ld call at his uncle's and identify the
property. The marquis, who had never been informed by Monsieur 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 Monsieur 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 Monsieur
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 Monsieur 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 it?" and the marquis retreated to the sofa, and covered his face.

"We have no occasion then to proceed further," observed Mr John
Forster, with emotion. "The other articles you of course recognise?"

"I do," replied Monsieur de Fontanges. "My brother had taken his
passage in the same vessel, but was countermanded. Before he had time
to select all his own baggage, which was mixed with that of his wife,
the ship was blown out to sea, and proceeded on her voyage. These
orders of merit were left with her jewels."

"I observe," said the old lawyer, "which I did not when Newton entrusted
the packet to my charge, that the linen has not all the same marks; that
of the adult is marked