een
revealed by my first superficial examination; and here, I reflected,
was a singular opportunity to test both his degree of success and my own
power of constructing a coherent history out of the detached fragments.
Unpromising as is the matter, said I, let me see whether he can conceal
his secret from even such unpractised eyes as mine.

I went through the papers again, read each one rapidly, and arranged
them in separate files, according to the character of their contents.
Then I rearranged these latter in the order of time, so far as it
was indicated; and afterwards commenced the work of picking out and
threading together whatever facts might be noted. The first thing I
ascertained, or rather conjectured, was that the man's life might be
divided into three very distinct phases, the first ending in Breslau,
the second in Poland, and the third and final one in America. Thereupon
I once again rearranged the material, and attacked that which related to
the first phase.

It consisted of the following papers: Three letters, in a female hand,
commencing "My dear brother," and terminating with "Thy loving sister,
Elise;" part of a diploma from a gymnasium, or high school, certifying
that [here the name was cut out] had successfully passed his
examination, and was competent to teach,--and here again, whether by
accident or design, the paper was torn off; a note, apparently to a
jeweller, ordering a certain gold ring to be delivered to "Otto," and
signed "B. V. H.;" a receipt from the package-post for a box forwarded
to Warsaw, to the address of Count Ladislas Kasincsky; and finally
a washing-list, at the bottom of which was written, in pencil, in a
trembling hand: "May God protect thee! But do not stay away so very
long."

In the second collection, relating to Poland, I found the following: Six
orders in Russian and three in French, requesting somebody to send by
"Jean" sums of money, varying from two to eight hundred rubles. These
orders were in the same hand, and all signed "Y." A charming letter in
French, addressed "cher ami," and declining, in the most delicate and
tender way, an offer of marriage made to the sister of the writer, of
whose signature only "Amelie de" remained, the family name having been
torn off. A few memoranda of expenses, one of which was curious: "Dinner
with Jean, 58 rubles;" and immediately after it: "Doctor, 10 rubles."
There were, moreover, a leaf torn out of a journal, and half of a note
w