"A. W."
"Thorigny (on my way home),
"27 August, 1902.
"Your Majesty,—
"Yesterday, Tuesday, I was in Paris, waiting to have the pleasure of seeing you leave your hotel. That pleasure was not vouchsafed me.
"But, on the other hand, a ring set with a diamond, which I was taking to be repaired, was stolen from me by a pickpocket.
"This ring was the only diamond which my wife possessed. In consequence of the theft, she now possesses none.
"I put myself the question whether I could not indict you before a French court, as being the direct cause of the theft.
"I find nothing in our French law-books likely to decide in my favour.
"And so I prefer to come and beseech you to redress the involuntary injury which you have done me.