Monsieur Lecoq, v.1

to and fro before the guard-house. His thoughtful air, and the anxious glances he cast every now and then toward one of the little grated windows of the building suf

nquired, "what n

conduct the prisoner

le of satisfaction plainly implied that

the prison van, will pass here in less than an hou

eper's transports of satisfaction. "A

. This has been a remarkably quiet night, for Shrove Sunday!

runken man h

t at daybreak. A poor devil, who is

t escape Lecoq. "Yes, under a great obligat

per, "but such is really the case; if it hadn't been

has beco

coming out into the open air, the wine flew into his head. He told us all about it when he got sober, half an hour afterward. I never saw a man so vexed as

k much abou

that he should be ruined if we kept him here. He begged us to send for the commissary, to go to his house, and

n the same cage as the m

cour

talked with

ad' distinctly. When he was placed in a cell, bang! He fell down like a log of wood.

own very thoughtful. "I was e

say?" inquir

ious, cool-headed fellow. While we were tracking his footprints he was watching us. When we had got to some distance, he was bold enough to enter the hovel. Then he came here and compelled them to arrest him; and thanks to an assumption of childish simplicity, he succeeded in finding an oppo

t he had no time to waste in conjectures. "What

, a pair of white whiskers, small eyes, a broa

ld you suppo

forty a

any idea of hi

and his heavy brown overcoat, he must be eit

Lecoq was about to enter the station house when a sudden thought brought him to a stan

as been cursing and threatening ever since she arrived. Never in my whole life have I heard such language as she has used. It has been en

and wrath that the keeper paused in his recital much perturb

ng to disclose the real cause of his anger, he entered th

"They question you, you tell them all they desire to know; and afterward, if you venture to ask the

he had seen some hours previously at the Poivriere, standing on the threshold of the inner door, and holding the whole squad of police agents in check by the intense fury of his attitude. Now, on the contrary, he seemed, as it w

"no, this man is not

raised his head, gave the detective an in

goes it?" a

ded the prisoner, in a

for the magistrate to decide. I ca

he changed his mind. "All the same," he said,

me sort. In his opinion, if the murderer had asked for a drink after at first refusing to partake of anythi

te. He then took up the large glass of wine that had been brought him, draine

barrieres-hoping, nay, almost expecting, that the murderer would not drink it without some sign of repugnance. And yet the contrary proved the case. However,

n it was that the officials turned to the assassin. Lecoq certainly expected some sign of repugnance now, and he watched the prisoner closely. But he was again doomed to disappointment. The cul

red Lecoq, disconsolately. "Still I will

aken his seat in front, between the driver and the guard; but his mind was so engrossed with his own thoughts that he heard nothing of their conversa

that he should have succeeded in feigning an appetite, that he should have concealed his distaste for a nauseous beverage, and that he should have entered the Black Maria without hesitation. Such conduct was quite possible, indeed almost probable on the part of a man, endowed with considerable str

graceful position in which the prisoner would find himself would cause him to revo

Horloge that the young detective became conscious of what was transpiring around him.

exclaiming as he did so: "Here we are, get out." There was no fear of the prisoner escaping. The iron gate had

of face remained unchanged, and each gesture evinced the

at he drew a long breath, and then stretched and shook himself, as if to regain the elasticity of his limbs, cramped by confinement in the narrow compartment from which he had just emerged. Then he glanced around him, and a scarcely percept

greatly chagrined, "does he

t an instant's hesitation he walked straight toward the very doorway he was expected to enter-Lecoq asked himself was it chance? But his amazement and disappointment increased tenfold when, after entering th

forehead. "This man," thought he, "has cert

s of which were covered with a thick coating of dust. There sat the clerk reading a newspaper, spread out over the open register-that fatal

e benches, with a couple of tables, and some dilapidated chairs, constituted the entire furniture of the office, in one corner of which stood a measuring machine, under w

ied by Lecoq, the clerk raised his head

he orders signed by M. d'Escorval, he

e assassination! Oh! oh!" The glance he gave the prisoner was positively def

get the prisoner other clothing, as the things he is wearing now will be used as evidence. Let

ffice. The clerk at once dipped his pen in the ink, and

ay

hristia

ave

you no Chr

need not tire yourself by questioning me. I shan't answer any one else but the magistrate. You would like

ly aggravate your situati

But you had better give me back what they took from me at the station-house. My hundred and thirty-six francs and eight

ation-house, who had found it upon the prisoner when he w

s and eight sous," said he, "and also your

ntentment was discernible

the clerk, "w

er questioning; and silencing the clerk by a ges

glance wavered as he heard th

o that?" aske

lied the clerk. "We must make

heel of the right one was worn down on the inside. It was, moreover, noti

ts on Sundays, the

you thin

our feet are covered, as

er, in an insolent tone. "Is it a cr

ve slowly. "Do you think I can't see that if the mud were picked off your fe

crossed Lecoq's mind. Pushing a chair in front of the prisoner, and sp

ot comply wit

t," exclaimed the gover

, as he had been ordered, and Lecoq, with the aid of a knife, p

loomy chamber, the anteroom of the assize court, an otherwise trivial act is fraught with serious im

one thought of inquiring the detective's motive. This much was known already; that the prisoner was trying to conceal his id

ap of paper, and slipping it into his own pocket. With the remainder he formed a package which he handed to the governor, saying: "I beg you, sir, to take charg

ng, the prisoner shrugged his shoulders with a sneering laugh. Still, beneath this cynical gaiety Lecoq thought he could detect

ose ignominous examinations which make the blood rush to the forehead of the lowest criminal. It was with perfect indifference that he allowed an inspector to comb his hair and beard, and to examine the inside of his mouth, so as to make sure that he had

rintendent rang for one of the keepers. "Conduct

lked out, as he had entered, preceding the guard,

al!" exclaim

egan Lecoq, baffled

This man is certainly a dangerous criminal-an old offender-

d Gevrol's opinion; Lecoq stood alone. He did not discuss the matter-what g

good gentlemen" to witness the shameful injustice with which she was treated-she, an honest woman. Was she not the mainstay of her family (since her son Polyte w

o remove her, nature reasserted itself, and scarcely had she en

are losing a good fee, without counting many a go

across, he eventually left the Depot, and went and sat down on one of the benches beside the quay. Here he tried to collect his thoughts. His convictions were unchanged. He was m

elf-control! What powers of dissimulation he had displayed! He had not so much as frowned while u

, and so absorbed in studying his case that he had thought neither of the cold nor of the flight of time, w

ll-nigh breathless with anx

nctionary, "confirm me in the belief that

ently very trivial, though, in

to me by and by. First of all, I must summarily examine the

st an hour would elapse before he reappeared. In this he was mistaken. Twe

etective, he called to him at some little distance. "I must retu

t,

to the Morgue. Keep a sharp lookout there. Then,

sir, I

nine o'clock, in my office

l had entered, or rather thrown himself into, his carri

Has he gone mad?" As he spoke, an uncharitable thought took possession of his mind. "Can it be," h

e prisoner lying on the pallet that stood opposite the door. His face was turned toward the wall, and he was enveloped in the coverlid up to his eyes. He was not asleep, for Lecoq could detect a strange movement of th

greatly excited. "The pri

his clothes, had fastened it round his neck and tried to strangle himself with the assistance of a spoon that had been left him with his food. He was

n his cheeks. He was pressed with questions, but did not vouchsafe so much as a single word in response. As he was in such a desperate frame of mind, and as the orders to keep him in solitary confinement prevented the governor giving him

ere?" he murmured. "Has he confessed his guilt to the magistr