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He was pointing to a side-table on which were piled Mr Ricardo's

letters

"You have not opened the?" he asked

"No You caht of the down at the letters,

uttered a cry

"There's one, the big envelope," he said, his voice shaking like

his hand "It has a Swiss sta across the roo letter enclosed in a

handwriting unknown to him He read aloud the first lines of the

letter: "I write what I saw and post it tonight, so that no one may be

before me with the news I will come over tomorrow for the money"

A low exclanature! Quick!"

Ricardo turned to the end of the letter

"Marthe Gobin"

"She speaks, then! After all she speaks!" Hanaud whispered in a

voice of awe He ran to the door of the rooain, locked it "Quick! We cannot bring that

poor woman back to life; but we may still--" He did not finish his

sentence He took the letter unceremoniously from Ricardo's hand

and seated himself at the table Over his shoulder Mr Ricardo,

too, read Marthe Gobin's letter

It was just the sort of letter, which in Ricardo's view, Marthe