unusual amount--nearly fifty
dollars--indicated an act of the most reckless dissipation, and in
company with a servant, if "Jean," as I could scarcely doubt, acted in
that character. I finally decided to assume both these conjectures as
true, and apply them to the remaining testimony.

I first took up the leaf which had been torn out of a small journal or
pocket note-book, as was manifested by the red edge on three sides.
It was scribbled over with brief notes in pencil, written at different
times. Many of them were merely mnemonic signs; but the recurrence of
the letters J and Y seemed to point to transactions with "Jean," and the
drawer of the various sums of money. The letter Y reminded me that I
had been too hasty in giving the name of Kasincsky to the noble family;
indeed, the name upon the post-office receipt might have no connection
with the matter I was trying to investigate.

Suddenly I noticed a "Ky" among the mnemonic signs, and the suspicion
flashed across my mind that Count Kasincsky had signed the order with
the last letter of his family name! To assume this, however, suggested
a secret reason for doing so; and I began to think that I had already
secrets enough on hand.

The leaf was much rubbed and worn, and it was not without considerable
trouble that I deciphered the following (omitting the unintelligible
signs):

"Oct. 30 (Nov. 12)--talk with Y; 20--Jean. Consider.

"Nov. 15--with J--H--hope.

"Dec. 1--Told the C. No knowledge of S--therefore safe. Uncertain of----
C to Warsaw. Met J. as agreed. Further and further.

"Dec. 27--All for naught! All for naught!

"Jan. 19, '63--Sick. What is to be the end? Threats. No tidings of Y.
Walked the streets all day. At night as usual.

"March 1--News. The C. and H. left yesterday. No more to hope. Let it
come, then!"

These broken words warmed my imagination powerfully. Looking at them in
the light of my conjecture, I was satisfied that "Otto" was involved
in some crime, or dangerous secret, of which "Jean" was either the
instigator or the accomplice. "Y.," or Count Kasincsky,--and I was more
than ever inclined to connect the two,---also had his mystery, which
might, or might not, be identical with the first. By comparing dates, I
found that the entry made December 27 was three days later than the date
of the letter of "Amelie de----"; and the exclamation "All for naught!"
certainly referred to the disappointment it contained. I now guessed
the "H