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“Bealittlemoreexplicit,”Isaid.
“Well,Imayventuresofarastosaythatthepapergivesitsholder
acertainpowerinacertainquarterwheresuchpowerisimmensely
valuable.”ThePrefectwasfondofthecantofdiplomacy.
“StillIdonotquiteunderstand,”saidDupin.
“No?Well;thedisclosureofthedocumenttoathirdperson,who
shallbenameless,wouldbringinquestionthehonorofapersonage
ofmostexaltedstation;andthisfactgivestheholderofthedocument
anascendancyovertheillustriouspersonagewhosehonorandpeace
aresojeopardized.”
“Butthisascendancy,”Iinterposed,“woulddependuponthe
robber’sknowledgeoftheloser’sknowledgeoftherobber.Whowould
dare—”
“Thethief,”saidG.,“istheMinisterD——,whodaresallthings,
thoseunbecomingaswellasthosebecomingaman.Themethodofthe
theftwasnotlessingeniousthanbold.Thedocumentinquestion—a
letter,tobefrank—hadbeenreceivedbythepersonagerobbedwhile
aloneintheroyalboudoir.Duringitsperusalshewassuddenly
interruptedbytheentranceoftheotherexaltedpersonagefromwhom
especiallyitwasherwishtoconcealit.Afterahurriedandvain
endeavortothrustitinadrawer,shewasforcedtoplaceit,open
asitwas,uponatable.Theaddress,however,wasuppermost,and,the
contentsthusunexposed,theletterescapednotice.Atthisjuncture
enterstheMinisterD——.Hislynxeyeimmediatelyperceivesthe
paper,recognisesthehandwritingoftheaddress,observesthe
confusionofthepersonageaddressed,andfathomshersecret.After
somebusinesstransactions,hurriedthroughinhisordinarymanner,
heproducesalettersomewhatsimilartotheoneinquestion,opensit,
pretendstoreadit,andthenplacesitinclosejuxtapositiontotheother.
Againheconverses,forsomefifteenminutes,uponthepublicaffairs.
Atlength,intakingleave,hetakesalsofromthetabletheletter
towhichhehadnoclaim.Itsrightfulownersaw,but,ofcourse,dared
notcallattentiontotheact,inthepresenceofthethirdpersonagewho
stoodatherelbow.Theministerdecamped;leavinghisownletter—
oneofnoimportance—uponthetable.”
“Here,then,”saidDupintome,“youhavepreciselywhatyou
demandtomaketheascendancycomplete—therobber’sknowledge
