a clear sky--that is, if he had time to feel anything. Here is the
letter:

"MES CHERES DEMOISELLES: You will watch with your pretty eyes many days
for the postman before that he bring you this lettre. And why? Because I
am going to be very generous. You have gif me ze diamond: I will give
you ze lesson. But it is not safe to gif it too soon; so I leave this
lettre in charge of un ami, who is to mail it four weeks from zis day.
My lesson is zis: 'Do not ever talk loud when you travel; do not keep
secrets from your chaperone; and when you have a diamond hold on to
it--gardez-le.' Do you understand, mes jolies et simples demoiselles?
When you gave ze histoire of ze earrings to your Madame Long on ze
steamer, 'Clement'--ha! ha!--heard it all. Clement--whose name is
Jules--live very mooch by his wits; and he saw that these diamonds must
be his--that you were two dear leetle geese--pardon!--ready to have ze
feathers plucked. How to get at you he did not know: you were always
with that chaperone with sharp eyes. It was I--Marie, Jules's little
wife--who made up ze plan, so bold, so simple, so originale, ma foi! We
had been in bad circumstance a long while: I was ze French maid chez
Madame Gardine. Comprenez-vous? On ze ball-night Mademoiselle Vera was
sick, but I was well. I took her ticket--I wore her belle robe--I went
to ze ball for one dance, to meet you. My pretty romance turned your
little heads. I have been on ze stage: I have not forgot how to act. I
took you to ze Gardine house--ze madhouse, you know. Ze family were
going out to dine, but we were too early. You saw Mademoiselle Vera at
ze piano: you met madame in ze hall. It was for me an excited moment,
but you suspected nothing. Jules did his part not ill: he won ze tears
from your eyes. One of ze lace handkerchiefs I have kept, cheres
demoiselles, as a souvenir: the others, with ze diamond earrings, were
changed into money tout de suite. They sold for much money: we have been
able to take a little trip, perhaps to Cuba, where we eat ices and drive
along beautiful roads; perhaps to one gay Northern city, where we go to
the play every night. Wherever it is we are happy--we think much of you.
Jules calls you our sweet benefactors. And I tell you all this that you
may know I spoke not false when I said, 'Vera Gardine will not be
ungrateful'--a promise that you must own well kept by MARIE ZANETTI.

"P. S. And that pauvre 'C. G.!' we wonder mooch about him. Charmante