I looked around me as I proceeded with a curiosity which will be understood, and I recognized the influence of the same taste which I had already perceived at Sullacaro; only the taste was here set off by true Parisian elegance. M. Louis de Franchi certainly appeared to have a very charming lodging for a bachelor. Next morning, about eleven o'clock, my servant announced M. Louis de Franchi. I told the man to offer my visitor the papers and to say that I would wait on him as soon as I was dressed. In five minutes I presented myself. M. Louis do Franchi who was, no doubt from a sense of courtesy, reading a tale I had contributed to _La Presse,_ raised his head as the door opened, and I entered. I stood perfectly astounded at the resemblance between the two brothers. He rose. "Monsieur," he said, "I could scarcely credit my good fortune when I read your note yesterday on my return home. I have pictured you twenty times so as to assure myself that it was in accord with your portraits, and at last I, this morning, determined to present myself at your house without considering the hour, and I fear I have been too early." "I hope you will excuse me if I do not at once acknowledge your kindness in suitable terms, but may I inquire whether I have the honour to address M. Louis or M. Lucien de Franchi?" "Are you serious? Yes, the resemblance is certainly wonderful, and when I was last at Sullacaro nearly every one mistook one of us for the other, yet, if he has not abjured the Corsican dress, you have seen him in a costume, which would make a considerable difference in our appearance." "And justly so," I replied; "but as chance would have it, he was, when I left, dressed exactly as you are now, except that he wore white trowsers, so that I was not able to separate your presence from his memory with the difference in dress of which you speak, but," I continued, taking the letter from my pocket-book, "I can quite understand you are anxious to have news from home, so pray read this which I would have left at your house yesterday had I not promised Madame de Franchi to give it to you myself." "They were all quite well when you left, I hope?" "Yes, but somewhat anxious." "On my account?" "Yes; but read that letter, I beg of you." "If you will excuse me." So Monsieur Franchi read the letter while I made some cigarettes. I watched him as his eyes travelled rapidly over the paper, and I heard him murmur, "Dear Lucien, Darling Mother----yes----yes----I understand." I had not yet recovered from the surprise the strange resemblance between the brothers had caused me, but now I noticed what Lucien had told me, that Louis was paler, and spoke French better than he did. "Well," I said when he had finished reading the letter, and had lighted the cigarette, "You see, as I told you, that they are anxious about you, and I am glad that their fears are unfounded."