The addresses were, it is true, uniformly written by the same hand; but the writing was in no way peculiar, and was certainly not that of any prominent person whose autograph the Cardinal possessed.
The next step was to get possession of some letter written by Del Ferice himself, and, if possible, to intercept everything he wrote.

But although the letters containing the drafts were regularly opened, and, after having been examined and sealed again, were regularly transmitted through the post-office to Ugo's address, the expert persons set to catch the letters he himself wrote were obliged to own, after three weeks' careful watching, that he never seemed to write any letters at all, and that he certainly never posted any.

They acknowledged their failure to the Cardinal with timid anxiety, expecting to be reprimanded for their carelessness.

But the Cardinal merely told them not to relax their attention, and dismissed them with a bland smile.

He knew, now, that he was on the track of mischief; for a man who never writes any letters at all, while he receives many, might reasonably be suspected of having a secret post-office of his own.