“Naturally. But proofs can be fabricated; relatives can be improvised. Your evidence is open to suspicion. My proofs are undeniable, perfectly authenticated. While you were pining in prison, I was preparing my batteries and collecting munition to open fire. I wrote to St. Remy, and received answers to my questions.”
“Will you let me know what they were?”
“Have patience,” said M. Verduret as he turned over the leaves of his memoranda. “Ah, here is number one. Bow respectfully to it, ‘tis official.”
He then read:
“‘LAGORS.—Very old family, originally from Maillane, settled at St. Remy about a century ago.’”
“I told you so,” cried Prosper.
“Pray allow me to finish,” said M. Verduret.
“‘The last of the Lagors (Jules-Rene-Henri) bearing without warrant the title of count, married in 1829 Mlle. Rosalie-Clarisse Fontanet, of Tarascon; died December 1848, leaving no male heir, but left two daughters. The registers make no mention of any person in the district bearing the name of Lagors.’
“Now what do you think of this information?” queried the fat man with a triumphant smile.
Prosper looked amazed.