My fondness for all things French was well known.  I set my ratiocination stories in Paris and made a Frenchman, C. Auguste Dupin, the father of all fictional detectives.  I had a habit of placing French quotes in my English language stories.  I’m not sure why I did this, perhaps to show my knowledge of the language or to demonstrate my classical education.  Perhaps I wished to establish my superior intellect.  I admit the weakness, there is little doubt my stories are replete with French quotations.

            I could not resist a few French quotes in The Beale Papers.  Robert Morriss’ Washington Hotel in Lynchburg was the house par excellence of the town.  As an Old Virginia gentlemen, Morriss was sans peur et sans reproache.