ed carefully all around him to make sure that he
was unobserved, then took off his overcoat, jacket and trousers, and
drawing a bundle from one of the pockets of his large waterproof,
proceeded to dress himself anew. As soon as he was dressed, he spread
the waterproof out on the ground, folded up in it the clothes and hat he
had previously been wearing, added a number of heavy stones, and tied
the whole bundle up with a piece of string. He swung it once or twice at
the full length of his arm, and sent it hurtling right into the middle
of the river, where it sank at once.

A few minutes later a bricklayer in his working clothes presented
himself at the Juvisy booking office.

"A workman's ticket to Paris, please, missus," he said, and having got
it, the man went on to the departure platform. "It would have been risky
to use my own ticket," he muttered. "This return ticket will put them
off the scent," and with a smile he waited for the train that would take
him to Paris.

* * * * *

The slow train from Luchon was drawing near its Paris terminus and the
travellers were all making hasty toilettes and tidying themselves up
after their long night journey. Just, however, as it was approaching the
goods station it slowed down and stopped. The passengers, surprised, put
their heads out of the windows, to ascertain the reason for the
unexpected delay, hazarding various conjectures but unanimous in their
vituperation of the company.

Three men were walking slowly along the line, looking carefully at every
door. Two were porters, and they were manifesting the most respectful
attention to everything the third man said: he was a grave individual,
very correctly attired.

"Look there, sir," one of the porters exclaimed; "there is a door where
the safety catch has either been undone or not fastened; that is the
only one on the train."

"That is so," said the gentleman, and grasping the handle he opened the
door of the compartment and got in. Two travellers were busy strapping
up their bags, and they turned round in simultaneous surprise.

"You will pardon me, gentlemen, when you know who I am," said the
intruder, and throwing open his coat he showed his tricolour scarf. "I
have to make enquiry relative to a dead body that has been found on the
line near Bretigny; it probably fell from this train, and perhaps from
this compartment, for I have just observed that the safety catch is not
fastened.