M.Firmin Richard reached his office that morning at eleven o'clock.

His secretary, M.Remy, showed him half a dozen letters which he had not opened because they were marked "private." One of the letters had at once attracted Richard's attention not only because the envelope was addressed in red ink, but because he seemed to have seen the writing before.

He soon remembered that it was the red handwriting in which the memorandum-book had been so curiously completed.

He recognized the clumsy childish hand.

He opened the letter and read: DEAR MR.