_From Mr. de Bleriot to Mrs. Lecount._
"Dark's Buildings, Kingsland,
"October 25th, 1847.
"Private and Confidential.
"DEAR MADAM--I hasten to reply to your favor of Saturday's date.
Circumstances have enabled me to forward your interests, by consulting a
friend of mine possessing great experience in the management of private
inquiries of all sorts. I have placed your case before him (without
mentioning names); and I am happy to inform you that my views and his
views of the proper course to take agree in every particular.
"Both myself and friend, then, are of opinion that little or nothing can
be done toward tracing the parties you mention, until the place of
their temporary residence after they left Aldborough has been discovered
first. If this can be done, the sooner it is done the better. Judging
from your letter, some weeks must have passed since the lawyer received
his information that they had shifted their quarters. As they are both
remarkable-looking people, the strangers who may have assisted them
on their travels have probably not forgotten them yet. Nevertheless,
expedition is desirable.
"The question for you to consider is, whether they may not possibly have
communicated the address of which we stand in need to some other person
besides the lawyer. The husband may have written to members of his
family, or the wife may have written to members of her family. Both
myself and friend are of opinion that the latter chance is the likelier
of the two. If you have any means of access in the direction of the
wife's family, we strongly recommend you to make use of them. If not,
please supply us with the names of any of her near relations or intimate
female friends whom you know, and we will endeavor to get access for
you.
"In any case, we request you will at once favor us with the most exact
personal description that can be written of both the parties. We may
require your assistance, in this important particular, at five minutes'
notice. Favor us, therefore, with the description by return of post.
In the meantime, we will endeavor to ascertain on our side whether any
information is to be privately obtained at Mr. Loscombe's office. The
lawyer himself is probably altogether beyond our reach. But if any one
of his clerks can be advantageously treated with on such terms as may
not overtax your pecuniary resources, accept my assurance that the
opportunity shall be made the most of by, dear madam, your faithful
servant,
"ALFRED DE BLERIOT."