being
a skilful detective, when he pretended to have discovered all this
information from a variety of sources.

"She is still upstairs," answered Mme. Alexandre. "She suspects nothing;
but to keep her in her present ignorance becomes daily more difficult.
I don't know what the judge told her, but she came home quite beside
herself with anger. She wanted to go and make a fuss at M. Fauvel's;
then she wrote a letter which she told Jean to post for her; but I kept
it to show you."

"What!" interrupted Fanferlot, "you have a letter, and did not tell
me before? Perhaps it contains the clew to the mystery. Give it to me,
quick."

Obeying her husband, Mme. Alexandre opened a little cupboard, and took
out a letter which she handed to him.

"Here, take it," she said, "and be satisfied."

Considering that she used to be a chambermaid, Palmyre Chocareille,
since become Mme. Gypsy, wrote a good letter.

It bore the following address, written in a free, flowing hand:

FOR M. L. DE CLAMERAN,

Forge-Master, Hotel du Louvre.

To be handed to M. Raoul de Lagors.

(In great haste.)

"Oh, ho!" said Fanferlot, accompanying his exclamation with a little
whistle, as was his habit when he thought he had made a grand discovery.
"Oh, ho!"

"Do you intend to open it?" questioned Mme. Alexandre.

"A little bit," said Fanferlot, as he dexterously opened the envelope.

Mme. Alexandre leaned over her husband's shoulder, and they both read
the following letter:

"MONSIEUR RAOUL--Prosper is in prison, accused of a robbery which he
never committed. I wrote to you three days ago."

"What!" interrupted Fanferlot, "this silly girl wrote, and I never saw
the letter?"

"But, little man, she must have posted it herself, the day she went to
the Palais de Justice."

"Very likely," said Fanferlot propitiated. He continued reading:

"I wrote to you three days ago, and have no reply. Who will help Prosper
if his best friends desert him? If you don't answer this letter, I shall
consider myself released from a certain promise, and without scruple
will tell Prosper of the conversation I overheard between you and M. de
Clameran. But I can count on you, can I not? I shall expect you at the
Archangel day after to-morrow, between twelve and four.

"NINA GYPSY"

The letter read, Fanferlot at once proceeded to copy it.

"Well!" said Mme. Alexandre, "what do you think?"

Fanferlot was delicately resealing the letter when the doo