Year: 1879

would be an awkward position for all of us. The chief point ill our favor was that if there had been descendants they would probably have come forward at some time or other, es- pecialy when the first inquiries had been made; but l had not much faith in Spiller's investigations Bridget gave me a solemn warning at parting to be sure and not to be taken in with any of those French hussies, who were, she had been told, deluding set. I crossed the Channel, and made my way without any difficulty to the Village of St. Arnoult. But as for chateau, there was none. With some difficulty 1 made out the site. It was ploughed field, and a peasant in blue blouse was driving gayly- -caparisoned team across it. Nothing left but the seigneurial dove-cote now cart t-shed, a round tower with conical roof, the leaden pigeon on the pinnacle. the only survivor of the clouds of l birds that once wheeled about it. There was farmhouse close by, where was entertained with sour bread and sourer cider as l sat talk ing to the people of the farm, who knew noth- ing of any chateau or of any people named La Motte except the grocer of the neIghboring town, who certainly never lived near there. had never thoroughly realized before how com pletely the new France had wiped out the old. Clearly l should realize nothing from the plowed fields, and made for the neighboring town of Canville. At once 1 went to the prin- cipal notary, and introduced myself as an Eng ligh lawyer. come to make genealogical re- searches. Had they been geological ones he might have helped me, he said. but all his spare hours were devoted to science, and he had nc time for less serious Investigations However, he knew exactly the man for my purpose, and sent his clerk with me to find him. a certain M. Galet.

 We found him in miserable, tumble down cottage, wrapped up in dingy blanket on dirty looking bed, smoking ''caporaf, and reading a tattered old volume. Yes, if he was Galet, historian and genologist once in the household of his Holiness the Pope, and his photographer to the most distinguished of the French nohlesse. He had not enough money, haWever, at this moment even to buy apair of sabots, and certain cash advance had to be 1 made before he could come to see me at my hotel The man knew a good deal about the families once existing in the neighborhood, but his knowledge was derived entirely from his books and worth little to me. He could give me the pedigree of the De la Notes of St. Ar noult from the time of the Conquerer down to 1793, but the few years that followed, of Infinitely more importance, he knew nothing about. However, he showedme how to get at | the parochial records existing before the Rev olution, which 1 found at the prefecture of Rouen, and from them I verified the date of birth of the person we were in search of. She was born on the 2d of November, 17S6, and baptised next day in her mothers name Jeanne, the parrain and marraine being a Monsieur and Madame de Freville. Here was something, at all events, to begin with a near view of the cradle of our French girl. If we could only arrive as easily at her grave But here I come to a staDd-still. Galet could give no further help. As for the other townspeople, not one of them knew or cared about anything that had happened so far back as the week before last. Even the cure, who might be supposed to have an interest in the regime, was as unlnformed as the rest. He knew nothing of the La Notes or De Ere villes, and seemed quite too much occupied with the routine of his office to care for any, thing else. However, the inquiries I made bore fruit. One day an old woman stopped me in the street. I had been asking after the family De Freville. We'll, her mistress could anne Pochet who lived at the Capucins

 Madame Pochet was pleasant looking old lady in black silk and old lace, and received me very courteously. Her husband had in herited from M. De Frevilie, and some of the family archives were in her possession For herself, she was bourgeoise, and cared nothing about geneologies, except such as were found in the H storic Saints. Monsieur was quite at liberty to look over the papers and make extracts, but not to take them away. An no! But what difficulty in the matter !? Let Monsieur take up his quarters at the Cap ucins There were plenty of rooms, for that matter. She lived in one little corner of the house with her bonne, all the rest was at my disposal. The woman who came in to clean would do the kitchen" for me. 1 gladly closed with the offer.

 CHAPTER II.

 The Capucins as it's name denotes, was ence a convent-or more idiomatically fri ary in the Summpr time, with it oldsashioned garden, shaded alleys, and quaint Summer houses, looking over the sparkling river. But there was a great chalk cliff just behind-not one sheer cliff, but a succession of white es carpments with brushwood growing between that seemed to give shut-up gloomy look to the place. Inside, too, the atmospncre was chilly and vault-like due to the narrow window spaces and thick stone walls except in the room where the Freville archives were kept. This had been mederniZed as to light and fit tings, and was altogether warm sunny nook, with pieasant lotslS-o on the river and the wooded heights all round from it's low French windows.

 At one time, dare say. the Frevillc papers had been arranged with due system but now they were in complete muddle. Tine papers

 

 that man of orderly methodical habits accu- mulates for the trouble of posterity. Ac- counts and vouchers, papers as to ancient law suits, the details as to NJ. De Freville's three years administration of his commune as Ma ire. copies of expired leases complicated ar engagements of farming partnerships. 1 felt quite bewildered in the maze

 It was delightful relief to have long letter from Hornton- -street-a joint compilation by the three sisters with illustrations from Fan nys graphic pencil. Bridget was there in her night-cap, as she alarmed the house the other night, having dreamed dreadful dream. And grannie, too, in turn had dreamed gruesome dream And Spot, poor dog, has taken to dreaming too, and cried piteously, and kicked even: and Fanny threw a handkerchief oyer his dear little pate, and is going to wear it round her head when she goes to bed tonight for they say that is the way todream the dogs dream; and Fanny thinks that Spot was dream ing about you. The result in our next" But beneath all this nonsense there was to be seen an undercurrent of excited feeling. The nerves of the poor girls were strained to the utmost with excitement and expectation, And then, Lady HaZlewoed was getting weaker and weaker. The end was coming on that side it was to be feared. Everything seemed dark in the future, and all the darker for the hopes that Had been excited. began to feel certain now that these hopes would come to nothing. had set myself an impossible task Time was running on '; I should have to own myself beaten. Only some lucky accident could help me. And such things rarely come to those who have nothing else to look for.

 In kind of dull apathy sat looking at the wearisome papers of M. De Freville when the bonne announced visit from Madame Pochet who had come to inform me that she was going to take short tour. This was the last day of October, and the following day was All Saints, and the eve of the Fete des Morts She proposed to visit the tomb of her husband and other relations in another depart ment, andto return in the course of few days. If Monsieur would consent to remain and take care of the house, she wonld leave with tranquil mind. The rooms except those I occupied would be locked up, and the keys hung. Had Monsieur noticed the admirable arrangement of the late M. Pochet?

 Yes, had noticed the key board, a thing like those used at hotels, with separate hook for each key, and the description of the apart ment carefully written over it.

 The room had formerly been the bureau of M Pochet exnlajned Madame who had in.