e his eyes. The paper was certainly the Princess's, and the
writing was Guido's beyond doubt. The Princess always used violet ink,
and Guido had written with it. It struck Lamberti suddenly that it had
turned black where the signature crossed the stamp, but had remained
violet everywhere else. Now violet ink sometimes turns black altogether,
but it does not change colour in parts. As he looked nearer, he saw that
the letters formed on the stamp were a little tremulous. Though he had
never heard of such a thing, it now occurred to him that the stamp had
been simply stuck upon the middle of the signature, and that the part of
the latter that had been covered by it had been cleverly forged over it.

"The stamp makes very much less difference in law than you seem to
suppose," said the lawyer, enjoying his triumph.

"It will make a considerable difference in law," answered Lamberti, "if
I prove to you that the stamp was put on over the first writing, and
part of the signature forged upon it. It has not even been done with the
same ink! The one is black and the other is violet. Do you know that
this is forgery, and that you may lose your reputation if you try to
found an action at law upon a forged document?"

The lawyer was now scrutinising the signatures of the notes one by one
in the strong evening light. His anger had disappeared and there were
drops of perspiration on his forehead.

"There is only one way of proving it to you," Lamberti said quietly.
"Moisten one of the stamps and raise it. If the signature runs
underneath it in violet ink, I am right, and the wisest thing you can do
is to hand me those pieces of paper and say nothing more about them. You
can write to Monsieur Leroy that you have done so. I even believe that
he would pay a considerable sum for them."

It was as he said, and the lawyer was soon convinced that he had been
imposed upon, and had narrowly escaped being laughed at as a dupe, or
prosecuted as a party accessory to a fraud. He was glad to be out of the
whole affair so easily. Therefore, when Lamberti reached his friend's
door, he had the receipts in his pocket and he now meant to tell Guido
what had happened, after first giving them back to him. Guido would
laugh at Monsieur Leroy's stupid attempt to hurt him. But some one had
been before Lamberti.

"He is very ill," said the servant, gravely, as he admitted him. "The
doctor is there and has sent for a nurse. I telephoned for him."

Lamber