraud　on　an　enormous　scale。　It　was
  not　enough　for　her　to　corrupt　individuals；　she　only　did　that　to
  keep　her　hand　in；　what　she　wished　to　do　was　to　corrupt　the
  masses。　By　slightly　altering　it　after　her　own　fashion；　she　might
  have　used　Caligula's　famous　wish。　She　also　might　have　wished　that
  the　whole　human　race　had　but　one　head；　not　in　order　that　she
  might　cut　it　off；　but　that　she　might　make　the　philosophy　of
  Nihilism　flourish　there。
  〃What　a　temptation　to　become　the　lord　and　master　of　such　a
  monster！　I　allowed　myself　to　be　tempted；　and　undertook　the
  adventure。　The　means　came　unsought　for　by　me；　and　the　only　thing
  that　I　had　to　do　was　to　show　myself　more　perverted　and　satanic
  than　she　was　herself。　And　so　I　played　the　devil。
  〃　'Yes；'　I　said；　'we　writers　are　the　best　workmen　for　doing　evil；
  as　our　books　may　be　bottles　of　poison。　The　so…called　men　of
  action　only　turn　the　handle　of　the　mitrailleuse　which　we　have
  loaded。　Formulas　will　destroy　the　world；　and　it　is　we　who　invent
  them。'
  〃　'That　is　true；'　said　she；　'and　that　is　what　is　wanting　in
  Bakounine；　I　am　sorry　to　say。'
  〃That　name　was　constantly　in　her　mouth。　So　I　asked　her　for
  details；　which　she　gave　me；　as　she　knew　the　man　intimately。
  〃　'After　all；'　she　said；　with　a　contemptuous　grimace；　'he　is　only
  a　kind　of　Garibaldi。'
  〃She　told　me；　although　she　made　fun　of　him　as　she　did　so；　about
  that　'Odyssey'　of　the　barricades　and　of　the　hulks　w