all。　I　am　in　Rome；　I　can　see　the　body　of　a　murdered　husband　whose
  wife；　as　bold　as　she　is　wicked；　has　made　her　bed　on　the　crater　of　a
  volcano。　Every　night；　at　every　kiss；　she　says　to　herself；　'All　will　be
  discovered！'　〃
  〃Can　you　see　her；〃　said　Lousteau；　〃clasping　Monsieur　Adolphe　in　her
  arms；　to　her　heart；　throwing　her　whole　life　into　a　kiss？Adolphe　I
  see　as　a　well…made　young　man；　but　not　cleverthe　sort　of　man　an
  Italian　woman　likes。　Rinaldo　hovers　behind　the　scenes　of　a　plot　we　do
  not　know；　but　which　must　be　as　full　of　incident　as　a　melodrama　by
  Pixerecourt。　Or　we　can　imagine　Rinaldo　crossing　the　stage　in　the
  background　like　a　figure　in　one　of　Victor　Hugo's　plays。〃
  〃He；　perhaps；　is　the　husband；〃　exclaimed　Madame　de　la　Baudraye。
  〃Do　you　understand　anything　of　it　all？〃　Madame　Piedefer　asked　of　the
  Presidente。
  〃Why；　it　is　charming！〃　said　Dinah　to　her　mother。
  All　the　good　folks　of　Sancerre　sat　with　eyes　as　large　as　five…franc
  pieces。
  〃Go　on；　I　beg；〃　said　the　hostess。
  Lousteau　went　on：
  210　　　　　　　　　　　OLYMPIA
  〃Your　key〃
  〃Have　you　lost　it？〃
  〃It　is　in　the　arbor。〃
  〃Let　us　hasten。〃
  〃Can　the　Cardinal　have　taken　it？〃
  〃No；　here　it　is。〃
  〃What　danger　we　have　escaped！〃
  Olympia　looked　at　the　key；　and
  fancied　she　recognized　it　as　her　own。
  But　Rinaldo　had　changed　it；　his
  cunning　had　triumphed；　he　had　the
  right　key。　Like　a　modern　Cartouche；
  he　was　no　less　skilful　than　bold；
  and　suspecting　that　nothing　but　a
  vast　treasure　could　require　a　duchess
  to　carry　it　constantly　at　her　belt。
  〃Guess！〃　cried　Lousteau。　〃The　corresponding　page　is　not　here。　We　must
  look　to　page　212　to　relieve　our　anxiety。〃
  212　　　　　　　　OLYMPIA
  〃If　the　key　had　been　lost？〃
  〃He　would　now　be　a　dead　man。〃
  〃Dead？　But　ought　you　not　to
  grant　the　last　request　he　made；　and
  to　give　him　his　liberty　on　the　con…
  ditions〃
  〃You　do　not　know　him。〃
  〃But〃
  〃Silence！　I　took　you　for　my
  lover；　not　for　my　confessor。〃
  Adolphe　was　silent。
  〃And　then　comes　an　exquisite　galloping　goat；　a　tail…piece　drawn　by
  Normand；　and　cut　by　Duplat。the　names　are　signed；〃　said　Lousteau。
  〃Well；　and　then？〃　said　such　of　the　audience　as　understood。
  〃That　is　the　end　of　the　chapter；〃　said　Lousteau。　〃The　fact　of　this
  tailpiece　changes　my　views　as　to　the　authorship。　To　have　his　book　got
  up；　under　the　Empire；　with　vignettes　engraved　on　wood；　the　writer　must
  have　been　a　Councillor　of　State；　or　Madame　Barthelemy…Hadot；　or　the
  late　lamented　Desforges；　or　Sewrin。〃
  〃　'Adolphe　was　silent。'Ah！〃　cried　Bianchon；　〃the　Duchess　must　have
  been　under　thirty。〃
  〃If　there　is　no　more；　invent　a　conclusion；〃　said　Madame　de　la
  Baudraye。
  〃You　see；〃　said　Lousteau；　〃the　waste　sheet　has　been　printed　fair　on
  one　side　only。　In　printer's　lingo；　it　is　a　back　sheet；　or；　to　make　it
  clearer；　the　other　side　which　would　have　to　be　printed　is　covered　all
  over　with　pages　printed　one　above　another；　all　experiments　in　making
  up。　It　would　take　too　long　to　explain　to　you　all　the　complications　of
  a　making…up　sheet；　but　you　may　understand　that　it　will　show　no　more
