Monsieur Lecoq, v.1

pinions, are the very individuals who end in madly adopting them. When an idea has at last penetrated thei

pector to scorn. On hearing Lecoq affirm that women had taken part in the horrible scene at the Poivriere, his joy was extreme-"A fine affair!" he exclaimed; "an exce

d, as motionless as a statue. The discovery he had just made, and which so delighted Father Absinthe, filled him with consternation. It was

y-, so celebrity was not to be

f Widow Chupin, the dying declaration of the pretended soldier. The behavior of the murderer was also explained. He had remained to cover the retreat of the two women

othing, simply nothing. However, who could say how low an unworthy passion might cause a man even of birth

nthe became impatient. "Are we going to remain here until doomsday?" he asked. "Are we to

irony could have done. "Leave me alone," he replied gruffly; "and, above all

in his turn. He was constrained to submit to the irre

rtifications, came to this wine-shop, accompanied by two women. He found three men drinking here, who either began teasing him, or who displayed too much

murderer who brought these women here? If he is tried, this will be t

the ground near the entrance of the hovel, and so many persons had passed in and out that Lecoq could discover nothing. What a disappointment after his patient hopes! Lecoq could have cried with rage. He saw th

of some commonplace, vulgar broil, that he began to wonder if it would not be wise to r

not explain his inaction. "Come! my boy," said he, "have you lost your wits? This is losing time, it seems to me. The authorities will arrive

tation of a few moments before. It was the old man who had suddenly become intrepid. "To work, then!" h

uncertain light of a candle, which was extinguished by the least breath of wind. "I wond

in's own room, they found a well-trimmed lantern, so small and com

ement," said Father Absin

d the lantern in the best position, while Lecoq, on his knees, studied each footprint with the attention of a chiromancer professing to read the future in the hand of a rich client. This new examination assured Lecoq tha

hat it did not escape Father Absinthe's eyes. "Sapristi!" he muttered; "on

ant high-heeled boot with a narrow sole and an arched instep. The other denoted a broad, sh

ition that is in accordance with his desires. Trembling with anxiety, he went to examine some o

inquired the other age

r yourself, see t

great that he almost dropped the lantern. "Oh!"

he finest of boots. See that imp

of quickening his rather slow wits. "But it seems to me," he ventured to s

But he did not pass beyond the spot where we are now standing. He was standing on tiptoe with outstretche

n were going out as

outside the garden

us to suit Lecoq's companion, who rem

your lantern a little nearer-yes, here it is-our man placed his large foot upon one of the marks made by the woman with th

expecting? Might it not have been some strolling vagrant whose attention was attracted

he should arrive too late, he had leaped the fence to the great detriment of his pantaloons, without even asking himself if there was a gate or not. There was one, however-a light gate of lattice-work similar to the fence, turning upon iron hinges, and closed by a wooden but

hat, my boy?" inqui

have been aware of the existence of this gate? Could they have discovered it on such a dark,

, that i

ng, in a straight line; and note that to do this, it

find none. "Upon my word!" he exclaimed, "yours is a droll way of proceeding. You are only a conscript; I am a vet

example, I can prove to you that although the women knew the

pro

reatly from the straight course. He was in such doubt that he was obliged to search for the gate with his hand stretched out b

self, as he said, but Lecoq was in a hurry. "Let us go on, let us

lonely waste since the last fall of snow. A child could have followed the track, so clear and distinct it was. Four series of footprints, very unlike in character, formed the track; two of these had evidently been left by the women; the other t

seized his colleague's arm. "Halt!" he exclaimed, "we h

strewn with large blocks of granite, some chiseled, some in the rough, with numerous long planks and logs of wood in their midst. In f

et the man and took counsel with him. One of the women

e of that," said Father Abs

, my old friend," said he, "are going to do me the kindness t

no resistance. Like a soldier at the command to halt, he remained erect, motionles

ame and went, now turning, now pausing, now retreating, now hurrying on again without any apparent reason; he scrutinized, he questioned every surrounding object: the ground, the logs of wood, the blocks of stone, in a word, nothing escaped his glance. For a moment he would r

h exclamations of disappointment or delight. After a quarter of an hour of this strange exercise, he turned to Father A

is saying a

now is a white page upon which the people we are in search of have written, not only their movements, their goings, and comings, but also their secret thoughts, thei

tainly, this fellow is intelligent, unden

companion-I should say his accomplice-came here to wait. He was a tall man of middle age; he wore a soft hat and a shaggy brown

e existence had but just now been demonstrated, these precise details given in a tone of absolute c

ng seriously; I listen to you, I obey you in everything, and then you mock me in this way. W

have told you nothing of which I am not absolutely sur

ould have

When I have told you my reasons, and my means of information, you will laug

the good man, in a

he length of this log of wood-occasionally pausing to listen. Hearing nothing, he stamped his foot, doubtless exclaiming: 'What the deuce has

her Absinthe's heart. What should he believe? what should he refuse to believe? He did not know. How was he to separate the true from the false among all

m. "We had reached the point where the

our fugitives left the drinking den before the beginning of the fight, before the cries that attracted our attention. Who were they? I can onl

d man, "by the great difference i

me distance in advance of the other. The terror of the situation, the vileness of the den, the horror of the scandal, the thought of safety, inspired her with marvelous energy. But her strength, as often happens with delicate and nervous women, lasted only a few seconds. She was not half-way from the Poivriere when her speed relaxed, her limbs trembled. Ten steps farther on she tottered and almost fell. Some steps farther, and she became so exhausted that s

scene anything but a work of imagination? Was the accent of deep

footprints which he had not known how to read, which had been speechless to him, but which yielded their secret to another. He was obliged to agree with his comp

th a shade of embarrassment that he said: "You can scarcely blame an old man for being a litt

ng the snow off this log. Then, thinking the surface was not yet dry enough, he wiped it with the skirt of his overcoat. Were these civilities pure gallantry, or the usual attentions of an inferior? I have asked myself that question. This much, however, is certain, while the woman with the small feet was recovering her strength, half reclining upon this

nything for the very same reason that had, at first, made him believe nothing. Having no idea of the bounds of human reasoning and penetration, he saw no limit

laining to the man the immensity and imminence of the danger that threatened his companion, and that they were trying to devise some means to rescue him from it. Perhaps she brought him orders give

in the hovel at that very moment. A word from Gevrol, and we

ul for Gevrol's blunder. Had it not been for that, how would he ever have found an opportunity of investigati

t be fatal. At his words, she summoned all her energy; she rose and hastened away, clinging to the arm of her companion. Did the man indicate the route they were to take, or did they know it themselves? This much is certain, he accompanied them some distance, in order to watch over them. But besides protecting these women, he had a still more s

ress his admiration. But it was not until Lecoq ceased speaking that he gave full vent to his enthusiasm: "Here is a detective if you like!" he exclaimed. "And they preten

s tall-an easy matter. When I saw that he had been leaning upon that block of granite there to the left, I measured the block in question. It is almost five feet five inches in height, consequently a man who could rest his elbow upon it must be at least six feet high. The mark of his hand proves that I am not mistaken. On seeing that he had brushed away the snow which covered the plank, I asked myself what he had used; I thought that it might be his cap,

rified, and, like an echo