When I took it up, I found that the lock was not closed.
Had I any right to take advantage of this accident, and open the book?
I have put the question since to some of my friends of both sexes.

The women all agree that I was perfectly justified, considering the serious interests that I had at stake, in taking any advantage of any book in the Major's house.

The men differ from this view, and declare that I ought to have put back the volume in blue velvet unopened, carefully guarding myself from any after-temptation to look at it again by locking the cupboard door.

I dare say the men are right.
Being a woman, however, I opened the book without a moment's hesitation.
The leaves were of the finest vellum, with tastefully designed illuminations all round them.

And what did these highly ornamental pages contain?
To my unutterable amazement and disgust, they contained locks of hair, let neatly into the center of each page, with inscriptions beneath, which proved them to be love-tokens from various ladies who had touched the Major's susceptible heart at different periods of his life.
The inscriptions were written in other languages besides English, but they appeared to be all equally devoted to the same curious purpose, namely, to reminding the Major of the dates at which his various attachments had come to an untimely end.