the courtyard of the Palais de Justice and hurried up to the
office of Judge Hauteville. On the stairs he met Gibelin, fat and
perspiring.

"See here," he said abruptly, "what have you done with that auger?"

"Put it in the department of old iron," rasped the other. "We can't waste
time on foolish clews."

Coquenil glared at him. "We can't, eh? I suppose _you_ have decided that?"

"Precisely," retorted Gibelin, his red mustache bristling.

"And you've been giving orders to young Bobet?"

"Yes, sir."

"By what authority?"

"Go in there and you'll find out," sneered the fat man, jerking a derisive
thumb toward Hauteville's door.

A moment later M. Paul entered the judge's private room, and the latter,
rising from his desk, came forward with a look of genuine friendliness and
concern.

"My dear Coquenil," exclaimed Hauteville, with cordial hand extended. "I'm
glad to see you but--you must prepare for bad news."

Coquenil eyed him steadily. "I see, they have taken me off this case."

The judge nodded gravely. "Worse than that, they have taken you off the
force. Your commission is canceled."

"But--but why?" stammered the other.

"For influencing Dedet to break a rule about a prisoner _au secret_; as a
matter of fact, you were foolish to write that letter."

"I thought the girl might get important evidence from her lover."

"No doubt, but you ought to have asked me for an order. I would have given
it to you, and then there would have been no trouble."

"It was late and the matter was urgent. After all you approve of what I
did?"

"Yes, but not of the way you did it. Technically you were at fault,
and--I'm afraid you will have to suffer."

M. Paul thought a moment.

"Did you make the complaint against me?"

"No, no! Between ourselves, I should have passed the thing over as
unimportant, but--well, the order came from higher up."

"You mean the chief revoked my commission?"

"I don't know, I haven't seen the chief, but the order came from his
office."

"With this prison affair given as the reason?"

"Yes."

"And now Gibelin is in charge of the case?"

"Yes."

"And I am discharged from the force? Discharged in disgrace?"

"It's a great pity, but----"

"Do you think I'll stand for it? Do you know me so little as that?" cut in
the other with increasing heat.

"I don't see what you're going to do," opposed the judge mildly.

"You don't? Then I'll tell you that--" Coquenil checked himself at