porter, and tell him to take a good bundle of wood out of our stock
and carry it up to the attic of those Coccoz folks. See, above all,
that he puts a first-class log in the lot--a real Christmas log. As
for the homunculus, if he comes back again, do not allow either
himself or any of his yellow books to come in here."

Having taken all these little precautions with the refined egotism of
an old bachelor, I returned to my catalogue again.

With what surprise, with what emotion, with what anxiety did I therein
discover the following mention, which I cannot even now copy without
feeling my hand tremble:

"LA LEGENDE DOREE DE JACQUES DE GENES (Jacques de Voragine);--
traduction francaise, petit in-4.

"This MS. of the fourteenth century contains, besides the tolerably
complete translation of the celebrated work of Jacques de Voragine,
1. The Legends of Saints Ferreol, Ferrution, Germain, Vincent, and
Droctoveus; 2. A poem 'On the Miraculous Burial of Monsieur Saint-Germain
of Auxerre.' This translation, as well as the legends and the poem,
are due to the Clerk Alexander.

"This MS. is written upon vellum. It contains a great number of
illuminated letters, and two finely executed miniatures, in a rather
imperfect state of preservation:--one represents the Purification of
the Virgin, and the other the Coronation of Proserpine."

What a discovery! Perspiration moistened my forehead, and a veil seemed
to come before my eyes. I trembled; I flushed; and, without being