of a book, then cut a lining of white unruled
foolscap for this improvised cover, and taking out his paste-pot, fitted
it neatly to the inside. Next he clipped up a length of linen tape and
by means of wafers attached eight pieces of it as ties to the top,
bottom, and sides. The whole constituted one of those record-covers
which he had been taught to make for the papers of special enterprises
in his profession. On the outside he pasted a small square labelled:--

+-------------------------+
| PAPERS |
| |
| RELATIVE TO LECOUR, |
| REPENTIGNY, DE LINCY, |
| |
| ET CETERA. |
+-------------------------+

There was, he considered, a fine turn of irony in "_et cetera_."

The record-cover completed, he surveyed it front and back with
satisfaction, tried the ties, read the inscription over once more, and
opened it. In it he placed a long "_Extract from my journal_," written
with care in his beautiful handwriting and bound with a tiny ribbon.

Next, he added some letters of Collinot to himself and de Lery. These
were followed by copies of his own to the latter. His epistle of
reproach to de Bailleul came next. Then a genealogical memorandum of the
family of LeGardeur. Then Madame de Lery's letter from Canada; after it
a solemn statement which he had caused to be drawn by Quartermaster
Villerai of Chalons. Then the folded paper left by Jude, which was a
copy of the damaging entry discovered by him in the books of the church
of St. Germain-des-Pres. Some lesser documents added to these made up
the nucleus of a _dossier_ or Record--an armoury of weapons which were
to be gathered for the complete and final destruction of the usurper,
should he again set foot in France.

Only a day or two passed when another letter came to him from Madame de
Lery. It related the actions of Germain on his second visit to Quebec,
dwelling, with the rage of a proud woman, on what had passed between her
husband and the young man. Judge Panet, too, had joined his efforts to
hers, and rapidly tracked Germain's intrigues from Notary d'Aguilhe to
the Judge and the young gentlemen of Montreal, and from the Governor at
Quebec to the sacristy of the cathedral. He therefore was able to
enclose a packet of letters and affidavits arranged in order, and which
included among others--

1. A long foolscap statement by d'Aguilhe, in which the Notary of St.
Elphege took care