# XXIII explained — File No. 113

> Chapter companion for File No. 113 by Émile Gaboriau.

## What happens

M. Fauvel receives an anonymous letter accusing his wife of infidelity and theft of her diamonds. Initially dismissing it, suspicion takes hold, and he discovers the diamonds are missing. He resolves to investigate secretly, sends for information about Raoul de Lagors, and intercepts a letter from Raoul to Mme. Fauvel. Gypsy, watching, removes the bullets from his revolver to prevent a murder.

## Themes in this chapter

### Suspicion and Trust

M. Fauvel's initial dismissal of the anonymous letter gives way to corrosive suspicion that destroys his trust in his wife.

### Deception and Appearance

The letter reveals a web of deception: Raoul's false identity as a nephew, Mme. Fauvel's hidden actions, and M. Fauvel's struggle to maintain a calm facade.

### Secrecy and the Past

M. Fauvel seeks to uncover the past of Raoul and Clameran, while the anonymous letter forces hidden truths to the surface.

## Character check-ins

### André Fauvel

Receives the anonymous letter, struggles with suspicion, discovers his wife's diamonds are missing, and begins a secret investigation.

### Mme. Fauvel

Accused in the anonymous letter; her diamonds are found missing from her bureau.

### Raoul de Lagors

Revealed as the supposed nephew who never existed; his letter to Mme. Fauvel is intercepted by M. Fauvel.

### Nina Gypsy

Watches M. Fauvel through the keyhole, removes the bullets from his revolver, and sends Cavaillon to inform Verduret.

### M. Verduret

His predictions about M. Fauvel's reaction are realized; Gypsy acts to give him time to prevent a murder.

### Cavaillon

Sent by Gypsy to inform Verduret of the imminent danger.

## Key lines

> It is generally agreed that an anonymous letter should be treated with silent contempt, and cast aside as the malicious lies of a coward who dares not say to a man's face what he secretly commits to paper, and forces upon him. This is all very well in theory, but is difficult to practise when the anonymous letter comes.

Conventional wisdom says to ignore anonymous letters as cowardly lies, but in practice, once read, they are impossible to dismiss.

_Reflects the psychological impact of anonymous accusations on M. Fauvel._

> You throw it in the fire, it burns; but, although the paper is destroyed by the flames, doubt remains. Suspicion arises from its ashes, like a subtle poison penetrates the inmost recesses of the mind, weakens its holiest beliefs, and destroys its faith.

Even after burning the letter, doubt lingers and poisons the mind, eroding trust and faith.

_Describes the insidious nature of suspicion once planted._

> The wife suspected, no matter how unjustly, is no longer the wife in whom her husband trusted as he would trust himself: the pure being who was above suspicion no longer exists. Suspicion, no matter whence the source, has irrevocably tarnished the brightness of his idol.

Once a wife is suspected, even unjustly, the husband's trust is shattered and her purity is permanently stained.

_Highlights the irreversible damage of suspicion on a relationship._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/file_no_113_se/chapters/xxiii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/file_no_113_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/file_no_113_se/chapters