  trace　of　the　first　twelve　pages　that　were　printed　on　it　than　you　would
  in　the　least　remember　the　first　stroke　of　the　bastinado　if　a　Pasha
  condemned　you　to　have　fifty　on　the　soles　of　your　feet。〃
  〃I　am　quite　bewildered；〃　said　Madame　Popinot…Chandier　to　Monsieur
  Gravier。　〃I　am　vainly　trying　to　connect　the　Councillor　of　State；　the
  Cardinal；　the　key；　and　the　making…up〃
  〃You　have　not　the　key　to　the　jest；〃　said　Monsieur　Gravier。　〃Well！　no
  more　have　I；　fair　lady；　if　that　can　comfort　you。〃
  〃But　here　is　another　sheet；〃　said　Bianchon；　hunting　on　the　table　where
  the　proofs　had　been　laid。
  〃Capital！〃　said　Lousteau；　〃and　it　is　complete　and　uninjured。　It　is
  signed　IV。；　J；　Second　Edition。　Ladies；　the　figure　IV。　means　that　this
  is　part　of　the　fourth　volume。　The　letter　J；　the　tenth　letter　of　the
  alphabet；　shows　that　this　is　the　tenth　sheet。　And　it　is　perfectly
  clear　to　me；　that　in　spite　of　any　publisher's　tricks；　this　romance　in
  four　duodecimo　volumes；　had　a　great　success；　since　it　came　to　a　second
  edition。We　will　read　on　and　find　a　clue　to　the　mystery。
  OR　ROMAN　REVENGE　　　　　21
  corridor；　but　finding　that　he　was
  pursued　by　the　Duchess'　people
  〃Oh；　get　along！〃
  〃But；〃　said　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　〃some　important　events　have　taken
  place　between　your　waste　sheet　and　this　page。〃
  〃This　complete　sheet；　madame；　this　precious　made…up　sheet。　But　does
  the　waste　sheet　in　which　the　Duchess　forgets　her　gloves　in　the　arbor
  belong　to　the　fourth　volume？　Well；　deuce　take　itto　proceed。
  Rinaldo　saw　no　safer　refuge　than　to
  make　forthwith　for　the　cellar　where
  the　treasures　of　the　Bracciano　fam…
  ily　no　doubt　lay　hid。　As　light　of
  foot　as　Camilla　sung　by　the　Latin
  poet；　he　flew　to　the　entrance　to　the
  Baths　of　Vespasian。　The　torchlight
  already　flickered　on　the　walls　when
  Rinaldo；　with　the　readiness　be…
  stowed　on　him　by　nature；　discovered
  the　door　concealed　in　the　stone…
  work；　and　suddenly　vanished。　A
  hideous　thought　then　flashed　on
  Rinaldo's　brain　like　lightning　rend…
  ing　a　cloud：　He　was　imprisoned！
  He　felt　the　wall　with　uneasy　haste
  〃Yes；　this　made…up　sheet　follows　the　waste　sheet。　The　last　page　of　the
  damaged　sheet　was　212；　and　this　is　217。　In　fact；　since　Rinaldo；　who　in
  the　earlier　fragment　stole　the　key　of　the　Duchess'　treasure　by
  exchanging　it　for　another　very　much　like　it；　is　nowon　the　made…up
  sheetin　the　palace　of　the　Dukes　of　Bracciano；　the　story　seems　to　me
  to　be　advancing　to　a　conclusion　of　some　kind。　I　hope　it　is　as　clear　to
  you　as　it　is　to　me。I　understand　that　the　festivities　are　over；　the
  lovers　have　returned　to　the　Bracciano　Palace；　it　is　nightone　o'clock
  in　the　morning。　Rinaldo　will　have　a　good　time。〃
  〃And　Adolphe　too！〃　said　President　Boirouge；　who　was　considered　rather
  free　in　his　speech。
  〃And　the　style！〃　said　　Bianchon。〃Rinaldo；　who　saw　/no　better　refuge
  than　to　make　for　the　cellar/。〃
  〃It　is　quite　clear　that　neither　Maradan；　nor　Treuttel　and　Wurtz；　nor
  Doguereau；　were　the　printers；〃　said　Lousteau；　〃for　they　employed
