528 NOTES 'AND QUERIES. [12 s.ix. 0=0.31, 1921. woman, whom recent incidents as little "literary " as possible in Paris have brought anew to the surface of journalistic pub- licity. Everyone knows that " Mata Hari's " tragic death forms one of the most pathetic chapters of Senor Blasco Ibanez's novel ' Mare Nostrum,' translated into English by Miss Charlotte Brewster Jordan in New York and written in Paris between August and December, 1917. When the author of the present note spoke last with Senor Blasco in Nizza, in July, 1921, the famous novelist told him that previous to the pub- lication of his book there had appeared " an English novel " on the subject of " Mata Hari," which, he added, had been totally superseded by his own fiction. In vain has the author of this note and biographer of Blasco Ibafiez tried to discover this mys- terious English novel ; his efforts have been useless till the present date. AH that he has found in English about " Mata Hari " are the few pages of Captain F. Tuohy in his volume on ' The Secret Corps.' But apart from the special question of biblio- graphical detail, it would be of real interest to try and reconcile by ascertained fact the numerous contradictions which prevail in the recent articles of French journalists about " Mata Hari's " former ^ife and her debuts in the career of a professional music- hall dancer. And, generally speaking, it would certainly be a useful task to raise at last the mysterious veil which covers the youth of this baneful " morning bird "- such, we are told, is the meaning of the Hindustani nom de guerre adopted by M. G. Zelle. PROFESSOR C. PITOLLET. Paris. THE PICTURES IN THE HERMITAGE AT PETROGRAD. Is anything yet known with certainty as to the fate of this historica 1 collection ? It was stated at one time that the pictures had been removed to Moscow for security, and stored away there in cellars ; but is this correct ? CURIOUS. SIR RICHARD WOOLFE. In the library of a Welsh mansion there is a series of letters from this gentleman, dated between the years 1735 and 1755, and written sometimes from Lincoln's Inn and sometimes from the " Duchy office." Can anyone give me any information about him ? Was he a Barrister and was the " Duchy office " that of Lancaster or of Cornwall ? JOSEPH C. BRIDGE. Chester. SCHOOL HOLIDAYS. I possess a pro- spectus of a ladies' school of the Early | Victorian period, of which the following is a copy: PRIVATE EDUCATION. Mrs. Howes, who has been seven years Governess to Lady Mary Bertie (under the Patronage of the Duchess of Ancaster, and in conjunction with Miss Litteljohn, a gentlewoman perfectly qualified to educate Young Ladies) purposes taking eight, intending to teach them English and French grammatically, History, Geography, and all Kinds of Needle Work, at One Hundred Guineas a Year Masters for all other Branches of Educa- tion, and Washing to be paid for separately. No Entrance is expected, or any Holidays kept. The Young Ladies will visit their Friends when they think proper to send for them. The Situation, No. 10, Great Titchfield Street, Cavendish Square. Anent the remark, " No Entrance is I expected, or any Holidays kept," &c., I when did the present custom of set holidays i become general ? R. E. THOMAS. SMOKERS' FOLK-LORE. Three Cigarettes I from one Match. What is the origin of this ! superstition, so common during the war, | that the owner of the third cigarette will be I unlucky ? F. B. M. ANTHONY BERTOLACCI. He was the son of a judge in Corsica who had served the royal French government there and had taken a prominent part against the French Revolution. When we were in possession of the island in 1793-5 his father was ap- pointed President of the Supreme Court of Civil and Criminal Jurisdiction. Under the British administration the Hon. Frederic North was secretary, as well as private secretary to Sir Gilbert Elliot, the Viceroy, and Anthony Bertolacci was assistant in the secretary's office. When we retired from Corsica in 1795, young Bertolacci accompanied North to England, and in 1798 to Ceylon as his " private secretary for French correspondence," North having been appointed Governor of Ceylon. North left Ceylon in 1805, but Bertolacci, who had become Postmaster-General of the island and " Commissary of Musters," re- mained. He became Auditor-General in 1811 and retired in 1814. In 1817 he published a book, ' A View of the Agricul- tural, Commercial and Financial Interests of Ceylon ' the only work ever written on the economics or economic history of Ceylon. Required the date and place of his death. His second son, Robert William, was an
