betraying confidence, as to Sir David Bright and his wife.  I thought for a moment that he was your Florentine detective, but then I reflected that the detective would have no object in disguising himself from me as he knew that you trusted me entirely.  I told my visitor that he might ask me any questions he liked, and I can assure you he placed his shots with great skill.  He wanted first to know if there had been any scandal connected with their married life, in order, of course, to find out why Sir David had not left his money to Lady Rose; and whether no one had been disposed to dispute the will.  I let him see that the affair had been a nine days’ wonder here, and I gave him some notion of my own opinion of Madame Danterre.  He did not give himself away, and I thought he had some honest reason for anxiety in the matter.  Well! he left without letting me know his name or address, but there is no doubt that he is Dr. Larrone.  I wrote at once to your detective, Pietrino, in Florence, and a letter from him crossed mine saying that Dr. Larrone had left Florence within a few hours of Madame Danterre’s death, and that, by her desire, he had taken a small box to Miss Dexter.  There was evidently a certain sense of mystery and excitement among the nurses and servants as to the box and the sudden journey.  It seems that Madame Larrone was angry at his taking this sudden journey, and said to a friend that she only ’hoped he wouldn’t get his fingers burnt by meddling in other people’s affairs.’

“Then Pietrino, in answering my letter, said that my description was certainly the description of Larrone.  He says the doctor is exceedingly upright and sensitive as to his professional honour, and has been known to refuse a legacy from a patient because he thought it ought not to have been left out of the family.  Since that, Pietrino has written that Larrone is taking a long holiday, and that people are wondering if he will have any scruples as to the large legacy that is said to have been left to him by Madame Danterre.  So it is pretty clear who my reticent visitor was.  Now, I don’t know that we gain much from that so far, but I think it may mean that Larrone could, if he would, tell some interesting details.  I will give you all Pietrino’s letters, but I should just like to run on with my own impressions from them first.  It seems that, since Madame Danterre’s death, there has been a good deal of wild talk against her in Florence, which was kept down by self-interest as long as she was living and an excellent paying-machine.  You will see, when you read the gossip, that very little is to the point.  But, on the other hand, Pietrino has valuable information from one of the nurses.  She is a young woman who is disappointed, as she has had no legacy; evidently Madame Danterre intended to add her name in the last codicil, but somehow failed to do so.  This woman is sure that Madame Danterre had an evil conscience as to her wealth.  She also said that she was always morbidly anxious as