Monsieur Lecoq, v.1

e in the presence of two physicians so utterly unlike each other

he byways of Paris-one of those healers devoted to their art, who too often die in obscurity, after rendering immense services to mankind. He had the gracious calmness of a man w

he had the manners of those practitioners who, for profit's sake, invariably recommend the infallible panaceas invented each month in chemical laboratories and advertised ad nauseam in the back pages of

examining the victim who wears a military costume. Here is a sergeant-major summoned to a

d laid it upon two tables, which had previously been placed end to end. They were not obliged to make any note of the attitude in which

red the commissary, "and l

ent repugnance that t

uniform tha

e 2d battalion of the 53

recogn

at

he does not belon

ave never seen. But I am ready to swear that he had never formed part of th

tepped forward. "It might be as well," he suggested, "to

idea," said the com

the young police agent. "

discovered that each article of clothing worn

geant; "there is every indica

lect his intellectual faculties. "I would stake my epaulets that this fellow never was a soldie

you thin

t, I know it by everything and by nothing. Why look, the poor devil did not even know how to put on his shoes; he has laced his gaiters wrong si

ve procured this clothing?" insisted the commissary. "

ible; but it is di

y by which you

to run over to the fort and or

ary; "it would be an excellen

g, and much more prompt. "One word, sergeant," said he, "

nce a year, afte

rticles thus sold

ured

ome mark of the kind on th

examined the waist-band of the pantaloons. "You ar

ere? Necessarily at the Temple, from one of the dealers in military clothing. There are only five or six of these establishments

ded soldier, and the commissary, who performed this duty himself, hoped that some clue as to the man's identity would be forthcoming. He proceeded with his task, at the same time dictating to one of the men a proces-verbal of the search; that is to say, a minute description of all th

the pocket-book he found a compartment which had at first escaped his notice, being hidden by a leather flap

l at the Rainbow, according to our agreement. If you have no money pass by

eady there, it will not be long before I make my

hene

he had some connection with a man named Lacheneur, who had advanced him money for a

g. It was a clue; and in this absolute darkness eve

; "the poor devil uttered t

wished to revenge himself upon him. He accused him of having d

closest attention. The paper on which it was written was of the ordinary kind; the ink was blue. In

nly written in a cafe on the Boulevard Beaumarchais. In which one

"subject" like surgeons in the schools of anatomy, and examined, inspected, and appraised him physically. Very willingly would the younger doctor have dispensed with these formalities, which he considered very ridiculous, and entirely unnecessary; but the old physician had too high a regard for his profession

to be a fracture of the base of the skull. It could, they stated, only have been caused by some instrument wit

ve been a hand-to-hand struggle between the pretended soldier and the murderer; and the latter, seizing his adversary by the throat, had dashed him viol

t have been exceedingly short. The murder of the pretended soldier must have been consummated between the moment when the

been respected; they were still lying across the hearth as they had fallen, and their attitude was a matter of great importance, since it might have decisive bearing on the case. Now, this attitude was suc

ould be perceived; it seemed evident that they had been taken unaw

come across this terrified expression depicted upon the faces of dead people more than once. I recollect noticing it upon the features of a woman who

e hypotheses that were revolving in his own brain. But who could these individuals be?

s very poorly clad, wearing a soiled woolen blouse and a pair of dilapidated trousers hanging in rags over his boots, which were very much trodden down at the heels. The old doctor declared that this man must ha

him, and his wound was not nearly so hideous in aspect as the other's. This individual, who was at least fifteen years younger than his companion, was short and remarkably ugly; his face, which was quite beardless, being pitted all over by the smallpox. His garb was such as is worn by the worst freque

position, or profession. There was not even the slightest indication on any of these points, not a letter, nor an address, not a fragment of paper, nothing-not even such common articles of personal use, as a tobacco pouch, a knife, or a pipe which might be recognized, and thus establish the owner's identity. A little toba

ere quite ignorant of the circumstances that had attended and of the motive that had inspired the crime. Certainly, they might hope with the powerful means of investigation at their disposal to finally arrive at the truth in the c

victims; one of whom had with his dying breath accused himself. Then again, an inexplicable influence tied the Widow Chupin's tongue. Two women, one of whom had lost an earring valued at 5,000 francs, had witnessed the struggle-then disappeared. An accom

pleasant quarter of an hour at the prefecture when he reported th

orgue. There they will doubtless be identified." He reflected for a moment, and t

eing the last to die, had seen his companions fall. If he had sup

ched. He was not the man to yield even to the strongest evidence. "If Monsieur, the Commissary, wil

ng before the door of the cabin interrupted him, and an ins

agistrate who now made his appearance, and Gevrol, an old habitue of the

with his blood, and upon whom Napoleon, in the Memorial of St. Helena, pronounced this magnifice

ore elevated positions that were offered to him, in order to retain his modest but useful functions in the public prosecutor's offices at Paris. To explain his repeated refusals, he said that life in the capital had more charms for him than the most enviable advancement in provincial cent

it not been for the puzzling immobility that marred its beauty, the sarcastic curl of his thin lips, and the gloomy expression of his pale-blue eyes. To s

od of the head. The others in the room had no existence so far as he was concerned. At once his faculties went to work. He studied the ground, and carefully noted all the surroun

ffair," he said grav

e agree with you!" The fact is, that for the past two hours the worthy commissary's responsibility had

l, "he has not the gift of omnipresence, and I doubt if it will be possi

missary only expressed the general feeling when he said: "You

ted M. d'Escorval, apparently muc

erk was busy in authenticating the commissary's proces

ession produced by the document. His future depended upon the magistrate's approval or disapproval; and it was

written phrases in comparison with spoken, living words, palpitat

nd again did M. d'Escorval nod his head in token of approval, and occasionally some point

ed: "All this is very unlike your report of this morning, which represe

ted to Gevrol's representations, and remained in bed. "This morning," he responded evasively, "I

u. One could not have done better nor acted more promptly. The investigation that has been carried out shows

head w

ofit. If he drove away the unworthy thought, it was because he was an honest man, and more than that, because h

mbarrassment, "that the merit of this

for having occasionally employed Gevrol, he did not expect from him such ingenuity and sagacity as wa

en I have them in hand. May I be hung if the grounds of this report have any existence save in the brains of the man who imagined them." Perhaps the inspector really belie

detected must have existed. The accomplice who left the flakes of wool adher

rderer had an accomplice is possible. The presence of the women is very natural. Wherever there are male thieves, you will find female thieves as well. As for the diamond-wh

t, reflecting before he announced his decision. "Decidedly," he declared at las

he replied, "a clever, adroit fellow, Monsieur Lecoq.

compressed so as to conceal a smile of

a summary," he began, "

clerk's portfolio two forms, which he filled up and handed to Gevrol, saying: "Here are two orders; take them to the station, where the

hen Lecoq, at the risk of a second rebuff, interposed. "May I venture, sir, to be

may have need

n evidence and an opportunity to d

he replied, "but after your task is completed you must wait for me at the pr

r to be repeated. He snatched u

of success. He had every confidence in himself, and his happiness would indeed have been complete if he had had another judge to deal with. But M. d'Escorval overawed him to such a degree that he became almost para

ive mentally exclaimed, "no one ever

houghts on the task before