s much in our investigations."

Isidore turned the paper over and over. It was covered with figures,
dots and signs and presented the exact appearance reproduced below:

[Illustration: drawing of an outline of paper with writing and drawing
on it--numbers, dots, some letters, signs and symbols, something like...

2.1.1..2..2.1..1..
1...2.2. 2.43.2..2.
.45..2.4...2..2.4..2
D DF square 19F+44triangle357triangle
13.53..2 ..25.2

]

CHAPTER THREE

THE CORPSE

At six o'clock in the evening, having finished all he had to do, M.
Filluel, accompanied by M. Bredoux, his clerk, stood waiting for the
carriage which was to take him back to Dieppe. He seemed restless,
nervous. Twice over, he asked:

"You haven't seen anything of young Beautrelet, I suppose?"

"No, Monsieur le Juge d'Instruction, I can't say I have."

"Where on earth can he be? I haven't set eyes on him all day!"

Suddenly, he had an idea, handed his portfolio to Bredoux, ran round
the chateau and made for the ruins. Isidore Beautrelet was lying near
the cloisters, flat on his face, with one arm folded under his head, on
the ground carpeted with pine-needles. He seemed drowsing.

"Hullo, young man, what are you doing here? Are you asleep?"

"I'm not asleep. I've been thinking."

"Ever since this morning?"

"Ever since this morning."

"It's not a question of thinking! One must see into things first, study
facts, look for clues, establish connecting links. The time for
thinking comes after, when one pieces all that together and discovers
the truth."

"Yes, I know.--That's the usual way, the right one, I dare say.--Mine
is different.--I think first, I try, above all, to get the general hang
of the case, if I may so express myself. Then I imagine a reasonable
and logical hypothesis, which fits in with the general idea. And then,
and not before, I examine the facts to see if they agree with my
hypothesis."

"That's a funny method and a terribly complicated one!"

"It's a sure method, M. Filleul, which is more than can be said of
yours."

"Come, come! Facts are facts."

"With your ordinary sort of adversary, yes. But, given an enemy endowed
with a certain amount of cunning, the facts are those which he happens
to have selected. Take the famous clues upon which you base your
inquiry: why, he was at liberty to arrange them as he liked. And you
see where that can lead you, into what mistakes and absurdities, when
you a