turned the brigadier.

"Then we owe it to the wine that we have caught him, and thus all
will be explained."

"On perceiving this wretch," pursued the gendarme, who seemed not
to have the shadow of a doubt of Guespin's guilt, "Francois, the
count's valet de chambre, and Baptiste, the mayor's servant, who
were there, hastened to meet him, and seized him. He was so tipsy
that he thought they were fooling with him. When he saw my men,
he was undeceived. Just then one of the women cried out, 'Brigand,
it was you who have this night assassinated the count and the
countess!' He immediately became paler than death, and remained
motionless and dumb. Then he began to struggle so violently that
he nearly escaped. Ah! he's strong, the rogue, although he does
not look like it."

"And he said nothing?" said Plantat.

"Not a word; his teeth were so tightly shut with rage that I'm sure
he couldn't say 'bread.' But we've got him. I've searched him,
and this is what I have found in his pockets: a handkerchief, a
pruning-knife, two small keys, a scrap of paper covered with
figures, and an address of the establishment of 'Vulcan's Forges.'
But that's not all--"

The brigadier took a step, and eyed his auditors mysteriously; he
was preparing his effect.

"That's not all. While they were bringing him along in the
court-yard, he tried to get rid of his wallet. Happily I had my
eyes open, and saw the dodge. I picked up the wallet, which he
had thrown among the flowers near the door; here it is. In it are
a one-hundred-franc note, three napoleons, and seven francs in
change. Yesterday the rascal hadn't a sou--"

"How do you know that?" asked M. Domini.

"Dame! Monsieur Judge, he borrowed of the valet Francois (who
told me of it) twenty-five francs, pretending that it was to pay
his share of the wedding expenses."

"Tell Francois to come here," said the judge of instruction. "Now,
sir," he continued, when the valet presented himself, "do you know
whether Guespin had any money yesterday?"

"He had so little, Monsieur," answered Francois promptly, "that he
asked me to lend him twenty-five francs during the day, saying that
otherwise he could not go to the wedding, not having enough even to
pay his railway fare."

"But he might have some savings--a hundred-franc note, for
instance, which he didn't like to change."

Francois shook his head with an incredulous smile.

"Guespin isn't the man to have savings," said he; "Women and ca