'As we have no evidence of the fact,' answered the man of law, 'I prefer to say that the real story ends with the last of the letters. It remained, however, to compare the handwriting of the letters with that of the fragment of writing in your leather case. I took the liberty to have a photograph made of that fragment while it was in my possession, and I now ask you to compare the handwriting.' He drew out of his pocket-book a letter--one of the good old kind, on large paper, brown with age, and unprovided with any envelope--and the photograph of which he was speaking. 'There,' he said, 'judge for yourself.' 'Why!' cried Armorel. 'The writing corresponds exactly!' 'It certainly does, letter for letter. Well; the conclusion of the whole matter is that I believe the story of the old lady to be correct in the main. On the other hand, there is nothing in the papers to show the existence in the family of any recollection of so great a loss. One would imagine that a man who had dropped--or thought he had dropped--a bag, full of rubies, worth thirty-five thousand pounds, into the sea would have told his children about it, and bemoaned the loss all his life. Perhaps, however, he was so philosophic as to grieve no more after what was hopelessly gone. He was still in the years of hope when the misfortune befell him. Possibly his children knew in general terms that the shipwreck had caused a destruction of property. Again, a man of the City, with the instincts of the City, would not like it to be known that he had returned to his native country a pauper, while it would help him in his business to be considered somewhat of a Nabob. Of this I cannot speak from any knowledge I have, or from any discovery that I have made.' 'Oh!' cried Armorel, 'I cannot tell you what a weight has been lifted from me. I have never ceased to long for the restoration of those jewels ever since I found them in the sea-chest.' 'There is--as I said--only one descendant of the second sister--a man--a man still young. You will give me your instructions in writing. I am to hand over to this young man--this fortunate young man--already trebly fortunate in another sense--this precious packet of jewels. It is still, I suppose, in the bank?' 'It is where you placed it for me when I came of age.' 'Very well. I have brought you an order for its delivery to me. Will you sign it?' Armorel heaved a great sigh. 'With what relief!' she said. 'Have you got it here?' Mr. Jagenal gave her the order on the bank for the delivery of sealed packet, numbered III., to himself. She signed it. 'To think,' she said, 'that by a simple stroke of the pen I can remove the curse of those ill-gotten rubies! It is like getting rid of all your sins at once. It is like Christian dropping his bundle.' 'I hope the rubies will not carry on this supposed curse of yours.'