“Ah! sir, if you can find anything among those archives you will be a very clever man! The record office is a chaos, a veritable chaos. You would have to spend a month here, and then--then--” “I do not expect to stay here more than a day, sir; but if in that day I should find what I am seeking will you permit me to impart it to you?” “Yes, sir; yes, sir; and you will render me a great service by doing so.” “No greater than the one I asked of you. I shall merely give you some information about a matter of which you were ignorant, that is all.” You can well understand that on leaving my magistrate, my honor was piqued. I determined, cost what it might, to procure this information about the Companions of Jehu. I went back to Milliet, and cornered him. “Listen,” he said. “My brother-in-law is a lawyer.” “He’s my man! Let’s go find the brother-in-law.” “He’s in court at this hour.” “Then let us go to court.” “Your appearance will create a sensation, I warn you.” “Then go alone--tell him what we want, and let him make a search. I will visit the environs of the town to base my work on the localities. We will meet at four o’clock at the Place du Bastion, if you are agreed.” “Perfectly.” “It seems to me that I saw a forest, coming here.” “The forest of Seillon.” “Bravo!” “Do you need a forest?” “It is absolutely indispensable to me.” “Then permit me--” “What?” “I am going to take you to a friend of mine, M. Leduc, a poet who in his spare moments is an inspector.” “Inspector of what?” “Of the forest.” “Are there any ruins in the forest?” “The Chartreuse, which is not in the forest, but merely some hundred feet from it.” “And in the forest?” “There is a sort of hermitage which is called La Correrie, belonging to the Chartreuse, with which it communicates by a subterranean passage.” “Good! Now, if you can provide me with a grotto you will overwhelm me.” “We have the grotto of Ceyzeriat, but that is on the other side of the Reissouse.” “I don’t mind. If the grotto won’t come to me, I will do like Mahomet--I will go to the grotto. In the meantime let us go to M. Leduc.” Five minutes later we reached M. Leduc’s house. He, on learning what we wanted, placed himself, his horse, and his carriage at my disposal. I accepted all. There are some men who offer their services in such a way that they place you at once at your ease. We first visited the Chartreuse. Had I built it myself it could not have suited me better. A deserted cloister, devastated garden, inhabitants almost savages. Chance, I thank thee! From there we went to the Correrie; it was the supplement of the Chartreuse. I did not yet know what I could do with it; but evidently it might be useful to me. “Now, sir,” I said to my obliging guide, “I need a pretty site, rather gloomy, surrounded by tall trees, beside a river. Have you anything like that in the neighborhood?” “What do you want to do with it?” “To build a château there.” “What kind of a château?”