第 二十八 章 · Chapter XXVIII

The day after Tremorel's death, old Bertaud and Guespin were set at

liberty, and received, the former four thousand francs to buy a boat and

new tackle, and the latter ten thousand francs, with a promise of a like

sum at the end of the year, if he would go and live in his own province.

Fifteen days later, to the great surprise of the Orcival gossips, who

had never learned the details of these events, M. Plantat wedded Mlle.

Laurence Courtois; and the groom and bride departed that very evening

for Italy, where it was announced they would linger at least a year.

As for Papa Courtois, he has offered his beautiful domain at Orcival for

sale; he proposes to settle in the middle of France, and is on the

lookout for a commune in need of a good mayor.

M. Lecoq, like everybody else, would, doubtless, have forgotten the

Valfeuillu affair, had it not been that a notary called on him

personally the other morning with a very gracious letter from Laurence,

and an enormous sheet of stamped paper. This was no other than a title

deed to M. Plantat's pretty estate at Orcival, "with furniture, stable,

carriage-house, garden, and other dependencies and appurtenances

thereunto belonging," and some neighboring acres of pleasant fields.

"Prodigious!" cried M. Lecoq. "I didn't help ingrates, after all! I am

willing to become a landed proprietor, just for the rarity of the

thing."

End of Project Gutenberg's The Mystery of Orcival, by Emile Gaboriau