know. But all those
papers could be written again quite easily. You must not think me a
thief, Mr. Wilcox; there was nothing worth money among the papers."

"They were worth five hundred pounds to you," I said. "Did you ever see
Bonnard again?"

"Never again," she replied. "He said he was going to return to his
native country. I don't think Bonnard was his real name."

Most likely not, I thought; but I said no more to Mrs. Forbes. Once
again I was involved in a great perplexity about this affair. It was
clearly my duty to report the discovery at head-quarters, but I shrank
from doing so. One of the chief culprits was already gone to another
judgment than that of man; several years had obliterated all traces of
Monsieur Bonnard; and the only victim of justice would be this poor
little dupe of the two greater criminals. At last I came to the
conclusion to send the whole of the particulars to Mr. Huntingdon
himself; and I wrote them to him, without remark or comment.

The answer that came to Mrs. Forbes and me in Alexandria was the
announcement of Mr. Huntingdon's sudden death of some disease of the
heart, on the day which I calculated would put him in possession of my
communication. Mrs. Forbes was again overwhelmed with apparently
heartrending sorrow and remorse. The income left to her was something
less than one hundred pounds a year. The secretary of the post-office,
who had been a personal friend of the deceased gentleman, was his sole
executor; and I received a letter from him, containing one for Mrs.
Forbes, which recommended her, in terms not to be misunderstood, to fix
upon some residence abroad, and not to return to England. She fancied
she would like the seclusion and quiet of a convent; and I made
arrangements for her to enter one in Malta, where she would still be
under British protection. I left Alexandria myself on the arrival of
another packet-agent; and on my return to London I had a private
interview with the secretary. I found that there was no need to inform
him of the circumstances I have related to you, as he had taken
possession of all Mr. Huntingdon's papers. In consideration of his
ancient friendship, and of the escape of those who most merited
punishment, he had come to the conclusion that it was quite as well to
let bygones be bygones.

At the conclusion of the interview I delivered a message which Mrs.
Forbes had emphatically entrusted to me.

"Mrs. Forbes wished me to im