izure. She was a young and handsome woman. He had asked her
during her short illness if he should not write to her friends; if there
were no one she would wish to be sent for. She replied that there was
only one friend, to whom she had already written, and who would arrive
in a day or two; and on inquiring, it appeared that she had written such
a letter, and taken it herself to the post on the morning of the day she
was taken ill.

She had in her purse not a large sum, but money enough to cover all her
expenses, including those of her funeral, which, according to the law in
force at the place, followed very quickly on her decease. The arrival of
the friend to whom she had written being expected, her effects were, in
the meanwhile, sealed up. The day after her death a letter arrived for
her, which was opened. It was evidently written by a man, and apparently
by a lover. It expressed an impassioned regret that the writer was
unavoidably prevented returning to Munich so soon as he had hoped, but
trusted to see his dear bouton de rose in the course of the following
week; it was only signed Achille, and gave no address. Two or three
days after, a lady, also young and handsome, arrived at the hotel, and
inquired for Madame Duval. She was greatly shocked at hearing of her
decease. When sufficiently recovered to bear being questioned as to
Madame Duval's relations and position, she appeared confused; said,
after much pressing, that she was no relation to the deceased; that she
believed Madame Duval had no relations with whom she was on friendly
terms,--at least she had never heard her speak of any; and that her own
acquaintance with the deceased, though cordial, was very recent. She
could or would not give any clew to the writer of the letter signed
Achille, and she herself quitted Munich that evening, leaving the
impression that Madame Duval had been one of those ladies who, in
adopting a course of life at variance with conventional regulations,
are repudiated by their relations, and probably drop even their rightful
names.

Achille never appeared; but a few days after, a lawyer at Munich
received a letter from another at Vienna, requesting, in compliance
with a client's instructions, the formal certificates of Louise Duval's
death. These were sent as directed, and nothing more about the ill-fated
woman was heard of. After the expiration of the time required by law,
the seals were removed from the effects, which consisted of