Transcriber's Note:
The Attribution and the Table of Contents are not part of the original book.
When I say I am called Valmont, the name will convey no impression tothe reader, one way or another. My occupation is that of privatedetective in London, but if you ask any policeman in Paris who Valmontwas he will likely be able to tell you, unless he is a recent recruit.If you ask him where Valmont is now, he may not know, yet I have agood deal to do with the Parisian police.
For a period of seven years I was chief detective to the Government ofFrance, and if I am unable to prove myself a great crime hunter, it isbecause the record of my career is in the secret archives of Paris.
I may admit at the outset that I have no grievances to air. The FrenchGovernment considered itself justified in dismissing me, and it didso. In this action it was quite within its right, and I should be thelast to dispute that right; but, on the other hand, I consider myselfjustified in publishing the following account of what actuallyoccurred, especially as so many false rumours have been put abroadconcerning the case. However, as I said at the beginning, I hold nogrievance, be