you from Enghien, on hearing of the murder! Only,
while you were going round the left of the house, I went round the
right. There was a window open. I climbed up just as these two ruffians
were about to jump down. I fired at this one," pointing to Vaucheray,
"and seized hold of his pal."

How could he have been suspected? He was covered with blood. He had
handed over the valet's murderers. Half a score of people had witnessed
the end of the heroic combat which he had delivered. Besides, the uproar
was too great for any one to take the trouble to argue or to waste time
in entertaining doubts. In the height of the first confusion, the people
of the neighbourhood invaded the villa. One and all lost their heads.
They ran to every side, upstairs, downstairs, to the very cellar. They
asked one another questions, yelled and shouted; and no one dreamt of
checking Lupin's statements, which sounded so plausible.

However, the discovery of the body in the pantry restored the commissary
to a sense of his responsibility. He issued orders, had the house
cleared and placed policemen at the gate to prevent any one from passing
in or out. Then, without further delay, he examined the spot and began
his inquiry. Vaucheray gave his name; Gilbert refused to give his, on
the plea that he would only speak in the presence of a lawyer. But,
when he was accused of the murder, he informed against Vaucheray,
who defended himself by denouncing the other; and the two of them
vociferated at the same time, with the evident wish to monopolize the
commissary's attention. When the commissary turned to Lupin, to request
his evidence, he perceived that the stranger was no longer there.

Without the least suspicion, he said to one of the policemen:

"Go and tell that gentleman that I should like to ask him a few
questions."

They looked about for the gentleman. Some one had seen him standing on
the steps, lighting a cigarette. The next news was that he had given
cigarettes to a group of soldiers and strolled toward the lake, saying
that they were to call him if he was wanted.

They called him. No one replied.

But a soldier came running up. The gentleman had just got into a boat
and was rowing away for all he was worth. The commissary looked at
Gilbert and realized that he had been tricked:

"Stop him!" he shouted. "Fire on him! He's an accomplice!..."

He himself rushed out, followed by two policemen, while the others
remained with the prisoners