n that little flat on the fourth floor! How they had
chatted away in the detective's comfortable study! Then Fandor, full of
spirit, would come and go from room to room, unable to sit still, all
fire and activity; and Juve would remain in one place, calm, full of
thought, sometimes sunk in a reverie, often silent for hours at a time,
his eyes obstinately fixed on the ceiling, smoking methodically,
mechanically even, his eternal cigarette. Oh, those good, good days gone
for ever!

After the disastrous disappearance of Juve, Fandor had not gone near the
rue Bonaparte for six months. It was all too painful, to find again the
familiar rooms and no Juve! It was too painful.

However, one fine day, he determined to go and see what had happened to
his friend's old home.... Alas, in Paris, the lapse of half a year
suffices to alter the most familiar scene! In rue Bonaparte, the former
house porters had left; their place had been taken by a stout, sulky
woman who gave evasive replies to Fandor's questions. He extracted from
her the information that the tenant of the fourth floor flat had died,
that his furniture had been cleared out very soon after his death, and
the flat had been let to an insurance inspector....

* * * * *

Fandor was roused from this retrospect: he grew pale, his heart seemed
to stop its beating: the taxi he was pursuing had slowed down--had drawn
up beside the pavement--had stopped in front of Juve's old home!

Fandor saw the navvy descend from the taxi, pay his fare, and enter the
house, still keeping his right hand pressed to his cheek. Without a
moment's reflection, Fandor leapt from his taxi, flung a five-franc
piece to his driver, and without waiting for the change he rushed into
the house, whose passages and stairs were so familiar.

The navvy was swiftly mounting the stairs in front of our excited young
journalist, who was close on his quarry's heels: the two men were
panting as they went up that dark staircase.

At the fourth floor, Fandor was nearly overcome by emotion, for the man
entered Juve's old flat as if he had a right to do so.

He was on the point of shutting the door in the face of his pursuer, but
Fandor had foreseen this. He slipped through with a forceful push and
caught the navvy by his jacket.

Quick as lightning the navvy turned, and the two men stood face to
face.... The result was startling!

Speechless they stared at each other for what se