The Project Gutenberg EBook of Uncle Bernac, by Arthur Conan Doyle

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Title: Uncle Bernac
A Memory of the Empire

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Release Date: January 2, 2004 [EBook #10581]
[Date last updated: January 6, 2006]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK UNCLE BERNAC ***

Produced by Lionel G. Sear

UNCLE BERNAC

A MEMORY OF THE EMPIRE

CONTENTS

Chapter
I. THE COAST OF FRANCE

II. THE SALT-MARSH

III. THE RUINED COTTAGE

IV. MEN OF THE NIGHT

V. THE LAW

VI. THE SECRET PASSAGE

VII. THE OWNER OF GROSBOIS

VIII. COUSIN SYBYLLE

IX. THE CAMP OF BOULOGNE

X. THE ANTE-ROOM

XI. THE SECRETARY

XII. THE MAN OF ACTION

XIII. THE MAN OF DREAMS

XIV. JOSEPHINE

XV. THE RECEPTION OF THE EMPRESS

XVI. THE LIBRARY OF GROSBOIS

XVII. THE END

CHAPTER I

THE COAST OF FRANCE

I dare say that I had already read my uncle's letter a hundred times,
and I am sure that I knew it by heart. None the less I took it out of
my pocket, and, sitting on the side of the lugger, I went over it again
with as much attention as if it were for the first time. It was written
in a prim, angular hand, such as one might expect from a man who had
begun life as a village attorney, and it was addressed to Louis de
Laval, to the care of William Hargreaves, of the Green Man in Ashford,
Kent. The landlord had many a hogshead of untaxed French brandy from
the Normandy coast, and the letter had found its way by the same hands.

'My dear nephew Louis,' said the letter, 'now that your father is dead,
and that you are alone in the world, I am sure that you will not wish to
carry on the feud which has existed between the two halves of the
family. At the time of the troubles your father was drawn towards the
side of the King, and I towards that of the people, and it ended, as you
know, by his having to fly from the country, and by my becoming the
possessor of the estates of Grosbois. No doubt it is very hard that you
should find yourself in a different position to your ancestors, but I am
sure that you would rather that the land shoul