generation to lapse before
litigating the claim."

"But what is this here?" cried Julia, eagerly. "It is only a fragment;
but listen to it: 'There is no longer a doubt about it. Baldassare's
first wife--a certain Marie de Pracontal--is alive, and living with her
parents at Aix, in Savoy. Four of the committee have denounced him, and
his fate is certain.

"'I had begun a letter to Bramleigh, to expose the fraud this scoundrel
would pass upon him; but why should I spare him who killed my child?'"

"First of all," said Sedley, reading from his notes, "we have the place
and date of Enrichetta's death; secondly, the burial-place of Godfrey
Lami Bramleigh set down as St. Michel, perhaps in Savoy. We have then
the fact of the stolen papers, the copies of registries, and other
documents. The marriage of Carlotta is not specified, but it is clearly
evident, and we can even fix the time; and, last of all, we have this
second wife, whose name, Pracontal, was always borne by the present
claimant."

"And are you of opinion that this same Pracontal was a party to the
fraud?" asked Julia.

"I am not certain," muttered he. "It is not too clear; the point is
doubtful."

"But what have we here? It is a letter, with a postmark on it." She
read, "Leghorn, February 8, 1812." It was addressed to the Illustrissimo
Maestro Lami, Porta Rossa, Florence, and signed N. Baldassare. It was
but a few lines, and ran thus:--

"Seeing that Carlotta and her child now sleep at Pisa, why deny me your
interest for my boy Anatole? You know well to what he might succeed, and
how. Be unforgiving to me if you will. I have borne as hard things even
as your hatred, but the child that has never wronged you deserves
no part of this hate. I want but little from you; some dates, a few
names,--that I know you remember,--and, last of all, my mind refreshed
on a few events which I have heard you talk of again and again. Nor is
it for _me_ that you will do this; for I leave Europe within a week,--I
shall return to it no more. Answer this Yes or No at once, as I am
about to quit this place. You know me well enough to know that I never
threaten, though I sometimes counsel; and my counsel now is, consent to
the demand of--N. Baldassare."

Underneath was written, in Lami's hand, "I will carry this to my grave,
that I may curse him who wrote it, here and hereafter."

"Now the story stands out complete," said Julia, "and this Pracontal
belonged to neither Bramleigh