cs which he sent? There's another question that
puzzles me: what is the connection between the second robbery and the
first, the one on the race-course? The whole thing is incomprehensible
and I have a sort of feeling--which is very rare with me--that it is no
use hunting. For my part, I give it up."

The examining-magistrate threw himself into the case with heart and
soul. The reporters united their efforts with those of the police. A
famous English sleuth-hound crossed the Channel. A wealthy American,
whose head had been turned by detective-stories, offered a big reward to
whosoever should supply the first information leading to the discovery
of the truth. Six weeks later, no one was any the wiser. The public
adopted Ganimard's view; and the examining-magistrate himself grew tired
of struggling in a darkness which only became denser as time went on.

And life continued as usual with Dugrival's widow. Nursed by her nephew,
she soon recovered from her wound. In the mornings, Gabriel settled her
in an easy-chair at the dining-room window, did the rooms and then went
out marketing. He cooked their lunch without even accepting the
proffered assistance of the porter's wife.

Worried by the police investigations and especially by the requests for
interviews, the aunt and nephew refused to see anybody. Not even the
portress, whose chatter disturbed and wearied Mme. Dugrival, was
admitted. She fell back upon Gabriel, whom she accosted each time that
he passed her room:

"Take care, M. Gabriel, you're both of you being spied upon. There are
men watching you. Why, only last night, my husband caught a fellow
staring up at your windows."

"Nonsense!" said Gabriel. "It's all right. That's the police, protecting
us."

One afternoon, at about four o'clock, there was a violent altercation
between two costermongers at the bottom of the street. The porter's wife
at once left her room to listen to the invectives which the adversaries
were hurling at each other's heads. Her back was no sooner turned than
a man, young, of medium height and dressed in a gray suit of
irreproachable cut, slipped into the house and ran up the staircase.

When he came to the third floor, he rang the bell. Receiving no answer,
he rang again. At the third summons, the door opened.

"Mme. Dugrival?" he asked, taking off his hat.

"Mme. Dugrival is still an invalid and unable to see any one," said
Gabriel, who stood in the hall.

"It's most important th