scue him,
opened the woman's heart to give him shelter, and brought him to
Paris, so that he might be instructed and enabled to tell his doleful
tale.

Fired by enthusiasm, the Abbe succeeded in engaging the co-operation
of persons of the highest eminence. The Duc de Penthievre, a prince of
the blood, espoused the cause of the wronged noble, and provided for
his support as became his supposed rank. From the same princely
source, also, funds were forthcoming to obtain legal redress for his
hardships, and to prosecute his claims before the courts. Proceedings
were instituted against Cazeaux, who was still alive, and a formal
demand was made for the reinstatement of the foundling of Peronne in
the hereditary honours of Solar. The boy was taken to Clermont, his
reputed birthplace, at which he was said to have passed the first four
years of his life in the company of his mother. It could scarcely be
supposed that those who knew the young heir, aged four, would be able
to trace much similarity to him in the claimant of seventeen. But
there was far more recognition than might have been anticipated.
Madame de Solar's father fancied that Joseph resembled his grandson,
and he was the more thoroughly convinced of his identity, because he
felt an affection for the youth which he believed to be instinctive.
The brother of the countess was convinced that Joseph was his nephew,
because he had the large knees and round shoulders of the deceased
count. The mistress of the dame-school at Clermont recognised in the
Abbe's protege her former pupil. Several witnesses also, who could not
be positive as to the identity of the two persons, remembered that the
youthful count had a peculiar lentil-shaped mole on his back, and a
similar mole was found on the back of the claimant. As it afterwards
proved, Joseph was not completely deaf, but was shrewd enough to
conceal the fact. Consequently he succeeded in acquiring a good deal
of useful information with respect to the Solar family, and
re-produced it as the result of his own recollection when the proper
time came.

On the other hand, the evidence against his pretensions was very
strong. Many persons in Toulouse who had been intimately acquainted
with the youthful count declared that Joseph bore no resemblance to
him; and the young countess repudiated him most emphatically,
asserting that he was not her brother, and he failed to recognise her
as his sister. However, he persevered in asserting