“Two days later the cardinal learned that the body of Jaubert had been found in the forest of Rouvray, in a ravine ten kilometers from Rouen. The case containing the documents was brought back to him. The horse, the dog-cart, and the sandalwood casket had disappeared. Investigation made it clear that the unfortunate servant had fallen in with a squadron of German cavalry making a reconnaissance beyond Rouen and robbing and murdering the well-to-do inhabitants of that town, flying to Havre in their carriages.
“Then came another piece of bad luck. At the beginning of January the cardinal had word that the Chevalier des Aubes, broken-hearted at the defeat of his country, had not survived it. Before dying he had sent a message to the cardinal. It ran:
“‘The word of the formula which reveals the position of the block of granite is carved on the inside of the lid of casket.... I have buried the candlestick in my garden.’
“So nothing whatever was left. The casket had been stolen, nothing was left to prove the truth that the story of the Chevalier des Aubes contained a word of truth. No one had examined the stones. Were they real, or were they imitation? Did the sandalwood casket merely contain some stage jewels and colored pebbles?
“Little by little doubt invaded the mind of the cardinal, a doubt so tenacious that in the end he decided to keep silent about the matter. The narrative of the Chevalier des Aubes must be considered an old man’s wanderings. It would be dangerous to spread abroad such trash. Therefore he would keep silence. But——”
“But?” repeated Ralph, whom such trash interested enormously.
“But, before finally making up his mind,” Josephine went on, “he wrote out this memorandum concerning his visit to the Château de Gueures and the events which followed it, and either it got mislaid, or he forgot all about it; and some years after his death it was found in one of his theological books when his library was sold by auction.”
“Who found it?” said Ralph sharply.
“Beaumagnan.”
She had related this story, with her head a little bowed, in the rather monotonous voice of a school-girl reciting a lesson she has learned by heart. When now she raised her eyes, she was astonished by Ralph’s expression.