MydearLouise，——Isendthisletterbyanexpressbeforehasteningtothechaletmyself。Takecourage。Yourlastletterseemedtomesofrantic，thatIthoughtmyselfjustified，underthecircumstances，inconfidingalltoLouis；itwasaquestionofsavingyoufromyourself。
Ifthemeanswehaveemployedhavebeen，likeyours，repulsive，yettheresultissosatisfactorythatIamcertainyouwillapprove。I
wentsofarastosetthepolicetowork，butthewholethingremainsasecretbetweentheprefect，ourselvesandyou。
Inoneword，Gastonisajewel!Butherearethefacts。Hisbrother，LouisGaston，diedatCalcutta，whileintheserviceofamercantilecompany，whenhewasontheverypointofreturningtoFrance，arich，prosperous，marriedman，havingreceivedaverylargefortunewithhiswife，whowasthewidowofanEnglishmerchant。Fortenyearshehadworkedhardthathemightbeabletosendhomeenoughtosupporthisbrother，towhomhewasdevotedlyattached，andfromwhomhislettersgenerouslyconcealedallhistrialsanddisappointments。
ThencamethefailureofthegreatHalmerhouse；thewidowwasruined，andthesuddenshockaffectedLouisGaston’sbrain。Hehadnomentalenergylefttoresistthediseasewhichattackedhim，andhediedinBengal，whitherhehadgonetotryandrealizetheremnantsofhiswife’sproperty。Thedear，goodfellowhaddepositedwithabankerafirstsumofthreehundredthousandfrancs，whichwastogotohisbrother，butthebankerwasinvolvedintheHalmercrash，andthustheirlastresourcefailedthem。