not be traced. In 1849 official documents
reporting her death were forwarded from Munich to a person (a friend of
yours, Monsieur). Death, of course, taken for granted; but nearly five
years afterwards, this very person encountered the said Louise Duval at
Aix-la-Chapelle, and never heard nor saw more of her. Demande submitted,
to find out said Louise Duval or any children of hers born in 1848-9;
supposed in 1852-3 to have one child, a girl, between four and five
years old. Is that right, Monsieur?"

"Quite right."

"And this is the whole information given to me. Monsieur on giving it
asked me if I thought it desirable that he should commence inquiries
at Aix-la-Chapelle, where Louise Duval was last seen by the
person interested to discover her. I reply, No; pains thrown away.
Aix-la-Chapelle is not a place where any Frenchwoman not settled there
by marriage would remain. Nor does it seem probable that the said Duval
would venture to select for her residence Munich, a city in which she
had contrived to obtain certificates of her death. A Frenchwoman who has
once known Paris always wants to get back to it; especially, Monsieur,
if she has the beauty which you assign to this lady. I therefore
suggested that our inquiries should commence in this capital.
Monsieur agreed with me, and I did not grudge the time necessary for
investigation."

"You were most obliging. Still I am beginning to be impatient if time is
to be thrown away."

"Naturally. Permit me to return to my notes. Monsieur informs me that
twenty-one years ago, in 1848, the Parisian police were instructed to
find out this lady and failed, but gave hopes of discovering her through
her relations. He asks me to refer to our archives; I tell him that
is no use. However, in order to oblige him, I do so. No trace of such
inquiry: it must have been, as Monsieur led me to suppose, a strictly
private one, unconnected with crime or with politics; and as I have the
honour to tell Monsieur, no record of such investigations is preserved
in our office. Great scandal would there be, and injury to the peace of
families, if we preserved the results of private inquiries intrusted
to us--by absurdly jealous husbands, for instance. Honour,--Monsieur,
honour forbids it. Next I suggest to Monsieur that his simplest
plan would be an advertisement in the French journals, stating, if I
understand him right, that it is for the pecuniary interest of Madame
or Mademoiselle Duval, daug