A league is equal to four kilometers, or about two and a half miles. A hectare is equal to two and a half acres. A franc at that time was worth about twenty cents, and a sou was the equivalent of a cent. A piaster was the same as a dollar, and the word is still in common use in colloquial speech in Quebec.

I have been fortunate to have the constant support and advice of my wife, Barbara, who read every chapter as I finished it and gave me the benefit of her keen sense of readable English prose style. She is not responsible, however, for any errors or shortcomings.

O N M A R C H 16, in the antepenultimate year of this century, the letter carrier whose route included Jacques Cartier Street in Montreal delivered a letter addressed to Mr. Summy Skim, at house number twenty-nine.'

The letter read: "Mr. Snubbin, notary public, presents his compliments to Mr. Summy Skim and requests that he call at his office without delay concerning a matter of interest to him."

What did the notary want to see Mr. Skim about? Like everyone in Montreal, Skim knew Mr. Snubbin, a very competent man, a reliable and prudent counselor. A Canadian by birth, he was head of the best law firm in the city-the one headed sixty years earlier by the famous Master Nick, or Nicolas Sagamore, of Huron origin, whose patriotic fervor had led him to play a role in the dreadful Morgaz affair, which created a considerable stir about 1837.*

Skim was somewhat surprised to receive a letter from Mr. Snubbin, with whom he had no dealings at the time. However, he accepted the invitation that had been offered. Half an hour later he was at Bonsecours Market Square, being ushered into the office where Mr. Snubbin was waiting for him.

"A very good day to you, Mr. Skim," said the notary, getting to his feet. "May I present my respects."

"And the same to you," replied Skim, taking a seat near the table.

"You are the first to arrive, Mr. Skim."

"The first, Mr. Snubbin? Have you invited several people to your office, then?"

"Two," replied the notary. "Mr. Ben Raddle, your cousin, should have received a letter, as you did, inviting him to come."

"You should say `will receive,' instead of `should have received,' because Ben Raddle is not in Montreal at the moment."

"Will he be back soon?"

"In three or four days."

"I am sorry to hear that."

"What you have to tell us is urgent, then?"

"In a way, yes," replied the notary. "But I will give you the details, and perhaps you will be kind enough, as soon as Mr. Raddle is back, to pass on to him the information I am instructed to give you."

The notary put on his glasses, shuffled a few papers lying on the table, and took a letter out of its envelope. Before reading it, he said, "Mr. Raddle and you, Mr. Skim, are the nephews of Mr. Josias Lacoste.. ."

"That's right. My mother and Ben Raddle's mother were his sisters, but they died seven or eight years ago, and since then we've lost all contact with our uncle. He had left Canada and gone to Europe by that time.