Graham rose at the entrance of his visitor, motioned him courteously to a
seat beside him, and waiting till the _laquais_ had vanished, then asked,
"What news?"

"None, I fear, that will satisfy Monsieur. I have certainly hunted out,
since I had last the honour to see you, no less than four ladies of the
name of Duval, but only one of them took that name from her parents, and
was also christened Louise."

"Ah--Louise!"

"Yes, the daughter of a perfumer, aged twenty-eight. She, therefore, is
not the Louise you seek. Permit me to refer to your instructions." Here
M. Renard took out a note-book, turned over the leaves, and resumed,
"Wanted, Louise Duval, daughter of Auguste Duval, a French drawing-
master, who lived for many years at Tours, removed to Paris in 1845,
lived at No. 12, Rue de S---- at Paris for some years, but afterwards
moved to a different guartier of the town, and died 1848, in Rue I----,
No. 39. Shortly after his death, his daughter Louise left that lodging,
and could not be traced. In 1849 official documents reporting her death
were forwarded from Munich to a person (a friend of yours, Monsieur).
Death, of course, taken for granted; but nearly five years afterwards,
this very person encountered the said Louise Duval at Aix-la-Chapelle,
and never heard nor saw more of her. Demande submitted, to find out said
Louise Duval or any children of hers born in 1848-9; supposed in 1852-3
to have one child, a girl, between four and five years old. Is that
right, Monsieur?"

"Quite right."