benefit of this
lady or her child; such fulfilment is a task imposed upon my honour. But
all the researches to discover this lady which I have instituted stop
at a certain date, with this information,--viz., that she corresponded
occasionally with the late Marquis de Rochebriant; that he habitually
preserved the letters of his correspondents; and that these letters were
severally transmitted to you at his decease."

Alain's face had taken a very grave expression while Graham spoke, and
he now replied with a mixture of haughtiness and embarrassment:

"The boxes containing the letters my father received and preserved
were sent to me as you say--the larger portion of them were from
ladies--sorted and labelled, so that in glancing at any letter in each
packet I could judge of the general tenor of these in the same packet
without the necessity of reading them. All packets of that kind,
Monsieur Vane, I burned. I do not remember any letters signed 'Marigny!"

"I perfectly understand, my dear Marquis, that you would destroy all
letters which your father himself would have destroyed if his last
illness had been sufficiently prolonged. But I do not think the letters
I mean would have come under that classification; probably they were
short, and on matters of business relating to some third person--some
person, for instance, of the name of Louise, or of Duval!"

"Stop! let me think. I have a vague remembrance of one or two letters
which rather perplexed me, they were labelled, 'Louise D--. Mem.: to
make further inquiries as to the fate of her uncle.'"

"Marquis, these are the letters I seek. Thank heaven, you have not
destroyed them?"

"No; there was no reason why I should destroy, though I really cannot
state precisely any reason why I kept them. I have a very vague
recollection of their existence."

"I entreat you to allow me at least a glance at the handwriting, and
compare it with that of a letter I have about me; and if the several
handwritings correspond, I would ask you to let me have the address,
which, according to your father's memorandum, will be found in the
letters you have preserved."

"To compliance with such a request I not only cannot demur, but perhaps
it may free me from some responsibility which I might have thought the
letters devolved upon my executorship. I am sure they did not concern
the honour of any woman of any family, for in that case I must have
burned them."

"Ah, Marquis, shake hands the