be useless to read this to your reverence."

"Quite useless," said Abbe d'Aigrigny. "The note contains all the
important facts." Then, after a moment's silence, he exclaimed, with
an expression of triumphant pride: "How great is the power of the
Association, when founded upon tradition and perpetuity! Thanks to this
note, inserted in our archives a century and a half ago, this family has
been watched from generation to generation--our Order has always had
its eyes upon them, following them to all points of the globe, to which
exile had distributed them--and at last, to-morrow, we shall obtain
possession of this property, at first inconsiderable, but which a
hundred and fifty years have raised to a royal fortune. Yes, we shall
succeed, for we have foreseen every eventuality. One thing only troubles
me."

"What is that?" asked Rodin.

"The information that we have in vain tried to obtain from the guardian
of the house in the Rue Saint-Francois. Has the attempt been once more
made, as I directed?"

"It has been made."

"Well?"

"This time, as always before, the old Jew has remained impenetrable.
Besides he is almost in his second childhood, and his wife not much
better."

"When I think," resumed Father d'Aigrigny, "that for a century and a
half, this house in the Rue Saint-Francois has remained walled up, and
that the care of it has been transmitted from generation to generation
in this family of the Samuels--I cannot suppose that they have all been
ignorant as to who were and are the successive holders of these funds,
now become immense by accumulation."

"You have seen," said Rodin, "by the notes upon this affair, that the
Order has always carefully followed it up ever since 1682. At different
periods attempts have been made to obtain information upon subjects
not fully explained in the note of Father Bourdon. But this race of Jew
guardians has ever remained dumb, and we must therefore conclude that
they know nothing about it."

"That has always struck me as impossible; for the ancestor of these
Samuels was present at the closing of the house, a hundred and fifty
years ago. He was according to the file, a servant or confidential clerk
of De Rennepont. It is impossible that he should not have known many
things, the tradition of which must have been preserved in the family."

"If I were allowed to hazard a brief observation," began Rodin, humbly.

"Speak."

"A few years ago we obtained certain information