ll his ambitious schemes for
the future.

Yet, strive as he would--and no man could strive more resolutely--he
could not succeed in banishing the image of Isaura. It was with him
always; and with it a sense of irreparable loss, of a terrible void, of
a pining anguish.

And the success of his inquiries at Aix-la-Chapelle, while sufficient
to detain him in the place, was so slight, and advanced by such slow
degrees, that it furnished no continued occupation to his restless mind.
M. Renard was acute and painstaking. But it was no easy matter to obtain
any trace of a Parisian visitor to so popular a Spa so many years ago.
The name Duval, too, was so common, that at Aix, as we have seen at
Paris, time was wasted in the chase of a Duval who proved not to be the
lost Louise. At last M. Renard chanced on a house in which, in the year
1849, two ladies from Paris had lodged for three weeks. One was named
Madame Duval, the other Madame Marigny. They were both young, both very
handsome, and much of the same height and colouring. But Madame Marigny
was the handsomer of the two. Madame Duval frequented the gaming-tables
and was apparently of very lively temper. Madame Marigny lived very
quietly, rarely or never stirred out, and seemed in delicate health.
She, however, quitted the apartment somewhat abruptly, and, to the best
of the lodging-house-keeper's recollection, took rooms in the country
near Aix--she could not remember where. About two months after the
departure of Madame Marigny, Madame Duval also left Aix, and in company
with a French gentleman who had visited her much of late,--a handsome
man of striking appearance. The lodging house-keeper did not know what
or who he was. She remembered that he used to be announced to Madame
Duval by the name of M. Achille. Madame Duval had never been seen again
by the lodging-house-keeper after she had left. But Madame Marigny
she had once seen, nearly five years after she had quitted the
lodgings,--seen her by chance at the railway station, recognized her at
once, and accosted her, offering her the old apartment. Madame Marigny
had, however, briefly replied that she was only at Aix for a few hours,
and should quit it the same day.

The inquiry now turned towards Madame Marigny. The date on which the
lodging-house-keeper had last seen her coincided with the year in
which Richard King had met Louise. Possibly, therefore, she might have
accompanied the latter to Aix at that time, and cou