each other's attachment, they were by no means in a hurry to precipitate
their marriage.

It may be recollected that Newton Forster felt convinced that the contents
of the trunk which he picked up at sea, when mate of the coasting vessel,
was the property of the Marquis de Fontanges. During their passage home in
the _Windsor Castle_, he had renewed the subject to M. de Fontanges, and
from the description which he gave from memory, the latter appeared to be
of the same opinion. The conversation had not been revived until some time
after their arrival in England, when Newton, anxious to restore the
articles, desired M. de Fontanges to communicate with the marquis, and
request that he would appoint a day upon which he would call at his uncle's
and identify the property. The marquis, who had never been informed by M.
de Fontanges that any supposed relics of his lost wife remained, sighed at
the memory of his buried happiness--buried in that vast grave, which
defrauds the earth of its inherent rights--and consented to call upon the
ensuing day. When the marquis arrived, accompanied by M. and Madame de
Fontanges, he was received in the drawing-room by Mr John Forster, who had
brought from his chamber the packet in question, which had remained locked
up in the iron safe ever since Newton had first committed it to his charge.
After their introduction to each other, the marquis observed, in English--

"I am giving you a great deal of trouble; unavailing indeed; for, allowing
that the articles should prove to be mine, the sight of them must be a
source of renewed misery."

"Sir," replied Mr John Forster, "the property does not belong to my nephew,
and he has very properly reserved it until he could find out the legal
owner. If the property is yours, we are bound to deliver it into your
hands. There is an inventory attached to it," continued the old lawyer,
putting on his spectacles, and reading, "one diamond ring--but perhaps it
would be better that I should open the packet."

"Will you permit me to look at the diamond ring, sir?" observed M. de
Fontanges. "The sight of that will identify the whole."

"There it is, sir," replied Mr John Forster.

"It is, indeed, that of my poor sister-in-law!" said M. de Fontanges,
taking it up to the marquis. "My brother, it is Louise's ring!"

"It is," cried the marquis, passionately, "the ring that I placed in the
centre of her _corbeille de mariage_. Alas! where is the hand which graced