IN QUEST OF RAVENS 



" Every pursuit takes its reality and worth from the 

 ardor of the pursuer." KEATS. 



WHILE M. Sylvestre Bonnard, Member 

 of the Institute, was in Sicily prosecuting his 

 memorable search for the Alexandrian manu- 

 script of the Golden Legend, he fell in un- 

 expectedly with his old acquaintances, M. 

 and Mme. Trepof, collectors of match-boxes. 

 Their specialty, as may be supposed, was 

 not exactly to M. Bonnard' s liking. Being 

 a scholar and an antiquary, he would rather 

 have seen their affections bestowed upon 

 something more strictly in the line of the 

 fine arts, upon antique marbles, perhaps, 

 or painted vases ; but after all, he said to 

 himself, it made no very great difference. A 

 collector is a collector ; and, besides, Mme. 

 Trepof always spoke of their pursuit (she 

 and her husband were traveling round the 

 world in furtherance of it) with a mixture of 

 enthusiasm and irony that made the whole 

 business truly delightful. * 



