"Archibald Webster, of Philadelphia."
"Archibald Webster, of Philadelphia. You received from your father a gold medal?"
"From my mother, mademoiselle. My father died many years ago."
"And from whom did your mother receive it?"
"From her father."
"And he from his and so on in succession, isn't that it?"
Archibald Webster confirmed her statement in excellent French, as if it was his duty to answer her questions:
"And so on in succession, as you say, mademoiselle. A family tradition, which goes back to we don't know when, ascribes a French origin to her family, and directs that a certain medal should be transmitted to the eldest son, without more than two persons ever knowing of its existence."
"And what do you understand this tradition to mean?"
"I don't know what it means. My mother told me that it gave us a right to a share of a treasure. But she laughed as she told me and sent me to France rather out of curiosity."