e day. Certainly, he did not hope to reconstruct a crime
perpetrated two hundred years ago. But, all the same, there are crimes
that leave traces in the memories, in the traditions of a countryside.
They are recorded in the local chronicles. One day, some provincial
archaeologist, some lover of old legends, some student of the minor
incidents of the life of the past makes them the subject of an article
in a newspaper or of a communication to the academy of his departmental
town.

Beautreiet saw three or four of these archaeologists. With one of them
in particular, an old notary, he examined the prison records, the
ledgers of the old bailiwicks and the parish registers. There was no
entry referring to the murder of a captain of the guards in the
seventeenth century.

He refused to be discouraged and continued his search in Paris, where
the magistrate's examination might have taken place. His efforts came
to nothing.

But the thought of another track sent him off in a fresh direction. Was
there no chance of finding out the name of that captain whose
descendant served in the armies of the Republic and was quartered in
the Temple during the imprisonment of the Royal family? By dint of
patient working, he ended by making out a list in which two names at
least presented an almost complete resemblance: M. de Larbeyrie, under
Louis XIV., and Citizen Larbrie, under the Terror.

This already was an important point. He stated it with precision in a
note which he sent to the papers, asking for any information concerning
this Larbeyrie or his descendants.

It was M. Massiban, the Massiban of the pamphlet, the member of the
Institute, who replied to him:

* * * * *

SIR:

Allow me to call your attention to the following passage of Voltaire,
which I came upon in his manuscript of Le Siecle de Louis XIV. (Chapter
XXV: Particularites et anecdotes du regne). The passage has been
suppressed in all the printed editions:

"I have heard it said by the late M. de Caumartin, intendant of
finance, who was a friend of Chamillard the minister, that the King one
day left hurriedly in his carriage at the news that M. de Larbeyrie had
been murdered and robbed of some magnificent jewels. He seemed greatly
excited and repeated:

"'All is lost--all is lost--'

"In the following year, the son of this Larbeyrie and his daughter, who
had married the Marquis de Velines, were banished to their estates in
Prove