  correctors　who　revised　the　proofs；　a　luxury　in　which　our　publishers
  might　very　well　indulge；　and　the　writers　of　the　present　day；　would
  benefit　greatly。　Some　scrubby　pamphlet　printer　on　the　Quay〃
  〃What　quay？〃　a　lady　asked　of　her　neighbor。　〃They　spoke　of　baths〃
  〃Pray　go　on；〃　said　Madame　de　la　Baudraye。
  〃At　any　rate；　it　is　not　by　a　councillor；〃　said　Bianchon。
  〃It　may　be　by　Madame　Hadot；〃　replied　Lousteau。
  〃What　has　Madame　Hadot　of　La　Charite　to　do　with　it？〃　the　Presidente
  asked　of　her　son。
  〃This　Madame　Hadot；　my　dear　friend；〃　the　hostess　answered；　〃was　an
  authoress；　who　lived　at　the　time　of　the　Consulate。〃
  〃What；　did　women　write　in　the　Emperor's　time？〃　asked　Madame　Popinot…
  Chandier。
  〃What　of　Madame　de　Genlis　and　Madame　de　Stael？〃　cried　the　Public
  Prosecutor；　piqued　on　Dinah's　account　by　this　remark。
  〃To　be　sure！〃
  〃I　beg　you　to　go　on；〃　said　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　to　Lousteau。
  Lousteau　went　on　saying：　〃Page　218。
  218　　　　　　　　　　OLYMPIA
  and　gave　a　shriek　of　despair　when
  he　had　vainly　sought　any　trace　of　a
  secret　spring。　It　was　impossible　to
  ignore　the　horrible　truth。　The　door；
  cleverly　constructed　to　serve　the
  vengeful　purposes　of　the　Duchess；
  could　not　be　opened　from　within。
  Rinaldo　laid　his　cheek　against　the
  wall　in　various　spots；　nowhere
  could　he　feel　the　warmer　air　from
  the　passage。　He　had　hoped　he
  might　find　a　crack　that　would　show
  him　where　there　was　an　opening　in
  the　wall；　but　nothing；　nothing！　The
  whole　seemed　to　be　of　one　block　of
  marble。
  Then　he　gave　a　hollow　roar　like
  that　of　a　hyaena
  〃Well；　we　fancied　that　the　cry　of　the　hyaena　was　a　recent　invention　of
  our　own！〃　said　Lousteau；　〃and　here　it　was　already　known　to　the
  literature　of　the　Empire。　It　is　even　introduced　with　a　certain　skill
  in　natural　history；　as　we　see　in　the　word　/hollow/。〃
  〃Make　no　more　comments；　monsieur；〃　said　Madame　de　la　Baudraye。
  〃There；　you　see！〃　cried　Bianchon。　〃Interest；　the　romantic　demon；　has
  you　by　the　collar；　as　he　had　me　a　while　ago。〃
  〃Read　on；〃　cried　de　Clagny；　〃I　understand。〃
  〃What　a　coxcomb！〃　said　the　Presiding　Judge　in　a　whisper　to　his
  neighbor　the　Sous…prefet。
  〃He　wants　to　please　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；〃　replied　the　new　Sous…
  prefet。
  〃Well；　then　I　will　read　straight　on；〃　said　Lousteau　solemnly。
  Everybody　listened　in　dead　silence。
  OR　ROMAN　REVENGE　　　　　219
  A　deep　groan　answered　Rinaldo's
  cry；　but　in　his　alarm　he　took　it　for
  an　echo；　so　weak　and　hollow　was
  the　sound。　It　could　not　proceed
  from　any　human　breast。
  〃Santa　Maria！〃　said　the　voice。
  〃If　I　stir　from　this　spot　I　shall
  never　find　it　again；〃　thought　Ri…
  naldo；　when　he　had　recovered　his
  usual　presence　of　mind。　〃If　I　knock；
  I　shall　be　discovered。　What　am　I
  to　do？〃
  〃Who　is　here？〃　asked　the　voice。
  〃Hallo！〃　cried　the　brigand；　〃do
  the　toads　here　talk？〃
  〃I　am　the　Duke　of　Bracciano。
  Whoever　you　may　be；　if　you　are　not
  a　follower　of　the　Duchess'；　in　the
  name　of　all　the　saints；　come　towards
  me。〃