"A fortnight after the expedition, Count von Waldemar, an officer in the Emperor's body-guard and one of his personal friends, called on the grand-duke, accompanied by six men. He was there all day, locked up with the grand-duke in his study. There were repeated sounds of altercations, of violent disputes. One phrase even was overheard by the servant, who was passing through the garden, under the windows: 'Those papers were handed to you; His imperial Majesty is sure of it. If you refuse to give them to me of your own free will . . .' The rest of the sentence, the meaning of the threat and, for that matter, the whole scene can be easily guessed by what followed; Hermann's house was ransacked from top to bottom." "But that is against the law." "It would have been against the law if the grand-duke had objected; but he himself accompanied the count in his search." "And what were they looking for? The chancellor's memoirs?" "Something better than that. They were looking for a parcel of secret documents which were known to exist, owing to indiscretions that had been committed, and which were known for certain to have been entrusted to the Grand-duke Hermann's keeping." Lupin muttered, excitedly: "Secret documents . . . and very important ones, no doubt?" "Of the highest importance. The publication of those papers would lead to results which it would be impossible to foresee, not only from the point of view of home politics, but also from that of Germany's relations with the foreign powers." "Oh!" said Lupin, throbbing with emotion. "Oh, can it be possible? What proof have you?" "What proof? The evidence of the grand-duke's wife, the confidences which she made to the servant after her husband's death." "Yes . . . yes . . ." stammered Lupin. "We have the evidence of the grand-duke himself." "Better still," said Steinweg. "What?" "A document, a document written in his own hand, signed by him and containing . . ." "Containing what?" "A list of the secret papers confided to his charge." "Tell me, in two words. . . ." "In two words? That can't be done. The document is a very long one, scattered all over with annotations and remarks which are sometimes impossible to understand. Let me mention just two titles which obviously refer to two bundles of secret papers: _Original letters of the Crown Prince to Bismarck_ is one. The dates show that these letters were written during the three months of the reign of Frederick III. To picture what the letters may contain, you have only to think of the Emperor Frederick's illness, his quarrels with his son . . ." "Yes, yes, I know. . . . And the other title?" "_Photographs of the letters of Frederick III., and the Empress Victoria to the Queen of England._" "Do you mean to say that that's there?" asked Lupin, in a choking voice.